The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 65

Inside the dimly lit office.

Histania Rowen sat deep in thought, running a hand through his hair.

“How irritating….”

Hanna’s defiance was one thing.

That arrogant red-haired brat was another.

No one was affirming that his choices were right.

Rowen, who had never once doubted his parenting methods while raising his three children,

found himself unusually burdened with complex thoughts this time.

“Haa…”

Seated at his office desk, Rowen poured liquor into an empty glass and let out a deep sigh.

His mind was filled with thoughts.

Thoughts that perhaps, as a father, he was lacking—having focused solely on the sword all his life.

He thought he had done his best.

Yet every time the wounded face of his youngest daughter came to mind, Rowen couldn’t help but feel that his parenting had been flawed.

Hanna, who refused to follow the path he had painstakingly laid out for her, only left him feeling frustrated.

If only she would give up the sword, he could give her anything.

If she wanted to start a business, he would provide funding.

If she wanted to pursue politics, he would offer connections.

If she wanted to fall in love, he could introduce her to the most handsome man in the Empire. But Hanna’s eyes were fixed solely on the sword.

Rowen posed a question to himself.

The question, “Am I truly a good father?”

Malik, who had succeeded as a swordsman.

The second sibling, who had maintained the top of the class for three consecutive years with outstanding talent.

Looking at just those two, he thought he lacked nothing as a successful father.

But Hanna…

She had achieved everything on her own.

Until she entered the Academy, Hanna’s talent had seemed insignificant compared to Malik and the second sibling.

Even if he could go back in time, he would still tell Hanna to give up the sword.

Her swordsmanship had stagnated.

No matter how much painstaking effort she put in, the level she could reach was no more than that of a third-rate adventurer.

To tell Hanna, who only had strong mental fortitude as her talent, to pursue a career where she couldn’t succeed felt, to him, like something a parent should never do.

After all, his own father had been the same.

His father, who had shaped him into the Sword of the Empire,

would have told Hanna the exact same thing, Rowen thought.

To raise him,

his father had used harsh words and shown favoritism.

Rowen had resented his father, who had treated him so cruelly, but as an adult, seeing his siblings succeed in various fields and reflecting on his own life, he realized his father hadn’t been wrong.

Knowing the unnecessary struggles of siblings raised under a father who knew nothing but the sword, Rowen couldn’t help but treat Hanna coldly.

Because certain success was always better than mediocre success.

For Malik’s success.

For the honor of Histania.

And, at the same time, out of a desire for Hanna to quickly find her own path, Rowen had acted harshly, without hesitation.

He had defeated his brother, who had comforted him when he was scolded by their father, in the training hall. He had called him a proud brother and shared hidden snacks with his younger sibling, only to see that same sibling excommunicated from the household for lacking talent with the sword. And he had thought his father’s decision was only natural.

Rowen believed there was no fault in his past decision to tell Hanna to give up the sword.

After all, he had been raised that way.

And he had learned it from his father.

Of course, he didn’t think fondly of his father.

A brute who had neglected his family and only ever shouted, “Sword. Sword.”

From the moment he inherited the position of head of the family, Rowen had vowed never to become a father like his own. But when he became a father himself, he found himself walking the same path.

Though he had softened compared to his father, who excommunicated anyone without talent without hesitation, when examined closely, his education methods weren’t much different from his father’s.

“I hated it so much back then, and now I’m doing the exact same thing.”

I’m a crazy bastard too.

Unlike his father, Rowen had tried to raise his children with some semblance of affection.

Unlike his father, who cut off all support for children without talent, Rowen had offered his children alternative directions.

Learn finance and become a secretary.

Study diplomacy and become a diplomat.

Learn politics and rise to a high position.

Even if he hadn’t spoken gently, Rowen didn’t think he had made any wrong decisions as a father.

Guiding one’s children toward the path of proper success was the role of a parent and the wish of a parent.

It was just that the process had been a bit extreme.

-Dad, I want to be a swordsman as amazing as you! I’ll punish bad people and spread Histania’s name across the world!

-Give it up. You have no talent. You’ll only disgrace Histania’s name.

-But… if I try hard enough…!

-Effort can’t surpass talent. The reason those who succeed through effort are at the top is because they’re only competing with mediocre people.

-…But.

-Instead of crawling at the bottom, become the best in another field. Don’t tarnish Histania’s name.

Rowen didn’t think he was wrong.

He had been raised rigidly.

And his life was proof of it.

If anyone wanted to criticize him, they needed to have achievements and a position equal to his for their words to carry weight.

The words of a philosopher with nothing to show but lofty ideals were nothing more than reckless bravado to him.

But.

-Father…

After witnessing the death of Hanna,

cracks began to form in Rowen’s heart.

Holding Hanna’s cold, lifeless body in his arms and seeing his own face, unable to utter a word, Rowen felt an indescribable depth of regret.

He had always thought the emotion of regret was useless….

For the first time, that emotion of regret struck him with terrifying intensity.

-Bang…!

Rowen slammed the liquor glass onto the desk with force.

The glass shattered in his hand.

Rowen calmly used a handkerchief to clean the shards from his unscathed hand, the body of a Swordmaster showing no sign of injury.

“Hanna’s adolescence was far too long… I should have been stricter.”

Even now, Rowen wished Hanna would give up the sword.

No matter how young she was when she awakened her aura.

He believed Hanna would take on dangerous challenges.

Now, he could no longer criticize Hanna’s talent. She had proven his judgment wrong and illuminated Histania’s name across the Empire.

But.

-Please save me…

The more the hallucination of that moment replayed in his mind, the stronger his resolve became to make Hanna put down the sword.

Many thoughts swirled in his mind.

After seeing the hallucination,

he felt both an urgent need to stop her from undertaking such reckless challenges and an altruistic desire to support his daughter’s growth as a father.

No matter which way he thought about it,

the fear from witnessing Hanna’s death led him to the conclusion that he must make her put down the sword.

It was the path for Hanna’s sake.

It was for Hanna’s safety.

Whether it was a hallucination or a nightmare,

it was something he could prevent.

All he had to do was stick to his stubbornness.

Hanna was bound to keep running forward with youthful determination.

For rapid growth, she would head toward danger, and Rowen was convinced she would recreate the nightmare he had once witnessed.

That was why Rowen steeled his resolve even more.

Because Rowen loved Hanna.

Compared to other children, she had many shortcomings and flaws that he couldn’t always address, but he wasn’t a cold-hearted parent who thought it was fine for her to die.

Sitting at his desk, Rowen nodded awkwardly as he pondered.

“Yes, it’s all for Hanna’s sake. She’ll understand when the time comes.”

Just as he had come to understand when he became an adult.

Rowen believed that Hanna would also realize it when she grew up.

With so many unsettling incidents happening recently at the Academy, now might be the right opportunity.

Rather than continuing to worry endlessly, it would be better to just…

As he was compromising with himself for a moment.

-Creak.

A man with a handsome face opened the door to the office and walked in.

A man with the same brown hair as Rowen. It was Malik, Hanna’s older brother and Rowen’s son.

Rowen frowned and said.

“Who taught you the manners of entering without knocking… I don’t believe I raised you that way.”

Malik, who had opened the door, replied with an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry. I did knock… I didn’t realize you didn’t hear it.”

Rowen acknowledged his mistake.

“I must not have heard it because I was focused on work. My apologies.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll be more mindful next time.”

Malik’s face was stiff.

Visiting his father made him uncomfortable.

He wasn’t accustomed to being alone with him.

Knowing this, Rowen refrained from saying much.

Malik let out a deep sigh and held up the liquor bottle in his hand.

“Father, I brought some fine liquor. Could you spare a moment for me?”

It was a familiar liquor.

Golden brandy.

A finely crafted glass bottle.

The label of a liquor bottle often mentioned among nobles. It was from such a renowned restaurant that its name was memorable. It was a place with the unique name “Friends of Forest.”

Rowen was secretly pleased with the gift from his son.

Malik dragged a chair over and naturally sat down in front of Rowen.