Chapter 122: HOMESTEAD CONSTRUCTION (Part 4)

“This way, I can know exactly where you were sent. But isn’t this town just near the Royal City? How have you been living?” The Earl’s Lady walked beside her daughter, completely oblivious to the sarcasm hidden in Samimi’s tone.

“You came from the Royal City, so you must have passed through the city gate engraved with my name,” Samimi said.

“Yeah, I saw it,” the Earl’s Lady replied happily.

“…” Samimi scratched her head, saying nothing.

Is this really the kind of person the Earl’s Lady is? Why does she seem even more naive than I am?

“You went out alone looking like this, carrying such an obvious Nameplate Bag. Aren’t you just asking to be robbed? Have you never been outside before?” Samimi asked.

Even the Earl’s Lady, not the brightest, must have caught the sarcasm this time.

“Are you… worried about me? I’m really happy.” But to the Earl’s Lady’s ears, it sounded like genuine concern.

Samimi was speechless.

She realized her earlier words might have been a bit too heavy, completely confusing the Earl’s Lady and turning her into this silly, bewildered state.

After all, the Earl’s Lady isn’t like those Female Leads; she’s just a Supporting Role, a background character. She doesn’t have the indomitable spirit of those prideful Female Leads who, despite being bullied and tortured daily by the protagonist, remain strong.

But since I’m the one who transmigrated into this story, I don’t have much emotional attachment to this cheap mother. Severing ties would be fine.

Still, seeing such a high-ranking noblewoman reduced to this pitiful “Hope-for-Daughter Stone” state stirs some pity in me.

Sigh, maybe I’m just too kind (?).

I can easily have fun messing around with those cute Female Leads without any psychological pressure, but when it comes to this mother, I’d better handle things a bit more gently.

Also, how does the Earl’s Lady maintain her skin? She looks no different from me.

That’s why when we walk together, she looks like my older sister rather than my mother.

And right now, she’s not wearing her usual Iron T-Style Business Suit. Instead, she’s dressed in a simple black gown for ladies, lacking that sharp, domineering aura.

In fact, the reason I was so harsh last time was largely because of that Iron T-Style Business Suit look of a Strong Woman in the workplace. But in reality, the Earl’s Lady is just a fake Strong Woman.

Bullying my own mother? The kind-hearted (?) me doesn’t feel happier for it, nor would I let the World Will relax its watch over me.

Speaking of kindness value, the system says doing bad things reduces it, but I haven’t lost any so far.

Thinking back on what I’ve done, I haven’t committed any great evil. Sure, I’ve scolded people, gotten into fights, and done plenty of minor mischief, but apparently, being foul-mouthed and rude isn’t considered bad by the system.

So I once asked the system directly: what exactly counts as bad?

The system clearly replied: killing humans is bad.

“What about killing other things? Isn’t that bad?” Samimi asked sharply.

The system didn’t answer, which was basically a tacit approval.

So this so-called Evil-Good System only defines good and bad based on the Human Race.

Anything beneficial to the continuation of the Human Race is good, and anything harmful to it is bad.

If harming other races causes mass extinction but benefits humans, that’s still good.

If destroying the world is necessary for human survival, but I stop the world’s destruction, then I’m doing bad.

This is not an Evil-Good System at all, it’s a Human Race Continuation System.

“What are you saying? Did mom do something wrong?” The Earl’s Lady heard Samimi muttering to herself.

“No, please,” Samimi’s tone became polite.

But the more polite she sounded, the more uncomfortable the Earl’s Lady felt. The mother and daughter maintained a distance as if separated by an invisible transparent wall.

Samimi led the Earl’s Lady to the open-air hall behind the small chapel and asked her to sit by the dining table.

Anyway, the whole area behind the chapel was my territory.

She went over to the nearby fireplace to burn some wood but found the hearth already glowing red.

She even went to the well with a kettle, only to discover the kettle already filled with boiled hot water and fresh tea leaves ready in the nearby teapot.

This was definitely Niubao’s early preparation. In the past, I’d always have tea ready when I woke up, but I never actually brewed it myself.

“Please have some tea.” Samimi poured two cups and returned to the table, serving the Earl’s Lady.

“Th-thank you.” The Earl’s Lady craned her neck slightly, surprised that her own daughter would personally serve tea to someone else.

“Do you find this very strange?” Samimi saw right through her astonishment.

“What?” The Earl’s Lady didn’t understand.

“You must think it’s weird that your lazy, gluttonous daughter has changed into someone like this, right?” Samimi said casually. “I’ve been through so much during this time.”

Though she was still lazy and gluttonous now, with Niubao doing most of the work, the official story and background connections no longer applied.

It’s just a matter of different aesthetics. I hate the flashy, luxurious style of the nobility and prefer this dark, decayed, decadent look.

Though I’m very wealthy, a big tycoon and Chamber President, I purposely dress like a poor nun and live in a broken chapel. I want this contrast.

“It’s all mom’s fault. You spoke too harshly before,” the Earl’s Lady kept apologizing.

“Madam, no need to apologize. Please drink the tea and don’t say that,” Samimi invited her to relax.

“You still don’t want to call me mom?” The Earl’s Lady’s eyes welled with tears, looking pitiful.

Samimi froze.

This wasn’t about willingness; it was just too awkward and embarrassing to say.

Besides, my soul isn’t really your daughter. Your daughter was always just a programmed robot zombie.

But thinking this through, Samimi suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for the Earl’s Lady.

They were both pawns controlled by the World Will, their lives predetermined. The ending was fixed, trapped in an invisible hand that played with them at will.

What I hate most is this unchangeable fate. I want to see a stage where fate is unpredictable.

“I’m doing well here. You don’t need to worry,” Samimi pretended to look at the scenery, avoiding the topic.

“Sniff…” The Earl’s Lady knew her daughter still didn’t want to accept her and felt downhearted.

The two sat silently drinking tea, the mother-daughter relationship awkward to the point of suffocation.

They were stuck in a no-man’s land, both feeling the weight of harsh words spoken.

One stubbornly clinging to pride to endure suffering, the other equally stubborn not willing to reconcile.

Sigh, all this trouble caused by pride.