Reincarnated With A Glitched System: Why Is My MP Not Running Out? Chapter 2140: Family

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Apparently two full weeks had passed since we defeated Dimenion, and I had been completely out of it the entire time, sleeping like a log for far too long.

How did I even manage to survive sleeping for two whole weeks? Did my parents somehow feed me during that time? Wait… did I end up soiling myself while I was unconscious?

…

No, no, I didn't. I would have felt something if that had happened.

While taking a bath together with Aquarina, I finally asked her what had taken place while I was asleep.

"Ah, your parents fed you a special kind of elixir," she explained. "It kept you healthy and nourished the whole time. It does not produce any waste… but I still came by regularly to wash you."

"Oh, so that is what happened… thank you for taking care of me."

"No problem~ I just did what I had to do."

She smiled warmly and pressed a soft kiss against my cheek. Then she gathered a generous amount of shampoo and began washing my long red hair.

As I looked at her more closely, I noticed that her hairstyle had changed. While being all sleepy, I didn't fully register the difference, but now that I had calmed down and fully woken up I could see it clearly.

"New hairstyle?" I asked.

Her hair was much shorter now. It only reached around her neck, though she had kept a single long braid. The new look made her appear more tomboyish than before.

"Yeah, I disliked long hair anyway," she shrugged. "I had been stuck with it for too long and it was getting really annoying. I decided to keep a braid though."

"You look more mature," I said with a genuine smile. "It looks good on you."

"R-Really? I thought it would not look good at all," Aquarina sighed. "Mom said my long hair was prettier…"

"Your mom said that?!" I was genuinely shocked.

"My dad corrected her right after, and the two of them ended up arguing about it for a while. Then she finally apologized…" Aquarina laughed at the memory.

"Ah," I nodded. "Well, it is your hair. You can do whatever you want with it… though I am glad you did not go completely bald…"

"Bald?! Why would I ever go bald?" Aquarina burst out laughing. "Hahaha, what are you even talking about?"

"I am just joking~" I giggled in return.

After we finished bathing together, I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my own long red hair. I began to seriously consider cutting it a little shorter as well, maybe leaving it around shoulder length for now.

I kind of wanted to try out some new styles too. Would pigtails look good on me? Or maybe a single long ponytail?

Probably not, but I still felt the urge to cut it.

Unfortunately, my long-haired girl days seemed like they would soon be coming to an end. I had started to feel like the long hair made me look too childish. I wanted something shorter and a bit more grown-up.

My short stature did not help with that impression at all! And somehow becoming a Fairy had made me even smaller than before.

This made absolutely no sense. I always thought Fairies were supposed to be tall, slender, and elegant. What was going on with me?!

"Ah, at least most of my clothes still fit," I sighed as I put on a pair of jean shorts, a simple white blouse, and something warm over the top. "Let's go."

Aquarina nodded, and the two of us walked out of my room and headed downstairs. There I found my family waiting for me. Not everyone was present, of course.

Still, I felt truly glad to see my mom, my dad, and my big brother. Aquarina's parents and her little sister were also there, as if they had all been waiting for me to wake up.

It seemed we had caught them a little off-guard, because they were busy cooking and preparing lunch when we arrived.

"Sylphy! You're awake!" my mother called out happily, rushing toward me first.

"Mom! Yeah," I nodded as I returned her hug. "I'm back."

"Sylphy!" my father cried, nearly dropping the plate he had been holding. "My daughter!"

"Big sis…!" My brother's eyes widened in surprise. "I-I didn't even sense your presence…!"

All three of them ran over and wrapped me in a tight group hug. I was instantly caught in the middle of their embrace, unable to escape even if I had wanted to.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" I managed to say as tears began to form. "S-Sorry for worrying all of you so much before… A lot has happened and… well, I don't think I can really excuse everything that took place."

I started crying without fully realizing it. Being held by my parents felt incredibly comforting, like I had been away for far too long and had finally returned to the place where I belonged.

So much had happened. I had come frighteningly close to dying more than once. In the end, it was thanks to everyone here that I had managed to survive.

"Sylphy…" my brother muttered softly. "I'm really glad you're alive and well…"

"W-We've been taking care of you ever since everything happened," my mother sighed. "Even while we were still struggling to process it all, the world kept moving forward and forced us to accept everything that had changed."

"It's… really been a lot to take in," my father admitted with a heavy sigh. "But we're glad. We're happy you're still here with us, my princess."

"Dad… don't call me that anymore," I giggled weakly. "I've already grown up enough…"

"I guess you'll always be our princess," my mother said as she hugged me even tighter. "I… I wanted to…"

She suddenly tried to say something more while still holding me, her voice breaking as a few tears fell onto my shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I'm sorry if I haven't always been the best mother… I've been a little too hysterical at times… too strict with you… I sometimes end up blaming others for my own shortcomings and… that caused a lot of unnecessary problems. I wish I could have realized earlier that you were destined for so much more. Maybe I should have given you more freedom. Perhaps I should have let you do as you pleased instead of always trying to force you down certain paths…"

I was surprised by her words. I had never truly felt any deep resentment toward my parents. If anything, they had always been good parents to me.

And being strict? That was simply part of how parents had to raise their children. There was nothing wrong with it. Discipline was important. You could not simply be kind and permissive forever if you wanted your children to grow up well.

"It's fine, mom," I said with a gentle smile as I kissed her cheek. "You've been a really great mom!"

Her eyes widened as the sincerity of my words began to sink in, and she started to understand that her self-criticism had gone further than necessary.

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