Dark Dad's Rebirth - Chapter 12. New Tools(7)

Chapter 12. New Tools (7)

* * *

“Your Highness.”

Caelius, who had been absorbed in Leria’s conversation, furrowed his brow in response to Goshen’s report.

“What’s the matter?”

Goshen went on to tell him that the Marquis of Berha, Youngsik, had visited the mansion and met briefly with Princess Aria before leaving.

Caelius’ pen, which had been moving smoothly over the papers, stopped abruptly at the message.

“He spoke to Princess Aria for a brief moment and then left.”

The memory of Aria’s recent words came back to Caelius’ mind, confusing him. He pondered the meaning for a moment, causing a brief silence to fall over the room. Leria, sensing the tension, watched the exchange with great interest.

“Have you noticed anything unusual?”

“Yes. Since then, she has rarely come out of her room, except for a single banquet at the Marquise de Berha’s.”

“And her meals…”

“We’ve been delivering all her meals, but she appears to consume only one meal per day.”

Caelius nodded in acknowledgement as he pondered the situation. While he didn’t find Aria’s seclusion entirely unusual, given her recent behavior, the fact that she had been avoiding him for the past few weeks did cause him some concern.

As Leria listened to their conversation, she couldn’t help but become curious. With innocent curiosity, she asked, “Dad, why is there a guard stationed outside my sister’s room?”

Caelius’s attention shifted slightly at her question, and he responded casually, “Oh, just in case some unwanted visitors try to sneak in.”

Leria sensed the underlying meaning behind her father’s words and pressed further, “You mean assassins?”

Caelius’s smile widened at her persistence, and he replied with a hint of amusement, “Something like that.”

Leria’s curiosity was aroused even more, and she continued, “Dad, will I have knights guarding my room, too?”

She looked at Caelius expectantly, hoping for a similar level of protection for herself and her “sister” seemed to have.

Caelius’ eyes met hers, and for a moment they shared a knowing glance. He laughed softly before replying, “We shall see, my dear.”

Leria couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of having knights guarding her room, mirroring the protection her “sister” received.

There were no knights or guards stationed near Leria’s chambers, but Caelius didn’t think it was the right time to reveal that information. So he quickly hid his expression and assumed the role of a caring father.

“Of course not,” he reassured Leria.

With the Adamas Ring in her possession, Leria’s life was not in immediate danger. The formidable power of the Imperial Lineage had already brought her back from the brink of death on at least one occasion. Thus, Caelius had never felt the need to provide her with additional protection, and he intended to keep it that way.

“As for the bugs you mentioned, there’s nothing to worry about,” Caelius continued, his tone reassuring. Leria’s expression changed from fear to relief as she understood his meaning.

“Your father will always protect me,” she said with a bright smile.

“As long as you have the Adamas Ring, you will not be threatened by ordinary mortals,” Caelius added firmly, preempting any further concerns from Leria.

Leria smiled at his confidence and playfully tousled her hair.

“I understand,” she replied, accepting his assurance.e.

Caelius casually ended the conversation and buried himself in his papers, but Aria’s words continued to echo in his mind, inexplicably haunting him.

-“Do you love me, Dad?”

-“Why don’t you care about me? Why do you confuse everyone? I’m a person with feelings, not a pawn for your ambitions. I just want to be loved and live a normal life with normal parents, not with someone like you!”

-“I never asked for any of this. I was foolish to idolize you, to wish for your love even if it meant struggling on the streets rather than living in this lavish mansion!”

The weight of those words nagged at him, stirring an uncomfortable feeling within him. What had once been a simple conversation now felt like a sharp thorn piercing his conscience.

Frustration surged through him, and unable to bear it any longer, Caelius took a hallucinogen from his drawer and swallowed it. Leria’s curious eyes followed his actions, but he ignored them, deliberately avoiding eye contact as he lit the end of the white paper.

As Caelius inhaled the hallucinogen, Aria’s image flashed before his eyes, unflinching in the face of Leria’s arrival.

Maybe he wanted to get a reaction out of her.

“It’s not like me…”

Although his instincts warned him against it, he couldn’t shake the irritation he felt towards Aria for suddenly distancing herself. So he impulsively pulled Leria closer to him without giving her an explanation.

With a dazed expression, Caelius swallowed the hallucinogen, allowing his hidden emotions to surface.

In truth, he had hoped that Leria’s presence would cause Aria to reconsider his actions, so she had intentionally kept her distance.

He wanted her to regret her words, to repent for saying she’d marry another man and stop mingling with him, and to ask for his affection again. He wanted her to smile at him, but only in his embrace, not in the arms of someone like Leon Berha.

Yet Caelius struggled with the nature of this fervent affection, unsure of its origins. These raw, unfamiliar emotions were foreign to him, unexplored territory in his emotional world.

-“What if… another daughter emerged, or if one appeared?” he mused, seeking clarity.

-“Lily, I only need you. If another child emerges, I’ll kill them all,” he declared sternly, emphasizing his devotion solely to her.

He repeated his vow, promising to kill any other children, biological or otherwise, to preserve their bond.

As the ghostly conversation echoed in his mind, Caelius felt a wave of discomfort, accompanied by a pounding headache and a rapid heartbeat. His forehead creased deeply and he clenched the quill in his hand. Blurred vision and a disorienting sensation haunted him, causing him to mutter a frustrated curse under his breath.

“Could it be… Do I really have feelings for Aria, as I have secretly wished?” he pondered, struggling with the idea of love amidst the confusion of his thoughts.

Though unsure of the depth of his feelings, he recognized that the thoughts consuming him were foreign. However, this confusion did not change the nature of their relationship.

With sheer determination, Caelius pushed the turbulent thoughts aside and kept his eyes fixed on the papers before him. Despite the overwhelming discomfort and strange visions that assaulted his senses, he refused to give in.

It was the stubborn pride of a man steeped in arrogance that kept him calm in the face of inner turmoil

* * *

Trapped in a darkened room with no sense of time, Aria waited for the effects of the hallucinogen to wear off. Slowly, the realization dawned on her that it was almost time for Leon’s visit.

Leon had increased the dosage, making Aria’s mind even more confused than before. Her golden eyes, now blurred and unfocused, looked up at the chandelier hanging above her. Suddenly, a burst of laughter escaped her lips and echoed through the huge room.

“Hahaha…. Oh, it’s just too funny,” she laughed, the laughter bubbling up from within her like a playful stream.

Unable to comprehend the source of her amusement, Aria continued to giggle like a carefree teenager. But as the laughter subsided, she felt a sudden wave of longing wash over her.

“I want to see Daddy,” she murmured softly, her eyes closing as she yearned for his presence.

Her words came out in hushed whispers, and Caelius smiled tenderly at her, trying to offer comfort. Even with her eyes closed, the image of him seemed alive and tangible, as if he could reach out and touch her.

“Daddy,” Aria murmured softly, a shy smile on her lips, unaware that he was just a figure of her imagination.

“Lily loves you so much, Daddy.”