Time was more than enough for Ronnie. He bypassed the knight and rushed towards the beautiful woman, tears streaming down his chubby face, his entire being radiating sorrow.
For a knight, his sword is his life. To have his sword taken is an absolute disgrace, especially when it was taken by a child. The previously composed knight roared, and in a flash, he caught up with Ronnie from behind. Pale blue light gathered in his right hand, striking directly at Ronnie's head.
"Watch out!" Chambers cried out.
Ronnie's eyes and heart were fixed solely on the beautiful woman. All other sounds were filtered out. He still gripped the knight's sword, continuing to run forward, completely unaware that the furious blow from behind—enough to kill him several times over—was a death knell beckoning him."He's just a child." A leisurely sigh rang out, and a figure flashed. A slender, graceful hand, gleaming with silver light, blocked the call of death. The knight stumbled, his face flushed, and he fell several steps to the side before regaining his footing.
It was the beautiful woman who had suddenly saved Ronnie. Her figure vanished from his sight, causing him to pause for a moment. Finding her beside him, he immediately dropped his sword and cried out, "Mother!" Like a fledgling returning to its nest, he rushed into her arms. Of course, if the fledgling were as fat as him, it probably wouldn't be able to fly.
The beautiful woman, somewhat taken aback, put her arm around Ronnie's shoulder, momentarily at a loss. Before her marriage, she was known for her fiery temper. Although she had toned it down somewhat after marriage, those who knew her reputation would avoid her at all costs. Aside from her husband, any other man who dared touch her would likely be torn to pieces on the spot. Yet, at this moment, a grief-stricken Ronnie rushed into her arms, and she felt an involuntary surge of maternal instinct. Instead of resisting, she instinctively pulled Ronnie into her embrace.
"Child, don't cry. Tell Auntie, what's wrong?" the beautiful woman asked softly.
"Mommy, Mommy, don't leave me, don't leave me!" Ronnie's longing for his mother surged forth at this moment, and he clutched the beautiful woman's skirt tightly, bursting into tears.
The little girl who had alighted with the beautiful woman, seeing her mother being taken advantage of, immediately protested. She ran over and shoved Ronnie with both hands, shouting, "What are you doing? You're not allowed to hug my mother!"
The little girl was surprisingly strong. Even though Ronnie was on guard, he was no match for her strength. He stumbled and fell to the side, but he was still clutching the beautiful woman's skirt. A tearing sound rang out, and the woman gasped as Ronnie ripped off two pieces of her skirt, revealing glimpses of her delicate skin. Her face flushed crimson, and she quickly grabbed her skirt to stop the exposure. The knights who had come with her hurriedly turned away, silently praying, "I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything!" If the Marquis found out, he'd probably at least gouge out their eyes.
"Chenchen, what are you doing?" the beautiful woman scolded her daughter, covering her own body.
Chenchen said, aggrieved, "Mommy, why does he call you Mommy? You're only my mommy."
The beautiful woman glanced at her daughter with a touch of affection, then shook her head helplessly. A silver light appeared, and the torn dress miraculously glued itself back together in that strange light. Although it looked a little awkward, it was at least completely restored.
Ronnie, having fallen, seemed to regain some clarity. Chambers had already run over and helped him up from the ground. "Ronnie, what happened to you?" he asked, his eyes filled with worry. Chambers' biggest fear now was that the memory seal he had placed on Ronnie would be broken.
Ronnie stood up, letting Chambers brush the dust off him. His gaze remained fixed on the beautiful woman, and he murmured, "You...you're not Mommy. Mommy's hair is blue."
The beautiful woman, having fixed her dress, walked gently to Ronnie and said, "Little one, do I look a lot like your mother?"
Ronnie nodded vigorously. The beautiful woman looked at his chubby little face, a hint of affection in her eyes. "And your mother?"
Ronnie, now awake, lowered his head and gently shook it, saying, "I don't know. I only have my master."
Hearing this, Chambers breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Madam, I'm sorry. My disciple's parents are both deceased. Perhaps he misses his mother too much. Please forgive him for any offense."
The beautiful woman smiled slightly and said, "It's alright, this child is so cute."
Chenchen came over from the side, pouting unhappily, "He's not as cute as me. He's so fat, he looks like a ball. He's awful." To be fair, although Ronnie was a bit chubby, he was still young, and with his naturally handsome face, he wasn't really ugly. Although Chenchen said this, she thought to herself, this little chubby boy seems quite amusing.
Ronnie's mind was now racing. Ignoring Chenchen's attacks, he said to the beautiful woman, "Auntie, you really look like my mother, I, I..." His eyes welled up with tears again.
The beautiful woman comforted him, "Child, don't cry. If you'd like, Auntie will be your mother, okay?" Her maternal instincts led her to speak unconsciously, but she immediately realized her rashness. After all, she didn't know either the old woman or the young boy. However, given her status, how could she take back her words?
Ronnie glanced at Chenchen's unfriendly expression, then suddenly shook his head, saying, "No need. Thank you, Auntie, but you're not my mother. I don't need pity." A resolute glint appeared in his eyes, and at that moment, his short, chubby child seemed to grow taller.
The beautiful woman was secretly astonished. This child possessed such a bearing at such a young age; he was destined for greatness. A thought struck her, and she took out a jade pendant from her bosom, placing it in Ronnie's hand with a smile. "It's alright, our meeting is fate. This jade pendant is Auntie's keepsake; it has her name on it. If you encounter any trouble in the Oran Empire in the future, showing it will be of some use."