Dark Dad’s Rebirth - Chapter 14: Madness (6)

It was a strange dream—one so vivid that Caelius felt as though he were reliving a memory rather than merely imagining it.

“Be careful in the market. There are lots of ruffians around,” he warned. “Stay close and don’t complain.”

“But… I want to try some chicken skewers too!”

“Riri, commoner food isn’t good for you.”

“Still… it’s not like I’d eat it every day! I just want to try it once… You’re so mean, Daddy.”

The voice of a pouting Aria tugged at something within him, though the scene was both foreign and oddly familiar.

She sulked, her small hand firmly clasped in his as though it were the most precious thing in the world.

“You’re unfair, Daddy. You said you snuck off to eat street food when you were younger.”

“That’s true, but…”

The two wandered through the bustling market, blending awkwardly among the commoners. Caelius noticed Aria’s gaze fixed on a stall selling golden-brown chicken skewers. Her lips pressed into a pout, and she even went so far as to pull her hand free from his.

“Riri, hold my hand.”

“No! Do you think I’m a child?”

She stuck out her lower lip in a display of defiance, resembling a rebellious teenager.

“I’ll just sneak out by myself and buy some later,” she grumbled, clearly speaking loudly enough for him to hear.

Caelius sighed and reluctantly reached out, taking hold of her hand again.

“Fine, fine. Just one. But don’t wander off alone. Stay here and hold my hand. Alright?”

Her expression instantly brightened, as if he had handed her a priceless treasure. With a grin stretching from ear to ear, she took the skewer from him, nibbling at it happily while her mouth and cheeks were smeared with sauce.

Her joy was infectious, and Caelius found himself smiling warmly, unable to hide his affection for her. It was a peculiar yet familiar feeling, one that stirred something deep in his chest.

“Are you going to eat the whole thing by yourself, Riri?”

“Um… Why?”

“Nothing, it’s just… you usually share things you like with me.”

“You said commoner food isn’t good for you, remember?”

“Well, still…”

“Just kidding, silly. Are you upset?”

“No, you really do say whatever you like to me, don’t you…”

“Grump.”

“…”

“Caelius the Grump.”

“…Riri, you’re asking for it.”

“You won’t do anything.”

“…”

Their playful bickering felt like a scene plucked from the life of ordinary people. A fleeting, mundane day amidst an otherwise chaotic existence. Yet, why was he dreaming of such a life now?

Had his subconscious been longing for this kind of connection with Aria all along?

“Isn’t your daughter too lively to be put to bed tonight?”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Just that a daughter as sharp-tongued and spirited as yours deserves some extra love… perhaps in bed?”

Their interactions seemed more like that of lovers than father and daughter. There was a sweetness to it, a raw and tender exchange of emotions, unlike the fractured dynamic they shared now.

“-Ri, Riri made a mistake.”

“Just saying it?”

“……”

“A kiss.”

“What if someone sees us?”

“What’s wrong with a father and daughter sharing a little kiss?”

“This isn’t something people usually do, though?”

“It’s fine. We’re not ordinary people, are we?”

In the dream, where she hesitated but I managed to steal a kiss from her, I smiled brightly with the corners of my mouth pulled up as far as they could go. It was an expression I had never seen on my own face before.
“Who knew I was capable of making that face…?”

“Daddy, I want ice cream too!”

“Ice cream is absolutely off-limits. Didn’t you already have some at the mansion before we left?”

“No, I don’t care! Mansion ice cream and street ice cream are completely different!”

“What if you get a stomachache from it?”

“What’s this about? You said you’d do anything I asked for, but you won’t even buy me a one-shilling ice cream!”

Not only was this a strange sight of myself, but also of Aria—acting childishly and whining playfully. The Aria I remembered was timid, always on edge like a skittish herbivore, cautiously gauging my reactions.

But the Aria in the dream? She didn’t hesitate to ask me for this and that, and even seemed to joke around casually, as if we were comfortable with each other.

Caelius could do nothing but watch the two of them in the dream until he woke up. Strangely, he didn’t dislike watching their interactions.

* * *

From the morning, Caelius felt utterly drained. Naturally, the person who had the biggest hand in exhausting him was Aria.

“I told you I don’t want to eat.”

Her vacant eyes no longer held any irritation. Instead, she glanced at him with a hollow and weary gaze, as though everything bored her.

“The doctor said you shouldn’t skip meals.”

“Of course, because there’s a child.”

“…Even if there wasn’t a child, I’d still make sure you ate.”

Despite his response, Aria remained indifferent, staring at the food set before her with disinterest. As Caelius had anticipated, Aria showed little concern for her own well-being.

It wasn’t just indifference; she seemed almost resentful watching Caelius fret over her as if she was incapable of taking care of herself. But Caelius knew full well that if he didn’t coax or pressure her to eat, she wouldn’t touch the food. Growing increasingly anxious, he stirred the stew with a spoon.

“Riri, just eat a little, okay?”

If he could, he would’ve forced her to eat. Maybe he would’ve done so in the past. But now he knew he shouldn’t. He knew that… and yet…

Caelius didn’t know how to resolve things without resorting to force. This situation made him feel like a helpless infant, and that helplessness gnawed at him.

“If you fall seriously ill…”

“Then that would be a good thing.”

“…Riri.”

Her detached voice made Caelius fall silent once more. The golden eyes that used to roll around anxiously, chasing his affection like a timid rabbit, were no longer there. That realization filled him with regret.

Even if he placed the treasures of the world in her small hands, even if he elevated her to the highest position imaginable, the unease that she might never love him wouldn’t go away.

What Aria wanted was complete freedom from him. That meant she wanted to leave his side entirely, to fly away into the world. It was the one thing he couldn’t promise her. The one thing he didn’t want to give. Even if she suffered, he wanted her to suffer by his side. Even if she cried, he wanted her to cry beside him. Even if she got angry, he wanted her anger to stay near him. That’s what Caelius thought.

After struggling for one or two hours over her meals, Aria would reluctantly give in, taking a few half-hearted bites.

Caelius had gone so far as to gather rare medicinal herbs from across the continent, brewing them into broths and infusing them into her food. He had expected her to nibble at best. Watching her take even a few reluctant spoonfuls was enough for him to let out a quiet sigh of relief.

When she set down her spoon, Caelius personally cleaned up. The sound of dishes clinking filled the room, and Aria watched him silently as he moved about. Meeting her gaze, Caelius handed the dishes directly to the servants waiting outside the door and then brewed a tea said to be beneficial for pregnant women.

He hadn’t done—or learned—such menial tasks before, so his movements were clumsy. Even so, he stubbornly refused the help of the servants, completing everything on his own.

As the ordeal of mealtime finally came to an end, a peculiar dream from earlier came to mind.

“But… but I wanted to eat skewered chicken, too.”

“Daddy, I want ice cream, too!”

He knew street food wasn’t good for the body, yet the image of the dream of Aria pleading for those treats was vivid in his mind. Perhaps that’s why.

‘If I can get her to eat anything to regain her appetite…’

Caelius bit his lip and stood up from his seat.

* * *

Unable to shake off the dream from his mind, Caelius eventually rode alone to the market streets. He felt uneasy leaving Aria behind, but he decided to personally search for street food that appeared to be in decent condition. After all, if he left it to the servants, they would likely just buy something from any random stall in the market’s back alleys.

It’s better to buy from somewhere at least somewhat hygienic…

His uncovered presence in a place crowded with commoners caused quite a stir. Startled, some people gasped audibly and scrambled away in a panic. Given his infamously fearsome reputation, their terror was understandable.

But Caelius paid them no mind whatsoever. He simply searched the area, scanning for street food that seemed “clean enough.”

How long had he wandered like this? After passing through the bustling alleys of the commoners’ market, he arrived at a district catering to nouveau riche commoners, mimicking the shopping streets of nobles. It was only there that he finally found somewhat respectable-looking skewered chicken and ice cream.

Satisfied, Caelius smiled as he carefully tucked the skewers and ice cream into his arms, then climbed back onto his horse. Perhaps, just perhaps, Aria might be happy to eat these.

By now, the sun was setting, and the streets were filled with cheerful commoners out for their evening meals. Laughter and chatter filled the air, with families enjoying their meals together.

In his line of sight, a couple had hired a street artist offering cheap portraits to paint their likeness. Watching the scene, an unfamiliar memory suddenly surfaced in Caelius’s mind.

“Daddy, Riri wants a portrait with Daddy, too. Can’t we have a painting together?”

Sometime, long ago, Aria had said those very words. After losing the power of the imperial family, and with it the once-golden hair and eyes that symbolized its authority, they had never taken another portrait. The mansion still displayed Caelius’s old portraits, all from his days as a young crown prince.

‘Back then, I foolishly hesitated…’

But now, he felt the same as Aria had. If only she would allow it, he, too, wanted to leave behind a painting with her. He regretted that there wasn’t even a single image to remember their days together by.

For a fleeting moment, Caelius indulged in a fantasy: a small canvas depicting him, Aria, and the child growing in her womb.

But it was only a fantasy.

* * *

When Caelius arrived at the mansion, a rare smile crossed his face. Was he expecting Aria to light up with joy and laugh while eating the street food, just like in the dream?

Holding the skewered chicken and cheap ice cream that didn’t suit him in the slightest, he quickened his steps with an uncharacteristic eagerness. But something about the atmosphere at the mansion felt off. He frowned as he sensed the unfamiliar tension.

“Your Highness!”

Gossen came rushing toward him, bowing his head deeply. At that moment, a foreboding sense of dread swept over Caelius. He needed to ask what was happening, but the words wouldn’t leave his mouth.

“The young lady….”

Before he could hear the rest, the mention of Aria’s name made his mind go blank. The food he had been carrying, bought with a small hope in his heart, fell to the marble floor with a dull thud.

“I-I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Your Highness…”

“Please, spare us…!”

The servants’ desperate pleas for their lives rang in his ears, but none of it mattered. What truly mattered was Aria’s icy, lifeless body.

The physician was already there, checking her condition, while Caelius stood pale and frozen, staring at the scene. He had no energy to yell at the servants or punish them. All he could feel was the paralyzing fear that her tightly closed eyes might never open again.

“Y-Your Highness.”

The physician, shrinking back under Caelius’s frigid glare, finally spoke in a trembling voice.

“F-Fortunately, the child is safe.”

At those words, Caelius’s expression twisted with rage, and he grabbed the physician by the collar.

“Right now… right now, do you think the child is what matters?”

“P-Pardon…?”

“I’m asking if the damn child is all you care about! What about my daughter? What about Riri?!”

Realizing his mistake too late, the physician hastily added, “T-The young lady… her life is not in danger either. Thankfully, the servants acted quickly, so…”

The physician continued to mumble something, but the moment Caelius heard that Aria’s life wasn’t at risk, he felt all the strength drain from his body.

He staggered weakly, and though the servants hurried to support him, all that came from his mouth was an order for them to leave. Once everyone was gone, Caelius approached the deeply sleeping Aria and knelt beside her. Carefully taking her hand, he found it as cold as a stone in the dead of winter.

“Riri…”

He gently rubbed her cold hand, trying to warm it. A faint groan escaped her lips as if in discomfort. Only after hearing her soft breathing and those quiet groans did Caelius finally feel a wave of relief, knowing that she was still alive.