I jerked my head up, my movements as stiff as a broken wind-up doll.
The man who had claimed to be off handling urgent business was standing directly in front of the door, arms crossed, staring down at me.
An overwhelming pressure, heavy and suffocating, radiated from him. It was a silent testament to his fury. Cold sweat prickled across my back. I hadn’t exactly been a model of stillness while he was away, but I never expected him to return on the one night I’d stayed out late.
I had intended to greet him with the brightest smile imaginable whenever he came home. Instead, I stammered a desperate excuse.
“I—I went to visit the Geumeunhwa merchant guild.”
“After confirming you weren’t home, the first place I checked was Geumeunhwa.”
Ah, so he had already been there.
I frantically shifted my gaze, swallowing hard. I didn’t have the confidence to meet his eyes. When I trailed off, unable to conjure another lie, he continued.
“If not for the neighbor’s testimony that you were home until this morning, I would have been too frantic to even think of waiting for you here.”
I decided to try a bit of pathetic charm. I clung to his leg like a desperate child and drew out my words.
“Ajeossi, I’m sorry. I don’t usually wander around this late, but this one time—just this once—I happened to be a little late, you see?”
“…A little?”
“Hehe, a lit… little bit a lot?”
*Haaa.* A deep sigh, pulled from the very depths of his lungs, echoed above my head.
“Ajeossi, are you very angry?”
“Yes.”
The word, dropped with absolute finality, made me tremble. What do I do? He must be truly furious. I should have at least left a note before I went out. Whenever I stood before him, I felt as though I’d regressed into a child, unable to keep a handle on my emotions.
It wasn’t fear. I just wanted to leave a good impression, and I was terrified he might view me as a nuisance. As I kept my mouth shut, he went on.
“…In that short time, I had so many thoughts. I deeply regretted leaving a young child like you here all alone.”
Every word was a critical hit. I could only imagine how worried he must have been. He knelt on one knee to meet my eye level.
“I was angry at myself. I couldn’t forgive myself. I’m sorry, Tania. For leaving you alone…”
Hearing that the object of his anger was himself, not me, I lifted my bowed head.
“Ajeossi, you did nothing wrong! Why are you apologizing to me?”
His expression was one of pure anguish. His lips pressed into a tight, thin line, radiating a deep, piercing regret.
Why? He had only known me for a little over two months, and we had shared this home for only one. I wasn’t a particularly cute or well-behaved child. Why did he care for me to this extent? Was it pity for an abandoned orphan, or did I truly resemble his first love? I needed to know the reason so I could act more cautiously.
He didn’t answer my question. He simply looked at me quietly before pulling me into a slow embrace. His warm body heat calmed my racing heart. The way he held me—firm, steady, and protective—felt exactly like a father comforting his child.
I started to tear up for no reason. But I couldn’t let him see that. Just as I was fighting back the tears, a gentle pressure from his hands, combined with a resolute voice, drifted to my ears.
“Tania, I will never leave you alone again.”
“…Yes?”
“I’ve left the mercenary corps. I am a free agent now. It’s the optimal path to raising you.”
“You left the Geumeunhwa mercenary group?”
“Yes.”
Good heavens. That wasn’t just any organization you could walk away from. The Geumeunhwa mercenary group was the most powerful armed collective in the Empire, second only to the Imperial Knights and the private armies of high-ranking nobles.
Of course, to carry out my plan, he *did* need to leave. I had intended to be adopted into the Papiope Ducal House and hire him as my personal knight. In the heavily guarded Ducal House, no faction could easily lay a hand on him. Even if things went horribly wrong and he died, the information-heavy Ducal House would be able to uncover the cause.
But him quitting the group because he didn’t want to leave me alone wasn’t part of the plan. In the previous timeline, he only returned once I had nearly forgotten his face. Why was he trying to stay with me now?
I pushed him away, flustered, and stared into his amber eyes.
“Then you didn’t leave because of a commission, but to quit the corps? Because of me?”
“I thought a young child like you needed an adult by your side.”
I was angry. He didn’t need to sacrifice this much for me. I was tired of his sacrifices; I wanted to be the one to help. I was old enough now, and I knew how to use my abilities.
“Who am I to you! Why would you quit the career you’ve had your whole life for a child you’ve only known for two months?”
“You are precious.”
It was an answer of only three words, but I could only stare at him, dumbfounded. My mind went blank. I couldn’t fathom how to react. Seeing me struggle for words, he smiled faintly and asked earnestly.
“So, Tania. Won’t you become my daughter?”
✦ ✦ ✦
The barrage of shocking statements left me unable to gather my senses. After a long while, I managed to open my mouth, but my voice trembled miserably.
“Ajeossi…”
Asking me to be his daughter. In the previous timeline, he had hated it when people mistook us for father and daughter. Why had his mindset shifted to the exact opposite?
If I accepted his adoption, what would happen? I would be happy. But his safety wouldn’t be guaranteed. It was true that my save-and-load ability was overpowered, but it wasn’t omnipotent. Even if I could overcome crises, I couldn’t eliminate the root cause of his danger.
Did I have to watch him die and get hurt every time? It was horrifying. Even if I turned back time, the memories would remain. And he still hid his face whenever he went outside. I wanted him to live with his face bared to the world, and there was no better way than having him serve as a knight of the Papiope Ducal House.
I didn’t know what he had done in the past to be hunted, but I never once believed he was a criminal. I couldn’t stand by and watch him hide. As expected, I should turn down his proposal…
Just as my heart leaned toward refusal, he broke the silence, looking anxious at my prolonged stillness.
“Tania, I know I am a lacking person to be your father. I know I am someone without the qualifications.”
“…”
“But I want to be with you. I want to see you grow into an adult.”
My resolve, which had been leaning toward refusal, shook violently. I had never truly lived side-by-side with him. Perhaps, could I save him? If I told him everything and we solved the problems together, wouldn’t something change?
Becoming his daughter had been my lifelong wish. I could make it come true with one word.