My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess - Chapter 41 - Journey

It was early morning.

Charlotte woke up to a light shake on her shoulder.

She slowly opened her eyes, her vision still hazy, but she could tell the person beside her was familiar.

A small smile curved her lips as she mumbled, “Good morning, Father.”

Eric almost gave in to the urge to hug his sweet daughter. But considering there was someone else in the room, still sleeping, he restrained himself.

“Sorry to wake you up, dear.”

Charlotte frowned slightly as she noticed his attire and asked, “Are you going somewhere?” She knew that if her mother was still asleep, then it had to be early. Yet her father was already dressed in travel clothes.

She felt a sting of sadness.

“Don’t make that face. I’ll be back in a day or two, I promise,” Eric said, already unsure if he should have made this plan after seeing her unhappy expression.

Charlotte looked up at him and asked, “Is this a dangerous trip?”

Eric shook his head. “Not at all. I just need to retrieve something. If I can, I’ll even return late tonight.” He wasn’t lying, but he deliberately avoided giving details. That didn’t mean he planned to take risks.

Charlotte slowly sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Eric was startled by the hug, yet his heart eased as he held his daughter close.

He leaned in and hugged her back. “You don’t want me to go?”

Charlotte hummed softly. “Sorry for being like this… but Father being away for long doesn’t feel nice.”

Eric lowered his gaze, understanding her fear.

He had abandoned them once. Charlotte had spent fourteen years of her life without her father.

It was only natural for her to feel anxious whenever he left.

The trust between them still needed time to grow, and Eric knew that well.

Gently rubbing her back, he said, “I promise, Charlotte. No matter what happens, I will always come back to you both.”

“And… what if you can’t keep your promise?” she asked.

Eric replied without hesitation. “Then stop calling me Father. Trust me, that would be the worst punishment I could ever receive.”

They soon parted. Eric kissed the top of her head and said, “Please take care of yourself and your mother while I’m away.”

Charlotte quickly asked, “Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Mom?”

Her words drew his attention to the woman sleeping with her back turned toward them.

For a brief moment, Eric felt the urge to reach out. Then he shook his head. “Let’s not wake her. If anything happens, tell Maylie to send me a message right away, alright?”

Charlotte nodded and said, “Have a safe journey, Father.”

Eric smiled warmly, nodded, and stood up.

Casting one last look at the two most important people in his life, he reluctantly left the room.

…

“Would you really not like to take lunch for the journey, sir?” Maylie asked as she followed him to the door.

“No, I’m fine. Ah, and how are you feeling right now? Chloe said you were suffering quite badly last night.”

Maylie smiled gently. “I’m getting old, sir. Some troubles are unavoidable.”

Eric hummed before saying, “If it continues, have it checked, alright?”

Maylie didn’t reply and simply watched him straighten his sleeves.

Eric turned toward her and asked, “What is it?”

Maylie shook her head, then spoke anyway. “I’ve worked for you for over twenty years, sir… but this is the first time I’ve heard genuine concern in your voice.”

Her eyes shimmered slightly as she continued, “I’m glad to see that having a family has brought such a positive change.”

Eric lowered his hands and gave her a faint smile. “Take care, Maylie.”

With those words, he stepped out of the mansion. A carriage awaited him, along with two soldiers and a butler.

“Good morning, my lord,” the butler said as he opened the carriage door.

Eric nodded and climbed inside.

Once seated, the butler asked, “Are we heading straight to the Demonade Mountains, sir?”

Eric nodded. “Yes. No detours or breaks.”

The mountains were about a day’s ride away by carriage. Normally, Eric would have used a Teleportation Gateway to save time. Using one cost as much as a middle-class man earned in a year, but money had never been his concern.

The problem was that there were no gateways anywhere near his destination.

That left him with no choice but to rely on horses and wheels.

Settling into the cushioned seat, he leaned back and closed his eyes.

The scenery outside slowly changed as the carriage rolled southward.

Eric had crash-landed in this world and was far less prepared than he should have been.

This sudden evaluation of his physical state was only the beginning. Many more challenges awaited him, or rather, awaited his daughter.

Unfortunately, Charlotte was destined to be surrounded by danger throughout the year.

Some threats could be prevented. Others could not.

Eric would focus on stopping whatever he could. And if something went wrong, he needed to be strong enough to protect the one who mattered most to him.

That was why he was heading to retrieve the relic, an item that would later be found by the protagonist.

By the time the main character discovered it in the original story, the relic barely helped his growth.

But for Eric, who was like a toddler in this world, that ancient tool would serve as a crutch to keep him from falling.

‘Well, I just hope this goes the same way it did in canon.’

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