My Adorable Daughter Can't Be A Villainess - Chapter 8 - Assurance

Charlotte sat inside the shop, even though she didn’t know who she was waiting for.

The moment she remembered that face – the man who had threatened her on the street earlier, disgust spread through her chest.

Her mother had warned her about men who saw women as nothing but flesh to be used. But only recently had Charlotte truly realized how low people could sink for greed.

Then who am I waiting for here? Why am I waiting for the other man who saved me? Didn’t Mother say to be wary of all men since they are mostly beasts inside?

No, it’s bad to think like that. He had introduced himself as her mother’s friend. Plus he has a reputation in the academy.

The revered Professor of Obsidian Spire and Count Blackwood’s eldest son.

Charlotte had read about him many times in the newspapers. They talked about his research, his accomplishments, and his influence throughout the Empire.

Eric Blackwood was the man who had solved one of the twelve great problems of mankind and had earned his name a place in the history books in golden letters.

He was not someone who should have appeared on a street like this.

That made Charlotte wonder, How is he a friend of Mom?

She didn’t know much about Professor Eric Blackwood, but something told her he had been part of the same academy her mother once attended.

After all, despite her family’s lack of backing, her mother had secured a seat in one of the most prestigious academies on the continent– the same one where Eric Blackwood now taught.

Obsidian Spire.

The same academy Charlotte had once dreamt of attending.

But now…her focus was not on her future, but on saving her mother.

“Are you going to order something, or just occupy that seat for nothing?” the server approached her. 

Her clothes made it obvious she didn’t have the money to afford anything they served here.

Charlotte gave a wry smile and was about to stand up. The server had guessed right and she was about to leave… when a low voice cut in.

“One honey milk and one herbal tea.”

Both of them turned toward the source of the voice and saw a tall man stepping closer.

The other customers also turned to look, and from their reactions, Charlotte could tell that a lot of them recognized him.

She couldn’t help but admire his commanding aura, one that seemed to steal every last murmur from the tavern and wrap the whole place in silence.

The man removed his coat and draped it over the back of the chair before gesturing to her. “Please, take your seat.”

Despite her earlier decision to leave, Charlotte sat back down.

She was so confused that it didn’t take her long before she blurted out, “Umm…did my mother meet you recently? She mentioned she was going to see an old friend. Perhaps that was you, Professor?”

The man seemed looked at her… a little conflicted about something… 

Wait, she had heard him correctly earlier, right? He had said he was her mother’s friend… hadn’t he?

Eric finally answered, his voice heavy. “Yes. She came to meet me.”

“Professor, do you happen to know where Mother is?” 

Charlotte began instinctively, then realized how rude she sounded and immediately bowed her head. “I, I’m sorry for sounding rude… It’s just, my mother is not doing well these days, so I’m really worried about her.”

One of the basic things her mother had always told her to remember when speaking with an older person, especially a noble, was to never speak right after they had spoken.

But Charlotte’s concern for her Mother had overtaken her manners, and the words slipped out.

Eric exhaled softly when he saw how worry was eating her from the inside.

He knew very well how close Charlotte and Chloe were.

He also knew that Charlotte had been saving up money to get her mother treated…but as if fate itself wanted to mock her, the day she finally returned home with the last few coins she needed, she was supposed to find her mother dead in her room.

She would have kept calling out to her, showing the coins, telling her she had worked hard so… asking for her mother not to give up, to fight one last time.

But death is impartial and cruel to all.

Charlotte was supposed to lose her mother in a few days.

And that loss would have marked the birth of the Inferno Queen, the Ruthless Sage, the disaster who would one day burn the world to ashes.

Chloe’s death played a major role in killing one of the few emotions that still made Charlotte human.

Love.

“Mister?” Hearing Charlotte’s hesitant voice, Eric was pulled out of his thoughts.

With a small shake of his head, he said, “It’s okay. I don’t mind. And I understand… you must be quite worried about her. When I saw her, I could see how bad her condition was.”

Charlotte visibly stiffened at those words before asking, “H-How is she now?”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he reassured her, “She’s better now. I brought her to the church… and they treated her illness.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened in utter shock. She stared at him as if she were seeing a ghost.

Eric didn’t push her to respond and instead waited for her to collect her thoughts.

After a long pause, she finally managed a few broken words. “A-Are you…r-really…t-telling the truth?” Her voice was thick with emotion. Tears brimmed in her large violet eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.

In a gentle voice, Eric told her, “Yes, Charlotte. Your mother is healed and is now recovering in the church. Do you want to see her?”

She nodded immediately, the tears finally spilling down her cheeks.

Just then, the server arrived at their table and placed the two drinks down.

He glanced between Charlotte and the tall man before hesitantly asking, “Is everything okay, Sir Blackwood?”

“No problems here. Let them be.” The one who answered wasn’t Eric himself but the man who had been standing quietly at his side, so still the server hadn’t noticed him until now.

He was Eric’s personal butler and the one responsible for his security.

Eric gave the man a brief nod, and the butler easily sent the staff member away.

Turning his attention back to Charlotte, Eric extended a handkerchief to her again. Fortunately, she didn’t refuse it this time.

“T-Thank you,” she muttered, taking the soft fabric and wiping her tears.

Eric smiled softly at her.

This was the same person who, in the future, would be described as a cold, ruthless, emotionless and an inhuman creature… yet she was showing so many emotions right now.

Truly, a person isn’t born a villain.

Circumstances make them.

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