10 A Jealous Heroine. A Happy Birthday.

Even though I hadn't caught a glimpse of her face yet, a deep-seated intuition told me exactly who she was.

'Emily Gracia.'

She was the adopted daughter and niece of my mother, my stepsister—a reincarnated Immortal Cultivator and one of the main heroines of this novel.

Of course, since this novel had a ruthless, overpowered troupe devoid of any romantic relationships, Emily was merely a companion to the protagonist, who herself was a reincarnated goddess.

'Wait! What is she doing here?'

My little eyebrows frowned almost instantly, because her presence here was something I never expected.

Unlike the protagonist, who orchestrated her own reincarnation for her epoch-spanning plans, Emily reincarnated here by accident, a consequence of a betrayal.

Consequently, Emily's goal was to become stronger, return to her world, exact revenge, and take back everything that once belonged to her.

This was also the reason she left her adopted mother, Iris, under the guise of being missing, as soon as her memories began to return after her parents passed away.

She needed to be strong and live independently of Iris in order to avoid being bound by her and run the risk of exposing her secret.

According to the plot, she should have secluded herself on a mountain or something similar, diligently cultivating and honing her skills.

'So why is she here? And what's with that subtle hostility?'

My mind raced with questions, but before I could delve deeper into the topic, my thoughts were abruptly scattered by the gentle touch of Iris, who knelt beside me, her warm hands cradling my face with tender concern.

"Is it your Characteristic [Fate's Insight] again? Where did you feel it? Try to focus and tell mommy,"

[Fate's Insight.]

A Characterstic that not only alerted me to hostility, murderous intentions, and danger but also gave me an intuition like sixth sense to navigate through dangerous situations and find the best possible outcomes to save myself or achieve success.

Naturally, it was a bunch of bullshit I came up with to deceive Iris, so I could have a plausible explanation for my actions in future emergencies.

For instance, it also conveniently explained how I managed to arrive at her house on that wintry night from Whispering Woods.

Moreover, given my tender age, I even claimed my inability to control this Characteristic, leaving room for further manipulation.

Coupled with everything I had shown her till the date and how no one else could see someone else's status window, she didn't have a single doubt about the legitimacy of my Characteristic.

"I... I'm not certain," I confessed, struggling to articulate my thoughts into words. "It was there, then gone. Outside the park, maybe?"

Upon hearing my words, Mom's brow furrowed in maternal worry, but she masked it with a reassuring smile.

"Regardless, since you feel bad, I think it's dangerous to be here, so let's go some other place? Okay?"

"But... it's my birthday."

I hesitated, pretending to be caught between adventure and caution.

"Hahaha."

Noticing this, Mom, chuckling softly, reached out to tousle my hair.

"Oh, silly! We'll celebrate elsewhere. Look, it's starting to snow. How about we head home, play in the snow, and then get some pizza and ice cream for dinner?"

"Ice cream and pizza. Really?" With sparkling eyes, I swallowed down my saliva.

Gulp!

"Absolutely. Now, let's go make some birthday magic, shall we?"

"Okay, Mommy! Let's go!"

Excitedly, I clasped Mom's hand as we headed home.

She took the steering wheel while I settled into the passenger seat, peering out the window at the gentle fall of snowflakes swirling around the car.

Yet, beneath the peaceful scene, my mind churned with thoughts of Emily's unexpected presence and its implications for my future plans.

'Is it because she somehow found out about Iris adopting me, so she came to check? But then why the hostility?'

I pondered—the puzzle pieces refused to align—until suddenly, a thought struck me like lightning.

'Could it be... jealousy?'

Even though Emily was an Immortal Cultivator, I knew that she was actually a girl with a cold face but a hot heart, and if I remember correctly, in the novel after Iris's death, she blamed herself for her selfishness and not being able to stay with Iris and save her.

Not to mention, having lost her birth parents to murderers in both lives early, she viewed Iris as her closest person alive, making it plausible that my presence might stir jealousy and a hint of hostility within her for encroaching on her territory.

'Nothing is certain yet, but if my assumption is correct, this is truly going to be fun.'

A playful, evil glint passed in my eyes, and I couldn't help but let out a villainous laugh in my heart.

'Khe Khe Khe.'

….

Reaching home, Mom and I changed into cozy clothes, and we looked like two colorful marshmallows as we headed out to our backyard.

With a mischievous twinkle in my eye, I scooped up a handful of snow and formed the perfect snowball.

Mom did the same.

"Ready, my Super Lunar?"

She teased, crouching behind a snow-covered bush, and I replied with determination, my tiny hands clutching my snowball like a secret weapon.

"Ever Ready!"

And so commenced the epic battle of my birthday, our laughter mingling with the crisp winter air as our snowballs flew back and forth like frosty missiles.

"Hahaha! Take that, you villainous fiend!"

"Ah, Super Lunar, it seems you've met your match! Behold, my Supersonic Snowball!"

We darted and dodged, our movements fluid and agile as we sought to outmaneuver each other's attack.

But then, in a moment of pure clumsiness, I suddenly slipped on a patch of ice concealed beneath the snow.

"Woah!"

Thump!

My lungs briefly lost air as I landed face-first in a fluffy pile of snow, and I immediately started coughing.

"Cough! Cough!"

"Pfft~Are you alright, Lunar?"

Mom inquired, attempting to suppress her laughter, but I noticed it and couldn't help but protest like any child would, with faint tears in my eyes, pointing at her.

"Sniff… Sniff… Why are you laughing at me?!"

"No, I am not," Mom denied, though her stifled giggles betrayed her words.

"You are, Mom; don't lie. Uwaaaah~"

I exaggerated my distress, pretending to cry.

However, instead of comforting me, this time she scooped me up into her arms. Her cold hands found their way under my clothes, and she tickled me relentlessly until laughter overtook my fake tears.

"Hahaha, Mom, no… Hahahaha… No there… Hahahaha… Stop, stop…"

"Say, I am sorry," she demanded between her own fits of laughter.

"I am… Not going… Hahahaha… Hahaha… Stop… Okay… Hahaha.. Sorry. Sorry."

"Hm. That's more like a good boy."

She remarked, finally setting me down as I caught my breath and calmed my racing heart.

Obviously, that little impromptu tickle battle didn't hinder our fun time at all.

After resting, we built a magnificent snowman, complete with a carrot nose and a top hat, and as the sun began to set, turning the snow golden, Mom took me to my favorite restaurant for a birthday feast.

We devoured pizza and ice cream.

On our journey back home, the stars twinkled overhead, and a grin remained plastered on my face.

Despite Emily's unexpected presence, this simple day of play, food, and joy was one of the best birthdays I'd experienced in my three lives.

Especially since I had a loving mother by my side, every moment was an adventure, whether I was soaring through the snow or sliding into silly situations.

Wrapped in warmth and love, I drifted off to sleep in my mom's arms at the end of the day, only to have a sudden realization jolt me awake.

'Oh, shit! I forgot—my training starts tomorrow.'

With that, my carefree days as a child came to an abrupt end.

'...'