My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess

A wave of festivity swept through Blackwood Manor as everyone busied themselves with preparations for the event.

Every maid and butler had stepped away from their usual duties, throwing their energy into welcoming their master and celebrating his birthday.

Still, a few of them remained hesitant.

Eric had always dismissed such gatherings as pointless and a waste of time.

However, after Maylie and Chloe reassured them, with Charlotte even resorting to puppy eyes, they finally agreed to take the risk and celebrate Eric’s birthday for the first time since they had begun serving him.

Chloe was in the kitchen with her daughter, who was energetically whisking batter in a pot.

Charlotte was determined to prepare the cake herself, so Chloe did not stop her. Still, since it was her first attempt and Charlotte did not want her father to receive a disastrous cake, the little girl insisted her mother stay by her side.

“You’re making it too thick. Did you taste the sugar properly? Let me see.” Chloe took a spoonful and sampled the batter. “Hmm… you need more flour. This is far too sweet,” she said.

Charlotte tilted her head and tasted it as well. “Hmm? I think it’s perfectly sweet though, Mom.”

Chloe huffed. “Have you ever seen him eat dessert, or even add milk to his tea?”

Charlotte blinked in surprise, then smiled awkwardly and shook her head.

Just then, Maylie chimed in, “I believe if it’s made by young miss, then master would even eat plain blocks of sugar.”

At that, Charlotte’s face lit up. “Yep, that’s right. And birthday cakes are supposed to sweeten your mood, so this is fine.”

Chloe shrugged and chose not to argue.

Considering the changes she had seen in Eric recently, Chloe thought he might actually enjoy the cake.

Just then, Maylie spoke up, “My lady, the dresses you requested have arrived.”

Chloe smiled helplessly. “I only asked for one…”

The maid returned a fond smile and gently urged, “Please come and choose which one you will wear today.”

Chloe sighed, then nodded in agreement.

However, just as they were about to leave, another maid hurried into the kitchen and announced, “Lord Blackwood is here.”

Charlotte’s face lit up instantly. “Father has arrived?”

Maylie frowned, studying the maid’s expression for a brief moment before correcting her gently. “No… it’s your grandfather, young miss.”

….

Eric sighed as he watched the two children seated across from him.

Cradling her little brother in her arms was the same pink-haired girl who had tried to steal his diary yesterday.

The boy she held looked to be around seven years old, with long gray hair and a deathly pale face. He was wrapped in a thick blanket, yet his entire body trembled violently.

He had been force-fed the nectar of cyrotol, a flower that grows only at the south and north poles.

That incident had occurred almost six months ago, and since then, the boy had lived in constant pain and suffering.

Without warning, the fluids inside his body would begin to freeze, locking him in place and leaving his skin frostbitten. No amount of heat or layers could ease it. If this continued, his blood would eventually freeze as well, leading to his inevitable death.

“What is it?” Nina asked, her brows knitting together.

Eric hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you know who fed him that poison?”

Nina’s shoulders slumped, her eyes turning hollow for a brief instant before she replied, “Someone… we trusted. Someone who was like a mother to us.”

Eric already knew who that person was and why Nina had grown to despise older people so deeply.

Still, he needed to ask. It was the only way to get her to open up.

He could not hand her over to any orphanage. To her, such places were nothing short of a nightmare.

And he had never once considered contacting the authorities back in Demonade, for one simple reason.

Her blood.

Nina possessed a special bloodline that allowed her to rewind the state of anything to its optimal condition.

A half-eaten or rotten apple, for example, could be reverted to a fresh, ripe one.

When the authorities had discovered this ability by accident, they had seen Nina as nothing more than an endless source of elixir.

Thankfully, that would never happen in reality.

“What do you plan to do after your brother is healed?” Eric asked softly.

Those words brought Nina a surprising sense of comfort. The confidence in his voice, the certainty that her brother would be healed, eased the tension in her shoulders, if only a little.

Still, lowering her guard was never an option. “Don’t worry, I won’t run away without repaying you,” she said with a dry chuckle.

Eric hummed. “Do you realize I would need to gather at least three Saints to heal your brother? And that would cost me more than thirty thousand gold coins.”

Nina’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening in disbelief. “T-Thirty…?!”

She did not even know if such an absurd amount truly existed.

She had worked relentlessly for the past six months, and through stealing, all she had managed to gather was six hundred gold coins.

Her head began to feel numb, her vision blurring at the edges.

How was she supposed to repay him now…

Eric let out a small chuckle at her reaction before saying, “Don’t worry. I have a different method of repayment in mind.”

Nina stiffened. Her grip on her brother tightened as she snapped, “As I thought… you’re just like those nasty old men who prey on little girls.”

Eric shook his head, unsurprised by her conclusion.

He did not feel offended. Given what she must have endured in the outside world, her reaction was understandable.

Meeting her gaze, Eric calmly explained, “In exchange for saving your brother, I want you to become my daughter’s friend.”

Nina blinked, stunned. “Huh?”

Eric nodded. “After the Saints examine your brother, we’ll go meet her.” A faint smile crossed his lips. “I’m sure she’d love to meet you.”