Both the Mistress and I felt as if our souls had abruptly left our bodies.
I instinctively clutched my chest, feeling my heart hammering at an ultra-fast pace against my ribs. How could a simple word affect me this much? I stared at the tiny existence sitting in the broken shell.
She tilted her head to the side in a ridiculously cute manner.
"Papa?" she repeated, her dual-colored eyes blinking softly.
A foolish, uncontrollable grin spread across my face.
I can die happily now, I thought, completely surrendering to the overwhelming cuteness.
However, just the next moment, a shocking sight unfolded right before my eyes.
The little girl floated upward by herself, hovering gently in the air and defying gravity entirely. A moment later, a cute, frilly black dress materialized out of thin air to clothe her tiny form, and her messy dark hair neatly arranged itself into two adorable twin ponytails.
"!" My jaw nearly dropped. I almost believed she was born super, exactly like that alien hero from the comic books who could fly and lift cars as a baby.
Then, I secretly shifted my gaze toward the Mistress. I caught sight of her pale fingers moving in subtle, intricate gestures.
I let out a long sigh of relief. It was simply the Mistress using her magic to clean and dress the child.
The Mistress turned her head toward me, her eyes completely soft and filled with an unfamiliar warmth.
"What are we going to name her, dear?" she asked in a gentle whisper.
"Eh? Name?"
I was genuinely stunned. I reached out and carefully caught the little girl as she flew happily into my waiting arms. She felt incredibly light and warm against my chest.
’Hehe, so cute~’
’But a name...’
My mind immediately started processing at its absolute fastest speed. Before deciding on anything alone, I looked up at the Mistress.
"Do you have a name in mind for her?" I asked carefully.
After all, she was the real mother in this scenario. I was simply a human who got swept into this apocalyptic family dynamic by ’pure’ chance. It made perfect sense for her to make the final choice.
The Mistress remained completely silent. She just continued to stare at me with those soft, expectant crimson eyes, waiting for my answer.
Sensing the shift in attention, the little girl in my arms also tilted her head. She looked up at me with her mesmerizing eyes, blinking in pure, unadulterated innocence.
"Pa... pa?" she murmured again, her tiny hands clutching the fabric of my shirt.
I gulped inwardly.
A bead of cold sweat slid down my back.
This was a highly dangerous and incredibly important moment.
I was standing before a terrifying entity who could likely erase me with a single thought, holding a child born from a heaven-shaking pillar of void energy.
I absolutely had to get this right. I could afford zero mistakes here. Naming a child of this caliber required a flawless choice. Besides, if I did make a mistake, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself either!
So I continued racking my brain, sifting through hundreds of possibilities.
Names of ancient heroines, legendary figures, and historical queens came and went in a chaotic blur. Everything felt inadequate. Some sounded far too arrogant for a newborn. Others were simply too mundane for a being born from a pillar of absolute void energy.
If I gave her a weak name, it felt like it might limit her future. If I gave her an ominous name, it felt like it could set a terrible death flag for us.
Then, a sudden thought struck me. My eyes lit up.
I looked up from the child in my arms and met the Mistress’s gaze.
"Before I decide," I started carefully, making sure to keep my tone gentle. "Could you tell me your name? I realize I have only ever known you as the Mistress of the Spire. Knowing your true name will help me choose something much better and far more fitting for our daughter."
The Mistress blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sudden question. A heavy silence descended over the room. For a fleeting second, a highly complex emotion rippled through her crimson eyes, mixing hesitation with a deep, hidden longing.
"...Caelia," she replied softly after a slight pause, the syllables rolling off her tongue with an ancient, delicate grace.
"Caelia," I repeated, tasting the weight of the word. "What a beautiful name."
A faint, almost imperceptible blush dusted her pale cheeks, and she looked away slightly.
I lowered my head, my mind spinning into motion once again.
Caelia.
A name that sounded ethereal and pristine, contrasting sharply with the dark, oppressive nature of the Nightmare Realm.
If so, I needed something that resonated with that exact elegance. I needed a name that captured both the apocalyptic weight of her birth and the absolute innocence shining in her dual-colored eyes.
Suddenly, the perfect combination clicked into place.
My eyes lit up with absolute certainty.
My smile widened into something incredibly foolish and undeniably genuine.
I gently lifted the little girl high into the air. She let out a soft, melodious giggle, kicking her tiny legs in her frilly black dress as she looked down at me.
"You are too innocent and adorable for this world," I whispered, a genuine smile on my face. "I hope you never lose this purity."
I locked eyes with her mesmerizing slate gray and vibrant crimson gaze, feeling a profound connection settle deep within my soul.
"Your name is Cathiel!"
The little girl tilted her head, her dual-colored eyes blinking slowly as she tested the unfamiliar syllables on her tongue.
"Ca... thi... el?" she repeated, her soft, melodious voice filling the quiet room.
Then, a bright, radiant smile broke across her tiny face. She clapped her small hands together, clearly delighted by the sound of it.
"Cathiel! Papa! Mama!"
Hearing those words, a breathtaking smile bloomed on Caelia’s face.
She stepped forward, her previous hesitation melting away completely. She gave me a deep, profoundly grateful look, and to the child resting in my hands.
Reaching out, she finally touched the little girl and gently stroked her soft, dark hair.
"Cathiel," she muttered, her voice trembling with an ocean of pure maternal emotion. "Cathiel... my daughter, welcome to this world."