My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess

It was afternoon and Eric was sitting on the nearby tea table inside Chloe’s and Charlotte’s room.

The sun shone brightly outside, but the air carried a sharp chill, so he had kept the window closed.

Chloe sat on the bed, gently caressing Charlotte’s head.

Eric wrote steadily on a sheet of parchment. It was the question paper for the entrance exam.

As much as he wanted to remain beside his daughter every moment, the questionaire had to be submitted by tomorrow. There were still several things he needed to settle before finalizing the draft.

While working, a particular question stirred memories of what had happened in the forest.

His grip tightened.

Eric was still new to the concept of the Arcane, and burning those foxes to cinders with magic was not something he could repeat at will.

What had happened back then was simple. His emotions had taken control of his Arcane.

It was well known that those with Beast Arcane often performed better when their emotions were unstable, but what Eric experienced yesterday was different.

His emotions had not harmed him as they usually should. Instead, they had amplified his control over mana, allowing him to annihilate the monsters as if he had been fighting such creatures for years.

Knowledge was one thing, but Eric had not inherited the experience of the body’s previous owner.

Because of that, he still had not fully processed what he had done.

Still, there was only one thing that truly mattered to him.

Charlotte was safe. She was safe, at least for now.

“Char’s arcane is one of a kind,” Chloe suddenly said, her fingers brushing the back of Charlotte’s neck, right where her Arcane had awakened.

Eric looked up. “I realized that during our brief training a few days ago.” As he had promised Charlotte, he had taught her more about the Arcane and how to use it effectively.

“She never used her Arcane willingly or with control,” Chloe sighed. “I thought she would eventually figure it out on her own, since it’s normal to struggle with controlling Arcane.”

“But things only got worse,” Eric said, his gaze resting on his daughter. “She told me how Charlotte once burned down an entire hospital in a fit of rage.”

Chloe nodded. “That was just one of many incidents. We had to change three towns because she couldn’t control her Arcane and ended up hurting people.”

Eric hummed and leaned back. “Tell me more. I’ve studied several cases of people who went through similar struggles while trying to control their Arcane.”

He was not lying. While he already understood most of what troubled Charlotte, Chloe’s perspective would be invaluable.

Chloe thought for a moment before speaking. “I believe her anger had the most impact on her Arcane the most.”

Eric nodded in agreement. Of course that’s natural. She was a half-dragon. Dragons were synonymous with rage and chaos.

Whenever Charlotte grew enraged, she lost every other emotion.

Her face became completely expressionless, and approaching her meant destruction.

If Eric remembered correctly, even just being in the same room as Charlotte had melted human skin.

“I haven’t seen her get angry even once since we met,” Eric muttered. “Even when she had every reason to, she held herself back.”

Chloe sighed. “The incidents you’re thinking of were nothing compared to what she endured back in that town. That’s why she learned to keep smiling and suppress everything she feels.”

“And that…” Eric said calmly, “…is exactly what’s preventing her Arcane from functioning properly.”

Chloe’s brows lifted. “Suppressing her anger?”

Eric nodded. “It may sound reckless, but for her to truly understand her Arcane, she needs to use it over and over. That won’t happen as long as she keeps suppressing her anger and her flames.”

Chloe bit her lower lip. “I never had the resources to train her properly. Limited space, the risk of damage to the surroundings, no equipment, no safety measures.”

“You do now,” Eric said. “I can prepare whatever you need to train her the right way.”

Chloe turned toward him, her eyes filled with unspoken questions he already understood.

They stared at each other for a few moments when suddenly—

“Mm…”

Both of them turned toward the bed at once.

Eric stood up immediately and moved closer. “Charlotte?”

“Char? Can you recognize me?”

Charlotte slowly opened her eyes, her gaze settling on the two people she loved most.

In a faint, hoarse voice, she said, “Yes… Mom and Uncle Eric…”

Eric released a breath he had not realized he was holding.

“Does anything hurt?” Chloe asked softly. “Can you feel your limbs?”

Charlotte hummed. “Yes, Mom. It doesn’t hurt anywhere.” Her voice grew clearer with each word.

Her complexion had improved greatly compared to yesterday, and the venom had completely left her body. Still, Eric and Chloe had remained tense, waiting for her to wake and confirm that she was truly fine.

Now, at last, they felt genuine relief.

Eric straightened and said, “I’ll call the medic—”

“No, please wait,” Charlotte said as she weakly moved her hand and caught the hem of his pants.

Eric turned back to her. “What is it, Charlotte?”

The silver-haired girl motioned for him to sit beside her first.

Despite his confusion, Eric did as she asked.

Staring up at the ceiling, Charlotte muttered, “I… want to apologize first. For worrying you both.”

Chloe glanced at Eric before saying, “It’s okay, Char—”

“No, Mom. Please let me finish,” Charlotte said softly. “This is important to me… and to us.”

Both adults tensed, but neither interrupted her.

Charlotte took a moment to gather her thoughts before finally confessing, “I… intentionally snuck out of the house and went into the forest. Not because I wanted to see something or relive my memories.”

She paused again, clearly nervous, before continuing, “I… wanted to get hurt. I wanted something to happen to me.”

Both Eric and Chloe flinched, their eyes widening slightly.

Charlotte looked at them, her eyes damp as they met their stunned gazes. “…I wanted to do anything to stop Mom from going away. Because I can’t choose. I want both my mother and my father together.”

The realization struck them like thunder, and both of them froze.

So… she knew.

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