Ere'ana was sitting on the couch, cradling Kael in her arms, while Kikidori relaxed with his feet up on the coffee table. Yumi's phone was lying nearby, unlocked. Normally, Ere'ana didn't meddle in her daughter's affairs, but her eyes caught the glowing screen, and curiosity got the better of her.
She leaned over, glancing at the apps displayed on the home screen. Most of them seemed normal—social media, a few games, and some photo editing apps. But then, one icon stood out.
"OnlyFans?" she muttered to herself.
She tapped on it, her angelic naivety leading her down a path she would soon regret. The app opened, revealing a picture of Yumi, clad in something that left very little to the imagination. The caption below the image read:
"Everyone's Favorite Demon 🔥."
Ere'ana froze, her grip on Kael tightening slightly. Kael let out a soft babble, oblivious to the storm brewing within his mother. Slowly, Ere'ana placed him in his crib, stood up, and walked over to where Yumi was lounging on the other couch, scrolling through her other phone.
"Yumi," Ere'ana said, her voice deceptively calm.
Yumi looked up, her brow furrowing at her mother's tone. "Yeah?"
Ere'ana held up Yumi's phone, the incriminating app still open on the screen. "Care to explain this?"
Yumi's eyes widened for a split second before she quickly masked her reaction. "Oh, uh… it's just… a thing."
"A thing?" Ere'ana's calm façade cracked, and her angelic glow dimmed, replaced by an intensity that even Kikidori, lounging nearby, noticed. "This is not just a 'thing,' Yumi. What the hell is this app, and why are you on it?!"
Before Yumi could stammer out an excuse, Kikidori spoke up from his seat, lazily waving a hand. "Chill out, Ere'ana. It's fine. It's not a big deal—"
Ere'ana turned to Kikidori with a glare that could melt steel. "Not a big deal? Are you seriously going to sit there and say this isn't a problem?!"
Kikidori's mouth opened as if to reply, but then he thought better of it and shut it, sinking back into his seat. "Alright, never mind. You got this," he muttered under his breath, holding his hands up in surrender.
Ere'ana turned her attention back to Yumi, her arms crossed, her angelic patience hanging by a thread. "Explain. Now."
Yumi sighed, leaning back into the couch, her usual confidence faltering under her mother's piercing gaze. "Okay, okay. Look… it's just… a way to make some extra money. College was expensive, okay? And after the whole "war-ending-battle" thing, the college was destroyed, so I needed something to keep me afloat."
Ere'ana's jaw dropped. "This is how you decided to earn money?!"
Yumi shrugged, trying to downplay it. "It's not a big deal. People pay for pictures. It's harmless."
"Harmless?" Ere'ana's voice rose, and for a moment, her angelic wings unfurled behind her, glowing faintly with a mix of divine power and sheer frustration. "Do you have any idea what kind of people might be looking at those pictures? This is not harmless, Yumi!"
Kael's babbling grew louder from his crib, as if he were trying to join the conversation. Kikidori glanced at him and smirked. "Even Kael's got something to say about this mess."
"Not the time, Kikidori," Ere'ana snapped without even looking at him.
Yumi sighed, sitting up and running a hand through her hair. "Mom, seriously, it's not like I'm out there doing anything crazy. It's just pictures. I control what I post and who sees it."
Ere'ana took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but her hands were shaking. "Yumi… you're better than this. You're a princess. You're part angel. You have so much more to offer the world than… this."
Yumi stood, her expression hardening. "And what if I don't want to be just a princess or just part angel? What if I want to be *me,* Mom? You and Dad always talk about balance, about being true to who we are, and this… this is part of who I am."
For a moment, the room was silent except for Kael's soft babbling. Ere'ana's shoulders slumped, her anger giving way to a deep sadness. "Yumi… I just don't want you to regret this. Or get hurt."
Yumi softened, her defensive posture relaxing. "I get it, Mom. But I promise, I know what I'm doing."
From his seat, Kikidori finally spoke up again. "Look, Ere'ana, she's grown. She's made it through wars, handled herself against gods, and survived being our kid. If she says she's got it under control, maybe we should trust her."
Ere'ana gave him a long look before sighing. "Fine. But if I see one more picture like this, we're having a much bigger conversation."
"Deal," Yumi said quickly, grabbing her phone back.
Ere'ana returned to Kael's crib, picking him up and holding him close. His little mismatched wings fluttered as he giggled, oblivious to the tension that had just filled the room. Ere'ana looked down at him and muttered, "At least you're too young to cause trouble."
Kikidori smirked. "Give him a few years."
Yumi rolled her eyes, sitting back down and scrolling through her phone. "I'm still everyone's favorite demon, though."
Ere'ana shot her a warning look, but Yumi just laughed, and even Kikidori couldn't help but chuckle.
Kael let out another babble, his tiny hands reaching for Ere'ana's halo. Despite everything, Ere'ana smiled, kissing the top of his head.
The End of Chapter 15