《I'm Not the Demon Princess!》


 Prologue

    Faint beams of sunlight forced their way through the treetops. The sky was littered with dark clouds, each of them threatening Mira with sudden thunderstorms and heavy rain, but she didn''t believe she would be lucky enough to get blessed with either. There were only a few moments and spots in which the sun could reach all the way down to the forest floor, but those were more than enough to assist her in the dishonorable work her master had tasked her with.


    On the leaves of the young trees and shrubs, the fresh blood of the demon she hunted looked as black as ink. It was nearly invisible on the dark green of the leaves, but even if she had overlooked this evidence there still was the impossible-to-miss snow-white hair that decorated the scrubs like fine threads of shimmering silver. The demon was wounded, and it was near.


    If it was only deer, foxes or wild boars she was hunting, Mira wouldn''t feel a hint of fear and anxiety in her, today, however, she would face a powerful enemy, one that could easily defeat her and rip her into pieces should she make a slight mistake. The demon wouldn''t even feel the slightest bit of remorse.


    Mira had never volunteered to do something as stupid as hunting demons. She had been both an adventurer and a huntress before, but that was long ago. She had settled down to become a mere servant in a nobles house instead, which certainly wasn''t the best work to do, as her master was both demanding and bad in character, but it was much safer and gave her a reliable income to boot. This way she could become a mother somewhere in the future, though she knew time was running out.


    A long sigh left her lips as Mira began thinking about the life she was missing out, the family she should have by now. Instead of teaching cute daughters and proud sons how to speak and write, she was here in the nothingness, risking her everything for an unfilial master instead. It was him who wanted to use this to raise his status, his wealth and his power, not Mira. And still it was her who was here, not him. He was protected by men far stronger than her.


    If it wasn''t for the demon princess deciding to seek refuge in these forests, Mira would cook for her master right now or at least clean his house, while trying her best to avoid his never-ending attempts of pulling her into his embrace. Doing that kind of work wasn''t exactly better, either.


    ? ?


    Another sigh could be heard coming from Mira. "What did I get myself into..."


    ? ?


    It had been almost half of a year since the invading forces of the demon army had been defeated, leaving the demon princess as the sole survivor of her family, the only one who could once again unite the demons and lead them to war against the kingdoms surrounding their own.


    Ofcourse Mira hesitated in fighting an existence like that. Not only was the princess the strongest of the demons now, but she was also said to be the most vicious, the cruelest and most dangerous of them all!


    How could Mira even dream of defeating her other than by surprise? Neither she herself nor any of her masters'' men could hope to outrun this monster, should she decide to flee. It was too fast, too agile. She wouldn''t even get tired after running for hours.


    The sole advantage Mira had over her was a small, runed amulet that was imbued with a concealment magic strong enough to cover even the slightest traces of mana and magic in her body. The demon princess wouldn''t be able to perceive her with that inhuman senses of her. As long as Mira didn''t suddenly decide to scream out loud, she would be safe.


    Even if she had the moment of surprise, Mira would still need dozens of well-placed arrows before she could even start hoping of bringing her down. The demon king had healed countless wounds inflicted to his body, both from blades like swords and daggers and from projectiles like arrows and bolts. Magic, too, had been useless against his godlike powers and regeneration.


    Her master had told Mira about this fight and how it had lasted for hours until the demon finally had no longer the strength to resist their combined attacks.


    ? ?


    "I''m doomed if she is half as good as her father..."


    ? ?


    Mira let herself sink to the ground next to the traces she had just found. The blood was fresh enough for the sunlight shimmering on its surface, but this wasn''t what had pressed her into examining it further. Nothing here looked as if it had changed in any way. There was no fire, no deformed plants, nothing that would point at the strong magic powers that resided in the princess'' body.


    ? ?


    ?It''s impossible,? Mira tried to reassure herself, ?I can''t have made a mistake. Only she has long, white hair like that! There is no other woman with ruby eyes, too!?


    ? ?


    Hesitatingly, Mira reached out for the leaves sullied by the demon''s blood. She plucked off one of them and placed it onto the cut her carelessness and a thorny scrub had cost her earlier.


    There was nothing. She didn''t feel a tingle nor a burn, nothing that made her feel uncomfortable except for the fact that she had just smeared the blood of somebody else onto her wound. Even after about a minute of waiting, there wasn''t any change. It was as if there wasn''t a single trace of mana in the blood she had found.


    If it wasn''t for the few strands of white hair entangled in the scrubs Mira had surely given up and searched somewhere else instead, but she knew that there wasn''t a single animal that had hair like this. The demon princess was still here, in this forest, maybe even nearby.


    After encouraging herself for one last time, Mira slowly raised up, prepared her bow and sneaked back into the underwood. Her gaze was glued to the ground, where it searched for new traces, more signs of her drawing closer to the demon. She found them everywhere: on the trunks of trees, in the shrubs and on thorny vines, even on the leaves under her feet. The princess seemed to lure her, using her own blood and flesh, but Mira couldn''t give up after coming this close. She wouldn''t escape her, not this time.


    When Mira finally caught up on her, hours had gone by. She could see the princess'' white hair in the distance, where she was standing at the edge of the forest, staring at the fields and meadows her headless flight had brought her to. She still seemed unable to accept her fate, as she hesitated to leave the forest that had held her hidden for hours or days, then, however, she continued sneaking forward. Her steps had gotten unbelievably slow.


    She probably feared there could be an ambush waiting for her, hidden in the crops or the tall grass, but Mira knew there was nothing like that. There had only been nine of them at the beginning and neither of the men was near enough to even hear her scream should she mess up badly.


    If only the demon knew this, she would never have decided to run. She would have confronted Mira instead of letting herself be chased through the underwood, suffering countless wounds in the process.


    ? ?


    ?She behaves like an animal driven into a corner,? Mira couldn''t help thinking. ?I have overestimated her.?


    ? ?


    Mira''s luck grew even stronger as her very first arrow found its target. She had feared the demoness would avoid the attack or catch the projectile in mid-air, like her father and many other demons had been able to, but a shocked cry echoed through the forest soon after. It was loud and clear, that was until it got distorted by pain.


    Mira immediately prepared the second shot. It would take her countless of them to hunt the demon princess down, as she would heal herself and continue running, again and ever again, until one of the arrows finally managed to hit her heart, her neck or head, any part of her body that made her as mortal as Mira was herself.


    Slowly breathing out, Mira spanned the bow and released the shot, like she had done way too many times before. The arrow cut through the cold evening air, leaving behind a ripping sound, only to embed itself deep into the demon''s flesh at the very next second. A deafening cry rang in her ears.


    ? ?


    ?I hit her! I really hit her!?


    ? ?


    Not even a heartbeat later, the silhouette of the princess began to waver. She desperately tried to somehow get ahold of herself and somehow continue running away to search for cover in the treeless farmlands, but she couldn''t even make a single step further. For a few breaths worth of time, she fought against her own body, then her legs gave in as if all strength had suddenly lost her. She just fell to the ground like a bag of grain.


    Mira couldn''t believe her luck. The demoness was as good as dead! She wouldn''t earn a single dime from defeating her as her master would tell everybody that it was him instead who had hunted her down, but Mira couldn''t care less. It was over. As soon as her master reached this place she would return to the safety of his home, a big mansion that allowed even servants to enjoy a certain level of luxury if only they followed the rules he had set.


    Mira hurriedly pulled forth the magic circle her master had given her. She concentrated her mana and let it flow into the wood all at once, not giving the slightest care about controlling it in any way.


    The beautifully carved runes began to radiate a blue-greenish glow, which grew brighter and brighter, until the slab suddenly catched fire. Mira hurriedly tossed it away, not giving it another glance now that it had done its work. Her master surely was on his way now, to claim her head and the wealth and fame that came with it.


    Little more than ten paces separated Mira from the still struggling demoness. The princess tried to raise up again, to crawl away or at least push herself under a bush, but she had long since lost all control over her body. The creature she had so much fear and respect for only minutes ago, had already become a writhing pile of misery. Mira couldn''t believe her eyes.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.? ?


    ?Why didn''t she fight back?! She could have killed me! Easily!?


    ? ?


    It had to be a wicked trap, some kind of trick the demoness tried to deceive her with. But Mira wouldn''t allow herself to lower her guard. Instead she prepared her bow again, so she would be ready to defend herself at a moment''s notice should the princess suddenly jump up and charge at her. But this attack never came. She didn''t react to Mira, not even when she was near enough to kick her if only she wanted to.


    Mira hesitated for a moment before letting herself sink to the ground next to the dying woman. Her hands reached out for the arrow shafts, breaking both of them one by one. She forced the demoness onto her back so she could slit her throat or pierce her heart and end her once and for all, only to get petrified instead when she saw the tearful face that had awaited her.


    Neither the short, battered dress nor the cloak had ever hidden a woman''s body. Instead, the blood- and fire-red fabrics were embracing a fragile, childlike being, a small girl with a flat chest and a far too skinny body. She was without a doubt a girl like the orphans you could find anywhere now that the war is over, if it wasn''t for her snow-white hair and especially those ruby eyes that seemed to glimmer like embers, faint but still visible.


    ? ?


    ?A girl! It is only a small girl!?


    ? ?


    She should have been a powerful sorceress, the strongest demon of them all, a vicious murderess that deceived and tricked her victims until she could kill them in the most cruel ways possible. They had told Mira about the unholy curses the princess used, about balls of fire and black rain. This girl was nothing like the tales she had heard. She hadn''t even fought back! She had just run away from her like any other child would have done!


    ? ?


    ?Mommy!", the girls voice cried out, ?Help me! It hurts! It hurts so much! Mommy!"


    ? ?


    An icy shiver went over Mira''s skin. Not only had the girl just proven to her that she was little more than a small child, seven or eight years old at most, she cried for her mother too, the demon queen who had long met her end by swords and magic of the united armies. While her daughter was crying for her, she was hanging for display on the open fields, never able to get a proper burial. This girl had nothing unholy or evil in her, she was a mere child! A child that had once been part of a loving family.


    ? ?


    ?I- I never wanted this-" Mira heard herself as she realized what she had been part off.


    ? ?


    The princess didn''t even answer. She was still fighting for her life and against the two broken arrows that were deeply embedded in her shoulder and her hip, unable to even meet Mira''s distraught gaze for a second. It was only when the color in the princess'' face changed, slowly becoming something between green and pale brown, that a cold wave went through Mira''s body, immediately shocking her wide awake.


    ? ?


    ?The poison!?


    ? ?


    All of the weapons Mira had carried with her had been laced with deadly poisons before. How else would she be able to defeat a demon not even the most powerful generals could go even with? This poison would only have been able to weaken the dreadful existence she had been tasked to hunt down, it would never be able to defeat it, but it was a whole different story if the mixture got into the veins of a mere child. She would die if Mira didn''t help her. It wouldn''t even take minutes!


    ? ?


    ?Damn it! Damn it all!?


    ? ?


    Mira hurriedly reached for her backpack, tore it open and pulled forth a small bottle filled with a murky, grey fluid. It was the sole protection her master had offered her should she mess up, an antidote that would at least give her a chance to survive until she could be brought to a healer.


    With a loud plop, Mira pulled the cork out of the bottle, pushed the girl onto the damp ground and forced the liquid into her mouth. She fought back, using all of her remaining strength, but Mira couldn''t give in. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she held the girl''s mouth closed to make sure she swallowed it all down.


    ? ?


    "Everything will be fine! It will be fine!"


    ? ?


    The girl couldn''t even answer anymore. Her eyes tried to focus on Mira, but they failed again and yet again. It was only a matter of minutes before she finally closed them, falling asleep, which was both a deep relief and a bitter burden to Mira''s heart. The antidote would keep her alive, at least for now.


    Mira hadn''t even gotten a single minute to gather herself when a series of shouts reached her ears. They were still far away, maybe a few minutes from her position, but what would happen when they reached her?


    The answer was obvious. They would kill the princess as soon as they arrived. They wouldn''t even think twice. To her master, the girl probably was a small, weak child as well, but first and foremost, she was a tool that would help him gain power and wealth. Of course he would kill her!


    Pearls of sweat were gathering on Mira''s skin as she tried to think of a solution, anything she could tell him in order to at least give the girl a chance to survive. But there was nothing, nothing at all. She was a mere demon to him, and not even worth giving food to.


    At best, he would give her a fast death and describe her as a godlike, almost undefeatable existence later on, in the stories he would tell to the king and the noblemen he wished to impress. That was the best she could get, being praised as an honorable opponent.


    ? ?


    ?I bet she can''t even lift a sword.?


    ? ?


    A small idea sprout in Mira''s head, something she had not dared to think of before. The very same tool that had given her the ability to hunt this girl, could now protect her as well. She didn''t even have to think about it twice, her hands were already moving towards her neck. She grasped the necklace and pulled it over her head, revealing the amulet she had worn underneath her clothing and close to her heart, where it was said to have the best effect.


    Mira hurriedly pushed the amulet into the girl''s dress and fixed it with a bunch of makeshift knots, just enough to hide the amulet from view. When she finally had managed to do so, Mira pulled the cloak back over the princess'' face, hiding most of it in the process.


    It wasn''t a second too early. Mira still was busy hiding all traces of the girls origin when a far too joyful shout reached her.


    ? ?


    "You caught her, Mira! You really caught her!"


    ? ?


    Mira felt her stomach cramping up. She turned around to see her master approaching with wide steps, accompanied by all of his guards. They stared at her, causing goosebumps to grow all over her body, but soon enough all eight pairs of eyes were weighing down on the unconscious little girl that laid next to her instead.


    ? ?


    "Is that really the demon?!" Her master asked, while already celebrating the answer he hasn''t received yet. "You caught her, Mira?!"


    "She- this-"


    "What is it?"


    "It isn''t," Mira heard herself answer in an almost inaudible voice.


    "What?!"


    "It isn''t the princess," she somehow managed to lie right into his face, "it is a girl! A human girl!"


    "She is right," Alfred, a white-bearded fire magician answered after taking a few glances at the battered body of the girl. "There is no demon aura. It is a normal child."


    ? ?


    Her masters face immediatelly changed. He had celebrated his victory only seconds ago, to now realize he had won nothing instead. Of course he was angry, and it was far more than understandable given the chance of the demon princess escaping while he was wasting time with his servant.


    ? ?


    "You good for nothing idiot!" he cursed after his anger had grown large enough for him to forget his noble background. "You shoot a kid thinking it was the demon princess?! What do I pay you for?! It is your fault if she escapes now!"


    "Master, I don''t-"


    "Don''t you dare to talk back to me! If it wasn''t for you being a little cute, I had long tossed you away! But now you went and destroyed everything! What are you going to do if she escaped? Tell me!"


    "Master..."


    "Clean up your own mess. I am through with you! You can play hard-to-get with somebody else! Don''t you dare to ever meet my eyes again!"


    "But-"


    "No buts! Go sell your body for all I care!"


    ? ?


    Tears gathered in Mira''s eyes as he turned around and walked away, clearly not willing to give her any chance of redeeming herself. Her former comrades stared at her in disbelief. Some of them seemed to pity Mira for having made the mistake of angering her, the others, however, carried hate and contempt in their expressions. Her master basically announcing that he had only employed her because he liked her body didn''t exactly help the case.


    Mira forced her gaze onto the girl, trying her best to shut off the voices that tried to make her run after her master instead. There was even a part of her that wanted to give up and tell them the truth, but she already knew this couldn''t save anything now.


    He would take her as a liar, which she really was this time, and never trust her again. Maybe he would even kill her and just leave her here, without anybody ever finding out what had happened to her. It wasn''t worth the risk, especially not if it meant killing such a frail looking girl.


    ? ?


    "What should I do now?"


    ? ?


    She wasn''t answering, nobody was. While Mira pleaded for a solution, a simple way out of this hole she had buried herself, the demon princess just took her shallow, weak breaths. She did not know what Mira had sacrificed for her.


    ? ?


    "I hope I did the right thing..."

 Chapter 01 – New Home, New Life

    A sheer endless wall led Mira''s slow steps towards the sole entrance it left for people to enter and leave. The men constructing it had used white stones that were so precious that she herself couldn''t even dream of ever being able to afford them. Months if not years of work would probably earn her just enough to pay for her own body''s weight in stone, but that, too, was only possible when she lived on bread and water instead.


    Although the stones were used as symbols of power and wealth, for the neighboring houses and especially those who just passed by, they were curses instead. Polished as the wall was, it almost acted like a giant mirror to the afternoon sun, directly reflecting it into the eyes of anybody who dared to come close. Still nobody would ever complain.


    Lord Parron wasn''t as rich as Mira''s former Master, but he still was powerful enough for anyone to think twice of offending him. So they just lived with the white walls blinding them, forever unknowing that the inner part of the walls had been painted over by now, as the owner of the mansion had faced the same issue.


    He certainly was a little eccentric sometimes, at least that was what Mira thought after working here for a week, but he would pay her generously none-the-less. She was lucky for getting the chance to work for him, especially now that she would not only get a good salary but also save money by living in a smaller house connected to the mansion starting today.


    Ever since Sera had stepped into her life, Mira had lived on the bare minimum, eating only cheap food while staying at even cheaper inns. Of course she had shared her everything with the girl. It was only due to this that she had managed to save enough money for her to be able to buy new sealing artifacts whenever they were required.


    It had been a hard time, even for Mira, who had lived on even less food any money before, back when she still had been an inexperienced adventurer.


    Now they would get as many meals as they wanted and could even sleep in comfortable beds as long as they did their work. But those beds meant separate rooms, which is why Mira couldn''t stop worrying about it.


    The girl who walked by her side didn''t seem to feel the slightest bit of fear or anxiety. She just stared at the greenish metal gate that would lead her into her new home, without ever realizing what trouble we would face.


    ? ?


    "Sera?"


    "Yes," her short answer came immediately.


    ? ?


    Hearing the girl''s monotonous voice, Mira couldn''t help but stop her. She went down on one of her knees and placed a hand on Sera''s shoulder to make sure she had her attention.


    ? ?


    "You will share the room with Aron."


    "I know."


    "He will teach you everything you need to know, so be sure to listen to him, ok?"


    "I will."


    "But whatever happens, you must never show him your body, you understand? Don''t undress in front of him. Make sure he is already asleep or working when you change."


    "I won''t show him," Sera answered, her voice not changing the slightest.


    "Promise me."


    Sera lightly placed her hand on her chest, right above her heart. "Promise."


    ? ?


    Mira couldn''t help but sigh. Now that Sera was wearing her hair as short as most boys that were around her age, she could easily be mistaken for one of them, that was as long as you didn''t look at her face.


    Sera was cute, especially now that the last traces of malnutrition and exhaustion were gone for good, and the boyish clothing Mira had chosen for her didn''t exactly help to make her manlier. She could only hope for the long weeks of neverending repetitions and training to pay off, otherwise there would only be dark clouds casting shadows onto their future.


    Even though Mira didn''t like the idea at all, there was no other way but to risk it. Sera''s mana was growing stronger by the day and with it the demonic aura that had to be hidden away using more and more expensive sealing artifacts.


    Of course Sera living in the Lord''s mansion meant a huge risk, but it too meant that they would save enough money to hide her a few months more, hopefully enough time for them to find a better solution.


    Using powerful concealment magic like the one her current amulet had been imbued with came at a huge cost. The deep black disc alone wouldn''t do anything to hurt or benefit her in any way, the white runes carved into its surface however forcefully sealed away the bigger part of Sera''s demonic powers, turning her into a hollow copy of what she should be.


    Sera could live just fine like this. She could speak, think and learn like any other girl her age, but together with her demonic powers, a large portion of her real self was sealed away. For demons, their magic was a part of them, half of what they were meant to be, which was especially true for girls like Sera who carried the blood of a succubus mother in her.


    With the larger part of her soul sealed away, Sera had grown silent and distant, enough to make Mira shed the tears her daughter was unable to bring forth.


    ? ?


    ?Will she ever be able to fall in love,? Mira couldn''t help but ask herself. ?Will she ever be happy??


    ? ?


    Mira didn''t regret taking the girl in, but there were times when it was hard to continue to do what she knew was right. The most painful of them were easily the days when the sealing artifacts grew too weak to conceal Sera any longer. She would just start crying for no reasons, she would smile and laugh and even talk a lot.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    In those few days, Sera would turn into a normal happy girl, that was until Mira placed a new, stronger amulet, bracelet or necklace on her skin.


    For the young princess, this time of freedom and glee was also the most dangerous. Nobody could say if there was any magician nearby that was strong or experienced enough to be able to perceive her demonic aura. They could just visite the inn they stayed at or plainly walk down the streets, not thinking of anything at all.


    There were officials searching for her, too, which examined the magic auras of any girl that was close to Sera''s age. It was these regular searches that ended up turning Seraphinia into Sera, a girl into a boy. Not even once did they think of using their device on the ''boy'' Sera, nor had there been a single magician demanding to see her. She had been save ¨C until now.


    Mira couldn''t help but embrace the girl. She just accepted it as if it was nothing special, but didn''t reply at all. Sure, she placed her arms around her mother, but that wasn''t because she wanted it or felt like doing it, it was because she knew Mira wished for this skinship.


    ? ?


    "I love you," Mira whispered into her daughter''s ear. "Don''t forget that."


    "I won''t."


    "Whatever happens, I will be there for you. When things go bad, just come running for me. I will figure something out."


    "Mhh."


    ? ?


    After savoring the moment for a few more seconds, Mira slowly raised up. She took Sera''s hand and walked to the gates, which by now where opened just enough for them to be able to pass through.


    ? ?


    "Good morning Arto," Mira greeted the guard who was standing in the entrance, waiting for them to step in.


    "Good morning, Mira! I thought you would come later today? Is that your son?"


    "Y- yes, he is," Mira somehow managed to answer, before turning to her ''son''. "Say hello to him."


    "Good morning," Sera answered, without really looking at the man.


    ? ?


    Her attention was already focused on the giant mansion she would work and live in starting today. While her new home was only the adjacent two-storied house built for servants to live in, she would still be able to savor the vast garden and run about almost everywhere as long as she didn''t disturb Lord Parron or his family. It was a good and safe place for a child to grow up in.


    ? ?


    "He is rather shy to strangers, isn''t he," Arto couldn''t help but comment.


    "Give him a few days to warm up to you."


    ? ?


    Before Mira could even think about talking him out of it, Arto had already placed his hand on Sera''s head. He ruffled up her hair with a big smile on his face.


    ? ?


    "Don?''t worry, we will be best pals soon enough."


    ? ?


    It was obvious what Sera though about it. She immediately shied away, searching for safety behind Mira''s back. There was no anger to be found in her expression, she was only displeased about being touched by him.


    ? ?


    "No touching," she confirmed what the two of them already had guessed from her reaction.


    "Ok, ok!" Arto just laughed it off, clearly not reflecting on his mistake.


    ? ?


    After saying goodbye to him, Mira led her daughter towards the mansion, passing by flowers and trees in all shapes, colors and sizes, an as beautiful as large pond and two white pavilions which probably were used for drinking tea or hosting garden parties.


    The mansion itself was older than the two by a few generations, but it was well-kept and had been renovated quite a few times, especially thanks to its newest owner, Lord Parron, whose tastes seemed to change with the seasons.


    The whole building was made out of sand-colored stone, giving it a both noble and old feeling, especially in combination with the roof covered by sheets of aged copper. There were dozens of large windows to be found, each of them carefully decorated with flowerpots. With its three stories and the castle-like tower housing the library, the whole mansion toppled even the trees surrounding it.


    Just as Sera started losing her interest, Mira led her onto a path that separated from the driveway leading to the entrance and the stable that stood at the far end of the property.


    They now faced the servants'' quarters, which were built using the same stone as the mansion, but looked far less noble. Out of all the servants employed by Lord Parron, only the servants required to be available on a moments notice had the luxury of living here. Right now, those consisted of only two guards, two cooks, and four maids plus the sixteen-year-old kitchen-helper Aron who would share his room with Sera.


    ? ?


    ?I wish she would be in my room instead.?


    ? ?


    Naturally, that was impossible. Mira sharing the room with her ''son'' meant that they would need an additional room for Sally, the maid she currently lived with, and such a room simply didn''t exist. There were no free rooms in this building, and even if there was, it was still unacceptable for a growing boy to live with his mother.


    ? ?


    ?It will be alright,? Sera tried to encourage herself, ?Aron is a nice guy. He won''t do anything unnecessary.?

 Chapter 02 - A Fool named Aron

    A faint screech sealed up Sera''s sole way of retreat as the door was closed behind her. Her mother had just pushed her into the room, using a light touch and several lines of encouraging words.


    ? ?


    "It will be fine," she had promised, "you will become friends for sure."


    ? ?


    Sera didn''t think she needed someone like that. She knew what friends were, but never had one herself. Back in Seba and her father''s palace, there hadn''t been anyone remotely close to her age around. Her youngest brother had been old enough to have a wife and children, and her oldest brother could easily have passed as her father instead.


    Why would she need something she had lives just fine without for her whole life? Sera didn''t understand her mother''s intention. She only was sure of one thing: the guy in front of her who was looking at her half smiling, half shocked, would stick to her for the time being. She couldn''t help feeling bothered by it.


    ? ?


    "White hair..."


    "Yes."


    "You are Sera?" The brown-haired young man asked.


    ? ?


    His brown eyes wandered down her body, examining each nick and nock of it. As Sera was still a child, there was nothing really she had to hide, but her girlish face alone did make him question everything he had been told before.


    ? ?


    "You look like a girl."


    "I''m a boy," Sera lied without batting an eye.


    "Y- yeah ..."


    ? ?


    Sera saw that Aron had trouble believing her story. She wasn''t dressed much differently to him, who wore dark brown trousers and a pale beige shirt of some sort, but he was much taller and slightly muscular, too. Working in Lord Parron''s house didn''t seem to be easy, at least when you looked at him who did the harder work in the kitchen the chefs weren''t willing to do.


    The young man in front of her had no beard yet, aside from a few dark hairs here and there, and even those had been trimmed thoroughly. He looked a little like the owner of the inn she had stayed at with her mother, though Sera didn''t know if that was something good or bad.


    ? ?


    "You don''t want to introduce yourself," Aron asked after a long silence.


    "I''m Sera."


    ? ?


    Her answer was as short as it could be, but Aron seemed to hope for something else, instead. After being stared at for a few seconds, Sera added another line to her introduction.


    ? ?


    "I will be in your care."


    "I see ..."


    "Introduce?"


    "What?"


    "You are Aron?"


    "Ah, yes! I''m Aron! I''m sixteen years old and have been working here for a year. My dream is to become a famous cook who..."


    ? ?


    Sera stopped listening. The young man told her something about his dreams, his ambitions, his hobbies and his work, but nothing of it really stuck to her head as her gaze was restlessly wandering through the room.


    It was a mess. After being tossed into her new life, Sera had never owned more than the little clothing she carried in her backpack right now, but even those few shorts, trousers, shirts and coats had been neatly folded and stacked. Aron''s clothes were lying all over the place, making it look as if he had tossed them around in a fit of anger.


    ? ?


    "Messy," she cut off his still babbling voice.


    "Messy?!" It was only now that he seemed to realize his idea of tidiness didn''t fit well with his new roommate. "Ah, sorry about that. I didn''t have the time yet to clean up."


    ? ?


    Aron hurriedly began gathering his clothes. He tossed his underwear and shirts into a large basket that stood next to the bunk bed, the trousers, however, he sniffed at before tossing them either onto the lower of the two beds or onto the dirty clothes he already had sorted out. All of this ''cleaning'' did take about two minutes and ended with Aron pointing at the upper bed.


    ? ?


    "You will sleep on top."


    ? ?


    Sera felt like protesting, as climbing up the bed meant giving Aron way too many chances to check out her body and forcing her to always wear something underneath even while sleeping. It was only the display of slightly smelling clothing that urged her to just accept his decision and take the upper bed he probably hadn''t slept on yet. It would be fresh, at least Sera hoped so.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    After climbing up to her bed, Sera placed her backpack next to the small pillow she had to settle with starting today. She sniffed at the blanket, and, slightly relieved, looked down to Aron again.


    ? ?


    "Curtains," she demanded.


    "Curtains? What is with them? We can close them at night, I don''t care. But won''t you need to wake up as early as me?"


    "For my bed."


    ? ?


    It took him a few moments to realize what she was asking for. When it finally clicked, he only shrugged his shoulders.


    ? ?


    "I guess I could get you a blanket and some nails if you want."


    "I want."


    "At least say please and thank you!"


    "Please."


    "... you aren''t stupid or anything, are you?"


    ? ?


    Sera could only look at him dazzled. She wasn''t stupid, it was quite the opposite of that. At least she had an easy time learning something new, be it how to sew, how to cook or what names and ranks important noblemen had.


    Encouraged by her willingly sucking up knowledge like a dried up sponge would suck up water, her mother had taught her far more than Sera would ever need to survive. Naturally, she didn''t really care about it. It had been a good way to pass time while she was stuck in boring inn rooms, unable to really leave them more than once or maybe twice a week.


    ? ?


    "I''m not stupid," she finally answered, her voice filled with a strong resolve.


    "If you say so."


    ? ?


    Silence spread between the two of them as Sera didn''t seem the least willing to talk to him. To Arno it didn''t look as if she was in a bad mood but rather as if she was exhausted instead, not physically, but mentally. The truth, however, was a different one. She just didn''t have anything to ask about as Mira had been especially thoroughly in her explanations before.


    ? ?


    "You are really ten years old?"


    "Since last month."


    ? ?


    It was a lie Mira had preached to her over and over again. In the Rorint Kingdom, it was forbidden by law to hire children for work that were younger than ten years old, and they were unable to become enslaved by any means. Sera, on the contrary, wasn''t even nine years old and, as a demon, wouldn''t be protected by any human law in the first place.


    ? ?


    "You look younger."


    "I didn''t eat enough."


    "Even if you say so, what will you be able to do with such a weak body?"


    ? ?


    Sera could only look at him questioningly. It was true for sure that she wouldn''t be able to carry bags of grain. But that was not due to her strength but due to her size. She could lift just as much as her mother, if only she tried hard enough!


    ? ?


    "I''m not weak."


    "You are," Aron decided immediately. "What will Lord Parron pay you for?"


    "I don''t know."


    "You don''t know?"


    "Mother told me I would be with his daughter and son."


    ? ?


    Aron could only look at her in disbelief. It was the longest line she had said so far, and still, it wasn''t any better at answering his question than anything else she tossed at him.


    ? ?


    "He wants you to serve those two?"


    "Yes."


    "Why you of all? Doesn''t he have enough servants?"


    "Don''t know."


    "..."


    ? ?


    A long sigh echoed through the room. Aron had tried hard enough to get friendly with his new roommate, but the boy was either too stupid or too shy to answer to any of his now fruitless attempts. For now, he had little choice but to give up on becoming a big brother figure for Sera. But he still had other days, weeks or months ¨C all the time in the world.


    ? ?


    "I will show you the servant''s quarters for now."


    "Already know them."


    "The mansion?"


    "I begin working next week."


    "I don''t care! Climb down from there, I will show you around!"


    ? ?


    Sera thought about it for a few moments, before she gave in. Her mother already began working by now so she had nobody and nothing to fight the boredom with. Following around this strange guy was better than nothing. Maybe he would show her something good.


    After having decided so, Sera simply jumped from the bed, and walked half the way to the door, before turning around to her new roommate.


    ? ?


    "Show me."


    "..."


    "Please."


    "... what did I get myself into?"

 Chapter 03 - Black Out

    Aron led Sera to a narrow set of stairs that was hidden in between two patches of well-trimmed flower bushes. They seemed to lead down to the basement, where she assumed various storage rooms were located.


    ? ?


    "Follow me," he demanded after he had opened the heavy wooden door that had sealed off the entrance.


    "Basement?"


    "It has anything you need for working here."


    "Like tools?"


    "You will see soon enough."


    ? ?


    Sera wasn''t the least interested. She didn''t know yet what her work here would look like aside from it somehow being connected to Lord Parron''s son and daughter. Maybe she would need nothing but a butler''s uniform, maybe not even that. Why should she get psyched up about something she didn''t know whether it would be connected to her in any way or not?


    Even though she couldn''t feel excited at all, Sera had no choice but to follow her roommate into the building where a corridor shrouded in dust and darkness awaited her. She stepped through the doorframe only to immediately be told to stop again.


    ? ?


    "Wait a second. I will turn on the lights."


    ? ?


    Before he had even finished talking, his right hand had already wandered to a rectangular slab that slightly protruded out of the wall. Sera didn''t see much of it, as most of the daylight didn''t find its way into the basement. It was only when Aron had placed his hand flat onto the slab and took a few deep breaths, that it became visible. Runes began to glow all over the stone''s surface.


    ? ?


    "Magic circle," she asked.


    ? ?


    Aron answered her with a short sigh before he began concentrating again. Activating this was easy, but you needed to focus on doing so and not let yourself get distracted by anything unnecessary.


    Little by little the room grew brighter, thanks to a series of small orbs that began to glow in a slightly yellowish light. Each of them had been installed in the ceiling, with only a few steps each separating them.


    ? ?


    "We have to hurry a little," Aron explained with a trace of shame in his voice. "My mana is pretty weak."


    "Weak?"


    "It can only light this up for five or six minutes. Maybe seven."


    "How long can mother make it glow?"


    "A few hours, I guess. She has to cancel the magic so the light won''t burn through half of the night. The orbs are expensive, after all."


    "Why not use candles?"


    "I guess they aren''t bright enough. To be honest I never thought too much about it."


    "Even though you are so weak?"


    ? ?


    Something in Aron''s face changed. Sera could have sworn she had seen him turning red, but she chose not to ask him about it. Whenever her mother was the same, it had been nearly impossible to get the truth out of her after all. It was only when his answer came, after a few long moments, that she understood he indeed felt ashamed - and angry.


    ? ?


    "Small kids like you won''t even manage a minute!"


    ? ?


    Sera couldn''t refute anything to this. She didn''t know how strong or weak her own magic capabilities were, as she had never been able to test it. Her mother hadn''t allowed her to get close to any magical device, as she feared they could loosen the seal placed on her and thus reveal the demonic aura it hid.


    The concealment item Mira had gotten from her former master prior to the hunt had been that way. As soon as she would use any form of magic, the effect would temporarly wear off and allow others to again percieve her magical aura.


    ? ?


    "Don''t know," Sera answered after a moment of thinking about it.


    "If there is any potential in you, it won''t be revealed before you turn old enough. Until then, you have to ask me or somebody else to do it for you."


    "Yes."


    ? ?


    He was wrong about this. Mira had told her that the magic of humans was strongly connected to them growing up from being a child to a young adult, but it was, in fact, quite the opposite for herself.


    Like any other demon, Sera was born with a part of her magic capabilities already active, as it was required for her body to grow into a healthy and strong woman that would be able to handle the whole extent of it later on. Naturally, this would allow her to grow far stronger than a human - if she had the potential.


    ? ?


    Sera looked at the young man that seemed to have sunk into deep thoughts. "Continue?"


    "... yes."


    ? ?


    Aron slowly walked down the corridor. His steps looked wobbly now, and even his breathing seemed to go a little faster, making it look as if he was exhausted.


    ? ?


    ?Did he use that much mana,? Sera couldn''t help but ask herself.


    ? ?


    She didn''t get to ask her question out aloud, as her roommate suddenly stopped in front of a door. He opened it and once again placed his hand on a second slab attached to the wall right behind the doorframe. The murky room slowly lighted up.


    ? ?


    "This is the tool storage."


    "..."


    "It has everything you need for the garden or cleaning the house. There are even tools for-"


    "Hammer and nails?"


    "... we will grab them later!"


    "Why?"


    "I can''t let you run through the whole house with a hammer and nails! People will think you are crazy!"


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there."They will think I want to repair something."


    "It is your first day here!"


    "I can repair."


    "Fiiine!"


    ? ?


    Arno finally gave in. It wasn''t Sera''s ''logic'' that has won over his patience, but rather did he feel annoyed and just wanted to get their ''introduction tour'' over with.


    ? ?


    ?At least he will be silent for a while if I give him his stupid hammer.?


    ? ?


    He took a few steps into the room and let his gaze wander over the shelves attached to each of the walls. The tools had been sorted neatly, but there had never been the need for him to use a hammer, at least not in Lord Parron''s house. A man so powerful and rich could easily call far more experienced men to do repair works. There was no need for a mere kitchen helper to ever touch such tools.


    ? ?


    "There it is," he finally announced after searching for a few minutes.


    ? ?


    When Aron turned around, he had both a hammer and a few nails in his hand, which he wordlessly placed into her hands.


    ? ?


    "Thank you."


    "It''s no issue. Are ten nails enough?"


    "Yes."


    "So let''s leave then. I will show you the other rooms."


    ? ?


    As soon as Aron had stepped out of the room and back into the hallway, he was stopped by a voice that sounded like something in between monotone and disinterested.


    ? ?


    "Will you give me a blanket too," Sera wanted to know.


    "A blanket?"


    "For the curtain."


    "You really want that curtain, do you?"


    "I want it!"


    "Are you afraid I would peep at you?"


    "Yes."


    "Can''t you at least deny it?! What''s with that fast answer?! I''m not a pervert!"


    "I sleep better with curtains."


    "... too late."


    ? ?


    Seeing that she didn''t plan to answer anything to his complaint, Aron led his steps towards the next door. He had barely touched it when suddenly the light turned a lot darker. The mana he had forced into the magic circle had already run out. He couldn''t help but curse out loud.


    ? ?


    "Damn it!"


    "No mana?"


    "It is because you have wasted so much time!"


    "Will you do it again?"


    "I already told you it costs too much mana." He sighed. "It can''t be helped. I will show you the rest of the mansion for now."


    "But the blanket..."


    "If you want that blanket so much then you should turn on those lights! I can''t do it again!"


    "I will try."


    "Don''t bother trying before you get at least three years older ..."


    ? ?


    An almost inaudible sound resounded in Aron''s ears. He turned around, towards the boy who had just placed his small hand onto the magic circle.


    ? ?


    "Push?"


    "You have to imagine your mana flowing into it. But as I said: don''t bother trying! You are too young to-"


    ? ?


    His words suddenly cut off. Aron was petrified. Right in front of his eyes, the runes surrounding Sera''s hand began glowing, not in a faint color, but bright as the sun instead. Tears rolled down her skin as the light burned in her eyes.


    ? ?


    Aron''s panicked voice echoed through the basement "What are you doing?! Stop it!"


    "It''s different?"


    "STOP IT AT ONCE!"


    "Why-"


    ? ?


    Suddenly, blindingly bright light flooded the basement. Not only the hallway, even the orbs in the tool storage shined so intense Aron couldn''t help but close his eyes and hide them behind both of his arms. It was still too bright, so bright in fact that he could see the light shining even through his flesh!


    ? ?


    "NOOO!!"


    ? ?


    Just as the orbs shone the brightest, a series of explosions filled the basement, each of them destroying one of the tens of orbs installed to the ceiling. Where there had been nothing but hot, white light only seconds before, now darkness and dust spread and buried everything and anybody under them.


    ? ?


    "Wha- where are you?! Sera?! SERA!"


    ? ?


    The boy didn''t answer him. It was ghastly silent, except for the debris of the magical orbs and the surrounding stone falling from the ceiling. Aron searched for the small silhouette, but it couldn''t be found anywhere in the cloud of dust that had filled the basement.


    ? ?


    "Damn it! Damn it all!"


    ? ?


    Aron slowly walked forward, using both of his hands and feet to search for a way out. He didn''t come more than a few steps as he suddenly hit something soft.


    He locked down, onto the floor that seemed to be covered by black and grew powder. In the midst of it, there a dusty something laid - the battered body of a child.


    ? ?


    "Sera?! Is that you? Answer me?! Why aren''t you answering! Say something! Please!"


    ? ?


    She didn''t answer, nobody did. Aron screamed at her, he shook her and even pulled her up, but she didn''t react to anything he did. The sole answer to his screams was a series of approaching steps. They probably belonged to the guards or the maids, anyone who was near enough to have heard the explosions.


    Before Aron could find a chance to prepare himself, a familiar man appeared on the stairs just outside of the entrance. He stared into the basement, his face changing its expression and color over and over again. There was panic, anger and many other feelings to be found, but all of those vanished when the man spotted the motionless body in his servant''s arms.


    ? ?


    "WHAT DID YOU DO?! WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"

 Chapter 04 – The Most Stupid Girl

    Everything was dark. Sera still knew that she had followed Aron into the basement, where he wanted to start showing her around, but she didn''t remember much of what had happened after that. There was a magical circle of some sort that must have done this to her, but what was it for? Her memory was to fuzzy to find a clue.


    Somebody had placed her on a matress so soft that her seemingly weightless body sunk deep into it. A warm blanket was pressing down on her and made her almost feel confined, but it wasn''t bad enough for Sera to really care about it. It was just that her body was weak, as if she had run about all day long.


    If she didn''t knew better, Sera would have believed she was back in Seba and her own bed that felt just as soft, warm and comfortable, but this obviously wasn''t hers, neither was this Riak but the capital of the humans instead.


    Sera didn''t dare to open her eyes and check where she had ended up, as there was an unknown man talking right next to her. A cold shiver went over her skin.


    ? ?


    ?Has he found out?! What is he doing here? Who is that man?!?


    ? ?


    No, that couldn''t be true. She would already be dead by now if they really had found out that she was Kolnir''s, the demon king''s daughter. In th end, it probably wouldn''t even have mattered if they had found about her real identity. Being a demon alone was already anough for most humans to hate her to the extent of them wanting to end her using any means possibly.


    It was the first time in weeks that Sera felt fear. Ever since her demon aura had been sealed, she had numbed for this feeling of weakness and despair.


    ? ?


    ?Has the amulet weakened? Is the magic still aktive?!?


    ? ?


    Sera couldn''t tell. She still felt the necklace on her skin and the amulet on her chest, but there was no way for her to tell wether it was still working as it should or not. The chaos that had spread in her mind certainly didn''t help in soothing her anxiety.


    ? ?


    "When will he come to," she heard a woman ask.


    ? ?


    Goosebumps went all over Sera''s body. She knew this voice, it was far too familiar for her to ever mistake it for anybody else''s. She was here, here mother was here!


    ? ?


    "That is hard to tell, Mira," the man answered. "He wasn''t injured aside from a few shallow cuts and scratches, but he has exhausted all of his mana. We should let him sleep for now, otherwise it would be bad for his health."


    ? ?


    A single word echoed through Sera''s mind, repeating itself over and over again. ?He! He said he! They didn''t find out!?


    ? ?


    "I will order the cooks to prepare something hearthy for him when he wakes up. It will help him find back his strength."


    "Thank you, master."


    ? ?


    Mira''s voice was almost inaudible now. It was obvious that she was thankful for his help, but she also seemed to be unwilling to depend on him like this. Sera could only guess it was related to her former master treating her badly, though she did not know much about what had happened back then.


    ? ?


    ?So it is our master ...?


    ? ?


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.A short moment of silence spread between the two of them, just enough time for her mother to formulate her next question.


    ? ?


    "It is a great honor that you check up on him, master," she took a shallow breath. "But he is only my son, a servant. Isn''t your time too precious to be spend like this?"


    "I am interested in this son of yours," Parron answered without thinking twice. "How could I not be with this much potential showing at such a young age? He couldn''t be a better rival!"


    "A rival," Mira asked, clearly confused. "For your son and daughter?"


    "Estiella is doing fine, she is a good girl. If anything, she would need somebody to play with. Marcin, however..."


    "What is with him?"


    "He is intelligent and energetic, anything I would wish for in a heir, but he wastes all of his qualities with pranks and fooling around. I fear his teachers will go bold sooner or later."


    "Is it really that bad?"


    "Not bad enough that I would give up on him just like that."


    "So you want Sera to beat him in his studies?"


    "Essentially, yes. He will be their personal servant, too. They are old enough to bear some responsibility, after all."


    ? ?


    ?Beating him in his studies...?


    ? ?


    Sera had already known that he had employed her as a servant for his two children, but becoming a rival figure on top of that was something she hadn''t even thought of.


    ? ?


    "Well then," Lord Parron continued, "it looks like that has to wait for a few days more. Please present him to me as soon as he has recovered."


    "Yes, master."


    ? ?


    A few steps could be heard, then a door opening and closing again. Sera kept her eyes closed, fearing that it could be Parron instead that had stayed in the room, but her mother''s voice soon proved her otherwise.


    ? ?


    "I know you are awake."


    "..."


    ? ?


    Sera could only give up. She opened her eyes, only to be surprised by her mother, who suddenly pulled her into her embrace. It didn''t even seconds for the first sniffs to resound close to her ear.


    ? ?


    "You idiot," her mother cried out, "you are such an idiot!"


    "..."


    ? ?


    Sera knew her mother was wrong. She couldn''t be stupid, looking at how fast she learned and how she could do complex math in her head among countless other things. Not only that, she was diligent, too!


    Still, she felt stupid. Right now Sera could swear she was the most stupid girl in the whole world. She could still forgive herself for accidently knocking down a flower pot or getting a book wet by spilling her drink, but those mistakes were nothing when compared to making her mother cry! This was the worst!


    Hot droplets ran down her skin as she hugged her mother back, trying to calm her down and beg her for forgiveness. It was the second time she shed tears today, but never before had they felt this bitter.


    ? ?


    "I am sorry! I am sorry, mommy! Please! Stop crying! I am sorry!"


    ? ?


    Somewhere between her wails, Mira heard it, that one word her daughter had never used in all those months they had been together. Countless tears rolled down her skin as she burned this moment into her memories, so she would never forget it again.

 Chapter 05 - Hate at First Sight

    Sera''s gaze restlessly wandered through the hallway. There was too much to see as if anything were would be able to grasp her attention for longer than mere seconds.


    Under her feet, there was a dark-red carped that was far longer than any she had seen before. It covered the whole hallway from one side to the other, leaving no place for the real, wooden flooring to show through. A large variety of symbols and emblems had been weaved into it, which probably were connected to Lord Parron in any way.


    The big windows to her left side were spotlessly clean and on top of that decorated with two flowerpots each. The colorful blossoms made the windows look narrower and impractical, as you wouldn''t be able to open them without moving the pots before, but they made the whole hallway look far more welcoming at the same time.


    Aside from the afternoon sun, a faint yellowish light shone down from the ceiling. The magical orbs gave Sera a weird feeling of insecurity. They made her walk behind her mother and in the midst of the hallway rather than at her side and inevitably closer to them.


    The mansion had about as many doors as the inn they had stayed it, but compared to them, the ones connected to this hallway were bigger in size and, more importantly, further away from each other. It was obvious that the rooms they lead to were generous in size.


    Sera''s mother didn''t seem to pay them any heed. She just passed by then as she followed the hallway all the way to its end, were a double-winged door awaited them.


    ? ?


    "Lord Parron''s," Sera couldn''t help but ask.


    "It is his office room."


    "Office room?"


    "He manages all of his wealth and belongings from here."


    "I know offices! Father had one, too. He often-"


    ? ?


    Before Sera could even start explaining how he had worked, her mother had already turned around. She kneeled down in front of her and pulled her into a tender embrace. A soft whisper reached her ears.


    ? ?


    "I''m sorry, Sera. I know you miss him, but you should never mention him in this house. Do you understand?"


    "I don''t miss him."


    "That is good ..."


    ? ?


    It wasn''t a lie. Sera had never missed her father. She knew he had been important to her, as he had been both friendly and warm-hearted, even more so than her mother, but she felt nothing. There was no feeling of loss or grief, nothing of what her mother expected her to go through. It would probably a whole different story if it wasn''t for the seal.


    After making sure Sera wouldn''t mention her father in front of their master, Mira took her hand. She led her to the door, took two deep breaths and knocked against the doorframe.


    ? ?


    "Master," she announced their presence, "It''s Mira. I brought my son with me."


    ? ?


    Lord Parron''s answer came only after a few seconds. He probably had to prepare something before he would be able to welcome them.


    ? ?


    "You may enter."


    ? ?


    His voice was muffled by the heavy wooden door blocking it, making it almost impossible for Sera to make out the exact words he had used. Her mother, however, already seemed to accustomized to this. She probably had heard as little as Sera herself, but could at least guess what had been said.


    Mira opened both of the doors, revealing a well-lit room that featured expensive looking furniture, hundreds of books and four strangers that stared at Sera as if she was a ghost.


    The man sitting in front of a work desk had to be her master. Sera guessed him to be about fifty years old, maybe a few years older. He had dark-blonde hair with a few strands of grey and a well-trimmed beard of the same color.


    Despite him being a nobleman, his clothing didn''t seem especially expensive, but rather comfortable instead. He wore what looked like a teal-colored, woolen cloak over a white shirt.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The woman standing on his right side seemed to be his wife. She was too old to be his daughter but younger than him by at least fifteen years. A beautiful, dark blue and white dress embraced her graceful looking body.


    The sole connection she seemed to have with her husband was the color of her hair as she, too, was blonde, though her hair was far longer, reaching half the way down her back.


    To Sera, the two strangers standing on the left side of the working desk were far more interesting. Both of them were blonde like their parents, though they still couldn''t be more different. The girl looked like a mixture between a fairy and a puppet, as she had curly hair and a frilly, green and white dress. She was the daughter Lord Parron doted on.


    The boy looked just like Sera had imagined him. Sure, he was dressed in expensive clothes, namely dark blue trousers and a vest of the same color he wore over a white shirt, but his whole being screamed out that he didn''t want to be here. His vest was only buttoned up half the way and both of his hands were in the pockets of his trousers.


    If there was still a part of Sera that thought of him as just being slightly untidy, it quickly died away now that she was faced with the boy''s scornful stare.


    ? ?


    ?He hates me!? Sera couldn''t help but gulp. ?Did Lord Parron already tell him that I would be his rival??


    ? ?


    A light bump against her arm cut off Sera''s thoughts. Her mother looked at her, seemingly waiting for her to do something.


    ? ?


    "Greet your masters."


    ? ?


    Greeting them? Sera felt like running away instead. Why would she want to be here, with this boy staring at her like that? He would be her master starting today. She would serve him and the puppet-girl!


    ? ?


    "Good afternoon, masters," Sera somehow managed to squeeze out. "My name is Sera. I will serve you starting today."


    ? ?


    Sera finished her long prepared line with a slight bow. The answer she received, however, couldn''t be more different from what she had expected. It came from the boy who still looked at her as if she was the biggest annoyance there was in his life.


    ? ?


    "He looks like a girl."


    "..."


    "Be more polite, Marcin," Lord Parron reprimanded his son. "You will be together a lot from now on, so don''t make him dislike you right from the start."


    "He doesn''t need to like me," Marcin decided, "he is my servant!"


    A heavy sigh could be heard coming from Lord Parron. "He will be your training partner, too. So be respectful to him before he beats you up. I won''t punish him if he teaches you a lesson."


    "My training partner? Can he even hold a sword? He looks so weak!"


    "We can test that right now. Oria has already arrived. She is waiting for you two in the dojo."


    "..."


    "..."


    ? ?


    Sera was just as unwilling as the boy who now stared at her in disdain. He made a weird face to taunt her, carefully hidden from the views of his family, but it didn''t affect her in the slightest. Even though he was her master now, there was no reason to care about his opinion.


    After all the boy had said, it was still his father alone who would pay her, though Sera still didn''t know if she would really get any money out of this. She would have to ask her mother as soon as they were alone.


    Unlucky for her, that would have to wait for later as Lord Parron claimed her attention for now. He introduced her to both the puppet girl and her mother before she was already lead out of the room by the boy who hated the whole idea of sharing even a single minute of his time with her.


    There was no further explanation, nor was there any time for her to at least prepare herself a bit, as the boy hurriedly made his way through hallways and rooms Sera had never seen before.


    ? ?


    "Wait!"

 Chapter 06 - A Sore Loser

    Goosebumps went all over Sera''s skin as she stared at her opponent. Minutes ago she had still felt lucky that he had been unable to shake her off, but now, that she was standing here, she deeply regretted following him.


    As soon as they had reached the dojo, a wooden, black-roofed building that was almost as big as the servant quarters, Marcis had challenged her to a duel. He didn''t even give her the chance to properly greet the woman teaching them!


    ? ?


    "Hold the sword at a lower angle," Oria''s advice came from somewhere behind her. "It will be easier to react to his attack that way."


    "Attack ..."


    "Don''t worry, he won''t hit you for real."


    ? ?


    Sera couldn''t believe her. Not only has she never wielded a sword before, but her young master also seemed eager to defeat her, too. It was impossible for her to win!


    They were only using wooden swords for the training, but Sera knew he would still end up hurting her in some way or the other. But even though she knew, there wasn''t any fear to be found in her, which probably was the sole benefit Sera''s seal had aside from hiding her demonic self. It allowed her to keep a clear mind, and maybe find a way out of this trap.


    ? ?


    "Concentrate!"


    "..."


    ? ?


    Subconsciously, Sera''s grip grew stronger. She knew she couldn''t even dream of defending herself if she failed to predict Marcis'' attacks. Even if she managed to do exactly that and block Marcis'' sword a few times, her luck would surely run out sooner or later.


    Oria didn''t seem to care the least about the chaos that had settled in Sera''s mind. After correcting her stance for one last time, she simply stepped back and left the combat area to her apprentices.


    ? ?


    "You may start!"


    ? ?


    Marcis had only waited for this single command. He charged right at Sera, lifted his sword high into the air and made a large swipe downwards.


    ? ?


    ?NOO!?


    ? ?


    Sera held the sword above her head, trying to block the attack, but it was far stronger than she had imagined. She had somehow stopped it, but both of her hands were hurting as if she had hit a massive wall instead.


    ? ?


    "Attack him," Oria''s shout came from the side. "He is wide open!"


    ? ?


    There was no way Sera could follow this command, as Marcis was already attacking her again, using an even more large swipe. This time, she couldn''t help herself but just jump to the side and watch Marcis'' sword hit the wooden floor instead.


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    "Don''t just let yourself get cornered! Attack him!"


    ? ?


    Sera''s body already moved forward, as if only following the stranger''s command. It was only a single step, but that was far more than enough to get in range for her own attack. Before Marcis has found his balance again, a dull hit could be heard. She had hit his shoulder, just hard enough for him to know that he had lost.


    ? ?


    ?I have hit him! I have really hit him!?


    ? ?


    The boys'' face turned red immediately. He didn''t seem to feel ashamed, but rather angry instead.


    ? ?


    "You dare to hit me?!"


    "Separate," Oria ordered them, "back to your starting positions!"


    ? ?


    Marcis'' didn''t listen to their trainer, instead he attacked Sera again, so sudden in fact that she wasn''t even left with a chance to react to it. This time, he didn''t perform another one of his needlessly wide swipes, but thrust forward his wooden sword instead, into the stomach of his opponent. Sera immediately tumbled over.


    ? ?


    "Separate I said! Separate!"


    "I have only taught him a lesson."


    "He has never held a sword before!"


    "So what?!"


    ? ?


    Sera couldn''t even follow their quarrel. She was still on the ground, squirming in pain, coughing and fighting for air as their loud voices filled the dojo.


    It was only when Marcis ran out of the dojo in rage, that silence returned and Oria checked up on Sera.


    ? ?


    "Is everything ok?"


    "It- it hurts," Sera somehow managed to squeeze out.


    ? ?


    Oria didn''t waste any time. Before Sera could even react to it, the swordswoman had already pulled up her shirt.


    ? ?


    ?She will find out!!?


    ? ?


    Contrary to Sera''s fears, Oria didn''t try to expose her chest. She just laid bare her stomach so she could examine the wound.


    Even if she had decided otherwise, the swordswoman would probably never be able to tell her real gender, as Sera was still too young for there to be any real difference to a boy''s body. If there was one thing she would be able to comment on, it would be her still being too skinny.


    After giving her body a single glance, Oria''s attention shifted onto the oval bruise she found slightly to the left of Sera''s navel. There was blood leaking from the wound, but it wasn''t too much for it to pose a real danger. Still, it hurt, enough to force tears into Sera''s eyes.


    ? ?


    "That mark will stay for a while..."

 Chapter 07 - Healing

    After their training season had come to such a sudden end Sera was left with nothing but an aching wound. Oria originally had planned on teaching her the sword regardless, as she had come all the way here to teach, but the pain made it impossible to even dream about following her instructions.


    Sera had still tried her best as she too hoped to lower the possibility of her being defeated in such a miserable way ever again, but the throbbing pain didn''t even allow her to move around much. She could barely walk, but that, too, required the help of somebody else to support her.


    In the end, she could only watch the swordswoman train alone and learn by burning her every move into her memory. Oria gave her a few explanations here and there, but to Sera seeing her simulated attacks and blocks was a far more effective learning method.


    Now that it all had ended and Oria had brought her back into the mansion, Sera had nothing left to do. Her young master was nowhere to be found and she couldn''t just go back to the servants'' quarters and pretend nothing had happened.


    After thinking about it for some time, Sera thought about searching for her mother for the time being as she would surely give her some hints on what to do now that their master''s son had escaped. Only one issue remained: Sera had no idea where her mother was.


    The mansion was large, at least large enough to search for quite a few minutes. And Sera neither could nor wished to climb up stairs, open doors and while doing so possibly catch the attention of somebody she shouldn''t anger. If she was to randomly invade into rooms, her masters would think of her as a burglar rather than a girl searching for her mother!


    In the end, Sera was left with one simple solution. If she was to go to Lord Parron''s office again, she wouldn''t find the boy, but he would give her something else to do and she could prevent her master from thinking of her as lazy and unreliable.


    Sera had no trouble finding back to the room as it had an especially prominent position with it being on the end of the hallway on the ground floor, where it was easy to lead visitors to. This, of course, meant she didn''t need to climb any stairs aside from the small one leading to the back entrance.


    Before long, she found herself in front of her master''s office. By now, she had already formulated her question roughly a dozen times, so to make sure she wouldn''t mess up. It still needed her about a minute before she could find the courage to knock at the door frame like her mother had done it before.


    ? ?


    "It is Sera," she said, making sure it was loud enough for Lord Parron to hear.


    Lord Parron''s answer came within a few seconds. "You may enter," he said, his voice sounding a little exhausted.


    "Yes."


    ? ?


    Sera opened the two doors just enough for her to pass through and, under the puzzled gaze of her master, closed them again before turning around and making a slight bow. A wave of breathtaking pain assaulted her.


    ? ?


    "Hurts!"


    "What," he asked, looking even more confused than before, "is something wrong?"


    "It- it is nothing, master!"


    ? ?


    Parron didn''t buy Sera''s excuse. He let out a sigh before asking her to reveal the truth.


    ? ?


    "What did he do this time?"


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings."He wished to fight me."


    "You had a duel?"


    "Yes."


    "I didn''t know you knew how to handle a sword."


    "It- it was my first time," Sera heard herself stammer.


    ? ?


    She didn''t know what to say. Was it a mistake to tell the truth? Should she hide that she had hit his son? Or should he tell him everything and risk being hated even more? It was Sera''s first time meeting those two. How could she find the right answer?


    ? ?


    "So he beat you up," Parron concluded.


    "Yes..."


    ? ?


    Parron sighed again before he raised up from his chair, walked around his working table and stepped closer to Sera. Something inside of her screamed for her to escape, but she knew this would only make matters worse. If he was already angry now, trying to escape the just punishment would only make things worse!


    ? ?


    "Show me those wounds," he demanded.


    "Master, I-"


    "You don''t have to be afraid," he cut off her words, "I will just heal them."


    "Healing magic?"


    "I specialize in fire magic, but as long as it is something small, I will be able to manage."


    "Fire magic..."


    "It is nothing to be proud of."


    ? ?


    There was a hint of sadness in Lord Parron''s face, but Sera choose to not ask him about it.


    ? ?


    "So will you show them to me?"


    "Yes..."


    ? ?


    Sera pulled up her shirt the same way Oria had before. It was just enough for the wound to be revealed again but not enough for Parron to find anything that could betray her - at least Sera believed so.


    ? ?


    "He didn''t hold back..."


    "..."


    "Where is he now?"


    "I don''t know. He ran away. I couldn''t follow him."


    ? ?


    Upon hearing her recite what had happened in the dojo, Lord Parron couldn''t help but sigh again. Most of his frustration was probably aimed at his own son, but Sera felt that her short, memo-like answers didn''t exactly please him either.


    After taking a few deep breaths, Parron placed his hand onto Sera''s stomach, right onto the bruise, and closed his eyes before he began mumbling some kind of magic formula. It took him about a minute to finish chanting it, but before long his hand began glowing in a faint, yellowish light.


    A tingling sensation rushed through Sera''s body. Her wound that had made each breath a torture before, now felt as if it was set in flames instead. Tears rolled down Sera''s skin as she tried to endure the pain, but luckily for her it soon eased. Only a faint heat remained now, which surrounded two wounds on her back that had long since become scars.


    ? ?


    "This should do it for now," Parron decided. "Make sure to eat something hearty today. Your body will need some energy after all of this."


    "Yes, master."


    ? ?


    Before he pulled down her shirt again, Parron''s eyes fell on a little piece of metal that stuck out from under her shirt. A cold shiver when over Sera''s body as she realized what he was looking at.


    ? ?


    ?The seal!?


    ? ?


    Sera immediately tried to retreat and pull down her shirt again, but her master was both faster and stronger by a large margin. Before Sera realized what was happening to her, Parron had already pulled up the shirt all the way up to her neck. His sudden attack revealed both her chest and the seal that laid on her naked skin, only held in place by a cheap necklace.


    ? ?


    "Why would a child wear a concealment amulet?!"

 Chapter 08 - Trapped

    Sera was petrified. She couldn''t move nor think of anything to say that could possibly free her from the trap she had stepped into. Her master awaited her answer, but there simply wasn''t anything she could tell him. There was no lie that sprung into her mind, no excuse, nothing.


    It didn''t help the slightest that she remained silent but rather worsened her situation instead. Lord Parron''s expression had long since changed from confusion to one that reflected anger instead.


    ? ?


    "Why are you wearing this," Parron asked after growing too impatient to continue waiting for her answer. "Who gave it to you?!"


    "I- I don''t know..."


    "How can you not know? It is too expensive of an item to give away just like that!"


    ? ?


    An idea suddenly popped up in Sera''s head, nothing but a silly excuse that might end up saving her from being tortured or burned alive.


    ? ?


    "It was a man," she lied, "he gave it to me so I could hide!"


    "To hide you?"


    "When the demons attacked..."


    ? ?


    Sera''s voice grew more and more silent. She could already feel her eyes burning as the first tears started to gather in them.


    It wasn''t just the fear from being killed or tortured that gave birth to them, but the knowledge that she would be separated from her mother for the remainder of the short life the humans would allow her to waste away in some damp and dark prison cell.


    Now that he was faced by her bitter tears, the anger in Parron''s voice quickly faded away. He still wanted to ask something, but he didn''t dare to even speak to her now that she had revealed her weakness. It was only moments after that he spoke to her again, this time with a calm and soothing voice.


    ? ?


    "You were attacked by demons?"


    ? ?


    Even if she wished for it, Sera couldn''t answer lord Parron anymore. He looked at her with pity in his eyes, thinking she was right now diving into the memories of her being attacked by demons and seeing others die. When he then discovered a scar on her back, he no longer thought about ever mentioning her past again. It was obvious that Sera had told the truth.


    In reality, Sera''s remaining composure got torn apart by memories of humans instead. Before her inner eye, she saw thousands of them charging into the encampment the demon army had set up for the night, slaughtering anybody and anything that lived.


    They hadn''t shown mercy to woman and children that had followed the army for various reasons, nor did they let horses and pets run away. There was nothing that had been spared, not even the servants that had helped Sera escape into the forests. She would never forget the screams of the two young women that had served her for her whole life.


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    "Those beasts," he mumbled to himself, "to even lay their hands on a kid..."


    ? ?


    It was only now that Lord Parron let go of Sera. He slowly raised up and walked back to his table.


    ? ?


    "Sorry for that," his almost inaudible voice reached Sera. "I won''t mention it again."


    ? ?


    Sera could only nod for an answer, as she was still fighting the chaos of fear, anxiety and relief that threatened to give birth to even more tears. Lord Parron waited for her to calm down a little before he broke the promise he had given her seconds ago.


    ? ?


    "Why are you still wearing it?"


    "They will find me if I take it off. They will try to kill me!"


    ? ?


    Contrary to what she had said before, this was nothing but the truth. To Sera, there was little difference between a human boy trying to hide from demons and a demon girl trying to hide from humans. If Parron had taken away her amulet to examine it further, she would probably find her end within hours or days at most.


    Even if the answer wasn''t enough, the obvious signs of fear on both her face and body won Parron over. He couldn''t help but sigh before he tried to calm her down.


    ? ?


    "You aren''t in danger anymore," he promised, "I will never allow anybody to hurt my family or my servants, especially not a filthy demon."


    "Thank you..."


    "Now that that is out of the way, will you tell me what has brought you here? Was it only about my son hurting you?"


    "I can''t find him."


    "He is probably on his way to the library by now. Why don''t you wait for him there?"


    "Libary?"


    "Marcis never misses Darrid''s lessons. You will surely show up."


    "I see."


    ? ?


    Sera had no idea who Darrid was, but judging by this explanation, he must be either very scary or very important to Marcis for him to never miss his lessons. Both of these possibilities had a bad aftertaste, as she didn''t want to see a scary person and anyone loved by her master would match his character. Either way, Sera would possibly be hurt again.


    ? ?


    ?...?


    ? ?


    Even though she didn''t want to, Sera knew she had no choice but to go. If she were to be kicked out of Lord Parron''s house, there was no way her mother would be able to pay for the stronger concealment artifact she would end up needing sooner or later. Even with the free rent and food, it would probably become hard to afford those soon enough.


    Sera bowed down to her master and excused herself. She left the room, silently closed the doors and immediately sank to the floor as all the pressure Parron had placed on her suddenly faded away. There still were wet traces on her skin stemming from the tears she had shed, but by now she felt nothing but relief.


    ? ?


    She was safe ...

 Chapter 09 - Magic Books

    The library was as easy to find as Lord Parron¡¯s office room. Sera just had to follow the stairs as it was located in the highest room of the mansion, inside of the castle-like tower. Just choosing to go upwards whenever it was possible was enough for Sera to end up right in front of a large, double-winged door much like the one that led to Parron¡¯s office.


    Just as any other door in the mansion these two, too, lacked any description or symbols on it that could reveal what was hidden behind them. They were just plain, wooden doors which sole outstanding feature was that they had been crafted using far too expensive wood.


    After preparing herself to meet yet another stranger, Sera pushed down the doorhandle and entered the room. There was nobody awaiting her, neither the man that would teach them nor Marcis, who, at least according to his father, would never miss these lessons.


    ? ?


    ?I¡¯m too early...?


    ? ?


    Even without the two, the library was by no means empty, but rather cramped instead. There were hundreds if not thousands of books stored on dozens of shelves. Some were as big as Sera¡¯s hand, others, however, she wouldn¡¯t be able to lift using one hand alone.


    The room had rather long walls, making it almost feel like hall instead. On three sides stood two large bookshelves each that were separated by windows and benches, the fourth wall, however, had nothing to it but the double-winged door Sera had just entered through.


    The benches were well-padded and looked just right for a little nap, especially when it meant having warm sunlight caress your skin, but Sera didn¡¯t waste a single thought on trying it out. Her whole attention was focused on the countless books and especially their titles, which would reveal what they could teach her.


    Most of the titles could be found on the back of the book¡¯s binding, others had this information added to them with the use of crude writing and white ink.


    Even though there were too many of these descriptions surrounding Sera as if she could grasp them even with a day¡¯s worth of free time, it seemed like there were only about a dozen books she would really be able to read. All of them were stored under the bookshelf standing next to the door, almost hidden from view.


    These few books seemed to be the only ones in the whole library that didn¡¯t greet her with the roundish writing style the humans used, but familiar runes instead.


    ? ?


    ?Demon language!??


    ? ?


    Sera couldn¡¯t help but let herself sink to the ground in front of the bookshelf so she could examine the books a little better.


    ? ?


    ?It really is!?


    ? ?


    A few of the books were rather uninteresting. They were about politics, history or the family trees of influential demons, but the majority of them had far more practical uses.


    ¡®Tokin¡¯s Book of Magic¡¯ one was titled, ¡®Regeneration and Rejunivation¡¯ another. There were books about alchemy and poisons, about magical warfare and even about mind magic, which was nearly impossible to learn and use for anyone but a few selected demon races.


    Sera naturally decided on reading the magic book, as it could possibly teach her how to control the flow of magic residing inside of her body. If there was any chance of this preventing her from fainting again, it was worth the hours and days she would need to work through it.


    Sadly, she wasn¡¯t that lucky. ¡®Tokin¡¯s Book of Magic¡¯ didn¡¯t even touch the issues novices like her might face. It was more of a collection of breathtakingly powerful spells the author was able to use.


    The book described how to perform each one of the spells, but Sera obviously had no reason to learn how to summon giant explosions capable of destroying entire castles, especially if it meant wasting time that could have been spent in learning something useful instead.


    The book about mind magic wasn¡¯t exactly helpful either. Thanks to her mother¡¯s blood, Sera had a strong affinity towards spells that could affect her opponent¡¯s mind or even her own, but that alone wouldn¡¯t do anything.


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    It was as if she had both the best fertilizer and good seeds, in the form of her affinity and her magic potential that grew with each passing day, but there was no dirt to plant it into. If she couldn¡¯t control her mana, how could she even dream about harvesting power and longevity?


    Alchemy on the other side required a vast amount of money and fitting tools before you could even start, and even then it was questionable if it was of any real use. And then there was poison, which couldn¡¯t be more useless to Sera.


    The most useful book seemed to be the one about healing, as it had hundreds of carefully drawn pictures of wounds, anatomy and various ailments in it. It described the best treatment methods step by step and even taught some basic healing magic. Of course these, too, required the foundations Sera lacked.


    Just as Sera had decided to give up and put the books back under the shelf, the door right next to her was suddenly opened and an old, beardless man accompanied by her master¡¯s son stepped in.


    Taken by surprise, Sera couldn¡¯t even think of putting back the books. She just stared at the two, dazzled.


    ? ?


    ¡°What are you doing here,¡± Marcis immediately asked upon finding her sitting next to the door.


    ¡°Lord Parron has tasked me with accompanying you to all your studies. He wants me to learn together with you.¡±


    ¡°And I tell you to leave!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ? ?


    Sera didn¡¯t know how to answer. It was certainly true that Lord Parron¡¯s wishes carried more weight than those of his son, but she couldn¡¯t just ignore his demands either. Each time she did so, he would end up hating her a little more, which wasn¡¯t exactly a good scenario as she would probably need to serve him for days to come.


    ? ?


    ¡°Master, I-¡±


    ¡°Go clean the stables or something!¡±


    ¡°The stables...¡±


    ¡°Just leave!¡±


    ? ?


    Just as Sera was about to give up and leave the room as her young master had demanded, a sigh could be heard coming from the old man. She looked at him as if pleading for him to help her, but it was clear that he had no interest in participating in their quarrel.


    ? ?


    ¡°Let her stay, Marcis,¡± he told him. ¡°She won¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    ¡°If you say so...¡±


    ? ?


    Sera couldn¡¯t believe her ears. The boy was practically eating out of his hands! With his gray hair and his facial wrinkles he appeared to be a plain old man, and his blood-red robes didn¡¯t seem like much either. There had to be something Marcis was interested in, something that made him listen.


    Sera was hooked. She would listen to this man, watch his every move and hopefully learn how he was able to handle her young master that well. If only he would stop hating her, that was enough! It would allow her to serve him without fear that she would end up cleaning stables or toilettes!


    ? ?


    ¡°So you are serving Marcis from now on?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My name is Sera.¡±


    ? ?


    His eyes remained on her for mere seconds before he found the books she had read. The expression in his face changed from a slight smile to disbelief and surprise instead.


    ? ?


    ¡°What are you doing with those books? Were you reading them?!¡±


    A cold shiver went over Sera¡¯s skin. ¡°No- no! I wasn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°You know demon language?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she somehow managed to lie right into his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to read!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t read?¡±


    ¡°Yes! The books looked different. I was interested in them! One of them has pictures!¡±


    ? ?


    She hurriedly grabbed the book about healing, opened it and held it high up, so the stranger would see the colorful drawings. She didn¡¯t realize she was shoving an elaborately drawn illustration of a woman¡¯s lower body into his face. Both him and Marcis went dead silent.


    ? ?


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...what?¡±