Dark Dad's Rebirth - Chapter 13. Regret (1)

Chapter 13. Regret (1)

“What are you saying?”

Caelius repeats like a fool, unable to believe what he hears, and the maid, trembling and racking her brain, speaks quickly.

“The princess has put Berha into her bedroom.”

There was no need for further explanation. Caelius turned on his heel and rushed out.

His destination was, of course, Aria’s bedroom.

* * *

Panicked, Leon tried to push Aria out of his arms, but she grunted in protest and burrowed deeper into his embrace.

“Ugh, he hates this.”

“…….”

“Daddy, don’t go…”

She couldn’t believe what was happening. Leon looked confused as Aria held him tightly.

“What’s happening to you?” he managed to say.

Aria slowly reached out to touch Leon’s face, and despite his confusion, he couldn’t move. Her hand caressed his cheek, and before he could react, she kissed him.

Her lips pressed against his passionately, her hunger for affection evident. She didn’t stop there; her tongue explored his mouth.

Before Leon could answer, the door burst open without warning. Aria turned to see Caelius standing there, the man she had been looking for.

Caught by Caelius’ piercing stare, Leon froze. He pulled away from Aria and tried to speak.

“Your Grace…” he began, feeling dizzy with fear.

He feared he would not be able to leave the mansion alone. A heavy silence filled the room. Aria pushed aside, trembled nervously and chewed her lip.

The tension in the room tightened around Leon like a clamp.

‘I never saw this coming, but…’ he thought, feeling the urge to escape from Caelius’ presence. With a sense of urgency, Leon stood up, but Aria grabbed his arm and begged him not to leave.

“Don’t go, please,” she begged, but her actions only made Caelius’ stare more unsettling.

“Princess, if we continue…” Leon tried to speak, but before he could finish, Caelius, who had approached unnoticed, hit him with his fist.

The impact echoed through the room like thunder. Leon collapsed to the ground, the world spinning around him. He couldn’t move, not even lift a finger.

He lay there helpless, gripped by instinctive fear. In Caelius’ presence, he felt powerless, like a helpless animal awaiting its end in a slaughterhouse.

The room grew darker, and the atmosphere filled with hostility. It made Leon more nervous than standing on a knife blade.

“Ah, Daddy… Daddy…”

Aria’s voice pierced the air, straining like a fly. The sound of her creaking and flapping echoed through the silent room. The call of “Daddy” stopped Caelius from hitting him again, and he turned to see Aria sitting up straight in a heap on the bed.

“Lily…..!”

The moment he saw her, his body overpowered his mind.

Caelius let go of Leon and rushed toward Aria, but as he approached, he noticed that something was wrong. Drugs were scattered around the bed, and Aria seemed unable to focus her eyes. Her cheeks were sunken, and her body was weak.

His heart pounded with fear. He began to see the fear in his own eyes, a sharp contrast to his usual arrogance.

“Lily,” he whispered in disbelief, calling her by her nickname.

“Lily!” he shouted, desperate for her to respond.

Aria’s eyes widened, and she smiled.

“Daddy?” she mumbled, her smile disconnected and unfocused.

“Hehe, Daddy, give me a hug,” she murmured.

Caelius felt his world shatter around her.

It felt as if the ground had collapsed beneath him, as if he had been hit by a heavy blow. Alerts screamed in his mind.

“I warned you; don’t let your pride blind you,” a thought taunted him, unfamiliar and disturbing.

Caelius stood still, unable to move a finger. His hands, once clenched tightly, now hang limply at his sides.

Meanwhile, Aria laughed and reached out as if to hug him. Her behavior left Caelius speechless, his throat tightening as if he were being strangled. He couldn’t utter a word.

“No, this isn’t right,” he finally managed to say, his heart pounding painfully.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he added after a long pause, his voice trembling. It didn’t sound like his usual confident self.

Breathing heavily, he couldn’t believe what was happening before his eyes. He felt like terrified prey, unable to comprehend the reality unfolding before him.

“Aria.”

“Huh?”

“Aria!!!”

He shouted, startling Aria, who shrank back in fear.

“What kind of twisted game is this?!” he shouted, his anger evident.

Aria squeezed her eyes shut and held on tightly to the blankets as she trembled with fear.

“Are you… angry?” she whispered, her voice trembling with an unfamiliar emotion.

She continued her words, incoherent and filled with sorrow. “Lily, you did something wrong. Daddy, please don’t be angry.”

Her watery eyes and trembling lips betrayed her distress. Caelius couldn’t contain his anger any longer.

This was no time to be consumed by petty jealousy over Leon Berha. He hadn’t asked for this. Not once had he considered such a situation.

“Who… would dare… hurt Lily?” he muttered, his voice filled with rage and disbelief.

As Caelius thought about the person responsible for giving Aria the hallucinogen, he realized that no one had forced him to do it. It was a decision he had made out of desperation.

Countless thoughts flooded his mind, overwhelming him like a tidal wave. It didn’t take him long to realize the truth: he was the one to blame.

Aria was right all along.

-“You look like your father. When you look at your father, you see the echoes of your grandfather,” he thought bitterly.

In a way, he had become just like the emperor, whom he had despised, though in a different way.

“We are exactly alike,” he murmured, acknowledging the painful truth.

He felt a sensation he’d never experienced before—a pain as if someone were tearing his heart apart—and he found it hard to breathe. Disgust washed over him, weighing on his chest like a heavy burden.

“No, this can’t be…” he choked out, his mind reeling.

But he couldn’t afford to stand there frozen while Aria suffered.

“Lily,” he murmured, his voice cracking with emotion and tears welling in his eyes.

He gently cupped Aria’s thin cheek, and a fleeting moment of relief flickered in her frightened eyes. It was only a simple touch, but Aria leaned into his hand as if finding comfort.

Her gesture softened his hardened exterior.

His past acts flooded his mind like a relentless wave, each one feeling like a million bugs crawling over Aria’s body, tearing at her flesh.

” Dad said…” He tried to speak, but his throat tightened, making it impossible to get the words out. Caelius fought to control his emotions, but they overcame him.

“Dad said…” he repeated, but the words stuck in his throat. He opened and closed his mouth, tears welling in his eyes—a rare sight for him. Only the sound of his ragged breathing filled the silent room.

With tears streaming down his cheeks, he finally managed to speak, his voice cracking and ugly.

“Dad was… wrong,” he admitted, his words falling heavily on Aria’s ears. There was no way to erase the pain those words caused, no forgiveness for the sharp sting they left in her heart.

“Why didn’t I see it coming?” he wondered.

“You smiled at my warm gaze, my tender touch, not at the glittering jewels and power,” he realized, his thoughts suddenly severed like amputated limbs.

He hadn’t meant to claim her as his own, to selfishly keep her for himself. He hadn’t meant to speak cruel words when he sought affection. He hadn’t swallowed his pride and let her in without saying a word.

The realization of this love now has been a painful experience.

He sensed Leon quietly leaving the room behind him, but now wasn’t the time to confront him. He was just a nuisance, easily disposable at any moment.

Caelius gently took Aria’s slender hand and tilted her head toward him, careful not to hold her too tightly for fear of hurting her.

“Lily…” he whispered, a single tear rolling down her hand.

“Lily…… Lily…….”

Caelius could not hold back the tears that were welling up inside him. He bit down on the inside of his mouth, desperately trying to suppress his emotions, but it was useless.

“I’m sorry; Daddy’s was wrong,” he choked out, his voice thick with anguish.

He closed his eyes tightly, struggling with the pain of his regret. He did not attempt to wipe away the tears streaming down his face, simply repeating the word “sorry” like a chant, hoping for some sort of forgiveness.