the maid's daughter

For some damn reason, Seraphina rescued the cat beast-men named Fren. What's weird is she also had a missing eye, just like me – the right eye, in the same fucking place.

Why am I mad? Nevermind that.

As of now, I find myself taking care of Luna, while Seraphina tends to Fren. In reality, it seems like she's overseeing both, especially since I'm not particularly fond of kids.

Seraphina has been taking care of herself for quite some time now—perhaps even before I arrived. At just eight years old, she's faced a solo journey for who knows how long. Surprisingly, I've never inquired about her past; it never piqued my interest, and honestly, I didn't care much about it.

I wouldn't care what happened to any of these three, not one bit.

Seraphina shared that she encountered other worlders while rescuing Fren. She mentioned handling them, and given her nature as a hemovorian, it's likely she dealt with them in a forceful manner.

Personally, I don't harbor much concern for their lives; while I'm not comfortable with killing, these other worlders, in my view, are nothing more than bunnies.

Despite my general indifference toward other worlders, I acknowledge that at times, they can be valuable sources of information. They bring items from their world, such as guns and medicines, which can be beneficial in certain situations. It's a pragmatic approach to leverage their knowledge for practical gains.

It's been five days since Fren arrived. Initially, I thought she was just shy, but when I approached her, she appeared genuinely scared. Most of the time, she clings onto Seraphina, finding comfort and security in her presence.

It's been five days since Fren arrived. Initially, I thought she was just shy, but when I approached her, she appeared genuinely scared. Most of the time, she clings onto Seraphina, finding comfort and security in her presence.

Observing Fren clinging to Seraphina, her tail moving slightly, it becomes evident how the bond between them provides comfort and reassurance in this unfamiliar environment.

A knock echoed through my door.

"Master, may we have a word?" Lilith's voice came from the other side.

I questioned, "What for?"

The tone in her voice hinted at a possible request. Lilith rarely asked for anything, so perhaps this was about a raise or some other matter.

"It's I have a request," Lilith stated.

I anticipated this. I wonder what she's going to ask for.

"Very well," I responded.

"By the way, Master, bring the hemovorians," she said, and I heard her footsteps walk away.

Silence followed. How did she know about Seraphina? Did she know about Fren too? The questions lingered, leaving me pondering the mysteries surrounding Lilith's knowledge.

Seraphina placed Fren on the bed, then rose and headed to the door.

"You coming?" She glanced back at me, prompting me to decide whether or not to follow her.

***

Seated at the dinner table, Seraphina beside me, Lilith sat across with her daughter on her lap – a small, black smile named Lumina. The atmosphere held a mix of curiosity and anticipation for the impending conversation.

"How long did you know?" I asked, avoiding direct eye contact.

"For a while, Master," Lilith replied.

Silence followed.

"I haven't said anything. Well, I do need your permission to share any information, Master," she reassured.

"Why am I here?" Seraphina questioned, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Ah yes, Master, why never mention you were a father?" Lilith inquired, her gaze fixed on me.

"I'm not! She just says that to piss me off," I responded, denying any claims of fatherhood with a dismissive tone.

"Is this anything related to Lumina?" I asked, noting Lumina's presence outside Lilith's usual domain. Lumina typically stayed in Lilith's room, making this deviation from the norm quite unusual.

Lilith nodded, confirming, "It is. She's reaching that age where she's able to form a human-like body, but, as you know, I need my master's blood." The mention my blood made me remember of the blood ritual served as a reminder of the unique and binding ceremony between Lilith and me, crucial for Lumina's development.

If a slime having a master, they require the master's blood to enable their offspring to develop a human-like body. The intricacies of magical creatures and their reproduction processes often involve unique and specialized conditions.

"Master-" Before Lilith finished her sentence looked at me with a quizzed look.

"Father, your hair," Seraphina pointed out, her gaze fixed on my hair.

I  had turned white again? That would be unfortunate, especially if it happened in front of Lilith. I've been diligently dyeing it back to conceal the change.

"What about it?" I tried playing dumb.

"You're like your father," Lilith mumbled.

"What about my father?" I questioned, wondering if my father's hair turning white meant he was also cursed.

"Your hair is brown now," Lilith remarked.

Leaning back in my chair, I glanced at the mirror across the room. She was right; my once black hair had turned dark brown, specifically light brown. The unexpected change left me contemplating the mysterious nature of the curse. But was this part of the curse?

I tilted my head, puzzled by the sudden change. Lilith cleared her throat.

"Master, it's not a curse, so you shouldn't worry about it," she reassured, attempting to alleviate any concerns.

Observing Lilith's calm demeanor, devoid of worry, and considering her desire for Lumina to have a physical body, I decided to refrain from pressing for more information. It seemed prudent to trust her assurance and allow the situation to unfold naturally.

"So about Lumina, shall we prepare?" I smiled, bringing up the topic with a sense of readiness and anticipation.

***

The ritual that Lilith wanted to perform was primarily used by hemovorians, which explained why she requested me to bring Seraphina.

"It's done," Seraphina declared while getting up and walking out the circle, having drawn a magical circle on the floor. Lilith, holding Lumina in her arms, stepped into the center and placed her there.

Lilith then took a bowl and a dagger, walking up to me. I gulped as I grabbed the dagger. Seraphina joined us, and I slit a bit of my palm. Seraphina skillfully drew the blood out using her blood manipulation, the sight of my blood suspended in the air a novel and slightly unsettling experience.

The sensation was strange, reminiscent of the feeling when Seraphina had sucked my blood. Seraphina skillfully moved the blood to the bowl, filling it up. Once the bowl was full, she drew her finger through my wound and healed it.

I examined my healed palm while Lilith approached her daughter, still in the same spot. Kneeling down with a gentle smile, Lilith carefully poured the blood on Lumina.

Once done, she set aside the bowl and transformed her right arm back to its slime form. Dropping a few drops of slime on her daughter, the ritual seemed to progress as planned.

Turning her arm back to its human form, Lilith picked up the bowl, got up, and stepped back. The ritual was almost complete.

Seraphina began speaking in the Demon tongue, a language unfamiliar to me but evidently crucial for this ritual.

As she finished, the magical circle started to glow. Lumina's slime body began to take shape, absorbing the mana from the circle. Gradually, she formed a human-like figure, albeit in a slime form.

Lumina looked at Lilith, who approached, picked her up, and hugged her. Lumina buried her face on Lilith's shoulder, a touching moment of connection between mother and daughter.

With Lumina now having a physical form, Lilith's next task was to teach her how to communicate. The completion of the ritual marked the beginning of Lumina's journey into learning and adapting to her newfound existence.