Chapter 505: Raising a Daughter

Chapter 505: Raising a Daughter

Hastur, who had been waiting near the room, turned his gaze as he heard the door open. 

Sharon emerged first, her pale golden hair tied in an elegant bun. She wore an intricate black Gothic court dress and a small black soft hat. Behind her, Aisala timidly tried to hide, her height only reaching Sharon's shoulders. She clung tightly to Sharon's right hand, her face buried in Sharon's back.

Aisala wore a light yellow cake dress with a pink silk-embroidered cloud pattern on the skirt. She had white knee-high socks and simple black English-style shoes. Her black cat tail was hidden beneath her dress.

This outfit reflected the refined fashion of Intis, contrasting with Sharon's more traditional style. It was clear Sharon had carefully chosen it, perhaps influenced by Bernadette's taste for Intis fashion or to differentiate herself from Aisala given their similar appearances.

Hastur smiled and said, "Aisala, don't hide. Come out and let me see you."

"Master..." Aisala called out shyly, slowly emerging from behind Sharon but keeping her head lowered.

"Lift your head. Let me see how Aisala looks now," Hastur encouraged.

Aisala tremblingly raised her head, revealing a face that resembled Sharon's. Her deep blue eyes shimmered with anxiety and timidity.

Standing straight, Aisala's head reached just above Sharon's shoulder. Given Sharon's height of about 168 cm, Aisala was likely around 150 cm tall, similar to xio. Together, they truly looked like sisters.

"You're very cute and pretty. You should be confident," Hastur said with an encouraging smile. Aisala's face brightened, and she nodded, "Sharon mama said the same thing earlier."

"Sharon mama?" Hastur repeated, glancing at Sharon's stoic expression. He knew how impactful this term was for Sharon and could see her struggling to maintain composure.

"What else did Sharon mama tell you?" Hastur asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"Sharon mama told me not to call her mama, but aren't I Master and Sharon mama's child?" Aisala said, sounding a bit hurt.

"Of course you are. You're Master and Sharon's—" Hastur began, but stopped short upon receiving a sharp look from Sharon.

"Aisala, you can call her whatever you like. Your Sharon mama won't mind," Hastur said, immediately feeling the air around him grow colder.

"Sharon, Aisala has just become human. We need to take good care of her and guide her," Hastur said seriously, meeting Sharon's indifferent gaze. "It's our responsibility as parents."

Sharon took several deep breaths and closed her eyes briefly, ignoring Hastur's intentional provocation. She had already repeatedly told Aisala not to use that term, but Aisala seemed insistent.

Hastur then turned to Aisala, warning her not to change back into a cat easily now that she had become human. Frequent switching could confuse her sense of identity, especially so soon after her transformation, potentially leading to a dangerous loss of self.

To help Aisala adapt to human life, Hastur suggested hiring suitable teachers, but Aisala refused, preferring Sharon's guidance. This arrangement also maintained secrecy, given Aisala's unique circumstances.

As for Aisala's identity within the household, Sharon proposed introducing her as a distant cousin visiting from out of town. Both Hastur and Aisala rejected this idea, with Aisala insisting on calling Sharon "mama" instead of "sister."

Hastur suggested presenting Aisala as their biological child, but Sharon strongly opposed this. They eventually settled on introducing her as an adopted child.

When Hastur introduced Aisala to Butler Neil, the butler's expression changed several times within seconds as he observed the similar-looking family of three. Though he wanted to ask questions, he ultimately refrained, his eyes showing a deeply moved expression.

"Butler Neil is an excellent butler. He will treat Aisala well, so you don't need to worry too much," Hastur reassured Sharon. Neil's eyes reflected an "as expected" look, and his gaze towards Aisala became more affectionate.

When Hastur told Neil that Aisala was thirteen years old, Neil's eyes widened in shock. He looked back and forth between Hastur and Sharon before his gaze settled on Sharon, seemingly understanding something as his surprised expression gradually faded.

Sharon could clearly interpret Neil's changing expressions and thoughts. The butler definitely believed Aisala to be her and Hastur's biological child.

If Aisala was thirteen, that would mean Hastur was at most seven years old when she was born... As for Sharon herself, her age in Neil's mind had likely increased by several years.

"Go prepare dinner, and remember to buy a cake. Today is Aisala's birthday," Hastur instructed, sensing Sharon's growing irritation.

As Sharon showed signs of potentially losing her temper, Hastur quickly sent Neil to prepare dinner and led Sharon and Aisala back to their room.

"Neil is getting old. His greatest wish is to see me married with children. Let's just make him happy for today," Hastur explained.

Sharon merely gave Hastur a cool glance. Just as Hastur had become immune to her threatening looks, she was gradually getting used to his teasing remarks. She knew that the more embarrassed she became, the more Hastur would persist.

"Aisala, let me teach you some table manners and how to use cutlery to enjoy your food," Sharon offered.

At the mention of enjoying food, Aisala's eyes lit up.

"The human world has a wide variety of delicious foods. Compared to them, dried fish is just a side dish," Sharon commented.

Aisala snorted, dismissing this statement. She believed dried fish was the best food in the world, and nothing could possibly taste better!

"Once you've tasted enough different foods, you'll understand what I mean," Sharon insisted.

"Hmph," Aisala remained unconvinced.

"Come, let me first teach you how to hold a knife and fork. No, we should start with chopsticks," Sharon decided.

Sitting in a nearby chair, Sharon watched as Hastur patiently corrected Aisala's chopstick grip. Her expression gradually softened.

For a moment, she thought this family of three wasn't so bad. But she quickly suppressed these thoughts, though a faint blush remained on her cheeks.

During dinner, Sharon, who usually disliked making appearances, sat beside Aisala. Knowing Aisala was still unfamiliar with chopsticks and cutlery, she carefully picked up two specially added dried fish for her.

Aisala instinctively reached out to grab them but, meeting Hastur's gaze across the table, sheepishly lowered her hand. She then stabbed the dried fish with her fork and began eating slowly, mimicking proper etiquette.

Hastur, who typically disliked being waited on during meals, allowed only himself, Sharon, and Aisala at the large dining table. He let Aisala's small mistakes slide, allowing her to improve gradually.

From a distance, Butler Neil watched the family of three at the dining table. He pulled out a handkerchief from his breast pocket to wipe away the tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

The young lord had truly grown up, and even had a child this big now. It was wonderful to see.

After dinner, Aisala eagerly took Hastur's hand in one of hers and Sharon's in the other, insisting on going out for a walk.

Hastur remarked, "Aisala, if you were just a bit younger, around five or six, it would be even better."

As they were now, the three of them walking together looked more like siblings than a family with a child.

"Master, do you dislike me?" Aisala's eyes welled up with tears, her enthusiasm for the outing suddenly vanishing.

Sharon silently observed as Hastur quickly tried to console Aisala. He realized that while such behavior from Aisala as a small black cat wouldn't have affected him much, her human form had a much stronger impact. No wonder even Sharon couldn't resist.

Aisala's mood changed as quickly as it had come. After walking less than a kilometer, she wanted to return home, complaining that she wasn't used to walking this way and was too tired.

Hastur called a carriage to take Sharon and Aisala back.

Around 10 PM, after Aisala had played enough and was ready to sleep, she looked between Sharon and Hastur, expressing her desire to sleep with both of them.

Hastur remained silent, not refusing outright. Sharon glanced at him before stating that she needed to rest in the mirror that night.

Aisala, ever attentive to her master's wishes, immediately began to plead and act cute with Sharon.

As Sharon was about to give in, Hastur finally intervened, explaining that he had some work to attend to that night and suggesting that Sharon and Aisala sleep first.

"Alright," Aisala said, lowering her head as she followed Sharon back to their room.

As they left, Sharon gave Hastur a somewhat surprised look.

"Phew, this feels strange," Hastur sighed to himself as he retreated to his study, contemplating how to interact with Aisala going forward.

Having seen Aisala's cat-girl form, he found himself more accustomed to her original small black cat appearance. At least then, he could hold her in his arms and play with her when bored.

Now, she was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Raising her as a daughter could be interesting, he thought, giving him a taste of parenthood. Thankfully, Sharon was there to help care for Aisala.

Thinking of Sharon, Hastur's expression softened. He murmured, "Perhaps we could find a time to bring Aisala along and give Teacher Sharon a little surprise."

A week later, Aisala had largely adapted to human life. While she still needed assistance with dressing, she had mastered most other aspects. Her walking style, interestingly, resembled Audrey's elegant gait more than Sharon's, likely from secret observation.