C 143
"Are you feeling calmer now?"
"... Yes."
As I sobbed, wiped my nose, and nodded, my dad sat on the bed with me in his arms.
I felt quite embarrassed sitting on my dad's lap after having grown up. As I slowly got off my father's lap, his eyebrows raised slightly.
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why are you getting off?"
"... Well, I'm tall and big... I'm a bit embarrassed."
But how is it that 7 years have passed, and my dad still looks the same?
Wow, his appearance is really crazy.
I extended my hand and pressed my father's cheek, and he smiled with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Why?"
"I just thought you were really my dad."
I guess I should refrain from saying I was looking at him because he was handsome. Still, he's my dad.
"So, did it feel fake?"
"It's not that..."
While in my father's arms, I lightly rubbed my forehead.
"I missed you."
"Me too."
As I recited my longing, my dad nodded and agreed. The corners of my mouth naturally relaxed.
When I met him, I was very small and young, and my dad was young too.
"Compared to then, he might be a bit more mature now."
Because back then, he still looked young.
"What have you been up to, Dad?"
"Working."
"Working?"
"Cleaning up my kids' messes."
"... Oh, did Callan and Silian have an accident?"
"I sent them to the academy, and they started having accidents every day."
Dad responded with a tired look on his face.
I didn't think that no accidents would happen, but it was unexpected. I slowly approached my dad again and hugged him tightly.
"You said you didn't want to sit on my lap."
"Even so... It's nice to hug you."
Dad hugged me back.
"Did something happen?"
"Well, nothing in particular. Except around the fifth year when my dad found out, and my family was in an uproar."
"What?"
"He heard that you had been asleep for a long time. He scolded me, asking why I hadn't told him."
"Ah..."
I didn't think I could hide it forever, but unfortunately, I got caught.
If possible, I didn't want my grandpa and grandma to know until the end. While smiling awkwardly, my dad stroked my hair.
"Dad."
"Yes."
"I had a hard time."
"Yes... You must have gone through a tough time."
Dad responded by patting me on the back.
"It wasn't fun, and I wanted to come here, but I was anxious about what would happen if I never came..."
"Yes."
"I did something wrong for the first time."
When I recounted that I had done something to my grandmother that I shouldn't have as a human, my dad laughed and said that she was still alive.
"Dad said he didn't kill her."
"I thought she might have bitten her tongue and died."
"She probably doesn't have that kind of courage. How much has she accumulated so far?"
"I guess it's only a small amount of money."
Dad replied cynically.
I kept my mouth shut, remembering my father's wealth, Etham's wealth, this era, and the warehouse full of gold nuggets.
Yes, the rich of this era had much more money than the rich of that era.
"Mmm..."
Now that you mention it, I don't have anything else to say.
"Also."
"Yes?"
"Tell me more, what you were doing, what you were thinking, how hard it was. Everything."
Dad added, patting me on the back.
"I'll listen to everything."
Those firm words made me feel relieved. There were so many things I wanted to say.
"Yes...!"
I smiled happily and enthusiastically recounted the story that had happened.
About Lucilion and the guardian of the stars, about how my younger brothers followed me like stalkers every day, and how it was all a prank by the guardian of the stars.
"You must have felt disappointed."
"A little..."
It definitely made me feel bad thinking that those people would go back to living a normal life.
But...
"It's okay because I'll be happier."
"Yes."
"And Lucilion did something about it. I don't know what..."
Because now I have a family.
A much richer and more powerful family than the one I lived in, and also an incredibly strong family.
"That's right. You've become a worthy matriarch of our family," Dad said with a smile.
"I heard that the imprint has become stronger, Dad. Can you feel it? I don't know if anything has changed."
"Well, I..."
Dad's hand lightly touched my head.
"I could feel when you opened your eyes," Dad said.
"Really? I didn't feel anything."
"Maybe it's just that I wanted to come see you," Dad shrugged indifferently. Hmm, is that so?
"But didn't I grow a lot?"
"You grew a lot? That's right."
Dad agreed with me as if wondering what I was talking about.
"I wanted to enjoy my childhood a little more, but it's a shame."
"Why?"
"I want to act a bit more childish... there are some things you can only do when you're young..."
"You can call me anytime."
Dad grabbed me around the waist, lifted me, and sat me on his lap.
My face flushed with embarrassment.
"It doesn't matter if you act like a child or according to your age; I'll accept it. That's what parents do."
"... Yes."
I silently buried my face in my father's shoulder and rubbed my forehead against it.
My body, which had grown so much, couldn't even touch my father's chest anymore.
"But if I start dating and get married, won't my partner get jealous?"
"... What?"
Dad's smile lit up.
Yes, it was the smile I always saw when he was feeling mischievous.
"... Dad?"
"What, dating and marriage?"
"No... since I became the matriarch of the family, I have to fulfill my duties as..."
"You don't have to do everything. There are too many kids for that."
Still, I once heard that the duty of a family head or a king is to produce the next generation of heirs.
When she seemed completely unconvinced, my dad smiled even more.
"Just bring him."
"... And if I bring him?"
"He'll have to prove himself to see if he's suitable as your partner."
It seems like he intends to kill them all, but maybe I'm mistaken, right?
When I looked at my dad with a surprised expression, he smiled and lightly kissed my cheek.
"But it's good to be like this after such a long time."
"Is it?"
"Yes, I'm sure your mother would have done the same."
"Mom..."
It's a shame I didn't see her.
"Come to think of it, who handed me over to that fake father?"
There were still questions about that part. The fact that I, who was sure she was dead, came back to life.
"I went to your mother's grave when you fell asleep."
"... Really?"
"Yes, I just ordered people to do it, but I haven't been able to go there properly."
"Why?"
Dad fell silent for a moment as if pondering my question.
It was a light question, but it seemed like a heavy sword to my father.
"There are quite a few things I want to say as excuses, but..."
Dad paused for a bit.
"If I were to bring out my true feelings, it would probably be because I lack the courage."
"Courage...?"
"Yes, I still can't believe it. The fact that Dahlia is dead."
I took a breath at those words.
To be honest, the reason my mother died was largely my fault. Because her body couldn't withstand my being as a dragon...
My father lost his lifelong partner, and Callan and Silian had to lose their only mother.
"I'm sorry..."
I murmured softly while in my father's arms.
"Sorry? Why?"
"Because I was born..."
My mother is dead.
Because of me, three people had to lose their mother, whom I had never even met.
However, I was surprised that he still tried to take care of me.
"Is it because it's a world I created?"
Because the world is moving as I expect?
If I were to wish for everything to go back to how it was... What about the story?
My story was being published as a "parallel story." So, does that mean there's a "main story" somewhere?
So, if I say I want to turn this story into the main story, will I end up abandoned somewhere?
"Eirin."
A soft voice settled in my ear amid the thoughts swirling in my head like a storm.
"..."
"Eirin?"
"Yes, Dad."
"You don't have to blame yourself for her death. We are the ones who created you, and she is the one who chose to give birth to you."
Dad said.
"Your will wasn't here. You, who were born as a result of our efforts, don't need to think that way."
"... There's no sin in a child born just to live. This is nobody's fault."
Dad said, comforting me. It's not your fault.
"We just had a bit of... bad luck. So don't blame yourself."
"... Yes."
"Nobody in the world has the right to blame a child for being born. The same goes for you."
I nodded, gripping the hem of my father's clothes tightly.
"To be honest, I never thought it was your fault. You're just my precious daughter. That's all."
I smiled at the gentle voice.
"Dad."
"Yes."
There was a time when I always told myself that being born wasn't a sin.
Because being born a woman wasn't something I chose to do.
How much I wished to hear this.
"I love you."
And I also wanted to say this.
The strength with which my father hugged me became even stronger.
The first night back was neither hot nor cold, just cozy, so I felt like I had finally come home.
