Chapter 7: The Granddaughter of a Monster

Chapter 7: The Granddaughter of a Monster

"Your Highness, I understand I have no authority to order you, but I just want to take this woman and verify if she truly belongs to the same bloodline as our deceased lady."

As I listened, the small, gentle voice seemed to plead sincerely. But the man she addressed as "Your Highness" didn’t respond. He ignored her completely.

"You are a stubborn little spirit. Just like your ruler, always filled with curiosity about everything. Unfortunately for you, I am interested in this human. She is strange in every way. Go ahead and inform your queen. If she wishes to talk, she can come here directly."

His tone was calm, but I could sense something beneath it, a quiet dominance that dismissed the wind spirit’s concerns as unimportant. It was obvious he wasn’t listening to her.

I heard her sigh as if giving up.

"Talking to you feels like talking to a stone. Fine. I will inform our queen. But please, Your Highness, promise me that you will not harm this woman."

Her voice carried a helpless sincerity. Still, the man gave no answer. Then, after a few silent moments, I no longer sensed the wind spirit's presence.

All traces of natural energy were gone.

It seemed she had left.

I realized the only presence remaining was the man's.

Listening to them had helped me understand one thing.

They had no intention of killing me, at least not right now. That thought alone gave me enough calm to keep pretending to be unconscious. I was about to relax back into feigned sleep when a cold, commanding voice echoed directly in my ears.

"Hmm. Human, you are awake."

"..."

I jolted in shock. His voice didn’t come from outside. It reached my ears directly. I had no idea how he did it. It was like he bypassed everything and just placed his voice inside my head.

Panic rose in me. I tried to ignore him, thinking that saying less would be safer.

I had nothing to offer him.

Negotiation seemed hopeless, so I decided to act confused, maybe dazed, and stay quiet.

But before I could fully settle into that plan, another voice, wrapped in what felt like pure natural energy, entered my ears.

"Your heart is racing. Are you tense and nervous, little child? What are you thinking?"

His voice was deep and cold. Hearing it sent chills down my spine. He wasn’t normal.

He could sense the way my heart beat and understand what I felt through it.

That was dangerous.

I had been considering acting pitiful, maybe crying, to win his sympathy, but someone like him would see right through it. He wasn’t reading my thoughts directly, but it was close enough to be terrifying. He could nearly guess whether someone was lying or not just from their emotional fluctuations.

I almost made a mistake by underestimating him. Thankfully, I stopped myself in time. Instead of speaking, I gave him a quiet nod. That alone surprised him.

"Hmm. You are indeed nervous. Then let me ask you this. Are you a human or a monster?"

The question threw me.

I didn’t understand.

What did he mean? I had always believed I was human. Wasn’t I?

I couldn’t answer.

Instead, I adjusted my heartbeat to mimic the rhythm of confusion and silence.

I knew he would sense it.

"You really don’t know, do you? That is a strange reaction. Then explain this. How do you possess a monster core within your body? Something like that should not be possible for a human."

Hearing his words, my heart skipped a beat. I felt like I was falling into a daze. He knew. He had sensed the core inside me.

Was he going to kill me now that he had seen it?

I tried to speak, to respond with something, but he continued before I could.

"Hmm. You are afraid. Very well, we shall not speak of it for now. Judging by your body and the age of your bones, you are quite young. But that does not matter. You are a human who carries a monster core, likely one born with it. That makes you… fascinating. I wish to adopt you as my granddaughter. Tell me, child, what do you think of that?"

His voice was cold, but I could sense that he was serious. He wasn’t joking. Maybe it really was the first time he had ever encountered a human with a monster core, no, probably an innate core like mine.

I began to think. Learning about this world was proving to be essential. It seemed humans here existed, but unlike me, they did not possess cores. That was something I needed to remember for future survival.

The core I had received from the system as a reward, something only monsters typically had, was turning out to be more important than I expected. And now, this strange man wanted to adopt me.

I didn’t answer immediately. I stayed silent and appeared to be deep in thought, as if weighing the decision carefully.

Then I slowly nodded.

His response was almost immediate, and though calm, his voice carried a lightness that had not been there before.

"That is a good choice."

His tone felt gentler, almost pleased. I wondered what he was thinking. But before I could gather any thoughts, he reached forward and removed the blindfold wrapped around my head.

Light spilled into my vision.

And when I finally opened my eyes, I was stunned. The man standing before me defied everything I thought possible.

He wasn’t just strong. He was something beyond human.

In that moment, I realized this world I had entered was far stranger and far more dangerous than I had ever imagined.

How could he even be human? He breathed in the surrounding natural energy as if it were clean air, completely unaffected by its toxicity.

I observed him closely, trying to understand what I was seeing. His entire body was wrapped in thick waves of natural energy.

Two long horns curved from his head, and a sharp black tail shimmered with a silver glow, polished like metal and terrifyingly sharp.

It contradicted everything I had concluded earlier.

I tilted my head toward his face, curious and cautious.

And when I saw it, I froze.

His jawline was flawlessly sculpted, bold and defined. His features looked carved from stone, every angle precise. But it was his eyes that truly captured me. They gleamed like polished amethyst, deep, mysterious, and unreadable.

I was so overwhelmed that I felt a tightness in my chest.

He was painfully beautiful.

Cold. Regal.

As a former man myself, I could say with absolute certainty that any woman would willingly open herself to him.

His face alone was enough to make anyone surrender. I couldn’t even blame them.

I found myself staring, filled with a mixture of awe and bitter envy.

He had the aura of a ruler.

His posture was strong yet elegant. Every move he made was smooth, deliberate, and refined. His presence commanded attention.

It confused me deeply how such a being could look at me and call me his granddaughter. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was truly worthy.

Still, I needed answers.

I stared at him and, for the first time, used my real voice.

"Um... W-why would someone like you want to adopt someone like me?"

My tone trembled as I spoke, and I tried to control my heartbeat. I was nervous, full of unease, and desperate not to appear deceitful.

I had to know the truth. I couldn’t let my life depend on assumptions.

What if he had an ulterior motive? What if I was just a resource to him, something to be harvested and consumed later? You could never be too careful around beings of unknown origin. I didn’t even know his name, so how could I blindly accept becoming his granddaughter?

Of course, I agreed earlier because I needed a way to survive. I would worry about the consequences later.

But now, I had to understand his reason. If he refused to answer or gave me a vague response, then I’d know this was a trap. Escaping from someone like him was impossible, so I had to tread carefully.

I waited in silence.

He looked slightly surprised when I spoke. Until now, I had only used nods and fluctuations in my heartbeat to communicate.

But even though I had finally spoken aloud, he didn’t react harshly. Instead, he appeared thoughtful, as if genuinely considering what I had asked.

Then, after a quiet moment, he replied.

"I see. My offer may have sounded abrupt. But let me ease your worries. I have no intentions of harming you. The reason I asked you to be my granddaughter is simple. I want someone to stay beside me."

I looked into his eyes.

He raised his gaze slightly as if remembering something far away.

"I'm lonely," he said softly. "I once had a daughter. A human. But she died more than a century ago. Even with all my power, I couldn’t save her. Death still took her from me. Remembering her only brings pain."

He paused, his voice quiet but steady.

"But now that you're here, I won’t treat you poorly. If you need money, power, or influence, just say the word. I’ll give you anything you ask for."

Though his tone was composed, I could feel the sadness beneath it. It was real. I didn’t know what it felt like to lose someone that important. I had no parents. No one ever truly loved me in my past life.

But maybe once I give birth to my child, I’ll finally understand what it means to have something you can’t bear to lose.

Even so, I could tell he wasn’t lying. His emotions were honest, clear, and steady.

I had learned how to recognize liars after dealing with countless people and negotiations.

This man didn’t fit the patterns. He wasn’t hiding ill intentions. There was no threat in his voice.

I steadied myself and bowed politely.

"Thank you for telling me. I’m truly sorry for doubting you."

I let my voice waver as if I were hesitating, then added softly.

"I’m not someone who trusts easily. I’ve been betrayed before. But your story... it made me want to believe in you. I know what it’s like to lose everything, and that kind of pain never really goes away. So... please forgive me for being careful. I just wanted to protect what little I have left. I needed to be sure you were someone I could trust."

I gritted my lips gently and lowered my gaze, adjusting my heartbeat slightly just in case he was still listening for lies.

He smiled faintly and nodded, understanding my caution.

"You’ve suffered deeply. I can feel the hatred and sorrow that burns inside your heart. It’s genuine. A fire that refuses to fade. Am I right in assuming that whoever brought you into my domain is also the one who took everything from you?"

He gently placed a hand on my shoulder. His touch was steady, not forceful. Then he continued.

"Don’t worry, child. My request for you to become my granddaughter was never meant to trap you. I am simply chasing a warmth I once had and lost. This isn’t about control. Just stay here for one month. That’s all I ask. If at the end of that time you still feel uncomfortable, you can leave. You’ll be free to decide your own path."

His words settled over me like a heavy blanket.

For the first time since I arrived in this strange, terrifying world, something inside me shifted.

It wasn’t trust. Not yet. But maybe something close.

I knew better than to lower my guard. Trust was dangerous. In a world like this, trust could kill you.

But for now, I could pretend.

I could play the part.

And maybe, just maybe, pretending would lead to something real.

Maybe this place could become something more than just another battlefield. Maybe, for the first time, I could find something worth holding onto.

Even if I had to lie to survive, I would hold onto that hope—just a little longer.