"What should you call him?" Oliver asked, pointing at while sitting on a bench with a small child resting on his lap.
The training hall was empty as today was a rest day before we moved to the ndonça Dukedom tomorrow.
The child, who looked about a year old, had short dark-blue hair that complented his round face filled with baby fat.
His skin was softer than cotton and white as milk, and he was wearing a baby outfit that I had bought for him.
His lavender-colored eyes turned towards , his mouth curving into a smile as he replied in a lively voice, "...Dada."
"No, no, don't call him that," Oliver grumbled in annoyance, shaking his head. "Call him motherfucker."
The child tilted his head in confusion before he exclaid, "...Dada!!"
"No, not Dada, motherfuc—"
"Shut up, Oliver," I snapped, walking towards him before taking the child away.
"Co on, man, just let teach him," Oliver grumbled, standing up and glaring at .
"No."
"Tch."
Clicking his tongue, he reached out and pinched the child's cheek, making him almost cry in pain.
"...Dada?" The child turned towards with pleading eyes, his hands wrapped around my neck.
"Stop doing it," I scolded, slapping Oliver's hand away. "Can't you see he's about to cry?"
"You never told you fucked a Spirit."
"That's not how they are born, idiot—"
"Co on, you don't need to hide it," he replied with a cheeky smile.
...Why did I bother explaining to him?
"Hey!" We shifted our focus towards Aimar as he dashed towards us. "I couldn't find milk, so I brought so ice cream."
"...What are you, a retard?" I swore, glaring at him as he tried to catch his breath.
"What?"
"I asked for milk for the child, idiot," I replied, gesturing at the boy. "Are you saying I should feed him ice cream?"
"But it's made of milk," he complained with a detached look on his face.
"...Yeah, I think that will do as well," Oliver added, rubbing his chin. "...And it's not like the child knows it's not really milk."
"...Really?" I asked, ignoring the boy's attempts to grab my hair.
[Stop listening to them and feed him later with actual milk. Anyway, spirits do not necessarily need real food.]
'...Okay.'
"I'm not feeding him that," I said, looking at Aimar.
"Then what should I do with—"
"Just eat it yourself."
"Okay," he shrugged, passing one to Oliver.
"What's his na?" Oliver asked, eating the ice cream.
"...Not decided yet," I replied, grabbing the child who tried to climb on my head and placing him down.
"Dada!!" he exclaid, opening his arms wide and jumping on the ground.
"No," I shook my head, making his eyes turn moist.
"Play with him, Little Grey," Oliver mumbled, rubbing his hands.
A small white orb started to erge from his hand before taking the shape of a cat.
"....Dada?" The child's interest peaked, looking at the cat cleaning its fur.
"Dada!!" It didn't take him long to run after the cat with his small legs.
"ow!!" Little Grey cried before running away from him.
Wait, Little Grey?
"Didn't I tell you to change his na?" I glared at Oliver.
"...I like it more," he shrugged, glancing at the terrified cat and the laughing child running behind him. "...Your child is bullying my cat."
"Just let them be," I grumbled, looking at the child.
....A fucking headache.
Even though he sleeps most of the ti, whenever he's awake, he turns my room upside down.
It's not even been two days, and I already want to throw him away.
"...He will take ti to grow," Oliver comnted, making glance at him. "...He is still an infant Spirit."
"...It will take him years to reach adulthood," I added, rubbing my temples and feeling even more depressed.
....How can I take care of him for so long?
In the first place, I don't even know how to raise a child.
....Not to ntion, I wasn't raised with love from my mother.
[...Wasn't there any person like a mother figure to you?]
'...Aunt Belly. But most of the things that I rember from her are teaching to love everyone.'
...She was the one who taught how to love everyone....The only one who was actually like my family.
...Who till the end wanted my happiness.
[...By saying 'take care of everyone'?]
'She knew I cared for them. That's why she said that.'
"Oye, why did you turn silent?" Oliver asked, tapping on my shoulder.
"...Just because," I shrugged.
"...By the way, I am hungry," Aimar grumbled, rubbing his stomach. "Would be nice to have so—
""...Chicken nuggets.""
They both said the na simultaneously before smiling at each other.
"Jinx," they both said simultaneously, but only Oliver continued, "You owe a kiss on the cheeks."
Instantly, Aimar started to run away with Oliver running behind him.
"You are not going anywhere, Aimar!!!"
"No!! Help, Azariah!!"
"Az, catch this fucker!!"
"Okay!!"
I chose my side without much thinking as I flanked Aimar from the side.
"...Fuck both of you!!" He swore, trying to dodge both of us but failing miserably as I wrapped my hands around his waist.
"Wait, wait, Oliver!!" He cried desperately as Oliver walked towards him with a predatory grin.
'Thud.'
"Da...Da.."
But my gaze shifted towards the child as I heard soone falling hard on the ground.
"...Hey, are you alright!?" Leaving Aimar alone, I walked towards him as he fell face-first on the ground.
"Pfft."
Picking him up, I glared at both brothers who tried to control their laugh.
...Fucking bitches.
"Are you alright?" I shifted my focus back as I heard another voice asking about his condition.
"Ashlyn?" I called her as she picked up the child from , carrying him as she cleaned his face.
"...Who is he?" She asked, looking at while gently rubbing the child's back to stop him from crying.
"...His son," Oliver interjected. "...Without a mothe—"
"Mama." The child interrupted, looking at her with a crying face.
"Huh?" Confused and embarrassed, she let out a startled voice with a blank look on her face.
"...Oh, we found the mother," Aimar comnted with a whistle.
"W-wait, I-i m-an, why !?" She panicked, stamring and glancing at .
"You can't do anything now," Aimar comnted nonchalantly. "The child already accepted you as well."
"Stop it," I ordered, glaring at him before he could go any further.
I glanced back at Ashlyn, her cheeks turning pink as she gently rubbed the child's head while averting my gaze.
"Don't listen to him," I said, rubbing my temples. "...He is just spouting nonsens—"
"It's fine," she shook her head, her caral hair bouncing around. "I don't mind."
"...What?"
"His words?"
"Oh, that."
I thought she didn't mind being called mama.
"Az?"
I turned around, hearing a familiar voice calling , only to find her.
"Christina?" I frowned as she walked towards us.
"What are you doing?" She asked, looking around until her face landed on the child. "Your spirit?"
"Yeah," I replied as she walked closer to Ashlyn.
"Can you pass him to ?" She asked, looking at her.
"I don't think he would like to," Ashlyn replied, hesitating to give the child to her.
'...What is she thinking?'
My brows knitted together as I looked at Christina's sweet yet cold smile.
"Ashly—"
"Mama."
My words halted abruptly as the child extended his hands towards Christina.
Christina smiled, taking him from a reluctant Ashlyn before taking a seat on the bench and placing him on her lap.
"Your son is just like you," Oliver whispered, standing beside . "...Going after better-looking girls."
"No."
'...It's not the looks.'
I know damn well what a child likes in a woman.
And...
Yep, Christina is definitely bigger than Ashlyn in that departnt.
"Did you na him?" She asked, pinching his cheeks, and for so reason, he let her do it without crying.
"...No," I replied, shaking my head.
"Willis," she said, looking at . "His na will be Willis."
"That's a good na," Oliver comnted, nodding his head.
"Indeed," I shrugged.
It's better than any na I can co up with.
"Mama!!" Willis exclaid, grabbing Christina's attention.
Instead of replying, Willis jumped down from her lap and closed his eyes.
The next instant, his body glowed in a golden hue, his nerves becoming visible from his face to his hands before his body started to change.
"What?" She asked, looking at him.
Instead of replying, Willis jumped down from her lap and closed his eyes.
The next instant, his body glowed in a golden hue, his nerves becoming visible from his face to his hands before his body started to change.
...His body started to get petrified.
"Wait!!" I exclaid, reaching out to stop him, but I was too late.
His body started to crumble. His hand fell first before his entire body shattered into pieces.
....Huh?
What happened?
I turned around to ask the others, but all of them had the sa reaction—a blank expression on their faces.
"Dada."
I shifted my gaze back to where his body had shattered, only to find him standing there safe and sound.
"Hey, you alright?" I asked, walking closer with Christina and Ashlyn as we checked his condition.
"He seems fine," Christina mumbled.
"Yeah," Ashlyn nodded, taking a step back.
....Then what was that?
"Am I the only one who saw the Solitude of a Monster?" Oliver mumbled, making focus on him.
....Wait, was that his ability?
"Huh?" I abruptly shifted my focus as I felt a pair of eyes on .
...Looking up, I found a person standing at the top of the building.
.....Lauryn.
She stood there, her mahogany eyes looking down at with chilling coldness.
User Comments
0 comments from readers