Chapter 25: Emma Grossman
On the way to the Bailey household.
Earlier at the church, Gideon Black had already heard from Huang Ren about his "friend" and her daughter.
Based on the description, Gideon recalled something—
Wasn't this little girl the one from Bad Seed?
A textbook case of performative personality disorder.
No fear. Cold-blooded. Manipulative.
She was like a little demon in human form.
Gideon couldn't help but speculate.
After everything he'd experienced recently…
Could this girl be some kind of demon reincarnated?
---
They soon arrived at a quiet residential neighborhood.
As a cautious and pragmatic priest, Gideon first set up a discreet escape route around the house—just in case.
Only after that, and under Huang Ren's pleading eyes, did he walk up to the front door.
Creak—
A blonde woman in glasses answered.
Despite the oversized T-shirt, her figure was hard to miss.
She looked momentarily surprised upon seeing Gideon, but once she recognized Huang Ren, her expression lit up with joy.
"Hey, you made it!" Bailey exclaimed, spreading her arms for a hug.
Huang Ren quickly slipped inside with her, half coaxing, half pushing to avoid drawing attention from nosy neighbors.
Gideon shook his head and followed them in.
---
In the living room, a white man stood up to greet them.
And behind him was a girl—Emma Grossman.
She had long, jet-black hair and sat quietly on the couch, curiously watching Gideon.
For today's visit, she even wore her mother's old red headband.
Despite her young age, Emma had an almost angelic face.
It was hard to imagine this innocent-looking girl as a cold-blooded killer or demonic entity.
"Yep. That's definitely her," Gideon thought.
He kept a polite smile, but every nerve in his body was on alert.
Earlier, he had checked the house's exterior and found no structural weaknesses.
"Which means whatever's off... might be inside."
Just as David—the man of the house—was about to offer a greeting, Gideon casually walked toward the kitchen.
Everyone was confused, so they followed him.
"Gas is off. No odd smells in the room—no signs of a leak."
"Nothing suspicious in the oven, but just to be safe—unplugged."
"No flammable materials in the bedrooms. Arson unlikely."
"Water?"
Gideon poured a glass from the kettle, handed it to Huang Ren, and motioned for him to drink.
Huang Ren blinked in confusion but downed it.
"Father Gideon…" Bailey tried to ask something.
"Shhh." Gideon held a finger to his lips, signaling silence.
Everyone sat in awkward silence for three minutes.
"No symptoms… water's probably fine," he thought.
With the initial checks complete, Gideon returned to the living room, having maintained a safe distance from Emma the entire time.
David gave Bailey a look—"Is this guy really legit?"
Compared to the priest, his own daughter was starting to seem perfectly normal.
Bailey offered an apologetic smile.
"Father Gideon can be… a little eccentric sometimes."
"Yeah. About thirty times a day," Huang Ren muttered under his breath.
David nodded uncertainly, then pulled Gideon aside for a private chat in one of the bedrooms.
---
"Um, Father Gideon," David began hesitantly. "I…"
Just as he was about to explain his daughter's situation, he paused and asked:
"This might be rude, but… do you have any sort of professional license for therapy?"
"No," Gideon replied bluntly.
"Have you ever studied at a related university or…"
David, trying to be a responsible father, was digging into Gideon's qualifications.
And quickly realized—this priest had zero medical credentials.
Regret hit hard.
He was about to politely call off the whole thing.
David stood up.
"Sorry to trouble you, Father Gideon. We appreciate you coming, but—"
That's when Gideon spoke:
"You've noticed something off about Emma, haven't you?"
David froze.
"She's cold. Not emotionless, but… the way she laughs, the way she cries—something's missing, right?"
David slowly sat back down, eyes wide.
"Yes… yes, exactly. How did you know that?"
He was sure he had only vaguely mentioned the issue to Bailey.
"I've seen this condition before," Gideon said smoothly.
(In truth, he was just repeating lines David had spoken in the original storyline.)
---
David leaned forward.
"Please, Father. Can you help Emma?"
"She's our only child. I… I can't lose her."
Gideon thought for a moment.
He was in the middle of practicing Ignatian Spiritual Exercises—and that required large amounts of holy oil.
And oil was expensive.
His last commission payment was already running low.
If Emma really was possessed by a spirit, he could exorcise it.
If she was a demon reborn, he could eliminate the threat before it grew too powerful.
Either way, it was a win-win—for his wallet and the world.
So Gideon nodded.
David agreed to pay $3,000 for the treatment.
If it didn't work, there'd be no charge.
Deal made.
Gideon returned to the living room.
He asked everyone else to leave—he wanted to speak to Emma alone.
If she really was a demonic presence, better to avoid unnecessary casualties.
Gideon carefully lifted the sofa cushion, checking for any thumbtacks or sharp objects underneath before sitting down with ease.
Across from him, Emma stared intently.
At this moment, her curiosity about this priest had reached its peak.
Originally, Emma thought this was just a routine family visit.
So, as always, she presented herself in the most graceful and polished manner to leave a good impression on everyone.
But judging from David's expression earlier…
It was clear her father had planned this meeting in advance.
"Could it be because of what I did before…"
Although she maintained a composed smile, unease began to stir in her heart.
Gideon opened his Bible and held up a cross.
"Miss Emma Grossman," he said calmly,
"Let me get straight to the point: do you enjoy killing?"
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Emma's heart skipped a beat at the question—but within seconds, she regained her composure.
Still, Gideon noticed the slight twitch in her fingers—an involuntary reaction betraying a flicker of panic.
"Excuse me, Father? I don't understand what you mean,"
Emma replied, doing her best to maintain a pleasant smile.
Seeing her put on the act, Gideon pressed further.
"Have you ever heard a voice in your mind?"
"You grew up with little companionship… held yourself to impossibly high standards…"
Using his [Psychological Counseling] ability, Gideon delved into the corners of Emma's mind.
And gradually, a strange sensation welled up inside her—
An inexplicable trust in this priest.
What the hell?
She had only just met this man.
Besides, she'd spent years training herself in crisis simulation, psychological defenses, and control over her own mental state.
Emma's psychological defenses kicked in immediately.
She attempted to draw on every technique she'd learned over the years.
But none of it worked.
Gideon's voice seemed to carry some kind of strange power—
One that reached deep into her most private, repressed thoughts.
"Yes… I killed someone.
Lavia thought I was just a child, that I didn't need attention or care…"
"But something as meaningless as a wristwatch could win praise. It was pathetic."
"Only people who are honest, well-mannered, and merciful deserve admiration…"
---
And so, under Gideon's gentle guidance, Emma spilled all her secrets.
And in that moment, he realized a crucial truth:
She wasn't possessed by any evil spirit.
She wasn't a demon reincarnated.
She was simply born… wrong.
A truly wicked seed.
Just like the title said—Bad Seed.
Emma suddenly snapped back to awareness.
Breathing heavily, she stared at Gideon in shock.
She'd remained conscious the entire time. She remembered everything she'd just confessed.
All her secrets—laid bare.
And now, the only one who knew them… was this priest.
Her gaze instantly shifted.
Cold. Guarded. Dangerous.