Sena recalled the moment she had first heard the voice.

When her father had dragged her to the Eva Church.

What had I been thinking back then?

Resentment? Anger?

Had she been feeling things like that?

I don’t know.

Everything had simply been quiet.

Even while children around her cried and screamed, while some people were dragged away and others brought in, she had felt no meaning in any of it. It was as if everything had been ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) dead.

It had felt like it would not matter if everything simply disappeared like this.

And that’s anger?

Sena tilted her head.

“How about you look for someone else?”

She was offering that advice after giving it some thought. No matter how she looked at it, it was not a power that had any real use.

With a power that could not even heat a cup of tea, what exactly did it keep meaning when it said it would give her everything she wanted?

[Th-That...!]

“......?”

Had that been an unexpected answer? She could feel the fluster in the voice.

“What?”

[...can’t.]

“What?”

[I said I can’t!]

Can’t? Did that mean it could not go to someone else?

[My choice is already finished, and if you do not accept me.......]

“And if I don’t?”

[Then I will disapp—]

The voice cut off abruptly. It felt as if it had realized, too late, that it had let out something it should not have said.

“You’ll disappear?”

[No. I misspoke!]

That sounds right, though.

“What’s your name?”

It did not seem like it was about to disappear right away, but it was strange to keep talking like this without even knowing its name.

[...Name?]

“Yes.”

It was not even a difficult question, yet no answer came back for a long time.

Sena wore a puzzled expression, then just as she was about to go back to wiping things down—

[I don’t have one.]

The voice came.

“You don’t have a name?”

[I am power itself, and the desire humans long for—]

“So you don’t have one.”

[.......]

“Then how about Lu?”

[Lu?]

“Yes. I’ll call you Lu from now on.”

[Lu... Lu.......]

Was it her imagination, or did the voice repeating the name over and over sound slightly excited? Listening to Lu’s voice, Sena started wiping again.

[Lu.......]

“.......”

It must really like it.

It was probably better to keep it a secret that she had absentmindedly made the name from the “Lu” in Luna, the name of the black puppy... no, the black wolf of this house.

*****

“Big brother Dive!”

“Rio!”

Cling!

The moment Rio spotted Dive, he ran over and wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Big brother! I missed you so much!”

“Me too!”

“Anyone who saw you would think it had been years. You saw each other yesterday too.”

Watching the two of them, Camilla burst out laughing in disbelief.

It’s Lady Camilla.

Sena could not easily take her eyes off Camilla as she came over toward where they were. Today, they were planning to go sightseeing around the city with Camilla.

She looks so cool.

Her younger form had been cute too, but Camilla in her original age was much cooler and much better to look at.

“Hello, Sena.”

“...Yes.”

When their eyes met, Camilla greeted her with a gentle smile. Sena lowered her head slightly and returned the greeting.

[Why do you get so shy every time you stand in front of that woman!]

Then why do you get worked up every single time you see Lady Camilla?

[Because of that woman, the greatest host I had was snatched away! Thanks to him, I didn’t have to wander around for a while, so it was nice while it lasted.......]

Host? Then am I a host too?

[Th-That...!]

So I am a host too.

After being flustered for a moment, Lu spoke again much later.

[You’re different.]

How?

[Because you don’t want to use my power. That’s what’s strange. You were someone who clearly carried darkness stronger than anyone else, so why can’t I feel it now?]

What is it even talking about?

Because it’s not a very useful power.

[Don’t be ridiculous! Do you know how great a being I am? How many times do I have to tell you that if you take my hand, you can have the world—]

You don’t have hands. And you can’t even clean.

[That’s...!]

All you can do is burn things and break things.

[Urgh.......]

In the end, Lu clamped its mouth shut.

“Big sister Sena, look at this! Pretty, right?”

In the meantime, Rio, who seemed to have bought something, came over to Sena and put it in her hand.

“.......”

It was a green bracelet.

“I’ll give it to you, big sister!”

“...To me?”

“Yeah!”

Sena stared blankly at the bracelet for a moment. It was the first gift she had ever received in her life, and she had no idea what kind of reaction she was supposed to give.

“Next time, I’ll make one myself and give it to you! I’m really good at making bracelets!”

At that, Camilla, standing behind him, let out a small laugh.

Around her wrist was a crude-looking bracelet made of thread.

They added the explanation that Rio had made it himself and given it as a gift to Arsian and Camilla before.

“Yes, thank you.”

Offering her thanks, Sena gripped the green bracelet tightly in her hand.

Power...

If I had power... I would want to protect that child.

That smile.

It would be nice if that power could protect Rio, so she could keep seeing that brightness.

[You really are strange. You possess me, and the most you can think of is wanting to protect some little brat like that.......]

Ignoring Lu, who was grumbling again over whatever its complaint was this time, Sena quietly followed after Rio and the others as they walked ahead.

“Big sister, my legs hurt.”

“Then should we sit over there for a little while? I’ll go buy something for you all to drink.”

“Okay!”

About an hour had passed. After excitedly running around and looking all over the streets, Rio finally patted his knees as if he was getting tired.

Seeing that, Camilla smiled and sat the children down on a bench set off to one side.

They had come out lightly, leaving behind the attendants, maids, and escort knights, so Camilla herself headed off to buy drinks for the children.

“Um, I can go......”

Trying to stop Camilla, Sena stepped forward. She said she would go buy them herself.

Camilla shook her head, lightly patting Sena on the head.

“Will you stay here with the children?”

“...Yes.”

It seemed she thought it would be too much for Sena, with her small frame, to carry drinks for four people.

Sena watched Camilla walk away for a moment, then went over to Rio and Dive, who were sitting down.

Even while seated, the two children kept darting their eyes around, already looking for where they should go next.

“Hey! You!”

Yank!

“......!”

That was when it happened. Someone suddenly grabbed Sena hard by the hair.

“Why the hell is this bitch here? Did you run away from there?”

It was a voice she knew all too well. She did not need to check the face to know.

Father.

Sena’s eyes sank in an instant. Just like when Arsian had first found her, the child quickly let everything inside her die.

“Fuck! If you ran away, you should’ve come home! I was already pissed off thinking I’d sold you too cheap!”

Ptui.

Spitting harshly, the man started walking without releasing his grip on her hair. With her small body, Sena could do nothing but be dragged along.

Countless people around them watched the situation with startled eyes, but not a single one readily stepped forward.

There was nothing to gain from getting involved in trouble for no reason. And the man dragging Sena away looked vicious enough to make anyone hesitate.

“Big sister Sena!”

“What are you doing!”

At that moment, there were people who stepped in front of the man and Sena to block them.

Rio and Dive.

Both children spread their arms wide, blocking the man so he could not go any farther.

“What?”

The man’s face twisted viciously. Swearing under his breath, he kept frowning.

“I’m this girl’s father. So mind your own business.”

At those words, both children’s eyes grew wide. Sena’s father?

Rio and Dive’s gazes quickly turned to Sena. Sena had her eyes tightly shut and gave no reaction at all.

“Big sister......”

Seeing her like that, Rio’s eyes quickly reddened. Dive bit his lip and glared coldly at the man too.

But they did not know what more they could do here. If a father was saying he was taking his daughter home, were they really allowed to stop him?

But...

Was it really right to stand there and do nothing after seeing that? Seeing a parent drag his own child away like that?

“Move.”

The man walked right past the two children.

Sena’s body was dragged across the ground with him. Even with her hair being yanked, she did not let out a single groan.

“Big sister!”

“Stop it!”

Shocked by the sight, the two children finally lunged at the man.

Clinging to his arm and leg, Rio and Dive tried to pull Sena away from him.

“What the hell! You little— Aaaagh!”

When both children bit down on his arm and leg with all their strength, the man finally screamed and let go of Sena.