Chapter 10
Raspen looked confused and said:
“To be precise, it wasn’t a fist—it was a kick. She struck with her foot.”
Declan straightened up.
“Find out who dared to get kicked by my daughter and punish them severely.”
“Yes, sir.”
“…And her body?”
“Pardon?”
He didn’t seem to understand.
Declan furrowed his brow and muttered as if forcing out words he shouldn’t:
“Is her body okay? Was she hurt?”
“Hmm… they didn’t mention anything like that…”
Raspen studied Declan’s face carefully and then spoke cautiously:
“Still, she might be hurt, so it would be best if you saw her yourself.”
Reading the note from the messenger, Raspen babbled like a little bird:
“This is a serious matter. The head steward insisted that Your Grace must come personally.”
“….”
“He said, ‘If His Grace does not come, I will return to being a mere civilian.’ I’ve never seen such a firm request before.”
“….”
“What kind of incident could this be?”
“….”
“Anyway… really, are you not going? This might be your last chance to meet her. You’ve already cleared all the monsters.”
Declan murmured as he splashed water on his face:
“A child who grew up surrounded by warm, kind humans in the South…”
“….”
“If she meets me, she might get hurt by my mana. Even if not, it’s pointless to see her face more…”
“Pardon?”
He finished his quick wash.
“…No, we can’t get attached.”
“So… you’re really not going?”
After a long pause, Declan finally whispered:
“I lost.”
“Pardon?”
“…I’ll return to the castle. Tell them to protect her body with magic tools.”
Raspen, who had been slow to grasp the situation, hurriedly said:
“Yes! I will make sure Lady Airi’s body is fully shielded with magic tools!”
“Her mana… will it hold for about ten minutes?”
“Yes, it should be enough.”
The words he needed to say were already decided:
Stay safe in the North, avoid harm, and be happy in the peaceful South.
On horseback, Declan gripped the reins and glanced at Raspen:
“Look at my face. Scary enough, right?”
Raspen, quickly mounting his horse, muttered while rolling his eyes:
“If I tell the truth… won’t that get me killed?”
“Then shut up.”
Declan spurred his horse toward the waterside to check his reflection.
The reflection revealed his frightening appearance:
Hair as black as corruption
Eyes as red as blood
In the South, such eyes were called a symbol of a curse.
He hoped his daughter had heard the terrifying rumors about him.
Pulling the reins, his horse seemed to sense his intent and ran faster than usual.
Feeling the wind slap against his face, Declan thought:
I am going to die soon.
Even if I share my heart, it might deeply hurt my daughter.
No matter how cute she is, it doesn’t matter.
I will never give her my affection.
4. The First Meeting of Father and Daughter
The horn announcing the return of Duke Declan filled the entire Ortezzo Castle.
Airi was forcibly moved to the castle’s only powder room.
“You must dress properly to meet His Grace the Duke.”
Under this pretext, Airi ended up wrapped even more tightly than usual in a white outfit.
“Ah, Airi! You’re so cute!”
Airi tried to bow politely but failed, her body tightly wrapped like a cocoon. She proudly lifted her round chin but groaned:
“M-My head… is completely stuck in the hat…?”
The maids cooed, returning to a childlike world:
“So round and cute!”
“His Grace will surely think she’s adorable too! Ahhh!”
One maid nearly punched the wall like King Kong but stopped herself.
“D-Don’t be surprised. I can be a bit aggressive.”
“N-No, I’m not surprised!”
It was just that meeting Duke Declan made it feel real, and she instinctively remembered her previous life’s father.
To Airi, her “dad” had been someone who disliked her intensely.
“I… have field training on Sunday…”
“Why would I waste my holiday with a useless child like you?”
“….”
“Hey! You take the kid yourself. Stop getting in my way!”
Nine-year-old Arin was strong thanks to taekwondo, but she had trembled in fear whenever her previous life’s “father” raised his hand.
“No, don’t be scared!”
Airi opened her eyes wide. She had many tasks to accomplish when meeting him.
She unfolded the crumpled goal paper she had with Cookie:
Use the “answer sheet” given by the head maid and steward to get close to him.
Reveal that she is a hero and declare her intention to purify the North.
Perfect plan!
But the thought of seeing an unfamiliar adult man made her heart feel like it would jump out.
“Okay, I’ll do a taekwondo routine for mind and body training first.”
Before reincarnation, she had been the captain of the Kyunghye Taekwondo demonstration team.
Meeting Duke Declan without losing her composure? Totally possible!
…Actually, the earlier confidence about not losing her composure was gone.
In the outdoor garden of Ortezzo Castle, Airi looked at the man five meters away with a grim expression.
“Is that… Duke Declan?”
He was too far to see clearly.
“Not a duke… more like a cotton swab?”
Squinting, she saw he was entirely clad in protective armor.
Airi lifted the communication magic tool the steward had given her and whispered for testing:
“Ugh, too far…”
From five meters away, Declan could hear Airi’s whisper through his own magic tool.
She was at the west end of the garden, he at the east.
It couldn’t be helped.
After his wife died at the Northern border fighting a monster, he had destroyed the monster’s source, sealed the creatures, and lived on.
His body accumulated magical energy, and anyone unprotected who touched him could die.
Looking at Airi’s plump, pink cheeks wrapped safely, he spoke:
“Hello.”
Airi seemed to sense the greeting. Her eyes widened, she puckered her lips, and jumped off her chair to bow 90 degrees.
“H-Hello!”
How could such a small body make such a loud voice?
He raised his eyebrows and looked at her:
“Are you… okay?”
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine!”
Airi clenched her fist:
“I look strong, right?”
He thought she looked soft and fragile, but Airi immediately got to the point:
“Because I’m the hero who came to save the North!”
…Wait, what?
