March 7th: 「If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never believe this is what Kafka was like as a child...」
Himeko: 「True. Who would've thought the famous Stellaron Hunter, Lady Kafka—with that staggering 10.899 billion credit bounty on her head from the Interastral Peace Corporation—was actually a shy little girl back then?」
Trailblazer: 「Wait! I just realized something absolutely wild! If these memories keep playing out... does that mean... I get to watch my mom grow up?」
Silver Wolf: 「???」
Firefly: 「???」
March 7th:「 How do you always manage to find these bizarre angles that normal people would completely miss...」
Lumine: 「Speaking of which, is nobody going to address what Miss Susan mentioned earlier?... I've got a feeling that if Lady Kafka continues being raised like this, she's seriously going to end up molded exactly into Mr. Bai Heng's image!」
Paimon: 「Now you're jumping on the absurdity train too?」
--+--
[Since Susan's first encounter with young Kafka, the female demon hunter had taken to dropping by your place with increasing frequency. Sometimes she'd arrive laden with groceries, eager to showcase her culinary skills; other times, she'd simply wave a hand and whisk both you and little Kafka out for a meal beyond 037's confines, all under the pretext of treating the girl to something nice.]
[A striking, intelligent woman, a tall and aloof man, and a delicate young girl—this picture of a nuclear family was a rare sight indeed on Pteruges-V. Each time the three of you ventured out together, you'd inevitably draw envious glances and heartfelt murmurs from passersby.]
[There was no denying it—this life was warm. So warm that even you, constantly navigating a world of blood and iron, couldn't help but occasionally fantasize about how nice it would be if things could just stay this way.]
[But that was clearly impossible. Soon enough, a new mission order arrived from the organization.]
"Do you have work today?"
Noticing Bai Heng draping that long coat—the one that marked him as a demon hunter—over his shoulders, little Kafka licked the faint trace of milk from her lips and spoke up.
"Mhm. I'll be back later than usual today."
"Also, Susan won't be coming over either. Remember not to answer the door if someone knocks." Bai Heng delivered his usual reminders.
Kafka nodded obediently. In the past, she might have fretted over him, but after witnessing his near-clockwork daily returns, she'd learned to hold her tongue.
There weren't any demons on Pteruges-V that could lay a finger on him.
Bai Heng had told her that himself once.
And Kafka had always believed it wholeheartedly.
But...
This time, it seemed a minor exception had occurred.
Staring out the window at the sun, now completely set, a flicker of worry surfaced in young Kafka's vivid amethyst eyes.
It had already been two full system hours past Bai Heng's usual return time.
Yet, the familiar sound of the front door lock disengaging still hadn't come.
A thread of unease began to coil in Kafka's chest.
Normally, even when Bai Heng said he'd be late, it was never by more than half a system hour. A delay like this? It was unprecedented.
Just as Kafka was fighting the urge to send a message to Bai Heng's comms terminal, the sound of the door opening finally echoed from the entryway.
Like a parched traveler spotting an oasis, her dimmed purple eyes instantly lit up with life. With eager, hurried steps, the girl rushed toward the entrance.
And there, she saw him—Bai Heng, his face pale, his entire being radiating exhaustion.
She could even catch a faint, metallic hint of blood in the air.
Kafka knew. Bai Heng was hurt.
"Bai, you—"
"Bai"—it was a nickname she'd started using for him on her own as they grew closer. Now, as the term left her lips, her voice carried a slight tremble.
But before she could voice her concern, Bai Heng preemptively pressed a warm cocoa pastry into her mouth.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm just injured, not dead." He tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing a faint smile.
There'd been... complications with today's mission.
Another party had interfered with a target the organization was supposed to secure at the auction. Bai Heng had no choice but to engage.
While he'd ultimately secured the objective, the cost was a gunshot wound to his left shoulder and a knife slash across his back.
As for the other side?
All five of their demon hunters now lay fallen before Bai Heng's blade and gun.
"What would you like for dinner tonight?" He ruffled young Kafka's hair, doing his best to appear as he always did.
Little Kafka bit her lower lip, offering no reply. She could feel the unnatural chill in the hand resting on her head, and she'd noticed how his left arm hung limp. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come.
Maybe she ought to be nervous, or heartbroken. Maybe she should throw herself into his arms and cry.
But Kafka did none of those things.
She simply reached up, took that large, cold hand from her head, and brought it to her mouth, breathing warm puffs of air onto his palm. This was her way—her way of trying to impart some warmth back into him.
Yes, even months later, she remembered his words with perfect clarity.
—'Family,' he'd said, 'are those you can lean on, and who can lean on you in return.'
Night had fallen.
Having finished filing his mission report, Bai Heng lay in bed, unable to sleep.
His internal clock was rigid; until a specific hour hit, sleep remained elusive.
But even awake, he didn't engage in any particular activity. He simply lay propped against the headboard, gazing out at the full moon beyond his window.
Just then, his bedroom door creaked open. A set of hurried, light footsteps pattered across the floor, and soon a small figure stood before him.
It was Kafka.
Clutching her little pillow, her delicate face still etched with clear alarm.
"Bad dream?" he asked, looking at her.
She gave a small nod, explaining with a hint of embarrassment, "The new episode of 'Demon Slayer' I watched today was a bit scary..."
Well, for a child, that show's themes are certainly... advanced, he thought wryly to himself.
Patting the space beside him, Bai Heng offered a silent invitation.
A look of pure delight, like a child receiving a new toy, spread across her face. She scurried over with happy little steps and climbed into the spot.
With someone by his side and the right hour finally upon them, Bai Heng soon drifted into sleep.
Some time later, the little Kafka sleeping beside him began to stir. She quietly shifted closer until she was right before him.
The proximity was such that she could feel the warm whisper of his breath against her face, causing her eyelashes to flutter involuntarily.
And it was precisely this warm, steady breathing that filled her heart with a profound sense of peace.
Yes, she had had a nightmare.
But it wasn't the frightening scenes from that anime.
It was...
...of Bai Heng, his vitality fading, his life slowly ebbing away.
That was the real reason she had rushed to his room in such a panic.
The moment she jolted awake, she needed to see him. To see his cold yet gentle face, to smell the faint scent of cigarettes that clung to him, to feel the warmth of his breath.
Only then could she be sure that the terrifying vision had been just a dream.
As for why she felt this way? The reason was simple.
Somewhere along the way, during their time together, she had come to see Bai Heng as someone irreplaceable—someone she could not afford to lose.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.