Dark Dad’s Rebirth - Chapter 12: A New Tool (1)

“Dad, if you didn’t love me… I wouldn’t be able to act so insolently toward you like I do now, would I?”

A familiar voice echoed, and the younger Aria chattered away as she nestled in Caelius’s arms. For a moment, she struggled to distinguish dream from reality, but it didn’t take long for her to realize—it was a dream. This wasn’t the present.

But why? Why was she suddenly dreaming of the past?

What had Caelius said back then?

“That’s a pointless assumption.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s no way I wouldn’t love you.”

“But you love me because…”

Because I remind you of the man you once were.

Aside from her rounder eyes, Aria was the spitting image of Caelius. Anyone who saw them could immediately recognize them as father and daughter, and Aria herself had felt it without needing proof.

“I’m… I’m scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“That one day, another daughter will suddenly appear… and take away all your love from me.”

Even now, I’m starving for affection. There’s no way I’d have anything left to share.

“That won’t happen.”

“That’s a lie…”

“It’s not a lie.”

“What if it does? What will you do then? You’d take her into the manor, wouldn’t you? You’d give her the Wittlesbach estate like you did for me and put her in the family registry, right?”

It felt as though the air had been sucked out of her lungs, suffocating her. She knew it was a dream, but why couldn’t she wake up?

“I said it won’t happen.”

“But what if it does?”

“If I ever have another child besides you—whether they have golden hair or golden eyes, whether they’re a son or daughter—I’ll kill them on the spot.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Promise me. If someone else shows up claiming to be your son or daughter, whether it’s true or not, you have to kill them. Promise.”

“Fine. If you want, I’ll rip them to pieces alive right in front of you. It doesn’t matter if they’re really my child or not. I only need you, Riri.”

Only after hearing those words had Aria sighed in relief back then.

Now, in the dream, she felt nothing but revulsion.

Why am I having this dream?

Sweating profusely, Aria remained trapped in the suffocating grasp of her dream, unable to wake.

* * *

“Lady Aria… His Grace, the Grand Duke, has issued an order for you to attend dinner tonight,” said the maid cautiously.

It had been two weeks since Aria and Caelius had last seen each other. Naturally, neither of them wanted to face the other. Despite all the shouting, screaming, and fighting, the tension between them hadn’t dissipated—it had only grown heavier.

If anything, letting out their frustrations had only made the unresolved bitterness more unbearable.

And now, out of nowhere, Caelius had requested her presence at dinner? It was unexpected.

“…Why?”

Aria narrowed her eyes, her tone sharp. The maid flinched, hesitating before parting her lips as though to speak.

“Did he really tell you to pass on a message without giving a reason?”

Her tone, probing and demanding, felt utterly natural. Though she could be gentle and affectionate in Caelius’s presence, Aria was no docile pet. When he wasn’t around, she revealed herself to be every bit his daughter, sharp-edged and commanding.

“I’m sorry, Lady Aria. I wasn’t informed of His Grace’s intentions…”

“…Fine. You may leave.”

Clicking her tongue in irritation as though expecting no better, Aria dismissed the maid with a wave of her hand. Bowing deeply, the maid quickly exited the room.

Left alone, Aria pressed her temples as she recalled the dream she’d had earlier. A sour, uneasy feeling spread through her.

“It’s so aggravating…”

Why now? Why had she dreamed of such things?

Her own voice, calmly asking for another child to be killed without hesitation, still echoed in her mind. That voice, so devoid of guilt or remorse.

“I guess it’s inevitable.”

No matter how much she tried to distance herself from him, she couldn’t deny it. She was Caelius’s daughter through and through.

Even though she had once experienced a pregnancy in the past, Aria couldn’t bring herself to believe that she wasn’t truly Caelius’s child. Her long golden hair, her sharp, jewel-like golden eyes, her straight nose, her delicate lips, and even her slender fingers—everything about her bore the mark of his blood.

Even her personality.

Though she had mellowed over countless cycles of regression, she could remember her past words all too well—how empathy had once seemed foreign to her, how she had treated killing people like squashing bugs.

“But I’ve never been with anyone but him…”

That pregnancy back then… Had it just been a misdiagnosis?

Her thoughts swirled in chaos, but she shook her head in an attempt to dismiss them. Beyond the high, thick wooden walls, she could hear the bustling footsteps of servants.

Was it just her imagination? Or was there something different about the atmosphere in the manor today?

The sound of massive carriages coming and going through the gates, and the lively chatter of unfamiliar voices, reached her ears.

“…Looks like something’s going on.”

Still, whatever it was, she thought it had nothing to do with her.

As long as she kept her eyes on Leon Verha, the key to preventing rebellion and Caelius’s death, that would be enough.

Or so she thought.

Completely unaware of how wrong she was.

* * *

“Milady…”

“…”

“Milady, may I come in? It’s an order from His Grace, the Grand Duke…”

Through the door, the troubled voice of a maid reached her ears. What was meant to be a short nap had turned into a deeper sleep than anticipated. Lately, Aria had been burdened with many concerns, leaving her more exhausted than usual. She downed a glass of cold water from the nightstand and gave permission for entry.

“…Come in.”

The setting sun, dipping lower in the sky, cast a crimson hue across the room, painting everything in a reddish glow.

“Milady, His Grace the Grand Duke is waiting for you now.”

The mention of someone waiting made her pause, the question of what for barely forming in her mind before realization struck.

“Oh… right. Dinner together.”

Aria’s previously composed face crumpled in an instant.

“Tell him I’m not interested.”

“Milady… but…”

“I said no.”

Something was odd about the maid’s expression. She should have left immediately with this clear refusal, regardless of it being on the Grand Duke’s orders. Yet, for some reason, the maid lingered, seemingly at odds with herself. It wasn’t like a mere servant to so openly test her patience.

A strange unease began to crawl over Aria. A disquieting sense of foreboding enveloped her entire being.

“Milady…”

And that unease didn’t take long to strike.

“His Grace…”

The suffocating tension returned. Aria looked sharply at the maid, urging her to speak, but the maid only lowered her head.

“Oh, my poor lady… What should we do…”

The maid, unable to hold back any longer, sank to the floor with a thud. Her unexpected behavior prompted a panicked question from Aria.

“What is going on?”

An unfamiliar weight seemed to press down on the room, a stifling sensation squeezing the air from Aria’s lungs. Her shoulders stiffened as an overwhelming dread gripped her.

Her large, expressive eyes bore into the maid, demanding an answer. Only then did the maid, visibly trembling, manage to stammer out her words with great difficulty.

“His Grace’s new daughter… no, the new young lady has arrived.”

Tears welled in the maid’s eyes, spilling over as her voice broke intermittently with sobs.

“Sob… the new young lady… arrived at the estate today…”

New daughter, His Grace’s new young lady. The two phrases swirled chaotically in Aria’s mind. Her wearied face quickly turned icy cold. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.

Clutching the bedsheet tightly, Aria demanded, “What do you mean by that? Explain yourself clearly.”

She had tried to maintain composure, but her trembling voice betrayed her. Her breathing grew heavier and more erratic.

This maid had been the closest to her ever since she came to this place. Perhaps that’s why her distress felt so palpable, as she collapsed further, wiping away tears in frustration.

“She’s His Grace’s blood… the new young lady has arrived at the estate.”

Once again, the phrase “new young lady” spilled from the maid’s lips, striking Aria like a blunt force to the back of her head. Her mind reeled, her vision blurred, and dizziness threatened to overwhelm her.

“What in the world is this supposed to mean…”

That can’t be true. Are you telling me… Father… Father had another daughter besides me?

Her hands trembled violently. Strength drained from her body, leaving her unable to stand. Even breathing became a struggle. Her head pounded, and her vision spun uncontrollably.

“Lies… That can’t be true…”

There had never been anything like this in the past. Father never had another daughter—only her.

As Aria sat stunned, the maid continued speaking, her voice quivering.

“So… s-sob… so he said he wanted to introduce the new young lady… and that you must join dinner with them tonight…”

Aria let out a hollow laugh, almost as if mocking the absurdity of what she had just heard. She couldn’t believe the words were real.

“Ha…”

She clenched and unclenched her fists, desperately trying to regain her composure, though it was far from easy.

How long she remained like that, she wasn’t sure.

Her racing heart slowly began to calm. Just as emotions threatened to overwhelm her reason, the wretched resemblance she bore to Caelius emerged. Instead of losing herself in anger or despair, her mind turned unnervingly cold.

A voice, unfamiliar and chilling, escaped from Aria’s lips.

“So.”

“M-Milady…”

“So where do I need to go?”

Her golden eyes, heavy with emotion, locked onto the maid.

“T-the main building… sob… the second dining room in the main building.”

Aria rose from her bed, her movements slow and deliberate.

“…I suppose I’ll have to go there right now.”

The once gentle gaze in her eyes now carried an unrecognizable intensity. Her lips curled into a smirk, one that bore an uncanny resemblance to Caelius.

* * *