Chapter 45
“Because you’re precious to me. If a daughter goes missing, what kind of father would just sit still?”
Looking back, the path had been simple all along, yet he had taken the long way.
This child was precious to him.
“It’s true that I once said I didn’t care whether you lived or died. I won’t deny that. But now, it’s different. When you’re caught in the rain, I worry you’ll catch a cold. When you’re late, I’m afraid a monster might’ve hurt you.”
The duke continued in a calm voice.
“So I acted childishly. I wanted you to call me Dad. But it seemed like you wouldn’t.”
Silence followed.
The room was still, and only the soft sound of rain and the crackle of the fireplace occasionally broke the silence.
Ariel spoke quietly.
“Your Grace… I’ve already had two guardians before you.”
It was the first time Ariel had spoken of her past.
“You mean the head of the orphanage?”
“No. My biological father… and my adoptive father.”
Her voice trembled, as if recalling it was too painful.
“I was abused. So badly I can’t even begin to describe it.”
The duke remembered the image of Ariel, her knees bloodied and scabbed, just staring blankly.
The way she showed no reaction to insults or verbal abuse—he used to think it was strength.
The administrators had praised her resilience. But now, a chilling thought crept in: perhaps she wasn’t strong.
Perhaps she was simply used to cruelty. So used to violence and mistreatment that she no longer reacted.
“They punished me if I ever said the word ‘Dad.’ That’s why I was scared to call you that too. I was afraid you’d change, just like they did. You even said you didn’t care if I died…”
“…It’s true, I said that. I offered you a contract, and that’s how we became a family. But this time, it’s different.”
Duke Clastar took her small hand.
“I want to be your real family. So you never have to go through anything like that again.”
If he could, he would tear apart every person who had ever hurt this small child.
He wanted to cut off his own tongue for the wounds he himself had inflicted.
He wished this child could cry when she was in pain.
More than anything, he wanted to protect her so that she never had to cry again—so that she could just smile, always.
“If you’ll let me, I want to be your father.”
Ariel gazed at those golden eyes that looked upon her so earnestly.
“I… I’m a very bad child.”
“No parent abandons their child just because they’re bad.”
“I’m not even smart…”
“If that’s what mattered, I would’ve adopted one of the clever estate stewards instead.”
“You might regret accepting someone like me as your daughter.”
The duke said firmly,
“Ariel. I don’t care what kind of child you are. Even if you’re not a genius with a sword, even if you can’t do basic math, I still want you to be my daughter. Because you’re that precious to me.”
Logically, she knew this.
That giving her heart and being betrayed again was foolish.
Maybe Duke Clastar was even more cunning than Regan.
Maybe he had figured out how vulnerable she was to kindness, and was using it—just like Regan did.
But maybe she really wasn’t that smart after all.
Because despite everything, she wanted to believe again. To lean on someone.
“…Dad.”
A single word escaped her lips, and the duke’s eyes widened.
Then, slowly, his eyes reddened with emotion.
“No, wait, this is just—”
He raised a hand to cover his eyes, then pulled Ariel into an embrace.
Ariel felt his shoulder grow damp—but she said nothing.
Because, for some reason, she was crying too.
“Stop crying,” he whispered.
“You’re crying too, Daddy.”
“This is rain.”
And then the two of them, like fools, laughed through their tears.
In the warmth of his embrace, Ariel knew—for the first time—that she had a family.
And she made a decision.
She would never let him find out she was the daughter of the Evil Dragon.
✦ ✦ ✦
Back when the Evil Dragon ravaged the land, Duke Clastar—then simply Altaira Clastar—was just a nine-year-old boy.
The Clastar family was a small county, but thanks to the wisdom of his parents, the people in their territory lived well.
He had a kind father, a gentle mother, and a seven-year-old younger sister who was frail but lively.
Those were happy days.
One day, Altaira joined the knights on a monster subjugation expedition to a nearby territory.
“Isn’t it too dangerous for him at that age?” his father asked anxiously.
His mother replied with a hearty laugh, “Oh come on. It’s not a serious threat, and he’s going with the knights. He needs the experience now so he can deal with worse things later.”
“I want to go too!” his sister pouted.
Her father lifted her up gently.
“When you’re a bit healthier, we’ll go together.”
“Then bring me a present when you come back. A necklace!”
She waved a necklace with a yellow gemstone.
“Ugh, you already have so many. What are you, a hydra with nine necks? And you think I’m going on vacation?”
Despite his grumbling, she kept pestering him.
“You’re going through the capital on the way back! I want to go to the capital too!”
“Fine, fine.”
So Altaira left home.
He killed the monsters, and reluctantly bought a necklace for his sister.
That day, the rain poured down.
“Young Master, the rain is too heavy. We should rest here and return tomorrow.”
“…Very well.”
Perhaps it was the storm. Or being away from home too long. That night, unease twisted in his chest.
The next day, as the skies cleared and they neared the castle, smoke rose in the distance.
“Young Master, something’s wrong—let us go first…”
Altaira ignored the knights and raced ahead.
What he found was hell.
The castle was half-burned, and monsters were still rampaging.
Dead knights littered the ground.
“Mother! Father!”
He cut down monsters as he tore through the castle like a madman.
Not a single sound of life remained.
“Phedaira! Father!”
Then he saw it—an enormous monster being barely held at bay by the knights.
He cut it down in a single stroke, then demanded,
“Where are my parents? They’re alive, right?!”
“M-My Lord… t-they…”
“What about Phedaira?! My sister?!”
The human instinct for dread is strange.
Why did he notice the bracelet on the dying monster’s wrist?
A yellow-gemmed necklace.
His sister’s favorite.
“O… ppa…”
Between the growls, faint words escaped the monster’s mouth.
He had hated his sister sometimes.
She was loud and clingy like a little colt—but still, she was his sister.
On rainy nights, she’d always sneak into his bed, saying she was scared.
‘Oppa, what if the Evil Dragon attacks while I’m sleeping?’
‘Just go to sleep. If it sees your face, it’ll think you’re one of its own and spare you.’
‘Hey! Everyone says I’m cute!’
‘Nonsense. Besides, there are knights. The Evil Dragon wouldn’t dare come here.’
‘You’ll protect me too, right?’
‘I will. So go to sleep already.’
‘Hold my hand. I’m scared.’
“Save me… you promised…”
And then she died.
He looked at his sword.
His sister’s blood dripped down the blade.
A distant, piercing scream echoed through the storm as Duke Clastar awoke.
✦ ✦ ✦
“…What an unpleasant dream.”
That had been thirty years ago.
The Evil Dragon had invaded. His entire family was killed.
It was a common tragedy in those days.
He brushed back his sweat-drenched hair and looked around.
No burned castle. Only the lavish Clastar estate.
He let out a deep sigh and stood up from the sofa.
They say forgetfulness is mankind’s greatest blessing—yet this memory only grew sharper with time.
If he stayed here any longer, the memory would haunt him again.
Without bothering to tidy his clothes, he left the room.
In the past, he would’ve wandered aimlessly. But not now.
When he opened the door, he saw a child with blue hair sleeping peacefully.
“Sleeping like a log, aren’t you?”
He sat beside her and gently smoothed her hair.
“Mmm… Daddy…”
“Yes, it’s Daddy.”
“Morning…”
“No, go back to sleep.”
“…’kay…”
He patted her back gently, and Ariel sank back into slumber.
Duke Clastar sat there for a long time, watching her sleep.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ariel.”
“…”
“My daughter.”
“…What?”
When I finally responded, the duke looked slightly dissatisfied.
“…Dad.”
Only then did he smile brightly.
“What does my daughter want today? Anything you need? Anything you want?”
I tilted my head, unsure.
He offered cheerfully,
“Shall I buy you the largest shopping district in the capital? Or since you like food, shall we build a farm?”
“No, it’s okay.”
“My daughter is so modest.”
Since that day, the distance between us had shrunk a little.
The word “Dad” still didn’t come naturally, but every time I said it, he smiled with such joy.
As if to say, “You never need to worry—I’ll never hate you.”
But every time, it made me feel guilty for deceiving him.
How devastated would he be if he found out I was the daughter of the Evil Dragon?
It’s fine. He won’t find out.
The brand the dragon left was still on my chest. But it was hidden beneath my clothes.
The second issue was Regan.
I won’t give up on revenge.
Now that I knew Regan was scheming something, I couldn’t leave him alone.
But I had to be far more careful than before.
Previously, if something happened to me or the ducal house, I wouldn’t have cared.
But now?
I need to weaken Regan’s position in the Holy See and become stronger. Strong enough that no matter what chaos he stirs up, I won’t flinch.
I had successfully cut off one of his sources of income by sabotaging the distribution of Vectol powder.
But the Holy See still sold weapons and made huge profits.
I have to take that business from them.
