Dark Dad's Rebirth - Chapter 12. New Tools (1)
Chapter 12. New Tools (1)
-Dad, if you didn’t love me, I wouldn’t be the spoilt brat I am, would I?
A familiar voice rang out, and the Aria of the past was in Caelius’ arms, whimpering and pecking at his lips. For a brief moment, she couldn’t tell the difference between the dream and reality, but then she realized: This was a dream. A dream, not reality.
But she couldn’t understand why she was suddenly reminiscing. It was during this time that Caelius shared something important with her.
-There is no point in making such assumptions.
-Why?
-Because it is impossible for me not to be in love with you.
-But you only love me because…
Because she reminds him of the man he once was. Except for the circles in her eyes, Aria was the spitting image of Caelius. They were father and daughter, and Aria could feel it without much evidence.
“I… I’m scared,” she admitted.
“What’s scaring you?” he asked gently.
“I am afraid that one day another daughter will come along and steal all your love from me. I already feel like I’m lacking in affection, and there’s no room for more,” she confessed.
“It won’t happen,” he reassured.
“You’re lying,” she responded skeptically.
“I’m not lying,” he insisted.
“What if she does show up?” she asked, her voice trembling with worry.
“If that happens, what will you do? Will you welcome her into the mansion, tear down the Wittelsbach castle, and claim her as your own, just like you did to me?”
Her words lingered heavily in the air, choking her as if all the oxygen had been taken from her lungs. She knew it was just a dream, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped.
“It’s not going to happen,” he reassured her, his voice a comforting anchor amid her fear.
“But…” she started, unable to get rid of the nagging fear inside her.
“If I ever have another child besides you, Lily, I don’t care if it’s blond or golden-eyed, a son or a daughter; I’ll kill it on the spot,” he declared firmly.
“Really?” she asked, seeking confirmation.
“Yes, really,” he said without hesitation.
“Promise me. If anyone other than me claims to be your child, you’ll kill them, whether they’re real or not. Do you understand?” she demanded.
“Yes, I’ll tear them apart in front of you if necessary, whether they’re my biological children or not, because I only need you, Lily,” he vowed.
It was only when she heard those words that she breathed a sigh of relief. It was disturbing. Why did she dream this? Aria broke into a cold sweat, but waking up was difficult.
* * *
“The Princess is on a mission from the Grand Duke to make sure she attends dinner tonight.”
After the incident, it had been two weeks since Aria and Caelius had seen each other. It was no surprise that they avoided each other. Despite all the cursing, yelling, and arguing, the resentment hadn’t gone away; it had only grown stronger.
It felt disgusting that she was expected to just brush it off and move on. But she still felt offended.
Suddenly, he insisted that she join him for dinner. Aria was a bit confused.
“Why?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at the maid, who winced and hesitated before answering.
“Are you just going to deliver the message for no reason?” Aria’s tone sharply chastised the maid. She had always been gentle around Caelius, but in his absence, Aria was fiercely independent.
“I apologize, Princess. I was not aware of Your Highness’s intentions and…”
“Please leave,” Aria interrupted, waving the maid away. The maid quickly hurried out of the room, leaving Aria to press her hands to her temples, suddenly remembering the unpleasant dream she had had earlier that day.
“That’s horrible,” Aria muttered to herself, wondering why she had to dream about it.
I can still hear the voice in my head telling him to kill another child without blinking an eye. The voice that didn’t seem to feel any guilt about killing.
“It’s inevitable,” she muttered to herself.
No matter how much she tried to deny it, she couldn’t escape the fact that she was her father’s daughter.
Despite her pregnancy, Aria couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t really Caelius’ daughter. Her waist-length blonde hair and clear golden eyes resembled his, as did her upturned nose, thin lips, and long fingernails. Even her personality bore similarities to his.
She had come a long way since her regression, but as she reflected on her past actions, she realized that she used to look at killing people with the same kind of indifference as killing bugs, without empathy.
“But I’ve never been with a man other than my father,” she thought aloud, wondering if her earlier pregnancy was simply a misdiagnosis.
Her mind was racing with uncertainty. Aria shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Beyond the high, thick wooden walls, she could hear the busy footsteps of servants moving about. Strangely, the mansion didn’t seem to have its usual atmosphere that day.
She wondered if there was a visitor. Or if a large carriage was coming through the gates with the sound of clattering horses.
“There has to be something going on.”
Whatever it is, she thought, it has nothing to do with her. All she has to do is keep an eye on Leon Berha to prevent the betrayal and the death of Caelius. With that thought, Aria lowered her eyelids, still not fully awake.
Not knowing that she was completely wrong.
* * *
“Princess…….”
“…….”
“Princess, may we come in? It is an order from the Grand Duke…” The maid’s frantic voice echoed from the doorway. After a few moments, Aria felt herself falling into a deep sleep. It seemed that tiredness and recent worries had taken effect on her. Aria took a drink from a cup of cold water on the bedside table and motioned for the maid to enter.
“Come in,” she replied.
As the sun set, casting a fiery glow across the room, the maid spoke again: “Princess, His Highness is expecting you now.”
Aria was about to ask what he wanted, but before she could, the maid added, “Ah, he invited me to dinner, too, by the way.”
Aria’s calm expression immediately crumbled. “Never mind; tell him I’m not interested.”
“Princess… but…”
“Never mind,” Aria interrupted sharply.
The maid’s expression became strangely unhappy. Normally, a maid, even one acting on behalf of Caelius, would not risk offending her like this. Something didn’t feel right. A feeling of uneasiness washed over her.
“Princess…” the maid tried to speak again.
It didn’t take long before Aria’s fear overcame her.
“Princess, His Highness is…” The awkwardness returned. Aria looked at the maid, but she shook her head, indicating that she was unable to speak clearly.
“My princess, I don’t know how to say this.” The maid fidgeted in her seat, unable to contain her discomfort, causing Aria to ask, “What’s wrong?”
An unfamiliar sensation of pressure weighed on her body, and a disturbing tightness seized her lungs. Aria’s shoulders tightened with unexplained fear.
Her eyes stared into the maid’s, silently urging her to continue.
Blushing and struggling to speak, the maid finally managed to say, “The king’s new daughter… um, no, the new princess has arrived.”
Tears welled up in the maid’s eyes and mixed with her words as she cried. “A new, new princess just arrived at the mansion today,” she added.
The mention of a new princess, the king’s daughter, stirred Aria’s mind. Her tired expression turned cold in an instant. Her heart pounded relentlessly.
“What do you mean?” Aria demanded, her hold on the blankets tightening. “What are you trying to say, frankly?”
She tried to keep her cool, but her voice faltered in the end. Aria’s breathing became erratic. The maid, who had been Aria’s closest friend since her arrival, leaned back and wiped away a tear, indicating her distress.
“A new, new princess has come to the mansion, one of your blood…”
As the maid spoke of the “new princess,” Aria felt as if she had been struck in the back of the head with a heavy object. Her mind went black, and her vision blurred. Dizziness washed over her.
“What is this? It can’t be true. Does my dad have another daughter besides me?” Aria’s hands trembled, and her body felt weak. Breathing became difficult, her head throbbed, and the room spun.
“You’re lying. This can’t be,” Aria said in disbelief. “There was no such thing in the past. Daddy never had any other daughter besides me.”
The maid’s words continued to echo in Aria’s stunned ears. “So… so… he said he would introduce you to the new princess… and that he must tell you tonight…”
Aria burst out laughing, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Ha…”
She clenched her hands in an attempt to regain her composure, but it seemed to be a challenge. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold out.
As her beating heart began to calm, Aria found herself filled with an unfamiliar coldness rather than the usual fervent emotion whenever the Caelius lookalike appeared. A disturbingly alien voice came from her mouth.
“So,” she began, taking a breath. “Where did he go?”
Her golden eyes, heavy and sunk, turned to the maid for an answer. “Where is he?”
“He’s in the main house, in the second dining room,” the maid replied.
Struggling to push herself up from the bed, Aria said, “I’m going down there right now.”
An unfamiliar glint flickered in her otherwise calm eyes. The corners of Aria’s mouth turned upward, mirroring Caelius’ expression.