~Chapter 14~
“…Is this what you came here to find?”
Khalid tried his best to keep his voice gentle so the child wouldn’t get scared as he asked.
Clover nodded, her tear-streaked face turning up toward him, then suddenly threw herself into his arms.
“Daddy, I’m sorry…”
Khalid’s gaze fell on the blue sapphire ring in his hand—once radiant, now dim. It was the ring that blocked Claudian’s power.
He didn’t know how it worked, but it was clearly the cause of the uproar just now.
And since its glow was gone, its power seemed to be gone too.
But his focus wasn’t on the ring.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”
He kept stroking the little girl—only the second time in his life he’d ever held her.
“As long as you’re safe, nothing else matters.”
What was a fountain, even if it had been built by the first patriarch? If it broke, it could be rebuilt.
If the mansion collapsed, it could be rebuilt too.
Those things didn’t matter.
What mattered was the scratch on Clover’s cheek.
Since the Northern Lion had been behind her, she’d clearly been protected by the summoned beast.
But under the raging storm’s power, she couldn’t have been shielded perfectly.
Even so, she was incredibly lucky.
She could’ve died.
The storm had been strong enough to kill her the instant she was exposed.
The thought made his skin crawl and his hair stand on end.
Khalid held Clover tighter, listening desperately to the tiny beating of her heart.
Thump.
Proof that she was alive.
Only then did he feel blood running through his veins again.
Only then could he breathe.
And still, he couldn’t let her go.
He knew being this close might even be dangerous after she’d been exposed to that storm’s power.
But he couldn’t release her.
It felt like if he let go, this little sprout of a girl, this pea-sized daughter of his, would vanish like a mirage.
The servants understood his heart, so none of them dared tell him to step away from Clover.
“Tsk.”
Just then, Arwin shook off the servant holding him and marched over to Khalid and Clover.
He stared at the ring in Khalid’s hand for a moment before reaching out to take it.
“So this is it? The thing you were always searching for, Dad?”
With Claudian’s crest engraved on it, there was no doubt.
Damian came up beside him and stared at the ring too.
“So if she wears this, Clover will be safe?”
“Clover, give me your hand.”
Still trembling in Khalid’s arms, Clover lifted her head and looked at Arwin.
He was holding out his big, steady hand to her.
“Big brother…”
“Don’t be scared. I’m just trying to help.”
When he spoke gently, Clover nodded and laid her tiny hand in his.
Arwin slipped the ring onto her finger.
It was ridiculously oversized.
And since the sapphire had already lost its glow, it didn’t look bright, beautiful, or holy—just silly.
“…Why don’t I feel anything?” Arwin said in frustration.
“They called this Claudian’s treasure? What kind of treasure can’t even protect my little sister…”
“Arwin.”
Damian lightly held his shoulder. No matter how upset he was, there were things you just didn’t say in front of Clover.
Realizing his mistake, Arwin gently rubbed her hand.
“I wasn’t talking about you, Clover.”
“Mm…”
“I’m just upset, that’s all.”
At that moment, Khalid finally raised his head from Clover’s shoulder.
He took the ring back from Arwin and slid it onto Clover’s hand again.
But just as before, nothing happened.
Clover’s eyes welled with fresh tears.
“But earlier… it really did shine…”
So why wasn’t it glowing now?
Was the ring she found fake?
Her young mind whirled with doubt.
Then Khalid gently pulled the oversized ring off her little finger and whispered:
“Clover.”
“Yes, Daddy…”
“You did well. You found Claudian’s treasure.”
“But… it doesn’t sparkle anymore…”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you found it. I’ll figure out how to restore its power.”
Khalid closed his hand tightly around the ring and brushed his daughter’s tear-stained cheek.
Unconsciously, Clover tilted her head and rubbed her cheek into his palm like a kitten.
He kept stroking her softly.
“I’ll fix this, Clover. I promise.”
“…”
“That’s what a father’s job is—to make things right for his child.”
And then he finally said what he’d been holding back for so long—words he’d wanted to say but could never find the chance.
“I never abandoned you, Clover.”
“Daddy…”
“How could I? How could a parent abandon their own child? I didn’t throw you away. Even after sending you to the Demper estate, not a single day passed without me thinking of you.”
His shoulders trembled as he spoke. Startled, Clover reached out to him.
“I’m sorry—for making you feel that way.”
“D-daddy…?”
“I should’ve realized sooner. I should’ve found you earlier. I’m sorry I came so late.”
Clover’s eyes overflowed.
These were the words she’d always wanted to hear.
The words she dreamed of hearing when she finally met her father.
And now, so suddenly, she was hearing them.
She clung to Khalid tightly and looked up into his face.
The rain hadn’t stopped.
Raindrops streamed down everyone’s heads—and down Khalid Claudian’s cheeks too.
Clover tilted her head, unsure if it was rain or tears, then reached out and wiped them away.
“Daddy, don’t cry, okay?”
“…”
“I’m sorry I made you worry. I love you, Daddy. So please don’t cry.”
Clover just wanted to comfort him.
Seeing her father cry made her little heart ache so badly.
It was such a strange, painful feeling.
She cupped his face with both hands and tried to soothe him the only way she knew—by saying the words she loved best.
“Daddy, I love you. Okay? Daddy…”
“My little one…”
“So don’t cry because of Clover, alright…?”
She whispered the words softly.
Everyone nearby held their breath.
No one dared break the silence.
And then—
“Wait, look at that…!” Damian suddenly pointed.
Clover turned to look where he was pointing.
It was where the fountain had shattered and water had spilled.
There, droplets of water sparkled like jewels as they floated up into the air.
They shone with the exact same color as the gem Clover had found earlier.
One by one, the droplets rose like little glowing pearls, gathering around Clover.
And it wasn’t just water.
A breeze stirred.
A raindrop from moments ago shimmered.
The very elements of the storm itself—wind, rain, and more—glowed and drifted toward the little girl.
And then—
“!”
They began to pool in her small hands, like water collecting in a tiny well.
Piece by piece, fragments of Claudian’s power flowed into her palms, filling them like a little lake.
Khalid, Arwin, Damian, and all the Claudian people who had come outside stared in stunned silence.
Almost all of them knew exactly what this meant.
