Chapter 63 - Caught Red-handed

Regis initially thought that she was going to take a short break, but Jubelian hadn’t returned from the terrace for a while. As he continued to guard the entrance in the banquet hall, he began to feel nervous. ‘Did something happen to her?’

Although the duke possessed the ability to detect the presence of living beings, he deliberately avoided using his powers to survey the terrace out of respect for his daughter’s privacy. But as the minutes ticked by, he began to imagine the worst-case scenario.

‘If the emperor made a move…’ Of course, he wouldn’t act so hastily because he possessed ‘that,’ but it wasn’t out of the picture for him to pull a trick. The duke had clearly provoked the emperor during his last audience with him. Refusing to take any chances, Regis activated his powers to detect his daughter’s movements on the terrace. 

He widened his eyes in astonishment. ‘She’s with someone… a man at that.’ Regis glared at the door. After briefly detecting Jubelian’s movements, he concluded that she was dealing with someone she knew. Regis had no choice but to act carefully because he didn’t want to disappoint his daughter any further, otherwise she would lose trust in him if he opened the door in these circumstances.

‘I’ll look at who it is first and do a background check in secret.’ Although he was trying to be patient as a father, this was becoming harder when the two people on the terrace, who were already close, stepped towards each other.

‘How dare he…’ Regis clenched his fists unconsciously. He could tell by their placement of their hands and bodies that they were about to dance. 

‘Who on earth is with that child…’ After what happened with Mikhail, the duke was nervous at the thought of other unqualified men deceiving his daughter. Now that someone was doing exactly that after evading his attention, Regis became resentful. 

At that moment, Jubelian staggered. Regis flinched unconsciously, but he didn’t move from his spot because his daughter didn’t fall. The man with her had quickly supported her back. Although he felt relieved, a strange feeling washed over him. When Jubelian passed out, he wished it was a nightmare he could wake up from. But when he couldn’t, his heart was consumed by fear and anxiety that she might pass out without notice again, especially if she was out of sight. 

Thankfully, his daughter was safe because of the quick reflexes of the man with her. ‘His instincts are quite useful.’ Although his strange pride was quite stubborn, he had to admit that there was someone else who could protect his daughter. 

Regis’s fists tightened as he tried to suppress his impatience. ‘It should be alright if I investigate who he is later…’

At that moment, Regis’s eyes became filled with fury. ‘That d*mn b*stard!’ There was a reason for his sudden outburst of profanities, which he usually didn’t use.

‘How dare you touch my daughter there!’ Regis was usually patient, as shown by his interactions with the emperor, who liked to provoke him. But when the delinquent held his daughter and lifted the hem of her skirt, he opened the door roughly. The duke immediately saw the man touching his daughter’s ankle with his head lowered, and his daughter stroking his head. 

‘I don’t know who you are, but I won’t forgive you.’ When the delinquent raised his head, Regis’s expression stiffened. It was his foolish disciple, whom he had already disqualified as his daughter’s prospective partner. 

‘Maximillian.’ Despite his handsome appearance and talents, the emperor’s son was an extremely ferocious and arrogant man. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that his perverse and foul personality was below her standards, as well as the average standard. A murderous aura emanated from Regis’s eyes. ‘This guy dares… to approach my daughter?’

“I will not say thank you because you are the one who decided to accept me as your disciple,” Max once said. Although his words back there were nothing but arrogant, Regis didn’t become angry at him. He didn’t expect anything in return for helping him, and he wasn’t so petty as to argue with an immature child. 

Even so, he wanted nothing more than to separate his ungrateful disciple from his daughter right away. And to warn him to never get close to his daughter again, he wanted to beat him up until he came to his senses. This strange sensation made him feel like his head was on fire. 

“Father?”

The moment Regis saw his daughter staring at him with wide eyes, he knew he couldn’t do this. He exhaled slowly and relaxed his tight fists. ‘Of course, there’s no way I can win against you.’

That didn’t mean that he approved of her relationship with his disciple, however. If she decided to stay with him, Regis could clearly see the hardship she would have to undergo. ‘She can do anything else, but she must not get involved with that guy. He’s too dangerous.’ 

Regis decided to pull the two apart and make sure they never met again.

* * *

When my father suddenly entered the terrace, I became a little nervous and worried that he would blame me for not showing myself at the banquet hall. Contrary to my expectations, my father simply extended his hand.

“I’ll ask for more details later. First, let’s leave.”

His reaction was strange, seeing as he didn’t scold me, but I approached my father. “Okay.” I tried to take his hand, but his disciple held me back.

“Your ankle. You’re hurt.” 

I could still walk, so it was a little embarrassing for him to say that. “I’m fi—”

My father smiled kindly and dropped his outstretched hand. “It’s not something you should concern yourself with.”

I tried to look indifferent, but it seemed like my father was telling his disciple that I was insignificant and not worth caring about. ‘I was wondering why he wasn’t angry. Is it because his disciple is here?’ My mood was worsening when someone suddenly lifted me.