Chapter Seven
"Daddy?"
The word hung in the air like a poorly forged coin, heavy and suspicious. I stared at the little girl standing in the doorway—the same one I'd just bankrupted myself to save—and then slowly turned my head toward Kaelen.
My dearest Head Knight, usually a pillar of stoic ice, had a look on his face that suggested his brain had just short-circuited.
I really, really feel like crying. I just want to earn money and rest. But, the matters in this world just don't seem to ever end.
"Listen, kid... I'm not your dad." I sighed, but my knees were still shaky from my earlier collapse.
[PING!]
[Kaelen is questioning whether the child is your illegitimate daughter or not! Potential Scandal Level: High.]
I lunged forward, or rather, wobbled aggressively, and smacked the back of Kaelen's head with my meaty palm. "You! What are you thinking?! I saw her for the first time in the snow five hours ago!"
Kaelen rubbed the back of his head, his ruby eyes narrowing. "When did I say anything, Your Grace?"
"It's written all over your face, you brat!" I snapped. "I can see the gears turning. You're already calculating how much child support the Duchy can't afford!"
"Daddy... Daddy... You don't like Lily?" The girl, Lily, tilted her head. Her fever had broken, but her eyes were still wide and watery, fixed on me with a terrifyingly pure devotion.
System, explain this! How did I go from Archmage to 'Deadbeat Dad' in under twenty-four hours?
[PING!]
[The System reminds the Host that your reputation is already at 'Human Trash' level. Is an illegitimate child really that surprising? You are 1.2 million gold in debt, a few hidden toddlers fit the profile.]
I felt a vein throb.
I was a virgin Archmage who had spent his previous life cuddling gold bars, not women! The indignity was reaching critical mass.
Get. Me. Out. Of. This. Mess. System.
Right now!
[Ping!]
[We apologise to the host. However, the system can't directly interfere with the reality of this world.]
Can you, for once, be useful and do what I actually what to be done!?
[Ping!]
[Nope. System advises The Host to currently focus on his illegitimate daughter. Bye!]
This fucking system... AAAAAAHHHHHH! I WANT TO SMASH IT!
CLANG!
The sound of a tin tray hitting the floorboards made us all jump. Standing in the doorway behind Lily was a middle aged woman with nothing really striking about her. Her hands were over her mouth, and her eyes were darting between my "liabilities" and the small girl.
Is this Merchant Hans' wife?
[Ping!]
[Host should lower his gaze. It's not polite to look at other women. Humph!]
I thought you went?
[Ping!]
[Bye!]
...Is this really how a system should be?
"The Duke... and a child?" The woman whispered, bringing me back to reality. Her voice was carrying the speed of a gossip-fueled wildfire. "So the rumors of the 'Halcrest Midnight Wanderer' were true..."
What... What Wanderer?
"It's not what it looks like!" I yelled, waving my arms. "I really don't know this child! I just saved her because..." Words died in my throat.
Yeah... Why did I save her? Wouldn't it have been easier to reject the quest? It's not like I couldn't have found other ways to raise Kaelen's likability...
What's this uneasiness?
Could it be it really is Veryon's illegitimate daughter? How could he leave his daughter out in this cold?
Kaelen let out a long, weary sigh that seemed to drop the room's temperature by several degrees. "Madam, please calm yourself," he said, his voice regaining its dry, cutting edge. "There is no scandal here. His Grace is... well, his Grace is a virgin. He lacks both the charm and the social stamina to have fathered anyone, let alone someone as healthy-looking as this child."
Silence. Absolute, deafening silence.
I turned to Kaelen, my teeth grinding so hard I feared they might shatter. My face was likely a shade of purple that signaled an impending stroke. "Kaelen," I hissed.
"Yes, Your Grace?" Kaelen flashed an innocent smile at me, making my forehead throb.
"Couldn't you have mentioned that to me before the merchant's wife came here?"
"Well, I was quite enjoying Your Grace's expressions," he replied smoothly. "Honestly, I wasn't planning on mentioning it at all. But once the lady overheard, it became necessary to clear the air for the sake of your reputation."
Reputation? My blood boiled. He probably was testing me. He wanted to see if I truly remembered my past or I was faking amensia. But regardless of his motives—
"Did you really just announce my celibacy to a merchant's wife to 'save' my reputation?"
"It was the most efficient way to clear the misunderstanding," he said, looking entirely too proud of himself. "Accuracy, after all, is the soul of a knight's oath."
"I'll kill you! I'll deduct your non-existent salary for the next century!" I lunged at him, but my stubby fingers only swiped through empty air. He stepped back with annoying grace. "You could have just said I was a man of high moral character!"
"But that would have been a lie, Your Grace," Kaelen noted, his lip twitching. "And as I said, I am a knight. Knights don't lie."
[PING!]
[Likability Points: -40 -> -38]
[20 Gacha Points Awarded!]
[Ping!]
[Kaelen is enjoying your suffering. He finds your lack of 'experience' hilarious.]
I collapsed back onto the bed, clutching my chest.
I want my gold back. I want my tower back. I want a world where people are afraid of me instead of telling the local baker I've never been kissed!
"Daddy! Daddy! Don't get hurt again!" The little ball of energy hurled across the room, hugging my leg just like the first time we met.
Ah... It's the first time someone asked me not to get hurt... Why is this world making me so emotional!?
Money! You need to focus on money, Yeun!
---
[DING! CHARACTER INFORMATION EXTRACTION SUCCESSFUL!]
---
[Character: Lily]
[Position: Orphan]
[Age: 6]
[Potential: SSSS-Class (The Primordial Catalyst)]
[Mana Heart: None Detected]
[Charm Points: 12,000 (The 'Puppy Eyes' that bypass every defense)]
[Loyalty Points: MAX]
[Likability Points: 100]
[Description: A diamond in the rough. Her mana sensitivity is very high. She currently views you as her savior and legal guardian.]
[SYSTEM Warning: While her potential is higher than Kaelen's, her body is extremely frail due to malnutrition.]
---
Sweat ran down my face as I stared at the blue screen with wide eyes.
Money bank... I've found a money bank! System, look!
"M-Master... You're making that greedy face again. It's scaring me."