The Loving Villainess Is A Ugly Duckling

Chapter 19: The Goddess Is Generous

"You've changed tremendously since I've first saw you." Mother fussed as she runs her fingers through my hair, "Are they not feeding you right? Do I need to give Vander a nightmare?"

"Mother, I'm fine, really... you can give people nightmares? Ow!"

"I told you to call me mama or mommy, don't be so distant, how many times do I have to repeat myself?"

I huff in annoyance while rubbing my thigh where I've been pinched. Every night I fall asleep, I would always find myself here with the woman who birthed me. We've grown incredibly close to the point I could casually talk to her with my emotions shown upon my face. Anger, sadness, annoyance, happiness... it was relieving to have a woman to talk to without holding back on anything, especially since she's my mother.

"Fine, mama, are you happy now?" I roll my eyes as she braids my hair.

"Don't use that tone with me! Tsk, your father spoiled you too much, I'm going to have to straighten you out."

I cried within my heart.

This woman was a masochist!

I miss how she would only ask me about my day without being so rough and smothering. I guess the change came from when I first asked her about her powers. She was surprised and thought she knew what power she possessed, what I would inherent from her. As I was close to getting the answer, she decided not to tell me and that was when we began bickering. She didn't say a thing about what they were no matter how much I asked.

"Calista, I understand that you're trying to... change... your appearance, but I don't understand why you would do such a thing," She turns me to face her in her lap, "You're beautiful already, the most beautiful."

I smile bitterly, "I know mama, but some people don't think so.." I look down to the grass, "It makes me feel like it may be true." She stay quiet for a minute before sighing softly.

"Well," She starts while shifting herself slightly, "Their opinions don't matter. They can't affect you if they're not important people in your life. They're insignificant, passerby's in your own little world that only you can control." I lean into her chest. Her words were rather comforting, giving me a burst of energetic emotions as I thought more and more about it.

I turn to her with a smile, "Thank you, mother." She leans to kiss me on the forehead.

"Calista." Her voice warbles and my vision slowly blurs as the words faintly left her lips, "It's time to wake up."

I feel my body stirring awake, my mind slowly registering the noise of my surroundings before I find myself staring up at the ceiling. I seem to always forget what I'm dreaming about but it leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy. Maybe a side effect of drinking Vexlar tea?

I go throughout the normal routine of my day; Breakfast, tending the garden, 'playing in the garden' a.k.a sneaking out to train with Dory, coming back, eating dinner, washing up, reading in the library, sleep and repeat.

It's an endless cycle that I've been going through for the remainder of my 6 months before I leave. I, as well as my family (and Dory), witnessed how I changed, from my plumped version to my rather fit one. It was such a thrilling and exciting journey, makes me rather proud of myself for sticking through it and not giving up. The results were satisfactory, makes me excited for when I'm older. I wonder which aspects of my body I would work on with plants and, of course, training.

Now that I thought about it, I wonder what subjects I would pursue in Rose Quartz Academy. For the past Calistas, it was strictly Governing & Laws, Music & Dance, Spinning & Embroidery, Xydian Language(s)/Culture(s), and Etiquette.