Chapter 117: Papa
Ayra had ended up sleeping all night long without waking up in-between. She had been so exhausted coupled with the fact that she was pregnant.
By the time she woke up, the sound of beastmen working busily drifted gently from outside.
She could hear some urging others to keep it down since the female was pregnant and needed some rest.
Ayra gently sat up as she carried Ally in her arms. Ally was still asleep, peacefully. But as soon as she carried her, she woke up.
Not long after, Lord Ash and Vale soon made their way into her room to visit.
"Oh, you’re awake," Lord Ash smiled as he walked in with a basket of fruit in his hand. "I was scared you wouldn’t be awake yet and we’d be disturbing you."
She smiled as she held the cub firmly. Ally had instantly smiled as soon as she saw Lord Ash and Vale walk in. As if she had seen old friends.
Lord Ash was excited. "Did you see that? I think the little one smiled at me!"
Lord Vale folded his arms. "You sure?"
Ally smiled again, stretching her hand to Lord Ash.
"See! I’m not making things up. She smiled at me..." Lord Ash smiled happily while Vale took the basket of fruit to keep on the table.
Ayra ran her fingers through the little one’s cheeks. "Ally, are you happy to see Papa? Eh? Papa..." She smiled, saying as though helping the cub call out.
But immediately, the little one said, "Pa.. pa...." Ally said with a smile as she turned to the fruit kept on the table. "Pa... Pa.. pa.. Pa.."
Immediately, Lord Ash stiffened. He had heard it. He had heard Ally calling him "Papa." And immediately, excitement washed through his veins!
He instantly approached them and sat down close to the bed. "Did you hear that?" He was so excited that he smiled at Ayra and then at Vale. "Did you also hear that? She called me Papa! Did you hear?"
Ayra smiled as she turned to the cub. "I also heard it... I guess her first words were calling you Papa," she smiled.
Lord Ash was extremely proud as he leaned close to the cub. "Cute little one.. come on, call it again. Say papa.. pa pa... Okay?" He blinked.
But Ally stared at him without saying anything. He requested again but the cub said nothing. She simply stared.
"Come on.. say Papa..." He tried again but the cub said nothing but smiled while staring at him as though he was wearing something funny.
Lord Vale smiled, shaking his head. "The cub doesn’t want to speak again. Let her rest."
Lord Ash sighed.
Ayra smiled. "Don’t worry, she’ll certainly speak again since she has already called your name. She’ll definitely call it again," she smiled as she stared at the cub.
"Ally, say mama...." Ayra casually tried.
"Ma ma! Ma ma! Ma ma!" Ally happily said, reaching out to hold onto Ayra’s finger. "Ma ma..." She said while smiling at Ayra.
Lord Ash smiled, impressed. "Woah, she can talk already. That’s my little girl!" He expressed happily. "Now say papa..."
But Ally blinked at him without speaking as though he had something on his face.
"..."
Lord Vale scoffed.
Ayra smiled as she leaned and said, "Say pa pa..." She smiled but little Ally turned to her and said.
"Ma ma! Ma! Ma!" She smiled happily, holding onto her fingers firmly.
Lord Vale smiled as he teased, "I guess the cub doesn’t want to call your name at all."
"Shut up," Lord Ash snapped as he continued trying. But she still didn’t call him Papa again. Rather Ally smiled at Ash while running her little hands over his nose and big fox ears, thrilled.
Ayra said, "Say fruit.. fruit..."
"Fut! Fruit.. Fruit," the cub managed to say while smiling.
Lord Vale smiled. "I guess she’s learning words fast now given that she has awakened her S-rank skills. Faster than normal cubs. Expect growth will also be faster."
Ayra tried some words. Telling the cub to pronounce simple words like apple, mango and the likes. And the cub actually did pronounce them.
"Fruit!" She happily smiled as Ayra smiled.
"Say Papa," Ash leaned in again to have the cub say. But Ally turned to him and instantly smiled happily while stretching out her finger to touch his ears again.
"I guess she likes your ears more than your papa tutorial," Lord Vale teased again with both arms folded.
"Shut up," Ash snapped.
"Shut up!" Immediately the cub said out loud with a smile.
"..."
Silence filled the room as they all stared down at the cub who was happily saying out the new word she had heard from Ash.
Ayra blinked as she stared up at Ash. Ash blinked as he stared down at the cub. Lord Vale also blinked as well.
"Shut up...!" Ally called out happily again as Ayra closed the little one’s mouth again as she stared up at Ash.
"Stop saying such words around the cub.. okay? I think she’s picking things up fast," she urged.
Lord Ash immediately nodded without questions while Vale smiled.
"We brought some fruits by the way," Lord Vale informed. "You and the cub should have more fruits. It’s healthy."
Ayra smiled while nodding. "Thank you, we will enjoy it."
"Thank you... Thank... Thank you..." The cub happily said while clinging onto Ayra’s finger.
Ayra smiled with a nod, patting Ally by the head. "Yes, that’s a good girl."
Lord Vale turned to Ash and then said, "And if you excuse us, we have somewhere to be."
Ayra stared at him. "Where? Is it something important?"
Lord Vale stared at her with a smile and said, "Yes. Something extremely important."
She blinked. "Oh.... I hope there’s no problem?"
He shook his head with a smile. "Nothing too much. Just some business amongst us," he explained with a smile.
Ayra slowly nodded. And then she thought, recalling something important as she asked, "And what about the wild cat...?"