Chapter 168: W-what are you doing, mommy!?

"Oh, Scarlet, dear! Are you back already? Why are you standing outside? Come in and talk with mommy!"

Hearing the voice of her mother calling out for her, Scarlet immediately froze up, and her body shivered. Her face turned pale, and sweat formed on her forehead.

The tension in the air grew heavier as she slowly turned toward the entrance and shouted back, "Mommy! Y-yes, I'm back!"

She then took a deep breath to calm herself down and gathered the courage to walk in, with Asher and Cecil following behind her.

Ahead of them stood a majestic building, surrounded by beautiful flower gardens and well-trimmed bushes.

In the middle of the garden was a huge fountain made of white marble, with water flowing out from the mouths of fish sculptures.

The whole scenery looked very tranquil and serene.

As they approached the main door, it opened on its own, allowing them to enter the mansion with ease.

The interior of the mansion was just as extravagant as its exterior.

The floors were made of polished hardwood, and the furniture was made from the wood of special spirit trees, which gave off a pleasant fragrance.

On the walls hung paintings of various sizes and styles, depicting scenes of battle between mythical beasts.

Upon entering the mansion, Asher felt an overwhelming aura of oppression coming from somewhere within it. It was so strong that he had to grit his teeth and focus his mind on resisting its pressure.

He wondered what kind of existence could possess such tremendous power and who else they might be facing in a few moments.

Suddenly, the aura disappeared, replaced by a gentle breeze that tickled Asher's skin. The temperature of the room rose as well, making the atmosphere feel much cozier and more welcoming.

'Hmmm, did Scarlet's mom just release her aura on purpose?' However, Asher didn't dwell too much on the issue.

He followed Scarlet and Cecil toward the living room, where a woman dressed in a black lace-up leather top that hugged her voluptuous breasts and tight leather pants that highlighted her toned thighs and round ass was sitting on the couch with elegance.

Her long, red hair flowed gracefully over her shoulders and back, making her look even more beautiful than usual.

She had a pair of sharp, fiery red eyes that could pierce straight into one's soul, and her skin was smooth and flawless without a single blemish anywhere in sight.

She was a stunning woman who exuded confidence and authority with just a glance.

The woman's appearance resembled that of Scarlet, except that she possessed sharper facial features and more pronounced curves. She looked just like a mature version of Scarlet.

There was also a fiery vibe around her, as if she were a blazing fire that could burn anything and everything in its path.

"W-what are you doing, mommy!? Let me go!" Scarlet struggled and complained, but to no avail, as Rias wrapped her arms around Scarlet's waist and pulled her closer to her chest.

Then, Rias pouted and said with a hint of sadness in her voice, "Awww, why do you always push mommy away whenever she tries to pamper you? Don't you love your mother anymore? Does mommy not matter to you anymore now that you have grown up?"

Her words sounded hurtful, but Asher noticed a playful gleam in her eyes as she spoke and got to know why Scarlet seemed so hesitant to meet her own mother and Cecil's gleeful expression.

It seemed like Scarlet's mother was the type who loved spoiling her daughter rotten and treating her like a little princess, no matter how old she got.

Asher couldn't help but smirk when he saw Rias behaving like this toward Scarlet.

He always yearned for this type of affection in his past life, and now, in this life, he got Aria, who also treated him just like Rias was treating her daughter.

The reason for Scarlet's reluctance was probably due to her embarrassment, as she was getting cuddled and teased by her own mother in front of others. She didn't want her image as a proud and confident cultivator to be tarnished like that.

Seeing that her attempt to get rid of her mother's hug wasn't working, she gave up and sighed in defeat, resting her head on her mother's shoulder while grumbling.

"Ugh, fine. I guess I have no choice but to let you do whatever you want, mommy. You always get your way anyway. Even though I have grown up, you just refuse to treat me like an adult." Despite saying those words, a small smile still appeared on Scarlet's face as she relaxed in her mother's embrace.

Rias chuckled at her daughter's reaction and placed a soft kiss on top of her head before asking, "Well now, my dear Scarlet, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

At that moment, Asher's and Cecil's expressions turned serious, as they knew the following explanation would be a difficult one.

Cecil started feeling nervous and got closer to Asher, who grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. This gesture allowed her to relax a little bit and gain some courage to face the consequences of her actions.

Meanwhile, Rias didn't miss Cecil's nervousness and narrowed her eyes with suspicion, but she decided to ignore it for the time being and wait for her daughter to speak.

Soon, Scarlet cleared her throat and began explaining the incidents that happened to her and Cecil, all due to the schemes of Rick Cutler.

She told her everything that transpired during the journey and how Asher was the one who saved them from the dangerous situation.

Rias didn't interrupt her, as she kept listening to every word that came out of her daughter's mouth with a serious expression.

She also noticed the pain and fear hidden deep within her voice, and her heart clenched as she imagined all the horrifying experiences Scarlet and Cecil went through.

After Scarlet finished talking, the whole room fell silent, as if the entire world had frozen in place.

It seemed like time itself stopped moving when Rias closed her eyes.

However, the moment Rias opened her eyes, her expression became darker than ever, and a beam of red light shot out from her body, piercing through the roof and into the sky above.

It was as if an arrow were fired into the heavens.

ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!