Leading his daughter to the training room, Shawn Russell told her to just sit outside.
Through the special transparent wall, Ruby Rowland could clearly see her father's training progress even from the hallway.
[Gravity training initiating.]
A mechanical voice echoed from inside the room. Ruby instantly sat up straight, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the scene, terrified of missing a single movement her father made.
She saw her father wearing a simple tank top, working out on training equipment she couldn't even name. He was tall, standing over two meters. He had long legs, long arms, and a handsome face. His muscles were pronounced but not overly exaggerated, with smooth, distinct lines that exuded a powerful aesthetic appeal.
His movements were crisp, clean, and sharp. Even from outside the training room, Ruby could feel the intense, overwhelming pressure radiating from him when he was serious.
She acted like a wildly devoted little fan. Whenever she saw her father execute highly difficult maneuvers, she clapped her hands like a little seal. Her sparkling eyes were filled with nothing but pure adoration for him.
Ruby felt so proud to have a father like this in her life. It felt as if a pie had fallen from the sky right onto her head, leaving her feeling dizzy and in disbelief. She couldn't believe such an amazing person was her dad!
She was a walking "Proud.jpg" meme.
When Shawn emerged from the training room, dripping with sweat, Ruby hurried over with a clean towel and water. She raised her two little arms, looking up at him with utter adoration.
"You're super amazing, Dad. Wipe your sweat and drink some water."
Shawn took the items. It was the exact same routine he always did, but today, he felt exceptionally fulfilled.
"How strange," he thought.
"Go to sleep."
It was time for the little one to go to bed. Although Ruby wanted to spend more time with her father, she obediently let him take her small hand and lead her upstairs to the bedroom without making the slightest fuss.
Ruby stood obediently on a small stool, brushing her teeth and washing her face all by herself.
Shawn didn't leave during this time. He appeared to be reviewing documents on his terminal, but out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help stealing several glances at the tiny Little Mochi.
The bathroom had been built for adults, making the sink too high for the tiny Little Mochi. She had to stand on a small stool just to reach it. Dressed in cute pajamas, the snow-white Little Mochi stood on her tiptoes. Her soft, snowy hair was swept back and tied into a slightly crooked little bun, completely revealing her chubby, delicate little face.
Holding a small, pale-pink toothbrush in her little hand, she earnestly scrubbed her teeth in front of the mirror before washing her face.
Even though it was such a simple, everyday task, she approached it with incredible seriousness and effort. Watching her, Shawn found himself reluctant to look away.
Then, as if his hand had a mind of its own, he exited the document page, opened the camera function, and deadpan, took a flurry of rapid-fire photos on his terminal. CLICK CLICK CLICK.
Shawn stared at the photos and fell into silence.
"How exactly did I open the camera app?" he thought.
"Dad, I'm all washed up."
After washing, Ruby remembered to place her little toothbrush into the cute mouthwash cup and fold her small face towel neatly into a little box. The entire sink area looked spotless, requiring absolutely no further tidying.
Shawn was speechless. He simply couldn't believe this was a sink used by a Starbeast cub!
Although he didn't know much about his sons' daily lives, Shawn remembered that when his older boys were young, any sink they used was either left in a disastrous mess or completely dismantled.
"Mhm. Go to sleep."
Ruby's chubby, milky-white little legs, wearing tiny slippers, padded closely beside her father. Under his watchful gaze, she obediently climbed into bed, slipped under the covers, and tucked herself in, leaving only her small, fluffy head exposed.
The soft, clingy Little Mochi stared at the tall man standing by the bed with a pair of clear, emotional eyes. In a milky voice, she bid him goodnight.
"Goodnight, Dad."
Shawn felt like he should do something, but having never truly raised a child himself, he was completely at a loss.
"Mhm. Goodnight."
He said the words in a cold, dry tone, only to notice the little one's eyes turning somewhat pitiful. Shawn maintained a calm and aloof exterior, but internally he was panicking. "Who can teach me what to do next? Should I comfort her?" he thought.
The Grand Marshal, a man completely devoid of gentle instincts, deadpan admitted to himself that aside from training soldiers, he had no idea how to comfort anyone.
Before he could figure out what to do, he saw the little one slide a pair of soft, seemingly boneless little hands out from under the blanket to grasp his large hand. Shawn's fingers twitched, but he didn't dare exert any force, terrified that the slightest pressure might hurt her.
Mustering her courage, Ruby hugged her father's hand and peeked at him with her large eyes. Seeing that he wasn't angry and didn't reject her, she happily leaned her little head closer. She pressed her soft, snow-white cheek against his palm, her eyes curving into happy crescents as she affectionately nuzzled him.
"Goodnight, Dad."
She said goodnight once more. This time, as if acting on instinct, Shawn rubbed his daughter's fluffy little head.
"Goodnight. Go to sleep."
Ruby nodded. Clutching the edge of the blanket with her small hands, she obediently closed her eyes.
Shawn watched her for a few seconds before turning to leave. He switched off the bedroom light and gently closed the door behind him.
He had never moved so softly in his entire life!
It was a beautiful night. In her dreams, she was no longer lonely, chasing after a mother and father who each had their own new families. As she sank into the darkness, a strong, solid arm scooped her up and cradled her in the crook of an elbow. The tiny girl, with tears clinging to her eyelashes, wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning against his broad shoulder, she experienced the true meaning of peace of mind for the very first time.
The next morning.
Keeping her father in her thoughts, Ruby woke up early. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.
Rays of sunlight, carrying a hazy halo, streamed through the window. The little girl on the bed yawned, her beautiful blue eyes misty and unfocused, as if she hadn't fully awakened yet.
She rubbed her eyes again but bravely got out of bed, sleepily groaning as she managed to fold her little blanket.
When she went to wash her face and brush her teeth, Ruby was startled by her own reflection in the mirror, nearly spitting out her mouthful of toothpaste. She hurriedly raised her little arms to cover the pair of fluffy ears that had popped out on top of her head.
They were triangular and snow-white, with only the very tips bearing a faint silvery-gray hue.
They looked incredibly soft and adorable; truthfully, even Ruby herself had the urge to squeeze them when she saw them. However, these soft ears also symbolized her identity as a Defective Beast. Her "mother" absolutely despised any appearance of beastly traits on her body.
Naturally introverted to the point of insecurity, Ruby had grown ashamed of her own beast form under her "mother's" harsh criticisms.
She didn't hate her ears, nor did she hold any resentment, but she simply didn't dare transform into her Starbeast form in front of others.