My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess

Lantern of Agatha.

A tool once said to have been used by the Goddess of the Moon to freeze everyone on the mortal plane before she descended from the heavens.

Her role was to purify the souls of her devotees and bless the water offered to her.

That, however, was nothing more than folklore. There was no real evidence, only stories written in children’s books.

Yet what Eric held in his hand was no myth.

It was real.

Something meant to be retrieved by the main character much later in the story was now in his possession.

So what exactly did the lantern do?

Within a certain range, it froze time. It didn’t merely slow it down. Everything inside its radius was severed from the rest of the world.

With this, Eric could finally buy himself the time he desperately needed to prepare for what was coming.

The physical assessment.

He could also continue his research while using it.

There was so much he could accomplish with extra time on his hands.

With this relic, he would gain roughly two weeks before it needed to recharge for about a month.

It wasn’t efficient, but it was undeniably useful.

Imagine losing a battle with the lantern at your side. You could step out of the fight for two whole weeks, grow stronger, and return before your opponent, who would be completely powerless to stop you.

So yes, it was an invaluable tool.

“Lord, are you truly alright?” Gerald asked, having just finished tending to his wounds.

Eric nodded. “Yes, I am. But what about you?”

They were staying at an inn for the night, having decided to leave early the next morning. It was already late, and traveling now would only invite disaster.

The butler sighed. “I’ll recover in a few days. There’s nothing to worry about. But… Lord… you’ve suffered internal injuries.”

His brows furrowed with concern. “What kind of beast did you encounter?”

Eric understood his confusion. He was a master sorcerer, someone ranked highly even among warriors. For him to suffer such injuries, especially when Gerald had heard no battle cries, was strange.

More importantly, the wounds were caused by pure physical force. There were no traces of poison or traps.

That pointed to only one thing.

A direct confrontation.

Eric sighed and briefly explained what had happened.

Gerald’s eyes widened. “Such… an ability?” The old man clearly hadn’t expected his master to face something so abnormal.

“Master, I believe you may have encountered something ancient. There are no known creatures capable of absorbing magical energy from their enemies.”

Eric leaned back slightly. “What else would you expect from the guardian of an ancient relic?”

Gerald nodded, his gaze drifting toward the faintly glowing lantern resting on the table.

Eric knew his butler was curious about the relic’s true power, but he had no intention of explaining it. Some things were better kept secret.

Just then—

Knock.

A steady knock echoed through the room.

Gerald acknowledged it. “Shall I invite them in, sir?”

Eric nodded and pulled a blanket over his bare upper body.

Moments later, the door opened, and a soldier stepped inside, gripping a small girl by her shirt.

“Let me go! Guh! This is a crime!”

Her sharp voice and violent struggle made it clear she didn’t want to be there.

Eric studied her face and knew instantly.

There was no mistaking it.

“What you did earlier was a crime,” Eric said firmly. The words made her flinch.

The soldier set her down but didn’t release his hold.

“It was just a diary, not a pouch of gold! Why are you so stingy?” she snapped.

Gerald frowned. “Watch your mouth, girl. Lord could have sent you straight to prison if he wished.”

She scoffed. “Was that supposed to scare me, old geezer?”

Gerald’s left brow twitched. Old Geezer?

Eric spoke coldly, “If you want to cure your brother, then answer what I ask you, Nina.”

The words cure and brother froze her in place.

Her eyes widened. “H-How did you…”

Eric had already confirmed her situation through the soldiers.

Her brother was suffering from an illness with no simple cure. Medicine didn’t work, and no Saint had agreed to heal him, no matter how hard she tried.

With each passing day, her brother edged closer to death.

In the original flow of events, she would commit a crime that landed her in prison, where her fate only worsened.

While she struggled to escape a deranged researcher intent on draining her blood, her brother cried and begged for help. Nina never made it back in time.

In the end, she buried her only remaining family member with her own hands.

Her fate was cruel, filled with endless suffering, enough to make Eric’s heart ache just remembering it.

But now, fate had brought them together much earlier than in canon.

Eric had no intention of letting her walk the same path.

Because when he looked at Nina, he couldn’t help but see his daughter.

Cornered by the world, crushed by circumstances, and utterly alone.

Eric signaled for Gerald and the soldier to leave.

The soldier hesitated, clearly uneasy about leaving the girl alone with his injured master, but Gerald silently guided him out.

Once the door closed, Eric finally spoke.

“I can help him, Nina. I have contacts in the Church who can cure your brother.”

Nina’s heart trembled. Her voice shook with emotion. “Y-You’re lying… you’re trying to do something evil… I don’t trust you… you’re a monster… just like them.”

Eric let out a slow sigh.

This was going to be difficult.

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