Father, I Won’t Do Anything

“Jaina, welcome!”

Coincidentally, Marilyn had just sent an invitation, so Jaina unhesitatingly made her way to her residence.

“Ah, you must be Marilyn’s friend.”

And by chance, Jaina was able to meet Count Bondrewd, who had always been absent whenever she visited before.

Though he had a rather cold and sensitive demeanor, he treated Jaina quite kindly.

“Please, make yourself at home. You’re our princess’s first friend, so don’t hesitate to let us know if you need anything!”

“Father, shush! I told you not to call me a princess! Do you want to be arrested for treason?”

“But what’s wrong with calling our princess a princess?”

“It’s embarrassing!”

“You find it embarrassing?”

“Don’t make lame puns, seriously!”

“Oh dear, but I’m a father, how can I be a mother?”

“I said enough!”

“You used to laugh so cheerfully at everything Daddy did when you were little…”

“So until when must I dance to Daddy’s tune?”

Though raising her voice at her father, Count Bondrewd, Marilyn playfully swatted at his arm too.

Their familiarity was more akin to friends than a father-daughter relationship.

Jaina silently observed the pair.

It resembled a family dynamic she had never witnessed before.

After exchanging some banter, the two turned their attention back to Jaina.

“I hear your personal guard is quite formidable, Lady Jaina. And at the previous birthday party…”

Jaina’s eyes widened as Count Bondrewd recounted detailed information about her.

“How do you know all that?”

“Well, our princess told me herself.”

Despite his busy work schedule, Count Bondrewd seemed keenly aware of how Marilyn was faring and any concerns she might have.

This came as a fresh surprise to Jaina, something she couldn’t even imagine.

“When it comes to our princess, I’m curious about every little detail, for I love her so dearly.”

“Ugh, how sappy. Jaina, just forget everything my father says.”

Seemingly embarrassed to show her father’s doting side in front of her friend, Marilyn swatted his shoulder forcefully enough to produce an audible smack.

“Ouch, our princess sure is strong too.”

Jaina couldn’t help but gape at the sight.

‘So families like this truly exist…’

“Oh dear, now that our princess has found a friend, is Daddy being cast aside like cold leftovers?”

Count Bondrewd feigned sobbing melodramatically.

“At this rate, if a suitor appears, I’ll really be in trouble. Just recently, she said she’d marry Daddy.”

“What nonsense, I don’t recall ever saying that!”

Sneaking glances at Jaina, Marilyn leapt up from her seat in flustered embarrassment.

However, Jaina didn’t find it strange at all. Rather, she felt envious.

‘From the very beginning, Marilyn never gave off an unpleasant vibe.’

Marilyn seemed to have been showered with much love throughout her upbringing. Though blunt and selfish at times, she readily acknowledged her mistakes when pointed out.

Such an attitude could only come from someone with a strong sense of self-worth.

The assurance that there would always be someone who wouldn’t abandon her until the very end.

Someone who would continue supporting and believing in her.

That stability born of trust.

Perhaps that’s why Marilyn possessed the resilience to bounce back up like a roly-poly whenever she stumbled.

Because she had a father who cherished and loved her.

‘What does it mean to have a father, exactly?’

Ordinarily, she wouldn’t have given it much thought, but after the Tower Lord’s request for her to become his daughter, her mind was unsettled.

No matter how much Jaina shook her head, Diamid’s words kept circling in her mind.

-You’re not an accursed child. You’re the blessed child who revived your father from the depths of disbelief and resentment…

‘While I’m certainly grateful for saving me from the dragons…’

Jaina still couldn’t understand why he had protected her.

‘Me, a blessed child…? But he had initially claimed he didn’t see me as his true daughter…’

Was it because she was the child Bezrice had given her life to birth? The child who had cleared his misunderstanding? Was that why he had saved her?

If his heart could change so easily, why hadn’t he done so sooner? Jaina couldn’t comprehend him.

He had known she wasn’t dragons’ spy sent to target him, that her life was being threatened.

If he had only made up his mind, he could have easily realized it had been a misunderstanding, but he hadn’t.

Even as he protected her from the infiltrating dragons, even as he poured out the mana he had spent a lifetime accumulating to cure her allergy, he hadn’t said anything meaningful to her.

He had only abruptly offered her a territory and asked her to become his daughter.

To Jaina, his sudden change was bewildering, yet she could only assume he had saved her out of necessity.

But if that wasn’t the case…

‘Could the Tower Lord truly dispel long-harbored feelings with just a few words, like melting ice?’

…How could it be so simple?

“Take care, Jaina!”

“You too, Marilyn.”

During the few days Jaina spent at Marilyn’s residence, her mind was consumed by those thoughts.

They had chatted endlessly and played various games over snacks, but she couldn’t recall what they had actually done.

Even on her way back to the Magic Tower, the only images in Jaina’s mind were of the seemingly blissful Count Bondrewd and Marilyn, and of Diamid leaning against her shoulder, asking her to become his daughter.

In the end, upon nearing the Magic Tower, Jaina changed course once more.

She wanted to somehow sort out her jumbled thoughts and feelings.

Jaina wondered if there was someone in a similar situation she could consult.

And before long, she found someone fitting the criteria.

“…So in truth, I’m quite troubled.”

Jaina confided everything that had happened so far to Rosian.

Rosian was one of the few who knew Jaina was Diamid’s daughter, and having lost his own father at a young age, Jaina felt comfortable opening up to him.

“Such a thing occurred?”

After grumbling upon learning Jaina had narrowly escaped danger again while he was away at the academy, Rosian struggled to suppress his anger upon seeing Jaina’s troubled expression.

“What are your thoughts regarding the Tower Lord, Jaina?”

“I’m grateful to him for the various forms of assistance he has provided.”

“Is that all?”

“Well… I’m also disconcerted by his sudden change in how he treats me.”

Rosian nodded in understanding.

“Among the people I know, there are cases where parents initially neglected their child, only to suddenly act all friendly once the child grew up. They felt quite awkward, wondering why this person was suddenly behaving that way. It’s not strange at all.”

“Well, it does seem a bit different from that case, but…”

After observing Jaina’s prolonged silence, Rosian sensed she needed time to organize her thoughts.

“Jaina, how about running away for a bit?”

“…Running away?”

“Yes, a legal runaway. By enrolling in the Melbel Academy where I attend. Wouldn’t you hesitate to return to the Magic Tower right now, Jaina? You’ll need some time alone too.”

Founded by the great mage Melbel, the Melbel Academy boasted a faculty of an entirely different caliber. Moreover, the barrier erected by the great magician surrounded the academy, making it nigh impenetrable even for dragons.

“Would the Tower Lord permit it?”

“Why would you need his permission? You haven’t acknowledged him as your father, have you? Just inform him. In fact, I’ll handle the notification myself, so don’t worry.”

Jaina blankly gazed at Rosian, who seemed unusually excited.

“But the enrollment period has long passed…”

“You don’t need to worry about that. The academy’s headmaster is someone you know.”

Just as Rosian had said, there was no need to fret over enrollment.

For the moment Jaina stepped into the headmaster’s office to complete the admission paperwork, a familiar face welcomed her.

“It’s been a while, Jaina.”

It was none other than Seiden, the former comrade of Bezrice and Diamid.

-To be honest, I’d like you to come with me

The one who had offered to have Jaina adopted into another household had, in the meantime, been forcibly employed at the Melbel Academy while they hadn’t seen each other.

“So, you want to enroll in the academy?”

“Yes, I wish to step away from the Magic Tower for a while, to gain new experiences and have some time to think.”

When Jaina expressed her desire to leave the Magic Tower and enroll at the academy, Seiden gazed at her with a conflicted expression for a moment.

‘Yes, it won’t be an easy relationship to untangle…’

Sensing his gaze, Jaina gave an awkward smile and nodded, as if recalling his advice to her.

-So please, give Diamid another chance, even if he is clumsy and inadequate. He’s a first-time father too, after all…

In response, Seiden soon smiled and nodded as well.

“Well, in any case, you’re the most important thing in this world. Do as you wish. Tampering with admission records is no difficult feat.”

After scribbling a few times with his pen, Seiden processed Jaina as a ‘returning student’ who had been unable to attend until now due to personal circumstances.

Once the procedure was complete, whether it was enrollment or transfer, Rosian led Jaina towards the dining hall.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Prince Rosian dining with a lady…”

“Do you know that female student? I’ve never seen her before.”

Though drawing the attention of those around them, Rosian nonchalantly ignored the gazes as he scanned the surroundings. Soon spotting familiar faces, he took a seat beside them with Jaina in tow.

“Sorry for the wait. Let me introduce her. This is Miss Jaina, who has been unable to attend the academy until today due to personal circumstances, but has finally joined us.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

“I’ll be counting on you, as I may not always be around to look after her.”

Rosian’s remarkably protective demeanor towards Jaina drew curious stares.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t she Your Highness’s partner at this year’s debutante ball?”

Rosian smiled in affirmation.

“Indeed.”

As Rosian readily admitted it, mischievous cheers and jeers arose from those around.

“Is this the lady you mentioned previously, Your Highness?”

“Did you bring her to the academy because you missed her?”

“How did the two of you meet?”

Unfazed by the barrage of questions, Rosian calmly responded.

“I’ll answer everything in detail later, so don’t trouble Jaina by asking her directly. Ask me instead.”

“Are you already playing the protective boyfriend?”

“How admirable!”

Though exchanging banter with his fellow students amid laughter, Rosian soon leaned over and whispered quietly to Jaina, who was dining beside him.

“They may be rowdy, but they’re good people. Since there are student council members among them, feel free to confide in them if you face any difficulties. They’ll help you out.”

Rosian had deliberately brought Jaina to the dining hall to introduce her to these individuals.

The more people she knew, the easier it would be for her to adapt to life at the academy.

“What department are you in, Miss Jaina?”

“I’m in the Department of Magic.”

“Wow, you do give off quite an impressive vibe… I’m counting on you.”

The dining hall atmosphere was warm and lively.

After finishing their meal, Rosian led Jaina around, offering to give her a tour of the academy grounds.

“Why, if it isn’t Prince Rosian?”

Once again, gazes followed, but Rosian paid them no mind. In fact, he guided Jaina along the busier paths intentionally.

It was to let everyone know he had her back.

There might be those unaware of the debutante incident, after all.

And so, as a sudden mid-term transfer student and Rosian’s debutante partner, Jaina drew attention from the very first day of her enrollment.

Some viewed her favorably, but others regarded her with disdain.

“Are you sure you didn’t come here to seduce His Highness?”

“You don’t even seem interested in magic.”

Especially those from Jaina’s own Department of Magic.

“…?”

And Jaina was not one to remain oblivious to the strange atmosphere surrounding her.