Everything was dark. Sera still knew that she had followed Aron into the basement, where he wanted to start showing her around, but she didn't remember much of what had happened after that. There was a magical circle of some sort that must have done this to her, but what was it for? Her memory was to fuzzy to find a clue.
Somebody had placed her on a matress so soft that her seemingly weightless body sunk deep into it. A warm blanket was pressing down on her and made her almost feel confined, but it wasn't bad enough for Sera to really care about it. It was just that her body was weak, as if she had run about all day long.
If she didn't knew better, Sera would have believed she was back in Seba and her own bed that felt just as soft, warm and comfortable, but this obviously wasn't hers, neither was this Riak but the capital of the humans instead.
Sera didn't dare to open her eyes and check where she had ended up, as there was an unknown man talking right next to her. A cold shiver went over her skin.
«Has he found out?! What is he doing here? Who is that man?!»
No, that couldn't be true. She would already be dead by now if they really had found out that she was Kolnir's, the demon king's daughter. In th end, it probably wouldn't even have mattered if they had found about her real identity. Being a demon alone was already anough for most humans to hate her to the extent of them wanting to end her using any means possibly.
It was the first time in weeks that Sera felt fear. Ever since her demon aura had been sealed, she had numbed for this feeling of weakness and despair.
«Has the amulet weakened? Is the magic still aktive?!»
Sera couldn't tell. She still felt the necklace on her skin and the amulet on her chest, but there was no way for her to tell wether it was still working as it should or not. The chaos that had spread in her mind certainly didn't help in soothing her anxiety.
"When will he come to," she heard a woman ask.
Goosebumps went all over Sera's body. She knew this voice, it was far too familiar for her to ever mistake it for anybody else's. She was here, here mother was here!
"That is hard to tell, Mira," the man answered. "He wasn't injured aside from a few shallow cuts and scratches, but he has exhausted all of his mana. We should let him sleep for now, otherwise it would be bad for his health."
A single word echoed through Sera's mind, repeating itself over and over again. «He! He said he! They didn't find out!»
"I will order the cooks to prepare something hearthy for him when he wakes up. It will help him find back his strength."
"Thank you, master."
Mira's voice was almost inaudible now. It was obvious that she was thankful for his help, but she also seemed to be unwilling to depend on him like this. Sera could only guess it was related to her former master treating her badly, though she did not know much about what had happened back then.
«So it is our master ...»
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
A short moment of silence spread between the two of them, just enough time for her mother to formulate her next question.
"It is a great honor that you check up on him, master," she took a shallow breath. "But he is only my son, a servant. Isn't your time too precious to be spend like this?"
"I am interested in this son of yours," Parron answered without thinking twice. "How could I not be with this much potential showing at such a young age? He couldn't be a better rival!"
"A rival," Mira asked, clearly confused. "For your son and daughter?"
"Estiella is doing fine, she is a good girl. If anything, she would need somebody to play with. Marcin, however..."
"What is with him?"
"He is intelligent and energetic, anything I would wish for in a heir, but he wastes all of his qualities with pranks and fooling around. I fear his teachers will go bold sooner or later."
"Is it really that bad?"
"Not bad enough that I would give up on him just like that."
"So you want Sera to beat him in his studies?"
"Essentially, yes. He will be their personal servant, too. They are old enough to bear some responsibility, after all."
«Beating him in his studies...»
Sera had already known that he had employed her as a servant for his two children, but becoming a rival figure on top of that was something she hadn't even thought of.
"Well then," Lord Parron continued, "it looks like that has to wait for a few days more. Please present him to me as soon as he has recovered."
"Yes, master."
A few steps could be heard, then a door opening and closing again. Sera kept her eyes closed, fearing that it could be Parron instead that had stayed in the room, but her mother's voice soon proved her otherwise.
"I know you are awake."
"..."
Sera could only give up. She opened her eyes, only to be surprised by her mother, who suddenly pulled her into her embrace. It didn't even seconds for the first sniffs to resound close to her ear.
"You idiot," her mother cried out, "you are such an idiot!"
"..."
Sera knew her mother was wrong. She couldn't be stupid, looking at how fast she learned and how she could do complex math in her head among countless other things. Not only that, she was diligent, too!
Still, she felt stupid. Right now Sera could swear she was the most stupid girl in the whole world. She could still forgive herself for accidently knocking down a flower pot or getting a book wet by spilling her drink, but those mistakes were nothing when compared to making her mother cry! This was the worst!
Hot droplets ran down her skin as she hugged her mother back, trying to calm her down and beg her for forgiveness. It was the second time she shed tears today, but never before had they felt this bitter.
"I am sorry! I am sorry, mommy! Please! Stop crying! I am sorry!"
Somewhere between her wails, Mira heard it, that one word her daughter had never used in all those months they had been together. Countless tears rolled down her skin as she burned this moment into her memories, so she would never forget it again.