The Family Has Grown
Number 13. That was the girl's name.
“Ho ho. This child has the makings of an assassin.”
A past so faint it was barely a memory. On the way home from her first day at elementary school, she was kidnapped in a van with iron bars over the windows and subjected to a brainwashing curse by a man called the “Shaman.” From that moment on, she was no longer human.
In an underground training facility where not even light could reach, the girl learned killing techniques day after day alongside her peers.
Years passed like that, until the final day of training.
They were locked in a vast space with their fellow trainees and ordered to kill each other until only one remained.
‘Die…! Please, just die…!’
To survive, the girl had to plunge her dagger into the necks of the kids her age she'd shared joys and sorrows with.
“Haa, haa…”
“Hahaha! As I thought! Number 13! You did splendidly!”
In the end, the girl was the sole survivor.
She was selected as a member of the Black Cow, the elite assassination squad of the dark guild.
Her life afterward was an endless hell.
She killed people she didn't want to kill.
She snuffed out the lives of those begging to be spared.
The brainwashing curse etched into her mind suppressed her will, and her body moved like a machine at every command.
At some point, the girl thought to herself:
If life was this painful, she no longer wanted to live.
She could only pray every night.
That this hellish life would end soon.
But this mission's target was an outlier stronger than anyone she'd ever faced.
A red-eyed woman with a ponytail.
With a single wave of her hand, four of the assassination squad's bones shattered, and they plummeted to the floor.
The girl herself was bound by red restraints, unable to do anything.
‘So strong…….’
An overwhelming difference in class that rendered all the techniques and strategies she'd learned meaningless.
It was despair so deep she couldn't even muster the will to resist.
But the true terror was something else.
“We have committed a mortal sin, my lady.”
The monstrous woman served someone she called “my lady,” prostrating herself in fear and adoration.
A small silver-haired, red-eyed girl sat in a chair slightly too large for her frame, wearing a faint smile.
Her appearance was cuter and far younger than the girl's.
But that was just a shell.
A mere mortal might not sense it, but someone of the girl's caliber knew the instant she laid eyes on her.
‘An immense powerhouse….’
That her true nature was a monster.
She exuded an ineffable, supreme dignity.
A moment later.
“They are worthless trash not even worth sparing. Dispose of them.”
The silver-haired girl glanced coldly at the other four assassins as if they were a nuisance, then mercilessly ended them.
Bound by ropes of blood, the girl witnessed the horror.
‘Ah. I'm going to die too.’
The fear of losing her life.
Before that, what she felt first was relief.
The resignation that she could finally escape this horrific yoke.
Though the brainwashing curse kept signaling her body to attack the foe before her, her true heart was different.
‘I don’t want to do this…!’
Tears streamed from the girl's eyes.
From the beginning until now, always.
‘Please, just kill me. Make this nightmare stop.’
As she screamed desperately inside, an arrogant voice echoed.
“You wish to die? Hmph. Do you still delusionally believe your life is your own?”
“……!”
The girl's pupils shook violently.
A statement that pierced her very thoughts of wanting to die. How does she know?
“Your pathetic life belongs to this progenitor from now on.”
The haughty girl who had been seated so arrogantly rose.
Then, for the bound and fallen girl, she lowered herself, crouching on the floor.
Sarahk—
Her silver hair brushed the girl's ear, and something pricked lightly into her nape.
The girl flinched instinctively, but it didn't hurt. Just a slight sting. To her, accustomed to pain, it was more ticklish than anything. Fangs? For some reason, the silver-haired girl was sinking her fangs into her and sucking her blood.
‘A vampire, maybe?’
She vaguely recalled overhearing executives mention such a demon in passing.
Vampire.
A high-grade being with intelligence and power beyond humans, living among them.
Was this silver-haired girl one of them?
The one biting her neck kept drawing blood. Her head grew foggy, her vision blurry.
The girl vividly felt her life force draining rapidly from her body.
‘I'm dying. Finally….’
In her fading consciousness.
The girl finally realized her true feelings.
The truth is,
I wanted to live.
Not as someone's tool.
But as myself, freely.
Just as that final regret surged.
Ttok.
A hot droplet fell between her parted lips and slid down her throat.
“……!!”
An electrifying sensation pierced her body, and she heard something shatter in her mind.
Then the girl lost consciousness completely.
When she opened her eyes again.
The first thing she noticed was the absence of her constant headaches.
The thick fog of brainwashing that had dominated her mind had vanished without a trace.
“Huh…?”
The blood restraints binding her limbs unraveled smoothly.
The girl mumbled unconsciously, wiggling her fingers.
She moved her body this way and that, touching herself. “My head… it doesn’t hurt…? I can move my body on my own…?”
She could control her own body with her own will.
That obvious fact felt like a miracle to her.
The girl slowly raised her head and looked ahead.
“Hehe, how does it feel to be reborn as a familiar of this body?”
The silver-haired girl who had given her blood sat with a calm, leisurely smile.
The moment their eyes met, inexpressible gratitude and absolute reverence flooded her.
“You are the one who granted me life and freedom for the first time.”
Her savior, who had pulled her from hell.
The girl dragged her trembling body across the floor.
And reverently kissed the small bare feet before her.
From childhood, raised as an assassin, the most obsessively imprinted word had been “Master.”
She was forced to call the organization's boss that.
But she had never meant it sincerely. It was just mechanical noise.
Now was different.
The most absolute expression of her gratitude and devotion.
“I will serve you as Master for life……”
It was
the pure, heartfelt truth of the girl who had gained a new life today.
Mwah. The assassin girl kissed my bare foot.
‘Eek…?!’
I jolted at the sudden soft touch of her lips on my instep, nearly yanking my foot back.
No, what's with the sneak foot kiss! I was trying to play it cool, but I'm totally flustered! I knew she'd become a familiar, but I didn't expect the assassin who'd been charging to kill me moments ago to turn this loyal.
‘Is the Embrace skill that effective…?’
I hope I didn't just replace one brainwashing with another.
I looked down at the girl with a mix of pride and slight worry.
Mwah, mwah. Smooch.
Hm. But why is she doing it so many times……?
“How dare you! Pressing those filthy lips to my lady's sacred form! Begone at once!”
Katarina, watching, exploded in fury.
A ferocious killing intent filled the room, as if she'd slaughter the girl any second.
Swoosh.
But when I lightly raised my hand, Katarina flinched and clamped her mouth shut.
“Enough. This one is now my servant as well.”
At my words, the girl finally pulled away from my foot and looked up at me.
“Master, I pledge my utmost loyalty.”
Then.
Grrrooowl—.
A clear, cheerful sound shattered the heavy silence in the room.
““……””
The girl's pale cheeks flushed bright red in an instant, after her solemn vow moments before.
The rumble had clearly come from her stomach.
‘Ah.’
I suddenly recalled a certain cliché.
In vampire movies, don't newly turned bloodkin suffer intense thirst or hunger for blood upon awakening from human?
Katarina was created from my blood, so no issue there, but this one was originally human.
‘Her face is red from hunger? Kinda cute.’
I chuckled and handed her the snack tray from my gaming session.
It was loaded with 1++ Hanwoo raw beef and glistening blood pudding.
“Eat up. You must be starving right now.”
“Ah… Th-thank you.”
She hesitantly picked up a piece of dark blood pudding, inspecting it warily—unfamiliar food, after all. But glancing at me, she popped it in her mouth.
The moment she chewed once, her eyes went wide.
“……!!”
Nom nom nom.
Her cool assassin vibe vanished; she stuffed her cheeks like a chipmunk with pudding and meat.
I watched warmly.
Her munching was adorably plump.
Hm. Being Korean, maybe? Seeing someone eat well just makes me happy too.
“My lady. If I may presume to ask one thing.”
While the girl devoured her food, Katarina asked cautiously.
“What is it?”
“Why have you taken in this human who dared to harm you?”
To Katarina's question, I replied indifferently.
“She was brainwashed and controlled against her will; deep down, she was crying out to live. Besides, she's got potential.”
Katarina's eyes widened at my explanation.
“B-but how did you discern that in such a fleeting moment…?!”
‘Appraisal skill, obviously.’
I thought to myself and brushed it off vaguely.
“Ahem. As I said, nothing in this world can deceive this progenitor's eyes.”
But hearing that, Katarina clasped her hands in感動 again.
“Ahh! As expected of my lady…!”
‘Here we go again.’
As I sighed inwardly, the girl had already polished off the tray.
Her white cheeks bulged like a squirrel's.
I gazed at her fondly and asked,
“What is your name?”
“Gack…!”
Startled by the question, she hurriedly swallowed the meat in her mouth and choked.
Tears welling as she coughed. I waved it off lightly.
“Answer slowly.”
“Ah… Y-yes……”
With a bit of blood sauce on her lips, she replied.
Who knew she had this cute, innocent side originally.
Thinking that inwardly, I waited for her answer.
After catching her breath, she lowered her gaze and said,
“……I have none. I've forgotten all my previous names and memories; I know only the ID number they gave me.”
‘No name at all, huh.’
Judging by her jet-black hair and looks, definitely Korean.
‘Korean with black hair… How about Siyeon? No family name, so might as well give her mine.’
I thought casually and spoke.
“From today, your name is Siyeon. I grant you this progenitor's family name.”
Thanks to Noble Bearing, it came out grand and arrogant.
But the impact of those words was far greater than I expected.
“Ah……”
Tears fell from Siyeon's eyes again.
“Master's family name… to me. I, I tried to kill you…”
Maybe because it was her first real name ever.
She was utterly moved.
“This life, I dedicate eternally to Master.”
Siyeon bowed her head to the floor in oath once more.
It was a heartwarming scene.
But.
Tremble tremble.
For some reason, Katarina's shoulders shook beside me.
She looked incredibly aggrieved and frustrated, glaring daggers at Siyeon.
‘Katarina… what's wrong?’
Staring like that will scare the newbie into running away, hey.
But.
“……”
Surprisingly, Siyeon met Katarina's gaze head-on—and somehow, with a smug air of superiority!
Her face was expressionless, yet it felt like she was smirking?
‘Huh?’
Vrrr—!
Katarina unleashed her killing intent.
My skin prickled, hairs standing on end.
‘No, why are you two like this!’
It's not like I merged a dog and cat; why the instant glaring contest…?!