Chapter 13
Chapter 13
‘Kicked him when I was still in the womb…?’
I couldn’t begin to understand how he could think such a thing, but half-resigned, I pouted my lips in protest. Wearing a dissatisfied expression, I swam through the water and leaned gently against his chest.
Though I tried to sit back comfortably with my back resting against him, my body kept spinning in the water.
As I tensed to try and stay still, a soft chuckle sounded from above my head. I thought he was mocking me, but Lucifer raised one arm to support me more comfortably.
Though he didn’t use his shoulder or arm but placed his large hand on top of my head, which might’ve been a small issue, it wasn’t heavy or painful at all.
“You’re cheeky, but I can’t stop being intrigued. Just like… that woman.”
His voice was as low and calm as always. I couldn’t see his face, but somehow, his tone felt a little lonely. Just like when he spoke of the kicks from the womb.
To Lucifer, the stories of when I was in the womb were treasured memories shared with my mother.
My mother, the wife of the Hero, had faced the Demon King without a flicker of fear and conversed with him with unwavering calm. She had been the only human in the world who didn’t fear Lucifer even when meeting him face-to-face.
In the end, she was misunderstood by humans for not rejecting the Demon King. Right after giving birth, the child was taken from her, and the pain of it all led to her death.
Though she had been chosen by the gods, a single mistake branded her a liar, and she met the same tragic end as the Hero; persecuted and disgraced.
Still, I didn’t feel a burning desire for vengeance on their behalf.
It was sad and pitiful, yes, but that was all. The first person I saw upon opening my eyes was not my mother, but Lucifer, the Demon King.
To me, their story was more like a fairy tale.
Still, the way I came to accept Lucifer as my father, the way his gentle touches and that mysterious affection sometimes stirred something in me, perhaps it meant I had been starving for love.
After all, I didn’t want to relive the lonely, desolate life from my past. Maybe it was only natural to crave affection.
“I’ve announced that you’re my daughter. From now on, you’ll live as the Demon King’s daughter.”
“…”
“Perhaps that woman wished for such an outcome when she made her final wish.”
“Hooh…”
Mother must have known that even though Lucifer was the Demon King, he would never harm me. That’s probably why she wished for it.
Though she never could have imagined he’d go so far as to adopt the daughter of the Hero as his own.
“Even if she knew, it wouldn’t change anything.”
“…”
“Since you are already my daughter.”
It sounded like the words of a villain who had stolen someone else’s child but I understood. Those words carried a lukewarm affection that made my chest flutter gently.
The hand that had been resting heavily on my head clumsily began to stroke my hair. That touch reminded me of a scene from a storybook I’d seen in a dream.
***
“Has it come out?”
“Not yet… but it feels like it will soon. Lately, she kicks quite a bit and moves around a lot.”
“Kicks? From inside?”
“Yes… Would you like to feel it?”
Lucifel had once cautiously reached out to her swollen belly, afraid he might break it with the slightest touch.
Should I call it wistful? Or heartbreaking?
Either way, the feeling was similar.
For the first time, Lucifer truly felt… lonely.
Bothered by that strange feeling, I slapped the water with my tiny hand. I didn’t like seeing Lucifer, the Demon King, showing such unfamiliar emotions. More than dislike… maybe I just didn’t want to see it at all.
‘Why are you trying to be all sentimental now? That doesn’t suit you at all!’
Lucifer, hit squarely in the face with the water splash, raised me into the air. His twitching eyebrow seemed to say to hell with loneliness, visibly irritated.
“Why are you suddenly angry?”
“Huff!”
That was supposed to be a comforting babble.
“You don’t like that I’ve declared you my daughter?”
Why is he so good at understanding the wrong things? Seeing Lucifer’s twisted expression, I quickly shook my head. He usually understands even the smallest signals from me, so why does he insist on interpreting this one his way?
With that menacing face of his, I worried he might actually toss me away at any moment.
I didn’t dare babble again, worried it would be misunderstood. Instead, I grabbed one of Lucifer’s big fingers in desperation.
“Hmm.”
My tiny hand movements seemed to reach him and his brow twitched slightly. I flashed a wide, cheerful smile as if I had never thrown a tantrum.
‘No! Whatever you’re thinking, that’s definitely not it!’
I smiled with such desperation, even my eyes curled up like a happy mask. At last, Lucifer’s scowl began to ease.
Even though the saying goes that no one can scorn a smiling face, Lucifer was the type to spit and slap you anyway. But perhaps he held back because he knew that even a single careless breath could kill a fragile human baby.
Lucifer glanced down at the finger I was clutching, then turned his head.
“You are truly incomprehensible.”
He muttered and gently pressed my head down into the water again, just enough to keep me from floating away. Then, he even moved his hand so I could hold onto it more easily.
Worries that he might throw me vanished as his gentle actions fluttered in my chest like the wings of a butterfly. I simply sat there blinking, caught in a peculiar, dreamy haze.
A cool breeze snapped me out of it, and I shivered.
Sensing the tremor, Lucifer slowly withdrew his hand from mine.
I thought he was letting me go, but then he scooped up warm water in his large hand and poured it over my shoulders, warming me again. After checking that my body had regained warmth, he gave a quick flick of his hand.
My body, which had been floating gently, sank into the warm water and spun slowly.
The tightness in my body melted away like laundry soaking in warm water.
Just as Lucifel had said, I was like a shriveled worm finally feeling the blessing of rain.
My lips twitched upward.
“Kyaha!”
I had no idea why this was so funny, but I couldn’t stop laughing. Seeing me laugh, Lucifer let out a small chuckle and continued swishing me around the bath, just like before.
Even though I had the soul of an adult, the fun was undeniable. I’d already let go of so much, so I allowed myself to enjoy the physical joy of it.
Even after Lucifer stopped playing with me, I splashed around in the water until my fingers shriveled.
While I was immersed in play, I was suddenly lifted into the air without warning.
“Eek!”
It was Lucifer’s magic, of course, but the abruptness nearly gave me a heart attack. I might’ve gotten used to his magic, but surprises still startled me.
‘If I didn’t have memories of my past life, I’d probably be dead by now…’
Whether from that chilling thought or the exposure to cold air, I shivered again. That’s when a warm, fluffy towel wrapped around my body.
“Human babies fall ill easily,”
Lucifer muttered as he awkwardly dried me off.
“Let’s go. It’s troublesome if you get sick again.”
He frowned slightly as he wiped and patted me dry, then tossed the damp towel aside and wrapped me anew in a fresh, fluffy one from head to toe. Then, as if it had become second nature, he held me in one arm and stepped out of the steamy bath.
‘He’s really getting the hang of this…’
Though his movements were clumsy, his caution was clear. Lucifer, unlike Regnator, was slowly learning how to care for a human baby.
Maybe… just maybe, I’d grow up safe and sound.
Nestled in the now-familiar warmth of his embrace, I surrendered to the cozy drowsiness that followed that bath.
