"HELLO DEMONS!" the necromancer exclaimed eagerly upon entering the room where the child resided. He noticed her chewing on something as he approached the nearly one-year-old baby girl. However, upon closer inspection, his expression shifted. "Goodness gracious, what have you been eating, little one?" he muttered, his tone changing as he discovered the object in her mouth. "How did you even get hold of this?" With a swift swat, he removed the item from the child's grasp, prompting her to burst into tears. "I'm sorry, baby girl, but this is not food. This is germs. Bad for you."

Caius has been listening to the one-sided exchange between the necromancer and the child. When he caught the venomous glare directed his way, he responded with authority, "What do you want?"

"Demon Lord, I know you are busy, but are you unaware of what's happening?" The necromancer had plastered his fake smile, barely concealing his annoyance. Yet, despite his efforts, Caius could sense the waves of negativity emanating from him – a potent blend of frustration, resentment, and curses aimed squarely at him.

Such reactions were nothing new to Caius. He had grown accustomed to the necromancer's outbursts and emotional leaks. Despite the necromancer's efforts to conceal his feelings with magic, his human nature often prevailed. These emotions tended to surface when the necromancer was either infuriated with Caius or casting longing glances at his knight master, Luxen.

"I don't see anything worth nagging," Caius retorted, still fixated on the task before him. He had been confined to his office for a while, buried under a mountain of paperwork. Caius has been working non-stop, but despite the monotony of his administrative duties, he can't afford a break. To alleviate his boredom and inject some semblance of musing into his day, he had instructed Rath to bring the child to the office, hoping her presence would provide some entertainment amidst the sea of paperwork.

"Didn't I give you demon guidebooks on how to properly care for a child?" The necromancer asked. Since Gayin had been assigned as the child's care taker, he squeeze his brain to all the things he know about human child care. Although he didn't really have a child on his own, he at least know the basic need of a child.

"That you did, but I don't see your point," Caius replied casually, his demeanour unyielding.

"The point is to use that book as a guide for caring for the mortal child, meaning you actually have to follow what was written in that note."

Caius knew. He read through those papers no matter how dull it was. He often wonders what would happen if he mess with it. He was tempted to goof up, but when he wanted to do it, he constantly changed his mind at the last minute, thinking about the possibility that could end his entertainment.

"My servants take care of those. I'm sure they have been following it for months now. How else could the child survive if they didn't?" Caius's response remained indifferent, unaffected by the necromancer's growing agitation.

The necromancer sighed as if restraining himself from unleashing further admonishment. Caius welcomed the silence, preferring to avoid another bout of scolding.

"Then, Demon Lord, may I know why the little one over here was chewing on one of your fingers when I was pretty sure I didn't include fingers on the child's menu and growth and development." The necromancer asked, uncertain whether he truly wanted to know the answer considering the demon lord's personality.

"It appears that the little human has developed a fondness for my fingers," Caius said with a smirk, causing the necromancer to almost gag. "She often resorts to them as a chew toy after finishing her feeding bottle. Although, I suspect she finds my tail even more intriguing. She's been fixated on it ever since she mastered the art of rolling over," Caius remarked, a hint of pride evident in his tone at the child's progress.

The child remained unfazed by her surroundings. She seems to have been adopting well in the underworld. Even if Caius were to appear before her covered in blood, her reaction would be nothing more than a fleeting expression of shock and confusion, quickly replaced by a cheerful giggle. This scenario had occurred once before when Caius dispatched an intruder during one of the child's naps. Anticipating the inevitable cries of a startled child, Caius was surprised when she initial tears gave way to giggles as soon as she laid eyes on him, eventually calming down completely.

It hasn't changed until now. Upon catching sight of Caius, the child always erupted into giggles, radiating an aura of joy and contentment. With outstretched arms, she beckoned for him to pick her up, but whenever he obliged and lifted her, she inevitably fixated on Caius's horn, the elongated nails adorning his fingers or his tail. When denied access to these intriguing appendages, her contentment quickly turned to cries of protest. Knowing it was futile to argue with a crying child, Caius resorted to playful distractions, often employing his tail or offering one of his fingers for her to chew on. Once appeased, she would quiet down, either drifting off to sleep or indicating hunger. Today was no exception.

"I don't even know anymore," the necromancer admitted, raising his hands in surrender before when he remembered something. "By the way, Demon Lord, what do you call the baby?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Caius frowned at the question.

"What do you mean, what do I mean? Surely this beautiful baby girl has a name, right?" The necromancer's question puzzled Caius. He furrowed his brow, trying to understand. The necromancer continued to explain, "Well, don't babies usually have names? Even in the human realm, they're given names at birth. This child looks about 5 or 6 months old, so it should have been named already."

Caius nodded slowly, grasping the concept. He understood the significance of names because even for demons, those with names held power and identity. But as he thought back, he couldn't recall the little human ever being given a name.

"I don't recall her having a name," Caius admitted, a furrow deepening on his brow as he wracked his brain, trying to remember if a name had been bestowed upon the little human.

The necromancer turned his gaze to Rath who's with them organizing the signed paper. When they notice Gayin's gaze. "Apologize, but I don't either," Rath replied.

"So, what do you call her?" Gayin inquired, urging them to answer.

Rath responded stoically, "Tiny being."

Caius echoed, his voice lacking any particular emotion, "Little human."

The necromancer emanated a heavy sigh of defeat, permeating the room with a sense of resignation. "Don't you think the baby needs a name?"

Caius shrugged nonchalantly. "And what name would that be?" he asked, his interest in the matter minimal at best.

"Shouldn't you be the one to name her?" the necromancer retorted, his voice tinged with exasperation. "After all, you're the one who made contact with her. Plus, you seem to be keeping her as part of your hobby, don't you? The least you could do is give her a name."

Caius scowled slightly at the implication but considered the necromancer's words nonetheless. It was true that he harboured a curiosity about the little human. He desired to delve deeper into the mysteries of existence, and observing the little human seemed like a promising avenue for exploration. After a brief moment of contemplation, Caius nodded slowly. Perhaps naming the little human wouldn't be such a trivial matter after all.

"Well, let me think about it."

"You better. Anyway, I'm heading out. Here are the goods for the child." The necromancer didn't linger, swiftly dropping off all the items the child required and reminding Caius of its needs.

Caius groan, the necromancer had been repeating his words for time now, and it's getting on Caius nerves. "I still don't see the point of doing all these."

Caius knew food was necessary for human survival, so he willingly provided that by giving the little one different types of food from other realms to experiment with, which one it could digest, but the little one didn't even touch any of it. He later discovered that it couldn't feed on solid food yet. Milk, a viscous liquid, that's what it can feed on. The necromancer told him all about it before, but he couldn't care less and got bored knowing how bland the little human meals were, so he let Rath take charge of the rest.

"Just do it!" Gayin yelled before leaving.

____

The next Caius visited the little human, he noticed how the crying seemed to subside more quickly than before. When he visited the room assigned to the little human, he was surprised at the amount of stuff inside.

"What happened here?" he asked the servants, who seemed to have been busy clearing things he wasn't very familiar with.

"My lord." Rath bowed, "we were just cleaning the room of the tiny being. Sir Gayin mentioned that she needed a warm room atmosphere to grow. He provided us with small blankets and clothing for the tiny being to use, and the necessary meals as you ordered."

Caius wasn't satisfied with Rath's answer. He did order the necromancer to take care of the child but he didn't expect the necromancer to dump unnecessary information to his servants. Caius wonders why the little human even needed a cradle filled with blankets and unnecessary frills.

With Gayin's involvement, the room assigned underwent a remarkable transformation to accommodate the needs of the human child. It was now insulated and protected by a barrier to create a safe and comfortable environment. Additionally, the room was surrounded by mortal air to ensure the child's well-being in the underworld's atmosphere.

Gayin also made sure to have feeding bottles equipped with self-cleaning mechanisms, along with a refill station for milk, ensuring the child's nutritional needs were met. There were also selection of change clothes available that allows for easy cleanup and maintenance, and lastly, to entertain the child, various toys were provided. Although, Caius remained perplexed by the child's fascination with the toys, especially since she frequently threw them around the room.

However, despite fulfilling its needs, the child continued crying loudly. Interestingly, during these episodes, its cries exhibited a range of distinct emotions, including irritation, annoyance, and frustration. Strangely, whenever Caius approached it during these crying spells, it seemed to direct these emotions towards him before abruptly stopping.

"How cunning, little human," he muttered, smirking, looking at the pouting mortal, who stopped crying as soon as it saw him. "I wonder what those water in your eyes meant this time?"

"My lord, forgive the interruption, but it seems it's time to attend to the tiny one's feeding," Rath respectfully interjected, offering the feeding bottle to the little one. As the bottle neared its tiny mouth, it eagerly latched on and began to feed without hesitation.

Rath, ever vigilant, stood watch over the child, acknowledging her presence with a sense of duty and care. Despite referring to her as the 'tiny being,' Rath remained attentive to her needs, awaiting the moment when his lord would bestow upon her a name, much as he had bestowed names upon other servants.

In the demon world, a name carries profound significance, serving as both a symbol of loyalty and a testament to trust. When bestowed by the demon lord, a name signifies acceptance into their ranks and denotes a bond of allegiance. It represents recognition and acknowledgment, much like in human culture, but holds even greater weight among demons. Having a name elevates a demon's status, marking them as noble and powerful beings in their own right. However, it's important to note that having a name doesn't equate to holding a specific rank within demon hierarchy.

"Ah, so you're hungry. Quite the appetite you have for such a tiny creature," Caius remarked, poking the little human's cheeks mockingly, eliciting a glare from the infant for his interruption. "Oh, is that a frown, I see? What's the fuss this time, little human? Don't you like your meal?"

Caius continued to poke the little human's cheeks, amused by the various expressions that danced across its face. However, his entertainment was abruptly interrupted when the little human grabbed and bit his finger.

"My lord!" Rath was shocked, caught up off guard.

"What in the hellfire!" Caius pulled his finger away from the little human. He wasn't expecting it to take an interest in his finger. The bite didn't hurt, but it wasn't anywhere pleasant either.

"Da!" the little human exclaimed, its tone almost angry, followed by a string of incomprehensible babble. "Bab bab ba!"

Caius stared at the little human babbling, observing its rapid turn from annoyance to irritation and then to what seemed like genuine frustration. He couldn't help but find the display entertaining, a hint of amusement tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched the tiny creature's emotions play out quickly.

"How funny, little human. I have no way of knowing the words coming out of your lips, but I certainly can read your aura."

"Ba bab bab ba!" the little human continued to repeat, the frustration evident in its tone as it clenched its tiny fists and beat on its cradle bed. The rhythmic thuds echoed softly in the room, a stark contrast to the chaos of the underworld outside.

Caius found it intriguing how such a small being could express such strong feelings with only a few simple sounds and actions.

The child only calmed down once Rath gave her a new bottle which she eagerly grabbed and feed on, but her annoyance was still visible in her aura as it stared at Caius with a glare as if warning him.

"How rude," Caius uttered in amusement, casting another glance around the room that had now been transformed into what the necromancer referred to as a nursery.

There are still many things Caius doesn't understand about the little human other than its basic need, like how it finds joy in colours or the sound of a rattle? Again, toys are ridiculous. But the more Caius observed the little human, the more interested he was in knowing how it would find a way to survive. "Really fascinating."

Suddenly, the baby released a delighted squeal and began to kick its legs excitedly, its eyes lighting up with unbridled glee. Caius furrowed his brow in confusion, unsure of what could elicit such a joyful response from the little human. He glanced around the room, searching for any source of amusement or entertainment that might have caught its attention, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Then, as if on instinct, Caius's gaze drifted downward to his tail, that has been swaying gently from side to side behind him. Much to his surprise, he sees how the little human's gaze was locked onto his tail with its tiny hands stretching out in an effort to touch it.

"Ah, is that what's caught your eye now?" Caius murmured, a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes as he observed the tiny human fixated on his swaying tail. With a playful smirk, he allowed his tail to sway more enticingly, enticing the child to reach out and grasp it, only to deftly pull it out of reach at the last moment, teasing the infant with the tantalizing movement. "This is fun."

Caius repeatedly played the little human until the little one started emitting annoyance and a loud cry. "Geez, is that cry because you can't get your way or lost hope?"

"Bab bab ba!" The little human babbled in irritation, then hastily grabbed the nearest toy within reach and flung it at Caius's tail in frustration.

Caius erupts in laughter after catching what the little human throws. "Did you really think I'd fall for that twice? Unfortunately for you, little human. I don't make the same mistake twice."

"Ba!" the little one exclaimed, their voice carrying a hint of excitement as they shifted their attention to their foot, reaching out with chubby fingers to grasp at their toes. Caius watched in bewilderment at the little human's newfound fascination unfolding before him.

"What in the hellfire are you doing this time?" Caius questioned as he observed the little human's peculiar behaviour. "Are you suggesting you can nibble on your own toes, or are you implying something far more sinister?" he mused, a hint of dark amusement flickering in his eyes at the unsettling thought.

"Ba bab ba," the little human babbled. Its aura emanates a neutral energy tinged with a hint of amusement and curiosity. Caius couldn't help but frown at the intriguing combination of the little human released. It's as if the little human seemed to mirror his own demeanour, displaying a similar mix of energy as it stared back at him.

"Should I be glad at your response, little human?" Caius pondered aloud, his eyes sparkling with increased amusement at the interaction. The little human only giggles in response, which deepens Caius's curiosity. It reached out towards her, its chubby fingers reaching tentatively.

"Hm?" Caius leaned in slightly, intrigued by the tiny creature's reaction and wondering what other surprises it might have, but it only grabbed and pulled his long hair, followed by a giggle.

"Damn, human," he curses before flicking some sleeping powder at the little human to release him at its grasp. "Nice try. But you're still too tiny to have your fun. Maybe next time, little human."

As Caius stared at the now slumbering mortal, the necromancer's question about a name lingered in his thoughts. Though it wouldn't directly impact him, assigning a name to the little human felt appropriate, a form of acknowledgment for its existence.

With one last contemplative look at the sleeping little one, Caius decided to grant this little favour. "The netherworld recognizes you, Asha Lysandra Netheria," he whispered softly before turning away and departing from the room.