Kalika sat in the corner of her cell, simply watching the pink-eyed girl tidy up her cell. She started piling the dirty pieces of hay together back into Kalika's corner. all of which seemed very pointless to Kalika.
"It's pointless cleaning those. Oh well, at least she's a little entertaining to watch."Kalika continued to watch as the little maid girl seemed to be hard at work. Rhonda then noticed that Kalika was watching, prompting her to look away shyly and continue with her chores.
After some time, Kalika could tell how inexperienced the girl was, as a maid. She could tell by Rhonda's unsure glances and inability to discern how to use the duster properly. It was quite a sad sight. Despite all these setbacks, the girl continued to clean up the cell until she was satisfied, and along the way, she gave Kalika something entertaining to watch.
Rhonda seemed very proud of herself as she looked at the work she did with pride. She then turned to Kalika. She looked nervous, even playing with her hands as if she wanted to ask something. She gestured nervously to Kalika, pointing to Kalika and then to her own hair.
Rhonda seemed to be gesturing that she wanted to do Kalika's hair. Kalika simply turned her head and refused the girl. The girl understood what Kalika said, although she looked a little disappointed.
Rhonda bowed to Kalika before leaving the cell with nothing left to do. Kalika looked back to notice that the girl had a pair of keys to the cell and potentially other doors, allowing herself to get in and out of certain areas. "I wonder… if I can get those from her, maybe I'll have a chance… but I'll need to get in better condition to run…" Kalika was starting to get lost in her thoughts as Rhonda finally left with all the cleaning utensils she had brought.
"Still, it's strange that a human girl would be at this castle. Perhaps she's a slave…" It was a little strange since the girl didn't say a word either. But on the other hand, she did look a little shy.
Kalika didn't want to think about the new maid too much, but this little girl provided her with a new potential opportunity for an escape. As long as she was able to get the keys and avoid the guards, she could potentially escape, especially since she remembered the layout of this dungeon from her time playing with Lillian during their youth.
Kalika looked at the thin arm. "First things first. I need to get back into shape. If I learned anything useful from that blindly loyal captain, it's that I have to keep moving my arms and legs until they tire…" Kalika clutched her hand. "I will escape from here... Even if it kills me!"
The days would continue with the maid as a new part of the routine. Every day her new maid, Rhonda, would come in to find something to clean. Sometimes she would even drop a fresh pair of prisoner's clothes for Kalika or even some food for her. Upon her request, the girl would even fetch her some water which was a refreshing upgrade to her life.
This would be followed by Lillian's time to make Kalika suffer through her cruel games, which seemed to have softened a little. Despite this they were all still just as painful as before.
It was only after spending time with Lillian that Kalika would have time to herself. She would try to get back into shape by standing and moving around the cell when she could. She tried doing push-ups during the first couple of weeks but hated the idea of doing them, so she promptly stopped. With arm-related exercise out of the picture, she stuck to training her legs instead until she couldn't anymore.
A year practically went by in an instant. Kalika noticed that she seems to be moving much better than before. However, she was still struggling to maintain some stability when walking. And it didn't help that each time after Lillian was finished with her, that her legs felt like jelly.
Kalika started to watch Rhonda do her routine cleaning. She noticed that the girl was improving herself as well. She then looked at her hair, noticing that it was getting very long again. I guess at this rate, Lillian will rip my hair apart again…"
Kalika looked at Rhonda again, starting to get lost in thought. "Perhaps I'll let this girl do my hair… What was her name again…? Oh yeah…"
"H-hey. Rhonda." Kalika croaked. Rhonda was shaken as she heard her name. The girl looked at Kalika, surprised and curious, as this was the first time Kalika actually approached her. "Can you do my hair?" Kalika looked away as she asked. Despite her clear inquiry Rhonda seemed quite confused.
Kalika glared at the confused maid. How could this maid not understand what she was asking her? Kalika lifted up a piece of her hair, pointing to it and then making a cutting gesture on it. The girl continued to look at Kalika, confused until it struck her that Kalika wanted her to do her hair.
In a panic, Rhonda left, seemingly gathering the tools for Kalika's hair. Kalika could only look on and sigh in disappointment at how unprepared the girl was.
Rhonda soon returned to the cell, hands stuffed with useless tools like brushes and combs. At this point, Kalika's confidence in the girl doing her hair was starting to wane. But given that Rhonda was still a child Kalika let this thought pass.
Rhonda entered the cell, closing it behind her. Without wasting further time, she searched around the tools she brought until she found the scissors. With the scissors in hand, Rhonda started cutting Kalika's hair. Piece by piece the hair fell. Looking back every now and then, Kalika made sure to pay special attention to the clumsy maid girl. After all, going bald wasn't on her wish list. After a while everything was finished. Her hair was cut a little under Kalika's shoulder and looked a little more manageable.
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With the haircut finished, Rhonda went on to brush Kalika's hair. It took a while, but soon, Kalika's hair was in much better condition than it was before. The girl was very proud of herself, but Kalika paid no mind. Kalika looked at the hair, seeing its condition as not what it used to be. "Could be better, but she did alright for a kid." Kalika watched as the girl cleaned the mess of hair from the floor.
"I see your little servant helped with your hair." Lillian came into view. Kalika was a little taken aback by Lillian's arrival.
"Are you spying on me?" Kalika glared at Lillian. Lillian suddenly killed Kalika right before the maid, shocking Rhonda, who was unsure what to do when she saw Kalika's head fly off.
"Now that's not very nice. I thought it would be a good time to hang with each other." The little girl, hands in her mouth, was starting to become terrified. Lillian gave the maid girl a quick, calming smile.
"Don't worry Rhonda. She's alright. Just watch." Lillian pointed to Kalika's limp body.
In just a few seconds Kalika's head returned to her body. Kalika awakened, starting to feel her throat as she choked and gasped. Rhonda was completely shocked by this as anyone else would.
"You bitch!" Kalika gasped.
Lillian started to give off a menacing gaze at Kalika. "I-I'm sorry..." Kalika stuttered a little. Lillian walked over to the cell door to open it. This made Kalika a little terrified of what her sister might do now.
Lillian then gestured to Kalika to follow her. "Forgiven... Now follow me. I want to show you something." Kalika was surprised by Lillian's sudden order. She simply obeyed Lillian's order, not wanting to anger Lillian any further. She held the prison bars, wobbling herself up off the ground.
It felt embarrassing for Kalika. After a year of trying to rehabilitate her legs, it made her feel that she had very little to show for it at that point. "I see you're getting a little better," Lillian said. Kalika started to stumble, but to her surprise, the little maid girl who tried assisting her.
"How cute." Lillian smiled a little amused.
Kalika wasn't a fan of being helped like some cripple, but she sucked it up and bore with it. With the new support Kalika followed Lillian for the first time outside her own cell. They followed and down through the cold stony corridor to somewhere even Kalika didn't know. "Where are we going…" As much as Kalika wanted to ask Lillian, she kept her mouth shut.
After some traveling, they soon arrived at a strange chamber in the dungeon. It seems that it has been entirely refurbished into a treasure chamber. There was a pristine new pedestal with an urn on top. Surrounded by paintings and heirlooms very familiar to Kalika, it shook her heart a little.
Lillian put her hand on the pedestal looking back at Kalika. "Would you like to say hi to Father?"
Kalika was surprised by Lillian's question. Kalika immediately sucked her lip, looking away from Lillian retaliation. Kalika couldn't help but feel anger as she remembered when Lillian first became a demon. "You mean the same father you blew into a million pieces. Your own blood fathers!"
"Yes." Lillian simply smiled. Lillian looked back at the urn fondly. "And he was your dad too. I thought it'd be selfish if I visited him alone." Lillian looked back at the urn with some fondness.
"I have nothing to say about the piece of decoration. Father is dead!" Kalika had a very sour expression
"Yes. But we can still talk to him at least-"
"Shut up! He can't hear shit Lily! Because he's nowhere! He's done and gone forever!"
Kalika immediately screamed in pain as her knee got cut by some wind magic. Lillian orders the maid something in an incoherent language that Kalika couldn't understand. Kalika knew this language as the Demon Language.
Lillian repeated herself to the girl. This time, she seemingly complied, by giving Kalika to Lillian.
Rhonda then spoke back in the same language, stuttering. "Does she understand this language!??" Kalika could only watch as her maid shyly backed away.
Lillian grabbed Kalika by the arm, practically dragging Kalika to the front of the urn. "S... stop it!" Kalika wheezed out.
"Don't be so narrow-minded Kalika. You could at least pay some respect in his final resting place." Kalika instinctively looked away at Lillian.
"I don't understand why I have to. You were always his favorite…" Kalika was very bitter. She suddenly found herself forced to bow by Lillian's hand. Lillian also bowed in front of the urn. They remained like this for a few moments.
"Thank you, Father. For the life you gave us." Lillian kept her eyes closed before finishing.
Lillian then took her hands off Kalika's head and stopped bowing. After a few seconds, Kalika raised her head, too. "You know this is stupid right?"
"Is it really stupid to want to see someone you loved every now and then?" Kalika didn't answer Lillian's question, deciding to remain silent.
Lillian didn't divulge Kalika any further as she simply started praying. Kalika paid no mind to this but couldn't help but find the irony of a demon praying to God. the very being that would smite her if given the chance.
"Lily… that girl... She's a demon too. Isn't she?" Lillian didn't stop praying and simply answered after finishing.
"She is. She's a young succubus girl. She's still very young and still learning to be your maid. To be honest, I think she's even taken quite a liking to you Kalika."
Lillian kept looking forward as Kalika winced a little at Lillian's answer. "I should've known she was a demon too..."
Lillian turned back to Kalika ready to leave. She raised her hand to Kalika's knee, healing it with her innate holy magic. Kalika practically forgot about Lillian still being the Saintess despite also being a demon.
Lillian helped Kalika up and handed her over to Rhonda who looked happy to help Kalika once more. "That's all for today. you can go back now," Lillian said.
Supported by her maid, Rhonda, Kalika headed back to her cell. Throughout the venture back to her cell, She refused to look at the girl. Knowing now that she's a demon, she couldn't accept this girl.
Pushing the demon maid away wasn't going to do her any good, and she knew this. As much as she hated demons, the girl still provided an opportunity Kalika had never had before.
Kalika looked at her hand and clutched it with resolve. "I need to get stronger. If I can't help myself, I'll never be able to escape this hell. As the only human here… I'm by myself…"
Kalika's determination resurfaced. "I will escape. by any means necessary…" Kalika looked at the girl, who simply smiled back at her, unaware of Kalika's true feelings.