Chapter 112

“DEMON!”

“IT’S JUST A KID!”

The fairy had sensed the presence of a demon. I should probably ask her about what kind of being a demon really is later. It’s kinda hard to have a conversation with fairies, so maybe I’ll ask the Fairy Captain.

When I got home, it was actually the fairy making all the noise about there being a demon.

Since it was in fairy language, Yul, who’s a demon, couldn’t understand it, but I could.

Yul just stood there dumbfounded, watching the fairies flit around.

The fairies were each dressed in colorful clothes, decorating the sky like falling leaves searching for life.

It was Anne’s handiwork. She’d gone from making brown rags to this in just a few days. Maybe she really does have talent in this area. I should probably ask her to make some clothes for me too. She definitely has a good sense.

Although, looking at the first apron she made for Evangelin, all thoughts of her skill disappeared. But everyone makes mistakes, right?

“IT’S A FAIRY…”

“YOU’VE NEVER SEEN ONE BEFORE?”

“Yeah…”

The fairies were flying around the demon, teasing him with their laughter. Whenever little Yul tried to grab one with her tiny, delicate hands, they would tease her and fly off into the sky. That look of determination on her face as she jumped around trying to catch them was futile against the speed of their wings.

Seeing Yul looking a little down, we went inside. As soon as she walked in, her ruby-like eyes widened in surprise.

“Aaaah.”

A soft exclamation. Her horns perked up cutely.

What caught Yul’s attention was Anne. Sitting at the table, Anne was sewing fabric into clothes. Her long golden hair flowing freely, her focused expression as she concentrated on her task. The elegant side profile drew Yul in like a magnet.

Anne finally noticed Yul’s presence and glanced at me with surprise.

“Huh? A little kid?”

“I found her wandering lost in the forest.”

“She’s cute… red eyes… and horns?”

Anne tilted her head in curiosity. Yul slowly approached, carefully extending her hand.

Young children are said to instinctively like beautiful things. Seeing how Yul was drawn to Anne like a moth to a flame seems to confirm that.

“Hello…”

“Hmm? What did the child say?”

“She’s greeting you.”

Demon language and human language don’t intersect, creating a communication barrier. When Yul heard the unfamiliar language, she looked a bit uneasy. Sensing this, Anne smiled warmly and gently took Yul’s extended hand.

“Hello there, our cute little princess.”

Soft, gentle tones. Anne pulled Yul into her embrace with a bright smile, and the girl’s expression lit up.

“You smell sweet…”

“Minho, what did she say?”

“She says she likes you.”

“Really? I like you too!”

And with that, Anne hugged Yul tightly. I could see a sense of relief spread across the girl’s face.

“Anne says you’re cute and she likes you.”

“R-really? Me too! Me too!”

The gem-like eyes sparkled as Yul smiled brightly. Her expression was filled with the innocent charm unique to young children.

“Really is cute.”

Anne, without minding the horns, gently stroked the girl’s black hair with her white hand.

“Heehee.”

“Huh? You laugh like me too? I didn’t know I could laugh ‘heehee.'”

They exchanged smiles facing each other. A moment where happiness intersected.

“Minho, why does this kid have horns?”

That question made me feel the gap in information. This country girl wouldn’t know about demons. She probably hasn’t even seen one, so she might just think Yul is a slightly special human. That’s what I thought.

I have a UI that provides information, so it doesn’t matter to me. But looking at Yul quietly, she was just a cute little girl. Black hair and gem-like eyes, wearing ragged clothes. She could easily be mistaken for a human.

“She’s just a bit special.”

“Is that so? Do the horns hurt?”

I hadn’t thought about that before.

Is this what it’s like to see a demon through the unbiased eyes of a human?

“The kid is covered in dirt. We need to clean her up.”

“We don’t have any spare clothes for kids.”

“No problem! I’ve made some!”

Saying this with a grin, Anne picked up Yul and moved. Yul just stayed clinging to her as she followed Anne’s lead.

“I’ll go wash up.”

I briefly informed Yul in demon language about what we’re going to do. Nodding slightly, Yul went in with Anne to wash up. They seemed to get along better than expected, which was fortunate.

How did a demon end up wandering these mountains?

Curiosity piqued.

There’s a general notion when it comes to demons.

They love fighting, obsessed with combat.

A cruel and dark race.

Whether that applies generally, I’m not sure.

Just as humans can’t be defined by a single word.

Demons probably aren’t either.

If cats and dogs can have different personalities…

Judging demons by a single stereotype doesn’t seem right. Especially since she’s just a little kid. Wouldn’t her personality change depending on her environment as she grows up?

This isn’t a decision to raise her.

For now, I’m just temporarily acting as a guardian since she seems to have nowhere to go.

“Master?”

Evangelin came back wearing a straw hat.

“Where have you been?”

“I just visited the greenhouse.”

She quietly spoke and naturally headed to the kitchen.

“Is there anything you want for lunch?”

“As long as it’s made by Evangelin, anything is fine.”

Saying this made her blush faintly pink with a bashful smile.

“I’ll grill some meat for you.”

“Sounds good.”

I decided not to mention Yul’s presence to Evangelin. Seeing her directly after coming out of the shower might be a nice surprise. I was curious about her reaction, so I silently approached and helped her cook.

As the dishes were set on the table…

The bathroom door opened, releasing a billowing cloud of steam.

Two figures emerged. Anne wrapped in a towel, and Yul, both still damp, stepped out briskly.

Evangelin carrying the dishes saw the child and froze in place like a statue.

“How is she? Isn’t she cute?”

With the grime washed away, the girl looked even cuter.

“Her name is Yul! I learned it while washing her.”

“How did you learn if you couldn’t communicate?”

“She pointed at Anne and repeated ‘Anne’ about ten times, so I figured it out.”

“Good job.”

“I guess I have a knack for taking care of kids.”

Anne grinned and naturally sat at the table.

The feast laid out on the table.

The girl’s expression turned to shock.

“Heaven…”

Due to her still developing pronunciation, the slightly awkward demon language slipped out.

Calling this “heaven” is quite ironic, isn’t it?

“Yul?”

“Yeah. Minho said he found a lost kid in the forest, so I gave her a bath.”

“I see.”

Evangelin’s slightly troubled expression brightened.

What was she thinking about?

I decided not to ask.

“Cute kid.”

“Isn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

While holding Anne’s hand, Yul kept glancing at Evangelin.

“Hello?”

Evangelin crouched down and greeted her softly, waving her hand gently. Yul cautiously reached out to take it.

“She probably doesn’t speak our language. Seems like she hasn’t learned it yet.”

“That’s true… She’s like a real baby.”

Evangelin slowly waved the clasped hands.

“Since the chair might be a bit high…”

Evangelin carefully lifted Yul up. Without resisting, the girl entrusted herself entirely to Evangelin’s hands. Her face was soaked in happiness.

Is it true that humans are disliked?

The wariness felt during the first encounter had long disappeared.

Evangelin sat Yul on her lap and fed her food piece by piece. How she obediently ate it reminded me of a baby bird.

Anne watched this scene with great fondness.

“Ah, she has horns.”

Only now did Evangelin notice the horns on the child. But only for a moment.

She simply acknowledged this fact and continued feeding the child gently without stopping.

Thankfully there’s no discrimination. Should I call it lack of prejudice?

Good character.

An action possible due to having a kind nature.

Without realizing it, a white smile had formed on my face as I observed their actions. Unable to hide the gradually rising corners of my mouth, I continued watching.

“She doesn’t have any guardians. She’s alone with nowhere to go.”

Towards the end of the meal, I casually brought up the topic.

“We could become her guardians.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Yes!”

“Shouldn’t we ask the child too?”

Surprisingly quick decision-making.

I thought this might just be a fleeting encounter.

“Yul.”

“Yeah.”

“If you leave here, do you have somewhere to go?”

At this, as if sensing something, Yul responded very slowly with a deflated tone.

“The forest… back to the mountain range…”

Stammering…

Then, as if making a resolution, she clenched her teeth.

“I’ll listen well, I won’t cause trouble. If you don’t like my horns, I can cut them off.”

What has this kid been through?

Her resolute statement was somewhat shocking.

“Saying humans are disliked was probably just a defense mechanism, wasn’t it?”

Melting in the warmth, Yul was sniffling with tears.

“It’s not about abandoning you. We were just going to ask if you wanted to stay with us.”

“R-really?”

Almost immediate response speed.

“In exchange, you need to learn human language. Can you do that?”

“Yes!”

“You don’t need to cut your horns. As long as you don’t cause major trouble, even if you do cause some, it’s fine.”

Saying this, a tear fell from Yul’s eyes.

What has this child been through?

We’ll need to find out her backstory full of stories at some point.

But not now.

When the child finds perfect peace, we’ll ask her directly.

Perhaps we should take a look around the mountain range beforehand.

“Minho! How could you make the child cry!”

“She’s crying because she’s happy. She says she’s super glad to be with us.”

“Oh, that’s what it was?”

Anne approached Yul and pinched her cheek.

“Our Yul. We hope you’ll get along well with us?”

Upon feeling that gentleness, Yul lunged into Anne’s embrace.

Right.

Does it matter if she’s a demon or not?

She’s been accepted by them.

The important thing is that fate has brought her to us.

Whatever happens, it’s my role to watch over and prevent it.

“We hope you’ll get along well.”

Evangelin’s elegant and refined voice. Her gentle tone that calms the heart settled Yul’s sobs. The crying subsided, and she clung tightly to Anne like glue.

“What a good child.”

She’s not exactly our child, but somehow we ended up with a child.

Not that we weren’t planning to have one eventually.

It’s just…

Living life brings about all sorts of events.

This was just one of those “such” events.

Thus, a small horned child was added to our daily lives.

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