𝐎𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐈𝐛𝐦𝐥𝐚𝐝)

Chapter 31

"Get out." Phileo weakly said as he tried to take another sip from the wine. Adrian quickly snatch it away from him.

"You need to stop, Phileo." Adrian said as he clean all of the bottles away from him. Phileo was annoyed by it.

"Can you just leave me alone?! Aren't you happy?! You finally have your daughter back! And now I lose her! I lose Luciana forever!" Phileo said in anger and throw the bottle towards Adrian only for him to catch it.

"Phileo, either you like it or not, you need to let go of her. She's my daughter." Adrian said to him.

"No! I don't want to! Luciana..." Phileo yelled and slowly turned down as he stare at the ground with teary eyes.

"She's my daughter... She's my treasure and happiness..." Phileo slowly said.

Flashback.

"But are you didn't feel happiness like me towards your daughter?" Carnis said to him after showing his son to Phileo. Phileo just stare at him in silence.

"At first, I'm just adopted her to use her as my successor to shut the nobles mouth. I thought I would just ignore her and continue my life like normal but..."

Luciana innocently stare at Phileo and smiled widely everytime she see him. Phileo's cold heart slowly melt whenever he see her.

"Luciana is my first daughter... She gave me an experience as a father. Without I realize it, I was getting too soft around her."

Phileo always smiling softly at Luciana when she meet him. They were a lovely family in the past but it's change after something happened.

"There's some rumors about how you getting too soft lately. The nobles are looking down on you, Your Grace." Rupert said make Phileo looked at him in wide eyes.

"Because of ego, I choose to ignore Luciana. I don't want them to look down on Boleoti. That's why I've been strict to her."

Luciana running towards Phileo and touched his hand when Phileo snatched it harshly. He glared at Luciana before walking away.

His heart are breaking when he saw the pain expression from Luciana but he continue to leave her behind.

"After that, Luciana turned into emotionless like a puppet. I know it was because of me but I turned blind eyes on it, thinking that she would become normal back later."

Luciana turned her back on Phileo while he did the same. Luciana finally stopped reaching out for him and walking away from him. Phileo stare at her from his shoulder.

"Without I knowing, she have been suffering for anxiety and mental health. She also have been harassed for two years and didn't tell me."

Phileo looked at the Doctor who treat Luciana after he said that to them. "What?" Phileo said in disbelief and didn't want to believe the words that coming out from the doctor's mouth.

"Lady Luciana have been suffering for anxiety and have weak mental health, Your Grace. It's been two years since then." The doctor explained again.

Everyone was in surprised and shock about the news after the doctor said that.

"Lady Luciana just turned into 12 years old and she is too young to have anxiety and weak mental health like this. If she continue to suffering, she might turn into suicidal and kill herself." The doctor said.

Phileo is still shock by the news. Adrian quickly turned at him in anger. "She's your daughter! How the hell that you didn't know about her condition?!" Adrian said in anger.

Phileo didn't say anything. Adrian turned at Cara and Rupert. "You've been raising her since she was five! Why the hell did you never notice it?!" Adrian yelled in anger make they jumped.

"... She never told me." Phileo finally said. Adrian was fuming by his answer and grabbed his collar. Everyone was scared to stop him.

"Did the children need to tell the parents everything?! The parents is the one who need to notice the children's weird behavior!" Adrian said in anger. Phileo quickly grabbed his hand.

"She never told me that! It's not completely my fault in here!" Phileo yelled at him. Adrian couldn't take it anymore and punch his face make he stumbled behind.

"Of course, she would never told you that. It's because she is scared if you abandon her when you know about it. You disappointed me, Phileo. You failed as a father." Adrian said to him coldly before walking out of the room with Noah.

Flashback end.

"It's my fault... If I ignore the rumors, Luciana... Might become better." Phileo slowly said and hide his face with his palms.

"I love Luciana... I really love her but I don't want to show to everyone that she's my weakness." Phileo slowly said. Adrian stare at him.

"I'm worried they'll hurt Luciana but in the end, I'm the one who hurt her." Phileo said crying at his hands.

Luciana who always smiling at him happily while holding hands together, slowly slipped her hands away from him and walking away to leave him behind. Phileo tried to stop her but froze when he saw her expression. Her cold gaze on him make him froze.

"Luciana is my everything... I really care for her and I don't her to leave me..." Phileo said and continue to crying. Adrian take the jug from another table and pour it on the glass before give it to him.

"I'm glad that you finally letting your ego away. Drink this." Adrian said. Phileo accept the glass and drink it as he feel sober a little after drinking the water.

"Phileo, I never hate you. You and Carnis are my best friends since Academy. You two are really precious to me." Adrian said cleaning the wine bottles away from him.

"Beside when I knew the truth that you adopted Lucy, I was honored by it that you have been raising her when I'm not there by her side." Adrian said standing in front of him. Phileo slowly looked up at him when he said that.

"But the way you treat her, I hate it. I know that Lady Leonia is your relative. That's why you treated her with love but you didn't treat Luciana like that." Adrian said as he saw his expression fell.

"But it's not completely your fault here because you adopted Luciana when you were 20. You were still too young that time. You didn't know what to do with the child." Adrian said.

"You want to know why did I name her 'Luciana'?" Adrian asked him. Phileo didn't say anything but he know that he was waiting for the answer. Adrian smiled softly at him.

"It's because you're the one who choose it, Phileo. You might didn't remember it but that time I remember it forever. The fact that you also name her as Luciana too make me happy." Adrian said chuckled at him.

Adrian stare at Phileo before patted his shoulder. "You have two days before we go back to East, Phileo. Talk it out with Luciana and tell her the truth." Adrian said before walking towards the door.

"Wait." Phileo finally said after silence for awhile. Adrian turned at him. Phileo stare at his face.

"Can I... Continue to become her father? Second Father, I don't mind at all." Phileo asked him. Adrian smiled to him when he asked him that.

"Of course. You're always a savior for Luciana, Phileo." Adrian said before give him some space.

Phileo stare at the door before take out something inside the drawer. It's a photo of him and Luciana as family portrait. Luciana's face in the picture was clearly happy like a child should be.