I Became the Daughter of My Disciple

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the precarious moment when it seemed Serdin’s provocation would cause an immediate explosion, Delight expelled Serdin.

 

Then, a complex and subtle gaze slowly shifted toward me.

 

Finally, the inevitable had come.

 

My heart pounded so hard that it felt like it was asserting its existence more than ever.

 

“Ollia, you can talk?”

 

It was over. There was no longer any use in pretending I couldn’t speak. What I had to do now was…

 

“Yes, I can.”

 

I quickly admitted it.

 

I still didn’t know how to navigate this dilemma.

 

“Then why didn’t you speak all this time?”

 

“Couldn’t.”

 

After all, my pronunciation was still quite unclear.

 

“Was it because you couldn’t speak well? There wasn’t another reason?”

 

“No!”

 

I shouted firmly.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes!”

 

I was nervous about what further probing might bring.

 

“Of course, my Ollia wouldn’t do that.”

 

Delight’s lips finally began to twitch into a smile.

 

Phew. Thankfully, it seemed like it would pass over… or so I thought, until…

 

“Ollia.”

 

The moment I heard the soft voice calling me, my heart sank.

 

“Speaking a lot is how you improve. It doesn’t matter if your pronunciation isn’t perfect.”

 

Of course, it was my mistake to think Delight would simply let it go.

 

Delight’s smile was…

 

“So, why don’t you give it a try?”

 

… all for this one sentence.

 

“Call me… Dad.”

 

But why was Delight blushing while saying that!

 

Seeing Delight’s hopeful and embarrassed expression made my lips feel sealed.

 

Fine. Let’s just do it. I can do this!

 

The only reason I hadn’t spoken before was because it felt so cringe-worthy and my whole body twisted in discomfort!

 

There are so many words and sentences in the world that have ‘D’ and ‘ad’ in them.

 

Just mix them properly, and you can say it.

 

“Ah…”

 

I tried to open my mouth and force it out.

 

“Ugh.”

 

But the word just wouldn’t come out. My throat kept getting blocked.

 

Even though Delight’s lips in front of me kept repeating ‘dad.’

 

“…Couldn’t.”

 

In the end, I failed.

 

My head drooped weakly.

 

I couldn’t even get that one word out.

 

Ultimately, Delight walked away, looking as if he were the tragic heroine.

 

Watching his back, I suddenly felt a foreboding sense of doom.

 

***

 

Violyana knows how to speak.

 

She calls out the name of that strange guy she has barely met, but she won’t call me dad.

 

So, does it make me sad, upset, or mad enough to go crazy?

 

I couldn’t express this feeling in one word. It was more complicated than that.

 

Delight was so confused that he didn’t even know how he walked back to his room.

 

“Zaire, Ollia doesn’t want to call me dad, right?”

 

“How much the princess adores His Majesty!”

 

“That can’t be true.”

 

Delight’s confidence was at an all-time low.

 

“She won’t call me dad.”

 

Delight mumbled to himself like someone who had lost their mind.

 

“She doesn’t want to call me dad. She doesn’t want me to be her dad.”

 

“Y-Your Majesty…”

 

“She probably just doesn’t like me.”

 

Delight’s thoughts plummeted drastically.

 

What if that’s really the case?

 

There was a reason behind these feelings.

 

In hindsight, when he first learned he had a child, he wasn’t entirely happy.

 

However, the moment he saw Violyana…

 

He fell in love at first sight.

 

It was then that he first realized that loving a child was an irresistible force.

 

This is what it’s like to have a child.

 

The feeling hit him so profoundly that his entire body tingled.

 

That’s why he was even more anxious.

 

What if she doesn’t accept him as her father?

 

Since he wasn’t there when she was born, she might misunderstand and think she was abandoned.

 

She wouldn’t remember that time, of course, but perhaps instinctively she didn’t recognize him as family.

 

What should he do then?

 

Lost in thought, Delight’s head suddenly snapped up.

 

“What else can I do? I just have to do better.”

 

He made a resolution while looking at Ollia.

 

He would give her anything she wanted. He would place anything she desired in her hands.

 

“If she has a reason for not wanting to call me dad, then there’s nothing I can do.”

 

Delight muttered resolutely, steeling himself.

 

“Y-Your Majesty, what will you do?”

 

Zaire, who had been watching, felt a chill down his spine. Delight’s lips, which had been stiff, began to curl into a smile.

 

“I’ll make her want to call me dad!”

 

“What?”

 

“Even if she is my daughter, this is something I can’t concede. I’ll make her call me dad.”

 

“How…?”

 

“I will use any means necessary.”

 

He was prepared to endure anything he hated more than death to achieve this.

 

First, he would give Violyana everything she wanted.

 

He would do everything for her until she was so grateful that she would want to do anything for him!

 

Hmph. What was Prince Serdin compared to that?

 

With his thoughts sorted, Delight sprang up.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

Zaire, who had been anxiously observing Delight, urgently asked.

 

“To see my daughter.”

 

The heaviness that had weighed down Delight’s demeanor lifted entirely.

 

***

 

Delight made a big decision.

 

He would do whatever Violyana wanted!

 

“Ollia, do you like Prince Serdin?”

 

Violyana’s eyes widened, and she nodded her head up and down.

 

The simplicity of her answer, which came out too easily, made Delight instinctively clench his fists.

 

He couldn’t afford to falter here. Delight swallowed his pride and opened his mouth again with difficulty.

 

“Would you like Prince Serdin to be your playmate?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Violyana tilted her head. Then, slowly, she began to nod.

 

“Well, a playmate is someone who sticks close to you, annoys you, and pretends to be friendly.”

 

Just in case she didn’t understand what a playmate was and answered incorrectly, he explained the true meaning of a playmate.

 

In fact, from his explanation alone, a playmate didn’t sound like anything good. It was something anyone would reject, no matter who the other party was.

 

But Delight was confident.

 

“How about it? Doesn’t sound good, does it?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Violyana’s reaction gave him even more confidence.

 

“See, having Prince Serdin as a playmate doesn’t sound great, does it?”

 

Finally, he asked the question. Though his intention was quite obvious.

 

Having put some thought into it, he hoped it would work. Delight couldn’t hide his swelling anticipation as he waited for Violyana’s response.

 

“………”

 

But why… why isn’t she nodding her head?

 

Violyana just stared at him with her round eyes.

 

Unexpectedly, Delight’s eyes started to waver.

 

No way, it can’t be.

 

He still needed to ask.

 

Delight closed his eyes tightly and forced himself to speak.

 

“Ollia, would you like it if Prince Serdin came to visit?”

 

This time he hoped she would shake her head. Or at least remain as still as she was just now. But…

 

Nod.

 

Contrary to his hopes, Violyana’s head moved firmly up and down.

 

“Really?”

 

Nod.

 

Her nod was even more decisive. It couldn’t have been clearer.

 

Delight had come with the firm resolve to grant whatever Violyana wished.

 

Now he was sure of what the child wanted.

 

“…………”

 

The decision was already made.

 

But still…

 

Seeing Ollia nod made him feel petty.

 

 

“Fine. Get along well with Prince Serdin.”

 

 

Originally, he had prepared to say this with a kind smile.

 

However, his mouth was boiling. It was only when he forcibly pushed out the words that he could say them.

 

“No, I can’t accept it!”

 

He couldn’t accept it at all!

 

Delight stood up abruptly, denying reality.

 

‘What the heck is he doing?’

 

Seeing Delight hastily retreating, I felt breathless with surprise.

 

What was that? Why did he even ask?

 

It was ridiculous and infuriating.

 

Delight’s sudden questions about Serdin were obvious.

 

It seemed he was thinking of allowing Serdin to be my playmate due to some change of heart.

 

It was clear that Delight had made up his mind until the very last moment.

 

‘Hmm. Maybe I reacted too quickly without thinking.’

 

It looked like he impulsively changed his mind at the final moment. He must have found it unbearable to give his permission.

 

I had forgotten that Delight could be so childish.

 

“Geez, what a petty guy!”

 

I lay back and flailed my arms.

 

It seemed that having Serdin as my playmate was not going to happen.