Daughter of the Emperor Chapter 471

Chapter 471: The Emperor’s Daughter 471

When I took a few steps back due to the sudden scene change, my younger version looked straight into my eyes.

Did she see ? I was shocked that her gaze was so clearly directed at ; it was no doubt that she could see . It couldn’t be. I started to feel nervous and decided to run for it.

‘What, why is she smiling?’

“Uh?”

She disappeared.

“W-what?”

Still in shock about how she smiled at , sothing ca into my sight.

Uh, wh... oh?

Dad!

“Dad.”

If I didn’t move, I would have missed him, so I ran as fast as possible.

Fortunately, it wasn’t so kind of mirage. My dad right in front of was the sa as the last images I had of him in my mory.

I felt tears rolling on my cheeks.

Dad, dad...

It was my dad. The one I was looking for.

“Dad!”

Caitel opened his eyes as I called him; he woke up.

What did I have to do? It’s my dad! My real dad! My dad!

I couldn’t control my overwhelming emotions.

“... Ria?”

“Yes, yes, it is .”

Dad, it’s . !

I wanted to talk, but my voice betrayed . It didn’t matter if it was a dream or reality.

“Missed ? You seem weaker than usual.”

Caitel was helping himself get up from the ground; he seed to be in pain.

“Even then...”

I looked up at him as he was trying to move; he leaned behind as if there was an invisible wall.

“Since soone sent into this illusion, I can see only you.”

What should I say?

My head went blank. I couldn’t figure out what I had to do or say. I had to say sothing to him, but all I could do was hold back the tears about to flow.

“I never imagined that I would love soone so much. To think about what I had to do for them, about what better, to worry for their safety... I never thought I was capable of that.”

His low voice.

His following words.

“I feel good about knowing that I died trying to protect soone.”

A smile mixed with sadness.

I couldn’t hold my tears back anymore. For the first ti, I heard Caitel’s true feelings; my dad’s confession made gasp. I never imagined that I would listen to such things from Caitel, but I knew that it wasn’t sothing I would hear again.

“In the beginning, I was intrigued. I have no idea why I felt like that, but then, I suddenly thought about it. How would the child grow and live as this man’s daughter?”

Caitel continued with a smile.

“I just thought that I would enjoy watching you. I was stupid.”

My vision blurred because of my unstoppable tears. I cried, shaking my head.

It wasn’t like that, dad.

“You didn’t even look human, you couldn’t speak properly, and if I stomped on you, you would have died. That was the first ti a child caught my attention.”

Did I have to say sothing? Should I express my feelings? I didn’t know what to say.

“Then, you crawled, walked, stood, and began to talk.”

“...Dad”

“How was it possible. Was it magic? How could a being who held my hand change so much? You were so precious to .”

Caitel smiled as he talked about his heartfelt feeling.

“Knowing what kind of human I was.”

His voice was full of concern; his face showed clear signs of distress.

“You smiled and reached out to .”

He didn’t have to say that; he didn’t need to speak like that.

While I was at a loss for words, Caitel smiled and wiped the tears off my cheek.

“I couldn’t function without you.”

No, I was the one who couldn’t move without him.

At first, I thought I was unlucky to be a tyrant’s child. How could I be born under such a man? I used to sigh every day.

Nevertheless, I could see it, the effort he put into taking care of ; though he was clumsy in saying it out loud, he cared for . That must have been why I was still alive.

I never knew it.

“For the first ti, I thought your hand as you gave flowers were the most gentle ones; I realized that the hands of the people who were kind were warr than the ones who held swords.”

Did dad even realize that he was confessing to ?

He was making a great confession; did he think this was a dream? Yes, he was probably saying that because he hadn’t realized it yet.

“But, as you got older, I couldn’t help but enjoy our boring routines during your growth.”

I knew it, but I didn’t expect to hear it from him.

Since I was expecting more, my dad continued.

“I was annoyed when you didn’t listen to and when you wouldn’t do what I asked you. You refuted and got angry at . I couldn’t understand you, but then... you smiled, and I realized I was stupid for you.”

I knew he was a fool for .

I caught my dad. I felt like he would disappear if I didn’t.

“I never planned on having a child.”

It sounded like regret.

“Just... I shouldn’t have accepted.”

My dad’s gaze on wasn’t that of hate or resentnt. It was of deep regret.

“I should have just killed you. Being born as the daughter of a man like , you would feel nothing but resentnt and bla others for it. After living long, the only thing you would receive would end up being hostility from people...”

Caitel was so upset that he couldn’t utter the next words. It was my first ti seeing dad look like that.

“I just couldn’t get myself to let go of you...”

He struggled to speak.

Our surroundings shushed. What could I even say?

“You should have been born to a better father. My daughter needed to grow well. In a cozy warm place with love... you should have grown with soone who could love you, not .”

No, I never thought that.

“Dad.”

I held onto Caitel, who was feeling regret.

“Don’t say such things.”

I couldn’t speak, listening to his overflowing emotions, but I wanted to let him know. Right, I needed to tell my dad properly. I had to convey my true feelings.

“Dad.”

Right, dad...

“You do say so bad stuff, but you never hit . You always talked about selling off, but you never sold nor abandoned . You always cared and loved . Dad was very sincere and wonderful that I trusted you more than myself.”

Caitel was a great father I should show off to everyone.

The harm he committed in the past made hesitate and created a distance between us. I tried to force myself to stay away from him in fear of being enslaved.

“Rather, I began to crave your love.”

My dad always loved , even when he was new to parenting. How could I abandon such a dad?

How could I turn away from him?

How...

How could I not love him?

It didn’t matter if his hands were tainted with blood.

I took his bloodied hands and placed them on my cheek. I put on the smile he loved.

“Dad, so don’t say things like you wish for to be born for soone else. I can’t imagine anyone other than you as my dad.”

Dad’s eyes looked into mine. It had been a long ti since we last stared at each other.

At last, our eyes t.

Dad’s red eyes.

“Now, let’s go back.”