The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 240 - The Heaviest Of Artillery Looks Like The Cutest Of River Bends

Chapter 240: Chapter 240 - The Heaviest Of Artillery Looks Like The Cutest Of River Bends

"E-wa!"

The cheerful cry drew attention to where Yatrel approached, carrying her youngest in her arms. The two’s hair color were practically identical, the same sort of reddish blonde that the sight of made duelists tremble. Talva of course recognized the infamous hand to hand fighter.

But her blue gaze was locked on the child.

The toddler’s brown eyes widened at the sight of the tall blonde standing there. Her small hands reached out instinctively before registering this person *wasn’t* her usual target. That moment of confusion made the woman’s heart clench as she prepared for the familiar fear and cries.

Instead, Onya’s face lit up with fresh excitement upon the logic that there were *two* of them!

"Up! Tat! Up!"

"Well, she seems to like you."

The brunette’s ’sweet’ voice held some amusement as her sister squirmed in their mother’s arms. The child was clearly determined to reach this new fascinating person. Though the real Elua was annoyed that her foolish sibling just called the newcomer with the same ’name’ as her beloved.

"I... children usually find me intimidating."

Talva’s spirit was a mess of emotions as the girl’s reaction rejected her expectation.

"Mm. How strange. I suppose you do remind her of someone..."

"Really? Who might that be?"

The woman’s tone forced itself into casualness as she watched the toddler asking to be held with poorly hidden yearning. The continental army member’s fingers twitched at her sides as Yatrel shifted her grip. Onya continued reaching toward the blonde, almost getting annoyed that her desire wasn’t being met!

’I guess she *is* related to her... and our son-in-law.’

The mother smiled as she measured the resemblance in close proximity. She wasn’t anything like best friend’s with Anper’s wife, but because their husbands were friendly back then...

"Would you like to hold her? She seems quite insistent."

The offer from the Dame Goltbred made Talva’s breath catch. ’Hope’ and ’doubt’ both plagued her. Memories of past avoidance by the cute children she wanted to play with fought a losing battle with the child’s obvious continued enthusiasm.

"If... if you’re sure it’s alright?"

"Of course. Though I warn you, once she decides she likes someone, she can be quite demanding. She may also pull on your hair."

The moment Talva carefully accepted her, the toddler’s small hands patted at her shoulders with clear delight.

"Tat! Tat!"

The excited babbling of her spouse’s name made Elua’s smile gain an edge as she melded her real body into it. She approached the two as the blonde was frozen in wonder and a remaining fear. The woman was sure that if she moved... the whole day would disappear in a dream.

"No, Onya. Not Qat. This is *not* Qat. No Qat. Talva. Talva. Tal. Tal. Not Tat. Tal."

The heiress got the child’s attention and reinforced the point with shakes of her head and pointing finger.

"Tat no?"

The confused toddler asked again and the brunette repeated patiently but firmly until she... sort of understood. After the learning, she stopped holding back and tugged on the blonde hair with gusto.

"Tautau!"

"O-oh, that... that wasn’t a joke?"

It did not particularly hurt with the meagre strength of the child. However, then sudden yanks of the locks that trailed by her face caught Talva off guard. Sometimes it was the things you were least ready to defend against because you found them harmless that ruined you.

"No, she does it to me and Qatrand all the time. Speaking of, she does seem to recognize something familiar about you, wouldn’t you say?"

The woman swallowed visibly, her arms adjusting as she turned toward Elua er Goltbred with absolute gentleness despite her nerves. Onya seemed perfectly content to be facing whatever direction. No matter what, she could still pat and grab at the fascinating uniform’s collar!

"I... that is..."

"I’m teasing. It’s quite alright. You don’t have to say anything to us yet."

The ’sweet’ words were patient, but the soldier was aware she had been ’pushed’ the last time and this time. There was no denying that the girl knew *something*. Her mint eyes turned a bit as her sister snuggled closer to the blonde, completely at ease.

’How nice... I also want to snuggle against my muscular darling. Enjoy your knock-off, sister. Actually... enjoy her forever. If you’re going to act so frivolous like this I may as well keep Qat away from you for good before you break her heart!’

The reincarnator cleared her throat and scattered the thoughts in her core to the corners of her mind.

"Though I must admit, it’s rather amusing watching you. Even the smallest child already decided you belong close and not distant."

Talva’s throat tightened.

"How long have you known?"

"Not as long as you, I expect. But that’s not really the important question, is it?"

Yatrel quietly excused herself... all the way to a seat on a cushion as she grabbed a plate of biscuits and poured herself tea. Her eldest’s facade ’softened’ as she watched her sister’s easy acceptance of this person. She had no concept of this being about a newly discovered ’family member’.

’Really, such a tiny girl could care less about anything other than torturing... that is, *playing* with anyone she can.’

"The real question is why you’re still hesitating to claim what’s already yours. But it’s a very good question that has probable excellent answers. Therefore, I am not actually asking it nor saying what we both know directly."

The woman tilted her face down fractionally and Onya began to let go of her toy. While she was gathering her thoughts, two chubby hands slapped either side of her face and jolted her back to reality. The toddler’s happy burbling as it compared the texture to the other people that held her provided a strange contrast to the tension in Talva’s voice.

"It’s... complicated."

"Most things usually are. Though if I may say so, that’s because we as people complicate them."

Something in the heiress’s knowing tone made Talva’s gaze snap to her face. The brunette’s changed choice of expression did not retain its usual manufactured ’sweetness’. Landing somewhere between severe lecture and her ’dull’ reality, Elua crossed her arms while addressing the ’older’ woman.

"Perhaps you have not had the pleasure to notice, but the Yecine heir has a habit of taking hold of complex situations. Complicated people. My ’husband’ is motivated to exceed expectations and find their own path."

Another delighted laugh from Onya pealed through the camp. The child had discovered that tugging on one ear while pushing a finger into the other seemed to make interesting facial twitches appear on ’Tautau’. The blonde found herself adjusting her hold to deny the toddler such access to the ticklish spot.

Then found herself shifting back when those brown eyes looked up at her as if *affronted* by her attempt to maintain ’dignity’. Her rapid caving even under other social pressure proved that, if ever there was a possibility for a future suitor to be classified as ’cute’ in her eyes... she would immediately be labeled as ’easy’ by that person.

’Well, I admit that is basically also like my Qat. Sort of. She has more backbone than *that*... though I take advantage of it.’

With only half a blue eye looking at her - the other closed and twitching as tiny fingers poked up her nose - Talva er Ryleon spoke with a ’stuffy’ voice.

"My family can’t match the Yecine and their offerings. My aunt knew..."

Unable to bear the sound of her own talking, the soldier flushed crimson.

"O-onya was it? Can you... please be good for just a little?"

She so softly attempted to control the child with the uncertain sounding request. Feeling that the speaker was aiming something at her this time, the fingers stopped.

"Tautau... no? Oya... Oya dow?"

Thinking that she was being given up and placed down, the small girl’s eyes misted. It took the woman a moment to understand her words and why she was upset, but when she did her response was immense.

"No, no. You can stay. Please stay, cute child."

Her arms hugged protectively and Onya’s eyes slowly cleared. Tiny hands pat the sides of the soldier’s face in apparent forgiveness for her own misunderstanding. Then the child rested her head against the new friend’s neck, exhausted from her little emotional whiplash.

"Your aunt knew what?"

Elua asked after they had both settled down. The blonde’s gaze remained fixed on the toddler. She found it easier to speak without care while watching something so heartwarming.

"She knew that seeking connection would just give the Yecine family reasons to make things difficult. She learned to navigate their... expectations. Her last letters explained that she wanted to protect both her child and her maiden family from those headaches."

Talva’s voice softened further as she spoke of her late aunt’s wishes. The woman who had maintained correspondence with her even after marrying into such a prestigious family. Who had shared her joy about expecting a child - and her concerns.

"She died before I could properly thank her for thinking of us. For protecting us. So I’ve kept my distance, as she asked."

"I see. Strange how paths cross despite our best efforts."

The brunette’s observation was about the woman’s ’fan’ mentality towards her. She felt no judgment over that behavior, even if it were ever revealed to be a subconscious link to get her closer to her relative. After all, Elua only cared that Qat liked her. Anyone else liking her - for whatever reason - just needed to be of benefit for her beloved.

Sipping tea across the table, Yatrel er Goltbred was slightly lost in memories over the mention of her son-in-law’s mother. There were not many, unfortunately. At least nothing great or transformative to share with the one whom her daughter had married.

’Well, all the more reason to be okay with my youngest being used as bait. Though the fish my eldest is catching seems to be poised to feed the needs of two of my family.’

Onya was a much more social child than her first daughter had been. While it might be better to seek out children her age in the next few years, having more people that cared for her would not be a bad thing in the long run.