My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess - Chapter 29 - Unfair

“As I said, I am okay, Mom.” Charlotte repeated the same words for the tenth time after she returned home and Chloe noticed her injury.

Eric was also present in the room, standing to the side in silence.

Chloe’s eyes were sharp, anxiety and anger clearly building as she said, “How can they be so irresponsible? Why was no one patrolling the corridors? And why didn’t you call for help instead of trying to be a hero?”

Chloe’s words silenced Charlotte. The truth was, Charlotte believed that if she had left that girl alone for even one more minute, something irreversible would have happened.

Instinct had taken over, and she had rushed in without thinking.

Chloe let out a sharp breath and asked, “When was this bandage wrapped?”

Eric replied, “Half an hour ago.”

Chloe turned toward him.

Rising from her seat, she said, “I left her in your care for the first time, and this is how you looked after her?”

“Mom—”

“Charlotte.” Chloe glared at her daughter, making her fall silent at once.

Chloe turned back to Eric and continued, “Anything could have happened to her. You and I both know how nasty those noble brats can be. What if they had seriously hurt her? Shouldn’t you have at least told her to stay in one place instead of wandering around?”

Eric stayed silent, accepting the blame because he knew he deserved it.

He understood how society worked, especially inside the academy.

Nobles always saw themselves as superior. They looked down on anyone beneath them and treated them like dirt.

Eric himself had never suffered that treatment, but he had seen many others tormented simply for being born into weaker families.

At that moment, Charlotte was a commoner in the eyes of the world, an easy target.

He should have thought it through. He should have told her to wait in the cafeteria, where instructors were usually present.

Chloe growled, “And you think you can take care of her? As I thought, you never change, Eric. You are still tied to your work, your research. Nothing matters to you more than that.”

“Mom, what are you—”

“It’s okay, Charlotte,” Eric said calmly. He added, “She has every right to be angry with me. I was careless.”

Turning to Chloe, he continued, “I apologize for what happened to Charlotte. But trust me, Chloe, for her, I would abandon any work, any research.”

Chloe scoffed, crossed her arms, and looked away, clearly not believing him.

Eric’s shoulders sagged as he muttered, “I just keep ruining things more with each passing day…” With that, he turned and left.

Chloe stood there for a long moment, replaying his words in her mind. That tone bothered her. She did not want to think about it, but the way he said it stayed with her.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she turned to Charlotte and said, “Sit down so I can check your injury.” Her voice was calmer now.

“No,” Charlotte replied quietly.

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“I said no. I won’t show you anything.” Charlotte spoke sharply, tears filling her eyes and startling Chloe.

Raising her voice, Charlotte said, “You know what, Mom? I really enjoyed my day. I truly did. Even after the fight, I thought it was memorable. But you… you ruined it.”

Chloe froze, eyes widening slightly. “Char… what are you saying?”

Charlotte wiped her tears and said, “I don’t know what happened between you and Uncle Eric in the past, but that doesn’t give you the right to blame him for everything. He did nothing wrong today. Nothing. He was gentle, considerate, and caring the whole time. He only left because of an emergency, and before leaving, he clearly told me to wait in the cafeteria.”

Sniffling, she continued, “When he came back and saw my injury, he was furious. Anyone could tell how guilty he felt. He kept blaming himself, even though it was never his plan to bring me to the academy. He was supposed to work, not take care of me.”

She wiped her eyes again. “And you know what, Mom? The people who hurt me were forced to drop out of the academy. That’s a big deal. It could get him into serious trouble. But he was so angry at them that he didn’t care what would happen to his position as a professor.”

Chloe’s breath caught in her throat. He did that? Expelled students?

She never thought he would go that far for someone.

Suddenly, Chloe felt she had misjudged everything. She knew Eric cared about Charlotte, but maybe her anger over what he had said to her recently had pushed her to lash out at him.

Regret slowly filled her chest as she stared at her daughter, though her eyes were unfocused.

Her thoughts drifted back to her words toward Eric.

The same Eric who once never tolerated anyone raising their voice at him, not even his parents.

And that same man had lowered his head and quietly listened to her shouting.

Charlotte took a deep breath and broke the silence. “You know what, Mom? I think you should try to see who he is now. Don’t always judge him by his past. Just try once, and you’ll understand why I argued with you for someone else for the first time.”

With those words, Charlotte left the room, leaving a stunned Chloe behind.

Chloe slowly sank back into her seat and murmured to herself,

“Have I been unfair to him?”

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