No…no…no.

Urgh.

Urgh.

I slowly opened one of my eyes to find Mila pressing on my chest. I was making an involuntary grunting noise with every chest compression. Thankfully, Mila had woken me right before I relived the moment the Dragon sliced Sylvia in half.

Watching that again would have put a real damper on my day.

“Wake up! Wake up! It’s time to go!” Mila shouted with a giggle as she continued to push her tiny hands into me.

I snatched her and forced her to my body while giving her a little squeeze. “I’m awake. I just took a quick nap in the chair,” I said in Beastmen. Mila still preferred to speak in her native tongue.

I actually fell asleep by accident, but that’s not the point. I’m just tired.

Mila tried freeing herself from my grip, so I allowed her enough room to remove her face from my body. She took in an exaggerated breath and started pouting. “You are supposed to be getting ready!” she whined.

I narrowed my eyes at her and gave her a once over. Mila was still in her nightgown, which was covered in blotches of her breakfast. Sylvia decided to stay home, and I did my usual morning routine of working out and getting food from the cafeteria for both of us.

“You aren't even a little ready for the day, missy,” I told her with a raised eyebrow.

“I can get ready faster than you!”

I could only shake my head. “No…no, you can not,” I said with a chuckle.

She finally managed to squirm out from my grip after I loosened up a bit, and she pressed one more time on my chest only to use it to get off of me. Finally, she let out a little giggle and ran off to her room, her little tail swishing side to side.

I looked at Sylvia, and I could tell she was smiling behind her mask. Her mask… “You know, Sylvia. You can take that off if you’d like. Things are finally cooling down. Well, not the nobles being hunted down part, but the mess I created is at least.”

It had been a few days since the event at the palace. Things were finally beginning to return to some semblance of normalcy. I was requested to make an appearance at a few trials for the traitorous nobles of Luminar, but I declined all of them. I saw no reason to intervene, and all the corrupt nobles I came across were no longer with us.

I’m surprised there hadn’t been any public executions. People were definitely whispering about what transpired, but there appeared to be a bottleneck on information to the public. Of course, people knew something happened because of the explosions I caused that night. The general population also knew nobles were being carted out from their homes and sent to trial. But the exact facts seemed to be shrouded in mystery.

Is this Ren’s doing? Or perhaps her mother's? Mmmm…

I looked back to Sylvia, who gently caressed her broken mask. Her one blue eye looked at me for a moment, and she shook her head. “No, I think it’s best that I keep this on for the time being.”

“Are you sure? We are nobles now in Luminar. So it shouldn’t be a problem,” I told her.

Sylvia cocked her head to the side. “Huh?”

“What? I said we are nobl—”

Sylvia swiped her hand across the air. “We?!” she screeched.

Huh? What is she on about? Why is she yelling?

“Yes…we are? We were at the same ceremony, right? Is there something wrong with you?” I asked, utterly confused.

Sylvia’s ears were bright red, and she balled her fists at her sides. “I was! You are the knight, not me!” she hissed. “Gosh! What are you even saying!”

I scratched the back of my head and was confident I couldn’t wipe the face of pure confusion off of me. “I mean, yeah, but if I’m a noble, that makes you and Mila nobles. Did you really think I wouldn’t consider you a part of my family?”

Sylvia’s masked face just stared at me in silence.

“After all we’ve been through, how are we not family? And the fact you are helping me raise Mila? What did you expect? For me to tell you that you didn’t count? I don’t believe that’s how this works…I was almost certain you would punch a hole through my chest if I denied you…not that I would have done that anyway,” I said with a shrug.

Sylvia let out some kind of noise that was in between a moan and squeal. Her ears were so red I thought they might be bleeding, and I could hear her smack her lips from behind her mask as if she was trying to form a sentence. So I just decided not to say anything…

“That’s not fair…” she muttered. “You—”

“Sylvia! Can you help me!” Mila called from inside her room.

Sylvia looked to the shout and then back to me. She sighed deeply and gave me a weak wave. “I’ll keep the mask on for now. Maybe after today, I’ll…I’ll show Mila…”

Is she mad at me? I…why can’t I tell?

I watched Sylvia retreat into Mila’s room and sat back in the chair with a sigh. I had to get ready for our day with Mila as I had promised to go out with her today. But there was something I noticed.

After all this time, Mila isn’t calling Sylvia Mom, or Mommy.

It only took a quick moment to realize why that was the case. And it was…sad, to say the least. Mila already had a mother.

It doesn’t really matter how awfully or well Mila’s mom treated her. It could have been poorly, even downright abusive, and Mila would probably still think of her as a mother. But, of course, I have no idea how Mila’s mother interacted with her daughter and how long that even lasted. Mila appears to have memories of her mother and is aware that her mother is dead.

But none of that matters. Mila never had a father, so I’m an easy replacement as there is no barrier to entry. Mila’s mother was probably the only constant thing in her life. The bond of family is strong, and for a little girl going through the harsh reality of slavery, that bond must have been profound, even more so since it was the only thing Mila had.

Maybe Sylvia is the better mother. Perhaps in this short amount of time, she has done more for Mila than Mila’s mother did in years. But calling Sylvia mother may just be too much for her…and that is…sad for both of them.

I want to say I could convince Mila, but I’m not sure if that’s a wise decision. Trying to force that out of Mila may have an adverse reaction. And she has been doing far too well to have such a setback because of something minor.

Or is it minor…I could tell it weighed on Sylvia. She is going above and beyond for Mila just like she promised, and Sylvia probably feels that her effort isn’t reaching Mila all the way.

That must sting. I know it would tug on my heart and mind.

I sighed and looked at the doorway as a masked head popped out from it. “What are we going to do today? Mila wants you to pick.”

“Well…there are a few shops we can visit. And…I…” I rattled off as I wracked my brain for something to do.

What the hell are parents supposed to do with children?

My mother would take me to the market when I was younger. My father took me hunting, or we trained our bodies. I…yeah…my family is weird as hell.

Sylvia narrowed her eye at me, and I shrugged. “Let’s have a picnic outside before it gets too cold. There is a really nice park near the shops that looks like it could be fun.”

I started getting up from the chair with a groan. I felt like an old man with how tired my body was. I was hoping things would be back to normal by now, but…man…I can’t catch a break.

“Where are you going?” Sylvia asked with a hint of annoyance.

“To go get us food from the cafeteria. Can’t have a picnic without food?”

“I can cook,” Sylvia stated.

Uh…what?

I narrowed my eyes at Sylvia. “You can cook?”

She squeezed the wooden door, and her blue eye flicked out as she shut it. “I can cook!”

“Since when? I’ve never seen you cook before,” I said honestly.

The door flung open, and a blur moved towards my face going nearly Mach 1. The brown slipper smacked me in the face, and I let out a yelp of surprise. “Go get ready! I’ll make the damn food!”

“Hey…languag—”

“Don’t language me! Get ready!” Sylvia yelled while throwing the door shut.

I’ve uh…made a mistake, haven’t I? But isn’t it wrong to assume every girl can cook? I…don’t know anymore.

—

“Would it kill you to dress just a little better?” Sylvia asked with a slight huff.

I shrugged. “My clothes don’t fit me anymore. I need to get more tailored, and I haven’t exactly had time. Besides, today is about Mila, not me.”

Although I suppose I could have done a slightly better job…typically I’m better than this, but I genuinely have run out of options.

I glanced at Sylvia from the side, and I felt somewhat inadequate in my appearance today. She wore a similar outfit to her adventure gear but a little more casual. Her skirt today was a deep black trimmed in red instead of gold.

She also opted to wear a gray blouse instead of her usual white one, which looked a bit more on the expensive side as it had frills running down the center. Sylvia was also wearing regular shoes instead of her knee-high boots, which exposed her long pale legs and—

Sylvia tilted her head slightly towards me and narrowed her eye. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Ah…it’s nothing. I like your new outfit. It looks good on you,” I told her.

“Thanks,” Sylvia said dryly.

Wait…is she frustrated with me? Is it—no…I don’t think she is angry.

Even Mila was hugging me tightly and shutting her eyes. It only took one glance to find everyone staring at us. Hushed whispers flew through the crowds, and I didn’t need to be an Elf to hear them. They were all whispers about me. When I was on the other side of town, the stares were much different than they are now.

It had been a few days since the ceremony, and that was apparently enough time for word to reach everyone finally. I’m sure my general appearance has finally become common knowledge. The Dragonslayer is alive, and he is a mixed Elf with two different colored eyes. Seeing me in person probably makes things even easier to confirm.

It’s not like I look like anyone else—no blending into crowds for me. But I suppose that was always going to be an issue for me. And people were also aware that the Dragonslayer was with a Vampire.

With the queen having publicly admitted to Sylvia being a Vampire, things had begun to change. Sylvia used to draw the attention of everyone for her Elven beauty and enchanting voice. But thanks to thousands of years of propaganda, that was quickly being uprooted as people’s deep-seated distrust of Vampires was beginning to show.

This area of the world may not see a lot of Vampires, but that didn’t matter one bit. The Holy Kingdom had done a good job at spreading its ideas. The Church of Amon-Ra is the largest religious organization in the world, with the Moon Mother Religion being right behind it.

Even though Sylvia single-handedly saved hundreds of people, no light mage would have been capable of doing what she did. Not even Grandpa could have saved that many grievously injured individuals. Yet people were still whispering this slander around her.

The average citizen had probably never seen a Vampire before. Which wasn’t necessarily a good thing as it allows that myth to grip people’s hearts and minds.

That’s right…people genuinely believe all Vampires are nothing but blood-sucking monsters that will come for you in the middle of the night at best. And at worst, they are some super villain like Talgan.

Sylvia doesn’t deserve any of this. None of this is her fault. But, perhaps…maybe there is something I can do. I’ll have to consider it as whatever I do needs to be significant enough to sway people’s hearts and minds.

I let out a sigh and tugged on Mila’s ears. “We are here.”

She opened her eyes, and a bright smile appeared on her adorable face. I set her down, and she rushed into the store. “Ciki!” she giggled.

We followed in close behind her, and the Dragonkin with white scales waved hello to us. “Good morning, Mila. Your Human is getting better by the month,” she praised.

Ciki was the female Dragonkin hairdresser I had met when I took Mila to get her hair cut. I just watched as Mila babbled about random things that didn’t even remotely sound like the Human language. She was coming along, but her conversation abilities were still in dire need of work.

Thankfully, Ciki here was a kind woman. She immediately turned her full attention to Mila, and despite not understanding her, she nodded along with what I assumed to be a smile. Of course, it felt like a smile, but you could never tell with a Dragonkin.

During my three-month coma, Sylvia had attempted to take Mila to various places, and one of Mila’s favorite destinations was Ciki’s boutique. Apparently, they would spend a few hours here getting pampered. Ciki’s inky black eyes slowly drifted towards me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

No matter the differences in race…surprise seems to be universal.

She pointed a long snow-white finger at me. “You! You are the Dragonslayer!”

“Dragonslayer? Here"?”

“That Elf?”

“Is that the one who used to wear the mask?”

Some of the old ladies began mumbling things to each other, and I just smiled and waved. “Hello, Ciki. Long time no see?”

Ciki let out some kind of weird noise that sounded like a gasp. “It is you! I can’t believe it!”

“It is me…yes…”

“You really are a Dark Elf! Look at your hair!” she exclaimed.

“Yes…I really am.”

She was standing in front of me, and for a moment, I thought Ciki was going to bite my head off with how many teeth she was showing. “You even have a Dragon eye!”

“Yes…Ciki…I do…”

"And you’re so handsome!”

“Yea—…wait? Ciki, let go of my hair,” I said while pulling away from her.

How is it that somebody with no hair has such an infatuation with it? Is this a case of the grass is always greener on the other side?

Ciki blew what looked like white clouds out from her nostrils and nodded her head. “Right. Sorry.”

“I thought you would have been displeased with me. I heard Dragons were gods for the Dragonkin?” I asked cautiously.

Ciki just snorted and flicked her horns. “No god of mine would allow me to have…never mind,” she grumbled.

I looked at Sylvia, expecting some kind of reaction from her, but she seemed to be staring off into space. “Ciki, would you mind doing the work for Mila today?”

The large Dragonkin daintily waved her hand at me. “Of course, anything for my little kitten.”

“And would you mind doing the same for Sylvia?” I asked.

Sylvia’s head snapped towards me so fast I swear she popped a vertebrae. “What?! I—”

“It’s a treat. On me,” I interrupted. Sylvia looked about ready to argue with me, but she backed down without even so much as a huff.

That’s not like her at all.

Mila pulled on my hand with a goofy smile. “Paint your fingers! Paint your fingers with me!”

“I don’t know about that one, Mila…” I said.

I looked to Ciki in hopes that she would back me up, but a different kind of grin spread across her reptilian face. “What a great idea.”

“I’m not certain this is a—”

“I’ll paint them!” Mila said enthusiastically as she rubbed my fingernails.

I looked to Sylvia next, but she just shrugged. I looked at Mila's expectant face, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her no. “Sure. As long as you are the one to do it.”

Mila’s smile turned into a devilish grin.

Oh, no.

—

How I found myself in this situation was beyond me. I was currently lying in a chair that had been propped up with random things covering my face. If I were a more cautious person, I’d assume they were attempting to poison me with this stuff.

At least it’s warm…and it does feel kind of good on the skin.

Mila was getting her hair washed by Ciki while Sylvia and I enjoyed…whatever this was. Sylvia hadn’t spoken much since we arrived, and there was a heavy air around her. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but after today I had some ideas.

“Hey,” I said softly.

“What?” she said, sounding a bit annoyed.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For everything.”

I could hear Sylvia grip the cushion of her chair just ever so slightly. “What are you on about? Are you—”

“I’m serious. Thank you for everything. Thank you for saving me again. Thank you for keeping your promise and raising Mila while I was recovering. Thank you for revealing yourself to the world despite all your fears. Thank you for saving everyone you could. Thank you for being so strong,” I told her.

And I truly meant all of that. I just hope she understands that.

“I—”

“You did everything you could. And you are doing everything you can now, Sylvia. I’m thankful that I met you. And I’m proud of what you’ve done. But, just remember, if everyone ends up hating you, I never will. And neither will Mila.”

She gripped her chair a little tighter, and I heard her sniffle. “I…I’m trying so hard! I just want to be there for her and for you! Yet—”

“But it doesn't feel like it’s enough? That you aren’t getting through to Mila?” I finished.

She sniffled again. “Yeah…” she said weakly.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. Mila has gone through a lot. Remember, she had a mother. Things were different for me as she didn’t have a father. But I’m sure…no, I’m confident that you are doing the best you can and that Mila appreciates it. She may not be able to say it just yet, but I genuinely believe she cares about you. Just give her some more time. It hasn’t even been half a year yet. And—”

Sylva grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. It wasn’t the kind of squeeze that would hurt me but the kind that had a lot of meaning behind it. I could feel her hand shaking, and I knew she was trying to hold back her sobs.

“I—please…please…please,” she begged as she squeezed my hand harder. “Please don’t ever leave me again. I…I can’t do this alone…I don’t want to ever be alone like that again…I just—”

Ah…so it was that.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I squeezed her hand back. “It won’t happen again.”

“Yo—hic—you promise?”

I…

“I’m not sure I can promise that…after everything I’ve learned, I’m starting to feel there is something wrong with me. Or maybe…I…I just don’t know, Sylvia. There are so many pieces to the puzzle I feel like I don’t know yet, and it’s driving me up a wall. Every turn I take, all I get is more questions, and the more questions I get, the more I question myself. So…I don’t know. But I can promise you that I’ll try…I’ll try as hard as you did for Mila. That, I can promise,” I told her.

Sylvia sighed deeply. Thankfully it didn't sound frustrated. Instead, it sounded more like a sigh of relief. She even gave me one last reassuring squeeze before she let go.

“I guess that’s about as good as I’m going to get from you. Mr. Dragonslayer,” she teased. I kept in my own internal sigh of relief.

There we go…as things should be. For now, at least.

“Daddy, it’s your turn!” Mila shouted as I heard the pitter patter of her little feet.

I slowly removed the stuff covering my face and peeked out at her. “Oh? And what….what color is that?”

“Orange! And Green! And greener with some orange!” I looked to Ciki, knowing it was futile, only for her just to shrug with a sly grin.

That color scheme should be illegal.

—

Sylvia brought a hand to her mask and chuckled. “Nice color nails, Daddy.”

“Be quiet,” I hissed in Elvish.

Sylvia just giggled as I looked over my gaudy paint job. It was a truly horrific sight, and never in my life did I ever see myself allowing this to happen. But I wasn’t angry or even disappointed. In all honesty, I’d do it again if it meant Mila kept giggling every time she grabbed my hand to inspect her handiwork.

Handiwork was a generous term. It looked more like somebody dipped my hand into a paint bucket and swirled it around only to put it into a different one. There was no rhyme or reason behind anything, and all my nails were a mixture of green and orange…which made some spots brown…

Well, it could be worse.

The three of us were walking down the street towards the park. It was nearly midday out now and the city was truly alive as people bustled about. Shops were open to accommodate the inevitable lunch rush.

The weather was cool but not cold enough that one had to wear any extra layers. If anything, this weather was perfect, and if Luminar stayed like this year around, it might just be the best damn spot to live.

To live…huh…

King Maxwell’s words echoed in my head, and I looked down at Mila. He was right when he said this was the best place for her to live. Mila would have access to facilities most kids could only dream of because of me and my connections. Would it be wrong of me to uproot her and take away her future opportunities because I want to go home?

Do I…is this parental sacrifice? What do I even do? Do I do what I want? Do I compromise or just give up? Would Mila even care about any of that stuff?

But I’d know…I’d care. Mila and Sylvia would never go against my wishes. I know they wouldn’t. But just because I want something doesn’t mean it’s the right choice…right?

Where do I draw the line? Where is that line even? Do I set it? And if I do set it…what if I put it too far?

I was about to sigh when I caught Mila staring out into the crowd. There was a small stall on the side of the road being run by an older-looking Dwarf sitting behind his booth. He was so short I could barely see the top of his head. From what I could make out, it appears he was selling toys…but Mila wasn’t looking at those toys…I see…

I shuffled Mila over to Sylvia. “Would you mind getting me a drink, Sylvia? I could use some water,” I asked her.

Sylvia picked Mila up into her arms. “Sure. I have some juice packed away for lunch anyways. Come on, Mila, help me get Daddy some water.”

Mila nodded, and the two went over to a stall being run by a High Elf. I waited for Mila to stop watching me before I approached the Dwarf. I had to stand close enough that I was nearly touching the front of the stall just to see him. He gave me a once over, and I was surprised he could see through his bushy eyebrows.

Those things were so thick they looked like a rectangle made of steel wool. His thick black beard was messy, and I sort of just stood there waiting for him to comment about me being the Dragonslayer or a weird-looking Elf, but the older man just grunted.

Well, at least this is better than him overreacting, as most do.

I pointed to something behind him. “How much.”

He grunted again and waved his thick hand around. “Three large silver.”

“One and half large silver,” I shot back.

“Three large silver.”

“Two large silver?”

“Three large silver.”

Bastard.

I took the silver out from my ring and placed it into his meaty palms. The Dwarf grumbled while slowly standing up from his stool to grab the doll. He handed it to me. Sat back down with a grunt and then grunted at me again.

I took the doll and began examining it. This Dwarf had definitely made it with his own hands, that’s for sure. The metal on it was weak and flimsy, but I imagine he did that on purpose so as not to hurt a child. The edges were also rounded, and the silver was polished enough that I could see my reflection. It appeared to be just a simple knight wearing armor.

But the craftsmanship is impeccable…maybe this is worth that kind of money….maybe.

An odd gift for a kid…but Mila was watching it intently. Hopefully, she actually wants it, or this was going to be an awkward conversation. And a waste of three large silver.

I stored the doll in my ring and went to join them. Sylvia handed me a wooden cup filled with cold water that even had a bit of ice floating around it.

In truth, I had sent them away so I could buy the doll in secret, but I also wasn’t lying when I said I was thirsty. So I graciously accepted the beverage and took no time in downing most of it. But I was interrupted by a pair of adorable dark blue eyes staring at me intently.

“Here,” I said while handing Mila the rest of my water. And as if in record time, she downed the water in one gulp. A trick I’m confident she learned from necessity.

We didn’t comment on it and just decided to walk to the park in peaceful silence. Well, between us, that is. We were getting stares and murmurs the entire time. Somebody even came up to me and began thanking me for saving their daughter.

They tried to tell me their name, but I didn’t recognize it. There are…a lot of deceased I won’t ever remember or even know. Lots of faces that I’ve seen…walked by in the halls…that I’ll never see again.

I got lucky. In all honesty, I probably gained more than I lost this time around. Things somehow panned out in my favor despite so many people dying.

And they most likely died because of me and this Child of Chaos nonsense…Qylrenth said he was forced to do it…but who the hell is forcing a Dragon to do anything?

Another Dragon? What if—

“Daddy, we are here!” Mila said while tugging on my arm.

“Ah…yeah, sorry, I was thinking.” Mila looked up at me and puffed her cheeks out. “What are we going to do here?” she asked innocently.

“Well…we are…uh…we are going to eat,” I said simply.

Mila tilted her head to the side. “Eat? Just eat?”

“Well, not only just eat, we can uh…”

I looked around the park and found it to be quite extensive. It was also well maintained and has quite a few trees and flowers surrounding the paths. A black and gray marble fountain sat in the center with water. People walked along the trails, children played in the grass, and I had to say it was pretty nice. Maybe not as lovely as the areas at school, but that is comparing apples to oranges.

After all, Bowen is in a different league.

“Why don’t we play for a while before we eat? Give Sylvia some time to set things up. What do you say?” I suggested.

“Play? Like…play? What is playing?” she asked me.

“What do you usually do with Rosemary? You two play together, right?” Mila just shrugged. “I see…well, in that case, I have a little game for you. Would you like to play?”

This was a big hit with the kids last time.

Mila bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. “Okay!”

“Good…and…boom.”

In my open palm was a white orange ball of magic. Well, fire magic. It wasn’t hot, and I had changed the colors just for fun. Doing this, of course, cost extra mana, but I had plenty to spare, and maintaining this spell was a breeze.

Mila’s eyes went wide as she watched me juggle the flame between my hands. “The goal is simple. Catch the ball, okay?”

“Catch the ball?” she asked curiously as she reached out for it.

I sneaked the ball away from her right before she reached it. “That’s right. Catch the ball. Now run.”

I sent the ball racing down the path, and Mila didn’t miss a beat as she kicked her shoes off and ran after it. It was a relief to see her move like that. A few months ago…that would have been impossible for her.

“Here, sit down,” Sylvia said after she finished spreading out a blanket for us to sit on.

I took my seat, and Sylvia began taking out various things from her Spatial Ring. I turned my attention back to Mila and kept the ball just out of her reach. I made sure to do plenty of turns to help her build stability in her ankles and promote healthy movements. She wasn’t exactly back to a hundred percent yet, but she was close.

I also decided to practice my Soul Vision a bit. I fed mana into my eye and watched as my world turned gray in my left eye. I followed the wispy white trail that was leaving my body as it fed the spell core with…well…my soul, I guess. To me, the spell core just looked like an o…like an orb.

Huh…Qylrenth looked like a purple orb in the void…was that a spell core? Or his soul…I wonder…

I felt something on the side of my face and jerked back slightly to find a piece of bronze directly in front of me. Sylvia backed her head away slowly and nodded to herself.

“Uh…is something the matter?” I asked.

“No…you just look so magical with that eye. The glowing thingy is really…magical? I guess?” she said, sounding unsure of herself.

“It is magical, I suppose. And— wait a second.”

I snapped back to Mila only to find her nearly on top of my spell. She was about to catch it, so I increased the speed. The ball of orange fire flew down a path, and I thought I had a moment when my eyes went wide. Mila…she was running…very quickly all of a sudden.

In my Soul VIsion, I could see that she was enhancing her legs with mana which I knew to be impossible. Mila had no magic or mana enhancement training as we figured it was best for her to focus on other areas first before getting into that stuff. But here she was…doing it effortlessly as if it were…second nature…oh…

This is why Beastmen are so strong. They must be enhancing themselves with mana at a young age without even realizing it. That explains a whole lot…

“Hey, you better pay attention, or she is going to catch that. And are you doing this to tire her out?” Sylvia asked me.

“I know, I know! And no, it’s just really good for her! But…that’s not a bad idea either,” I admitted.

I zipped the ball to the side with a sharp turn, and Mila planted her foot into the grass to give her chase. Her little legs were pumping faster than I’d ever seen, and I was forced to concentrate on my spell.

My spell followed along a path, and I dropped it low to the ground, hoping to evade Mila, but she was right on top of it again. I stood up to concentrate better and could only watch with wide eyes as Mila was gaining on me. A wide smile was plastered on her face, and she looked to be having the time of her life as her white teeth shined in the sunlight.

I sent my spell to the side again, but Mila was ready this time as she leapt from her feet. Just like her ancestors, Mila lunged for the spell, and I heard Sylvia let out a gasp of surprise. Mila threw everything she had into that lunge, which sent her airborne.

She hit the ground hard and began tumbling in the grass. I started running over to her, and I could feel the panic rising in my chest.

This was not supposed to happen. I just got caught up in the moment and was having fun…I never intended for Mila to get hurt.

I didn’t even make it halfway to her when Mila sprang up from the ground and ran over to me. She was giggling hysterically, and her face and arms were covered with dirt. Even a few scratches were marking her arms.

She looked up at me with proud eyes and slowly opened her hands as sweat poured down her face. “I caught it! I got it! Look!”

And sure enough, in the center of her tiny cupped hands was my spell.

The panic washed away instantly and was replaced by a joyful laugh that seemed to come straight from the heart. I gently rubbed her ears and smiled at her. “That was amazing, Mila. I never knew you were so fast. Good job.”

I suppose that’s the cheetah blood running in her veins…literally.

Mila nestled her head into my hand and let out a tiny purr. We walked back over to Sylvia, and I watched Sylvia reach out to Mila, but she retracted her hand quickly. Sylvia was about to start digging into a basket when Mila rushed over to.

“Look, Sylvia! I caught Daddy’s magic!” she said excitedly while showing Sylvia the spell.

Sylvia’s shoulders dropped not in sadness but in relief. “That’s great! You were so fast, Mila! I’ll fix your scrapes tonight, okay?”

Mila stood expectantly, and Sylvia brought her in for a hug. “Are you ready to eat? You must be starving after that run,” Sylvia cooed into her ears.

Mila hummed an affirmative, and Sylvia pulled away only to fumble around in her basket again. She pulled out a tiny triangle that looked to be bread. “Here, taste this,” Sylvia said softly.

Mila wasted no time as she dropped my spell to the ground without a second thought. I stopped feeding the core mana, and it fizzled out, and when I looked back, Mila had already devoured the entire sandwich.

Sylvia gently wiped off some orange jam from her mouth, and Mila let out a squeal of delight, and she continued to chew. “Mila, you need to slow down when you eat,” Sylvia chastised.

“Mamhamm okkay,” Mila said with a mouth full of food. She swallowed what was left and began running off again. “I’m gonna go!”

“Okay…be safe, please.” Sylvia sighed and just let out a small laugh as she scooted a basket over to me. “Try it?”

I peered into the basket to find a plate that had been covered with a small napkin. Removing the white napkin showed a platter of bread cut into various shapes. Even some of the bread was different.

Well, the presentation looks phenomenal. Of course, I’d expect nothing less from a former royal. But that wasn’t my concern…

I’ve never seen Sylvia cook before. And I have no reason to believe she even can, as she has never once offered to make me food. And I, of course, don’t blame her for that lack of skills. On the other hand, it’s not like I can cook worth a damn.

It’s just that Sylvia has no reason to cook, even less than a typical member of the nobility. As a Vampire, she never needs to cook for sustenance, and her upbringing doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in her culinary talents.

But….I’m willing to try it. It would be extremely rude of me not to take a bite at the very least.

I decided to try the opposite of Mila and went for a square-shaped sandwich. I bit into it, and the grape-tasting jelly inside squished out and coated my tongue. I smacked my lips, and before I knew it, the sandwich had disappeared.

“Did…did you like it? You ate it really fast,” Sylvia mumbled.

I nodded my head in equal parts disbelief and satisfaction. “That was actually amazing. The grape jam was fantastic,” I said while taking a bite of the triangle.

OOooooo…this is so damn good.

The strong tartiness from the orange-flavored jam made me pucker my mouth in surprise. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. I just hadn’t been expecting it. I found myself cleaning my teeth with my tongue. Never in my life did I ever imagine Sylvia was capable of doing this.

“Did you make all of this yourself?” I asked, shocked.

Sylvia crossed her arms and let out an annoyed huff. “Sure did. I even made the jam in class,” she said proudly.

“When did you learn how to do this? I’ve never seen you use the kitchen before?”

Sylvia shrugged, and I didn’t miss the fact she sounded a bit miffed. “Maybe you would know if you asked me what I was doing after class.”

Is she mad at me for not asking about that? How was I supposed to know? She never even casually mentioned it to me?

I finally put two and two together. “After class? Oh…oh! You are in that cooking class with Varnir!”

I remember Varnir telling me about Sylvia holding him to something…was it attending that class? Why does that need to be a secret from me? But that’s not the only thing Varnir mentioned to me…I promised him I wouldn’t put it off, and I won’t…I just don’t want to sully this moment…when we leave…or…at the very least when my family comes, we can talk about it.

The young Vampire scoffed at me. “I am indeed. I’ll have you know I’m actually doing very well in that class. I may not be in the top ten, but I’m almost there.”

“Well, good for you, Sylvia. I’m glad you found something you liked. What made you want to do this? I mean, you don’t need to eat—Sylvia? Hey, what’s the matter?”

Sylvia was looking away from me, but that didn’t hide her red ears. “I did it for you, idiot,” she squeaked.

“I mean— wait, what?”

“Just eat the sandwiches…” she groaned.

“Okay…” I was about to eat another sandwich and ask some more questions when I realized something was off.

The entire park has sort of gone quiet.

I looked out and realized everyone was watching us. It was a sort of intense kind of stare, and I had been tuning out the hushed whispers for some time now. But I also noticed that a lot of people were watching Mila.

And that she wasn’t moving.

I stood up from the ground and went right over to her. Mila was shaking and hiding her face in her shirt as all the intense gazes seemed to gather on us. I quickly picked her up, and she grabbed hold of me. Her tiny little fingers dug into my back.

“It’s time to go home.”

---

We retreated from the park and made our way back to campus. It took some time for Mila to calm down, but she finally relaxed once we reached our dorm.

Mila had been doing a phenomenal job at ignoring all the stares for a long time, but it seems even she has a breaking point. And while Sylvia and I were talking, we had neglected to check on her…a fault of our own.

“Wait, let me heal her,” Sylvia said quickly.

I stopped halfway through the door to her room and realized Mila still had some scratches on her arms. I didn’t think much of it as it was relatively minor, and they didn’t seem to bother her all that much. But I guess that’s a byproduct of her long years of suffering.

She must have a high pain tolerance like me.

I set Mila down, and she let out one big yawn and her little ears and tail went rigid as she stretched. She slowly made her way over to Sylvia while rubbing her eyes, and Sylvia coaxed her onto the couch. The two of them sat side by side for a time, and I decided I would just watch what was about to happen.

Sylvia let out a deep breath and nodded to herself. She slowly took off her mask entirely, and at first, Mila didn’t seem to notice. Then, Sylvia raised Mila’s arm to her mouth and slowly sank her fangs in. Mila winced ever so slightly, but that appeared to have woken her from her sleepy state.

Typically, Sylvia only barely raised her mask when she healed anyone, and for Mila, she would heal her when Mila was sleeping more times than not. This may only be the second or third time Sylvia has ever healed Mila while she was still awake.

The little Beastmen girl slowly looked up into Sylvia’s eyes, and I watched her blink in surprise a few times. She didn’t seem afraid, just a tad bit confused. Mila slowly looked at me with a quizzical look on her adorable face.

“Daddy? Is Sylvia a bad Vampire?” she asked me.

It was at that moment I could have heard a feather hit the dirt.

Out of all the things Mila could have said…that may have been the second or third worst…at least she isn’t freaking out. I had a feeling reading that fantasy book was going to be a terrible idea…

“Mila— I…”

I stopped myself and looked over at Sylvia. I felt my heart drop into my stomach as I looked at her usually beautiful face. Sylvia didn’t just look despondent. She looked downright mortified. It was the kind of expression that I imagined somebody might have if they watched as somebody murdered a family member or had found themselves suddenly stabbed through the chest…it was a similar yet different expression to the one Ren had that fateful day.

Tears leaked from her crimson eyes, but her face never changed. Instead, she just remained at a standstill as if time had stopped.

Mila looked away from me and back at Sylvia. She cocked her head to the side and wiped at Sylvia’s face with the sleeve of her shirt. “Why are you crying, Sylvia?” Sylvia let out a croaking noise, and I watched as the dam on her emotions began to crumble at a rapid pace.

Mila looked back at me with a bit of confusion and worry on her face. “Sylvia isn’t a bad Vampire, right, Daddy? She can’t be,” she said in Beastmen.

Sylvia made another noise, and the tears began to flow as she vaguely understood Mila’s words. Sylvia had made it a personal goal to learn at least the most basic conversational Beastmen, and although she has been struggling, she can manage Mila’s generally simple questions.

Mila tried to continue wiping them away, but there was far too much for her. “You—you aren’t afraid of me, Mila?” Sylvia asked her, her voice shaking. Sylvia still couldn’t speak Beastmen all that well, though, and she seems to be so nervous that she is just returning to Human on instinct.

Mila looked genuinely confused for a moment as she mouthed the word out to herself. “Aaa—aaafraid?” she muttered.

Sylvia looked desperately at Mila, and the little girl shook her head. “No…I’m not aaafraid of Sylvia. Sylvia helps me and cooks for me and makes me better.”

Sylvia looked at me with puffy red eyes, and I just nodded at her. That must have been the sign to let it all loose as Sylvia began crying uncontrollably. Tears rolled down her face, and her body was wracked with sobs.

Of course, Mila still seemed confused, so she sort of just scooted closer to Sylvia and brought her into a hug. Mila continued to wipe away Sylvia’s tears for some time, and I watched as the little girl stared into Sylvia’s crimson eyes.

“So pretty…” Mila muttered to herself as she poked Sylvia in the eye.

Sylvia winced slightly but just laughed slightly as she hugged Mila tighter. I decided that I would let the two of them be and retreated to my room for the night.

Perhaps, this would be the beginning of a mother-daughter relationship.

---

Of course, I wasn’t destined to sleep just yet.

I had literally just gotten into bed and pulled the sheets over me as my door creaked open. The pitter-patter of tiny footsteps echoed on the marble floor until they reached the carpeted area of my bed.

Something hit my covers and began squirming into position next to me, so I shot out from underneath my covers. A loud squeal of surprise echoed in my room as I consumed Mila into my blanket.

“No! No!” she giggled as she wormed around.

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“Nothing!”

“Lies. Don’t lie to me, little one,” I grumbled while squeezing her a bit tighter. “What are you doing, mmmm?” I asked her again.

“I want to sleep with you,” she mumbled.

“You do? Well, what if I don’t want to sleep with you? Then what?” I asked playfully.

My room was dark, but I could see Mila clearly with my new Dragon eye. She puffed her cheeks and lightly tapped me in the chest. I just laughed at her.

“That’s fine. You can stay,” I told her softly.

Mila grunted and nestled into the sheets with me. As she was getting comfortable and before she fell asleep like she usually does, I figured I’d talk to her a little.

“Did you have fun today?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for protecting and reading to me while I slept all that time.”

Mila let out a yawn and stretched her body only just to nod.

“Did you and Sylvia have a talk?”

Mila hummed in response.

“I see. That’s good. You did great today, Mila. I’m very proud of you.”

She hummed again and nestled deeper into me.

“I have a gift for you. For being such a strong girl today and for helping me.” I laughed a little as Mila raised an eyebrow despite her eyes being closed. “Here, I hope you like it.”

I dipped my mind into my ring and pulled out the doll. I wasn’t sure if sleeping with this thing would be ideal since it’s made of metal, but I guess I’ll have to find out.

Mila felt the doll, and since she was a Beastmen, her night vision should be good enough that she could see even in this low light. She let out a small purr and hugged the doll tightly. I also noticed her eyes were a little puffy and red. She must have been crying.

“Thank you, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome. Can I ask you another question, Mila?”

The little girl let out a grunt and flipped over, so we were face to face. I could feel her breath on my chest, and she looked at me with a bit of annoyance.

“Do you love Sylvia?”

Mila didn’t immediately answer, and I watched her close her eyes slowly. “Yes.”

“That’s good. I’m glad.”

Mila yawned and shuffled a bit more. “Do you love Sylvia?” she asked me with another small yawn.

I wonder…do I? Even now…I’m not sure if I do.

I came to the conclusion that I didn’t love Lauren. That felt relatively simple to me, I guess. Sylvia makes me feel…different…but I’m not sure if different is good or bad.

And even if I do…what if she doesn’t love me? And if she did… then what? Could I live my life knowing that she loves a version of me that isn’t completely honest?

If I were to tell Sylvia about my past and what I had done…would she still feel the same? Could somebody ever love a monster like me? I can’t even imagine what the look on her face would be if I even explained a month of my previous life to her.

So many uncertainties…so many things going on…I feel like bringing this up to her would just complicate things. I feel like we are in a delicate state right now, and something like this may just blow up the bridge and send all three of us crashing into the abyss.

That’s something I can’t afford to do right now. Maybe…when this is all over, we can talk things through…if they don’t work out…I…I don’t know.

“I—”

When I looked back down at Mila, she was already asleep.