Father, I Won’t Do Anything

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I asked Izren not to report it to the Tower Lord because I dislike causing disturbances. That’s why there was an issue with the performance…”

“No, that’s not it.”

Diamid cut off Jaina’s words and pursed his lips, carefully choosing his next words before speaking softly.

“I know that woman mistreated you under the guise of teaching.”

He wasn’t one to speak of his own wounds.

He would only silently conceal them.

And until now, he had thought that was right.

But when the subject became another person… No, when it became ‘Ashrid’ before his eyes, he felt extremely vexed.

“Didn’t she torment you? Why did you endure the suffering?”

Jaina tilted her head, unable to discern Diamid’s intent. But she had to respond somehow, so she lowered her head and gave her usual reply.

“I’m sorry.”

“The apology is a bit…”

Cautious. Prudent. Leaving no room to offend me.

At first, Diamid had appreciated those aspects of Ashrid. If she had whined while calling him father, he would have expelled her from the Magic Tower long ago.

But why did those very qualities now grate on him?

Even though he had asked knowing he wouldn’t hear her true feelings.

“This time, even if it takes longer, I will assign you a proper new teacher. There will be intermittent tests, so it would be unwise to slack off.”

* * *

After Charlotte’s disappearance, Diamid wore a furrowed expression unbecoming of his elegant face.

His emotions should have been sealed, yet his current state was indescribably complex.

Diamid’s turmoil had nothing to do with Charlotte. He had long forgotten her name.

What now occupied his mind were Bezrice and her child, Ashrid.

After much contemplation, Diamid rang the bell. Soon, Hilvenzia appeared and bowed to him.

“Hilvenzia. You have a task.”

“Yes, Tower Lord.”

Diamid recalled what Izren had told him.

About the red welts distinctly visible on those small, pale hands.

“We need to make healing potions. Put other research on hold.”

“Understood.”

Diamid raised his brows at her unexpectedly ready agreement.

While the Tower Lord’s orders were absolute in the Magic Tower, Hilvenzia held a position where she could have defied him.

In fact, she usually questioned unwanted assignments.

But this time, she responded with a smile, as if it was a task she too desired.

“I needed the healing potions as well.”

‘Is it because of her? Well, it worked out either way.’

She didn’t seem to realize the reason Diamid ordered healing potions was because of that child.

In truth, Hilvenzia had been away for research, unaware that Jaina had been struck hard enough to leave welts on her palms.

-Hilvenzia made healing potions, didn’t she?

She had simply accepted the task out of concern for the small child getting hurt or in danger again, wanting to prepare in advance.

* * *

Time passed, and Jaina’s birthday arrived.

Being the Emperor’s birthday as well, all the Magic Tower’s magicians were granted a day of rest.

While the magicians slept in after their accumulated fatigue, there was one who had risen early, unable to hide her excitement – Jaina herself.

Before her sat a cake with multiple lit candles.

“It’s simple, but eat your fill.”

The tables set up throughout the garden were laden with countless dishes, enough for Jaina to eat to her heart’s content for days even with tiny bites. Jaina couldn’t stop looking around in awe, mouth agape.

“This is far from simple? The entire Magic Tower’s magicians could come and there would still be leftovers.”

“The old hag said she spared no expense with the rare ingredients she painstakingly procured.”

Indeed, some of the prepared dishes contained such precious ingredients that one could hardly bring themselves to consume them.

Jaina had attempted estimating the total cost before giving up. Knowing would have surely made her hands tremble uncontrollably.

“Thank you all for coming to my birthday party and giving such precious gifts.”

From Hilvenzia, Jaina received a bracelet, while Izren gave her a tarot card set for demi-humans.

“Jaina, may you become even happier from now on.”

“Good things await you. I’ve read the omens.”

Hilvenzia smiled kindly, her eyes crinkling, while the usually terse Izren spoke in clear enunciation and complete sentences to offer his congratulations.

“Happy birthday.”

Even the typically curt Mikael gave an ordinary birthday greeting today.

For some reason, his face looked completely deflated.

“…!”

Jaina quietly took Mikael’s hand. He startled at her small gesture but soon wilted again like drained grass.

“Instead of giving you a proper birthday present, I brought that wretched teacher who tormented you.”

After belatedly learning that Jaina had been mistreated by the teacher he had brought, Charlotte, Mikael could no longer look her in the eye. Even on her birthday today, he was anguished with guilt.

“You know the wrongdoer was Charlotte the teacher, don’t you?”

However, Jaina readily comforted the remorseful Mikael.

Watching this, Hilvenzia addressed Jaina.

“Little Mikael is feeling down because of you too, Jaina. Why didn’t you tell us about such an incident?”

“That’s because…”

“You even asked the escort knight to keep it a secret?”

It seemed the two had become somewhat more lenient towards Izren than before, likely because he had reported the matter to Diamid leading to its resolution.

“You need to value yourself more, Jaina.”

Hilvenzia’s gaze momentarily clouded.

Even Mikael, who had been restraining his emotions, suddenly burst out.

“If you had just said one word, I wouldn’t have let that woman off so easily.”

“Fortunately, it seems that lady ended up disgraced for crashing Princess Elia’s tea party uninvited.”

“My aunt’s tea parties aren’t open to just anyone.”

Hearing their words, Jaina tilted her head quizzically.

‘Was she really the type to do that…? Well, it’s resolved now, so no need to dwell on it further.’

“Sir Mikael, don’t be gloomy. It’s unbefitting of you.”

“Shut up, you idiot! It’s all your fault! If anything happens, tell me right away. You need to value yourself more, dummy!”

Jaina smiled wryly and shook her head.

“Then you shouldn’t call me a dummy first, sir Mikael.”

“You…”

Mikael smiled, seemingly amused by Jaina’s retort.

“Yeah, that’s how I want you to be.”

The birthday party was blissful, filled with laughter, and the sky was clearer than ever, as if sensing Jaina’s joyful mood.

A refreshing breeze ruffled her hair, and her gaze inadvertently fell upon one of the Magic Tower’s taller structures.

‘The Tower Lord’s study must be located somewhere up there.’

Was it alright to hold such a noisy party on the day commemorating her birth?

Jaina felt a tinge of concern. For he had never approved of her existence.

If he witnessed this scene, he might even rage that the daughter of his enemy was celebrating her birthday.

‘It should be fine since we’ve cast barriers.’

Hilvenzia and Mikael had meticulously set up soundproofing magic and an invisibility barrier, so unless one deliberately peered within, the birthday party would go unnoticed.

Jaina turned her attention back to her companions, focusing on the celebration.

However, she was unaware that from that very tall tower her gaze had fallen upon, Diamid had been watching her.

“A birthday party… Does this count as me giving that child a birthday present?”

* * *

Lying in bed, Jaina’s brow furrowed as she let out faint, distressed whimpers, hugging her teddy bear tightly as if in anguish.

It was a dream of her previous life, long unvisited.

-Did you think I took you in because I wanted to care for someone like you?

-If you’re going to say such things, get out of my house!

Buried memories of Min Pobae resurfaced vividly.

For her, a birthday was merely the beginning digits of her resident registration number.

Without family or friends, she had always been alone.

-No one treasures me as precious… Is there any need for me to live?

On her birthday, having nowhere to go, she desperately searched for an apartment with an unlocked rooftop door.

Then she huddled in fear, dreading the arrival of ill-intentioned people.

And on one sleepless summer night from the heat.

Min Pobae gazed down from the deserted rooftop.

Due to the warm weather, windows were open, unintentionally allowing her to glimpse inside.

-Ahaha, that joke you just told was really funny, Dad!

-Honey, some girl caused trouble for our precious daughter today.

-Why would I give you pocket money just because you’re so cute, pig?

Cheerful laughter and tender embraces emanated from within.

Min Pobae silently watched it all.

Her birthday, unremembered by anyone…

‘…But that won’t happen again.’

Jaina started awake, breathing heavily in the dark night.

She huddled tightly around her large teddy bear before caressing the bracelet Hilvenzia had given her, which could track her location. Then her eyes fell on the tarot cards – said to bring good fortune – placed on the nightstand.

‘It’s alright. I’m not Min Pobae anymore.’

Her ragged breaths gradually calmed, but an empty ache seemed to swell in her chest once more, prompting Jaina to close her eyes.

Just as she was drifting back to sleep, a knock sounded at the door.

“Hey.”

Jaina opened the door and gazed at the unexpected visitor. It was someone she had never expected to visit.

“I, uh, came to give you a present.”

Mikael’s face was beet red like a strawberry.

She had said the thoughtfulness mattered more than size or value, and any gift would do. But for him to visit so late, it seemed he was determined to give her something perfectly to her liking after all.