My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess - Chapter 17 - Choices

The man was careful not to use his Arcane. If he had, he could have taken Eric down much more easily.

Why? Because Eric knew little to nothing about Arcane and magic right now.

The ambusher was already in the soldiers’ custody, so there was a very low chance he could escape.

Turning to Chloe and Charlotte, Eric said, “I’ll assign a soldier to guard your room from now on.”

“You don’t need to bother,” Chloe said calmly. “It’s not like I didn’t expect this when we came here.” She added the last part quietly, but neither Charlotte nor Eric missed it.

Frowning, Eric asked, “What do you mean by that? Did you know you were being targeted?” From his memories, the reason Chloe and Eric never reunited was because of Eric’s obsession with research and his work.

Chloe didn’t answer him. Instead, she told her daughter, “Go back to sleep.”

Charlotte looked between the two adults. She could tell there was no point asking her mother anything right now, so she slowly lay back down on the bed.

Eric kept his eyes on Chloe, demanding an answer without saying a word.

But the silver-haired woman didn’t budge.

She turned and walked to the window. As she closed it, she said, “It’s already quite late. Please return to your room.”

Her words made it clear she wasn’t going to explain anything.

Frustration rose inside him, not at Chloe, but at how little he knew. Still, he was good at keeping his emotions off his face.

Taking a shallow breath, he nodded. “I understand. Rest early.”

….

[Chloe’s POV:]

Click

I heard the door close behind me, but I didn’t move.

My heart wouldn’t settle.

This version of Eric was much harder to understand than the man I fell in love with.

In the past, he was blunt, sharp, and competent.

But now he seemed so calm and caring that sometimes I wanted to forget everything and see him as someone new.

Even now, I could tell he was worried about us…about me. And that confirmed my suspicion about how little he knew of what happened when I visited his home all those years ago.

He doesn’t know anything.

Still, whenever the thought of letting go crosses my mind, the memories come rushing back. The years I spent alone, away from my family, protecting my child from the world…they always seal the crack in my heart.

Those nights I lived in fear that a whole battalion might storm my house and take my daughter from me…they never let me waver. They never let me forget.

Yes, he saved my life. But that doesn’t erase what he did to me.

He abandoned me.

He left me when I needed him the most.

He might have changed, but nothing between us would change.

…..

[Third Person POV:]

Eric left the room. Instead of returning to his own, he went straight to the guard station.

His eyes were cold, and his heart felt unsettled.

Whatever this was, Chloe had expected it.

She knew they would be attacked…but why? And who was behind it?

If Chloe wouldn’t give him an answer, then he could only rely on the man they caught.

Click

When he opened the door, the guard who had been beating the ambusher paused and turned toward Eric.

At the sight of Eric’s cold gaze, everyone in the room held their breath.

Eric walked in and stopped in front of the man strapped to the chair.

His left eye was completely swollen, his face bloodied.

He had only been hit a few times, but those blows had done brutal damage. And yet…he hadn’t spoken a single word.

Eric didn’t say anything at first.

Somehow, he felt like he’d seen this man before. Somewhere deep in his memory, he had seen those eyes.

After a brief pause, he turned to the knight nearby. “Sheldon.”

The knight immediately straightened. “I apologize, Sir Eric—”

Eric cut him off. “Save your apology for later.” The words made the knight stiffen even more. Then Eric added, “Call the knight from the northern post. The one who allowed this man to enter the premises.”

The knight saluted and hurried out.

Eric turned to Maylie. “When are the rest of the servants and guards returning?”

Maylie answered politely, “In four days, my lord.” They had gone to their hometowns since Eric wasn’t supposed to return this early.

Eric muttered coldly, “If they can’t return by tomorrow, tell them to find a different job.”

Maylie flinched, but she’d expected it. She bowed. “As you command, my lord. For now, I’ve asked the main house to send troops to the mansion as soon as possible.”

If the guards hadn’t been missing, the intruder never would have reached the room so silently.

Eric didn’t respond. He turned back to the intruder.

The man was conscious, but he wasn’t moving.

Eric pulled up a chair and sat across from him.

For a few moments, heavy silence filled the room.

Even without releasing his mana, there was something about Eric’s presence that made it hard to breathe.

“You have two choices,” Eric said calmly, his voice flat and merciless.

“Speak now, and I’ll make sure your end is quick. Clean enough that you won’t have time to regret it.”

“Or I’ll find out who sent you on my own. And when I do, I’ll cut you open slowly, pull your guts out inch by inch, and hang you with them while you’re still alive. Just long enough for you to understand how badly you chose.”

His gaze hardened, empty of emotion.

“Decide carefully. I’m very patient when it comes to suffering.”

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