Lady Misfortune: Daddy, I'll Be A Righteous Villainess!

Ever since the time Lady was officially introduced to the Mireille family, Benedict and Penelope would always give this particular reminder to Maximilian – 

"Raising a child is tougher than you think. For one, you can never fully understand them. There'll be many instances when you can't tell what they're about to do or why they did what they did. Still, at the very least, you can always try to meet them halfway." 

It was probably the first advice that they gave him on parenthood.

At the time, he admits he just pretended that he understood. He always had to appear perfect in front of them, so he acted like he knew everything. In reality, however, he could not understand why he had to go through all that trouble of meeting his child in the middle.

Then again, he had the right and power to order her around, make her obey his rules, teach her how to be as flawless as him, and have her develop her character the way he wanted it to be.  

'Now that I know what Father and Mother meant, I can only laugh at myself for thinking like that…' Maximilian brooded.

'But more importantly, I can finally see how essential it is.'

He had to clean up a lot of his daughter's mess before he finally realized how much he had grown to care. At first, he thought that, as her parent, he was only obliged to take responsibility. Yet, as time passed by, he learned that everything he felt about his daughter was nothing but genuine. 

'She didn't achieve anything great nor did she even try to. Her performance in school is average, and most of her grades are barely passing. She's definitely far from the perfect daughter I wanted her to be…' Maximilian mused with a small smile before reaching out a hand and placing it on Lady's head.   

'Even then, she is my only daughter, and she is fine the way she is.' 

She blinks up at him in puzzlement, wondering what he's up to all of the sudden. It's not like him to initiate this kind of gesture. She's a bit weirded out, but at the same time, she feels a little happy.

He has this look on his face that tells her he's thinking of something good – and he's even smiling. That's a first tonight. It really makes her glad. 

"Do you have something you want to say, Father?"

"I'm afraid it's something I have to keep to myself."

"E-Ehhh? Why? What is it?" 

"If I tell my daughter about it, her head might get bigger than it already is."

At that, Lady gasps loudly and makes a pouty face. Maximilian's eyes soften.

He doesn't have to say a word to her. He can just show it through his actions. 

Maximilian will start with protecting her from those who dare harm her. No one should be allowed to touch even a single strand of hair on Lady regardless of who they are. 

"Anyway, going back to our main topic…" he began again, slowly dropping his smile.

"You may give me your own explanation about the incident earlier this afternoon, and whether you like it or not, you will have to let me in on this so that I can deal with those people properly."

"I-I… I have no problem telling you at all, but I-I don't really want to bother you…" she told him timidly, looking at everywhere but him.

"This doesn't have to blow up like some big issue."

"Don't worry. Everything shall be handled quietly."

"That… sounds worse for some reason."

"Well, I just can't do nothing about this."

Maximilian is turning serious again. Lady contemplates what to say.

Seeing his daughter's concerned expression, he heaves out a sigh. He tries to conjure up another way of explaining himself more clearly, and in doing so, he realizes that he might have to spill some of his previous thoughts after all.

"You can tell me what you want me to do, Lady. I'm not going to do anything you won't like. You really don't have to worry…" he muttered, holding her gaze steadily.

"I'll respect your decision."  

"R-Really…?" she breathed out, surprised that she was actually being listened to.

"Then, maybe you can just… s-scold them? That's more than enough." 

"Okay. I'll do that. And?"

"U-Ummm… That's it."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. Just scold them."

"Don't you want them suspended at least-"

"No need, Father."

On second thought, Maximilian may have to back down from this agreement. There's no way he could just scold those brats – not after hearing everything from Fallon. They all dared hurt Lady despite knowing she's a Mireille, and some of them were even their own relatives.

He had always known that her relationship with her cousins was not that good. He would catch them arguing sometimes, but when his nephews knew that he was nearby, he would see them acting all friendly with her.

'Lady never went in detail whenever I asked her what Art, Travis, and Bryce did to her. She would only say that she and Fallon already took care of them.'

And like usual, Maximilian would choose not to push it. He believed in Lady's words, and he let it slide. Now, it had come to the point where Travis, Bryce, and Art went all out. If only he didn't rely on Fallon too much, he would've taken time to solve the problem before it's too late.

"I should've reprimanded those boys long before…" he absentmindedly blurted out, hissing under his breath. 

"I should've warned them to stay away from you."

"They're family, though…?" she chimed in, feeling slightly uneasy at how fast his mood was changing. 

"You always tell me to treat them well despite our differences." 

"I also told you not to be too nice. They've gone too far."

Lady takes a deep breath and holds it in for a moment, choosing to just stay quiet in fear of starting an argument again. There's no use convincing Maximilian at this point. 

Besides, she's tired. She wants to rest now. It's been a long day, after all.

"But okay. Fine. I'll still do as you say…" Maximilian said, albeit through gritted teeth.

"However, I'm not too sure about your grandparents."

"What about Granpa and Granny…?" Lady asked, bemused until it struck.

"W-W-Wait, you'd tell them, too?!"

"Of course. Why won't I?"

"But they look up to Grandpa and Granny so much, and if you tell them-"

"So? They'll finally learn their lesson, then. Good."

She bites her lower lips and draws out her puppy-eyed look, silently begging him not to. He just gave her an impassive expression in return, not the slightest bit affected.

She tried it for one whole minute, but his mind remained unchanged – and eventually, she gave up. 

'Well, whatever. I don't care anymore.'

Lady is really tired now. At the thought of getting some rest, she cannot help but yawn loudly. Maximilian smiles softly. He takes that this is the end of it, and he thinks they've talked more than enough. 

"Let's get you to bed," he told her gently as he bent down on his knee.

She stares at him sleepily, wondering what he's doing. Then, before she realizes it, he has already scooped her up in his arms. She felt as light as a feather when he picked her up with so much ease – so swiftly. He then guides her hands around his neck, and she follows immediately so as to not fall. 

She's so exhausted at that moment that she's not as surprised as she thinks she should. She can't believe he's really carrying the burden that is her right now. 

"Aren't you gonna comment that I'm heavy?" she asked without thinking – too sleepy to even register what her question was supposed to be for.

"You're heavy," he muttered dryly as he headed out of his study room.

"That's not how you should talk to a little lady, Daddy."

"I thought you wanted to be called heavy."

"You should've said, 'No, of course not. You're very light, Lady.' Then, you'll proceed to tell me all sorts of compliments about how cute and pretty and lovely I am-"

"Just go to sleep."  

He knows she's about to do just that now that she's spouting out nonsense again. She shifts a bit in his arms and nuzzles her face on his shoulder, hands unwrapping from his neck to grip onto his shirt instead. He tightens his hold on her so that she won't fall. She buries herself deeper in his embrace, loving the soothing warmth his strong body has to offer.  

Maximilian stared down at Lady that whole time before looking ahead.

His mind can't help but think back to what she just called him. "Daddy," was what she said. Something in him seems to flutter, then – as if pleased and delighted. She used to call him that more often before. 

'But ever since she entered middle school, she's doing it less and less.'

He'd just sort of noticed it. He never asked why, though. He'd paid it no heed.  

Still, it's a lie if Maximilian was to say that he didn't miss Lady calling him that.