My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess - Chapter 5 - Church

I entered the altar room where the other Saints were gathered, discussing something off to one side.

My eyes drifted past them and landed on the woman lying on the stone platform.

“Sir Eric,” one of the Saints stepped forward, raising his hand for a shake.

Despite how much I wanted to check on Chloe, I shook his hand and asked, “How is she?”

The Saint sighed, “Well, her situation was quite grave. Whoever planted that parasite on her must hold quite a grudge against the woman.”

I frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Then, the familiar priest, Father Robert, stepped forward and explained, “The parasite we detected is called Parathemum, or Slow Eater. It gradually takes over the host’s body, awakening their organs and killing them slowly. Truth be told, after the examination, I realized I could have never eliminated the parasite on my own. It was a wise call on your part to take the safe route.”

My shoulders loosened. His words gave me the assurance that Chloe was now safe and the parasite had been eliminated.

I looked past them and found Chloe sleeping peacefully. Her complexion was much better than when I first brought her here.

Just then, the priest who shook my hand asked, “Sir Eric… would it be alright to discuss the payment for this service?”

I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. With a curt nod, I told them, “It will be delivered to your working tables by tomorrow.”

The priest shook his head as he glanced at the others. “No, actually, we don’t want monetary payment.”

I blinked in surprise. “Oh.” Glancing briefly at Father Robert, I asked, “…so? What form of payment do you require?”

The man smiled. “If it’s acceptable to you, would you come as a guest lecturer to our Sanctuary?”

I hummed in confusion. “If I remember correctly, the Church teaches their new trainees privately without the intervention of outsiders.”

Across the continent, churches follow the same method of teaching young priests and nuns. They don’t send them to academies or other institutions. Those who take the oath to serve the Church are educated by elder Priests and Saints.

So yes, it was surprising.

The man responded with a smile, “We are well aware of your abilities, and your way of teaching is quite unique. I’m sure the young priests would learn a great deal if you could spare some time for them.”

I thought for a moment. The knowledge Eric Blackwood had accumulated over the years was vast. And as he said, Eric was quite famous for his unique way of seeing things.

It wasn’t surprising that he was the highest-paid professor in the academy, and well-known in other academies too.

Now that I thought about it, it wasn’t all that surprising that they wanted me to take a few lectures.

After a brief pause, I told them, “I believe Chloe will require frequent inspections, just to be safe. If the Church promises to check on her every weekend, I promise to repay you adequately.”

The priests exchanged glances before one of them nodded. “We hope to see you soon, Sir Eric.”

Not long after, I excused myself and stepped closer to the altar.

A nearby nun informed me, “Although the cause of her pain has been removed, she is still too weak. So please, take extra care to make sure she eats well and gets proper rest.”

I nodded and thanked her.

The woman smiled gently before excusing herself.

I stood there like a fool for a few seconds, just staring at Chloe, when suddenly I heard her voice.

“Why…”

She was awake.

Her eyes, though a little hazy, were focused on me.

I could tell exactly what she wanted to ask.

Why…

Why I changed.

Why I suddenly started to care.

Why, after all this time… I felt responsible for taking care of her.

Telling her anything right now would have sounded… fake. She was emotionally wounded—deeply.

Eric had abandoned her at the worst possible time.

She had been thrown out of her house and forced to raise a child all alone.

If I told her that I suddenly wanted to atone for my mistakes, it would sound like anything but honesty.

That’s why I chose a believable lie. “I… didn’t want my daughter to hate me because I left her mother to die.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why… of all times do you suddenly care about her?”

I answered, “She is my child, the heiress of the Blackwood family. Of course she is important to me.”

I felt like shit saying that.

What kind of person would I be if I admitted I only cared about Chloe because she gave birth to my child?

Damn… I still somehow act like the real Eric.

Chloe continued to stare at me, and I didn’t look away, even though I desperately wanted to hide my face right now.

Finally, she shook her head and turned away, facing the other side.

“Never tell her that,” she muttered.

I… was speechless.

Even though she hates me… she still doesn’t want to create friction between Charlotte and me.

As I thought, Eric doesn’t deserve this woman.

But this version of me… I am not Eric. I’m someone who has been betrayed by many, so I know exactly how Chloe must be feeling.

While I can’t promise that I’ll be the best man for her, I can at least try to become the support she never asked for but desperately needed.

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