The Author's POV

"A...Amanda?"

Natasha's voice shook, as she looked at the girl standing before her. She looked so much older than when she had last seen her.

She was fully grown up now.

Natasha couldn't really explain the emotions she was feeling right now. Thinking about how she had lost the chance to see her daughter grow up, she felt a deep sense of sadness. What mother didn't want to see their child grow up? ...She knew that this was inevitable, but she couldn't hide the sadness she felt when seeing her daughter.

However, seeing just how beautiful and healthy her daughter had turned out, she was more gratified than sad.

Placing both of her hands by the side of the capsule, Natasha tried to get out. But as she tried to lift her hands, she found it extremely hard to do so as she had trouble coordinating her brain with her hand movements.

"Wait up."

Maylin who noticed this, waved her hand and the capsule enveloping Natasha tore apart. A gentle white glow enveloped Natasha as she levitate in the air.

Waving her hand once again, Natasha slowly moved toward the ground.

As Natasha's feet touched the ground, she stumbled a couple of steps. Amanda did try to offer her a hand, but raising her hand, Natasha refused.

"Let me."

Taking two steps forward she was somehow able to stabilize her body.

Having stayed in a coma for over fifteen years, this sort of reaction was understandable. Her brain needed to get adjusted to her muscles once again.

"Haa..."

Taking a deep breath, Natasha finally stood straight. Then, staring at Amanda and getting a proper look at her, the smile on her face became extremely gentle.

"...You've grown up so well."

With a face mixed with many different emotions, Amanda lowered her head. A smile also blossomed on her face.

Seeing this, Natasha raised her hands and motioned her to come to her.

"Come here, let's get a better look at you."

Complying with her mother's wishes, Amanda slowly walked up to her mother who placed both of her hands on her cheeks and slowly started to pinch. Her next comments caused Amanda's face to turn red in embarrassment.

"Mhh, very soft and smooth, not bad, not bad."

Letting go of her cheeks, Natasha looked at her up and down and commented.

"You've also developed quite nicely in all other departments. Very good, very good. There must be a lot of boys chasing after you, eh?"

"...Uh?"

Natasha's sudden words caused Amanda to freeze on the spot. What in the world was happening? She had not expected her mom to be so bold!

"You must be around how old now?"

Without waiting for Amanda to speak, Natasha placed her hand on her chin and pondered.

"I left you when you were just about to turn five, so you should be around nineteen to twenty years old. Five years younger than me from back then."

Natasha's brows furrowed when she thought that far.

Amanda may have been her daughter, but she was only five years younger than her if you took into account the fact that she had been frozen for fifteen years of her life. Her mentality and personality were still that of her twenty-five-year-old self.

"You're around nineteen to twenty years old if I'm not guessing wrong?"

"Mhm, I'm twenty years old."

with a

was acting the way she was, and so was able to somewhat adjust to her mother's personality. To be honest, she felt more like a sister to her than her mother, but it wasn't like she could do anything

old...huh, I can't believe my daughter is

words, but it left as fast as it came as she looked back at

were you able to

current world's circumstances. However, from what she recalled humanity

about her situation and brought

"About that..."

in and

they had invited the humans into their domain and how they were

situation, Natasha covered

"Such thing happened?"

"Yes."

head before putting both of her hands

it to the round of eights of the

"She did?"

another look at her daughter. Sensing the mana revolving

" rank?"

took a moment for Natasha to distinguish her rank. Once she realized that Amanda was rank at just the tender age of twenty, she was left stunned. Even she, who was supposed to be

didn't doubt that

so far in the tournament," Natasha said with a tone filled with

outpaced the level of

paused there, Natasha suddenly remembered something she

the curse. How were you able

since she had spent countless days trying to find a way to remove it. In the end, after going through countless books and papers, she was unable to find anything regarding the cure for the mind-breaker curse causing her to make the decision

to be taken hostage and used as a bargaining chip for her

gave it

answer caught Natasha off-guard as her eyes

gave it to

"Mhm."

"Is it a boy?"

sharp, but Amanda didn't seem to have noticed it as she nodded

"...Yes."

see, I see. You

seeing that there was

this

"...Eh?"

looked at her

you want to know where

after all!" Natasha replied, her voice raising a couple of pitches. "If I didn't thank the person that was able to help

"Oh."

understanding. She simply wanted to thank

is this so-called

"He is."

Amanda before a small look of

he has not made it past

unnoticed by Natasha who inwardly thought. 'Ah, I see, so he's weaker than my girl, moreover, Maylin seems to dislike him. I should definitely pay more attention to this

absent for over fifteen years,

she wasn't certain that the boy was someone that was courting her daughter, she definitely

she wasn't just going to hand her daughter to him on a silver platter. He needed to meet

to add a comment with regards to why Ren had not made it past the round of sixteen, but before she had the chance to do so, her mother's next words caused her to freeze on the

"How is your dad?"

daughter's complexion pale at her question, Natasha's heart

happen to your

closed her eyes for a moment. Honestly,

wasn't because she didn't want to tell her out of spite, but because her mother

passed, if she found out that her father had been missing for over

worried look on her mother's face, Amanda