Chapter 473: Gift of a New Life
As the Butterfly transformed into a Flame Butterfly and returned to Eivass’s shoulder, Diomedes’s eyes gradually lost their glow.
The pitch-dark room grew bright again, and the afternoon sun streamed into the Queen’s bedroom through the glass window.
“Brother… no, Elder Brother.”
The Butterfly adopted a different address than Yulia, and its languid, gentle voice, like a soft whisper by one’s ear before sleep, echoed in Eivass’s heart, “I remembered you named the Night Demon…”
“That was already her own name…” Eivass replied with some helplessness.
“I also once had a name,” the Butterfly stated firmly, “It was Yulia Moriarty.”
Upon hearing this, Eivass understood what she was thinking. The Little Butterfly believed Eivass’s feelings for her stemmed from his transference of affection for Yulia… or rather, she already knew this wasn’t the case but still wanted proof. Eivass could patiently explain his views on her, but she likely wouldn’t be happy.
“Let me give you a gift…” Eivass made up his mind, “As a blessing for your new beginning.”
He could sense the Little Butterfly’s immense satisfaction in killing Dross. She had even disregarded her image and forgotten to punch Eivass a couple of times… only calming down after she had completely destroyed Dross. For her, this was a new beginning worth celebrating and engraving.
…After all, it was a bit unreasonable of him not to have given the Little Butterfly a formal name. Before, the Little Butterfly had lacked a complete personality, and even speaking was difficult. But now, her thoughts and intellect were on par with an ordinary person, so she deserved respect.
However…
“To be clear, I’m not good at naming things…” Eivass mused for a moment, then suddenly spoke, “Do you remember what I used to call Yulia?”
“Yuli,” the Butterfly immediately replied, “I remember that nickname. I could hear it then.”
“Then… can I call you Leah?” Eivass explained, “Just like Yuli, you are the other half of the existence called ‘Yulia’… You are not her shadow, nor her remnant. Since you two could clearly perceive the feelings I had for Yulia, and you could hear and sense every word I said and everything I did, it means that the Yulia I knew includes you as well.”
In Eivass’s perception, the Butterfly’s hostility towards Yulia likely stemmed from this. She was most likely not a reincarnated Phantom Demon, but a “new species,” or rather, a “first generation” Phantom Demon. This meant her life began the moment she awakened within Yulia. And Yulia had no relatives; the first intimate person she encountered was Eivass. If Eivass was Yulia’s elder brother… then for the Butterfly, who had no parents, Eivass was even closer to being her parent.
But Eivass didn’t know she was conscious and could perceive the outside world. Every time the Butterfly lost control of her emotions, causing the Phantom Demon power within Yulia to surge and lead to a fever, Eivass would stay by Yulia’s side. During those times, she saw herself as a “villain,” a “germ,” a “curse.” Because of her existence, Yulia suffered pain, and Eivass’s attention to Yulia’s pain meant her own crime was being judged.
If she had tried to usurp Yulia’s identity or snatch control of the body to impersonate Yulia and interact with Eivass, perhaps the Mark of Sin she would have received would have been “Envy.” However, she didn’t. When she realized Eivass’s love was directed towards Yulia, she sadly chose to seal herself. Compared to the “medicine for making Phantom Demons slumber” obtained by her foster father, the Butterfly’s own passive will was likely the main reason Yulia was able to survive until now. She was, after all, a naturally superior Phantom Demon. Even if the drug could suppress the Phantom Demon Egg, it probably couldn’t suppress a superior Phantom Demon with strong desires breaking free.
“It’s precisely because you didn’t want me to grieve over Yulia’s death, and you didn’t want me to turn from family into enemies… that you chose to maintain the status quo.” She could have done something, but she chose to watch. Perhaps she could have taken risks to improve the situation, but in the end, she chose to do nothing. Indulging in tenderness, she forgot and even abandoned her innate mission – to seize the host’s life force, fully develop, and burst forth. This was why she bore the Great Sin of Sloth—until she discovered that her delay had made everything irreversible. Yulia was dead, she had lost control and nearly killed Eivass. After receiving memories from another worldline’s Butterfly, she realized how fortunate she was. Her emotions spiraled out of control because of this. And because of this.
“I’ve named you Leah. You are also part of the Yulia I knew, another existence equal to Yuli. You are also a family member who loves me, and whom I love…” Eivass paused here. His heart was touched. He fell silent for a moment and replied, “I’m sorry, I won’t let you self-destruct again.”
It was only when he realized the Butterfly—or rather, Leah’s—intense feelings for him that he finally understood what he had done. Perhaps because when he sealed the Butterfly, she used Yulia’s image to call him “brother” and beg for mercy… this gave Eivass a strong sense of being deceived. Because to Eivass, who didn’t know all this at the time, she was the culprit behind Yulia’s suffering, and she was using Yulia’s image to prevent him from saving Yulia. From then on, although Eivass no longer harbored hostility towards her, he still regarded her as a tool or a weapon.
…It could also be because the Shadow Demon often chatted with him, while the undeveloped Butterfly was not good with words. Compared to the Butterfly, who had already been sealed as a Great Beast, Eivass actually trusted the Shadow Demon more. Now, the Butterfly’s loss of control had allowed Eivass to truly understand her feelings and realize his own mistakes.
The Butterfly did indeed possess the skill of self-destruction, and she wouldn’t feel pain from it. But “self-destruction” was the core manifestation of the Path of Devotion—dedicating one’s all to others. The fact that as a BOSS, the Butterfly possessed this skill indicated her inner pain and self-destructive desire.
…What have I done? Eivass felt somewhat dejected thinking about it.
But at this moment, the Flame Butterfly flew before Eivass’s eyes. It fluttered gently around Eivass’s face, its warm wings patting his cheeks, as if caressing and touching his face with its hands.
“I really like the name Leah,” that languid, gentle voice echoed in Eivass’s heart, filled with joy and a faint resonance. “But it’s too similar to Yuli… To distinguish myself from her, I request a change in address for Elder Brother… or rather, Master. Is that okay?”
“Of course. Call me whatever you want. You can call me Eivass directly. You can also call me Elder Brother, or Brother, any way you like,” Eivass said with a hint of relief, chuckling lightly. “You can even learn from that fellow Sherlock and call me Fox, or any other similar nickname, and I will agree. Or… if you feel our relationship isn’t that close yet, you can call me Moriarty.”
As long as it wasn’t the last one, he could accept it. Eivass thought to himself. If the Butterfly truly addressed him as “Mr. Moriarty,” he might actually be hurt.
However, Leah’s response completely exceeded Eivass’s expectations—
“I want to call you Mother, because you are as gentle as a mother… accompanying me as I grow.”
“…Can I call you Dad?” Eivass’s expression turned slightly peculiar. “Of course… Mother is also acceptable.”
“That’s also fine,” Leah’s languid, seductive voice, like a whisper in his ear, said, “Then, Dad…
“—It’s nice to meet you.”
