Dark Dad's Rebirth - Chapter 11. Staggered Times (1)
Chapter 11. Staggered Times (1)
Caelius had once asked Aria a similar question, questioning the reasons for her continued presence at his side.
The memory stayed with him. Caelius spoke with a heavy voice, and the autumn air was chilly.
Aria responded casually, saying, “Because I like you.” Although Aria knew that Caelius did not feel the same way, he still held onto a glimmer of hope.
The chapter is closed now. The past echoes with wishes and hopes that were left unspoken and unfulfilled as history moves forward.
* * *
When Aria woke up, the mansion became very busy. If she mentioned wanting a watermelon, everyone would start searching for one, no matter the season.
Aria’s wishes turned the mansion into a place of excitement and anticipation. Her every wish had the power to send everyone on a mission to fulfill it.
They said she hadn’t opened her eyes for three days, and she was stunned by that.
From the moment Aria encountered her father in the past until the day of his execution, it felt as though a multitude of years had unfolded, yet only three days had slipped by.
In that short span, Aria underwent significant transformations. The most profound change was her inability to connect with Caelius as she once did, a consequence of her forgotten memories of his abandonment.
The dynamics of their relationship had changed, leaving Aria to deal with the complexities of a changed reality.
Even before the regression, her father and she were on the verge of having a child. But then her father said that royalty refrained from having children. Arya bit her lip. The weight of the mysterious voice’s parting words before her execution lingered in her mind: “What if I’m not his daughter?”
But the moment she entertained that thought, her mirror image radiated a royal aura. With her striking blonde hair and golden eyes, Arya bore the unmistakable mark of royalty. While some mutants might have a faint golden tint, her past ability to use the Adama’s Ring proved the presence of royal blood in her veins. Rolling her eyes thoughtfully, Aria wondered if Aeryn had mated with another imperial person, someone other than Caelius, but still of royal blood.
“No, no, no…….
Imperials typically did not have children; even if Aria’s mother was an Imperial, her father could not conceive.
Aria wondered aloud about what could have happened. The confusion deepened when she thought about her father’s connection to royalty.
However, dismissing the idea that her father could be royalty was not the answer. He once possessed the Adama’s Ring, which required royal power.
The ring was a complex mystery with no clear answers. Additionally, Aria and Caelius looked so similar that their blood ties seemed undeniable.
Aria and Caelius were almost identical, from their prominent nostrils and thin lips to their well-kept, long fingernails. Even the smallest details, such as the absence of gums when they smiled or the wrinkling of the bridge of their noses when they frowned, were mirrored.
Their similarities extended to their preferences, including a shared dislike for seafood and a love for thick sirloin steaks and whole mushrooms. In so many ways, they were very similar to each other, almost like twins in many ways.
The maids were chattering when attention turned to Caelius and Aria. One of them asked, “Is His Majesty resting again today?” Another replied, “Yes, he deserves it, considering he held off the aurors while the princess was unconscious.”
The conversation shifted to Aria’s father as soon as they walked through the doorway. Aria mentioned that her father had assigned her an auror.
Aria couldn’t believe it. She had read about auror wielders using their auras to heal others in books before, but it required a lot of energy and skill.
Caelius had been absent since her awakening, which only added to her confusion. All she knew was that he was sleeping again. A question lingered in her mind. “If you don’t love me, why would you go to such lengths?”
Aria found it perplexing that someone would make sacrifices without love. Although Caelius had done things in the past, she still wasn’t sure if he truly loved her.
During Aria’s failed treason attempt, Caelius drew his sword at her. The knights of Azekrisis intervened and apprehended him before he could harm her. Essentially, she would have died before reaching the guillotine.
“I like my dad,” Aria admitted, her lip caught between her teeth. “Why am I so oblivious to him?”
Aria was sure of her love for Caelius but struggled to understand the depth of her feelings for him. She felt abandoned and found it difficult to let go.
The fact that her priority is Caelius and not herself, that she has to hide her rotten heart to fit in with him and keep the corners of her mouth upturned casually, that she has thrown away all her self-respect, waiting for love that will never be given back,
Aria cursed herself for her foolishness and struggled to make sense of her emotions. Days passed in this confusion.
“Daughter.”
A deep bass note interrupted Aria’s thoughts.
She looked up to see Caelius, who settled beside her with a start. After a long silence, he sighed and spoke calmly.
Aria looked at him blankly, then looked away when she heard Caelius’ calm voice.
“How are you feeling?”
His voice echoed, delivering a blow to her heart, and an unfamiliar sensation gripped her as if someone had seized her throat. She bit down on the soft flesh in her mouth and tightened her fists, reacting to a voice she hadn’t heard in a while.
The contrast between Caelius in her dreams, who was affectionate, and his current distant behavior is striking. Aria nodded. She found it difficult to express her thoughts. Caelius observed her with a strange look. He noticed that Aria’s face was not as bright as usual.
“Daughter, you look unhappy.”
Perhaps that’s why, in an unexpected move, Caelius reached out and gently touched her cheek. Aria was startled by Caelius’s abrupt gesture and instantly drew her head back, her anger visible in a shudder. Caelius’s expression stiffened slightly as he watched her reaction.
“Aria?”
Caelius called out to Aria, his eyes narrowing. She responded with a cautious nod. He noticed something strange in her behavior.
This wasn’t how she behaved before collapsing. Surely, she had confessed her love and clung to him with a wounded expression when she tried to pull away. However, now, her face bears an inexplicable emptiness, as if it had always been the case.
“Is it just her mood? No, it wasn’t a mood.’ Caelius chose to remain silent, simply looking at her with a blank expression. Usually, she would have shared her feelings, but today she kept quiet.
‘Maybe she’s still not feeling well. That can’t be right,’ he mused. Aria should be improving, not deteriorating, given the care her auror provided during her collapse. Yet, at this moment, Aria’s complexion resembled that of a sickly chicken.
“Lily,” Caelius called out to her.
“It’s…”
“Why do you look so serious?” Caelius remarked, noting her somber expression. Under usual circumstances, her lips would have curved into a response, but Aria remained impassive, fixated on the blanket.
Aria finally spoke after a moment of silence between them.
“It’s just…”
“…”
“…I feel strange.”
Caelius pondered, tapping the handle of the chair as he thought, ‘You feel strange. ‘Is it because I have proposed separate bedrooms?’
He wondered if she had a bad dream while she was unwell. Observing Aria’s unwell appearance, he reluctantly decided to tackle the problem, observing Aria’s uncomfortable appearance.
“I’ll forget what I said,” he stated, prompting Aria to lift her head gently.
“What words did you say?” she inquired, taking a moment to understand what Caelius meant.
“Ah, right… we were supposed to have separate bedrooms.” It had only been a few days, but the passage of time made it feel much longer.
“No, no, no… Do you mean the separate bedrooms? It’s fine; I’ll comply with your request,” Aria assured him.
Aria said something that surprised Caelius. She agreed that they should have separate bedrooms. Her statement made Caelius tighten his fists, and a faint blush colored his usually calm face.
“Why all of a sudden?” he questioned.
“Just,” Aria replied, though the simplicity of her answer seemed out of character, especially considering her recent clinging to him.
“No, I think we should use it together.” Caelius declared that they should use the bed together, making it an order to share.
“Let’s pretend I didn’t say that,” he said, quickly changing the subject. Aria narrowed her eyes at his sudden change of topic and couldn’t hold back her question: “Why?”
“What?” Caelius responded.
“Why do you want to share a bedroom with me?” Aria inquired.
Caelius was momentarily silent, taken aback by Aria’s unexpected response. Eventually, Aria broke the silence.
“You’re just uncomfortable living with me anyway.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about all of a sudden.”
“Is it because you think I won’t listen to you?” she retorted, showing an uncharacteristic edge.
“Don’t worry about it. I won’t let you worry about me,” Aria declared, pushing back against the notion of being a burden.
Caelius scowled, unable to contain his irritation with her seemingly spoiled attitude.
“Are you trying to be mean to me?”
Aria mocked, “Mean? At you?” Her lips curled into a sneer, expressing disbelief.
“Of course not; don’t worry.”
Silence followed.
Aria told you before: I don’t want you to worry about me,” she said, her tone matching Caelius’ determination.
“So from now on, you don’t have to be nice to me for nothing,” she added. Caelius stared at her coldly, but Aria remained calm and spoke casually.
“I know everything.”
Silence lingered again.
“You needed me for the rebellion, so you’ve been forcing me along,” Aria stated matter-of-factly. Caelius couldn’t help but release an involuntary snort of laughter.
“So, what’s your point?” he asked.
“That you don’t have to do that anymore,” Aria replied.
Caelius tightened his hands, and Aria managed a weak smile in response.
“You won’t get tired anyway.”
Silence hung in the air.
Aria said, “Just… because I’m sure you’ll listen to me even if you don’t have to.” She tried to appear casual, but tension clutched at her inside. Her hand tightened on the blanket.
She begged, “Please don’t take advantage of my weakness anymore.” Her shoulders trembled slightly as she voiced her request. Facing Caelius proved to be a challenging task for her.