Father, I Won’t Do Anything

Diamid wanted to treat Jaina well.

It wasn't that he was trying to atone with just this.

Nor did he want to hear that he was a good father now.

Such arrogance had long since been shattered.

It was an illusion that he was an essential presence for Jaina. She had already grown up without relying on Diamid.

"Is there anything you want? Anything you want to do?"

His current aching heart was just that.

Still, he hoped that Jaina's past years could be compensated for, even a little.

That she would gladly enjoy what she rightfully deserved, even if late.

"Tell me anything, whatever it is."

No, isn't it natural for a father to want to do anything for his daughter, regardless of any reason?

"Something I want?"

One might expect eyes to sparkle with excitement upon hearing such words from a father. 

But Jaina just tilted her head without any sign of excitement.

"I don't think there's anything in particular."

"There's no need to hesitate."

"..."

"I... I can do a lot for you."

He didn't intend to brag.

Was she hesitating because it was difficult to say easily?

Or was she being shy?

Seeing no sign of her intending to answer, he meant to ease her burden a little.

"...Anything. Even something you thought was impossible."

His voice became hoarse with frustration even as he said he would do anything.

In fact, it might be more appropriate for him to be the one asking, since he wanted to fulfill what Jaina needed.

"But really, there's nothing."

However, Jaina still didn't give the desired answer.

"You're already doing enough for me."

Jaina was sincere.

Even now, she's eating well, sleeping well, and dressing well.

"A fancy dress, or jewelry..."

"Such attire would be rather uncomfortable in the Magic Tower."

"More research materials, perhaps."

"I'd like to focus more on the basics for now."

"Don't you want to travel abroad?"

"Well..."

"What if I give you a position in the Magic Tower?"

"That would only be burdensome."

The questions continued.

At this point, Jaina wanted to give some kind of answer.

She vaguely knew that Diamid felt guilty towards her.

If only to ease his mind.

"There can't be a human who doesn't want anything."

"..."

Jaina was at a loss for words.

Would other people normally rejoice that their life has changed if they suddenly got a Tower Lord as a father?

'Then how would they answer this question?'

Without looking far, how envious the magicians of the Magic Tower were of Jaina.

After being officially recognized as the Tower Lord's daughter, some even asked with jealousy if Jaina would become the heir to the Magic Tower.

Though such questions disappeared completely after Mikael punished them harshly for looking at her with arrogant eyes.

Ah, come to think of it, there were also instances of higher-ups in the Magic Tower envying how others doted on Jaina.

Saying it was a position where she received abundant love without effort.

'Jealousy, envy, anger, resentment...'

There is madness in the eyes of magicians.

Some say this fearfully, but Jaina didn't see it as bad.

How desperately must they want something to have such eyes?

'I like it when someone says they like me, and I like learning magic, and having money is nice too, but...'

Someone might ask for help to reach a higher level of magic.

Someone might try to gain more power through the Magic Tower.

Someone might try to acquire many things with unlimited wealth.

'But I'm not really keen on any of that.'

Jaina didn't have anything she desperately wanted or yearned for.

What she already had was enough.

"Really, everything is fine..."

"That can't be. Even with colors, you must prefer red or blue, for instance."

"That doesn't matter much either, but..."

Jaina answered reflexively, then corrected herself.

"No, blue... I like blue better."

"..."

It seemed more like an answer tailored to Diamid rather than her actually preferring blue.

Diamid responded with an unconscious sigh.

"Even a young child would want a doll."

"I'm not that young anymore."

Jaina smiled gently.

If she were still a child, she would have answered 'doll'.

Now she's grown too big to play with dolls.

'I used to have things I wanted to do, in my own way.'

Time has passed. Memories of the past are hazy.

There was hardly anything to reminisce about.

Neither from the time she lived on Earth, nor when she grew up among the dragon clan.

Back then, she only swallowed the emotions that tried to pour out. If she had voiced her desire for something, she felt she would have pitied herself endlessly for not being able to have it.

So she muttered to herself countless times.

That doll isn't that pretty, dolls become boring after playing with them a few times... like that.

In fact, more than anything, what she wanted was.

"..."

Jaina furrowed her brow.

Unpleasant memories were trying to surface from deep down.

"Jaina?"

"Ah."

"Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Diamid asked worriedly, noticing Jaina's change in expression.

She smiled gently.

"It's nothing."

Everything she had hoped for when first coming to the Magic Tower had been fulfilled.

Even things she hadn't dared to think about, considering them 'luxuries', all of them.

Soft freshly baked bread, or books she could read endlessly.

The reason nothing comes to mind when asked what she wants to do is because of this.

"The reason I can't answer is... just that I'm sufficiently satisfied with how things are now."

"..."

"Dad, you're already treating me well enough."

Diamid's expression suggested he thought it was his fault that Jaina couldn't answer these questions.

There was no need for that.

'Dad went to war, risking his life, when he was just a few years older than I am now.'

Compared to Diamid, she's living a very comfortable life.

Rather, it's much more satisfying than what she vaguely imagined when she was young.

It would be unconscionable to have complaints in this situation.

Jaina shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

However, after the conversation with Jaina, Diamid's worries deepened.

His daughter felt empty.

Looking back, she had been like that since she was young.

She always had a face devoid of any excitement about anything.

'...Was it because she wasn't in an environment where she could hope for things?'

If Jaina had thrown tantrums and made various demands on her first day at the Magic Tower, would they have been able to live together like now?

Perhaps this was a survival instinct.

It was all his fault.

There was no way a human could be happy just because their basic needs were met.

Even though she hadn't worried about food or sleeping under a roofless sky since coming to the Magic Tower.

Only doubts remained about whether he had properly protected her.

"Still, she seems to express herself much more than before."

Hilvenzia said. Mikael agreed beside her.

"Jaina is not an empty person as you worry, Tower Lord."

"She has her own likes and dislikes in her own way. She says when she dislikes something..."

Hilvenzia grinned.

"I heard she even told someone not to mess with her boyfriend recently?"

A moment of silence fell.

Mikael didn't move and only glanced sideways.

'Are you crazy? If you're going to die, die alone, why when I'm here...'

He had never seen Hilvenzia cower before anyone.

But it was different when the opponent was the Tower Lord.

If it had been the Diamid of the past, Hilvenzia wouldn't have dared to think of joking.

"...You find this situation amusing, I see?"

"Ho ho, of course not."

Fortunately, Diamid didn't finish off Hilvenzia on the spot as Mikael had imagined.

Hilvenzia added with a relaxed smile.

"Just... even though Jaina might seem like an old soul, aren't there things one can only know through experience?"

"What do you mean by that?"

However, Diamid was not in a position to harm Hilvenzia.

She might know Jaina better than him now... no, she definitely knows her better.

After all, Hilvenzia had played a big role in taking care of Jaina until now.

"Jaina prefers chicken thigh meat over chicken breast. Things like that."

Hilvenzia continued her story.

When she first came to the Magic Tower, Jaina didn't even know how to eat some foods.

So she just grabbed and ate bread indiscriminately.

But now she knows how to specify the doneness of a steak.

She doesn't understand why there's too much fruit in strawberry cream cake.

Hilvenzia had keenly observed even aspects that Jaina herself might not be aware of.

"Even if she says she doesn't have strong preferences, there are things she reaches for more often. Wouldn't those become her tastes?"

If you asked the current Jaina where she wants to travel, she wouldn't be able to answer.

She might not know which jewels are beautiful or which dresses are nice.

"With more experiences... wanting to try other things, wondering what else might be out there. Wouldn't such thoughts arise?"

"..."

"Although she seems mature, she's still young, and even if she talks as if she's experienced everything, she lacks experience. She's a child from a narrow, narrow world who grew up among the dragon clan and has only experienced the Magic Tower so far."