The Demon General

Little Miss

A couple of hours later, while Damien was busy working in the stable, the sound of a cheerful, high-pitched voice broke through the rhythmic clinking of tools and the occasional neigh of horses.

“Do you want to play hide and seek, Damien?” came the lovely voice of a little girl, full of excitement and mischief.

Damien turned around, only to see Ella, the little miss of the Krane family, sprinting toward him at full speed. Her legs moved so fast that it looked like she was trying to outrun the wind itself. Her golden curls bounced with every step, and her face was lit up with a grin that could melt even the coldest of hearts.

“Slow down, little miss! You’re going to fall, and if you get hurt, Master will surely deal with me!” A voice called out, a mix of concern and exasperation was heard. “Why can’t you be like a proper lady and walk gracefully?”

Behind Ella, her servant girl, Mia, came running in, panting like she’d just finished a marathon. Her face was as red as a ripe tomato, and beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. “Little miss, please! Slow down! You’re going to give me a heart attack!” she shouted, her voice cracking from exhaustion.

Ella, a 10-year-old girl and the youngest child of Lord Ichabud, was the precious treasure of her father’s eyes. She was the apple of his eye, the jewel of the Krane family, and the source of endless chaos for everyone else. Despite being pampered since birth, Ella had grown into a kind, intelligent, and beautiful girl. She didn’t let all the spoiling go to her head, which was a miracle in itself.

But Ella wasn’t just any ordinary noble girl. Oh no, she was a martial artist in body refinement stage 4—a genius seen only once in a decade. Her father, Lord Ichabud, had never intended for her to train in martial arts. He thought it was unladylike and unnecessary. But Ella, being the stubborn little firecracker she was, insisted on training. She nagged, pleaded, and even staged a hunger strike until her father finally gave in. He thought she’d give up once she experienced how grueling and painful the training was.

Instead, she pushed through the pain with a determination that left everyone, including her father, speechless.

If Lord Ichabud had taken her training seriously, Ella would have progressed even further. But he couldn’t bring himself to fully support her martial arts journey. After all, in this world, women weren’t expected to train in martial arts. It was believed to harden their skin and make them burly, which was considered undesirable. Most women only trained a little for self-defense, leaving the heavy lifting—literally and figuratively—to the men.

Damien put down the tools he was working with and turned to Ella, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Little miss, what do you plan to do today? Just hide and seek, or do you have something else up your sleeve?”

“I just want to play with you! Let’s go!” Ella declared, grabbing Damien’s hand and attempting to drag him out of the stable.

“Little miss, can you give me just a little bit of time to finish up my work? Then we can go play,” Damien said, trying to reason with her.

Ella pouted, her lower lip jutting out in a way that could make anyone feel guilty. “Okay, but hurry up!” she said reluctantly, releasing his hand.

Mia, ever the voice of reason, stepped in to console her young mistress. “Little miss, why don’t we go ahead and play? Damien will join us when he’s done.”

“No, I don’t want to,” Ella replied stubbornly. “He’s stronger and faster than you.”

Mia sighed, already knowing where this conversation was headed. “Then how about calling another free servant boy to play with you?”

“No, I don’t like playing with others. They always let me win when we play games, and they never catch me when we play hide and seek,” Ella said, shaking her head in rejection.

Mia couldn’t help but think, ‘Who would dare to actually win or catch you, little miss? You’re the Master’s treasure. Only this weirdo Damien has the guts to treat you like a normal kid. I just hope the Master doesn’t take it out on him one day.’

With a resigned sigh, Mia sat down beside Ella, watching as Damien worked tirelessly to finish his chores. Despite the sweat dripping down his face and the dirt on his hands, Damien moved with an ease and efficiency that was almost mesmerizing.

About 15 minutes later, Damien wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand and announced, “Okay, now I’m done.”

Ella’s face lit up like a festival lantern. She jumped to her feet, clapping her hands in excitement. “Let’s go! Hurry up!” she exclaimed, practically bouncing with energy.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming. Gently, little miss,” Damien said, chuckling at her enthusiasm. He turned to Mia and asked, “Aren’t you coming, Miss Mia?”

“Oh, I am,” Mia replied, already bracing herself for the chaos that was sure to follow. “Little miss, wait for me! Can’t you stop running for once? Oh, my tender soul! My lady won’t stop scaring me until I drop dead… Little miss, wait up!” she shouted as she rushed after Ella.

Damien couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Mia flailing her arms and muttering dramatic complaints under her breath. He shook his head, a fond smile on his face. Ella reminded him so much of his little sister from his previous life. The thought of his family brought a pang of longing to his chest.

‘I hope Father, Mother, and Sister are doing okay,’ he thought as he stepped out of the stable. ‘Are they still mourning my death? I just wish they could forget me and move on…’

With a deep breath, Damien pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the present. After all, he had a game of hide and seek to play with the little miss.