My Servant System

Being able to finally say that they were truly my family, and that I could address them as such was an interesting feeling; I had... almost always - after the first few months or so, anyways - considered them as my family.

A mixture of the instincts of the body I had inhabited, my brain developing like it had once before, the state of my mind and the craving I had for a family yet again, the need for something stable and warm and loving compared to what I did have before... all of that merged together and allowed me to easily accept them as family, but now I could finally say it.

Perhaps it was late, but like many people say, it's better late then never, and I would have to agree; for the longest time, I had looked at Mother Ria and seen her as the Countess - someone I was to look at from a confusing distance that was both far and close, and someone that I needed to treat with respect but also someone that I was far too close to to always address by their title...

It was a confusing thing that's for sure, but I suppose the elevation from servants to Nobility for Mother and I made it far easier to switch things up to their proper, deserved states, so now we were able to address one another as we had long since felt we should.

She was very much like a second Mother to me, if only because she taught, provided, and protected me like a Mother should, while the Marquess did the same, albeit in her far more crass and informal style.

That was all the more evident now as I looked to the side, where I could see Mom lounging on the floor casually tossing Lakshmi into the air and catching her as she fell back down into her hands, with Mother watching on with a slightly worried expression as her eyes followed the lavender skinned baby going up and down - even as said baby giggled and laughed with each launch into the air, that instinct to keep her baby safe made it hard to trust even a Knight of Cinder with something like this.

Meanwhile, lounging on the sofa and running her hands slowly through Alessandra's golden hair, Mother Ria also watched Mom do as she wanted with a small smile on her face as she groomed the baby Elf in her lap, who was gradually dozing off as the warmth and comfortable bliss of being pampered got to her, though she certainly made a fighting effort to not fall asleep as she shook her small head and looked this way and that.

"Mother, when are your parents supposed to arrive? It was sometime today, right? Should we just stay in today, or can we..?"

Jahi's voice broke the comfortable silence - well, silence save for the laughter of Lakshmi, anyways - and we all turned towards the older Elf as we expressed our own curiosity at the question, only to smile wryly as she raised a brow and instead asked "Even if they arrived tonight, or tomorrow morn, would it kill you to remain inside with us today? Just for once, truly sit back and relax? Hm?"

I glanced at Jahi and smirked at how she frowned before letting out a sigh, her broad shoulders slumping slightly as she grumbled "No, no it wouldn't... just wanted to know if I could go spar or something instead of just sitting around..."

"As odd as it is for me to say, you should try to take advantage of the quiet and peace now, since the moment you step foot over in the Sultanate, I doubt you'll be stationary for long. Be it because you're going out to fight monsters or because you're being told it'd be best to join them in the morning training, afternoon training, dusk training... You really won't have much relaxing time over there."

Anput frowned this time before smiling wryly instead as she nodded, the brief moment of wanting to 'defend' her homeland losing to the reality of what it was as she said "Yes, it is a very active and martial place. That is going to be the most jarring difference between the Empire and the Sultanate; just how straightforwards and brutal it can be. But, that's why it's so great~!"

"And why I was more~ then willing to threaten to secede from the Empire and join the Sultanate instead all those years ago when the Empress 'threatened' me with a few separate things~! She knew I would do it, so she conceded and let me do what I wanted. Sucked for that Noble House though... a real~ pity for them."

We all looked at the Demoness with a frown - Jahi and Leone with the most confused and concerned expressions - but none of us got an answer as the sound of knocking filled the room, causing us all to stop.

Each rap against the thick wood was evenly spaced and weighed, almost down to the most precise millisecond and ounce possible, making it relatively easy to determine who it was; someone strong and someone who dealt in precisions like that.

Mother and I moved towards the door at the same time, her years of experience and my self induced nature causing us to move together to get the door despite others being much closer, and we shared a small smile at that before she opened the door to reveal two Elves standing together.

The one directly in front of the door was a tall, slender woman, her lithe body and sharp features vaguely resembling the Elf inside, while her bright blue eyes and long golden hair that had been pulled into a ponytail were much clearer and obvious hints.

A long black overcoat covered her emerald green and gold suit, while the midnight black fur that was stitched into the collar of her coat slightly softened her features, though it made her eyes all the more bright and cold as she narrowed them, looking down at Mother and I.

Her hands found their way back into the pockets of her coat as she tilted her head, her green lips curling into a slight frown before returning to a thin line as she looked up and over us, towards the tall Demoness and Elf that she was familiar with.

Behind her stood a thin man wearing a similar black overcoat, though his suit was a simple black with silver accents, which matched his slicked back black hair that was beginning to turn silver too.

A monocle rested in front of his right eye, a thin silver band holding it in place via his pointed nose whilst the silver chain that draped off the side connected to his ear, which was pierced in multiple places; each earring shimmered with mana, as did the glass of his monocle.

He snapped shut the heavy book in his hand and nodded once as he looked at us, his green eyes filled with recognition as he asked "Ah, are you the two Dogkin that we've heard about? Julie and Katherine Zara, I believe? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Taking a step forwards, he extended his free hand to Mother first, who hesitantly shook it as she looked between the two with concealed confusion; when it was my turn, I almost flinched at the shock that traveled up my arm, something that the man seemed to catch as his brow arced for just a moment.

"Father! Really now?"

Mother Ria stepped forwards and let out a sigh, only to stiffen as the woman muttered "Ria...", her blue eyes landing on her daughter and narrowing further as she watched an equally blue hand drape itself over the younger Elf's shoulders; when the amused and carefree voice of Mom joined in, well...

"Madam Haniel~! Mister Haniel~! Welcome, welcome~! It's been a few years, no? It is a shame we aren't back at the Asmodia Estate, but hey, who can complain about the Palace, hm? Come in~! We can have some tea and catch up?"

Letting go of my hand, the older man 'smiled' gently as he nodded and said "Yes... I think that would be excellent, Chordeva...", and I didn't know what to do since his eyes remained as neutral as before, while his wife seemed to be trying to kill Mom using just her gaze, which... honestly might have worked on someone with a weaker will and not as carefree as Mom was...

So I just stepped to the side and let them walk inside, though Mother and I exchanged glances as we gently took the heavy coats off of their shoulders, which the two Elves let us do as their attention was quickly stolen from any of us as someone else walked closer.

Jahi stopped a few feet away from the two, and in her arms were both Lakshmi and Alessandra, who were both staring curiously at the two newcomers - Lakshmi with what seemed to be just the question 'Who are you people?', while Alessandra seemed to recognize and understand that they were just like her own Mom, making this a rather peculiar and interesting thing for the Elf baby.

The room went quiet again as those three 'new' members of the Asmodia Family looked at the two main members of the Haniel Family, their two separate and strong genetic trees entwining and bearing two separate fruits that now stood in front of them.

Two separate, wonderful, strong and unique fruits, which captivated the two older Elves as they looked between Jahi, Alessandra, and Lakshmi too, before finally returning their gaze to the branches that had come together and entwined to bear these fruits.

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