n

n

nAslan, watching Erita exhaling evenly, quietly left the room so that the sleeping child would not wake up.

nKyle, who was standing in the hallway, followed Aslan, who quietly closed the door without making a single sound.

n“Master, Fern has arrived in the basement.”

n“The process…” (Aslan)

n“I’ve finished organizing all the personal affairs and processing all the paperworks.”

n

n

n“Good.” (Aslan)

nNodding at the satisfactory report, Aslan hurried to the basement of the huge mansion.

nIt was a refreshing appearance that was starkly different from before he met Erita.

nThere’s a truth I need to hear from what they had done to my precious daughter, it wouldn’t be easy to accept.

nI didn’t have much time because I was going to finish everything before Erita wokes up.

n✿

nThe knights who saw Aslan politely stepped aside.

nThe sound of footsteps filled the large room.

nThe dark basement alone created a fearsome atmosphere.

n“Fern.”

n“You’re here my lord?”

nAt Aslan’s call, Fern bowed his head.

nAnd in front of him, a man who rolled over on the ground with a terrible appearance.

nThe director of the Lysen orphanage was on his knees.

nThe director’s eyes were blindfolded, and he was trembling as he was afraid of the situation.

n“Did you start?” (Aslan)

n“Not yet.”

nAslan, who had ordered everyone to leave except Fern and Kyle with a light gesture, slowly moved in front of the director.

nIt was funny how he trembled even though he had not been cut or hit anywhere.

nHe was so scared that he was trying to suppress the fact that he had done such a thing to the child.

n“What have you done that makes you so nervous?”

nA cold voice fell over the head of the director.

nAfter being kicked out of the orphanage, the director’s fear reached its peak when he was attacked by an unidentified man.

nThe sound of footsteps echoing in a humid, dark space, for the director, it sounded like the Grim Reaper’s footsteps.

nThe director, who was trembling like crazy, with his heartbeat pounding wildly up to his head.

nWhen he heard the voice earlier that seemed to contain power, he thought this man must have been the leader.

n“Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?” (Director)

n“You’re the last man I never even want to see.” (Fern)

n“Why? Why do you treat me like this?” (Director)

n“Well, because you’re insignificant.” (Aslan)

nAslan smiled coldly, cutting off his trembling voice in response to Fern’s words.

n“You’re so insignificant that I’m holding myself back from cutting off your neck easily.”

nAt those words, the director’s body, which was kneeling on the floor, hardened.

nThe low-pitched voice was so cold and threatening that the director couldn’t even think of it as a lie.

n“Seven years ago, there’s a two-year-old girl who came to the orphanage. Her name was Rita.”

nAslan’s voice finally made sure of his identity, which the director had only guessed, and the director’s fingertips hardened.

nThe Count who took that cursed trash earlier!

nThe black cloth, which was blocking the vision of the director, was peeled off, whether he knew the director’s mind.

nWhen he raised his trembling head, he saw a serious enemy.

nAt the gaze that seemed to rip his body to pieces at any moment, his head was stuck down, unable to look him in the eye.

n“Please save me, Count! I’m blind! If you just save me, I’ll beg you a hundred times and a thousand times…!”

nThe only thing the director could say in the atmosphere where his neck could fall at any moment was to beg for his life.

nAslan stared at the director’s head down on the floor as he prayed, wondering if his life was precious even though he had abused a child so much.

n“What’s the meaning of your sincere apology?”

n“Gasp, death, please save life…”

n“What kind of sincerity could there be in an apology that you spit out only after facing death like this?”

n“I’m sincerely sorry to Rita. Oh, my! Please!”

n“Don’t you dare put that name in your disgusting mouth again.”

nThe mana that followed the owner’s feelings ran wild.

n“Argh…”

nIn an instant, the air became so heavy that even Fern and Kyle knelt down.

nAslan was disgusted by the director’s attitude to pay back the pain his daughter has suffered over the past seven years with just a hundred or a thousand prayers.

nEven if he cut off his neck a hundred times and split his limbs a thousand times, he wouldn’t be able to get rid of all this anger.

nThe director’s body trembled and gasped as he’s short of breath.

nThe temptation to cut his neck off like this soared, but Aslan quickly captured the raging mana.

nHe still needs to know the truth from him.

n“Gasp, ahhh…haha…”

nIt was then that he heard a squeaking sound as if he was out of breath.

n“Do you remember the person who left the child 7 years ago at the orphanage?”

n“What are you talking about..?”

n“The man who took Rita to the orphanage. I asked if you remembered.”

nWithout answering, Aslan reached out to Kyle, who stood next to him with a stupid look on his face.

nThen Kyle politely crosses his sword naturally.

n“That’s the reason that your insignificant life was still here, so you should think carefully before answering.”

nThe blade that came out of the scabbard flashed in front of the director, and his trembling didn’t stop.

n‘That day…’ The director thought as he felt like he was about to lose his neck.

n“Please, I’ll tell you everything I know…!”

nSoon after, the screeching sound of the sword’s blade disappeared.

n“It was wi-winter. The one who brought the child was…”

nAslan had to suppress his rising anger at the story he had heard, the director continued with his trembling voice spitting out as if recalling the memory.

n✿

nAs always, dreams portrayed the moments I hated the most.

nThere were people shouting at me.

n‘It’s because you’re ugly. Someone like you? I don’t think anyone would ever want to adopt such an ugly kid.’

n‘She’s not cute and she’s so quiet that we don’t get along well.’

nEven though I knew it was a dream, I couldn’t wake myself up.

n‘Oh my, you don’t have parents? How did they die? Are you from an orphanage?’

nAt first, I rebelled and tried to scream at those people.

nHowever, from the moment I realized that the only thing that came back was an insult, I waited quietly for this time to end.

n“…-ta”

nBut every time I heard it, I couldn’t help but feel miserable and sad.

n“…Rita. Erita.”

n“How long have you been holding back your tears?”

nA low and sweet voice came from somewhere.

nThere was no one to protect in my dreams, and no one to wake me from my suffering.

nThe first voice to penetrate my nightmares felt warm. I reached out towards the voice as if possessed by something.

n“Ah…”

nAt the same time, my eyes, which had been swollen, suddenly opened.

n“Did you sleep well?”

nThe first thing I saw after I woke up was the face of a handsome man, not the old ceiling, nor the face of a scary director.

nHaving yet to escape all the lingering effects of my dream, I reached out to the man in a daze.

n“What a sight was this?”

nA man who smiled without a single frown, hugged me.

nAs I felt the man’s hand stroking my head for a while, I remembered what happened before I fell asleep.

n“Oh!”

nIt was then that I was able to properly face my current condition.

nIt’s not enough to fall asleep while crying, then crying even when waking up, I’m such an idiot.

nNo matter how sleepy I was, I couldn’t escape from the terrible dream!

nAfter a silent scream in his arms, I slowly raised my head and looked at the man again.

n“Count?”

nAt my call, the man looked at me without answering.

nThere was a slight frown on his forehead as if there was something he didn’t like.

nAs I was fiddling with my fingers, I opened my mouth quietly thinking, ‘No way.’

n“Fa-father, right?”

nI called him but didn’t have the confidence to say it aloud, but the man still smiled, seemingly satisfied with my words.

nThen he approached carefully and kissed my forehead briefly.

n“Yes, my daughter.”

nMy slightly anxious mind melted away at those words.

n“Erita.”

n“…”

nUnlike the anxiety that had disappeared, an embarrassing call fell over me, as I was gently held in my father’s arms.

nBut my face turned red and I couldn’t act like nothing happened when I was a child.

nMy father laughed and called me again when I couldn’t raise my head stuck on his chest.

n“Erita… My baby.”

n“..Yes?”

nUnable to ignore the affectionate call again, I replied softly.

n“No matter what happens, I will be by your side. So you have nothing to worry about.”

nIt was sudden, but my heart was filled with affection at his loving words.

nHe was a father who I met less than a day ago, but he showed a family’s love for the first time.

nI nodded my head slightly.

n“Yes, that’s enough. That’s enough for now.”

nMy father, who whispered quietly, soon lifted himself up with me in his arms.

nSurprised by his actions, I hugged my father’s neck and his firm upper body resounded pleasantly.

n‘But where are we going now?’

n“We are on our way to the dining room. I thought you’d be hungry because you cried and fell asleep.”

nMy face heated up in embarrassment again.

n“Oh, that’s..!”

nI tried to make a weak excuse, but I couldn’t even keep up because it was my father’s clothes that were covered with tears that I shed.

n“Ugh…”

nI ended up biting my lips and smiled. Then, I buried my face on my father’s wide shoulders.

nIt was a long walk, he carried me as we entered the dining room.

nAs my father slowly seated me on the chair, I thanked him with an awkward smile.

n“I didn’t know what you liked. So I told them to prepare as much as possible.”

nAs he calmly said that, my eyes couldn’t stop from looking alternately at every dish.

n‘This wasn’t a serving for a child to eat alone and finish.’

nThe table was full of food for ten people. Glazed steaks, smoked duck, and grilled fish cooked to perfection.

nA feast of so many dishes that I couldn’t count them even with all my fingers and toes.

n“There are too many…”

n“I don’t usually eat like this. I’m just saying that I only prepared everything because I didn’t know what you liked.”

nMy father soothed me a little in a hurry at my mumbling words.

nIt wasn’t until I said that the rest was going to be thrown away, but that the servants would eat it, so I laughed quietly.

n“Thank you for caring.”

nThe strongest villain in the novel.

nEven though he was embarrassed to see his daughter who had recovered, he just wanted to be the father who dearly loved his daughter.

n

n

n“…Father, eat this too!”

nIt’s still an awkward name, but I liked the beautiful smile on his face whenever I called him.

nSlowly dragging the plate with the meat in front of me and speaking shyly, he burst into laughter and started eating

n“Yes, we should eat a lot.”

nIt’s starting to get a little messy. Our first meal ended with laughter.

n