The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 286: Apostle of Arrogance (3)

The sound of the sword hitting the ground echoed, and Loen’s previously clouded mind began to clear.

"Why..."

The jet-black aura that had once surrounded Hannah was long gone. Now, all Loen could see was Hannah, trembling weakly with her shoulders shaking.

"Why did you do it...?"

Hannah grabbed Loen by the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» collar, her bloodshot eyes locking onto his as she asked the question again—a question she had asked countless times but still could not find an answer to.

"No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand... If there were even a reason, it would hurt less!"

"..."

"Was it because of talent...? I showed you, didn’t I?! I awakened my aura even earlier than you did in your youth! Why can’t you acknowledge me?!"

Loen lowered his head at Hannah’s tearful question. He didn’t know what to say.

Whatever words he uttered would sound like an excuse, and even if he apologized, he doubted it would reach her.

‘As a father...’

As a father, he had made a disgraceful spectacle of himself.

He had drawn his sword. He had imbued it with aura. The thought that he might have hurt his daughter left Loen feeling faint, and all he could do was silently offer her his sleeve.

Loen thought to himself:

‘I’ve failed as a father.’

How far could he fall before he would be afraid of himself? Hannah had reached out to him first, but he still couldn’t bring himself to take her hand.

‘...I’m a fool.’

Seeing her father’s silence, Hannah grew frustrated and yanked roughly at his collar.

"I just wanted to be acknowledged by you! I worked myself to the bone and ran like crazy... So why were you so cruel to me?!"

Hannah’s trembling voice tightened Loen’s chest, making it feel as if his heart was suffocating.

"I just wanted to be a daughter you could be proud of... Was I really that hateful to you?"

"...Hannah."

Loen’s trembling hand moved.

He wanted to place his hand on her shoulder, which seemed burdened with so much weight. Even though he knew it might be unwelcome, he wanted to rest his hand on her delicate shoulder.

But his stubborn pride wouldn’t allow it.

His hand wouldn’t move so easily, and Loen clenched his fist tightly, biting his lip. Even now, his stubbornness refused to yield.

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Why was he hesitating so much? Loen cursed his own foolishness for not being able to reach out.

As he wondered how he could bear all of her resentment, Loen silently watched as Hannah held him by the collar.

"Do you really hate me that much, Father?"

"I..."

"Just say something!!"

Loen, inexperienced in expressing his emotions, lowered his head, clenching his fists. Excuses—he had plenty of those.

Everything around him had been like that.

His father’s teachings. His mother’s indifference. The favoritism among his siblings.

Everything was far from the ideal family.

“Is that all the heir to Histania is capable of? Get out of my sight! No, actually, it’d be better to just have another child and raise them properly.”

“Loen, meet your father’s expectations. That’s the best thing you can do for me. Your father is always right.”

“You think you’ve got it all because Father likes you? Well, when the sweetness wears off, you’ll be no different from the rest of us. Everyone’s just waiting for you to fail, so there won’t be any complications when you’re gone.”

It had been the worst. Every part of it.

Even his best friend hadn’t been any different.

The guy from the Desmond family, who had also endured harsh treatment from his parents.

“How did you survive all that? I only had to deal with a fireball to the face, and I still think that’s better.”

“You and I are the same, aren’t we?”

“True. But we’re in the shadows, while you’re Histania.”

Perhaps the situation he was born into had made him think that such treatment was normal.

He had believed that strict, forceful teachings were what it meant to care for one’s children.

His father had wanted him to succeed. His father had known the path to success. He had thought that if he followed that path, the family and the children would all be satisfied.

It was inevitable.

He hadn’t wanted to be a father admired by all. He had wanted to be a better lord than his predecessors, and to be a father acknowledged by his children.

To be respected by society. By his children. And by his wife.

He had vowed not to become like his predecessors, and he had thought he was raising his children with as much care as possible. But the outcome had been disastrous.

Crack...

Only now did he realize that his best efforts had been wrong.

Crack...

The once unshakable heart of Loen was starting to fracture.

He couldn’t protect his wife. He had hurt his love because of his arrogance.

Shatter...

As the thought that all the misfortune stemmed from him crossed his mind, Loen’s heart began to tremble. He realized that it wasn’t his children’s lack of ability, but his own failure as a father that had caused all of this.

At last, the broken pieces of the puzzle started to fit together.

Crumble...

Until now, it wasn’t that he hadn’t feared regret. He had been afraid of the regret that would come back to haunt him.

Crash...

The arrogance that had kept Loen’s heart intact finally crumbled under the weight of his daughter’s grief.

Why hadn’t he embraced her earlier? Why had his hand remained frozen in place? Loen could no longer bear the guilt that now suffocated him. He finally, with great difficulty, moved his hand.

Feeling the weight of his daughter’s sorrow, Loen spoke in a voice heavy with emotion.

"...No."

Hannah’s small shoulder, which Loen’s hand barely touched, felt fragile—so fragile that he wondered if she was even eating properly. He worried over her frail frame. Though it was foolish to finally have such fatherly concerns now, after all this time.

‘...I’ve realized this far too late.’

At this moment, no other thoughts came to mind.

Not the black magic Hannah had used. Not her alternate persona. Even the monstrous potential she had become—perhaps a creature of his own creation—was blocked out by the small, fragile shoulder of his daughter. Why hadn’t he realized sooner?

Loen embraced Hannah tightly, lowering his head. In a soft voice, he whispered into her ear.

"No... It wasn’t because of that."

Whether or not she would understand, whether or not she would even accept what he had to say, Loen set aside his last shred of pride and confessed.

"I..."

"What are you doing..."

"I... do not hate you."

"Do you really think I’d believe that...?!"

Loen closed his eyes tightly at Hannah’s angry retort, breaking his stubborn pride as he replied.

"Probably not."

"I’m not a good father, and that’s why."

Hannah, stunned by Loen’s long pause, looked up at him in surprise.

"What... did you just say?"

Loen held her close, taking a deep breath.

"I never thought that the path I was walking was wrong until now."

"See? You haven’t changed after all...!"

"No, until now I believed that."

Loen hugged Hannah even tighter, speaking with great difficulty, hoping she would listen to his desperate explanation.

"I didn’t think I was wrong because I was the one who raised the family’s reputation higher than it had ever been since our founding..."

"..."

"And that’s why I stubbornly clung to it."

Loen took a painful breath.

"I wanted you all to be like me. To be even greater leaders of Histania, to be shining stars that would outshine the past."

"..."

"But at the same time, I also had this thought."

Loen revealed a small piece of the deep pain he had always carried, the one he had never told anyone because he was afraid of the wounds it might cause him.

With sadness in his voice, he continued.

"I didn’t want you to suffer the same pain that I did."

"..."

"Siblings turning their blades on one another. A father sending his children off to war. I didn’t want you to experience that. For me, those memories are not pleasant ones."

"So what are you saying? Do you want me to understand? I can’t."

Loen, feeling Hannah’s anger beating against his chest, smiled awkwardly and endured it.

"I’m not asking for understanding. I’m just telling you how foolish I’ve been."

"..."

"I’m sorry for being such a poor teacher."

Loen let out a bitter sigh as he continued.

"For a swordmaster, it seems that the strongest thing is not their martial prowess but their stubbornness. It doesn’t seem to fade, even with time."

Loen spoke in a voice full of sorrow.

"I’m still a father who has a long way to go."

"..."

"I haven’t learned much, and you’ve grown up seeing only my shortcomings, causing you nothing but pain."

"That’s just an excuse."

"It is. It’s an excuse."

Loen couldn’t deny Hannah’s words. Even now, his pride still stubbornly resisted, built up over a lifetime. It was hard to change something that had been so deeply ingrained in him for so long.

"And that’s why I’m telling you this."

Loen, mustering all his courage, spoke to Hannah despite his fear.

A fear greater than any battle he had faced, as he spoke to his daughter in a voice trembling with sincerity.

"My pathetic excuses are just beginning."

"..."

"Even if you don’t listen."

"..."

"Even if you don’t understand."

"..."

"Even if you never call me ‘Father’ again, I’ll keep making these excuses for the rest of my life."

Loen’s voice trembled as he continued.

"Until I become a father you can be proud of... for the rest of my life."

Hannah’s movements gradually slowed. Now, all she could do was tremble as tears fell from her eyes.

Loen silently thanked his daughter for giving him so many chances, despite his own inadequacies.

"I’m sorry. And thank you for coming to see me."

"..."

"I’m sorry my best efforts only caused you pain."

Loen hugged Hannah tightly, vowing never to let go again, whispering his heartfelt apology into her ear.

"I’m sorry for being such a terrible father."

"..."

"And now... I will truly change."

[Hear Histania Loen’s sincere apology. (0/1)]

...

Ding.

[0/1 > 1/1]

...

Quest completed.

Loen held Hannah tightly as he spoke.

"Your sword..."

"..."

"Was never wrong."

At last, Loen’s path to redemption had begun, however belatedly.