My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess

“Haa…” Eric sat alone in his room, his head lowered and his shoulders slumped.

He could barely sleep last night. Not only because he was preparing the exam questions, but also because today was the last day.

The last day… Today, they would tell Charlotte the whole truth about Chloe and Eric. About their relationship they once had, and the fact that Eric was not just a stranger.

After hearing everything, Charlotte would choose– who she wanted to stay with. If she chose Chloe, which Eric believed was most likely, the two of them would return to the town they had lived in for the past few years.

And even if Charlotte chose him, Chloe would still leave.

Eric was hopeful that he could somehow convince Chloe to stay longer than these fifteen days. However, Chloe’s hatred for him was far stronger than he had hoped, and Eric knew it was justified.

So now, there was a high chance that both women who mattered most to him would leave today.

Although he had built a good bond with Charlotte, to her he was just a kind uncle. Someone who brought her candy and took her on little adventures. Chloe, however, was her mother. The one who raised her.

And after Charlotte learned what Eric had done to her mother in the past, and how he had ignored them for fourteen years, she might never accept him at all, let alone stay with him.

“Today is going to be a long day,” he exhaled.

He was about to get up and freshen up when he suddenly heard hurried knocks at the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Eric frowned and walked over. When he opened the door, an unexpected person stood there.

“Chloe? What happened?”

The silver-haired woman looked panicked as she said, “When I woke up two hours ago… I found this. Charlotte, she… she still hasn’t come back.”

Eric took the parchment from her and read it.

‘Going sightseeing. Will be back before you wake up.’

Charlotte.

Eric’s frown deepened.

Charlotte would never do this. She had never left the mansion without telling her mother first. And this early in the morning?

He turned to Chloe and said, “Let’s first calm down and sit over here Chloe.” He gently guided her to a chair and urged her to sit.

Chloe, shaking with worry, assumed the worst. “Did she go into the forest by herself? Char said she liked it there.”

The last time they went on a picnic, Charlotte could not stop talking about how much she loved the cold, damp forest and listening to the sounds of beasts.

“The soldiers regularly hunt dangerous monsters, so even if—”

“Eric!” Chloe snapped. “She’s just a child. She doesn’t even know how to use her Arcane yet. Even a poisonous mushroom could seriously harm her.”

Eric nodded calmly. “That’s why I’m going to search for her now.”

Chloe stood up at once. “I’m coming with—”

“No. Stay here in case she comes back. If she does, shoot a flare for me. Alright?”

Chloe wanted to follow him, but in her current state, she knew she would only slow him down.

“I’ll still search around the mansion,” Chloe said firmly.

Eric did not argue. “I’ll send Maylie with you, just in case.”

As he spoke, Eric took his coat from the hook.

Chloe stepped closer and held onto his arm. “You’ll find her, right?”

Eric paused, met her eyes, and said, “I will bring her back. Trust me, Chloe.”

He squeezed Chloe’s hand gently, a silent promise, before turning and leaving the room.

As he put on his coat, Eric called out, “Gerald.”

The middle-aged butler appeared at once in the reception hall. “You called, Young Master?”

“Did you see Charlotte leave the mansion earlier?” Eric asked.

Gerald was one of the servants who woke before sunrise. If anyone had seen her, it would be him.

“No, Young Master,” Gerald replied. “I was in the front garden all through dawn, but I never saw the young lady.”

Eric frowned.

Did she take another route to avoid being seen? But why would Charlotte go to such trouble just to wander around? She could have asked him.

He pushed the thought aside and gave his orders. “Search the area around the mansion. Send Maylie to stay with Chloe at all times.”

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Gerald asked, “Should I have soldiers accompany you, my lord?”

Eric shook his head. “Tell them to search the southern and eastern areas. Contact border security and ask if they’ve seen Charlotte. Also ask for a report if anyone from House Blackwood has entered the Prism recently.”

The butler frowned but said nothing. He bowed as Eric hurriedly left the mansion.

Eric doubted his mother would act so soon after being exposed, but he could never rule her out completely.

Eric knew her mother wanted Chloe and Charlotte out of his life. If anything happened to them, his attention would turn straight to Lady Blackwood.

I just hope you didn’t do anything foolish this time, Mother.

If something happened to his daughter, Eric did not know what he would do to those responsible for her disappearance.

With those thoughts swirling in his mind, Eric reached the guard station. “Bring me a horse. Now.”

The soldiers exchanged glances before one spoke. “My lord, should we prepare a carriage if you—”

“Did you not hear me?” Eric snapped. “Bring me a horse. Now.”

His tone left no room for argument. Eric rushed toward the far side of the mansion.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared north, where the vast forest stretched endlessly.

Eric did not want to think about it, but if his instincts were right, Charlotte had gone to that water stream.

The same place where wild animals came to drink in the early morning.