Chapter 9

Fanglie was affectionately watching his awakened child. The child, who had definitely had black hair and black eyes three days ago, now had gray hair and beautiful ice-blue eyes.

The change in hair color, a sign of awakening to the Holy attribute, was evident as the child was eating the apple that his wife had peeled, looking very delicious. The child’s innocent smile filled his heart with warmth.

"Mi-chan, is the apple delicious?"

"Yeah! It's really delicious. I love apples."

The child, who had been eating with great enthusiasm, stopped upon hearing my words and showed a bright, sunflower-like smile. I couldn’t help but smile and stroke her head, which made her even happier. I thought, perhaps a bit overly fondly, that such a cute child could only be Mihua, but I didn’t think I was wrong.

I had to protect her at all costs. I reaffirmed in my heart that I would protect my wife and child. Just then, the doorbell rang.

This hospital room was for VIPs, and visitors had to ring the doorbell to enter. However, it had only been three days since Mihua collapsed, and she had just woken up yesterday. If it were a visit, it would be from Tei-sei, but it was a bit late for that.

Looking outside, the sky was beginning to turn orange, indicating that visiting hours were almost over. It was unlikely for anyone to come at this time, especially since Tei-sei and his group had just visited a short while ago.

Despite my doubts, I approached the doorbell. My wife looked at me with concern, and my daughter was munching on the apple with a curious expression. I swallowed hard and touched the intercom button.

The monitor showed the faces of an elderly man and a man slightly older than me. The elderly man looked delighted, while the other man looked extremely dissatisfied and agitated, as if he was about to snap. He hadn’t changed at all since we were young.

"Ah, Fanglie?"

The elderly man spoke in a voice I had never heard before, a cajoling tone. His thoughts were as clear as day.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Nothing, really. I heard that my beloved grandchild was seriously injured. I came to visit as quickly as possible. Can I see her, Fanglie?"

The elderly man, who spoke, and the other man, who looked dissatisfied, had dull green hair, but their facial features were identical to mine.

"... I understand, Father."

It wouldn’t be wise to argue here, especially in a hospital. Even if this man had never visited since my child was born.

The elderly man was my father, and the other man was my brother.

When I opened the door, my father and brother entered immediately. A butler followed behind my brother, carrying a basket of fruit.

I could have stopped them, but I didn’t want Mihua to see us arguing, so I let them pass. My father smiled, my brother snorted as he passed, and the butler, who had taken care of me as a child, bowed slightly, which was a small comfort.

How could he face me, a second son who had been exiled for lacking magic power? He had a thick skin, to say the least, and had even insulted me when I was exiled.

My wife knew this well. She bowed her head in greeting, but my father didn’t even acknowledge her or me.

His interest was solely in his grandchild, Mihua.

"Oh! The gray hair is truly beautiful. I was half-doubting it, but it’s true!"

My father beamed with genuine joy. My brother clicked his tongue.

"Grandpa, who are you?"

Mihua, holding an apple, tilted her head in confusion. It was understandable; she had never seen him before.

"I’m your grandpa. What, you weren’t told about me?"

My father smiled at Mihua and signaled to the butler, who placed the basket of fruit in front of her. It contained expensive melons and grapes. He wasn’t going to be stingy here.

"Look, grandpa brought you lots of delicious fruit."

His exaggerated tone was effective on children. Mihua’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the fruit.

"Fruit! Thank you!"

Mihua bowed politely, and my father, playing the role of a kind old man, patted her head.

"You’re a good girl, Mihua. Beautiful, you’ve done a great job raising such a good child. Thank you."

My wife’s face tightened at the sudden change in my father, who had ignored our wedding and Mihua’s birth. It was understandable; he was the kind of person who could be slapped and chased away.

"Ch! Hey, can you really use healing magic? Show me, come on."

My brother, speaking in a thug-like tone, was clearly in a bad mood and agitated.

"Stop it, Rana. I’m sorry, Mihua. Rana is concerned about my back. He wants you to heal it with your magic."

My father reprimanded my brother, but he casually rubbed his back and winced, as if in pain. This act would surely make the kind Mihua react.

"Grandpa, does your back hurt?"

"Yes, it does."

"Can I heal it?"

"Could you try? Just a little. Grandpa will be happy if you use your healing magic."

He would surely try to make her use magic, even if I stopped him. Considering the potential danger, it was better to let her use it. I understood that hiding it was impossible.

Mihua, with her small hands like autumn leaves, closed her eyes and muttered.

'Heal I'

My father’s body glowed faintly for a moment, almost imperceptibly. He immediately rolled up his sleeve, which puzzled me, but I was soon shocked.

His arm was wrapped in a fresh bandage, and blood was seeping through. He had intended to use his own arm to confirm the healing magic. I saw a glimmer of madness in his determination. He must have needed to use his own body to be sure.

He quickly removed the bandage, rubbed his blood-stained arm, and smiled with joy.

"Look! I thought I had cut it a bit too deep, but there’s no scar left! It’s completely healed. This is undoubtedly healing magic!"

"Grandpa, did your arm hurt too?"

Mihua, who had been told about his back, was confused by the sight of his arm. Poor thing. She probably didn’t realize he had injured himself.

"Yes, my arm hurt too, but thanks to you, it’s healed. Thank you."

My father was excited, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light. His smile was kind, but it was sinister.

"That’s great! The pain is gone!"

"Yes, Mihua is such a good girl. I’ve never seen a better child."

My father, who had never shown such a smile to me or my brother, continued to stroke Mihua’s head. I wondered if I was imagining the sinister laughter I heard from his back.

My brother, seeing this, became even more agitated. I recognized his agitated face and worried about Mihua. When he looked like this, he would often take out his frustration on others, hitting servants or breaking vases. At worst, he would set traps for people he disliked, causing them great harm.

Regardless, Mihua was laughing and enjoying herself. She was an innocent and good child. I didn’t want her to be exposed to malice.

"Father, visiting hours are almost over. Could you please leave now?"

I added a cold tone to my voice, and my father’s hand, which had been stroking Mihua’s head, stopped. He turned to me.

"Is that so? Then I need to prepare to leave. When will Mihua be discharged?"

The kind smile he had shown Mihua disappeared, and he looked at me with the same cold expression he had when I was in the Takano family.

"Mihua will be discharged soon. So, you don’t need to visit anymore."

I gripped my hand tightly and firmly refused. This was a strong refusal, something I couldn’t do when I was in the Takano family. I was different now. I had a wife and a child. The weak me of the past was gone.

My father and brother, who noticed the change in me, were slightly surprised. My brother probably didn’t expect me to be so clear.

However, the surprise quickly faded, and my father continued.

"I see, I see. Then, tell me when she will be discharged. I’ll send a car."

"No, I’ll use my own car, so it’s fine."

I subtly conveyed that I didn’t want him to come closer, but I knew he wouldn’t back down. As expected, he shrugged and shook his head, giving a disappointed response. It was even worse than I expected.

"Come on, Fanglie, don’t say you’ll drive yourself. Besides, isn’t the car you drive a bit too low-class? Leave it to me. I’ll send the best car from the family. Oh, and we need to decide on a maid for Mihua. She should come to see the rooms before Mihua is discharged. A sunny room would be best."

"What are you talking about? Mihua’s room?"

At first, I couldn’t understand what my father was saying. His words were so selfish and presumptuous that my mind refused to comprehend them.

I thought he was preparing a car to visit Mihua frequently, but I was naive. I knew he wouldn’t be satisfied with just that.

"You can come back to the Takano family. I’ve reconsidered that living together as a family is best. Seeing such a lovely grandchild, I’ve realized that the family should be united."

"That’s not necessary. We have our own home."

"Come on, don’t be stubborn. We both had our faults. I’ll apologize. You should be honest too. For the sake of your grandchild."

"… Let’s talk outside, then."

Despite exiling me unilaterally, he had the nerve to say we both had faults. Moreover, using Mihua as a pretext to reconcile… His words filled me with anger, but I managed to suppress it and decided to have a talk.

I won’t give Mihua to you. I strongly vowed in my heart.