Chapter 10
After finishing my bath, I followed Lisa to the dining hall.
Passing by Selena’s room, where last night’s event had taken place, and then by the Duke’s study, we arrived at a massive door.
“Unnecessarily grand and huge!”
Like the doors of a cathedral I had only seen in pictures, it opened smoothly without a squeak.
There was no part of the Duke’s mansion that wasn’t imposing, but perhaps because of my particular appetite, the dining hall looked especially magnificent.
“You may enter.”
Apparently, Lisa wasn’t allowed to come in.
I looked at my only ally, Lisa, with a sympathetic expression, then entered the dining hall, admiring the huge space.
I had probably forgotten about what happened earlier.
But the events of last night quickly returned to mind, and my previously calm face turned pale once again.
“What are you doing there?”
“Ugh!!”
A chilling voice came from behind my tense head.
Goosebumps ran over my body as I jumped in fright.
“……”
“Honey…”
Judging by the gleam in the tiger-like eyes, he had designated me as prey.
Fortunately, my savior, Selena, stopped Silas, who seemed intent on devouring me.
“Hmph. Sit down first. I have something to say.”
Then he walked on his own and plopped down at the head seat.
Selena and I stared blankly at Silas.
“Don’t worry. He was just trying to speak, but it wasn’t the reaction he expected.”
Selena met my eyes, smiled gently, and held my hand.
Startled, I widened my eyes, but she ignored my expression with her characteristic smile and led me to the table.
Her decisive action was like a female version of the Duke.
“…Now I understand why they married.”
We were truly a perfect match.
Dismissed with such a bright smile, I was seated in a child’s chair.
A child’s chair…
My legs dangled as if floating in midair, longer than the chair.
In both my previous and current life, I had never seen a chair like this in a dining hall.
I kicked my feet in fascination, looking around.
At the same time, the smell of food teased my nose.
The servants were bringing out the dishes.
Most of the food placed on the table was meat, probably because of my anemia.
“……”
As I quietly licked my lips, Selena began to speak.
“Iris. You said earlier that you wished for a family, right…?”
Gulp.
Here it comes.
If I answered wrong here, the knife in the Duke’s hand would probably fly toward me.
My little head was spinning.
“Yes……”
“You really do want a family, don’t you?”
Selena asked again, as if confirming.
I realized this was my last chance, granted by God.
“Oh, no… that was a mistake,” I said, shaking my head to clarify my intention.
But Selena, thinking I was refusing because the table was intimidating, looked sympathetic.
No… no!
I cried out internally.
Whether she noticed or not, Selena sent a glance toward Silas, who was seated at the head.
His heavy mouth moved.
“Be my daughter. I will give you anything you want.”
A cold wind swept across the dining hall.
I never wanted the terrifying role of a villain’s daughter.
Even if my dream was just being a rich idler, absolutely not.
Because six years later, Silas would be imprisoned due to the joint attack by the heroine and the male lead and the emperor’s move to reclaim the throne.
Getting on a sinking ship is absurd.
And the Duke’s real daughter is the Saint…!
It was revealed in the last episode that the Saint was Silas’s daughter.
The Saint said, “I cannot give affection even to the father who abandoned me,” and left Silas mercilessly.
That scene was amazing, and I had no desire to interfere with it.
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence fell between Silas and me.
The Duke stared at me as if I would die if I refused the offer.
I lost that long standoff.
Eventually, I nodded through tears.
I thought it was better to die later than immediately, so this was the choice I made.
A small rabbit stared at me with frightened eyes.
Fear was present in those eyes, yet the gaze was intense.
Nod…
In the end, the child nodded.
The child had always found it difficult to owe anyone anything.
It revealed the child’s kind nature.
Perhaps this choice was no different.
“I will let you have everything you want.”
Silas imagined saying this in his mind.
At the thought, he pictured Ragrasha visibly happy.
But it was only imagination.
Silas could not speak those words aloud.
Meanwhile, the child now buried her head and rubbed her eyes.
Perhaps she was crying.
Why was she crying?
Had he spoken too harshly?
Silas’s heart burned with guilt, but only Selena could notice.
“……”
Silas merely continued slicing the meat on his plate.
Dust got into my eyes…!
Tears streamed down from the stinging sensation.
I knew I shouldn’t rub them, but, as always, it was an irresistible temptation.
I buried my face in my hands, rubbing frantically.
Yet the pain didn’t go away.
“It hurts…!”
I screamed inwardly.
At that moment, my body suddenly floated.
“Huh?”
Startled, I cried out.
Forgetting the pain, I looked up to see who had caught me.
His broad shoulders were firm but not cold.
His thick arms held me tightly but gently, careful not to hurt me.
Who was this gentleman?
Could he be my hidden new father?
I turned to look.
Past the smiling Selena, my gaze landed on Silas, looking down at me coldly.
“D-Duke…!”
I was so shocked the words escaped my mouth.
Though small, Silas twitched his brow, perhaps having heard me.
He might have slammed me to the floor in this state.
My heart raced as I waited for my “death sentence,” when his voice spoke unexpectedly.
“I am now your father. You are Arphote Ragr… Iris. So calling me ‘Father’ is appropriate.”
His firm resolve made it clear that he would not let go unless I called him that.
I looked at him blankly.
But his words were solemn, and I was just a powerless subject who could not disobey.
“F-Father.”
Thus, I became the daughter of the villain.
Two days had passed since I became the daughter of the main villain—a short or long period, depending on perspective.
Currently, I was having a lesson with my tutor, Ramela.
“Well done, Princess. Then what is three times six?”
Ramela asked me with an expression implying it might be difficult.
Unfortunately, I was trained in pre-med in Korea.
“Eighteen.”
If I answered too quickly, it might seem exceptional, so I pretended to think for a moment before answering.
Ramela’s eyes went wide.
“Oh…! Well done! That was a difficult question… You truly are a genius, Princess!”
She began to fuss excitedly.
“Of course. Whose daughter am I?”
Silas, who had come to observe, responded in agreement.
The usually light-hearted lessons suddenly felt like an interrogation room.
But at least he treated me like his daughter.
I wished he could just forget it.
“Then today’s lesson ends here. For homework, memorize the multiplication table from nine to ten.”
“Yes.”
“And here! Today’s reward!”
At the end of each lesson, Ramela gave me a toy.
First a small rabbit, then a deer, and now a baby lion.
Its golden mane made it a perfect addition to my animal collection.
I absentmindedly tugged its mane while turning my back.
“It looks like him.”
Silas was seated behind me.
I alternated my gaze between him and the lion toy.
It reminded me strangely of him, just as I resolved to kick him off the bed.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“Goodbye.”
I bowed deeply as Ramela patted my head.
It had become routine after two days, and I had adapted.
“It’s kind of nice.”
“Alright.”
The teacher, who had brightened the room, left with a smile.
Once she left, the room instantly grew cold.
I clutched the lion toy and looked at Silas.
“You like head pats, huh.”
“Huh…?”
Before I could respond, he walked over and ruffled my hair.
Not the gentle touch of Ramela, but rough, as if messing up neatly combed hair.
After a while, he let go.
“Does that feel good?”
“Y-Yes…?”
I couldn’t follow his logic.
He patted my head suddenly, then asked if it felt good.
How was I supposed to answer?
Could I even say, “It feels creepy and scary when someone like you touches me”…?
Probably not.
I chose an answer from non-existent thoughts.
“Yes, yes…”
I saw the corner of his mouth twitch upward.
He seemed satisfied.
“I see. I’ll be going now.”
He patted my head once more as he passed, then opened the door and left.
Silas looked at the hand that had just patted his daughter’s head.
Seeing the warmth of her small body still lingering, he felt his heart soften.
He also thought about whether they might need a new tutor.
Why? I wondered.
The tutor had been doing well.
Silas would probably never realize that this feeling was jealousy.
“Davis.”
Arriving at his study, Silas called his butler.
The longtime Arphote family servant appeared immediately.
“Bring all the currently popular doll craftsmen here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Davis nodded and left the room.
“Dolls…”
That day, all the workshop owners across the empire were summoned to the Duke’s mansion.
