Lu Erlu gently closed the door, and Ziya, lying on the bed, peeked her eyes open.
She lay on her side, her small hands clutching the edge of the blanket, the tip of her tail swishing back and forth unconsciously.
‘Father is always like this. Even though he carries the heavy burden of raising me and has to manage a mountain of troubles both inside and outside the house, he never says a single harsh word to me.’
He hid his sadness in his heart and concealed his exhaustion behind a smile, leaving only his gentlest side completely for her.
‘How should I repay him?’
Ziya wondered as she stared at the ceiling.
That fatherly love was a companionship that spanned years and a protection that gave everything.
How could an ordinary way of repaying such kindness be worthy of its weight?
‘Give him treasures? No, no! That’s too cheap! Besides, Father isn’t greedy at all; giving him money would be pointless.’
‘Give him a back massage? No! That’s too perfunctory! Those are just small things I can do anytime. There’s no sincerity in that!’
“Argh…”
Ziya rolled back and forth on the bed in distress.
Her small body tumbled around, crumpling the blanket into a messy ball.
She racked her brains, her heart fixed on a single thought.
What she wanted to give her father was a happiness that would allow him to let down all his guards—a home where he could truly feel at ease and depend on someone.
Ding!
Suddenly, Ziya’s eyes lit up!
A spark of inspiration exploded in her small head.
She sat up abruptly, the tip of her tail spinning like a little windmill with excitement, nearly knocking her pillow off the bed.
‘I’ve got it!’
A father’s love was like a mountain, shielding her from the wind and rain.
Then she would provide him with a mother’s love like the sea, giving him a gentle harbor.
‘The only way…’
Ziya covered her mouth with her hands and giggled secretly.
‘The only way is to turn Father into my daughter!’
That way, this motherly love would be unique and irreplaceable!
He wouldn’t have to be the strong father anymore, nor would he have to frown over troubling matters.
He would only need to be the most precious little darling by her side.
‘He can wear soft pink dresses, have his hair styled in fluffy twin tails, and peacefully accept my care and pampering! Hehe, I really am a genius!’
Ziya stood with her hands on her hips, her small face full of pride, her tail curling upward arrogantly.
‘I need to go discuss this with my sisters right away…’
Wait!
She suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes instantly becoming wary.
‘I can’t discuss this with them! I must secretly turn Father into a daughter first and then tell them.’
Otherwise, her sisters would definitely find a faster way to beat her to it! Sister Bai Ning of the Vampire Clan had the mysterious First Embrace, and Little Long Jiu of the Dragon Clan had the powerful Dragon Blood Fusion.
‘And I don’t seem to have a specialized method yet…’
The next time she went back to the Dream Demon Kingdom, she would have to scour the library.
Perhaps she could find an ancient method for this.
Ziya made a small “fighting” gesture toward the empty room.
‘Father, wait for me!’
***
The next morning, just as the sun rose.
Lu Erlu was busy in front of the stove wearing an apron, the aroma of breakfast filling the entire house.
“Ziya, it’s time to get up and eat breakfast.”
“Good morning, Father…”
Ziya ran out with messy hair, her eyes still misty from sleep and dark circles under her eyelids.
She completely lacked her usual energy.
“What’s wrong, little girl?”
Lu Erlu looked at his daughter’s lethargic state, feeling a bit worried.
She had clearly gone to sleep quite early last night, so why was she so lifeless today?
“Ziya, are you okay? Are you sick?”
He reached out to touch her forehead.
“Why don’t you take the day off from work today?”
“Ehh! I’m fine! Father!”
Ziya jumped back in fright, waving her small hands, terrified that her father would see through her “conspiracy.”
“It’s just… just that I had a very sweet dream last night and didn’t get enough sleep, that’s all!”
“Ziya… don’t push yourself too hard at work.”
Lu Erlu was still a little uneasy, his tone full of concern.
“I’m really fine! Father, trust me!”
Ziya gave him a big smile, but she secretly clenched her fist in her heart.
‘Father’s trust is the motivation for me to move forward!’
“Safe travels. Remember to come home early tonight for soup!”
“Okay, I’ll definitely be back on time.”
After saying their goodbyes, Lu Erlu began his day as a stay-at-home dad.
He cleared the table, cleaned the rooms, and tended to the plants in the yard.
He worked in an orderly fashion, a faint smile playing on his lips.
On the other side, as soon as Ziya stepped out, she was spotted by Bai Ning.
“Hey, Little Sister Ziya, why are you so listless today?”
Bai Ning poked her cheek with a curious expression.
“You only ate half your breakfast and didn’t even come over to tease me. Is the sun rising from the west today?”
“Actually… I just didn’t sleep well last night.”
Ziya scratched her head and spoke the truth.
“I’ve been thinking about Father.”
“Eh? You’re thinking about Old Man too?”
Bai Ning’s eyes widened, her tone sounding a bit surprised.
“Hmm? Could it be that Sister Bai Ning is also…?”
Ziya’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately became alert.
‘No, no, no! I absolutely cannot say it out loud now! Otherwise, Father will be snatched away!’
Just then, the consistently silent Long Jiu also walked over.
She nodded to the two of them, the same light shimmering in her eyes.
The three girls unexpectedly had the exact same thought pop into their heads.
‘I absolutely cannot tell the other two! Old Man—Father—can only be mine!’
If Ziya, who still thought her idea was a stroke of genius, knew what the other two girls were thinking, she would probably jump up and complain on the spot.
‘What’s going on? Are there other experts here?!’
Not daring to chat any longer, Ziya made up a random excuse and hurriedly rushed back to the Dream Demon Kingdom.
The library of the Dream Demon Kingdom was hidden in the deepest part of the castle.
The tall bookshelves reached the ceiling, looking like a forest of books piled high with yellowed ancient texts.
Ziya moved through the bookshelves on her tiptoes, her small hands grabbing the spines of books as she carefully flipped through them one by one.
Dust fell on her small face, but she didn’t care at all.
Her eyes were fixed only on those ancient volumes.
She searched and searched for a long, long time…
Her legs went numb from crouching, and her fingers grew sore from flipping pages.
Finally!
On the very top shelf, she discovered an unremarkable book.
Its cover was old and blackened, carrying a faint magical aura.
It looked like it had a story to tell.
This was an extremely rare book, considered a signature secret technique of the Dream Demon Clan in the past.
Unfortunately, because it was too bizarre, it had been banned for several hundred years.
**[The Secret Art of Succubus Transformation]**
Ziya carefully stood on her tiptoes and pulled the book down, terrified she might accidentally damage it.
She patted the dust off and impatiently opened it.
On the title page, a line of small text was printed, looking a bit intimidating.
‘This secret technique may cause irreversible effects on the subject’s body, mind, and personality. Please use with caution…’
Ziya curled her lip, completely ignoring the warning.
For Father’s happiness, what did a little risk matter?
She continued reading.
‘This secret technique was created by the Ancestor of the Dream Demons. It was developed because the clan population was too small back then. Its use is restricted to members of the Royal Family. Its function is to transform the subject into a Dream Demon, intended solely for expanding the clan.’
Ziya read every word and sentence, nodding with satisfaction as she hugged the book tightly to her chest.
‘I found it! I finally found it!’
‘Father, your happiness is coming!’
‘Wait for me. I’ll turn you into the happiest person in the world right away!’
‘When that time comes, no one will be able to take you away!’