My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess - Chapter 39 - Help

It had been two days since Charlotte woke up and confessed that she knew everything Eric and Chloe had been trying to keep secret.

In a way, it was a relief. They had been spared the painful conversation they would have eventually needed to have with their daughter, one that might have broken her heart.

Over these two days, Charlotte focused fully on her recovery. Her cooperation came from one simple reason. Her mother was staying. She no longer had to choose between her father and her mother.

“What are you smiling about?” Chloe asked, raising a brow as she entered the room.

Pulling the blanket up to cover half her face, the younger girl muttered, “I’m just happy. This is the best time of my life, Mom.”

Chloe hummed softly. “I’m glad you’re happy. I’m the same. Now we can spend most of our time together, and you won’t need to lie to me while working several jobs.”

Charlotte blinked in surprise. “You knew?”

Chloe let out a quiet chuckle. “Do you really think I’m that easy to fool?”

Charlotte smiled awkwardly. “Well… my intentions were good. And you were the one who said it was okay to lie if your intentions weren’t bad.”

Chloe sighed and shook her head. “I won’t scold you for that. But Char, you don’t need to earn money anymore. And since you promised your father you’d enter the Obsidian Academy, I want you fully focused on your preparations.”

With a determined look, Charlotte nodded. “I promise, Mom. Once I recover, I’ll spend most of my time getting ready for next year.”

Charlotte wasn’t joining the Academy because of pressure or obligation. She wanted to become both a scholar and a warrior, just like her parents. She didn’t have her father’s strong Arcane, nor her mother’s physical strength, but she refused to give up.

Chloe gently ran her fingers through her hair. “Now stop thinking so much and sleep.”

Charlotte smiled faintly. “What about you? Are you going to wait for Father?”

Eric still hadn’t returned from work. That morning, he had mentioned that after the Academy, he needed to attend several meetings with the Headmaster and the Prism Guards.

Chloe exhaled softly. “I’ll sleep after I finish reading this section of the book. Don’t worry.”

Charlotte gave her a long, knowing side glance, making Chloe groan. “Go to sleep, or I’ll make you study right now.”

“Zzzz….” Charlotte was out instantly.

A faint smile formed on Chloe’s lips as she shook her head and rose from the bed.

When she approached the table, she noticed that the monster anatomy book she had been reading was nearly finished.

She checked the bookshelf, only to realize the next volume was missing.

That was when she remembered Eric once saying, ‘There are hundreds of books you might find interesting in the library. Use it whenever you want.’

She hesitated briefly. Still, it wasn’t like she was going to his room for anything improper. She just wanted the next part.

After glancing back at Charlotte and confirming she was deeply asleep, Chloe draped a cardigan over her shoulders, fixed her hair, and stepped out of the room.

She descended the stairs and reached the final steps just as the main doors opened and a familiar violet-haired man walked in.

Chloe froze, unsure whether she should greet him or retreat upstairs. The second option, realistically, wasn’t possible.

In the end, Eric spoke first. “You’re still awake?”

Chloe nodded. “Yes. I was reading.”

Ever optimistic, Eric assumed she might have been waiting for him. “Did you have dinner?”

“I ate with Char a few hours ago,” Chloe replied.

Eric hummed. “Would you like to join me for a late supper… if you’re okay with it?”

She could have declined and said she wasn’t hungry, if not for the slight hesitation at the end of his words.

Chloe wanted to rub her temples at how easily she gave in. Instead, she held her arm and nodded lightly.

“…Okay.”

Eric straightened, the tiredness on his face fading. “I’ll change and be back in a few minutes.”

“I’ll wait at the table,” Chloe said.

Eric headed to his room, removing his coat along the way.

Inside the bathroom, he washed his face and changed into lighter clothes. Since the weather was still chilly, he pulled on a dark gray sweater before returning to the main hall.

As he approached the dining table, he noticed Chloe serving the food herself.

“Where are Maylie and the others?” Eric asked.

Chloe explained, “Maylie has had a bad headache since evening, and the other maids have already retired. I didn’t want to wake them over something so small.”

Eric nodded in response as he picked up the soup pot and served both himself and Chloe.

Chloe was genuinely surprised.

Eric wasn’t someone who had risen to nobility. The Blackwood family had been part of the upper circle for generations. Because of that, Chloe never expected him to handle such simple tasks so naturally, things nobles often believed should only be done by servants or wives.

Then again, she had seen many changes in him since his teenage years, so the surprise didn’t linger for long.

Soon, they were seated.

Chloe had taken a smaller portion since she wasn’t truly hungry.

Eric ate as usual, calm and refined despite how badly his body needed the meal.

As they ate, he asked about Charlotte and how her day had gone.

After nearly twenty days together and everything they had endured, Chloe found herself opening up more. Her answers were no longer limited to one or two words.

They shared a quiet, normal conversation, and for now, that was enough for him.

Once they finished, Eric suddenly asked, “Are you sleepy?”

Chloe blinked before shaking her head. “Not really. Why?”

Eric smiled faintly. “Because I need something from you…”

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