Chapter 346: A New Future
"...Let’s talk about the war. Your puppets and the generals commanding certain sectors of the army have sent me reports — the initial advance is going well, though it has slowed down," Esther says while Kali is between my legs, bouncing a little ball against the bed.
She waves her tiny hands as if she doesn’t quite understand what she’s doing, so much so that she hits the ball against the bed and when she lifts her hand she stares confused, waiting for the ball until she notices it’s in her hand.
"Yes, yes, I’m handling it just fine, Esther, and I already know about the reports and everything else — I wrote them. You don’t need to tell me all of it again," I say to Esther while playing with Kali at the same time. The war is going very well for now.
The angels seem to be conserving their strength, focused on defending the main kingdom while my troops wear themselves down — a strategy that makes reaching it easier and less costly.
So, logically summarized, the angel queen is deliberately sacrificing "dead weight" while holding her greatest forces to use later, a strategy that has taken the lives of many civilians. That woman is truly very cruel for the image of a benevolent angel she projects.
When we reach the center of the continent where the Angel Queen is, many of my soldiers will die! Fortunately, Marie, Laplace, and I are all handling intelligence.
Thus, nothing is being leaked to the angels, so for now everything is proceeding predictably, which allows Eve to teach Shizuka calmly as we advance.
"I already know that fact, Evelyn. What matters is the progress. The enormous number of puppets you made is disrupting the logistics of everything — they don’t eat, they don’t sleep, but they take up space."
"Do you know how difficult it is to hide an immense army of puppets? You need to fix this or we’ll have problems, since this enormous puppet army combined with our own army brazenly gives away our position," Esther says while Kali watches my tail moving.
Kali reaches her little hands toward it and I bring my tail closer for her to grab. She hugs my tail and puts the tip in her mouth, trying to bite, but she has no teeth so she just drools on my tail, making me giggle.
"Evelyn, pay attention. I don’t need another child in this situation," Esther says as if me giving attention to my daughter were something childish on my part instead of focusing on this war.
"I am paying attention, Esther! As much as I can, considering the topic is war! Just tell me what I should do. I already said I won’t do anything else you don’t order," I say to her, more interested in my daughter.
"You’re not even going to try or put any effort into this, Evelyn? You know that if you had good ideas I would accept them without issue," she questions, raising an eyebrow at me.
"No. I’m nothing more than your doll, right? So do whatever you want. I’ll obey. I’m not obligated to plan anything. You made it clear in the past that my plans are bad."
"I already set up the strongest weapon we have. Shizuka will be very useful. You just need to know how to use that ace up your sleeve. Beyond that, I have no further obligations, I believe. Besides, my only obligation now is to serve you and take care of our daughter."
"...Seriously?" she asks with displeasure at me not even trying to do anything that isn’t obligatory.
"Yes, yes, I’m serious," I say, seeing Kali getting frustrated, probably because my tail doesn’t taste good. The scales are hard and it’s a bit strange to put in one’s mouth. She stops putting my tail in her mouth and grabs the bedsheets, making a quiet sound like a complaint.
"Fine... I’ll tell you later what you have to do. I need to analyze a few things before telling you what to do..." she says, staring at Kali. I pull her closer to me, making Esther angry.
"Your overprotectiveness is almost sick. This girl isn’t a fragile piece or a jewel — she won’t break if she spends 30 minutes without you clinging to her like a shield," she says, rolling her eyes.
"...She is my jewel, and there’s a little monster wanting to break that jewel, so I have to be overprotective, being her shield. After all, I’m the only shield you’d think twice about before trying to break through," I say, placing Kali on my lap.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about, Evelyn. I never showed signs of—"
"Kali has no clothes of her own, no crib, no toys that aren’t the ones I created. I made Kali’s clothes with my powers, I made her toys and the crib she sleeps in. If it were up to you, she’d sleep naked on the floor," I say to Esther.
It’s true that she hasn’t actively tried anything against Kali, but she also hasn’t done anything to keep her from dying. Even the most basic of basics was created by me. I had to craft her little clothes with my threads, I had to build her crib with magic and the things I had stored inside my storage ring, and her food is my milk, so I don’t have much to say on that one.
"If I couldn’t create things with my magic, I know you wouldn’t give Kali anything even if I humiliated myself and begged you. Esther, you don’t fool me! I know you far too well for that, and that is exactly why I’m so exaggeratedly protective of Kali."
"..."
"I know you won’t do anything for Kali, and I’m not going to try to force you to, but don’t question anything I do for her." I rock Kali on my lap, swaying her gently so she stays distracted.
’What a terrible example we’re setting for my daughter...’ Lately, Esther and I have had many disagreements, so it always feels like we’re fighting, even if what’s happening now isn’t really a fight.
"...Fine then, Evelyn. You’re right. I don’t need to do anything for this child, so let’s put that aside. To make you happy, how about we set up a sales system?"
"I bring a list of things and you buy them from me." I think about it, but I’m no longer so foolish as not to notice.
"You’re so cruel..." I say to her for her cruelty. She’s going to spend my treasure to buy these things, and she knows that for me, as a dragon, spending my wealth is unpleasant.
"I don’t need that. I can create everything I need from scratch with magic, and besides... I can have my bodies outside of here buy things and just teleport the puppet to this place with my things." When I say that, Esther’s gaze turns cold, which shows that her plan failed.
I’ve learned to play this game. Esther was the best teacher to teach me about life. I won’t become dependent on Esther for everything now that I have a daughter to protect.
I know very well that I’m safe. I know Esther would do anything for me, and as long as that was the reality I didn’t care about doing anything, but now I have Kali, and Kali doesn’t have that protection, so I need to be smart, careful, and a planner for my daughter’s future.
"You don’t even really love this child, Evelyn. You just want to have something so you can feel that you’re good enough to overcome the past. This girl is just a crutch you use as an excuse for your weakness."
"..."
"Yes, yes, stay silent, Evelyn. It’s not as if a five-day-old baby could make you love them so much in such a short time," she says, getting up to leave.
"I’ll return later when I finish planning what to do and I’ll tell you what it is you have to do," she says with a dismissive wave, leaving me alone with Kali.
"Tsk... Esther is so unnecessarily cruel..." I look at Kali. It can’t be denied that there’s a kernel of truth in what Esther said. There’s no way I could love a baby who’s been with me for only five days so deeply, and besides, I barely had time with her.
Since the time when the pregnancy was developing I wasn’t here, so part of my affection for Kali carries my own feelings, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like her.
I genuinely like my daughter. She didn’t solve any of my problems, but I feel that if I can raise this child in a stable way and make her happy, I will have succeeded as a mother!!
Besides, my love for her is genuine even if not as large as I let show!! And I will take good care of her by my own choice and not just because I’m seeking something.
In the future, my love for her will grow to the same level I express with words!!! So Esther is wrong. I’m not "pretending" to love Kali. I like her and I will like her even more with time.
"Don’t worry, Kali! I really do like you! Don’t listen to your other mother’s bitter words!" I hug her, lying down on the bed and letting her rest on my chest. She sleeps a lot, so I start humming for her to fall asleep.