“When I brought Viche to this house, it turns out it was the day she abandoned Persis Flotina,” he said. “She kept saying she couldn’t accept his proposal because she didn’t want to be tied down by someone. But maybe she came to me willingly?”

He grabbed my collar roughly, and his grip was so strong it felt like my face would explode.

“Now I understand why that woman died. She didn’t die while giving birth; she killed herself after seeing the child. Since the exact timing of her pregnancy wasn’t clear, she must have believed that the child’s father was Persis Flotina. And when she found out it wasn’t true, she killed herself.”

She must have desperately wished for the child of the person she loved. But it turned out to be a forced child, a child with her former lover. How much pain must she have been in, wishing she were dead?

“Isn’t that right?”

I covered my ears with both hands.

No. No. No. No.

As I tried to hold back my tears, the silver energy surged in all directions.

“No!!!”

I pushed away his hand gripping my collar, and the silver energy struck his uninjured eye directly.

“Arrghhh-!!!!”

Materosin  screamed, blood gushing from his right eye. The blood wouldn’t stop flowing no matter how hard he tried to cover it.

But even then, he continued with his hurtful words.

“It’s all Viche’s fault! She shouldn’t have thought of leaving me! If she hadn’t suggested breaking up, none of this would have happened!!!”

With a scream, I tore his mouth open.

“Aaaargh-!!!!!”

Continuously, relentlessly, the uncontrollable power attacked Materosin.

His face, body, arms, and legs. The uncontrollable force twisted his entire body.

After quite some time, when the screams finally stopped, I came to my senses after seeing a pool of blood.

There were no more screams or moans. I was the only one living here, so there was no one else to scream.

I had killed someone.

When I fully realized this fact, I heard a sound of someone collapsing on the stairs.

I turned my head to see who it was.

Hestia. She was a guardian deity who cherished the man I killed and even made him her concubine.

Hestia mumbled as she looked at Materosin turned into a pile of flesh and blood.

“No… No, Materosin. Spilling blood like this…”

He was dead.

Hestia’s gaze shifted to me, her face filled with despair and anger.

When our eyes met, I realized that I had so much life in me when I looked at Hestia’s face.

Pshoo.

Hestia’s magic, sharper than any blade, pierced through my body.

Ironically, knowing about the relationship between the person, who was my biological father, and my biological mother, I thought of someone in that moment. Perhaps, just maybe, they could have become a good family.

“May!!!”

At that moment, the voice I had been searching for reached my ears.

A slightly fierce but affectionate and familiar voice.

It was Persis’s voice.

I collapsed, vomiting blood. Persis rushed over and hugged my upper body, shocked, trembling hands, and desperately cried out.

“May, wake up. May…!!”

“Ah… Dad…”

Sobbing uncontrollably, blood continuously flowed from my mouth and abdomen.

The warmth I felt was undoubtedly Persis’, but my vision was blurred, and I couldn’t see his features clearly.

I could only see his black hair and red eyes.

How did he know and find me? Did he follow us after seeing me get on the carriage with Materosin?

Was he so determined to become a family with me?

It felt a bit sentimental. After all, I wasn’t even his biological child, and we didn’t have many shared memories.

Yet, at this moment, my heart swelled with joy because he had come to rescue me.

He truly seemed like a caring father who came to save his daughter.

I wanted to see Persis’ face one last time, but I couldn’t see him clearly.

Even the black hair and red eyes in my sight were becoming hazy.

The saying about one’s life flashing before their eyes before death turned out to be true.

I recalled the regrets Persis had when he asked me to return to the training camp. The harsh words I said to him when I left home. The time he asked me to be his daughter for the first time…

The memories flashed in reverse, all the way back to the day I first set foot in this world.

And even earlier. When I was someone other than May.

I remembered a man with black hair and red eyes, just like Persis.

Oh, who was that man? I had a memory of meeting him when I was very young.

In my previous life, when I was only ten years old.

I had met a man with black hair and red eyes, just like Persis.

‘Sir, are you a celebrity?’

‘Why, do you think I’m handsome?’

‘Or are you a vampire? Are you going to bite me?’

‘Because my eyes are red?’

‘Yes.’

‘Neither. I’m a traveler.’

I had become friends with that man I happened to meet at the playground, and we exchanged various stories.

‘Sir, people make fun of me. Today, a classmate kept teasing me about not having a dad, so I punched him. Then the teacher told that classmate that he’s making fun of me because I don’t have a dad and asked him to understand me. It’s so unfair.’

‘Did you punch the teacher too?’

‘No, yesterday, the neighbor lady pitied my mom for raising me alone, saying it’s unfortunate. But my mom and I aren’t pitiful at all; we’re happy even though it’s just the two of us.’

Looking back, most of the conversation had been my complaints.

I couldn’t understand why people couldn’t leave me alone back then.

The man gave me advice.

‘Take revenge on those who torment you. Even if it means killing them, take revenge. If revenge is the only way, so be it. If you don’t take revenge, you’ll be the one destroyed.’

‘Sir, you’re a very scary man.’

‘Yes, I’m a very scary man. Once you become a scary person, no one will torment you. So, make sure to take revenge. Even if you have to kill.’

After leaving such eerie advice, the man disappeared without a word. I thought that as a traveler, he could leave at any time, so I didn’t think much about it. Afterward, even in my memories, he gradually faded away.

When Hestia attacked Persis, he hugged me and tried to protect me even though his life was at risk.

Even though Persis was strong, it was overwhelming for him to withstand the power of Hestia, a guardian deity. Moreover, he had to concentrate on protecting me, which seemed difficult. He put me down on the ground.

“Just wait for a moment… Just a moment. I’ll finish this and come back soon.”

He spoke in a calm voice to keep me from being scared, as if everything was fine, as if he would protect me for sure.

I could feel his love for his child, and my heart warmed.

My body, which had been cold on the cold floor, seemed to be melting with the warm blood.

Even warm liquid flowed from my eyes.

Sir, I tried killing as you advised, but I think you were wrong. I’m already broken.

I can’t fix what’s broken. I don’t deserve to be fixed. I’ve hurt Dad, Floa, Ellen, and Joan. I’m meant to be punished.

The deafening clash of magic resonates.

In my sight, I see Persis being pushed back, unable to withstand Hestia’s power. Then, he fails to dodge another attack, and blood splatters from his thigh.

I couldn’t muster the strength to shout or help him.

…You were completely wrong.

Forgiving someone just because you won’t see them again? Bullshit, that’s not how it works. You should forgive sincerely when you can genuinely forgive. Forgiving someone you won’t see again is just selfishly abusing forgiveness.

Enduring and leaving wasn’t the answer. Leaving Persis wasn’t the answer either.

In the end, he’s fighting and sacrificing his life for me, and I’ve become like this.

I was wrong. I want to apologize to Persis.

However, breathing became even more difficult. The magic I used to try to heal myself gradually lost its strength and disappeared.

I was afraid that Persis would get hurt badly because of me. I wanted to grab anyone and ask for help.

In the depths of old memories, I wish that man would come, whoever he might be.

If you feel sorry for giving bad advice to me, come right now and save our Dad.

You were strong enough to make significant contributions to building the empire.

Come and save our Dad, abandoning your carefree travels.

You’re Persis’ family. You’re Flotina.

I remembered his name.

“What’s your name, sir?”

‘Passabea.’

‘Your last name is bea’

‘No. My Last name is Flotina.’

Passabea Flotina.

Please help my Dad.

Even if I wasn’t his child, he would probably have lived peaceful days by now.

She couldn’t bear to see his life ruined.

So, Persis must not die under any circumstances.

Even if it means sacrificing my life for him.

With that hope in mind, my consciousness blurred, and I couldn’t hear anything anymore.