It's Troublesome That My Doting Dad Became A Villain

It felt like a ghost had brushed against my chest.

Meteor took a few steps forward.
Even in the dark, his eyes gleamed clearly. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his expression.
He turned his gaze away from me and stared at Prima.

After lingering on Prima for a moment, his eyes returned to me.
That slow and subtle movement seemed to engrave itself into my retinas.
“Ah, that’s…”

Why did I feel like I was guilty of something?
I hadn’t expected Prima to suddenly show up either. Much less that he’d catch me in his arms like this.
I struggled to get down, but Prima only held me tighter.

“!”
This bastard!
“Hey, what the hell? Aren’t you going to put me down?”

I yelled, panicked, but Prima didn’t budge.
He pulled the corners of his lips into a satisfied smile, like he was doing this for someone to see.
“What? Is there someone you’re not supposed to be seen by?”

“!”
Is he insane…?!
It felt like I'd been smacked on the back of the head.

What the hell is this guy doing?
I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even make a sound. My mouth just hung open, stunned.
Then, a short laugh rang out. Meteor, his voice colder than ever, spoke mockingly.
“You look fine. No injuries.”

“Huh? Ah, yeah… You’re okay too, right?”
I asked as I looked over Meteor.
Something in his tone sounded slightly accusatory, but I couldn’t blame him.

Being held by a demon like this—of course it must’ve looked ridiculous from his perspective.
He didn’t seem particularly ruffled. Even though he’d fallen from a high place, he looked fine. I was relieved.
Meteor gave a small nod.

“I’m fine.”
“Step aside now.”
I pushed against Prima’s chest and came down to the ground.

Thankfully, he didn’t try to pick me up again.
Why did this have to happen in front of Meteor, of all people?
Ever since I found out that Prima was Meteor, my feelings about him had completely changed.

Prima wasn’t just a demon to me anymore. He had become, well, a painful regret—someone who had turned into a demon because of me.
Every time I saw him, guilt pierced my chest.
So why the hell was he acting like such a pain?

“I came to save you because it seemed like you were in danger.”
“I don’t need you saving me. I’d rather you go back to trying to kill me like before.”
I snapped back at Prima, albeit weakly.

This translation is the intellectual property of .
For some reason, I couldn’t speak nicely to him. Maybe I still hadn’t let go of the feelings I had when I thought he was just Prima.
The truth was, my heart ached for him…

Meteor let out a faint sigh.
“Crescent. The thorn vines we fell with—they’re nowhere to be seen. And the fireflies are gone. I think we ended up in a completely different space.”
Saying that, Meteor looked at Prima.

His steady gaze was dark and sharp, as if trying to pierce through the hood hiding Prima’s face.
Though I couldn’t see his eyes, I could tell Prima was looking straight back at Meteor.
Meteor and Meteor were staring each other down.

How long did that last?
It couldn’t have been more than a few seconds before I loudly cleared my throat.
“Ahem! Prima, do °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° you know where we are? Can we find the Soul Thorn here?”

Only then did Prima turn his eyes from Meteor to look at me.
“Who knows. I don’t know anything either. Want me to help look?”
“No thanks.”

I replied coldly.
Well, it’s not like Prima even knew what the Soul Thorn was until I told him.
I walked over to Meteor.

“Let’s go, Meteor. We should look around first.”
“Okay.”
With a short reply, Meteor turned around.

I walked with firm steps, not caring whether Prima followed or not.
The surroundings were filled with pitch-black cliffs and rocks. Even the ground was uneven with dark-colored sand and stones.
Between all that, there were several branching paths.

Where should we start?
I glanced back, but Prima had already vanished.
If he was going to disappear that quickly, why did he even show up?

Seriously, the more I thought about him, the more ridiculous he seemed.
“There are too many paths,” Meteor said suddenly.
I nodded.

“Feels like our luck’s being tested from here on. But I’ve got a feeling—if we choose the right path, we’ll find the Soul Thorn soon enough.”
“Then let’s split up and search.”
“Yeah.”

Since we had no idea what lay down each path, splitting up seemed like a good idea.
I took another look at the available routes.
There was a path between cliffs, one covered in black weeds, and another where sparse, withered trees stood eerily.

Some looked pretty treacherous, while others were flat.
Without much hesitation, I picked one.
“I’ll go that way.”

When I pointed, Meteor looked toward another path.
“Then I’ll try that one.”
“Yeah. Be careful.”

“You too.”
After exchanging brief goodbyes, we each went our own way.
The path I chose was the one where black weeds swayed like ferns. I didn’t have a particular reason for picking it.

It was just a gut feeling that I’d find the Soul Thorn here.
‘Um, did I choose the right one?’
When I asked the saints, a reply came right away.

Ding!
<‘Yuri-loving Druid Gabriella’ says you should have gone with Meteor. Strongly advises you to catch up with him even now!>
<‘From Maid to Saintess—Astina’ insists you should have taken Prima with you! Urges you to call him back right away!>
“…”

Seriously, what nonsense.
My mouth parted slightly at how ridiculous they were, but I closed it again right away.
It didn’t matter who I went with. I just needed to find the Soul Thorn.

Just as I was about to enter the path I’d chosen—
“Crescent.”
Meteor’s voice called from behind me.

Thinking he had something to say, I turned around without much thought.
But standing in front of me wasn’t Meteor—it was Prima.
Oh, right. Their voices are exactly the same.

No wonder I couldn’t tell them apart by voice. If they spoke with similar tones like just now, there was no way to distinguish them.
“Why are you back again? Are you trying to find the Soul Thorn too?”
“I’m just going to follow you. In case something dangerous happens. What if you trip over a rock or something?”

“Then what were you doing earlier when I almost got stabbed by thorn vines?”
“That’s why I’m going to stay with you from now on.”
“…”

What the hell is this guy even talking about?
I should just ignore him.
Trying to talk to him more would just wear me out. I turned away.

“Duke of Dimensions. You should come with me instead.”
“?”
My eyes widened.

Was that… Meteor just now?
Unable to believe it, I turned to him, and he continued.
“How about coming with me?”

It really was Meteor who said that.
I couldn’t believe it.
Meteor’s eyes were steadier and more resolute than ever.

He stared at Prima with sharp, unflinching intensity, as if he would never look away.
Prima responded with a faintly amused look.
“I’ve got no business with you.”

“Well, I do. Why do you have a voice exactly like mine?”
“…”