Chapter 100: A Father’s Responsibility

Dawn broke.

The long night tore open along the horizon, and the rising sun struck like a molten-gold hammer, crashing down upon the shadowed estate of the Aisakson family.

A pink-haired girl leaned alone by the window. Her frail figure was embedded in the morning light, her hollow eyes fixed on the pale glow at the edge of the sky—as if her soul had already left her body, leaving behind only a stiff, lifeless puppet.

The door creaked softly as a maid stepped in, her fingers still hovering on the doorframe. Her voice was so gentle it seemed afraid to disturb the air itself.

“Miss…”

She cautiously peeked inside, her gaze sweeping across the room—

The candle still stood intact in its holder, not a single drop of wax melted.
The bedding was folded with sharp, rigid precision—so neat it almost felt unnatural.

Ailbana sat on the windowsill in a white nightgown. The dawn light illuminated her profile, her long lashes unmoving. Though the warmth of sunrise could dispel eternal night, it could not pierce the heavy darkness in her eyes.

“You haven’t rested all night again. Please, close your eyes for a while… at this rate, your body won’t hold up,” the maid said softly as she approached, her voice full of concern.

“Pereti… Pereti…”

Ailbana didn’t seem to hear her at all.

Her lips parted slightly, whispering that name over and over again—so softly it almost dissolved into the morning light.

Why did she save her?

She had been so badly injured—her skin charred black by flames. She was clearly someone who feared fire the most, yet she still forced herself to smile gently and said, “Sorry… I came late.”

The witches she knew—were supposed to be bloodthirsty fiends described in church scriptures. Arsonists who burned villages. Demons who bewitched minds with dark magic.

But Pereti…

Was she really a witch?

How could someone so gentle be associated with a word drenched in blood like “witch”?

The beliefs rooted deep within her heart began to crack, like the surface of a frozen lake splitting apart, fractures spreading through her thoughts with sharp, echoing snaps.

She couldn’t help but begin to doubt—

Those scriptures she had read from the shelves…
Those doctrines she had once believed without question…

How much of it was actually true?

In the end, she was just a self-righteous fool.

She couldn’t see through the unspoken hypocrisy among nobles.
She couldn’t understand the reverse words Pereti used to protect her.
And worst of all—blinded by the prejudice that “all witches are evil,” she had pushed away that pure kindness again and again.

“Miss!”

A sharp, pained shout yanked Ailbana’s soul back into her body.

She turned stiffly, her gaze still avoiding eye contact, fixed stubbornly on the wooden grain of the floor.

“Carol… leave me. I want to be alone—”

Before she could finish—

A splash of cold water hit her face.

With a crash, icy liquid streamed down her forehead, soaking her pink hair and dampening her nightgown.

Then came a heavy bang as the glass was slammed onto the table, making even the candlestick tremble.

Outside the door, the younger maids watching secretly covered their mouths in shock, their fingers turning pale as they barely dared to breathe.

That was the duke’s beloved daughter—

And a mere maid dared to throw water at her?

Wasn’t she afraid of being expelled—or even executed?

The maid’s chest heaved violently. Her whole body trembled—not from fear, but from anger and urgency.

Her voice trembled with tears, yet remained firm and forceful.

“Look at yourself! What have you become?! You don’t eat, you don’t sleep—your eyes are emptier than a walking corpse! Are you still the proud Ailbana Aisakson?!”

Ailbana silently turned her head away, her lashes lowering to hide the shame and guilt in her eyes.

The morning light still shone through the window. Water droplets slid down her pale cheeks, staining her white nightgown in dark patches—like blooming ink wounds.

She didn’t wipe them away.

She simply stared at the ground, her fingers curling tightly into fists, nails digging deep into her palms.

The maid’s breathing gradually calmed. The fire in her eyes faded, leaving only exhaustion like ashes.

Seeing her mistress—hair soaked, face pale as death, like a rose battered by a storm and on the verge of withering—the maid’s anger melted instantly into heartache.

At that moment—

Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Steady. Powerful. Each step seemed to strike directly against the heart.

Ailbana’s heart jolted.

She knew that sound all too well.

It was her father—

The head of the Aisakson family, the Empire’s duke: Everi Aisakson.

She hurriedly raised her head, meeting the gaze of the tall, imposing man before her.

Everi wore black combat attire, traces of dust still clinging to the patterns on his shoulder armor. His sharp, hawk-like eyes fell upon her, instantly filling her with unease and confusion.

“Father?” Her voice trembled faintly. “When did you return? I thought you were still in Tolovich…”

Tolovich was a border city between the Empire and the vampires. An elite reconnaissance team sent by the family had gone missing there—such a major incident that she had assumed her father would remain to handle it personally.

And indeed—he should have.

But when he learned from his eldest son, Duni, that his treasured youngest daughter had fallen into such a state over a witch named Pereti—refusing to eat or sleep, nearly breaking down—

He couldn’t stay away.

He was a duke commanding vast armies.
A decorated general.

But above all—

He was Ailbana’s father.

To guide his child through confusion… was a responsibility he was born with.

So he entrusted the border matters to Duni and rushed back without delay.

“I heard your condition wasn’t good, so I came back to see you,” Everi said, his gaze sweeping over the water stains on her face before briefly glancing at the maid beside her. A trace of helplessness softened his otherwise stern tone.

“You may leave.”

The maid picked up the glass, bowed deeply, and quietly exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Outside, the younger maids were still stunned—but none dared to speak. They quietly dispersed, leaving only the maid waiting silently outside.

Inside, only father and daughter remained.

The room fell into silence.

“Father…” Ailbana bit her lower lip, breaking it first.

“I’ve heard everything from Duni. It’s about that witch named Pereti, isn’t it?” Everi placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her to sit on the bed. His palm was steady and warm.

“Brother? How would he know?” Ailbana looked up in surprise, confusion filling her eyes.

“After you left, Yilian, Naer, Tamiya, and the others from the Regulation Squad engaged her in battle,” Everi said slowly. “Duni is their captain. Naturally, he knows.”

Only then did Ailbana suddenly recall—

Back then, in order to “guard against the witch,” she had personally gathered all the Regulation Squad members around Falisa.

But what she never expected—

Was that after she left…

They would actually attack Pereti.