He must have heard it wrong, right?
There was no way she had actually said that.
Aether stared at Lia as if echoes of battle still rang inside his skull.
Maybe that was it.
Maybe his hearing had simply broken after all that chaos.
Yes... that had to be the reason.
Lia, of all people, would obviously ask for money.
Come on, this was Lia we were talking about.
Even though she was a princess, she loved money more than breathing itself. The woman treated gold like a sacred religion. Jewels, treasures, resources... her eyes usually sparkled more brightly at those things than at life.
So why... why this?
Aether's mind desperately searched for logic, trying to stitch together excuses before reality could fully sink its claws into him.
Yet Lia's next words shattered every fragile thought apart.
"I told you to call me 'Mommy.'"
"... P-Pard—"
"You heard me right!!"
