Chapter 6. The fluffy temptation that has already been recognized as a father, get ready...
"Want to try training with Serd? Serd is the fastest runner."
Enid had just finished her morning prayers and released Aura, Seren, Lyra, and Naya from the mental space, a scene that Damian witnessed. She could almost feel Damian's gaze never leaving them, she was sure of it.
He also seemed to be out training. Enid does have some training courses, but most of them are related to magic. Unfortunately, due to the Dark Storm, she hasn't been able to use them for long periods of time recently, so magic training has turned into meditation courses for recovery.
Damian agreed somewhat awkwardly. After a soft chuckle at Enid's smiling expression, he ran off with Seid and the others. Apart from Naya licking her paws and sitting on Aura's back, Aura and Seren also joined in the race.
"Want to guess who will win?"
Dick appeared out of nowhere. Enid looked up at his beautiful blue eyes, then looked down again. "Lyra will win." The ferry flew back and forth at an extraordinary speed. The outcome was obvious. Dick shrugged in disappointment.
"Looks like you guessed right, as the winner, you get a surprise from the loser!"
"No surprises needed. Perhaps answering one question will suffice. Mr. Wayne, are you perhaps reluctant to give me five million?"
She couldn't deny that her heart still raced unusually when she saw Dick, but she could control it quickly. Knowing full well the little trick, she almost jumped in, but thankfully she stopped herself. She had to leave, she would leave... because this wasn't her home, it was just Wayne's house.
"Little Fia, do you really want to leave?"
“Shouldn’t we be home? This is the Wayne’s house, but I’m Grady. Mr. Wayne won’t keep me here as an outsider. I’m sorry, Dick… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, but in her mind, she recalled that noon when the rainbow pierced through the clouds and landed on the other side of the lake. Under the blessing of Mother Goddess, the clouds began to disperse, and only the pink lake, as if soaked in candy, began to breathe. She pulled Dick and ran towards the other side of the rainbow.
Dick took her hand and stopped at the very top of the rainbow. Enid turned to face the bouquet of stars made of cotton candy in his hand. The pink lake began to spray petals upwards, and she saw herself and the traces of the starry sky in Dick's eyes.
The wind began to grow very strong, so strong that she could only hear one sentence: "Can you give me a chance to love you?" She didn't remember what she said; her memory began to shatter. She could only struggle to recall the candy-colored kiss he had placed on her eyelids.
Suddenly, she regretted it. After the memory fragments finished playing, she regretted following her inner temptation and promising something she shouldn't have admitted: that she seemed to like him too. But she shouldn't have. Her life was that of a great druid trapped in the forest, with no one to bless her. So she apologized to Dick.
Enid looked down at the neatly trimmed lawn, listening to the footsteps in the distance gradually becoming clearer and stopping in her ear. She heard Damian's voice.
“TT, your father has allowed you to stay,” his voice was somewhat cold, but also exceptionally clear. “Although I haven’t acknowledged you, as a Wayne, you shouldn’t abandon the surname your father left you.”
“Well, it seems Little D spoke first,” Dick didn’t seem too bothered by her apology and instead smiled more easily. “Actually, Bruce is really looking forward to you staying. Maybe you could try talking to him? You’re a Wayne too, aren’t you? Besides, I don’t have the last name Wayne, I have Grayson, and Tibbers has Drake. Hey, none of us have the last name Wayne except for Little D. Oh, and so do I.”
'Is it him too? Does he also want me to stay?'
Once an idea takes root, it cannot be uprooted. She could only remain silent, watching as Dick winked his right eye at her. Enid tried to avoid his gaze, then noticed that Damian had already begun pruning the plants (sword training). She fell silent, unsure how to respond, when thankfully Alfred appeared just in time.
"Looks like I've arrived just in time, Mr. Dick. Perhaps you haven't forgotten that your work time is almost up." Alfred reminded Dick, who had completely forgotten about his work. Dick was somewhat annoyed. "Oh no, I forgot. Sorry, Fia, I have to go to work now. Alfred, thank you for the sandwich." After saying that, Dick took the sandwich from Alfred and hurriedly got on his motorcycle and sped away.
"You're welcome, Mr. Dick. I hope you can come back earlier next time." After watching Dick leave, Afu said, "Mr. Damian will be a while longer. Would Miss Enid like to have lunch first? The master has a meeting today and will probably be back around noon."
He had actually overheard what they were saying, but he didn't intend to ask. He simply silently arranged all the itineraries, which relieved Enid. She didn't know how to bring it up and say that she wanted to talk to Bruce Wayne.
Because she began to feel that Bruce Wayne was a little unfamiliar, and he seemed to be a completely different person from the one her mother had described. All the plants here were speaking intimately. In the morning, she tried to ask the Mother Goddess for an answer, but the Mother Goddess did not answer. Instead, she was told to listen and see.
"Let's talk to Bruce Wayne first," she thought. So, when Bruce returned at noon, a minor disagreement had arisen during the meeting, which he resolved rather quickly this time. All the profiling of Enid was being circulated to him simultaneously, combined with some news about nature worship from Wonder Woman's side. He needed to grasp the remaining details as quickly as possible, and this was the perfect opportunity.
Back at Wayne Manor, Enid sat upright and quietly, looking at Bruce with a slightly shy smile.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Wayne."
“Oh no, I think you can just call me Bruce. There’s really nothing to worry about, my daughter. Maybe you can just talk to me directly? Anything you want to say.”
Enid looked at him, and she could subconsciously sense the sincerity in his words, but it was clear that he was genuine, so she lowered her head somewhat uncomfortably.
"Excuse me, um... Bruce. Which five million...?"
“Perhaps you can tell me what you need five million for? Of course, you are my daughter, and the Wayne family will certainly provide for you, but please forgive me as a father, I want to understand my daughter.”
Bruce noticed that Enid mentioned five million many times, both last night and this morning with Dick. Based on Dick's report, he didn't think Enid really had an excessive desire for money. In fact, it wouldn't matter if she did, because the Wayne family didn't lack it. He was just a little worried about the reasons why she needed it.
Bruce then changed his seat, trying to keep eye to eye with her so she could see his eyes and emotions. But Enid suddenly closed her eyes and began to pray sincerely. It was a long time before she opened her eyes again.
“I’m sorry, Bruce. The Mother Goddess didn’t forbid me from telling you… Actually, the sealed Dark Storm has awakened again, and the Holy Land has been destroyed. I can only preserve a portion of the embers and hope. I can’t do anything about the rest. The appearance of the Dark Storm has also depleted most of my magic power. I need something with energy to rebuild the Holy Land and then dispel the Dark Storm. But in the human world, things with energy cost money.”
Enid prayed sincerely to the Mother Goddess, and unlike most Archdruids, and even her mother, the previous Archdruid, she received a spiritual response from the Mother Goddess.
This was something only Enid and Niaf, the founders of the Church of Nature Worship, could do. The Mother Goddess had shown her mercy, so Mary Rhett (her mother) wouldn't allow her to leave the forest for too long, but during this morning's prayers, Enid clearly sensed that the Mother Goddess seemed to want her to look around more.
“If it’s about rebuilding the forest, perhaps Wayne Enterprises can help. You know, those skinny guys in Batman often fight without regard for anything else. They’re very familiar with rebuilding. You can totally entrust this to us, can’t you? After all, I’m your father.”
“But you’re a bat… um, sorry Bruce, I…” She couldn’t agree. “I don’t really believe you can rebuild the forest. The Holy Land is pure, and since you’re not believers, I can’t let you in. So, I’ll be the only one who needs to come.”
“Perhaps we can provide the energy items you need. In exchange, you tell us what Dark Storm is?” Tim suddenly appeared out of nowhere, holding a cup of coffee and looking somewhat tired. He had overheard the entire conversation, so it seemed that Enid did indeed know Bruce’s identity.
"The Dark Storm was caused by the gathering of negative forces that slumbered underground. It was a catastrophe caused by the lingering consciousness of the dead Storm Children. The Storm Children were destroyed by Lady Niaf, but the negative forces will not disappear, and the consciousness of the Storm Children will never be completely eradicated."
Therefore, the ultimate purpose of each Archdruid stationed at the Holy Land is to guard the consciousness of the Stormborn, purifying negative forces with their souls as they approach death. This was something that didn't need to be told to them; Enid had been prepared to sacrifice her soul from the very beginning.
“This is the Dark Storm…” she said, her eyes lowered, “and it’s my responsibility too.”
Bruce and Tim exchanged a glance, their moods seemingly growing heavy. Bruce believed most of the story, but he knew Enid must have left some unexplained parts. The Dark Storm was actually mentioned in the materials Wonder Woman had given them.
"May I call you Fia?"
"Ah... sure..."
“Fia, I am your father. I welcome you to my home. I believe you are a good child. To me... you are just like them, my child and my family. I have never been unwelcoming to you. As for the dark storm, I will not let a child face it alone.”
Bruce was actually quite uncomfortable speaking such a long, honest monologue, but he knew that sometimes certain things needed to be said. He had seen Enid's deep unease, which she hadn't been able to hide, so he sighed and tried his best to suppress his other emotions as he spoke. Perhaps the fact that he hadn't put on the Batsuit yet at this time helped a lot.
Bruce's words were not only recorded by Tim and broadcast on the public channel, but also heard by Enid. She could only see the truth in his eyes and a gentle smile. She opened her mouth, but hesitated for a long time.
"Father, may I stay here for a while?"
A note from the author:
----------------------
Waaaaah, Daddy's so good! Damian's attitude towards his sister is relatively friendly because of the fluffy thing, lol. He's really got a mouth now!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
