Chapter: 587
Is it because my capacity has grown since the past? Even after several days, the Sacred Land, which revealed its floor, showed no signs of recovery.
This was incredibly frustrating for me, who needed to clear the quest as soon as possible.
That island full of dungeons that I thought was ridiculous from outside the monitor! Am I supposed to risk going there in this condition, unsure of what might happen even if I’m at my best?
[So why not just take your time to recover properly? It’s not like there’s a rush.]
‘Excuse me? There’s a rush! People’s lives are at stake!’
[So what if one person goes missing? It’s just bad luck.]
‘This isn’t something to brush off!’
On the day I discovered that the First Queen had ordered the First Prince to seduce me, I had to stop the chaos around me, feeling completely winded from merely walking.
Not just the people of the Soladin Kingdom but also rumors of the First Prince being slandered by a perverted apostle across the nation.
The clueless fox suggesting that messing with my head wouldn’t be too obvious.
Then there’s Phoebe, stating she would approach the church directly.
Or the Fairy Queen, proposing to make me all woozy and then disappear.
There wasn’t a single one of them that didn’t sound lethal, and somehow, none of it felt like a joke, which was genuinely frightening.
If I nodded silently, it seemed they were all ready to act.
But this was the least of my worries. At least I could somehow manage them all.
‘Lucy. Did you happen to meet the First Prince today?’
The one to greet me as I exited the Fairy Forest, longing to just crash into my bed, was Benedict.
His usual smile was present, yet his eyes didn’t share that sentiment at all.
‘W-why do you ask about that, you clueless father?’
‘Did he do anything?’
‘D-does it look like that scheming prince who looks like he’s molded from mold would approach me?’
‘Well, that’s reassuring. But if—just hypothetically—he were to do something, promise me you’ll tell me. I’d even turn against the gods for your sake, Lucy.’
When Benedict conveyed that, he felt like he was barely holding onto his sanity.
It’s quite the turn of events that I, worried about a potential revolution, would now have to fear his revolution. Really, an actual revolution would be a problem.
I’m not some tragic heroine! Why should I shout in the middle of a battlefield, “Don’t fight because of me!”?
No, I wouldn’t be shouting those noble words anyway. It’d be more like, ‘Puhahaha! Look at you, trying to be all hot and bothered for some girl. Gross!’ It could even be worse.
Anyway! I absolutely cannot allow others to die because of me!
So, to prevent that, I need to recover quickly! But why on earth isn’t my stamina coming back?!
[Is being anxious going to resolve anything? For wounds like that, waiting is the best option.]
‘Isn’t there something we can do?’
[If it takes you time to wrap things up, what should we do? You need to diffuse that bomb.]
*
Since the battle in the Fairy Forest, Benedict hasn’t been able to sleep well.
It’s not like he hasn’t been struggling to sleep for a day or two, but recently, he’s been sleeping more deeply each day.
His daughter’s bright smile gradually swept away the lament that had settled on his shoulders.
However, after facing the Dark God in the Fairy Forest, he felt that the despair on his shoulders had returned to its original weight.
In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s possibly worsened.
The lament over his missing wife should have ended, but now it spiraled into the fear of potentially losing his daughter too.
Even now, he couldn’t shake the image of Lucy, drenched in blood.
That day, when he met Lucy in the Fairy Forest, he did his best to suppress his feelings.
As much pain as he felt, he knew it couldn’t compare to what Lucy had gone through, so he acted exaggeratedly and hid his own suffering. Otherwise, he thought he might collapse before facing the dark god.
After the battle with the Dark God, when he brought back a soundly sleeping Lucy, he had believed everything would be fine afterward, but reality proved otherwise.
The unease clinging to his heart only grew worse as time went on.
It wasn’t that he was affected by the Dark God’s power. The moment he met the now divine Erginius in the future, he’d assured him of that.
This fear was his alone. It stemmed from the fact that he could lose the two people he loved the most.
“Phew.”
Benedict’s exaggerated reaction to an engagement that hadn’t even been formalized also came from this fear.
Drowning in anxiety over potentially losing his daughter, how could he possibly remain calm after hearing such news?
Thank goodness Possell was there to keep me grounded. Without him, I’d have stormed into the First Queen’s chamber, ready to lash out.
“Haah.”
How did Lucy grow into such an amazing person?
Not long ago, she was just a girl who knew nothing but how to throw tantrums; now she’s become someone who holds back her own pain to reassure others with a smile.
This must be the right kind of growth. If someone were to ask who’s better, the past Lucy or the present Lucy, everyone would surely say present Lucy. I certainly think so myself.
But, when I think of Lucy, covered in blood, I can’t help but wish for the past version instead.
I’d rather keep my loved one in my embrace forever than potentially lose her again.
Even knowing I shouldn’t feel that way.
“Daddyyyy~”
The sound of a knock and Lucy’s voice startled Benedict awake, causing the back of his chair to splinter.
Losing his support, he fell to the floor, causing papers on his desk to scatter and prompting Alrn’s branches, recently working with Benedict, to look on with bemusement.
“What’s going on? What was Dad doing that made him so surprised? Is there something strange? Is the cute Lucy not supposed to see?”
“N-no! That’s not it! Lucy, come in and see! Daddy was just working hard!”
“Really? Can I come in?”
With her red hair swirling, Lucy came into the room, effortlessly ignoring the gazes of others as she approached Benedict.
Seeing her dad sprawled awkwardly with a forced smile made Lucy’s mouth twitch upwards.
“So what’s up? Is it a woman?”
“Of course not! My love is only this one thing!”
“Hmm, really? Then that means I’m not loved, huh? How disappointing.”
“N-no! That’s not what I meant!”
“Choose. Mama or me?”
“How could I choose?! You both are equally precious to me!”
Where did the sigh from earlier go? While scrambling to deal with his daughter, relief washed over Benedict as Lucy gave him a pass this time.
“So what business do you have?”
“Geez, silly Daddy. I’m here because…”
“Even if you don’t have a reason, it’s okay to drop by, but this time no, right?”
“…Cheh. How boring.”
“Haha, I’m really sorry about that.”
“Well, forget it. I don’t want to waste my time in this dreary place either.”
“Thanks for your consideration. So, what’s the matter?”
“Your possessiveness is so strong, it’s embarrassing to look at. I figured I’d give you a special chance to escort me.”
Is that what escorting means?
“Why? Don’t want to? Then I guess it can’t be helped. Silly Daddy is too busy with work to care about his cute daughter.”
“What are you saying?! Of course, I’d go! How could I sit still when my Lucy wants to be escorted?!”
If it were before, I would’ve hesitated a bit. Benedict’s presence was essential to handle all the work piling up in the Alrn family.
But now, things have changed. After reconciling with Alrn’s branches and being able to bring their kids over, Benedict has gained some freedom.
After going to the Fairy Forest and getting things done, he’d tidied everything quite nicely.
It was just like the little ones that Karia had personally chosen.
So, leaving things in their hands for a while should be perfectly fine.
It’s possible that they might even produce better results than when I handle things.
“Then I’ll step out for a bit, so I’ll be counting on you!”
“Yes, have a good time, Head!”
“Please enjoy yourself!”
“No! Head! If you go…! Has he already left?!”
Excited about being with Lucy, Benedict disappeared at a speed beyond the reach of ordinary folks.
Leaving only the support staff remained in the room, the butler began organizing the papers Benedict had scattered and laughed as he looked at the recent ruckus.
“Alright, everyone. It’s time to work happily.”
This was the moment when the intensive work that had continued during Benedict’s absence resumed.
*
With a cheerful grin plastered on his face, Benedict completed his preparations for the date, putting far more effort into his appearance than when he attended the Partran family party.
It felt like the last time he cared for himself this much was when his wife was still alive.
As he hummed a tune, he stepped outside, but then he blinked at the sight of Lucy in armor that was quite revealing.
“Whoa. Silly Daddy, you seem all hyped up? Is it because your cute daughter is hanging out with you?”
“L-L-Lucy, where are you going dressed like that?”
“Of course, I’m going to fight. There’s no way I’d be dragging a Troll-like silly Daddy if it wasn’t for that, right?”
“W-well, I suppose.”
With a deep disappointment settling in, Lucy, who had been laughing for a while at her dad’s fallen face, sneaked under Benedict and pinched his nostrils.
“If you work hard this time, I might just tolerate your silly huge size a bit.”
“…Got it! Order me anything! I, the silly Daddy, will swing my sword for our Lucy’s sake!”
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