CHAPTER~04
“What is this?”
The moment the procession was interrupted, jeers rained down from every direction.
Startled by the hostility, Mela’s eyes welled with tears as she instinctively took a step back.
“Hey, you! Get out of the way!”
“Waaah!”
The royal guards grabbed her by the arms, roughly trying to drag her away.
“Let go of me!”
Fear washed over her, twisting her little face with helplessness.
“Oh my, she’s just a child. She could’ve wandered in by accident.”
“Exactly. They could’ve simply escorted her out. Knights can be so frightening.”
As Mela struggled, murmurs spread through the crowd.
Faced with the public’s disapproving stares, the guards hesitated.
After all, it wasn’t exactly a good look—grown men restraining a tiny child who posed no threat whatsoever.
Just as the commotion threatened to spiral out of control, a black warhorse let out a sharp neigh.
Then a deep, commanding voice cut through the noise.
“Enough of this pointless disturbance.”
“C-Commander! Our apologies!”
At last, Ferzen Descartes moved.
“Commander, please don’t!”
“Commander!”
Ignoring everyone’s attempts to stop him, he dismounted his horse himself and walked toward the sniffling little girl.
Bathed in the afternoon sun, the tall man seemed almost blinding.
Every eye in the plaza followed him.
“…”
Mela froze without saying a word.
He was so tall she had to crane her neck just to look up at him.
Broad shoulders.
A powerful build.
And crimson eyes that carried enough pressure to make anyone instinctively shrink away.
“Who are you?”
The low voice reached her ears.
Startled, Mela flinched and unconsciously bit her lip.
Ferzen’s narrow eyes became even sharper.
To him, this entire situation was nothing more than an inconvenience.
The scent of blood from the battlefield still clung to him, yet that troublesome Crown Prince had insisted on holding a victory parade and placing him at its front.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Ferzen turned away.
“Remove her quietly. Don’t delay the procession.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Just as the guards reached for Mela again—
Her tiny chubby h, and desperately caught the edge of his sleeve.
“Um…!”
The brief touch alone was enough to make the murderous aura around him surge.
Mela instinctively recoiled.
Suppressing that killing intent, Ferzen turned only his upper body to glance at her.
“Do you have something to say to me, little one?”
“U-Um…”
She blinked several times with wide blue eyes.
Her lips trembled as she struggled to find the words.
Then, as though she’d finally gathered all her courage—
She shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Daddy!”
Everything fell silent.
The fireworks.
The chatter of the crowd.
The bustling celebration.
Everything disappeared.
Ferzen quietly looked down at the little girl who had just called him Daddy.
There wasn’t even the slightest trace of surprise on his face.
“What… did you say?”
His voice was so cold it sounded as though he might kill someone on the spot.
“D-Daddy!”
Tilting her head, Mela looked genuinely puzzled, as if wondering whether she’d gotten it wrong.
Calling that man “Daddy”—
A man who looked as though familial affection had never existed in his life.
While she fidgeted nervously with her fingers—
Two gleaming swords suddenly pointed directly at her neck.
“Listen here, brat. How dare you insult our Commander!”
Ferzen’s subordinates glared at her fiercely.
“Eek!”
Mela squeaked, clenching her tiny fists in fear.
The sight resembled nothing more threatening than an angry little squirrel.
The knights burst into laughter.
“Our Commander isn’t the type to go around fathering children!”
“That’s right! First we’d have to confirm whether he even has any children to father! He’s spent so many years on the battlefield that who knows if everything still works!”
“Exactly!”
The comments grew increasingly outrageous.
Without a word—
Ferzen moved faster than anyone could follow.
Smack!
Smack!
He struck both of his men on the head.
“Die.”
The two knights collapsed instantly.
Ignoring them completely, Ferzen stepped closer to Mela.
“You called me… Daddy?”
Still trembling, Mela nodded.
Despite the fear on her face, her tightly pressed lips looked strangely stubborn.
Sea-blue eyes.
Snow-white skin.
And soft honey-blonde hair.
She reminded him of someone.
Especially that hair.
> “Let’s get divorced, Duke. Preferably as soon as possible.”<
The exact same hair color.
Perhaps because of that—
For the first time all day, a faint ripple crossed Ferzen’s emotionless eyes.
But he quickly buried it beneath his usual indifference.
“Who are you?”
He didn’t believe her.
Not even for a second.
His lifeless crimson gaze regarded her less like a child…
…and more like an object.
“I suppose I have no choice.”
He sighed quietly.
“Then I’ll simply make you answer myself.” for yourselfy—
He reached out toward her.
Just then—
“Mela!”
A familiar voice broke through the crowd, accompanied by startled screams.
Ferzen froze.
“…That voice…”
The instant he heard it, the emotions he’d barely kept buried crashed violently inside him.
> “Isn’t this flower beautiful, Duke?”<
> “Yes. Beautiful… just like you.”<
He remembered.
Her bright smile.
Her clear, bell-like voice.
The familiar scent that still lingered in his memories.
Turning slowly—
He saw golden-blonde hair fluttering beneath the sunlight as someone ran desperately toward them.
It was…
His ex-wife.
Evelyn.
Then…
Did that mean…
That child…
…really is my daughter?
Our heroine truly had nerves of steel.
No matter how badly she wanted parents—
Running up to a complete stranger and shouting, “Daddy!” was on another level entirely.
And not just any stranger.
Ferzen.
Of all people.
I never could’ve predicted this disaster.
Who was Ferzen?
A man whose mere presence could overwhelm others with killing intent.
A warrior who painted battlefields red without caring whether his opponent was man or beast.
And…
The very person I’d spent the last five years desperately avoiding.
Only to run into him…
Like this.
“Mela!”
Finally forcing my way through the crowd, I rushed forward and pulled Mela protectively into my arms.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? What were you thinking coming here?!”
“Waaah!”
The moment she saw me, the tears she’d been holding back burst free.
Thankfully, she wasn’t injured.
If I’d been even a little later…
Those swords might really have reached her neck.
“Have knights these days completely forgotten what chivalry is? Pointing swords at a child? Don’t worry, Auntie will scold them all. So stop crying, okay?”
As I gently patted Mela’s back, I glared furiously at the knights who had threatened her.
The guilty men immediately avoided my gaze and pretended to be fascinated by literally anything else.
Honestly.
Typical sword-swinging meatheads.
A child!
They’d pointed swords at a child!
The future Great Archmage, no less!
Grinding my teeth inwardly—
A familiar voice sounded behind me.
“Evelyn.”
That deep, heavy voice sent chills down my spine.
I didn’t even need to turn around.
I already knew who it belonged to.
“Evelyn… you and I…”
Ferzen’s voice came closer.
At some point, he’d already reached out toward me.
Startled by his sudden presence, I instinctively slapped his hand away and stepped back.
“Don’t touch this child!”
At that exact moment—
The tears I’d been desperately holding back spilled down my cheeks.
No wonder my eyes had been stinging.
I’d somehow ended up looking like a woman carrying a heartbreaking story.
“L-Let’s go… hic… Mela.”
This was bad.
The tears simply wouldn’t stop.
Clutching Mela tightly, I turned to leave.
Please.
Don’t recognize me.
Don’t say anything.
I silently begged.
Then—
A calm yet commanding voice struck my ears.
“Stop, Evelyn.”
At his single order—
One by one, the surrounding knights drew their swords and pointed them at us.
Ferzen walked forward at an unhurried pace until he stood directly before Mela and me.
The moment I met those crimson eyes brimming with restrained killing intent—
I knew.
“We have something to discuss.”
…
I was completely, utterly doomed.
