LIGHTNOVELWORLD Ch. 46 - If You're Scared, Just Say So. It's Okay
Ugh. Even Lupedos couldn’t tell if the mirror was genuine, but did Asil know? He truly was the master of Dark Town…!
Was it keen observation? An innate ability?
“……”
“Whatever blessing you have, I don’t know, but if you say so, it must be true. I’ll let this matter slide.”
Gulp, she was caught!
Still, she couldn’t just say that this world was the aftermath of a finished game, so it was better to keep her mouth shut.
As the mirror spun once in Yuriana’s hand and disappeared, Asil’s eyes narrowed.
‘Not only does she have one more of someone else’s belongings, but she can also make them disappear at will?’
This was quite a fascinating technique. She called it a blessing from the stars, but his curiosity was insatiable.
If used well, it could make her a wealthy person capable of shaking the world.
However, he resolutely kept his promise not to ask further.
Instead, he started badmouthing poor Lulu.
“Hmm. Lupedos, huh? Did Al explain it to you?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me tell you simply. The evolution was successful. It’s not perfect yet, so he can only turn back into a human for about two to three hours a day.”
“Ah…! I see.”
“He’ll need more training to stay in human form for 24 hours straight.”
“I believe in Lulu. I’ll keep an eye on him!”
Asil’s disapproving gaze was shot at her.
“Tsk. He’s like that because he’s not desperate enough. Before you took him in, I hardly gave him any jerky and only half-fed him.”
“It’s sad if he doesn’t have enough to eat! It’s okay, Lulu. Take your time.”
“Meow?”
Yuriana finally laughed brightly.
“Levina fixed the shelf, so it won’t collapse anymore. Even if you double your weight, it’s safe!”
“Meow… meow….”
Lulu was unsure whether to be pleased or not.
It was time to say thank you.
“I remember Lulu got kicked by a nasty man trying to save me. Lulu, you’re the best cat to me. So, what if you can’t stay in human form for 24 hours!”
“Meow….”
Lulu’s golden eyes glistened with emotion.
This adorable daughter was a hundred times better than that nasty boss!
He would have to believe her since she said it was a blessing from the stars that gave her the Mirror of Origin.
As the tottering cat suddenly jumped onto the bed, Yuriana hugged him tightly.
“Hing, Lulu. I really, really love you?”
When Lulu jumped, his fur scattered like falling snow.
Asil grimaced and glared at the black fur floating in the air.
The one spoiling Lupedos’s habits was none other than his daughter!
“… unbelievable.”
“Hee-hee.”
‘Still, it’s fortunate.’
Asil watched his daughter happily holding the chubby cat.
Her innocent laughter was priceless.
He thought he might never see it again.
Even if she became the Yuriana who hid in the corner at the slightest sign of a person.
He always thought he would protect her for life… but now, she was smiling.
She truly was Asil’s daughter. Wise and brave.
‘I shouldn’t be smiling.’
He wanted to chastise himself.
The doppelganger’s diversion tactic! He almost lost everything.
What he meant by everything was only Yuriana.
When Lupedos came with the second Mirror of Origin and explained what happened, he nearly went insane.
Yuriana, who was precious to him, had almost died without him knowing!
Even if he lost Dark House and Dark Town, he couldn’t trade them for Yuriana.
It was sorry to say, but even if everyone in Dark House died, if he could save Yuriana, he would have done so.
Something felt off.
The monster confirmed by the expedition team composed of King Aidan of Nea, his knights, the head of the Ichelle Union, Heidel, and Asil, the boss of Dark Town, wasn’t a doppelganger. It was just a large beast.
The ferocious beast couldn’t withstand the knights’ fierce attacks for long and soon fell.
Even after the enemy fell, Asil couldn’t shake off the unease.
What was the strange energy Heidel sensed? There was no way he, an elf, could be wrong.
Finally, the knights found the cleverly hidden doppelganger.
The location was near a waterfall with a winding cave entrance behind it.
-There it is!
-Asil! Hurry before it escapes!
-Got it!
Flash!!
The Mirror of Origin shone, and the doppelganger, which was struck, hid behind the waterfall before counterattacking.
It was high-level magic.
Did it copy a wizard? A truly excellent sage-level…!
He briefly thought of the deceased Queen Amira but focused on reflecting the mirror on the doppelganger’s body.
After several attacks, it hesitated and fled quickly.
What was this?
While discussing further search.
Only then did Lupedos arrive, holding the second Mirror of Origin…
The tactics deduced later by Al, the empire’s wizard, and the assault on Dark House.
What an absurd incident.
The only positive side was that Al and Lupedos teamed up to eliminate half of the doppelganger.
‘In the end, I did nothing but waste my efforts. It’s no comfort that everyone was fooled! I need to pull myself together. The doppelganger we faced was already weakened, yet we lost it.’
Asil decided to reorganize Dark House.
He especially planned to demolish the annex where Yuriana suffered traumatic experiences twice.
He would just rebuild it.
He didn’t say a word, but he secretly suspected something.
The doppelganger they faced this time seemed more evolved than the one Aidan and Alice defeated—-
The identities of the assassins who attacked Dark House were soon revealed.
They were killers from the dark guild of Lilian Principality, which bordered the Reef Empire.
Diplomatic issues and such would be handled later.
Aidan would surely take care of it. Dark Town was part of the kingdom, after all.
He approached his daughter, who was playing with the naive cat, and hugged her tightly.
“Dad….”
“I’m sorry. I was so wrong. I’ll reflect and become three times stronger.”
He wasn’t just boasting; he meant it.
Yuriana released the struggling Lulu and smiled.
“I like you as you are, Dad!”
“I don’t. Yuriana, you can do as you please.”
“Dad, sob…”
“Good job.”
Let’s go home soon, my daughter.
Asil closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them.
That night.
‘I can’t sleep.’
Whether because the bed was different, or she knew Levina wasn’t here.
Yuriana blinked her eyes and tried to close them again with a groan.
“……”
Even after thirty minutes, she couldn’t sleep.
She could call another maid but didn’t want to.
If she asked someone, it would reach her dad.
It was bad to make him worry. Asil suffered the most!
She tossed and turned for what felt like dozens of times.
Creak—
“……!!!”
“Asleep?”
Asil’s gentle voice.
For some reason, Yuriana’s eyes welled with tears, but she didn’t respond. It wasn’t that she didn’t; she couldn’t.
How did he know? She stayed quietly in bed without telling the maid.
As she held her breath and stayed still, Asil approached.
He thought Yuriana, even if she smiled in front of him, wouldn’t easily fall asleep and had left the room.
Rustle.
The sound of sheets and him gently laying the tightly shut-eyed Yuriana straight.
Then he unexpectedly slipped into the bed.
‘Whoa!’
Her heart didn’t pound as much as she thought.
Maybe because she had already accepted him as her father?
There was no tension, just acceptance.
Asil’s rough hand stroked Yuriana’s thin hair.
Even in the dark, their silver hair was incredibly beautiful.
Eventually, he spoke softly.
“You must have been scared.”
“……”
“Even if you pretend to sleep, I know it’s not true. Yuriana? It’s okay… seeing people die and get hurt is not easy. Even I… even Dad felt that way at first. Even if it wasn’t your fault, just experiencing it closely is hard.”
Asil’s candid words touched her heart.
“Dad…”
Finally, she called him with a tear-stained voice.
Asil pulled the small Yuriana closer into his arms and comforted her.
“You’re a brave child, Yuriana. You didn’t try to run out of the magic barrier, and you even held the bandage for Levina.”
“D-Dad…”
“Well done. No matter what anyone says, you are indeed Asil’s daughter.”
Yuriana wanted to say something. So Asil wouldn’t worry or be concerned anymore.
What could she say, she thought…?
“Dad. You know…”
“Hmm?”
“I did something right that day. I didn’t blow the whistle you gave me. Somehow, I thought I shouldn’t.”
Blowing the whistle freely was only allowed when Asil was staying in Dark Town.
He didn’t tell her the most important precaution.
Asil extended his hand to Yuriana’s ear and patted her.
“Well done. You’re right. Everything depends on time and situation. Your small head is quite capable.”
If Yuriana had blown the whistle, the attackers surrounding both the main and annex buildings would have gathered.
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
If those who were near Lupedos and Yuriana had set fire to the room…!
‘Such a thing won’t happen again. I will protect Yuriana with my life.’
Asil, despite his firm vow, spoke gently.
“Shall we sleep now?”
“Yes.”
“I will stay here until you fall asleep completely. You can sleep without any worries. If you can’t sleep until morning, we can take a nap together.”
His words were like a magical lullaby.
She had been restless, unable to sleep before he came, but now drowsiness washed over her at his words.
Yuriana soon collapsed onto her pillow.