Dark Dad’s Rebirth - Chapter 10: The Real Aria (7)

“Gossen.”

Aria, having just left Caelius’s office, called out to him, her expression markedly different from the one she had worn in front of her father. Gossen halted immediately, bowing his head respectfully.

“You called for me?”

“I have a question.”

“…”

“About Daddy.”

At the mention of Caelius, a flicker of unease crossed Gossen’s face. Aria, however, deliberately ignored his reaction, stepping aside and gesturing for him to follow. Gossen had no choice but to comply.

The warmth she displayed in Caelius’s presence had vanished entirely, leaving an unsettling chill in its place. Swallowing dryly, Gossen couldn’t help but think that she was every bit her father’s daughter.

“Why does Daddy hate eyes so much?”

The bluntness of her question made Gossen’s face darken, the inquiry clearly uncomfortable.

“Is it difficult for you to answer?”

“…I believe it would be best if His Highness explained it to you directly.”

“No, I want you to tell me.”

Aria smiled sweetly as she spoke, but it wasn’t the same smile she showed Caelius.

“I’ll keep it a secret. So, go ahead.”

Aria was, after all, his superior, and Gossen his subordinate. Refusing her command wasn’t an option.

After hesitating for a moment, Gossen finally opened his mouth to speak.

* * *

“The age when His Highness first went to battle was only twelve.”

Aria’s steps toward Caelius felt strangely light.

“The battlefield was in the north, so it seems the experience left a significant mark on him.”

She knocked on the office door and entered, finding Caelius standing up just as he finished his work.

“Daddy! Are you done with your work?”

“I just finished.”

He pulled her into a natural embrace.

“You didn’t go to bed first.”

Aria beamed at him, her racing heart hidden behind a bashful smile that appeared innocent and pure.

“I wanted to sleep with you.”

The truth was, she was too excited to sleep.

Daddy has a trauma, just like me.

Having spent most of her life confined to the cramped and dark attic of the Marquis’s residence, Aria still disliked small, shadowy spaces. To learn that even Caelius—seemingly invincible and perfect—had his own vulnerabilities thrilled her.

Of course, she kept this joy to herself, but for the first time, she felt like the unreachable distance between them had shrunk ever so slightly.

What he wanted: the throne.

What he disliked: eyes.

What he valued: usefulness.

Aria lowered her gaze, carefully reflecting on what she knew about Caelius. Then, she burrowed deeper into his embrace.

“Daddy.”

“…”

“I love you more than anything in the world.”

Aria believed she could fill the emptiness inside him. It was a baseless confidence, but she felt certain she could do it.

I’ll work harder and become someone useful.

Aria wanted to become a daughter useful enough to secure Caelius the throne. More precisely, she wanted to earn his complete love, even if it meant doing so under the pretense of their father-daughter relationship.

The selfish desire to remain by his side forever.

Aria refused to become a discarded pawn.

Thus, she deliberately concealed her sharp intellect from the public, crafting an image of a naive girl who had suddenly ascended from obscurity, as untamed as a wild horse. By presenting herself as the troublesome child of House Wittelsbach, she ensured that the Emperor’s faction would not perceive Caelius as a threat.

The throne should have been Daddy’s from the start.

Her love for him was blind.

Like a baby bird imprinted on the first figure it sees upon hatching, Aria’s entire world revolved around Caelius.

Even at banquets, when she tasted something delicious, or in beautiful places without him, or while listening to sweet melodies, her thoughts always returned to him.

I should share this with Daddy later.

I should bring Daddy here someday.

I should listen to this with Daddy next time.

Her golden eyes sparkled brightest when thinking of him, and her pale cheeks glowed with life only when facing him.

“Daddy, I brought these cookies from the Count’s estate,” she said, holding out a plate.

It was absurd—offering him mere cookies she’d eaten at a banquet. Gossen would have been mortified had he known. But Aria frequently did such things.

She didn’t do it to impress him or curry favor.

It was simply an earnest desire to share with him the things she enjoyed—the food she found delicious, the sights she found beautiful, the music that moved her.

Of course, such behavior was hardly what one would expect of a typical noble, but Aria was far from typical.

“These were the tastiest cookies at the banquet! So I brought them for you!”

Caelius couldn’t comprehend her actions. At first, he wondered if she was mocking him, but her cheerful expression and guileless demeanor betrayed no malice.

“Why?” he asked. He truly couldn’t understand why someone like her, who lacked nothing, would go to such lengths.

Her answer was simple and direct.

“Because they were delicious!”

Caelius still couldn’t make sense of it.

If it was delicious food she wanted, there were plenty of options at their own estate. He had the power to summon the Imperial Palace’s finest patissiers to bake her all the cookies she could ever desire.

“Sweetheart, there are better cookies than those from some Count’s estate.”

But Aria merely smiled shyly, her eyes curving gently as she whispered, “That’s true, but I wanted you to taste something I enjoyed.”

There wasn’t a shred of deceit in her words.

Still, Caelius couldn’t immediately grasp what she meant. He had never considered sharing his own enjoyment with another person.

Instead of responding, he studied her closely. Her golden eyelashes fluttered softly, her wide-eyed gaze directed at him, completely unguarded.

“Don’t you ever feel that way, Daddy?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, when you see something pretty or taste something good, don’t you want to share it with someone you like?”

“No.”

Caelius’s answer was immediate and curt. He had never loved anyone, so how could he know such emotions?

Her question left her awkwardly scratching the back of her head before she smiled faintly.

“What about with Mom?”

He instantly understood she was referring to Amerin. With a flat, emotionless tone, he replied, “It was nothing more than a political engagement.”

“I see…”

“I never loved Amerin,” Caelius said, his tone carrying an odd hint of defensEveness.

Aria chuckled softly, ignoring the nuance as she naturally slipped her arm through his.

“What about other women, then?”

At her question, one of his eyebrows arched.

“I heard that even before you met Mom, you were incredibly popular. They say princesses from other countries lined up, wanting to marry you.”

“Who’s been spreading such nonsense?”

Though he found it amusing, it wasn’t entirely untrue, so he didn’t bother denying it.

“Didn’t you ever think anything about those pretty princesses or noble ladies?”

“No.”

“Aw, come on, really?”

Aria leaned in close, her sparkling eyes filled with an unmistakable hopefulness—a transparent expectation that he’d never harbored feelings for anyone else as he did for her.

Even as she asked, she knew it was a contradiction, but she couldn’t help herself. Her expression, so easy to read, made Caelius chuckle faintly.

“I said no.”

“Really? Truly, really?”

Though her repeated questioning could easily have been annoying, Caelius only smiled gently.

He knew he was indulgent toward her. Among all the women who had tried to get close to him, asking inane questions or seeking his favor, Aria was the only one who wasn’t dismissed outright.

As he gazed at her, looking up at him like a curious puppy, he found her endearing. Without thinking, he wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Truly, there’s no one else.”

At his words, Aria’s cheeks flushed a deep red, and she buried her face in his chest.

Even if her love was one-sided, it didn’t matter to her.

Whether it was fatherly affection or romantic love, she knew it wasn’t there.

But what mattered was that she was undeniably special to him. That was enough.

* * *

“It’s outrageous, Duke Caelius!”

The banquet, one of the rare occasions Caelius attended with Aria, was far from harmonious. Predictably, it was the Emperor’s faction that instigated the tension.

More precisely, they had been having a hushed conversation about where best to dispose of Aria, a symbol of the imperial bloodline, when Caelius caught them red-handed.

“Didn’t you make those ridiculous remarks about my beloved daughter first?” Caelius muttered, his tone indifferent, as though the entire matter was beneath him. The champagne glass in his hand gleamed like crystal under the lights.

Alarmed by the commotion, Aria hurried over, having just been mingling with her peers.

“D-Daddy…!”

She hesitated, reaching out toward him. At her appearance, Caelius, who had been stoically maintaining a neutral expression, softened ever so slightly in a way only she could notice.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry. Was it too noisy for you?”

He gently stroked her cheek and placed a kiss on her hair, his actions far more tender than usual, gEven the public’s gaze. Whether it was genuine or merely for show, Aria was thrilled by the attention he reserved just for her, and she beamed.

Her bright smile brought a faint, almost imperceptible curve to Caelius’s lips.

Aria, noticing even this slight change, snuggled closer into his arms with a small sense of triumph.

“No, it’s fine,” she replied in a sing-song tone, her voice carrying a hint of childish petulance.

A few noblewomen nearby began whispering amongst themselves. Everyone knew Caelius had little tolerance for women behaving like petulant children. Yet here he was, casually wrapping an arm around Aria’s shoulders, as if indulging her was the most natural thing in the world.

Aria’s lips curled into a subtle smile as she caught their whispers. Though she never showed it outwardly, such moments gave her a sense of satisfaction—a peculiar triumph that reaffirmed her uniqueness to Caelius.

As they retreated to an empty terrace, Caelius suddenly leaned in and kissed her.

The unexpectedness of his action left Aria momentarily frozen, her body stiff as a board. Feeling her tension, Caelius’s hand slid down her back in a slow, soothing motion.

He parted from her only when her breath became shallow and uneven.

“Hah… Daddy…?”

Aria panted softly, her eyes darting up at him in confusion. Caelius clicked his tongue in irritation, his expression dark.

“I feel like shit,” he muttered.

It was clear he wasn’t in his usual mood. His lowered gaze carried traces of frustration, and his lips turned downward as he carelessly wiped away the smudged lipstick. Reaching for his pocket, he seemed to be searching for something—likely a hallucinogen.

Before he could continue, Aria abruptly threw her arms around his neck and pressed a quick, innocent kiss to his lips.

The sound of her brief, childlike peck echoed softly, followed by another, and another. She peppered kisses along his cheek and lips, standing on her toes and bouncing slightly to reach him, gEven their height difference.

Amused by her efforts, Caelius let his stern expression relax, eventually lowering himself slightly to make it easier for her.

“Feeling a bit better now?” she asked, her face flushed as she gazed up at him.

Her round eyes sparkled like jewels, her soft lips pursed, and her peach-colored cheeks glowed brightly. Even without the sultry curves of a mature woman, she had an innocent charm that Caelius found endearing.

Unlike how he viewed others, his gaze toward her held a clear warmth.

Thanks to her antics, the thought of reaching for hallucinogens vanished completely from his mind. The bad mood that had clung to him like a shadow had dissipated as if it were never there.

Still, Caelius, finding her efforts both amusing and trivial, gave a flat response.

“No.”

Aria’s expression immediately fell.

The confident, expectant glint in her eyes faded, her brows knitting together in visible disappointment. She fidgeted, her lips parting slightly as if to ask what more she could do.

The faint crease in her brow didn’t suit her normally radiant demeanor, and Caelius found himself staring at her as if contemplating whether to push her further or offer some reprieve.

Her seemingly harmless demeanor only fueled Caelius’s sadism.

The sight of her tiny shoulders and hands wiggling made him want to crush her beneath me. I wanted to tear her tightly wrapped dress to rags and mercilessly covet her flesh.

It was a dirty, ugly thought, at odds with her seemingly innocent demeanor. She could feel her stomach tighten at the thought. So Caelius grabbed her and knelt down in front of me.

Aria’s eyes widened in surprise and she looked up at him. Then, with a languid look on his face, he whispered.

“Suck it.”