"Are these two Artoria's mom and dad? Didn't they have a car accident a long time ago? Now they're actually alive and well!"
Hope looked very surprised at the man and woman sitting on the sofa. The woman was hugging Artoria, and Artoria wasn't resisting, looking as obedient as a little kitten. But Hope wasn't surprised by Artoria's attitude; rather, she knew both of these people. Her father had even taken her as a young child to attend their funeral. Now, if you told her that someone who had been dead for over a decade suddenly popped up without any explanation, anyone would be spooked. Could these two have crawled out of hell?
As for Hope's surprise, the other women didn't feel much; instead, they paid more attention to the two people's identities. When they learned they were Artoria's parents, the women's attitudes were extremely enthusiastic, directly coaxing the parents-in-law to be happy. In the future, even if their romantic relationships with Artoria were exposed, they might even be able to get their support.
"I know of your father. Dr. Pym's quantum theory is indeed impressive; in this field, he is better than me."
After noticing Hope's gaze, Howard knew who her father was as soon as he heard her name. He was all too familiar with the man; they had once worked together in a secret Base. Both his work ability and his flexible mind were commendable. Their fields were different, but there was a sense of mutual appreciation. It was a pity that later, his spouse seemed to have an accident, causing him to withdraw from the public eye. It was truly a pity. He hadn't expected to run into the man's daughter here; it really brought back memories.
"Dad... oh no! Father-in-law... oh no! Uncle, were you also very familiar with my father?"
Almost blurting out what she was thinking, Hope quickly corrected herself. She was very curious if Howard was good friends with her father. If so, there would be absolutely no problem with her old man; she could convince him to agree to her being with Artoria. At that point, she would just need to coax this one here. If not, the difficulty would be high, and she would have to start with Artoria's mother instead.
"How has he been lately? If you have time, have him come over, and we'll get together."
As one gets older, one starts to reminisce. Howard thought about his academic discussions with Dr. Pym, and how they had once blown up a lab together. These interesting memories would never be forgotten for a lifetime. Howard said to Hope with emotion, inviting Dr. Pym for a talk, hoping Hope would pass on the message. Now that they were old, some mistakes made in their youth seemed somewhat laughable. Perhaps if he could chat with some old guys, he might feel much better.
"Okay."
These words made Hope very happy in her heart. This meant that her old man and Artoria's father had a pretty good relationship. Now she could comfortably coax this one into being happy. At least there would be someone who wouldn't oppose the possibility of her and Artoria developing further. Once the parents were won over, she could move her offensive from the shadows to the light, and let Artoria know: I like you.
"Child, which one of these girls do you like?"
Taking advantage of the plan, Maria whispered softly in Artoria's ear. This question made the ahoge on Artoria's head stand straight up. She looked at her mother with disbelief in her eyes: What is the situation? Mom, what are you doing? You're actually asking me which girl I like? It seems you've forgotten that I am currently a girl too, yet you ask me which girl I like. Are you really that progressive, Mom? You actually don't reject lesbians?
"Don't think I don't know. Having not found a boyfriend for so long, besides being gay, you must be frigid. And these girls clearly like you; are you still planning to hide it from me?"
Indeed, a woman's intuition is very sharp. Maria had only been in contact for less than half a day and could already understand the attitudes these girls had toward Artoria. Although Maria was very surprised, she was also somewhat happy. After all, her child was liked by so many people, and Maria felt very proud. Even if Artoria were gay, Maria believed that those men were not worthy of her daughter; only an equally outstanding woman could be true love for her daughter. After all, with Artoria's appearance, if she wanted to find a man to marry, the line of people would probably stretch across the entire United States. No one dislikes a beautiful, wealthy woman.
"It's not like that, Mom. I don't want to consider romance right now."
Regarding Maria's words, Artoria kept a bitter smile. If she were an ordinary person, Artoria would have no worries; she could have a proper, long-lasting relationship. But since she had come to this world and knew of the future crises, not rushing to improve her strength and instead going off to date—if that wasn't being sick, what was? Regardless, Artoria had no intention of dating. Artoria planned to wait until the crisis was resolved and she became one of the world's top powerhouses before she would dare to relax.
"While I'm still here, I Hope one day to attend your wedding."
Looking lovingly at her beloved daughter, Maria said with some emotion. Her age was no longer young, and she was ready to enter heaven at any time. After all, no matter how long a person's lifespan is, there is a limit. She didn't expect to hold a grandchild, but she very much wanted to see the moment her daughter walked down the aisle.
"Don't say that, Mom, I have a way."
Maria's words finally made Artoria realize that Maria was no longer young. Even though they were faint, the visible crow's feet, along with the slightly graying hair, made Artoria understand that her parents had grown old. Things she didn't want to think about, she had to face. In countless nights in the past, she could feel some fear—fear that the two of them had suddenly grown too old and passed away of natural causes, and hadn't come out to find her and Tony.
If she were an ordinary person, she might have no way, but Artoria had the best method: the 'Elixir of Rejuvenation.' This was only a three-star Craft Essence, but it possessed the power to drive the entire world crazy. In the virtual world, this item might just be image data, but in the real world, it was a heaven-defying miracle drug. However, realistically, Artoria had not drawn a single bottle yet. She didn't know if it was because her luck was too bad, or if the probabilities in the pool had long since changed, which was why Artoria hadn't drawn the things that used to appear in piles.
"Silly child."
Artoria's words made Maria very happy, proving that the child still cared about her—she hadn't raised her for nothing. When she gave birth to Tony, she had wanted a daughter. Tony's various actions afterward also proved that Maria's idea was correct: raising a daughter was indeed much happier than raising a son. When there was nothing to do, taking her out for everyone to envy, dressing her up cutely every day, and getting to appreciate her for eye candy while also receiving her daughter's care—it was just too wonderful.
"If you have nothing to do, interact more with these children; they are all good children."
She gently stroked Artoria's face with her hand and rubbed her head against Artoria's head. When Artoria was a child, Maria often did this, but now that the child had grown up, she no longer had that softness she could hold in her arms. After whispering a sentence in Artoria's ear, Maria prepared to cook personally, letting everyone taste her results. Artoria stood quietly in place, watching her mother's very happy appearance. She felt that there were some things that needed to be done, such as the fact that she hadn't spent money on gacha in a long time; it was time to spend enough to make herself a lucky winner.
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