Too Many Questions

It was already past 11 AM, but at the Seven King's Mountain, Esdeath and Maruti were still fast asleep. They had pushed their physical and mental limits the night before and were utterly exhausted. The two lay sprawled out, mouths wide open, snoring softly in unison.

The sun's rays filtered through the cracks in the walls of their makeshift shelter, casting warm light across their faces, but it wasn't enough to stir them from their deep slumber.

Then, out of nowhere, two tiny, soft hands touched Esdeath's larger ones.

"Mother… Mother, wake up!"

The sweet, high-pitched voice of a child, no older than four or five, rang out cheerfully.

Esdeath's eyelids fluttered open just slightly, her half-awake gaze falling on a tiny figure perched on her stomach. The little girl had sparkling silver eyes and a head of messy white-black hair reaching to her waist. Most shockingly, the child was completely naked, her innocent smile lighting up the room.

Still groggy, Esdeath muttered, "Five more minutes… just five more minutes," before turning her head and drifting back to sleep.

Ordinarily, Esdeath would have been on high alert. Years of combat experience had honed her instincts to detect danger instantly. But for some reason, she sensed no ill will from the child—only warmth and purity.

The little girl tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Then, leaning close to Esdeath's ear, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "MOM! MY WHOLE BODY IS STICKY! I WANT TO BATHE!"

Her voice echoed through the small space like a drumbeat, rattling Esdeath's very soul.

Esdeath's eyes flew open in shock. Startled, she sat up so fast that the child nearly toppled off her belly. "I SWEAR I WASN'T CHEATING ON YOU!" she yelled, still half-dreaming.

Nearby, Maruti jerked awake, her eyes wide and her body stiff. "ALIEN ATTACK!" she screamed, leaping to her feet in sheer panic.

Before she could take another step, her head collided with the nearest wall with a loud *thud*. "Ouch…" she groaned before slumping to the ground and promptly passing out again.

Esdeath blinked, finally coming to her senses. She looked down at the child, who was now tugging on her arm impatiently.

"Bath! Bath!" the little girl demanded, her pouty face scrunched up in frustration.

Esdeath rubbed her temples, her voice exasperated. "Who even are you? And why are you calling me mom?"

The child tilted her head again, a sweet smile spreading across her face. "Because you're my mom! Duh!"

Esdeath's jaw dropped. "What kind of nonsense—"

But then her memories of last night flooded back to her mind.

Before she could finish, the little girl threw her arms around Esdeath's neck, nuzzling against her like a kitten. "Mom smells nice!"

Meanwhile, Maruti, lying crumpled on the floor, twitched and mumbled in her unconscious state, "Save me from the aliens…"

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Esdeath and Maruti stood towering over the small child who sat on the ground, their intimidating figures casting long shadows across her. Their expressions were a mix of confusion and mild irritation as they stared at the sticky, milk-covered child before them.

Selene, the supposed child of Esdeath, blinked up at them with her innocent silver eyes, completely unfazed. Her tiny body was a mess, the sticky residue of spilled milk clinging to her white-black hair and smooth skin.

Maruti tilted her head, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "So… this is Selene? Isn't she growing a little too fast? You said about one day but it's only been around 18 hours".

Before Esdeath could answer, Selene interrupted in her sweet, chirpy voice. "Mother, is that daddy?" She pointed a tiny finger at Maruti, her face full of curiosity.

Esdeath crossed her arms instantly, scoffing. "Never. Not even in your dreams."

Maruti let out an exaggerated sigh, muttering, "Thank the heavens."

But Selene wasn't done. She pointed to the sky with wide eyes. "What's that blue thing up there?"

Esdeath sighed and followed her gaze. "That's the sky."

Selene nodded, her curiosity growing. "And the white fluffy things?"

"Those are clouds."

"What are clouds?" she asked, tilting her head like a curious bird.

Esdeath's eyebrow twitched. The barrage of questions continued relentlessly. Selene wanted to know what mountains were, why the ground was brown, and why the sun was so bright.

Even though her voice was as sweet as honey, Esdeath and Maruti couldn't help but feel their patience wearing thin.

"Shh! Enough questions for now," Esdeath finally said, holding up a hand to stop her. "Didn't you say you wanted to bathe? Let's go take a bath."

Selene's eyes sparkled with excitement, but Esdeath turned to Maruti with a suspicious look. "Isn't she only a dozen or so hours old? Why does she talk so fluently?"

Esdeath shrugged, scratching the back of her head. "Maybe she got some basic knowledge Like how to speak. But she doesn't seem to know much about the world—things like the sky, clouds, or mountains."

Esdeath sighed again, rubbing her temples. "Whatever. Let's get her cleaned up first."

Without warning, she grabbed Selene by the waist and effortlessly lifted her into the air. The little girl squealed with delight, her laughter echoing through the ruins of the castle.

"Wheee! Higher, Mother, higher!"

The three of them made their way through the castle ruins, Esdeath carrying Selene like a sack of flour. Yesterday, she and Maruti had explored nearly every corner of the castle, discovering a bathhouse, a library, and even a creepy experimentation and torture room. Though they didn't find anything particularly useful, the bathhouse was a blessing—especially since none of them had bathed since last day.

The castle had three baths on each floor, each modestly sized. Esdeath and Maruti decided to use the bath on the ground floor. It was a small bathhouse, enough for four people to fit comfortably.

The ground floor bath in the castle wasn't anything grand, just a small bathhouse big enough for four people at most. But for Esdeath, Maruti, and little Selene, it was perfect. After all, Selene was just a small child, and the cozy space seemed like a good fit for the three of them to relax and enjoy.

Esdeath and Maruti removed their clothes, stepping into the steamy bathhouse, closing the door behind them. Maruti, always the energetic one, dove straight into the warm water with a loud splash. "Ah, this feels amazing!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing slightly in the small room.

Esdeath, however, took her time. She grabbed a small stool and sat down by the side of the bath. The steam curled lazily around her as she pulled Selene into her lap. Picking up a bar of soap, she began gently scrubbing the sticky residue of milk off Selene's tiny body.

Selene, ever curious, couldn't take her wide eyes off Esdeath's body. Her gaze lingered on the intricate tattoos covering Esdeath's pale skin. The tattoos wound their way from her neck, down her shoulders, and across her chest, belly, and back. They stood out starkly against her unnaturally pale skin—She used silver jade skin to enchance durability of her skin by making a new inner layer of skin that was hundreds of times more durable, And making the main skin layer smoother and stronger, but it had also left her main skin paler than before.

Despite the change, her tattoos remained untouched. They spread across her body like intricate, dark patterns. The designs started at her neck, trailing down to her chest, wrapping around her sides, and continuing over her back.

"Mother, what's all this?" Selene asked, her tiny finger tracing a line on Esdeath's arm.

Esdeath sighed, her hands not stopping as she continued washing Selene. "It's nothing important. And stop calling me 'Mother.' Call me something else."

Selene tilted her head, her silver eyes sparkling. "What should I call you then?"

Esdeath paused, thinking for a moment. She didn't want the child to call her by her name—it felt odd. "Call me whatever you like," she finally said, assuming Selene would pick something simple.

"Then I'll call you Mother!" Selene declared with a bright smile.

Esdeath's hand froze mid-scrub, her face twitching slightly. "Wait… didn't I just tell you not to call me that?"

Selene blinked up at her innocently. "But didn't you say I could call you whatever I like?"

Esdeath's eye twitched again. She let out a frustrated sigh. "This little brat… why is she so smart?"

Maruti, lounging lazily in the bath, burst out laughing. "Pfft! How does it feel to get checkmated by a kid?" she teased, leaning back with a grin.

Before Esdeath could retort, Selene suddenly leaned forward and wrapped her tiny arms around Esdeath in a tight hug. Her small head rested right between Esdeath's chest, and she let out a content sigh.

"It feels so peaceful here," Selene mumbled, her voice muffled.

But the again a question rose to her mind, "Who am I? "