Chapter 44

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: A Painful Return
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Indeed. Unlike seven years ago, Enoch was now a father, and he had something he had to protect.

Something more important than his beliefs—his daughter.

“…”

After patting Enoch's shoulder a couple of times, the emperor looked up at the map again and spoke.

“Around winter would be good. Isn't that when all life holds its breath? The smell of blood will be covered by the blizzard.”

No more words were needed.

Before this year was over, in winter. It meant to erase the names of the countries still occupying a corner of the continent.

“…”

After a long silence, Enoch walked past the emperor.

Then he paused.

“…I will make the preparations.”

A smile touched the emperor's lips.

* * *

When he left the emperor's chambers, Axion was waiting.

“What did you talk about with His Majesty?”

“The usual.”

“…I see.”

There were no more words between them, but that was enough of a conversation.

“Someone wants to see you for a moment. Meet them before you go.”

“Who.”

“Selena.”

“…”

Enoch, who had been striding quickly down the hallway, eager to escape the suffocating palace, came to a sudden halt.

Selena.

His comrade from the battlefields seven years ago, and a great mage.

She was Lilis's birth mother.

“Why me?”

“How should I know?”

Axion spat out, then added with a sigh.

“She probably wants to talk about your daughter. You didn't have her on your own. As the mother, she might claim the right to see her.”

“Ah, is that so.”

Enoch thought for a moment.

It would be a lie to say he hadn't thought of the child's mother when he decided to return to the capital.

If Lilis was curious about her mother, he was naturally willing to let them meet.

However, Enoch had essentially taken the child away on his own, and Selena had already started a new family…

‘If she wants to see Lilis, I should let her.’

A mother with another family. His daughter might be confused by the unconventional family structure, but that was something Enoch would have to handle.

Lost in these thoughts, he resumed walking, only to stop again.

It was Selena.

Their gazes met and tangled in the middle of the quiet hallway.

“See you later.”

As Axion stepped aside, Selena approached.

“It's been a while. Have you been well?”

“Yes. What is it?”

Selena smiled faintly, brushing back her blonde hair.

“You haven't changed. Still only say what's necessary.”

“…”

“First, I'm sorry. As you probably know, I'm the one who told His Majesty about you.”

“It's fine.”

Enoch said calmly.

Telling her his whereabouts. Not moving away, out of respect for her as the birth mother. It had all been Enoch's choice.

“Even if you hadn't told him, His Majesty would have found me somehow. If you're worrying about it, you don't have to.”

“Really? I received quite a few things from His Majesty in exchange for telling him about you. I retired, and my son was exempted from conscription.”

“I know.”

Selena's eyes narrowed. She had been prepared for his curses, but Enoch's reaction was far more indifferent than she expected.

“Why did you come back? I thought you would have found a way to run.”

“My daughter wanted to come to the capital.”

“I see. How is the child? Did you raise her well?”

“Yes. Her name is Lilis. She's kind and bright. She's pretty. She's a bit shorter than other kids her age, but she'll grow soon. She's a bit of a picky eater.”

Selena was surprised to see Enoch smiling as he rattled on about his daughter.

“I thought you hadn't changed at all, but I was wrong.”

“You came to talk about the child, right?”

“That's right.”

“I'll let you see her. But I haven't been able to tell her about her mother yet…”

“No, Enoch.”

“…?”

“I came to ask you not to tell the child about me. I'm glad you haven't yet.”

Enoch's eyes widened. This was not what he had expected.

“She'll be entering the training center soon, right? I work there. So we'll probably run into each other at some point.”

“You don't want to see the child?”

“It would probably… confuse the child. I have a new family and a son now. I can't be her mother.”

“…”

“My son is five. He's at the training center now too. So if Lilis… if that child sees me and says something foolish, it wouldn't be good for my son's emotional well-being. Can you understand?”

Selena stared at Enoch's speechless face and said.

“I'm sorry. Having a child really changes a person. You would know best, but there's nothing you wouldn't do for your child.”

Then she turned away.

“Again, I'm sorry. Take care.”

Enoch blankly watched Selena's retreating back.

It was a conversation that would have been devastating if Lilis had overheard it. He was at a loss for how to tell his daughter about her mother, a person she was bound to become curious about someday.

“Hah.”

Enoch tilted his head back, staring into the air, and muttered.

“This is tiring…”

* * *

After two nights away, Dad didn't return until late in the evening on the third day.

I heard this was after shortening the schedule as much as possible. Apparently, the return ceremony the emperor had prepared was supposed to last a whole week.

“Huuuh. Princess.”

Dad, dressed in his pajamas, wriggled into bed and hugged me tight.

“Dad, you look like you've wasted away…”

It was obvious how exhausted he must have been, so I quietly let him hold me.

“Really? Did Dad get ugly?”

“No, no. You're still just as handsome, but you look tired. You worked hard.”

I said calmly and opened the storybook on my lap.

“Hmm. Aren't you going to ask me anything? Like how the ceremony was, or what's in the imperial palace…”

“I'm not really curious.”

“Oh?”

“Yep.”

“…Princess.”

“Yeah.”

Dad, lying flat on his back, stared up at me. He looked like he had something to say.

“You know…”

“Yeah.”

“You know…”

“What is it? Stop stalling and just tell me.”

“Don't you want to see your mom?”

“…”

I froze at the unexpected question.

‘…So he must have met Mom while he was away.’

My mind raced. Judging by Dad's hesitant expression and what I'd heard from the Master of the Magic Tower, it was obvious what Mom must have said.

“Mom? Why so suddenly?”

“Yeah. I thought you might be curious now that we're in the capital, but you haven't said a word about it.”

Dad trailed off, his face like that of a child waiting to be punished.

If I said I wanted to see her, he'd probably struggle to come up with an excuse.

‘It's a good thing I heard about Mom from the Master of the Magic Tower beforehand.’

Otherwise, I would have cluelessly asked if I had a mom and said I wanted to see her.

“Hmm, I don't know… Did you happen to meet Mom at the palace? Does she want to see me? I'm a little… not so sure about that.”

“Huh? Not sure about it?”

Dad shot up.

I flipped a page, pretending to be uninterested.

“I figured Mom was probably somewhere around since we came to the capital, but, well, it's not like I really want to see her, and it would probably be awkward if we met… Do I really need a mom?”

“You're not curious? You used to ask me where your mom was, didn't you?”

“That was because I thought everyone only had a dad like me, but then my friends told me that homes are supposed to have moms too, so I got curious. It wasn't because I missed her.”

“I-Is that right?”

“Yep. And I've only ever had you, Dad, so it would feel weird to suddenly have a mom. If I don't have to meet her, I don't want to… I don't even want to know about her.”

“…”

“…Do I have to meet her?”

I looked up from my book and asked. Dad, who had been staring blankly with his mouth open, quickly shook his head.

“No? It's not like that. Uh, if that's what you think, Princess, then that's that. You don't have to see your mom. You don't have to know who she is. Yep, that's right.”

“Okay. Let's go to sleep now.”

I closed the book, lay down, and shut my eyes. I could feel Dad's gaze on me.

Dad soon blew out a few of the candles lighting the room and lay down beside me.

“Hmm.”

Dad couldn't fall asleep right away and tossed and turned for a long time.

‘That return ceremony must have been truly awful.’

I thought.

He would have had to see that jerk emperor's face, and the emperor must have used me as a weakness to threaten him.

Did he tell him to prepare for war? Probably. He must have had no choice but to agree, and then ran into Mom on his way out.

‘Did she say they should act like strangers since she has a new husband and a son? Or did Dad bring me up first, and she said she didn't want to meet me?’

I ran through the simulations in my head, and could only sigh.

I felt sorry for Dad. It all felt like it was my fault.

‘No, it is my fault.’

I snuggled into the arms of my still-tossing father. Dad smiled and hugged me back.

“Dad.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“I love you more than anyone in the world, Dad.”

“Haha, me too.”

“You're all I need, Dad.”

“…”

Dad was silent for a moment, perhaps realizing my sudden display of affection was because of the talk about Mom.

I burrowed deeper into his embrace and said.

“Let's just the two of us live happily together.”