After a while, Duke Alpheus was also shifted in the same room as Anastacius and Lucas stared at me as I asked him to look after both of them.
"Hey," he smiled sweetly which made me avoid his face.
He became so annoyed that he became sweet, that sweetness was diabetic.
"You're not mistaking me for a doctor instead of a Mage, are you?" He asked and I sighed as I looked at the two men.
"I couldn't just leave him there in that state, he can't die like this." I spoke as I looked at Jeanette who sat in the chair watching over Duke Alpheus and her father.
"Besides, my sister was crying so I had to do something."
"So, you're just calling that Chimera your sister now?" I resisted the sharp glare and sighed.
"Watch yourself, Lucas. She's my sister and I cherish her too."
Lucas rolled his eyes, "Why don't you go ahead and say that you consider your Uncle as your family too?"
"I do." I said making his eyes go wide.
"What?"
"He's been possessed and forced to do things which not only ruined others but him as well. He had that wound from when Dad had hurt him and that's over a decade old yet, it wasn't healed. He's been in pain for too long, I don't want him to suffer anymore."
"I don't understand you."
"Then don't, liking me is enough." I said and his face grew red and I heard a choking sound behind us and realized that Athy was right there.
Suddenly there was the sound of something shattering and Jeanette's shout, I and Lucas rushed back inside the room to see Roger standing from his bed with Jeanette held against him under his arm and a shard of glass in his hand pointing towards Anastacius who was still unconscious.
"U-Uncle?" Jeanette gasped and Roger hushed her.
"Jeanette we need to get out of here now," Roger seemed like he was on edge with just Anastacius being in the same room.
"You're in danger with him here." He was glaring at Anastacius.
"What's going on?" Athy whispered to me as I stood back looking at the scene with my arms crossed at my chest.
"Just watch." I said and Lucas and Athy stood silently at my sides.
"I'll cover you from behind, so hurry!" Roger said as he pushed Jeanette away but she was too confused that she didn't understand that he was trying to protect her.
"U-Uncle, please calm down." Jeanette said and Roger who seemed like he was barely holding up turned to her.
Just then I noticed Anastacius waking up and seeing the scene in front of him made his eyes go wide.
"You wretch!" He shouted at Roger.
"What are you doing?"
Roger and Jeanette seemed shocked as they saw him sitting up and Roger wrapped his arms around Jeanette and tried to hide her from Anastacius.
"Jeanette!"
"I told you to get away from her!" Anastacius shouted as he tried to stand up and I rolled my eyes and gestured at Lucas who sighed before putting them back to sleep.
"You lunatics just woke up and you're already causing trouble?" Lucas spoke as we walked over to them.
Roger was slumped over in Jeanette's arms, while Anastacius fell on his side on his bed.
I used telekinesis to put Roger back on bed and put Anastacius back properly.
After the two calmed down I, Jeanette and Athy walked out leaving Lucas to look after them.
"I think putting them in the same room was a bad idea." Athy said and I shook my head as I leaned my back against the wall facing the two.
"You must be really scared, Jennie." Athy said and Jennie shook her head.
"No, I'm okay." She said.
"B-But, why did Mr. Alpheus suddenly...?"
"It must be because of what our Uncle inflicted on him." I said and Jennie looked at me.
"Inflicted?"
"Yes, he brainwashed him with magic." I said and Athy glared at me once before she turned to Jennie.
"H-He must have used magic to make the Duke do his bidding." She used softer words yet, Jennie was shocked.
"What?!"
"And it seems like the Duke was worried that Uncle might hurt you too, that's why he did that." I said and Jeanette stared at us with wide eyes.
"D-Does Ijekiel know?"
"Yes, I had actually broken the black magic just a few days ago before him."
"Y-You had?"
I smiled as I looked at Jeanette still looking worried, "Duke Alpheus seems to really treasure you. Just look at how desperately he was trying to protect you even in his state."
She looked a bit confused as I said that, "Th-The thing is, his voice was so hoarse, I couldn't hear him very well."
I chuckled at that and Athy smiled.
"Well, I didn't catch everything myself, but the Duke was trying to protect you from our Uncle." Athy said.
"I mean, he was in a poor shape himself, but he took you in his arms to protect you." She continued.
"I got the sense that he cares for you greatly."
"Mister Alpheus does...?" Jeanette looked confused.
"Yes!" Athy said with a smile.
"You really think so...?"
"Ara, why does she look so skeptical?"
"Of course! Why else would the Duke had protected you so desperately? He even reminded me of Ara when she did such stupid stuff to protect me. Don't you think so?"
"Hey!" I looked at Athy but she ignored me.
"It's just that... ever since I came to the palace I've gotten the sense that I really don't know anything. I'd never even thought about why I was being raised in the Alpheus mansion." Athy and I exchanged a look.
"Oh, but I was glad because I had the Princesses and also Ara had told me everything so, it made me feel as if I had somewhere I could belong to."
She fell silent after that and even Athy couldn't say anything.
"I'm sorry, should we talk about something else?" Jennie said trying to change the topic and I looked at her.
"You should try talking it out with the Duke." Athy said as he held Jennie's shoulder.
"O-Oh, no. It's not like I think Mr. Alpheus is a bad person. On the contrary, he took in and raised an outsider like myself... I'm just saying I understand what kind of situation I'm in..." She said and Athy looked at me with pleading eyes as if asking me to convince her.
I reached out and placed my hand over Jennie's head making her look at me.
"There are few things that can only be cleared after talking them out. Just like how you got to know that we really cared for you after we talked to you personally. Just imagine if we hadn't talked to you and you didn't know what we felt about you then it would have been easier for Athernitas to manipulate you into hating us. Don't you think so?" Jeanette slowly nodded and I smiled.
"Your Highness?" I looked at the maid who had arrived.
"Duke Alpheus is asking for Princess Jeanette." She said and I looked at Jeanette.
"Perfect timing!" Athy said and she turned Jeanette around and gave her a light push.
"Go on!"
"H-Hold on." Jeanette said and I spotted Roger Alpheus coming towards us holding the wall as his support.
"Jeanette, where are you? Jeanette!" He spotted us and I could see just how much weak he had gotten, yet he was keeping on his feet for this child.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice was really hoarse and weak.
"Go, Jeanette. He had been looking after you like a father when your blood father wasn't there." I spoke in her head and the tears appeared in her eyes.
"Uncle?" She ran over to him and I and Athy exchanged a high five.
Now all that remained was taking care of Athernitas as the final thing.
I looked at Roger talking to Jeanette who continued crying and I couldn't help but smile. He looked up at me and Athy as we looked at them with smiles on our faces.
"Just get well soon, Mr. White. I don't want my sister to cry every time she sees your tired face." I said to him using telepathy and he gasped lightly before he looked down at Jeanette.
The next day, I went to the garden where Dad was busy enjoying his break. I saw him lounging on the couch not caring about the paper work in front of him but just looking at the sketches which I had made when I was a child. I found it quite endearing that he was keeping those pictures but I would rather be happy if he took up a little work.
I sighed as I looked at the pile of papers that I had to finish. He was literally ignoring all the work now that I had taken it up again. He opened his eyes and looked at me, I would lie if I said he didn't look better these days.
His skin was radiant again and his eyes were holding the softness which made me wonder if he really was called tyrant by some people.
"Wow, is it just me or are you aging backwards?" I asked and he rolled his eyes.
"Why do you always end up talking like that when you see me?"
"I can't help it, if I had found you when I was Athelinda I would have proposed you." I said and he stared at me.
I could imagine Lucas' face if he had heard this comment and I couldn't help the laugh.
Dad sighed as he shook his head and I took a seat on the chair in front of him and took the papers in my hands.
There was a lot of paper work pending, though Athy was working but she couldn't do all of it. Besides that, the nobles were getting restless after I had summoned Duke Alpheus to the palace and they were eager to know what I would decide to do with him. Well, it was more like they wanted to make themselves turn good in my eyes because there was a vacant Dukedom now.
"There are a lot of pests outside the audience hall." Dad said and I hummed.
"It's better to ignore them." I said as I started writing, it was peaceful for a while before Dad spoke up.
"Did you take care of the Duke and him?"
I knew who he meant by 'him'.
"Yeah, they had woken up a while ago. They're resting for now, I've asked Lucas to look after them."
We fell silent again and I asked.
"The ministers are starting to wonder when you'll be returning to your duties."
"Who knows..." I looked at him.
"Ah, don't tell me that you're going to leave everything to me! I'm already tired as hell!" I groaned and then noticed the presence of Athernitas which made me look at Dad.
"It seems like I have to take care of another pest for now." I said as I ran my hand through my hair.
"It seems like I have lost my touch," Dad said, "seeing as how I let something like that approach us."
"It's him, Dad."
Dad sat up and I tilted my head to one side looking at Duke Leopold Calio who stood a few feet away from us.
I stood up with a sigh and he flinched slightly as I approached him.
"Stop... Stop sneering down at me like that." It was Athernitas, I crossed my arms at my chest and gave him a challenging look.
"You sat there and mocked me the whole time, didn't you? You bitch... you've always looked down at me and now, you're here again!" He shouted and I stared back at him.
"I know you were his slut, that's why he always supported you. That bastard... he called me pathetic and made you strong..."
Was he talking about Lucas?
"You think I didn't know... He was always following you around, you dirty slut!"
Was this what he always thought about me? Did he really think Lucas and I had that kind of relationship? Did he really think so low of me?
"To think I had loved you so much and even went to pick a fight with Lucas because he said those rude things to you..."
"All lies! I knew you were sleeping with him that's why he refused to make me stronger and helped you. You were his bitch!"
This little shit!
I clenched my fists as I glared at this bastard that stood before me. I was just a step away from exploding when I felt someone holding my shoulders and I felt Dad standing behind me.
"Step back." He said as he placed his hand over my eyes as if blocking the sight of the disgusting bastard from me.
"It seems like I had been underestimating this bastard since you said you would take care of him." He said.
"Dad..." I spoke as he stepped ahead towards Leopold who was possessed by Athernitas.
I saw him punch the bastard's face making him fall, Athernitas must have underestimated Dad's strength since I had spreaded the rumour that Dad was ill.
"I... am greatly displeased." Dad spoke making the air around him freeze.
"How dare you get in the way of my break time with my daughter?"
I watched as Dad kicked him, "So this impudent mouth dares to insult my daughter."
"And what did your filthy mouth say about her strength?" He kicked in his mouth and I stood back watching him beat up the man for insulting me.
"You called her names right in front of me, you really have an intriguing way of asking for death."
He kicked him again.
"And which hand was it that wished to raise against my daughter?" Dad asked and I felt a slight twinge in my chest watching Dad beat up someone for my sake.
It was a new thing to see someone do this for me, I had always stood up for myself and everyone around me. Would everything had been like this if I had relied on Dad since the start?
Leopold shouted in pain as Dad stomped on his arm.
"Or was it this one?" Dad stomped on his other hand, I could hear the sounds of cracks.
Dad placed his foot over Leopold's chest glaring down at him.
"She may be your sister in past life whom you killed, but here she's my daughter and I will rip your soul to shreds if you dared to even think of hurting her."
"Oh, so, he did show up." I heard Lucas and noticed as he stood beside me.
I sighed as I walked up to Dad who would end up killing Leopold if I didn't stop him.
I held Dad's hand and gently pulled him back.
"Dad, that's enough. He'll die." I said calmly.
"That'll be better," I sighed as I crouched down looking at the eyes of Leopold that were filled with malice.
"I tried my best to give you everything in my power yet, you had just believed what your filthy mind thought." I said and he continued glaring at me before his eyes grew dazed.
"Ran away again." I sighed as I stood back up.
"Ah, he must have returned back to its old vessel." Lucas said and I turned and walked up to Dad.
"You said he had possessed Anastacius, then how come he was here?" Dad asked me and I looked at Lucas who sighed and answered for me.
"He's a spirit he can possess anyone who meets the criteria."
"What criteria?"
"I sensed the darkness in their mana." Lucas said.
"Darkness, you say?"
"Resentment, envy, jealousy, and even self-hatred. They both share these self-destructive emotions."
Dad looked deep in thought for a moment and then he looked at me.
"Lucas heal him and put a spell on him so that Athernitas couldn't go to his body again." I said and he sighed.
"I'm starting to become a doctor these days."
I stood in my spot as Lucas did his work and I sighed running my hand through my hair.
"Did he always say such things to you?" Dad asked and I smiled bitterly.
"No, I had no idea his heart was filled with so much venom for me."
"If I had killed that man Athernitas would have also gone."
"That doesn't solve our problems." I said and felt Dad's hand over my head.
I felt my tears coming and wrapped my arms around Dad and hid my face in his chest. Dad held me and gently patted my back and brushed my hair, I sobbed as I clutched onto his robe. If only I had him back then, if only Kyllin was like this then, I wouldn't have died like that.
"I love you, Dad." I spoke and he continued brushing my back and hair.
***
Hello everyone,
How are you guys? I'm feeling a bit down.
Anyways, don't we all love Claude when he goes Dad mode like this? Hehe...
Tell me how you find this chapter and also, the count down for the end of the story is approaching so, I'd like to announce the second session of Q and A.
So, put your questions in the comments.
And thank you for everything guys!
Have a great day!