Page 11 of Demon Daddy's Little Girl

"My room is the prettiest!" Rose declares, dragging me to see it again.

She's right. Her room blazes with life compared to the rest of the house - walls painted soft purple, twinkling magical lights strung across the ceiling, stuffed animals arranged on the bed. The animals are new, I can tell, but the rest - why would he have a purple room?

"Did you see his room has no pictures?" Rose asks, hugging a plush creature to her chest. "Not like the demons at home. They had lots of family paintings."

I hadn't noticed that specifically, but she's right. Most demon nobles practically wallpaper their homes with ancestral portraits. Here, the walls stand bare except for Rose's room.

"Everything's so clean," I murmur, running a finger along a windowsill. Not a speck of dust. "Like no one really lives here."

"Maybe he's lonely." Rose arranges her new toys in a circle. "Like we were, before."

I pause at her words, remembering the single chair at his desk, the untouched books, the hollow echo of our footsteps through empty halls. For someone of his rank, this house should be bustling with servants, family members, constant activity. Instead, it feels like a museum - perfect, pristine, and utterly lifeless.

Rose trails behind me as I inspect the kitchen cabinets, taking stock of our surroundings. Her tiny feet patter across the stone floor, purple eyes bright with curiosity.

"Why did the nice guard Captain give me such a pretty room? Did he know purple's my favorite?"

My hands freeze on a jar of dried herbs. "I'm not sure, little flower."

"And he has the same sparkly magic as Papa did. You said Papa used to make lights dance for me?"

The jar slips, but I catch it before it shatters. "Rose..."

"Is that why we're staying here? Because he's like Papa?"

I set the jar down with trembling fingers. "No, sweetheart. We're here because..." Because we were caught. Because I failed to keep us hidden. Because I had no choice.

"Do you think he'll teach me magic? You always said I'd learn when I was bigger." She twirls, making her dress flutter. "I'm bigger now."

"Rose, please." The words catch in my throat. How do I explain that we can't trust anyone, even someone who seems kind? That her father's death taught me that lesson in blood?

She stops twirling, head tilted. "Are you sad, Mama? Is it because we had to leave our garden?"

I kneel before her, smoothing her wild curls. "I'm sad because I wish things were different for you. You deserve a real home, not running and hiding."

"But we're not running now." She touches my cheek with sticky fingers. "And this demon-"

"Captain Dezoth."

She nods. "Captain Dezoth-" She tries but the words are very garbled. "Has a garden too. Can we plant flowers like at home?"

My chest tightens at her innocent hope. This isn't home. It can't be. But how do I tell her that without breaking her heart again?

"Maybe we should explore the rest of the house first," I deflect, rising to my feet. "Make sure we know all the exits-" I catch myself. "All the rooms."

"Like hide and seek?" She claps her hands. "I'm good at that game!"

Yes, too good. Because for years, our lives depended on it.

The front door's heavy latch clicks. Rose freezes mid-question about the garden, her violet eyes widening.

"Captain Dezoth!" I can barely decipher what she says, and Dezoth looks a little confused, too. She bounces on her toes as Dezoth's tall frame fills the doorway, his dark uniform stark against the afternoon light.

I tense, stepping closer to Rose, but she darts forward before I can stop her. "Did you catch any bad guys today?"

Dezoth sets his sword belt on a hook with careful precision. The intimidating Captain of the Guard somehow transforms as he crouches to Rose's level, his golden eyes softening.

"A few troublemakers in the market district." His deep voice gentles. "Nothing too exciting."

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