Surviving the Apocalypse: All I Want Is to Find a Husband
Chapter 215: The Sound Of Joy

Chapter 215: The Sound Of Joy

Sister Jeanne sat on a pew, gently cradling Sierra in her arms.

The lighting inside the church was dim, with only a few wooden torches mounted on the walls. The main source of light came from a small fire burning in the corner of the room.

"Sister!" Medeia’s voice echoed through the church as she hurried toward her, her face filled with concern. "What’s wrong with Sierra?"

Sister Jeanne looked up, her face weary but calm. She gently stroked Sierra’s hair as she spoke.

"She was crying," Sister Jeanne said softly, gently wiping the corner of Sierra’s eyes, which were still red and puffy.

Medeia knelt down, watching the little girl, who was clearly holding back her sobs. "Crying? Again?"

Sierra had already cried silently earlier when she saw Lucian upset, and now, she was crying again. "What’s wrong with you?" Medeia murmured as she carefully took Sierra into her arms.

The moment Sierra felt Medeia’s warmth, her eyelids fluttered open.

As soon as she saw Medeia, tears welled up in her eyes again, like she had been trying to hold them in for too long.

"Hey, it’s okay. I’m here." Medeia whispered, brushing Sierra’s soft hair. Of course, the baby couldn’t answer her, but her little hands clung tightly to Medeia’s shirt, tugging at it desperately, as if she needed reassurance.

Sister Jeanne let out a small sigh of relief, watching the scene with a gentle smile.

"I think she just missed you," she said warmly. "And after hiding in the underground bunker, she must have been terrified."

She then stood up from the pew, grabbing a soft blanket and carefully wrapping it around Medeia’s shoulders.

With a gentle tug, she guided Medeia to sit down.

"Stay here for a while," Sister Jeanne said kindly. "I need to help Dr. Joy check on the soldiers, so I’ll leave this place to you."

Medeia barely heard her because she was too focused on the tiny girl clutching onto her for dear life, as if letting go meant losing her all over again.

Lucian sat beside her, chuckling softly. "You’re not going to burst into flames in here, are you?"

Medeia clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes at his teasing. "Lucian, you watch too many shows. Demons don’t burn just because they step into a church. We just... you know, don’t like the vibe."

Lucian smiled but dropped the topic, turning his attention to Sierra, who was still sniffling softly in Medeia’s arms.

"She’s still crying." He gently brushed a finger across her cheek, his expression soft. "Do you think we’re bad parents? We didn’t even check on her right away after... ’sending off’ the soldiers."

Medeia almost laughed. Lucian was clearly trying to avoid violent words in front of Sierra. "I think... we’re not that bad."

To be honest, she wasn’t really sure what made someone a good parent.

In her mind, as long as they weren’t trying to kill their child, that was already a decent start.

Wait.

Since when did she start thinking of herself as Sierra’s parent too?

At this point, it felt like everyone around her had already decided she was Sierra’s mother.

She sighed quietly, deciding it was easier to just go along with it for now. Besides, Sierra wasn’t that hard to take care of.

"What do I need to do to be a good parent?" Medeia asked, tilting her head slightly.

Lucian reached out, gently running his fingers through her hair.

"You’re already doing great," he said with a small smile. "You gave her a home, made sure she never goes hungry, and protected her from everything that could hurt her."

Medeia raised an eyebrow. "Isn’t that just basic needs?"

She didn’t know how to be a good parent, but at the very least, she knew that parents should provide their children with the basic necessities to survive.

"I know," Lucian said, his voice calm. "But not all parents do that for their children, especially in a world like this."

His words made her pause.

It was true. Many parents had neglected or abandoned their children, even before the apocalypse. She had seen countless human souls dragged to hell for abusing, tormenting, or even killing their own kids.

Back then, whenever she witnessed their sins, she couldn’t understand it.

Why would humans do such things to their own children?

Lucifer had slaughtered his own offspring, but that was expected because he was a selfish bastard, the embodiment of true evil.

But humans ... humans always had choices.

They lived in the gray area between good and evil. They could choose to do both terrible and wonderful things.

Yet some still had the audacity to walk down a path that led only to destruction.

Medeia let out a quiet breath, her gaze drifting toward the altar. "But if I truly were a mother ... I’d want to do more than just provide basic needs."

Lucian leaned back against the chair, his gaze also drifting forward.

"I don’t really know how to be a good father either," he admitted. "I mean ... My father was a good man, but he had his flaws too. I guess no parent is perfect."

He let out a small sigh before continuing, "As long as we’re trying our best for our children, I think that’s more than enough."

Then, he turned to Medeia with a soft smile. "But honestly, I can already tell, you’ll be a great mother."

Medeia blinked. "What makes you say that?"

Lucian chuckled. "All the kids here like you. Even Nico can’t stop talking about you whenever we’re working together."

He tilted his head slightly. "Maybe ... you really are a natural mother."

Medeia was too stunned to speak after hearing Lucian’s words.

She lowered her head, letting his words repeat over and over in her mind.

Maybe the reason she acted this way was because, for thousands of years, she had imagined what life would have been like if her children had survived.

She had always pictured what kind of mother she would have been.

Would she have been gentle and kind, or would she have been strict and protective?

Would she have known how to comfort them when they cried? How to guide them when they feel lost?

For thousands of years, those thoughts had haunted her, lingering at the back of her mind like a shadow she couldn’t shake.

And now, here she was, holding Sierra, comforting her, protecting her, as if fate had forced her into the role she once lost.

She let out a quiet breath, trying to push away the ache in her chest.

"I don’t know about being a mother," she finally said, her voice softer than usual. "But ... I don’t hate taking care of her."

Lucian smiled, resting his arm along the back of the pew as he watched her. "That’s already enough."

Medeia was about to say something when she suddenly felt a tiny finger touch her chin. She held her breath as she looked down at Sierra, whose lips were slightly parted.

"Aa ... aa."

For a moment, Medeia just froze, unsure if she had actually heard it or if her mind was playing tricks on her.

Then, before she could process what was going on, Sierra giggled.

She let out a soft, joyful sound, like a tiny bell ringing in the church.

Medeia’s heart skipped a beat while Lucian straightened in his seat, his eyes widening in surprise. "Did she just ...?"

But before he could finish his sentence, Sierra let out another small, happy laugh, her little fingers still grasping at Medeia’s chin as if trying to get her attention.

It was the first sound Sierra had ever made.

Medeia felt something odd in her heart, something unfamiliar, something warm.

Lucian chuckled beside her. "Looks like she really likes you."

Medeia blinked, staring at the tiny girl in her arms. Sierra, who had always been quiet, now laughing at her.

She curled her fingers around Sierra’s tiny hands, then showed a genuine smile on her face. "Yeah," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "I think she does."

[New Achievement Unlock: Foster Mother.]

[Reward: +5,000 XP, +4,200 C-Points.]

[Congratulations! You have completed a Hidden Quest: Take care of Sierra until she speaks for the first time!]

[Reward: +3,000 XP, +1,500 C-Points.]

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 33!]

[Stat increase: +3,300 MP (Total: 60,900), +1,500 HP (Total: 22,300), Strength: +50 (Total: 350)]

[Reward Obtained Active Skill: Moonlit Stream Lv.1 (Grade-B) – Effect: Channels purified water infused with lunar energy to accelerate healing, restore 25% HP instantly upon use. Healing effectiveness increases by 30% at night or under moonlight.

[Cost: 25 MP || Cooldown: 30s.]

[Note: Can be used on oneself or others.]

Medeia read the system notification, her eyes scanning through the skill details. So, she could heal others now?

That was ... new.

Lucian noticed Medeia suddenly went quiet and raised an eyebrow. "What’s wrong? Did you get your reward and level up?"

Medeia nodded slowly. "It looks like ... I can heal others now."