Newborn Gift

As the Paradox Flame Butterfly transformed into a Flame Butterfly and flew back to Iver's shoulder, the radiance in Diomedes's eyes gradually faded.

The dimly lit room became bright again, as afternoon sunlight streamed back into the Queen's bedroom through the glass windows.

"Brother...no, elder brother."

The Paradox Flame Butterfly deliberately used a different name than Yulia's; that languid and gentle voice, like a soft whisper in one's ear before sleep, echoed in Iver's heart, "I remember, you gave Night Demon a name..."

"That was originally her own name..."

Iver somewhat helpless.

"I once had a name too."

The Paradox Flame Butterfly was adamant. "Her name is Yulia Moriarty."

Upon hearing this, Iver understood what she was thinking.

The Little Butterfly thought that Iver's feelings for her stemmed from his transference of affection for Yulia... or rather, she already knew that wasn't the case, but still wanted proof.

While Iver could patiently explain his views on her, she probably wouldn't be happy.

"I'll give you a gift..."

Iver made up his mind. "As a blessing at the moment of rebirth."

He could sense that Little Butterfly was unusually satisfied with killing Drost. She even disregarded her own image and forgot to deliver a couple of punches to Iver as well... She only calmed down after completely destroying Drost.

For her, this was a moment of rebirth worth celebrating and remembering.

... After all, it was indeed a bit unreasonable not to give Little Butterfly a proper name. Before, Little Butterfly didn't have a complete personality, and even speaking was a bit difficult for her. But now that her thinking and intelligence are no different from ordinary people, she must be respected.

but...

"Let me preface this by saying I'm really not good at naming things..."

After a moment of contemplation, Iver suddenly spoke, "Do you remember what I like to call Yulia?"

"Yuli," the Paradox Flame Butterfly replied immediately, "I remember that nickname. I could hear it back then too."

"Then... can I call you Lia?"

Iver explained, "Like Yuli, as the other half of the existence of ' Yulia '...you are neither her shadow nor her remnant. Since you two could clearly sense my feelings for Yulia; and you could hear and sense every word I said and every thing I did, it means that the Yulia I knew also had a part of you."

In Iver's perception, the Paradox Flame Butterfly's hostility towards Yulia probably stemmed from this.

She is most likely not a reincarnated phantom demon, but a "Newborn Species," or rather, a "first-generation" phantom demon.

In other words, the Qidian of her life was when she awakened from within Yulia's body. And Yulia had no relatives; the first person she came into close contact with was Iver.

If Iver is Yulia's brother... then for the Paradox Flame Butterfly, who has no parents, Iver is even closer to her parents.

But Iver was unaware that she was conscious and able to perceive the outside world. Every time the Paradox Flame Butterfly lost control of its emotions, causing Yulia's demonic power to surge and resulting in a fever, Iver would stay by Yulia's side, and she would think of herself as a "villain," a "germ," and a "curse."

It is because of her existence that Yulia suffers. And Iver's concern for Yulia's suffering means that he is judging her crimes.

If she attempts to seize Yulia's identity or take control of the body to impersonate Yulia and interact with Iver, perhaps the Great Sin Imprint is "jealousy."

However, she did not.

When she realized that Iver's love was directed towards Yulia, she sadly chose to seal herself away.

Compared to the "Medicine to Make Phantom Demons Sleep" that her adoptive father obtained, the passive will of the Paradox Flame Butterfly itself is probably the main reason why Yulia has been able to survive until now.

She was, after all, a born Greater Phantom Demon. Even if the medicine could suppress the Phantom Demon Egg, it probably wouldn't be able to suppress the Greater Phantom Demon with its strong desire to break free.

"It is precisely because you do not want me to grieve over Yulia's death, and you do not want me to turn from family to enemies... that you choose to maintain the status quo."

They could have done something, but chose to wait and see.

Perhaps they could have taken some risks to make things better, but in the end they chose to do nothing.

Indulging in the embrace of pleasure, it forgets or even abandons its innate mission—to steal the host's life force, fully develop, and burst out of the abdomen.

That is why she bears the great sin of sloth.

—Until she realized her procrastination had made everything irreversible. Yulia died, she lost control and nearly killed Iver. Only after receiving the memories of the Paradox Flame Butterfly from another timeline did she realize how fortunate she was.

That's why her emotions got out of control.

That is precisely why.

"I Lia you Lia. You are also a part of the Yulia I know, another being equal to Yuli. You are also loved by me, and by those I love... a family member."

Iver paused suddenly at this point, as if something had touched him.

He was silent for a moment before replying, "I'm sorry, you won't be allowed to use Self-Destruct anymore."

Only when he realized Paradox Flame Butterfly intense feelings Lia had for him did he finally understand what he had done.

Perhaps it was because when sealing the Paradox Flame Butterfly, she used Yulia's image to call him "brother" and beg Iver to spare her... This caused Iver a strong sense of being deceived. Because to Iver, who was unaware of all this at the time, she was the culprit who caused Yulia's suffering, and yet she was using Yulia's image to prevent him from saving Yulia.

From then on, although Iver did not continue to be hostile towards her, he still regarded her to some extent as a tool or weapon.

... It could also be because the Shadow Fiend always chatted with him, while the underdeveloped Paradox Flame Butterfly was not good with words. Compared to the Paradox Flame Butterfly, which had been sealed away as a great beast, Iver trusted the Shadow Fiend more.

The loss of control over the Paradox Flame Butterfly has ironically allowed Iver to truly understand her feelings and realize his own mistakes.

The Paradox Flame Butterfly does indeed possess the ability to Self-Destruct, and she certainly doesn't experience any pain as a result.

However, "Self-Destruct" is precisely the core embodiment of the Path of Dedication —dedicating oneself entirely to others. The fact that the boss, the Paradox Flame Butterfly, possesses this skill demonstrates her inner pain and self-destructive desires.

... What have I done?

Thinking about this, Iver felt somewhat dejected.

But at that moment, the Flame Butterfly flew right up to Iver's eyes.

It fluttered gently around Iver's face, its warm wings brushing against Iver skin, as if caressing and touching his cheek.

"I really like the name Lia."

That languid and gentle voice echoed in Iver's mind, its words carrying joy and a faint resonance. "But it's too much like Yuli... In order to distinguish it from her, I request a change in how I address my brother... or rather, my master. Is that alright?"

"Of course. You can call me whatever you want, just call me Iver. You can also call me elder brother, or anything else."

Iver felt a little relieved and chuckled, "You can call me Fox like Sherlock did, or any other similar name. Or... if you feel our relationship isn't that close yet, you can call me Moriarty."

As long as it's not the last one, I can accept it.

Iver thought to himself.

If the Paradox Flame Butterfly really called him "Mr. Moriarty," he would probably be quite hurt.

However, Lia's words completely surprised Iver—

"I want to call you Mom because you are as gentle as a mother... and you accompany me as I grow up."

"... Is Daddy okay?"

Iver's expression was a little strange. "Of course... Mom is fine too."

"That's fine too."

Lia's languid voice, as if whispering in one's ear, sent shivers down one's spine. "Then, Daddy..."

"Nice to meet you."