Dark Dad’s Rebirth - Chapter 10: The Real Aria (10)

“Riri.”

The sound of the door opening was immediately followed by Caelius’s voice. Startled, Aria, who had been scribbling something at her desk, shot up as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

“Daddy!”

“What were you doing to be so surprised?”

“Oh, nothing!”

Aria quickly closed the notebook on her desk, speaking in a flustered tone. Her behavior was undeniably suspicious. Narrowing his eyes, Caelius glanced at the notebook. Aria, however, simply smiled innocently in response.

‘If she really wanted to hide something…’

There was no way she would act this clumsily. Caelius knew this all too well. He was well aware that the version of Aria she presented to him wasn’t entirely genuine.

The awkward attempt to conceal the notebook—it was a calculated move. She wasn’t trying to hide it. She was trying to pique his curiosity, to make him check it when she wasn’t looking.

It was a feeble trick.

Caelius looked down at Aria with a detached gaze. Despite this, she merely looked up at him with a guileless smile.

‘Should I play along… or not?’

He tilted his head slightly, debating. One thing was clear—Aria didn’t want him to see the notebook just yet.

‘Perhaps I’ll indulge her, just this once.’

With practiced ease, Caelius wrapped his arm around Aria’s waist. He brushed her soft hair back and murmured,

“Why did you bother meddling?”

At those words, Aria flinched, her body stiffening. Her golden eyes darted nervously before she cautiously looked up at him.

“Heh… You knew?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t?”

“Of course not! I wasn’t planning to hide it anyway.”

“You know, I could’ve handled it myself without my daughter stepping in…”

“…I’m sorry. Did I upset you?”

Once again, her gentle, innocent-looking eyes gazed up at him, wide and guileless. She resembled a playful pup hiding the teeth of a predator—a sight both endearing and cunning.

“Not at all.”

“Oh, by the way, Daddy. I was thinking of going out for a bit tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“Going out? Where to, all of a sudden?”

“I want to shop for a new dress.”

Caelius briefly recalled his schedule and frowned slightly. Tomorrow happened to be the day of the retainers’ meeting.

“I don’t have time tomorrow.”

He naturally assumed Aria planned to go out with him. But to his surprise, she shook her head, shattering his assumption.

“Hmm… I can just go on my own!”

“Why not go with me?”

“We can go out together another day, Daddy.”

Her usual radiant smile accompanied the suggestion, and Caelius responded with a smile of his own.

“All right, let’s do that then.”

At the time, Caelius didn’t sense anything unusual. He didn’t realize that behind her small, seemingly harmless head, she was cooking up some sort of scheme.

 

* * *

 

As always, it was a dull meeting. The retainers exchanged their usual, predictable arguments, and Caelius passed the time by mediating as needed.

When he glanced out the window, the sun was already setting, its light fading into the horizon.

Letting out a sigh of exhaustion, Caelius returned to his manor, placed the documents down, and asked Gossen,

“My daughter?”

“She hasn’t returned yet,” came the unexpected reply.

The answer wasn’t what Caelius anticipated. He had naturally assumed she’d already come back. But she hadn’t? It was already nearing evening. Only then did Caelius realize something was off.

“…Still not back?”

“No, sir.”

“Who did she take as her escort?”

“She left with the Captain of the First Knights.”

For a moment, Caelius tapped his fingers against the desk, thud, thud, as if deep in thought. Then, as if something clicked in his mind, he abruptly rose from his seat.

“I’ll be stepping out for a moment.”

He headed straight to Aria’s bedroom, his strides unusually hurried.

The door to the empty room swung open harshly, and Caelius immediately searched the desk, recalling the notebook she had so clumsily hidden. He didn’t even need to look hard. It was left out in plain view, as if she had wanted him to find it.

Without hesitation, Caelius opened the notebook.

The first thing that caught his eye was a short letter written in Aria’s handwriting.

The moment he read it, Caelius’s face went pale.

“Gossen!”

He flung the notebook aside and rushed back to his office. No, “rushed” wasn’t quite accurate—he practically sprinted as if his life depended on it.

“Deploy the knights to the Hebitz estate immediately!”

“Pardon? I—what?”

Without waiting for a response, Caelius strapped a sword to his waist and headed straight to the stables. It was as though he didn’t even want to waste time giving orders to the servants to bring his horse. Ignoring the stench of manure, he entered the stable himself and pulled out h

“Y-Your Highness?”

The flustered stablehand called out to Caelius, but he didn’t respond. Without a word, he mounted his horse and rode off at full speed.

Something was clearly wrong.

The expression on Caelius’s face, usually marked by boredom and haughty indifference unless he was feigning emotion, was now fraught with dangerous desperation.

It was a depth of emotion even greater than when he had received his first command to march into battle at the tender age of twelve.

 

* * *

 

Caelius drove his horse like a madman, pushing it to full speed toward the Hebitz estate.

[Daddy, it’s me, Riri.]

Even as he rode, the letter she left behind echoed in his mind.

[By the time you read this, I’ll probably be… uh… on my way to being captured by a slave trader.]

Grinding his teeth, Caelius gripped the reins tighter, his knuckles white.

[I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance. But I thought… if I did, you’d never let me do this.]

“Damn it—!”

[First of all, don’t be too shocked. I plan to let myself get kidnapped by the human trafficking ring that’s been operating actively in the Hebitz estate. From what I’ve confirmed, it seems the imperial family is aware of the trafficking ring’s existence but has been turning a blind eye to it. Of course, it’s not for free.]

His mind felt like it had gone blank, as if it could no longer process rational thought. It was a feeling entirely foreign to him.

[However, contrary to my expectations of simple cash transactions, the currency being exchanged isn’t money.]

Tears blurred his vision. He felt like he might vomit, the nausea clawing at his throat.

[It’s blue magic stones. Do you know what those are? The ones that only come from the East?]

His hands trembled uncontrollably, barely able to keep a grip on the reins.

[Blue magic stones are the only thing capable of blocking the aura and sword techniques of Sword Masters. They’re being secretly traded between the imperial family and the trafficking ring.]

Caelius couldn’t comprehend himself in this moment. Half out of his mind, he simply rode like a madman, as though running would help him breathe. The anxiety that he might already be too late gnawed at him.

He could only push forward, riding and riding with relentless desperation.

[There’s nothing I’ve done that isn’t for you, Daddy. Everything I’ve done is for you. All of it.]

I know, I know. I know you care only about me, that you wouldn’t act this way if not for me. But not like this.

He never wanted her to love him so much that she would throw herself to slavers for his sake.

[I worry that you might doubt me. But truly… there’s nothing for me but you. Whatever I do, I don’t mean to obstruct you in any way.

Dust clouds and the hoofprints of his steed were all he left behind as he sped onward. Yet even so, Caelius felt restless. He felt anxious.

He was afraid—afraid he might never see her smile again, afraid she might cease to exist in this world.

[Honestly, if it’s you, I’m sure you already knew something was off when I clumsily tried to hide my notebook. But the Daddy I know… might have let it slide, just once. That’s why I could act this way.

[I’m sorry. Are you angry? To be honest… if you are, I think I’d feel happy. If you truly thought nothing of me, you wouldn’t bother getting angry. You’d just let me die.

His heart pounded violently in his chest. Something was clearly wrong.

By her own words, there was no reason for him to feel this angry. And yet…

[If you’re going to come after me, you’ll need to head to the northern part of the Hebitz estate, to the mining caves below the first trail of the Alz Mountains.

Caelius drove his horse relentlessly, like a man possessed, determined to reach the Hebitz estate at full speed.

[Unless… you could also just investigate the carriages traveling between the Imperial Palace and Hebitz.]

Even as he rode, Aria’s letter replayed in his mind.

[For now, I plan to infiltrate as deep as possible into their main base to gather information about their conversations and goals. This information might not be that valuable, but the fact that they’re trading blue magic stones is already something that can help you, Daddy.]

The last lines of Aria’s letter swirled madly in his head.

[Still, if I’m being honest… I want you to come save me. I’m sorry, I know I’m being reckless and spoiled.

He bit down hard on his lip, spurring his horse even faster.

[The world I know is so small and insignificant compared to the world you’ve seen and learned about, Daddy. In truth, my entire world is you.

[I just… I just wanted to help you find the place you deserve.

When Caelius finally arrived at the location described in the letter, he was nearly out of his mind.

[The current emperor is incompetent. That position should’ve been yours from the start, Daddy.

The moment he drew the sword from his waist and infused it with his dark aura, he didn’t hesitate. Swinging his sword, he obliterated the area surrounding the cave Aria had mentioned, as if there was nothing more to see.

[Daddy. No, Caelius. I love you. Truly.

It was only then that Caelius felt fear—fear of the weakness that had taken root in him.

As the black aura surged around his sword, the mountain bore the scars of his rage. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d unleashed so much power since leaving the battlefield. All he knew was that, even half out of his mind, he was careful to restrain his strength just enough to ensure Aria wouldn’t be harmed.

The mountain trembled with each powerful strike, the deafening booms sending shockwaves through the area.

How many times had he swung his sword? Countless animals fled in terror, trees were cut down, and the mountain itself seemed to crumble away. By the time Caelius finished, the area around the cave had been reduced to barren wasteland.

Finally, people began emerging from the cave, one by one.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Caelius stabbed his sword into each of their bodies. There wasn’t a shred of mercy or reluctance in his actions.

He had once been called the demon of the battlefield, a merciless killer. Taking lives neither fazed him nor slowed him down. He cut them down, one after another, and continued toward the cave in search of Aria.

“…Riri.”

His rough voice echoed eerily through the cave, but no reply came. Undeterred, he muttered her name again and again.

“Riri…”

The slaves imprisoned in iron cages screamed for him to save them, their voices fractured with desperation. But Caelius didn’t so much as blink.

‘She’s not here.’

Was this the wrong place? Or had she been taken somewhere else?

Hundreds of thoughts flooded his mind. The tip of his sword, trembling weakly, dragged against the ground with a harsh scrape, scrape.

The cave was filled with the sound of his blade dragging and the cries of slaves begging for salvation. But there was no trace of Aria. Even as he unleashed his aura to search for her, the sheer number of captives made it nearly impossible to sense her.

“…Damn it.”

He pressed deeper into the cave.

“…Daddy?”

In the cacophony of the cave, a faint and trembling voice froze him in place.

“Riri?”

Though the voice was small, Caelius caught it instantly. He turned sharply toward its source, and there she was—the Aria he had been desperately searching for.

Her once-lustrous golden hair, which had reached her waist, was now unevenly hacked away, left in a messy state. Her face was swollen, as if she had been beaten during her capture.

The sight of her sent a wave of uncontainable rage through Caelius, a fury he had never felt before. The black aura began surging around his sword once more, coiling and pulsating ominously.

“Riri.”

His low, guttural voice filled the cave like the chilling wind of a harsh winter.

“Who did this to you?”

Aria was taken aback. She should have been moved that Caelius had come to rescue her, but the energy radiating from him felt so unfamiliar that she couldn’t utter a word.

“My dear daughter, what happened to your face?”

The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on the air around them. Confronted with this side of Caelius for the first time, Aria could do nothing but tremble in silence. This was entirely unexpected.

‘He’s this angry…?’

It didn’t make sense. Was Daddy really… this enraged for her?

She had never seen Caelius so furious before, to the point where merely standing in his presence felt overwhelming. Her mouth went dry as he took a step closer.

A set of iron bars stood between them. For a fleeting moment, Aria felt relieved that the bars were there. But it was as if Caelius mocked her thoughts—he sliced through the barrier with a single gesture. The black aura flowing from his fingertips was overwhelming, almost inhuman.

‘Daddy doesn’t even have his royal powers anymore…’

And yet, if he was this powerful now, what must he have been like in his prime? She couldn’t even imagine. No wonder the emperor, Azecresis, had feared him so much.

Caelius was a predator incarnate.

Crossing the severed bars, Caelius approached Aria. Though she should have felt joy, her legs gave out beneath her. She stumbled back until her back hit the wall, collapsing to the floor.

Only then did she start to grasp the weight of her actions—just who she had dared to manipulate with her silly little tricks and playful displays of affection.

‘If I had met this side of Daddy first…?’

Would she have been able to express her feelings as she did now? The answer was clear: no.

If this had been the Caelius she first encountered, she would never have dared to behave so lightly around him.

For the first time, Aria understood why Caelius had been called a war demon, why he had earned the moniker of a bloodthirsty killer. His deep black eyes shimmered with an otherworldly ferocity, and his sharp gaze cut like a blade.

She swallowed dryly, trembling under his oppressive aura. She had prided herself on being the one closest to him, yet his overwhelming presence left her struggling to even breathe.

“D-Daddy…”

“…”

“I-I’m sorry, I… I was wrong…”

The words spilled out instinctively. Whether she apologized or not, Caelius sheathed his sword and extended a hand toward her.

As his hand drew closer, Aria flinched and shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he grabbed her by the throat and twisted it right then and there.

But to her surprise, she was pulled into a warm embrace instead. Startled, she stiffened, then cautiously opened her eyes. She found herself wrapped securely in Caelius’s arms.

“At least you know you’ve done wrong.”

His calm voice whispered in her ear. But it wasn’t an angry tone. The slight rasp in his voice carried a strange sense of relief.

“You’ll get a good scolding when we get back.”

Despite his words, his deep, low tone was gentle. Aria blinked, dumbfounded.

There was an expression on Caelius’s face that she had never seen before—an expression that genuinely seemed worried for her. It was so tender, so sweet, that she briefly wondered if she was dreaming. Her lips quivered as if to speak, but no words came out.

Caelius held her tightly, as though she was the most precious thing in the world, and began walking slowly out of the cave. The cries of the imprisoned slaves echoed around them, mingling with the heavy silence.

However, the masters of the cave weren’t about to let them leave so easily. Before long, slave traders blocked the cave entrance, with more appearing behind them, surrounding Caelius and Aria.

Not that it mattered.

They were no match for him.

Caelius, who had spent his childhood on battlefields, had taken the lives of thousands with nothing but his sword. These second-rate slavers were utterly beneath him.

He let out a dry chuckle, as if amused by their audacity.

“My daughter.”

“…”

“Hold on tight, my dear.”

As Caelius gently smoothed Aria’s disheveled hair, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. It was an unexpectedly tender gesture, gEven the circumstances. Aria blinked, momentarily stunned, before nodding and wrapping her arms around his neck. With one hand supporting her and the other gripping his sword, Caelius drew his blade once more.

The black aura swirling around the blade cut through the air, and with each swing, corpses piled up in heaps. The vicious winds of his attacks didn’t spare even the innocent slaves, who were left wounded in the chaos. But Caelius didn’t care—so long as Aria remained unharmed, nothing else mattered.

To him, they were all just bothersome insects, standing in the way of him and his daughter.

The sight of Aria, her golden hair mangled and her face bruised, made him want to lose all semblance of control and annihilate everything in his path. Watching the slavers rush toward him, Caelius murmured in his usual dispassionate tone,

“My daughter.”

His deep, indifferent voice cut through the noise as he raised his blade. With a single, casual swing, the air howled, and the attackers were instantly shredded into unrecognizable pieces.

“Now, tell me.”

His voice was calm and soft, yet it sent chills down the spine.

“Who dared to hurt my daughter’s face?”

The sound of Caelius’s footsteps echoed eerily through the cave. He strode unhurriedly toward the half-dead slavers, his aura suffocating.

“Was it this one? Or maybe this one?”

Without hesitation, he plunged his blade into those who barely clung to life. Aria instinctively shut her eyes tight, turning her head away from the gruesome sight.

“Wait here, my dear.”

“…Daddy.”

“I’ll kill them all for you.”

This was a scenario Aria hadn’t accounted for. She had never imagined Caelius would grow this enraged over her. The feeling was strange—she was terrified of his anger, but at the same time, she liked it.

Her heart started pounding. She carefully clutched the hem of Caelius’s shirt, gripping it tightly. Unlike her, who was flushed with an odd sense of excitement, Caelius found himself overwhelmed by an unfamiliar emotion. He couldn’t make sense of it, nor could he control it.

‘It’s like I’m drowning.’

The suffocating sensation gripped him, making it hard to breathe.

The moment he saw her once rosy, peach-like cheeks marred and her beautiful, sparkling eyes swollen, he knew he couldn’t forgive them.

Every swing of his sword carried that alien feeling.

It was clear now: Aria was his weakness.

The realization both terrified him and made him seethe with rage. Needing an outlet for his fury, Caelius kept swinging his blade. Again, and again.

By the time everything was over, the Alz Mountain Range had been erased from the map.

 

* * *