Dark Dad’s Rebirth - Chapter 13: Regret (2)

“No… no, Riri. Please…”

How had it come to this? How had she fallen apart so completely because of someone like him?

‘No. It’s not too late… it can’t be too late.’

Something flashed in his mind, and his head, which had been bowed low, snapped up. Around him, dark energy began to ripple and coil. Despair was fleeting—he didn’t have a single second to waste wallowing in regret for what had already happened.

His black eyes gleamed sharply in the darkness, and the aura surrounding him surged toward Aria.

‘How much of the drug did she take…?’

When had she started using hallucinogens?

Even as he extended his aura toward her, his fingers trembled with fear. Nightmarish scenarios clawed at his mind, trying to drag him into the depths of self-loathing, but he gritted his teeth and held firm.

‘It’s not too late. It can’t be too late…’

Clinging to that desperate thought, Caelius continued channeling his aura. His sole focus was on purging the remnants of the drug from her body. He was even prepared to draw on his own life force if that’s what it took.

‘If Riri regains her senses…’

What should he say to her first?

As Caelius’s aura began to flow directly into her, Aria gasped for breath, struggling and writhing in discomfort.

“Huff… ngh… Daddy…”

Her hoarse voice sounded so small and fragile. Watching her tiny body thrash in pain made Caelius’s chest tighten unbearably, like worms were gnawing at his heart. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

“No… sniff… Daddy…”

Aria’s tear-streaked face was a mess, her breaths coming in short, labored gasps. It was agonizing to witness.

“Yes, Riri. Daddy’s here. I’m right here. Don’t cry. Daddy’s sorry. I was wrong. Don’t cry… please don’t cry…”

Caelius murmured softly as he gently wiped the tears from her face, though they kept falling faster than he could clear them.

At that moment, he wished for something that pained him deeply to admit: he wished she would regain her senses just enough to despise him.

He wished she would slap him across the face, scream at him, or punch him. Anything would be better than seeing her like this.

It would be far easier to live as a broken man, discarded by her, than to sit here as her caretaker, watching her fragile state.

He didn’t need her to love him. He didn’t need her to look at him the way she used to.

All he wished for—prayed for—was for her to come back to herself.

Cradling her trembling, pain-ridden body in his arms, Caelius stroked her gently, as though soothing a frightened child. His touch was tender, coaxing, desperate to offer her even the smallest comfort.

Aria, overwhelmed by the pain coursing through her, dug her nails into his back.

“Sniff… hic… it hurts… Riri hurts… Daddy…”

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry for hurting you. For letting it come to this. This is all my fault. I was careless. So please…”

Please, just come back to me.

Caelius couldn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he pressed his lips to her tear-streaked cheeks, her forehead, her trembling lips—anywhere he could reach, as though to pour his unspoken love into each kiss.

Even if it meant using every ounce of his strength, he had to purge the remnants of the drug from her system.

He could feel the toll it was taking on him—his vast reserves of aura depleting rapidly, his body already straining under the effort. But he refused to stop.

He prayed for nothing more than for her to wake up as if nothing had happened. To sleep deeply, peacefully, and wake to the Aria he once knew.

Even if she opened her wide, round eyes and lashed out at him with sharp words.

Even if she hated him, resented him, or cursed his name.

As long as she came back, none of that mattered.

* * *

Aria’s eyelids fluttered open, and a wave of searing pain tore through her body, leaving her gasping for air.

‘What… what’s going on…?’

She vaguely remembered taking hallucinogens from Antion. Beyond that, her memories were fragmented, like torn pages from a book. Her head throbbed painfully.

‘Is this… a side effect?’

Her mind felt hollow, her memories carved out, leaving behind an uneasy emptiness.

“Ah…”

Dizziness hit her like a tidal wave, and a sense of anemia swept through her. She must have overdone it this time.

‘Maybe I should reduce the dosage…’

It felt like the aftermath of drinking too much—a sharp, splitting headache and a disjointed sense of time. Holding her aching head, she tried to sit up in bed, but a presence nearby made her pause.

‘Someone’s here? In my bedroom?’

Her eyes widened in alarm.

‘There shouldn’t be anyone bold enough to come in here uninvited…’

Her body tensed, stiff with wariness, and she clenched her fists tightly. Whoever was there stirred, and slowly, they lifted their head.

Aria swallowed nervously, her hands tightening into fists, ready to pull the bell cord for help if needed.

But then, a voice broke the tense silence—one she had longed for so desperately that she had turned to hallucinogens just to hear it.

“Riri?”

Her tightly clenched fists loosened weakly at the familiar sound.

‘Caelius?’

Her face paled, the blood draining away as confusion overtook her.

‘Why is he here? Why is he in my bedroom?’

While Aria froze in shock, Caelius’s expression betrayed his unguarded relief and overwhelming joy. He made no attempt to hide it—in fact, he couldn’t.

“Riri!”

He called her by her nickname once more, his voice trembling with emotion. Carefully, he reached out to touch her, his large hand brushing against her cheek with a tenderness that felt all too familiar.

But while Caelius acted as if this were natural, Aria’s reaction was anything but. Her brow furrowed, and her body stiffened with tension.

‘Why is he here?’

She wanted to demand answers, to ask why her father was suddenly in her bedroom, but no words came. Her mouth opened and closed silently, her confusion leaving her unable to form a coherent thought.

Seeing Caelius so close, acting as though nothing were amiss, left her utterly bewildered.

“Riri… are you okay?”

To her shock, his voice was uncharacteristically gentle, a softness she had never heard before.

Unable to believe it, she clutched the blanket tightly, her knuckles white. What was this sudden kindness? What had brought on this change?

Aria offered no response, only staring at him with guarded, wary eyes.

Caelius, however, took her silence as confirmation that she had returned to her senses. His expression brightened with unrestrained joy.

“Riri…”

“…”

“You’ve come back.”

Of course, she had to be back to herself; otherwise, she wouldn’t be looking at him with such a cold, wary gaze.

The thought filled Caelius with relief. Even as Aria glared at him, clearly on edge, he was elated beyond measure.

“Thank goodness… thank goodness…”

His voice cracked, a rare fragility breaking through as he rubbed his face with both hands, as though trying to steady himself. Even then, Aria’s expression remained icy and distant.

“Thank goodness…”

He mumbled more words under his breath, too softly for her to hear. She watched him with a blank, guarded expression, her thoughts swirling in confusion.

‘What is going on here?’

Their gazes met suddenly, and for a moment, she froze.

The gentleness in his dark eyes was so familiar, so reminiscent of the Caelius she had known in the past. His gaze was warm, soft, and unyieldingly tender as it rested on her.

The sight made her insides churn.

‘Is this… just the hallucinogens playing tricks on me?’

‘Why is he… here?’

Aria frowned deeply, her expression sharp as she fixed her gaze on Caelius. Her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, the sharp pain a vivid reminder.

This wasn’t a dream. Nor was it a hallucination.

“How’s your body feeling, Riri? Are you okay?”

When she didn’t answer, Caelius’s voice grew more urgent, tinged with uncharacteristic nervousness. His anxious tone left Aria staring at him in disbelief, her eyes darting as if trying to make sense of the situation.

She remained rigid, her posture defensive, her wary eyes locked on him. Seeing this, Caelius hesitated before carefully asking again.

“Riri…”

“…”

“Say something, anything. Are you hurt? Does anything feel uncomfortable?”

Was he mocking her? Why now, of all times, was he acting like the person she had yearned for so desperately? Why was he behaving so out of character, as though he cared?

When Caelius reached out to caress her cheek again, Aria instinctively slapped his hand away. The sharp sound of rejection was followed by a short, stifled sigh from him.

A tense silence blanketed the room, thick and uneasy.

It was Aria who finally broke it.

“…What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Her voice was cold, her words cutting.

Caelius faltered for a moment, visibly caught off guard. But her frosty demeanor only served to confirm what he had hoped for: she had returned to herself. The person before him wasn’t lost in the haze of hallucinogens anymore.

A faint smile curved his lips, unable to suppress his relief.

Still, his joy came with a weight of guilt that tugged at him. He clenched his fists tightly, muttering under his breath, “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

But to Aria, even his apology felt foreign.

When had Caelius ever been the kind of man to apologize so easily?

The words, spoken so suddenly and effortlessly, felt out of place, leaving Aria staring at him with a mixture of disbelief and irritation.

Of all the things she didn’t understand, his presence in her bedroom was the most unsettling. She finally spoke, her voice laced with icy displeasure.

“I was sleeping…”

Her tone was sharp, cutting through the tension in the room like a blade.

Aria’s indifferent, cracked voice made Caelius’s brow furrow slightly. But she continued, unaffected by his reaction.

“So now, even my bedroom isn’t off-limits to you?”

Her sharp tone carried clear disapproval. Caelius, however, responded with a subtle nod, as if confirming something.

It was certain now: she was back.

The Aria who had been consumed by hallucinogens had returned to her senses. That alone was enough to make him feel euphoric, his face breaking into a smile he didn’t even attempt to hide.

“Ha… haha…”

Caelius’s sudden laughter made Aria feel nothing but discomfort.

“Haha… hahahaha… Riri, Riri…”

She had just scolded him, her voice laced with irritation, yet he seemed unable to contain his joy. Watching his unrestrained display, Aria’s frown deepened further.

Was he mocking her?

“Riri… truly…”

“…”

“You’re truly back…”

Back? Back from what?

His words only filled Aria with more unease. Her brow furrowed slightly as she stared at him in confusion. Caelius, however, looked as though he didn’t know what to do with his joy, his face glowing with relief.

“Thank goodness…”

He reached out toward her again, his hand moving with the ease of familiarity as if there was no reason she would reject him. Aria, however, instinctively recoiled.

“What are you doing?”

Her words were sharp, but Caelius, to her surprise, didn’t seem the least bit bothered. Instead, his lips moved as though searching for the right words.

The air between them grew heavy, thick with unspoken tension. But it didn’t last long—Caelius quickly broke the silence, his voice filled with concern.

“Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

At that, Aria couldn’t help but let out a dry, humorless laugh.

‘Uncomfortable?’

What did it matter to him now, whether she was or not? Why pretend to care?

She chose not to answer, letting her silence speak for her displeasure.

And yet, Caelius’s faint smile remained. His hand lingered near hers, his fingers brushing lightly against her palm before intertwining with her own without her consent.

Noticing his action, Aria snatched her hand back, curling it into a fist in irritation.

After a long moment of hesitation, Caelius spoke again.

“…I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, Riri…”

Aria’s lips remained sealed. She couldn’t even begin to comprehend what he meant by this sudden apology, nor why he was acting so foreign to her.