Chapter 161: Like Mother, Like Daughters

In her mind, Leona had already imagined how Luca would react next.

He would probably be thrilled—ecstatic, even.

His eyes would light up with excitement.

He might even jump up and down like a child receiving the greatest gift imaginable.

After all, that’s how she would react if someone offered her such a treasure.

But to her surprise Luca didn’t jump.

He didn’t cheer.

He didn’t look excited at all.

Instead, he stared at her with an expression of complete bewilderment.

His eyes narrowed slightly, his brow furrowed, and for a moment, he simply looked at her like she had just sprouted flowers from her ears.

Then something shifted.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

The smirk grew wider.

And wider.

And then—

“PFFFTT!”

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

Luca doubled over, clutching his stomach, tears forming in his eyes as laughter exploded from him like a dam breaking.

He gasped for air between laughs, pointing at the arrow in her quiver with barely contained hysteria.

“Oh my gods! Y-Your offering me your arrow!”

“Your precious, magical, always-hits-the-bullseye arrow!”

“You’re actually treating it like it’s some kind of legendary treasure!”

“Wha—Luca! What are you—”

Leona was shocked by his reaction and tried to protest.

But Luca just went on cackling, while mockingly saying,

“I thought that as the Matriarch of the village you were going to give something grand!”

“Some relic of the past!”

“An ancestral treasure of some sort that’s been in your possession for a thousand years!”

“After all, you made it sound like you were going to give your soul away!”

“But who would’ve thought—”

He wiped a tear from his eyes while continuing to say,

“You would actually give me your arrow! A arrow that so obviously looks worn out and act as if it’s worth more then the gun!”

“This…This hilarious! This is best joke I’ve heard in a while!”

While he laughed away, Leona was absolutely shocked like she couldn’t believe and make sense that he was making fun of her legendary arrow.

But seeing him continue to cackle made her shock warp in anger.

Her face flushed with a mixture of confusion and indignation.

Until finally—

“IT IS A PRECIOUS TREASURE, LUCA!”

She protested, pulling the arrow out clutching it protectively.

“Don’t! Don’t you dare make fun of it!”

“Just because you don’t see it’s worth doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing or anything and there’s definitely no need for you to laugh at it!”

“It has feelings you know!”

She hugged the arrow like she was comforting it after all the harsh words.

She then suprisingly looked at him with a rather vulnerable and pitiful look on her face like he had just made fun of her teddy-bear and said indignantly,

“A-And it took a lot of courage for me to offer this to you!”

“So, if you’re going to mock it, I’ll just keep it for myself and never show it you again even if you beg me for it!”

Her voice wavered slightly—not with anger, but with hurt.

She had offered him something deeply personal, something she had treasured since childhood, and he was laughing at her.

And realising that she was genuinely sad, Luca immediately straightened up, waving his hands in apology—though residual chuckles still escaped him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Leona! I’m not mocking your arrow, I swear!” He quickly said. “I’m genuinely touched that you’d offer me something so precious to you as compensation. I really am.”

He let out his last chuckle as he added,

“As for the reason I’m laughing, that’s for a completely different reason.”

Leona’s brow furrowed as she suspiciously asked,

“And what reason is that?”

Luca’s grin returned, but softer now. Knowing.

“It’s just that…this exact scenario happened before. With your daughter.”

Leona blinked. “Lulu?”

Luca nodded, still smiling as he explained,

“She made a mistake—a different kind of mistake, but a mistake nonetheless and she wanted to recompense me.”

“And do you know what she offered?”

Leona shook her head slowly.

“Her favorite feather.”

Luca’s voice was warm with memory.

“She told me it was her absolute treasure. That she’d had it her whole life. That it was special and amazing and irreplaceable.”

He glanced toward where Lulu was still kneeling with her sign, looking pitiful but occasionally glancing over at them with obvious curiosity.

“Sound familiar?”

Leona’s beautiful blue eyes shimmered.

She looked at Lulu, then back at Luca, then at the arrow in her hands.

“You’re saying…she offered a feather the same way I’m offering my arrow?”

“The exact same way. The same conviction.” Luca nodded. “The same sense of ’this is the most valuable thing I own and I must give it to make things right.’”

“You two…”

Luca’s expression softened as he said,

“…are so alike in that aspect. I almost thought I was speaking to Lulu for a second.”

Leona stared at him, processing this.

In any other circumstance, being compared to Lulu would be an insult.

Lulu was…well, Lulu.

Flighty. Impulsive. Not exactly the sharpest arrow in the quiver.

Most elves would be offended to be compared to her.

But Leona didn’t feel offended.

She felt…warm.

A blush crept up her cheeks. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, looking away in a gesture that was almost girlish.

“I-Is that so?” She murmured. “Do you really think I resemble Lulu?”

Luca nodded, then added,

“Not just Lulu. Luna too. The way you ask questions, the way you need to understand everything—that’s exactly Luna.”

“She does the same thing. She asks and asks and asks, and she writes everything down so she won’t forget.”

Leona’s blush deepened, but now something else joined it.

Pride.

She straightened her posture, pushing her chest out slightly. Her voice took on a tone of maternal satisfaction.

“Well, of course they resemble me. They’re my daughters, after all.” She patted her chest. “It’s only natural that they take after their mother.”

“A daughter should resemble her mother. It’s absolutely expected.”

While Leona was obviously gloating, Luca watched her transformation with amusement and warmth.

Here was Leona, the cold former matriarch, preening like a mother bird whose chicks had been complimented.

Then he saw his opportunity.

“You know.” He said casually. “You seem very proud of your daughters. So, why don’t you tell them that and let them know about it?”

Leona froze.

“…Tell them?” She repeated, her voice suddenly small.

“Yes. Walk over there, point at them, and say exactly what you just said to me. ’You resemble me. You’re my daughters. I’m proud of you.’”

Luca gestured toward where Luna and Lulu were.

“It’s not that hard, is it?”

But the moment he said that, Leona’s confidence evaporated like morning mist.

She looked down, suddenly unable to meet his eyes.

Her hands fidgeted with the arrow she still held.

“Ah…about that…I don’t think…I don’t think I can…”

Her voice trailed off.

But Luca wasn’t going to let go as he leaned closer, his voice gentle and asked,

“Why? Why can’t you say that to them? It’s obvious you’re proud of them. Anyone with eyes can see it. So why can’t you just tell them?”

Leona opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.

But nothing came out.

She looked away, her expression a complicated mixture of longing, fear, and something that looked almost like shame.

Luca studied her carefully.

It was so clear to him—the love she felt for her daughters.

He had seen it in small moments throughout the day.

The way she watched Luna shoot.

The way she looked at Lulu, even when Lulu was being punished.

The subtle softening around her eyes whenever her daughters were near.

But the moment he suggested she actually express that love, she shut down completely.

Something was holding her back.

Something deeper than mere awkwardness or embarrassment.

Luca knew it was probably because of something Julius had done.

Some sort of danger which he set up that never allowed her to show her love to anyone she cared for.

But at the same, he also knew it was guilt as well.

Or the belief that she didn’t deserve to show that love after everything that had happened between them.

Leona, full of love for her children, was completely unable to let them see it.

It was one of the saddest, most pityful things Luca had witnessed in this world.

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