BDPVF 10

Chapter 10

After finishing my bath, I followed Lisa toward the dining hall.

A massive door appeared after passing Selena’s room—where last night’s “great deed” had taken place—and then the Duke’s office.

It opened into a vast entrance.

‘It’s unnecessarily grand and huge!’

The enormous door, like something from a cathedral in photos, opened smoothly without a creaking sound.

Every part of the ducal estate was grand, but maybe because I was particularly greedy when it came to food, the dining hall looked especially impressive.

“You may go in,” Lisa said.

It seemed Lisa couldn’t enter.

I looked at her, my only ally, with a pitiful expression, then stepped into the dining hall while admiring the vast hall.

He probably forgot about what happened earlier.

Thanks to my happy bath, I had briefly managed to forget—but now it all came rushing back.

And my once peaceful face turned pale again.

“What are you doing there?”

“Eek!!”

A chilling voice suddenly came from behind my head as I was tensed up.

I jumped violently, goosebumps rising all over my body.

“……”

“Darling…”

Judging by the tiger-like glint in his eyes, I had apparently been marked as prey.

Fortunately, Selena—the savior—stopped Silas before he could pounce on me.

“Ahem. Sit down first. I have something to say.”

Then he strode over and sat at the head seat.

Selena and I stared at Silas blankly.

“Don’t worry. He tried to talk to you in his own way, but you didn’t react as expected,” Selena said with a smile, taking my hand.

I widened my eyes in surprise, but she ignored me with her usual gentle smile and led me to the table.

She looked like a female version of the duke—someone who didn’t allow objections.

…Now I understand why they got married.

A perfect match.

I was dragged into a child-sized chair and seated.

A child-sized chair…

My legs were longer than expected, leaving them dangling in the air.

I had never been to a place like this in my past life or present life, so a chair with such long legs was a new experience.

I swung my legs in fascination and looked around.

At the same time, the smell of food tickled my nose.

Servants were bringing dishes in.

Most of the food placed on the table was meat dishes.

Probably because of my anemia.

……

Just as I quietly licked my lips, Selena spoke.

“Iris. Earlier you said your wish was family… right?”

Gulp.

‘Here it comes.’

If I answered incorrectly here, that knife in the duke’s hand might fly at me.

My small brain started working frantically.

“Yes…”

“Do you mean you want a family?”

Selena asked again as if confirming.

I felt it.

This was my last chance given by God.

“N-no… that was a mistake,” I quickly shook my head.

I made my intention clear.

But Selena seemed to think I was refusing because I felt burdened by the situation, and her eyes filled with pity.

No… that’s not it!

I screamed internally.

Without knowing my thoughts, Selena glanced at Silas sitting at the head seat.

Then his heavy voice finally broke the silence.

“Become my daughter. I’ll give you anything you want.”

A cold wind seemed to sweep through the dining hall.

The position of “the villain’s daughter” was absolutely not something I wanted.

Even if my dream was to be a rich idle layabout.

Because Silas would, in six years, end up imprisoned after the combined attack of the heroine and hero, along with the Emperor’s forces to protect the throne.

There was no way I was going to board a sinking ship.

Besides, the duke’s real daughter is the saint…!

It is revealed in the final episode that the saint is Silas’s daughter.

She would say, “I cannot grow attached to the father who abandoned me,” and leave him coldly behind.

I remember thinking she was so cool then—but I didn’t want to get involved in that role.

……

An awkward silence fell between Silas and me.

The duke stared at me as if he would kill me if I refused.

In that long staring contest, I lost.

In the end, I nodded with tears in my eyes.

It was better to die later than to die now.

A small rabbit-like child stared at him with frightened eyes.

Fear was clearly present in those eyes, yet there was also a strong will.

Nod…

In the end, the child had nodded.

She had always been someone who struggled with owing anything to others.

That was just her kind nature.

This choice was likely no different.

I will give you everything you desire.

Silas imagined himself saying those words.

He could already picture the girl, Largrasha, smiling brightly at hearing them.

But imagination was just imagination.

He could not say it out loud.

Meanwhile, the child had already lowered her head and was rubbing her eyes.

Was she crying?

Why was she crying?

Had he been too frightening?

Silas’s mind burned black with anxiety, but no one noticed except Selena.

……

He simply cut the meat in silence.

Something got into my eye…!

Tears streamed down from my stinging eyes.

I knew I shouldn’t rub them, but it was an irresistible urge.

I kept my head down and rubbed my eyes frantically.

But the pain wouldn’t go away.

It hurts…!

I screamed internally.

At that moment, my body suddenly lifted into the air.

“Eh?”

I made a startled sound.

I looked at the person holding me, forgetting even the pain.

His broad shoulders were firm but not cold.

His thick arms held me tightly as if refusing to let go, yet carefully enough not to hurt me.

Who is this gentleman?

A hidden new father, maybe?

I turned my head to look at him.

Past Selena, who was smiling gently, my gaze stopped on Silas, who was looking down at me coldly.

“D-Duke…!”

I blurted it out in shock.

It was very quiet, but Silas seemed to hear it—his eyebrow twitched.

He might drop me on the floor right now.

As I desperately calmed my pounding heart and waited for a death sentence, an unexpected voice came.

“From now on, I am your father. You are Arphote Lar… Iris. So you should call me ‘father.’”

I could feel his firm determination not to let go unless I called him that.

I looked at him in despair.

But his words were absolute, and I was powerless to resist.

“F-father…”

And so, I became the villain’s daughter.

It had already been two days since I became the main villain’s daughter—short, yet also long depending on how you looked at it.

Right now, I was attending class under my tutor, Ramella.

“Good job, young lady. Then what is three times six?”

Ramella asked with a “this should be hard” expression.

Unfortunately, I was a former pre-med student from Korea.

“Hmm… eighteen.”

Still, if I answered too easily, it would seem suspiciously exceptional, so I pretended to think for a moment before replying.

Ramella’s eyes widened.

“Oh…! Excellent! That was a difficult question… As expected, you’re a genius!”

She began to exaggerate.

“Of course. Whose daughter do you think I am?”

Silas chimed in in agreement.

He was attending the class today as an observer.

From that moment, the usually relaxed lesson suddenly felt like an interrogation room.

Still… he really is treating me like his daughter.

I wish he would just forget it.

“Then we’ll end today’s lesson here. Your homework is to memorize multiplication tables from 9 to 10.”

“Yes.”

“Here! Your reward for today!”

After every lesson, Ramella gave me a doll.

First a rabbit, then a deer, and this time a baby lion.

Even if its golden mane shimmered, it still looked somewhat trivial—perfect for my growing animal collection.

I absentmindedly tugged at the lion’s mane while turning around.

It looks like him.

Silas was sitting behind me.

I looked back and forth between him and the lion doll.

They strangely resembled each other.

Just as I was deciding I would kick him off the bed later—

“Then I’ll be leaving now.”

“Goodbye!”

I bowed my head, and Ramella gently patted my head.

By now I was used to it.

At first it was embarrassing, but after two days, I had adapted quickly.

“…”

With a bright smile, she left the room.

Once the only warm presence left, the room instantly turned cold.

I hugged the lion doll tightly and looked at Silas.

“Do you like having your head patted?”

“Eh?”

Before I could answer, he walked over and patted my head.

Unlike Ramella’s gentle touch, his hand was rough, messing up my neatly arranged hair.

After a while, he let go.

“Does it make you feel good?”

“Eh…?”

I couldn’t understand his thought process at all.

He suddenly pats my head, then asks if I feel good.

How am I supposed to respond to that?

And more importantly, could I say: “No, it was scary and disgusting!”?

Probably not.

I’d die.

“Y-yes…”

I used a non-existent answer as my reply.

His lips curved slightly upward.

It seemed he was satisfied.

“Is that so. Then I shall take my leave.”

On his way out, he patted my head once more and left the room.

Silas opened his hand after touching his daughter’s head.

He stared blankly at the warmth still remaining on his palm.

It made his heart feel strangely warm.

At the same time, he thought he might need to change her tutor.

Why?

The tutor was doing well.

Silas would likely never understand what he felt.

That emotion was jealousy.

“Davies.”

Silas called his butler in his office.

The butler, who had served the Arphote family for decades, appeared instantly.

“Bring me all the most popular doll craftsmen.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Davies nodded and left.

“A doll…”

That day, every workshop owner in the empire was summoned to the ducal estate.