Demonic Po*nstar System

Chapter 624: Adorable Mother

Kaiden returned the bow with a small nod and an easy smile. ”It was only natural. I did what anyone should have done.”

His eyes moved between them again and lingered briefly on their clothes. They shed their tribal wear and wore what one might expect girls and women to wear around their home. ”Those look good on both of you. But are they comfortable? I imagine this kind of change isn’t easy.”

Naira laughed and nodded. ”At first, it felt strange. Lady Vespera thought of that, though. She brought us a lot of clothes and even had a tailor come with fabrics for us to touch and choose from. She said we should wear what felt closest to ourselves instead of forcing anything new.”

”Mother did that?” Kaiden let out a low whistle. ”She’s getting better at not seeming like a monster wearing human skin.”

Both women looked at him with polite confusion that bordered on concern. Naira tilted her head and frowned slightly. ”You shouldn’t speak badly about such a nice lady,” she said carefully.

”Nice lady? This is the woman who disowned me for no particular reason.”

”Uh...” Naira was confused. Kaiden opened his mouth again, but Aria moved faster. She stepped in close and pinched his cheeks. ”He’s joking,” she said with a bright smile. ”Kai loves his mother even if he pretends otherwise.”

That seemed to ease the tension, and Naira relaxed again. Aria’s attention shifted immediately to the clothes, and her eyes lit up with genuine interest.

Aria stepped closer to them, eyes already scanning the fabric with open fascination. ”Wait, this is really nice,” she said, lightly touching the sleeve of Naira’s top. ”It drapes well, and it doesn’t fight your skin tone at all. What is this, cotton blend? Or linen?”

Naira smiled softly, clearly pleased by the attention. ”Linen. The tailor explained it, but I don’t remember all the words. It breathes well, though. This one feels the most natural to me.”

Her mother nodded. ”The softer fabrics were easier at first. Anything too stiff made us feel like we were wearing armor.”

”That makes sense,” Aria nodded earnestly. ”You want clothes to move with you, not remind you that you’re wearing them.” She glanced between the two of them, then smiled wider. ”And honestly, with your skin tone, you have so many options. Warm colors, earth tones, and even jewel shades would look amazing. You could absolutely pull off deep blues or soft golds.”

Naira’s eyes widened a little. ”Really?”

”Absolutely,” Aria said without hesitation. ”I like fashion. I’m not an expert or anything, but I’ve tried a lot of styles. I could recommend more things if you’d like.”

Naira hesitated, her excitement dimming just a touch. ”We... don’t want to ask for more. Lady Vespera has already done so much. It would feel wrong to impose.”

Her mother inclined her head in agreement. ”We are forever grateful for what we’ve been given.”

Kaiden, who had been quietly watching, spoke up without looking bothered in the slightest. ”Don’t worry about that. I think she wants to help you two. And if asking feels awkward, I’ll do it in your stead. That way you don’t have to deal with the formalities.”

Naira looked relieved immediately. ”You would?”

”Of course,” he said simply.

Nyx, who had been listening with a small smile, leaned in slightly. ”Aria’s right. Your skin works beautifully with layered fabrics, too. Shawls, light wraps, things that add movement. You don’t need anything flashy for it to stand out.”

Bastet gave a thoughtful hum and stepped closer, her sun-kissed skin and bold, flowing attire making her presence impossible to ignore. ”And if you ever want something bolder, don’t rule it out just because it feels unfamiliar. Similar tones work very well together.”

Naira and her mother both glanced at Bastet, their eyes drifting over the confident lines of her outfit, the exposed skin, the proud way she carried herself.

For all intents and purposes, Bastet was wearing an Arabic harem-themed dress, just with a lot of jewels and fabrics to make her look like a proper Sun-Kissed Pharaoh.

Naira laughed softly and shook her head. ”We couldn’t pull something like that off, Bastet. We don’t have the figure that you do. I think only you can do it and appear so formidable.”

Bastet waved a hand dismissively. ”It has nothing to do with the figure. It’s all about confidence. Both of you look great; you will look good in anything you decide to wear. That’s all.”

She tilted her head, considering them again. ”That said, not everyone wants to dress like me. I have ideas for softer looks, too. Flowing dresses, layered skirts, fitted tops that don’t feel restrictive. I’ll send you a few ideas of mine.”

Both women’s eyes began shining.

Aria clapped her hands once, delighted. ”See? We’ll have you drowning in options.”

Naira laughed again, this time even brighter, and even her mother’s expression softened into a small smile as the women continued trading ideas, fabrics, colors, and styles like it was the most natural thing in the world.

As the girls got into their chittering about boring topics, Kaiden excused himself.

He passed through another corridor and entered a second sitting room that overlooked the gardens from a different angle. A low table stood at the center with tea already poured, steam rising lazily from porcelain cups. Several people were seated in comfortable chairs, talking in subdued tones.

Julia noticed him immediately.

She smiled widely and lifted a hand, waving with open happiness like she had been waiting for him to appear. The expression was unguarded and genuine. Kaiden returned the smile without thinking and started toward her.

But before he reached the group, he felt it.

Not hostility, exactly, but displeasure.

A woman with long black hair sat near the far side of the table. Her posture was straight, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She did not smile. Her eyes followed Kaiden with a sharp, predatory calm that made it very clear she was not pleased.

”A monster wearing human skin?” Vespera asked, quoting him without raising her voice.

Kaiden stopped for half a second. Then his face split into a grin that was far too wide to be appropriate.

He crossed the remaining distance and stood behind her seat before leaning down and wrapping his arms around his mother’s neck in a small, gentle hug.

Vespera did not return the gesture. She did not pull away either.

He leaned closer and lowered his voice. ”You are my amazing mother,” he whispered, ”who also happens to be a monster wearing human skin.”

”...”

Her eyes narrowed further.

His words did not help.

Kaiden straightened, still smiling like nothing had gone wrong, and only then noticed the two unfamiliar faces sitting nearby. A man and a woman, both middle-aged, both clearly nervous but composed enough to hide it.

His brows lifted slightly. ”You must be Alexandra’s parents. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Kaiden. This adorable woman’s son.”

Adorable...? Her?

The thought crossed both of their minds at the same time, dry and wry, but neither said it aloud.

The man stood first and offered his hand. Kaiden took it without hesitation. The grip was firm, grateful, and just a little unsteady.

”Thank you for protecting our daughter... I am ashamed as a father.”

”Ashamed?” Kaiden repeated.