maid • kaeya

xxxiii

• third person •

A soft hum travelled through the air, a sweet song so warm against her ear, the most delicate and loving of hands holding her so close, the biggest smile on her lips.

(Y/N) lifted her head, unable to hide her bright beam, only for their head to tilt, shaking it, unable to stop themself from returning such a smile of sunshine.

"Why are you not asleep yet, sweetheart, hm?" Their fingers brushed through her hair, nuzzling their nose against hers. (Y/N) giggled. "Daddy will be back tomorrow morning, so don't you want to wake up early to see him again?"

(Y/N) hummed, snuggling in. "Daddy... I miss Daddy. I looove Daddy... and I loooooove Mommy..."

A small laugh echoed above her. "And I loooooooooove you, my beautiful girl." (Y/N) squealed as her chubby cheeks were squished.

And then, a warm, loving hand held her face. She looked up at them again.

It was her mother, gazing at her so fondly, the most delicate of tears pooled at the brink of her eyes.

"I wonder how you will look like when you're all big," she whispered.

(Y/N) blinked. She reached up with her little hands, wiping away her mother's tears, the cutest smile still curving her lips. "I'm gonna look just like Mommy! That's what Daddy says."

"Really." Her mother chuckled. "What else does Daddy say?"

(Y/N) hid her face shyly, right into the crook of her mother's soothing neck. "He says Mommy is the most beautiful person in the world."

She felt her mother's skin heat up slightly. "And what do you think, pretty (Y/N)?"

"I think..." (Y/N) tapped her chin. Her mother raised an eyebrow when she unexpectedly leant back, spreading out her arms. "Mommy is the most beautiful in the entire un- yoon– verse!!" she exclaimed. "I saw that word in my book."

Ilse's shoulders shook. (Y/N) blinked at her again, as her mother started to laugh, though those tears had appeared again, trickling down her cheeks, her clutch tightening on her baby like she were the most precious thing in the world.

"(Y/N), my lovely."

"Hmm?" (Y/N) started wiping her mother's tears away again.

"If Daddy were to love someone else, how beautiful would you want them to be?"

(Y/N) tilted her head. "Why would Daddy love someone else? Daddy can only love Mommy and (Y/N)."

"Well..." Ilse looked away for a moment. "He can still love Mommy and (Y/N). But what if he loved someone else too?"

A pout became of (Y/N)'s lips. "Daddy needs all of his love to love Mommy and (Y/N). There's not enough love for another person."

"What if Daddy loved a friend? I loved a friend once too, but I still have lots of love for you and Daddy too. Don't you love your friends? There's lots of love, and you can always make more love. Love never runs out."

"I don't..." Little (Y/N)'s gaze fell. "I don't love my friends. I only love Mommy and Daddy."

"Hm?" Her mother sat up a little against the sofa. "Why's that?"

"My friends don't like me." (Y/N) sniffled. "They always say I'm mean, and they hate me. Or they like pretending, but, when I'm lonely, they say I'm weird."

Ilse furrowed her eyebrows. Her eyes narrowed. "Who?" Her voice has suddenly grown cold.

(Y/N) shook her head, falling silent.