Dark Dad's Rebirth - Chapter 14. Madness(1)

Chapter 14. Madness (1)

Caelius opened the door and stepped out without asking where he was going. His quick footsteps echoed through the quiet mansion, allowing Aria to quickly determine his destination.

“Kaaaahhhhh!!!”

Either Aria or Leria, the only two children in the mansion capable of making such a sound, were unmistakably responsible for the piercing, girlish scream that echoed in the distance.

Aria’s heart raced with apprehension as she wondered how much longer the screams would continue. Caelius’s returning footsteps could be heard in the distance, signaling his impending return. The closed door opened once more, and Caelius reentered the room, now holding something in his hand. He had left with apparent impatience.

Aria rolled her eyes in confusion. Her senses tingled with unease. His presence seemed to petrify her, and she held tightly to the blankets, feeling a shiver run down her spine.

“Lily,” he said softly, using an affectionate nickname that was unusual for him. His gentle tone only served to heighten Aria’s anxiety.

“Ah, Daddy…” A crying voice filled the room, but it wasn’t Aria’s.

“Dad, what’s happening? Why are you…?” Aria asked.

The sounds came from something in Caelius’ hand. Aria recognized what he was holding despite the blackout curtains that hid the figure’s face—a tangle of golden hair, clumsily grasped as if dragged across the floor.

“Leria?”

Aria was confused. She wondered why her sister was being brought in like this. Caelius had suddenly woken her up from her sleep, and she didn’t understand what was happening.

Leria was clearly startled from her sleep, squirming and struggling against Caelius’ hand.

“Let go! What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Despite Leria’s desperate plea, Caelius remained impassive. He did not respond to her call.

Caelius called out to Aria again, ignoring Leria’s cries. A lump formed in Aria’s throat as she stiffened in response.

Aria wondered if he expected a response. His eyes were so intense that she found them almost intolerable. Nervously wringing her hands, she was unable to meet his eyes.

Meanwhile, Leria continued to struggle in his captor’s grasp. She protested, but Caelius ignored her. He held her tightly by her hair, causing her pain. Despite her efforts to break free, he only tightened his grip.

Leria cried out in pain and tried to defend herself by scratching at his hand with her nails. Aria felt her heart drop at the sight of her sister’s suffering.

Aria was surprised by Leria’s unexpected resistance. It was a reminder of her true nature.

However, before she could fully process the situation, Caelius’ hand came down hard on Leria’s cheek with a sharp crack. He flung her body violently into the corner of the room.

Aria stood in disbelief. Her mouth hung open as she watched the scene unfold. Caelius approached Leria, who lay on the floor, gripping her hair tightly in his hand once more.

“I was too lenient,” he said coldly, looking at Leria. She was now trembling, with tears streaming down her face. She grasped her ear as if trying to understand what had just occurred.

“How dare you attack her,” Caelius continued, his tone devoid of warmth or emotion. His tone lacked warmth or emotion but carried an air of authority that went unquestioned in the room.

“All I have left is my daughter,” he declared, turning his attention back to Leria. Despite the commotion in the room, Caelius remained calm, his manner unwavering.

Aria could not make sense of what she was witnessing. She had always thought of Leria as her sister, but Caelius’s words indicated otherwise.

Aria looked at Caelius, clearly confused. She wanted to ask him what was going on, but before she could speak, Caelius acted quickly.

He drew his sword from the sheath at his waist, and a chilling sound filled the room, making Aria realize the seriousness of the situation. She urgently called out to him.

“Daddy…!”

She did not plead out of pity for Leria or to save her life. Instead, her plea arose from her confusion over what had happened. She hoped her father could help shed some light on the situation.

“What… what are you doing?” she stammered, her confusion growing with each moment. Caelius let out a short sigh and turned to look at Aria.

Their eyes met. Caelius smiled slightly. It was unsettling to see him holding a sword in one hand and a child in the other while laughing.

“My mistake,” he said.

“You made a mistake?” Aria asked, becoming more confused by his enigmatic words.

Caelius’s words confused Aria. He then turned to Leria and spoke in a dry, emotionless tone.

“This is not my blood,” he said firmly.

Caelius spoke, and confusion and fear filled the room.

“I thought we had an agreement,” he muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. Then, he plunged his blade into Leria’s throat with a look of indifference. Leria was stunned by the revelation that Caelius was not her real father, and she could only shake her head in disbelief.

Her voice cracked. “Daddy, what’s happening?” she asked, her jaw clenched in fear. The father she had known and loved had suddenly gone, replaced by a threatening figure capable of ending her life in an instant.

Leria’s consciousness started to fade as she reached out desperately, her hand trembling and tears streaming down her face. However, Caelius showed no mercy and crushed her feeble attempt to hold on to him.

“Speak plainly,” Caelius demanded, shaking his head in disdain.

“You should address me as an uncle, not a father. Niece.”

He laughed. His narrow eyes formed slits as if he found the situation amusing. ‘A niece. ‘

Aria listened to their conversation, and her mind went blank.

Leria was possibly Caelius Niece.

“You’re pretending to be noble, but I don’t see where your lowly blood comes from,” Caelius said. Aria felt a chill run down her spine at his words.

Caelius turned to Aria with a sinister smile and spoke again.

“Leria was the daughter of my brother, Azekris. Although Azekris pretended to care about Aria, it was clear that he did not. Perhaps one empress was not enough for him after all.”

Aria looked at Leria. She started to tremble, feeling overwhelmed by the revelation.

“My brother is impressive as well, having traveled all the way down south to see her.”

Caelius’s revealing words shocked Aria.  She realized the vast difference between Leria and Caelius. A mix of relief and self-disgust washed over her as she processed the truth that Leria wasn’t truly Caelius’s daughter.

“But you never called her your illegitimate daughter before,” Aria pointed out, her voice shaking slightly.

Sheathing his sword, Caelius replied, “Still, it proved quite useful.”

Caelius did not express any regret for referring to a human as a ‘thing,’ but Aria was offended by his heartless words.

“She knows how to use the ring and has some imperial power, so I decided to keep her around and make use of her,” Caelius explained, his tone devoid of empathy.

He then laughed darkly and added, “And if she ends up being killed by an emperor who didn’t even know she was my daughter, well, that would be rather amusing, wouldn’t it?”

Aria’s heart raced with each word he spoke. She said, “I hate the way you talk to me,” she murmured, unable to hide her contempt.

As Caelius spoke, Aria began to understand the situation better.

She used to handle the Adamas Ring alone in the past, so there was no need to bring Leria to Wittelsbach. However, now that she understood that Caelius had brought Leria here for a purpose related to the ring, she was left speechless.

Caelius viewed Leria as a valuable tool, especially given her imperial powers, despite her lack of awareness of her heritage.

This realization made Aria uncomfortable.

She wiped her tired face. She was trying to calm herself down after the disturbing revelation.

“Aria,” Caelius said, his tone unexpectedly soft.

Aria remained silent.

“I apologize,” he said, sounding somewhat regretful.