Raising the Daughters to Overcome My Failure

Chapter 4. Adel (4)

The person before me smiled brightly and extended a hand.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Baron. No, Hero.”

“Not at all. That was a long time ago.”

“To us, you will always be the Hero. Haha. Well then, I shall take my leave.”

“Be careful on your way. The bandits have been rampant lately.”

At the mention of bandits, his shoulders flinched, and he hurried away.

I silently watched his back until he had completely disappeared.

‘What is going on now?’

Until just a moment ago, I had been questioned by a royal investigator.

Not as a suspect, but as a person of interest.

The reason was that my home was the last place Jorge had stayed.

I realized it once again.

The fact that this place was not a game, but reality.

In the game, something like this never happened just because someone died.

‘This is more complicated than I thought. This is the first time I've experienced something like this.’

This was also the first time I learned that there was a profession called investigator within the royal court.

What was even more absurd was,

‘Jorge is dead?’

I had played hundreds of times, but I had never seen an ending where he died.

Wasn't he the one who always appeared hatefully, saying, “I'll cut your subsidies”?

‘This is perplexing. Is there some other variable I don't know about?’

In a situation where I was relying solely on my veteran player knowledge, an unexpected variable was troublesome.

I crossed my arms and fell into deep thought.

But that was only for a moment.

This was reality, not a game, so there was probably no need to think too deeply.

‘He probably got robbed, that's all.’

He came in a carriage adorned with gold, so it was only natural for him to become a target for bandits.

Wasn't it the same as advertising ‘please rob me’ in all directions?

It was a carriage so attractive that even I felt a sense of greed.

‘Seeing as that massive carriage vanished without a trace, it’s highly likely it was a simple robbery.’

However, an unshakeable feeling of unease lingered.

Could the kingdom's Finance Minister really be taken down so easily by bandits?

It would be a relief if it were a simple robbery, but if some other conspiracy was involved, the arrow might be aimed at me as well.

Why are uneasy premonitions never wrong?

In reality, this matter was quite a bit more complicated than I thought.

***

When I returned to my room, Elliot spoke with a worried expression.

“Master, I do not know whether Lord Jorge's death will be a gain or a loss for us.”

Hmm? What was this about?

Wasn't Jorge a villainous count who tormented our family?

But Elliot's expression was complex.

“A more troublesome person may come to fill the void left by Lord Jorge.”

“Is it because of the subsidy issue?”

“Yes. Because he was the kingdom's Finance Minister.”

That made sense.

The reason Frank, who was nothing more than unemployed, could make a living until now was also thanks to the kingdom's subsidies.

The insufficient parts had to be supplemented by the daughters working part-time, but right now, two of the three were gone.

‘And the remaining one is extremely uncooperative with me.’

I narrowed my brow and asked.

“Who do you think will be his successor?”

Elliot answered without hesitation.

“His eldest son, Bruno. Both the Count title and the Finance Minister position will soon pass to him.”

He hesitated for a moment, then added.

“He is known to be more ruthless and ambitious than his father. He will not think favorably of you, Master, because of that incident in the past.”

Bruno. He was a character who barely appeared in the game.

No, that’s not right. He did appear once, very intensely.

It was in the very early stages of the game.

‘He was an immature brat who, upon seeing my daughter who was only eleven, threw a tantrum demanding to marry her.’

A rich young master who ran wild, relying only on the authority of his count father?

In the end, there was a forced event where Frank, unable to contain his anger, slapped the brat's cheek.

And this was despite his power being sealed.

Bruno flew more than 10 meters.

The warning thrown at the unconscious and collapsed brat was this.

“Don't you ever come near my daughter again! Not unless you want to die.”

What if that scene had been recreated exactly as it was before I entered Frank's body?

Bruno would undoubtedly be filled with malice toward me.

So, Jorge's death might just be the beginning.

‘Damn it, things are starting to get twisted.’

Frank was originally a commoner.

He saved the world, but the Baron title bestowed by the king was merely an honorary position that couldn't even be inherited.

The high-ranking nobles still looked down on him.

“How dare a commoner become a noble like us? Are you kidding me right now?”

This was the reason Frank was stuck living in such a backwater.

He probably didn't want to get involved with the high-ranking nobles if he could help it.

The bigger problem was the daughters' age.

They were now 15 years old.

In this world, they are treated as adults.

Bruno would soon inherit the positions of Count and Finance Minister, and then the situation would change drastically.

‘What is this ominous premonition that I'll have to see him more often than Jorge? Tsk.’

This wouldn't do.

It seemed best to call an old acquaintance at this point and consult with her.

She was someone even Bruno wouldn't dare to treat disrespectfully.

In this place where the power of the Goddess Cult was mightier than the king's, her authority was absolute.

‘This is when a former hero’s connections come in handy.’

Who else would have as wide a network as a hero?

***

Nevertheless.

My top priority was not some punk like Bruno.

Right before my eyes was the real, existing Adel.

‘She's truly a work of art. It’s on a different level from seeing her on a monitor.’

Long, straight, flowing blonde hair.

Delicate and harmonious facial features.

A graceful yet neat posture.

That resolute expression, as if she would not tolerate a single mistake.

Ugh.

As expected, she looked just like the representative character of PP who had captured the hearts of all users.

Of course, it wasn't a romantic feeling.

I had never seen her in that way.

Having spent a long time raising her, I cherished Adel with an affection greater than that of a real father.

‘I always thought it would be nice to have a daughter like this. She’s grown up so well.’

My eyes unknowingly grew moist.

This must be the heart of a doting father.

As if feeling my gaze, Adel's face reddened and she shot up from her seat.

“Father, I shall take my leave now.”

“Why don't you stay a little longer?”

“I don't have much time before I must go to work. It was you, Father, who told me to use my time preciously. I hope you have a peaceful day today as well.”

She disappeared like the wind.

I unconsciously reached out my hand toward where she had left and stared blankly at the spot.

“Adel……”

It felt as though I could feel her warmth at my fingertips, but nothing remained in the empty air.

Staring at the empty space, I thought.

‘They say that as a daughter grows up, the father is gradually pushed aside. Even though we’re family, she feels like a stranger.’

An indescribable loneliness weighed down on my chest.

I was glad that she had returned, but the time we could spend together was woefully insufficient.

She would leave at 8 in the morning, carry out guard duty all day, and only return at 8 in the evening.

I didn't know what there was to be so vigilant about in this rural village.

My suggestions to at least have dinner together had already been rejected several times.

“I must not be shameful in my duties. I will accept only the sentiment.”

Constant rejections.

There was no time to talk even after she returned home.

“I apologize. I still have documents to process. If it is not an urgent matter, please tell me next time.”

An urgent matter?

Unless the ancient dragon of the Elburz Mountains went on a rampage, there was no way such a thing would happen in a quiet rural village like this.

Wasn't this a small village with a population of less than 100?

Damn it. At this rate, this isn't a daughter-raising simulation but a solo survival game.

My eldest daughter leaves after only having breakfast, and I don't even know where the second and third are or what they're doing.

What I wanted was the fun of interacting with my daughters while raising them, but,

‘What kind of daughter-raising simulation game is this? This is just a lonely apocalyptic world!’

Should I be more forceful?

In any case, Frank was the children's legal guardian and a former hero.

His words were by no means light.

But this was reality, not a game.

I, who was unskilled at dealing with people, doubted if I had the courage to be forceful.

In the game, I just had to choose a pre-written answer, but here, I had to come up with the words myself.

Moreover, I couldn't use the way of speaking from my original world here.

Frank was a Baron and a former hero, a figure respected by many.

A light tone of voice would only diminish my value.

After much deliberation, I decided I had to carry out the plan I had made earlier.

The one about raising Adel's favorability through gifts.

‘I should give Adel a gift before it's too late. A flower is meaningful when it's in bloom.’

In Rarc Village, there was a flower that bloomed only at this time of year.

It was also a flower that Adel was very fond of.

‘In the game, a single flower gift made her favorability shoot up.’

However, I was also worried that it might be a burden.

A flower is a rather burdensome gift, not just for the giver but also for the receiver.

It worked in the game, but it had not yet been proven whether it would work in reality.

‘Still, I have to give it a try.’

Right. I am Adel's father.

It would be troublesome to forget this fact.

***

That night.

Adel heard a shocking story from her nanny, Belita.

She thought it was a joke, but Belita's face was more serious than ever.

“Young Lady, could you please be a little kinder to the Master?”

“Nanny?”

“It’s pitiful to watch. This morning, after you left, the Master stood there blankly with his hand outstretched into the air.”

“Father did?”

“Yes. The Master loves you more than anyone, Young Lady. Now that you've become an adult, please show a little magnanimity.”

With those words, Belita left the room.

Adel lay on her bed and thought of her father.

‘Father trying to hold me back. I can't imagine it.’

The part about showing magnanimity, too.

‘I don't know what I'm supposed to do.’

She tossed and turned in frustration.

Actually, she hadn't intended for it to be like this from the beginning.

It was just that her father's sudden change was awkward, so she had deliberately kept her distance.

‘And yet, Father accepted it all. In the past, he would have roared, ‘How dare you talk back to me?’’

Strangely, she had been thrilled by her father's reaction.

She felt increasingly unfamiliar with herself for acting more and more meanly.

‘I know I shouldn't be like this, but I can't stop. I wasn't originally this kind of person……. While hating Father, was I also hoping for his attention?’

After long deliberation, Adel decided to go to her father's room.

Just as her nanny said, to continue like this would be to act like a thoughtless child.

‘I'm an adult now too. If I'm an adult, I should act like one. But what should I wear?’

The pajamas she was wearing now would be discourteous, and wearing a dress felt awkward.

In the end, what she chose was the steel armor she usually enjoyed wearing.

‘I feel like I can only keep my wits about me in front of Father if I wear this.’

This was like a kind of sickness.

To her, any clothes other than armor were clothes that did not suit her.

Wearing this armor, Adel recalled the days she trained with her father and let out a chuckle.

Until a few days ago, it was a nightmarish memory, but to think she could laugh about it now.

‘Have I changed as much as Father has? I don't know.’

She shook her head and left the room.

As she headed to her father's room on the third floor, an unfamiliar figure outside the window caught her eye.

‘An intruder?’

In an instant, two swords were in her hands.

‘How dare they, knowing where this is.’

Adel lowered her body like a shadow and even quieted her breathing.

Her form, silently tailing the opponent's movements, was like that of an assassin.

Meanwhile, a little sweat trickled down the hand holding the sword.

She didn't know who the opponent was, but she couldn't let her guard down.

However, an unexpected scene soon unfolded.

The intruder was none other than her youngest sister, Noemi.

Instead of going to her own room, she was secretly trying to enter their father's room.

‘Why is she going to Father's room?’

On Noemi's face was a mix of tension and a faint smile.

Like someone who had resolved to do something.

‘Why is she making that expression? It’s a face I’ve never seen before.’

Adel followed her, gripping her sword with a tense hand.

Her heart began to beat faster and faster.