"But I'll enjoy you as much as I can, for as long as I can." Naira chuckled as she wiped with a curled index finger the drop of milk going down her baby's cheek. "They will probably get rid of me before you get older… Until that time comes…"
Marcus wanted to listen to her words carefully, but his hunger had overpowered him minutes earlier. The baby's cries were quickly eased by the mother.
He could not tell whether it was simply because she was taking of him, but Marcus could tell that he was starting to feel sympathetic towards her.
"Right?" Naira smiled brightly.
The baby had momentarily stopped focusing on her words.
'She loves me.'
That much was obvious. Whether it was through her smile, her eyes, or the anger she expressed from being separated from him earlier, Naira loved her baby.
'I'm not acting in any particular way. I'm talking or doing anything. I'm not saying the right things or… I'm not doing anything, yet she loves me. She enjoys my presence despite the fact that I'm really not doing anything. There's absolutely nothing special about me right now.' The baby thought to himself as he stared at his mother's smiling face. 'Other than the fact that I am HERS, there's nothing…'
The baby's head swayed from right to left.
'Is that what unconditional love is? The special link between a mother and her child…'
No matter how much he tried, Marcus couldn't find it within him to reciprocate that unconditional love.
'I feel sorry for her, but I don't feel anything beyond what I would feel was someone else in her place… The fact that she's my mother means nothing to me. Maybe I lack this ability to love unconditionally because I didn't know it in my past life?'
Noticing that her baby wasn't feeding anymore, Naira covered her breasts, as much as she could, and took him into her arms.
"It's tough having Demon blood. We don't even get decent clothes." Naira sighed in a comedic tone. "Although that's probably better for you, huh?"
'You got that right… Well, it's mostly awkward right now.' The baby's gaze moved away from her breasts.
Marcus' face bore a complicated expression.
Naira yawned, and so did her baby.
She placed him on the baby basket's soft bed.
"I might want to sleep while holding you, but that seems…" Naira yawned again. "A bit dangerous…"
She talked while nodding off, before finally falling asleep.
Marcus pushed himself up and took a seat while watching her sleep.
Her body was dirty and her nails were too long. Her hair was messy and her clothes were torn rags. Judging by the visible bones of her ribcage, she wasn't being fed very well.
She was a prisoner.
As Marcus guessed, she was a prisoner that was meant to be executed.
There was no doubt that the only reason she was still alive was because she had brought him into the world. Because of this "experiment" that Kain was running.
She had been made to give birth.
With the way she was treated, Marcus doubted that the coupling had taken place through traditional means.
In any case, she was a prisoner, and a slave.
Yet as she nodded off, all she could talk about was her baby's future. She reassured him that everything would be alright, that he would be treated well, and that he would be fine even after they got rid of her.
Even when discussing her own fate, her focus remained on her child—on how he would fare afterward, as though her passing was only a secondary concern.
The baby scratched its head, as its mother napped.
***
"D-D-Do we really have to go down there?"
"L-Lord Kain ordered us to, so we have to!" The Servant answered the Maid.
"I was only told to prepare the food! It's your job to take it there!"
"No, it's not! Trust me, Lord Kain wants us both to go!"
"Why not call the Guard?! When have we ever had to go to the underground dungeons?!"
"I don't know!" The Servant hissed. "Maybe we're getting more responsibilities… Maybe a promotion!"
"Promotion my ass!"
"Oh, come on… I'll buy you a bouquet of those flowers you're always staring at when we pass the old man's shop. With the increased pay from the promotion."
The Maid weighed the options presented.
"One bouquet per week… For three months!"
"One month!"
"Two months!"
"One and a half!"
"Sold!"
***
"Why are you so shaky?" The Maid sighed. "The Guards above told us it was safe. There's only one prisoner here, chained too."
"I can't… I can't see it…" The shaking Servant whispered. "Why are there fewer torches here…? We're four levels underground, yet there are fewer torches than on the levels higher…"
"Isn't it just because this one isn't used as much?"
The Maid sighed again at the Servant's pathetic display of courage. She started walking ahead.
"You… You heard the rumors, right? It's-" He whispered while looking to his right, then to his left.
"Shut up, will you?" The annoyed Maid interrupted. "I don't need you whining." She whispered. "We need to find the prisoner, put down the plate, and get out. I don't want to hear anything."
"B-But you have to know!"
"I do not!"
"Apparently-"
"Shut up!"
"But I have to tell you!"
"Why?"
"Because you need to be worried! To be careful!"
"Fine. Go ahead." She sighed.
"Apparently… Apparently, the prisoner on this floor is… Apparently…"
"Get on with it!"
"Apparently, locked in here is-"
"The King's whore! Obviously!" The Maid suddenly shouted, causing the Servant to shudder. "The gossiping Maids… Whom I am not a part of, are the ones who spread rumors! The Queen has complained to her personal Servants about a woman, and a child… But why should we be worried? She's chained here because of the Queen's wishes, and we're being told to feed her under his Majestiy's orders, delivered by Lord Kain, his Majesty's bother. It's a tricky situation, but there's no reason to-"
"You don't get it!" The Servant interrupted. "What's chained here is worse than a whore! It's the lowest scum that the world has ever produced! It's-"
Both instantly froze, one in front of the other.
They could hear breathing.
Someone was breathing right to the Maid's left and to the Servant's right.
"A… A… A…"
At the sight, the Maid felt her heart stop beating while the Servant was about to pass out.
"IT'S A DEMON!"
Both screamed as they ran away, getting out of the dungeons as quickly as they could, and praying that they would make it out of the darkness with their lives.
'Can't believe I got angry on her behalf…' The baby thought to itself with a sigh.
He pushed himself up and crawled out of the basket.
'Hm…'
The baby started moving towards the mess that had just been left by the intruders.
The platter had been dropped.
Thankfully, the silverware was tough enough not to break upon impact
Marcus scooped the food back up onto the plates as best he could.
A recipient seemingly filled with water had opened.
His small hands had trouble closing it back up. About half of the water had been lost, spilled on the ground.
'Oh…'
Seeing his reflection, he understood their reactions better.
'I get it.'
One eye glowed a demonic crimson. The other, a divine cerulean.
***
Hours later, while Naira was still napping,
"What an interesting child."
An ominous voice resonated, echoing through the dungeon's darkness.
"Can you hear me, little Demon?"
The baby's gaze moved in the direction from which the voice seemed to originate.
"Can you hear my voice, lowly brethren of mine?"
***
Marcus suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.
'...?'
No matter how much he looked around, there wasn't anything except the dungeons' darkness.
Naira was sound asleep.
Two hours passed before, out of nowhere, a sweet voice resonated.
"What an interesting child."
'...?'
The baby did his best not to react to the voice.
"Can you hear me, little Demon?"
Marcus sighed.
The baby's gaze moved in the direction from which the voice seemed to originate.
"Can you hear my voice, lowly brethren of mine?"
'Yes, I can.' Marcus thought to himself.
What else could he do? Being less than 24 hours old, he didn't have any other way of responding.
"Can you hear me, formidable child?"
'Yes, I can hear you.' The baby thought with a frown.
"Can you hear my voice?"
Suddenly, piercing through the dungeons' darkness shone two lights.
"Ha… Crimson and Cerulean. I never thought I would live to see such a thing."
The baby's eyes shone brightly.
"Did I anger you, little Demon?"
'I don't like repeating myself.'
"Extraordinary…" The voice whispered. "Does my voice not have an effect on you?"
'An effect?'
"Does it not make you sleepy? Does it not make you want to follow my every wish and whim?"
Marcus' eyes narrowed, suspicions aroused.
'It does not.'
"How interesting… You shuddered earlier, didn't you?"
'I did?'
"Yes. The moment that I laid eyes on you, you felt my presence."
'Who are you anyways? Why can you hear my thoughts?'
"For a baby to converse with me… Your story didn't begin here, did it?"
The baby's eyes, which had started losing some of their light, shone brighter than ever.
"You don't like being ignored."
'Don't ask questions if you refuse to answer mine.'
"Hahahaha! Bold child! I like you already."
'...' The baby let out a sigh. 'My story didn't begin here… What did you mean by that?'
"Things I've heard, long ago."
'Well, it was a pleasure conversing with you. If that's all you're going to say, then feel free to fuck off.'
"A Demonic temper."
'You called me a lowly brethren of mine.'
"I did, little Demon."
'That would make you the big Demon then.'
"I wouldn't go that far. Does my sweet voice not betray my form?"
'A sweet voice does give a nice impression… However, the voice can be betrayed by the body at times. Just like a nice ass can be betrayed by a hideous face.'
"Truly Demonic."
The baby let another sigh, which caused the voice to chuckle.
"I supposed big Demon is right, in a way. You are conversing with a Demon Queen after all."
'A Demon Queen… So Demons have Kingdoms.'
"They do. Although they are much different from Human Kingdoms. With you being born less than a day ago though, I doubt you know much about Human Kingdoms either."
'Your doubts are founded.'
"The Demon Realm is nothing like the Human Realm, you see. To begin with, your sweet mother wouldn't have suffered the humiliation she had to go through."
The Demon Queen's second sentence was loaded with something unpleasant that Marcus couldn't quite describe. In any case, he was convinced that it was supposed to elicit a reaction from him. Something that he was eager to refuse.
'The Demon Realm. That must be where you are right now.'
"Where I am?"
'That's right.' The baby's gaze moved away from the darkness of the dungeons and landed on the sleeping Naira. 'You're not here. Your voice reaches here though. No. More like, your voice reaches me somehow. Just like my thoughts reach you.'
"How can you be sure that I am not hiding in the darkness."
It was a good question.
Marcus had no idea why he was so sure that the Demon Queen was there.
'It must have something to do with my eyes, isn't that right?'
A couple of silent seconds passed.
"A truly formidable child…" Through her voice, Marcus could tell that the Demon Queen's lips had curled up into a smile. "Since your mother, who holds the same Demon blood as you is fast asleep, having not felt my presence, it's clear that it isn't the Demon side of you that is reacting to my presence."
'My thought exactly.' Marcus turned away from his mother and towards the darkness once more. 'So what do you want?'
"To free you, of course."
The baby scratched his head with a sigh.
'As if I would believe that.'
"It's the truth! Demon brethren must stand together! I'm here to free you, as well as your mother."
'How kind of you. I can't help but notice that you're a bit late though.'
"Indeed, I couldn't make it in time. Those sons of bitches subjugated your sweet mother to such humiliation… It almost makes me cry."
'...'
"They made her an experimental subject. Forced through unnatural human ways to carry a child that carries their King's blood… How repugnant.'
'Unnatural Human ways?'
"Yes, can you believe it? They didn't even have the decency to bring on a pregnancy through natural means."
'Natural means… You mean chaining her down and taking her by force?'
"Exactly! Instead, they used strange science and foreign Magic to bring upon the pregnancy!"
'Yeah… I'll have to side with the Humans on this one. That sounds better than… The alternative you suggest.'
"In any case," The Demon Queen coughed. "What do you think about getting out of here?"
'What about her?'
"We will have to come back for her at a later date."
'Why is that?'
"Because she isn't reacting to me. Since she isn't, I can't use my Magic from the Demon Realm on her."
Marcus turned towards Naira for a moment.
"I spoke about your sweet mother tenderly… But the truth is, you don't really care about her, do you?"
'...'
"If you don't, then say the word. Say yes and, a moment later, you will be out of this prison."
As he stared at his mother, a pained frown appeared on her face.
"Say yes, little Demon. Get out of this prison. Come with me."
The pain frown grew deeper and deeper.
'What's happening to her?'
"Resonance." The Demon Queen noted. "She's starting to feel my presence. Though she can't quite hear me." She sighed. "The voices, she'll say."
'The voices…?'
"Those holding Demon blood are sometimes assaulted by them. Voices of Demons phasing through. Quickly. Answer me, child. I must leave, soon."
'Will you be back?' Marcus asked, his gaze glued to Naira's pained expression.
"As many times as it takes to take you away." Once again, a smile could be imagined through the Demon Queen's voice. "Here, a parting gift."
[System Initializing…]
"Until we meet again, little Demon."
[You have Acquired the Skill "Drain[A Rank]".]
'Bye-bye, Demon queen.' Marcus answered absent-mindedly.
He stared at the floating words.
'System… Finally.'