My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess - Chapter 13 - You look just like her

Charlotte moved through the mansion cautiously, careful not to touch anything, fully aware of how valuable each antique was.

She had grown up in a place where securing two meals a day was all that mattered. Now, she was surrounded by such excessive opulence that the contrast left her quietly overwhelmed.

I’m sure I must have embarrassed Mom. She smiled wryly at herself as she turned after reaching the end of the gallery.

Another long corridor came into view, but this one was different.

Instead of windows on one side and antiques on the other, there were paintings lining both walls.

Paintings of past heroes, landscapes, and several of Eric Blackwood himself.

One of those portraits caught her attention, the one where Eric looked particularly young. She wouldn’t have recognized him if not for those piercing violet eyes—just like hers.

He seemed to be in his late teens, holding a folded parchment and wearing a uniform she recognized.

The Obsidian Spire.

Her mother also had a portrait from her graduation, so Charlotte could tell.

Charlotte had always wanted to go to the same academy. Her mother was a remarkable warrior, and Uncle Eric was a world-famous researcher and renowned professor.

In the past, Charlotte had been consumed by the thought of saving her mother, and any hope of joining an academy had long been buried.

However, now that her mother was healed… could she really dream of attending the Obsidian Spire?

“Young lady?” Hearing the voice, Charlotte flinched.

She looked ahead and found the familiar maid they had met at the entrance standing there with a gentle smile.

“I-I’m sorry, I got permission to look around.”

The maid smiled. “It’s okay, you don’t need to apologize.” She approached Charlotte with quiet steps, studying her for a few moments.

Before Charlotte could say anything, the woman spoke. “You look truly exactly like her… your mother, when she was young.”

Charlotte’s eyes sparkled. “You knew her?”

The maid only smiled in response and didn’t answer.

Charlotte then awkwardly asked, “Umm, may I also ask where the kitchen is? I was told that I could get something to snack on…”

“I’ll bring it for them,” the maid assured her. “You should go back to your mother.”

Charlotte nodded, turned, and was about to walk away when the maid suddenly called out, “Young lady.”

As Charlotte turned, she heard the older woman say, “If you ever feel like wandering again, please choose a different direction. Especially that room… is a bit personal to the master. So permission is required.”

She pointed to the door right beside the painting Charlotte had been admiring.

Charlotte bowed repeatedly with a flushed face. “I apologize.” With that, she rushed away.

The maid quietly watched her retreating figure before muttering under her breath, “Could it really be…”

• • •••

After resting for a bit, Eric instructed Maylie to lead Chloe and Charlotte to their room.

At Chloe’s request, both Charlotte and her were given the same room.

It will take one week of rest in order for Chloe to recover.

Upon arriving towards their room, Eric waited outside, giving Chloe and Charlotte alone time to explore their room. Plus, it’s better to give them privacy, at least in their own room.

Afterawhile, Maylie stepped out of the room and faced her master.

“Here.” Eric handed Maylie a list. “Prepare the food accordingly. If any ingredients are missing, just tell me and I will adjust the diet plan tomorrow.”

Maylie gave the list a quick glance before bowing. “As you wished, Young Master.”

Eric hummed in acknowledgment before walking away.

Following his memories, Eric headed to his office on the first floor.

He was a perfectionist, someone who liked things in order. That explained why his office was so neat, as if no trace of use of the room was present. You won’t know that someone worked here for even a single day.

Several bookshelves lined the left wall, filled with knowledge from many fields, ranging from smithing to sorcery, with a heavy focus on biodiversity.

Instead of browsing the books, Eric sat down in the chair.

He took a moment to organize his thoughts.

Eric rolled out his sleeves and looked at his left arm.

On his forearm was a glowing rune in the shape of four diamonds closely connected to a golden orb in the middle.

It was the Sigil of an Arcane.

The Arcanum Arcane.

An Arcane that allowed its bearer to freely wield magic.

It was said that one in a million awakened this Arcane– that’s how rare it was.

The difference between Elemental Arcane users and Arcanum users lay in their limitations.

Elemental Arcane users required the element they had awakened.

A person with flame affinity might need a small spark to manipulate fire. Without that affinity, evoking even that spark is near to impossible.

Arcanum users, however, could summon spells based on their understanding of them– the formation of the element, the destruction it could cause, everything.

There are three levels or stages to each Arcane, and Eric was at the second stage.

At the second stage, he could freely wield any element without restriction and form spells that affected not just an immediate target but a wide area.

In short, Eric was strong.

Now, how exactly his powers worked… that was something he needed to figure out before school resumed.

On top of that, he still had reports and research papers he had been working on to read through.

Although he had Eric’s memories, going through them consciously would surely help later.

Knock.

Hearing the knock, Eric straightened up and replied, “Come in”.

It was Maylie, who wore the same black uniform.

The maid stepped inside, carrying a tray with a teapot, a cup, and a plate of cookies.

“You know I don’t like sweets, Maylie, and that hasn’t changed.”

She set the tray on the table before saying with a small smile, “But I thought you might make an exception to celebrate the day you reunited with your family.”

Eric paused, his brows drawing together. “What do you mean by that?”

In a calm tone, the woman asked, “Isn’t Charlotte your daughter, Young Master?”

===============

Releases one day ahead on Kuupress.:

https://kuupress.com/read/my-adorable-daughter-cant-be-a-villainess