Chapter 8
Chapter 8
It was exhausting. Just as I recovered from a cold, the fear of starvation began to creep in. The sobs I forced out of sheer grief refused to stop. I cried with all the strength I had, and Lucifer slowly rose, taking me from Regnator’s arms.
His large hand firmly grasped my bottom while his arm supported my back. Apparently, this man had no intention of holding a baby with both hands. If I hadn’t been the hero’s daughter or imbued with the Demon King’s energy, I might’ve already died from a snapped neck.
‘Human babies can’t even hold up their heads yet!’
Whether he knew that or not, Lucifer began to casually loosen one side of his robe.
‘Oh, please.’
I desperately hoped someone would stop him. Just suckling on Regnator’s chest had already drained all my energy. I didn’t want to suck on anything anymore.
Maybe my prayer was heard or maybe Lucifer simply noticed he didn’t produce milk but Regnator, still flipping through a thick book, murmured calmly:
“Apparently, human babies nurse because the mother produces milk. No milk comes from someone who hasn’t given birth. Ah, and if there’s no breast milk, ordinary milk will suffice.”
“…”
Lucifel silently re-covered his robe and looked down at me. Our eyes met unblinkingly.
Yes! You don’t produce milk! Now please, stop this madness!
I blinked hard, having finally stopped crying, and tried to convey my thoughts to Lucifel. I truly hoped he could somehow understand my inner plea.
“Did you suck on his chest knowing that?” he asked coldly.
“…”
“Perhaps the rumors of your low intelligence were true. Or maybe you simply lost your mind from hunger?”
That was the end of their analysis. My desperate act to communicate, driven by nothing but survival instinct, was simply dismissed as idiocy or hunger-induced madness. I felt so wronged, but I held my tongue. I already knew words wouldn’t get through to them.
Regnator, meanwhile, showed not an ounce of shame for having tried to nurse me with a milkless chest. Instead, he marveled at the newfound knowledge.
Then he said, “I’ll go look for something similar to milk that human babies can drink,” and left.
If I could’ve sighed, I would have. Even just eating was a monumental struggle. Too exhausted to do anything else, I quietly leaned into Lucifer’s arms, waiting for the milk to arrive.
At first, even the way he gripped my bottom with his strong arms was deeply embarrassing. But now, thinking of him as a ‘father’ and me as his ‘daughter,’ it no longer felt shameful.
That’s right! I’m not a thirty-year-old adult anymore. I’m just a baby, barely a hundred days old. Like a mantra, I tried to internalize the situation and accept it without resistance.
“This is amusing,” Lucifel muttered.
‘What is? Taking care of me? Please say no.’
When I glanced up, Lucifer was smirking. His gaze sparkled with fascination as he stared at me. A chill ran down my spine. But just as suddenly, his smile faded. His gaze shifted, now carrying a flicker of something unfamiliar.
“It would’ve been better for you if that woman were here.”
I didn’t know why he said that. But one thing was certain that I had just glimpsed an emotion in him I’d never seen before. After that, Lucifer gently laid me back onto the bed.
It was absurd, but I found myself missing the feel of his solid arm over the plush softness of the mattress.
***
After the whole ‘nursing incident’ was resolved, Regnator returned holding a glass bottle. Lucifer had also come back, after having disappeared earlier. Wherever he had gone, he returned not in his usual languid robe but in a formal uniform adorned with unusual patterns.
Though the front was still completely unfastened, making it quite the visual distraction.
“Even if the baby’s recovered, you mustn’t leave a human infant alone,” Regnator scolded.
“I was watching from afar.”
“Watching isn’t the same as being there. What if she falls off the bed?”
“…”
“Falling from a bed could be fatal for a human baby.”
Well… I don’t think it’s that instant, but…
I was about to mentally object until I recalled just how high this bed really was.
Maybe when I get older it’ll be fine, but for now, I could indeed die from falling. Especially since the floor beneath was solid marble.
“With a body so feeble it can’t even lift a hand, is falling from a bed even possible?”
“… True.”
Lucifer snorted, and Regnator immediately agreed. They were the ones talking, butt I was the one hurt. I was too hungry and drained to argue, so I simply stared at the bottle in Regnator’s hand.
‘What kind of poison is that supposed to be?’
I didn’t want to believe that strange fluid was meant to be my milk. Inside the transparent bottle sloshed a dark, reddish-black liquid. No matter how I looked at it, it was nothing like the milk I knew.
Maybe… demon milk just looked different?
“It’s from the Hirphus region…”
“It’s safe, right?”
“Of course. I confirmed it myself.”
So they had checked to make sure it wouldn’t harm me, at least. Lucifel gave a small nod, giving Regnator silent approval to feed me. Tension and hunger stiffened my tiny body.
Regnator’s face remained unreadable, but his eyes gleamed with excitement as though thrilled by this unknown experiment.
‘You’re not using me as a lab rat, are you?’
I glared at him suspiciously, but as Lucifer had said, I couldn’t even move a finger. I was just too weak.
“Lady Bella, are you very hungry? I’ve brought something delicious, please try it.”
With practiced hands, Regnator picked me up and gently placed the glass bottle to my lips.
“See? I copied the shape of human baby bottles, and look she’s drinking it!”
“Hm.”
“She seems to think it’s breastmilk.”
Lucifel watched intently, fascinated, as I suckled on the bottle. Whatever this reddish-black liquid was, it clearly wasn’t anything I’d ever known as milk. But I didn’t have the luxury of being picky right now.
And more importantly, it’s… delicious!
Yes. That ominous-looking liquid, which seemed toxic enough to kill at a drop, was shockingly sweet and exquisite. Technically, this was the first thing I’d ever eaten since being reborn. Of course it would taste like a godsend.
In fact, this might be one of the most delicious things I’d ever tasted, even counting my past life.
Gulp. Gulp.
Each swallow echoed loudly in the silent room. The two demons watched closely as I drank with urgent hunger. Their piercing red eyes were unnerving, but eating came first.
“She seems to like it.”
“It was troublesome to obtain, but worth it.”
The bottle emptied quickly. It wasn’t even that small, but my survival instincts had kicked in hard, storing up calories with desperation. I even let out a loud burp and immediately felt embarrassed.
“For a baby that she is, she’s quite loud.”
“It just means her digestion is good. She should be healthy in some way, right?”
“She got that full… from one bottle?”
“Lucifel, a human baby’s stomach is about the size of your finger.”
Lucifel glanced at my tiny body and gave a thoughtful nod.
“A bother, but… fascinating. So this is what slow growth looks like…”
His hand stroked his chin as his crimson eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity.
Whether it was fortunate or not, it seemed his interest in me wouldn’t fade anytime soon. As drowsiness crept in from fullness, I blinked slowly, feeling relieved.
***
At first, I thought I was still half-asleep and hallucinating.
Then I assumed I was dreaming until the unchanging room forced me to accept reality. The mad Demon King Lucifel and his so-called ‘elite subordinate’ Regnator were once again testing me with their flawed understanding of human customs.
‘Ugh… maybe I should just go back to sleep…’
With sleepy eyes, I stared at the decoration spinning above me. From its form and concept, it looked like a mobile. The problem was the decorations.
Each one was a grotesque, winged creature with eyeless black sockets, strange skeletal wings, and twisted horns. Its mouth was agape, revealing sharp teeth ready to bite. They were bats. Well, some kinds of bats were far more terrifying than anything I’d seen.
It was a mobile made of what looked like taxidermied bats.
“You seem quite taken with it,” Regnator said with pride.
I snapped my head away at once. If I kept staring, they might actually bring live bats next time and hang those up. Just seeing that had nearly given me a heart attack, just so you know.
I couldn’t communicate properly anyway. If I cried out in disgust, they’d probably think I was crying from sheer joy. Lucifer might know better, but Regnator? That demon would absolutely take it the wrong way.
“Is this what calms human babies? Their tastes are baffling.”
“I’ve heard low-intelligence babies are entertained by simple movement.”
Again, they talked. Again, I was the one hurt. I wanted to scream in protest. What kind of baby finds this monstrosity soothing? They should be amazed I hadn’t cried out in horror! I was only holding it together because it was me.
“We could add other magical beasts next time. What about a collection of different winged types?”
“Not a bad idea.”
“I’m sure Lady Bella would enjoy it too.”
Completely oblivious to my burning indignation, the two demons chattered like children.
“Lucifer even used preservation and shrinking spells himself,” Regnator boasted.
“I did use a bit of magic.”
“Well, it was worth the effort, wasn’t it?”
“… Indeed.”
Wait, he used magic… personally… to create this thing? I thought it was just a bunch of creepy props cobbled together. Knowing that made me feel like I had to at least react a bit.
Look at those hopeful red eyes.
I couldn’t bear to scream or cry now. Not when they looked so proud.
So, with bleary eyes, I awkwardly stretched a trembling hand toward the terrifying mobile, pretending to like it.
“Kyahaha.”
When I even managed a forced little giggle, both demons froze, their expressions hardening.
“Regnator.”
“Yes, Lord Lucifer.”
“Go catch a few pegasi next.”
I quietly lowered my hand from the mobile.
(TN: And the misunderstanding escalated fast…)
