Chapter 2
"Papa…?"
The word slipped out before Elyra could stop it. A tiny, involuntary sound from a baby's mouth.
Inside her mind, however, a storm was raging.
The man who cut off my head last night… is now my father?
Damnern froze for half a second, then his face lit up like the sun itself. The strongest warrior in the kingdom — the man who had hunted her down without mercy — was now grinning like an idiot, eyes sparkling with pure, unfiltered joy.
"Just now, Elyra called Papa 'Papa,' right? Say it again," Damnern said excitedly.
Before Elyra could process anything, the bedroom door swung open with force.
"Daaaaaaaaaarling!!" Elina Solv, Damnern's wife, shouted.
"Darling… Elyra just called me pa… pa…" Damnern said, his face beaming with excitement as he told Elina. However, his joy quickly vanished when he saw Elina's face—it looked fierce, like that of a lion. Elyra, who had been crying just moments ago, froze as well.
"I just finished putting her to sleep, and you wake her up again!" Elina scolded.
"And you haven't even bathed yet…"
Damnern immediately straightened like a scolded child. His clothes were still stained with dried blood — my blood, Elyra thought bitterly. Seeing the blood smeared on Damnern made Elina even more annoyed.
"… whose blood is that? Did you kill someone again?" she continued, making a disgusted face.
"I… I…" Damnern didn't dare answer.
"Don't. I don't want to hear it." She gently took Elyra from his arms, cradling her with practiced care. "You take lives too easily, Damnern. That man you killed tonight… he probably had his own reasons too. Just like you always claim your reasons are 'justice.'"
Elyra felt her tiny chest tighten.
For the first time in both her lives, someone was defending the "villain" without even knowing it. The warmth of Elina's arms, the softness in her voice — it hit something deep inside Ryudien's scarred heart. Tears welled up in his eyes before he could stop them.
"Oh no, my little one," Elina cooed softly, rocking her. "Mama's not angry at you. Shhh… don't cry."
Damnern stood awkwardly by the door, looking lost. For once, the feared warrior didn't know what to do.
Later that night, after Damnern had bathed and the house grew quiet, Elyra lay in her crib staring at the wooden ceiling.
This is ridiculous.
The man who killed her was now singing lullabies badly outside the door. The same hands that swung the Judgement Sword were now gently stroking her hair when Elina wasn't looking.
The next morning, warm sunlight spilled across the living room, giving the quiet house a peaceful atmosphere.
Damnern—now properly cleaned and unusually well-behaved—was kneeling in front of Elina with an awkward expression on his face.
"I… I'm sorry, dear…" he said softly, his voice filled with guilt. "I just got too excited seeing Elyra for the first time…"
Elina let out a helpless sigh, though a faint smile still lingered on her lips. She reached out and gently brushed his silver hair.
"You're hopeless."
Elyra silently watched the scene from Elina's arms, her feelings growing more complicated by the second.
The terrifying Damnern Solv from her previous life—the cold man whose mere presence made others tremble—was nowhere to be found.
"One more thing—don't show that side of yourself in front of Elyra again," Elina reminded him softly, sounding more amused than angry.
And somehow, Damnern only laughed foolishly before making strange faces right in front of Elyra to make her react.
"…Is this really the same person who killed me?" Elyra wondered blankly.
A deep sigh echoed inside her mind.
"I don't even know when I started changing like this. Ever since becoming a baby again, my heart feels softer… even tears come so easily. Back then, as Ryudien… risking everything that night was the last time I cried."
The comforting scent of warm milk filled the room while sunlight swayed gently through the curtains.
Not long after, the sound of tiny footsteps echoed from the hallway.
"Papa! Eden wants to see Eyya!"
A small child rushed into the room with sparkling eyes.
It was Eldern Solv, Damnern and Elina's three-year-old son. His silver hair was slightly messy, and his bright green eyes resembled Elina's perfectly. The little boy stared at Elyra with pure curiosity and excitement.
Damnern chuckled softly before lifting him into his arms.
"Be gentle, okay? Your little sister is still very small."
From that moment, Elyra slowly learned more about the Solv family.
Damnern Solv as her dad(24 years old). Elina Solv as her mom(23 years old). Aside from Eldern, there were also two maids living with them—Sasha(19 years old), and Rina(20 years old)—both helping Elina take care of the household and the children.
"Papa… Eden wants to hug Eyya," Eldern asked Damnern.
"Sure, but Elyra is very small. Let's hug her together, okay?" Damnern replied.
"Bwa… baaa… baba!!" Elyra babbled while holding back her shame. (Don't act like that in front of me, Damnern!!)
"Papa! Did chu hear dat? Eyya said she loves Eden… Eden loves Eyya too!" Eldern said happily.
(NOT THAT!) Elyra protested in her mind.
"You're way too confident, Eldern. What she really said was that she loves Papa so, so much," Damnern corrected his son.
"Ba… babawaaa!!" Elyra babbled loudly. (When did I ever say that?!)
"Yes, dear, Papa loves Elyra too," Damnern replied.
(Enough now…) Elyra finally surrendered.
Eldern extended his tiny index finger toward Elyra.
"Huh? Well, he's just a kid. I'll just play with him for a bit," Elyra thought as she took Eldern's finger—not realizing how small her own hand truly was.
"Papa, Eyya is holding Eden's finger!" Eldern said happily.
Damnern, not wanting to be left out, immediately offered his own finger. "Here, hold Papa's too."
…Kill me again.
One month passed.
Life as a baby was mind-numbingly boring.
Elyra spent most of her days either sleeping, drinking milk, or pretending to sleep so Damnern would stop making ridiculous faces at her. Every time she managed a small achievement — like rolling over by herself — the entire household acted as if she had just slain a dragon.
Elina's excited cheers. Damnern's dramatic despair that he missed the moment. Eldern's proud declarations that "Eyya is the smartest baby in the world."
And yet…
A strange, warm feeling kept growing in her chest. Every time Elina hummed softly while feeding her. Every time Damnern checked on her in the middle of the night thinking she was asleep.
This… isn't so bad.
The thought scared her.
No. I can't forget. He killed me. He took everything from me.
But when Damnern gently kissed her forehead and whispered, "Papa will always protect you, Elyra," the hatred felt… further away. Blurred. Confusing.
Elyra closed her eyes, conflicted.
Just wait, Damnern Solv.
One day… I will make you pay.
…But maybe not today.
End of Chapter 2