The Man Who Remained — His Second Life Began with a Humble Bow of Apology. - Chapter 62: Together With Father.

Together With Father.

Roza, who lived for hundreds of years while remaining a child.

Her grandparents died, then her parents died.

And yet, Roza remained a child.

Before she knew it, she had been left behind by time itself, but she only realised this after she was truly alone.

By then, it was far too late.

Everyone in the village had become younger than her, and the villagers kept their distance from her with a mixture of respect and fear.

They acknowledged her as part of them, but no one was truly close to her.

As she continued her life on the run alongside these villagers with whom she had such distant ties, Roza’s heart began to change.

But it was never a sign of growth.

The thought of “I shouldn’t rely on anyone” despite still having the heart of a child was no sign of maturity.

Had her heart grown along with time, had she matured even just within, it might have been better. But Roza’s change was not like that.

Time showed her no kindness. It stripped her of those who would have indulged her, leaving her as a child to face the harshness of the world alone.

And so, she became a child who no longer believed she was allowed to depend on anyone.

Therefore, what happened next was only natural.

Roza now sat on the lap of Vaahl, the former Demon King, the Pureblood, and master of the Crimson Rose Garden—a being as lofty as the heavens themselves.

She clung to him, seeking his warmth like a child wanting to be held.

Roza’s appearance and heart remained that of a child, except for her age.

And this child, who had never been able to rely on anyone, now finally had someone she could lean on. It was only natural she would cling to him completely.

Vaahl himself, though different from Roza, also feared loneliness.

He feared losing his companions.

He loved his kin and comrades deeply.

That was why, even as emotion threatened to burst from his chest, he tried to hold himself back, feeling overwhelming joy at Roza’s gesture.

Vaahl sat there, letting Roza do as she pleased, a genuinely happy smile on his face.

“Hehehe… father.”

As she spoke those words, Roza nuzzled her face against Vaahl’s chest.

Vaahl, caught between joy and bewilderment, turned his face towards Cross.

“W-What should I do?”

“Why don’t you pat her head or something?”

Hesitant but obedient, Vaahl reached out and gently placed his hand on the black hair of the girl nestled against his chest.

Seeing Roza’s delighted reaction, Vaahl let out a relieved, happy smile.

“Oh… As expected of the wise sage who sees through the truths of all things. My utmost gratitude to you.”

“…I’ve been called a sage for many reasons, but this is the first time anyone’s called me that for giving parenting advice.”

Rather than feeling sad or annoyed, Cross spoke with exasperated amusement.

Still, seeing how Vaahl couldn’t even think to do something as simple as patting her head showed just how nervous he was.

It also showed how deeply he cared for Roza.

That was why Cross, along with everyone else present, simply watched over the scene quietly.

After Roza had thoroughly replenished her “fatherly affection” and returned to her seat, they finally began discussing what lay ahead.

Vaahl looked slightly lonely, but everyone chose to ignore it.

“So then, what would you like to do from now on?”

Prompted by Vaahl, Roza answered without hesitation.

“I want to stay with father.”

Vaahl looked as though her words had pierced him straight through the heart and readily agreed.

“Of course. Yes, let’s stay together forever.”

An eternal promise, heavy with the weight of their long-lived kind.

Roza smiled happily at his words.

“However… may I ask one thing?”

Thinking it might be a condition, Roza nodded seriously.

“Please… be more selfish. Don’t hold back. Tell me all your hopes, your dreams, and your wishes. Grant me the right to do something for you as your father.”

Roza, looking anxious, whispered softly,

“Really… it’s okay to be selfish?”

“Yes, of course. That is a parent’s duty.”

“No, that’s not right. Spoiling children isn’t a parent’s job. That’s what grandparents are for,” Cross interjected, but both Vaahl and Roza ignored him.

Roza thought for a moment, then spoke hesitantly.

“I want to stay father’s child, but I also want to stay here. I want to eat more delicious food, try living in luxury… but more than anything, I want to see so many things.”

“And? Anything else?”

Hearing Vaahl’s words of unconditional acceptance, Roza began to pour out her desires.

She wanted to enjoy the finest life at the Demon King’s castle, sometimes visit her old village to help people, explore the castle town, buy many things—she wanted to play to her heart’s content.

After playing, enjoying, and being satisfied, she wanted to live in Vaahl’s mansion.

That was what Roza told him.

Vaahl glanced towards Aura.

“What must I prepare to entrust my beloved daughter to your care?”

“There is nothing you need to prepare. If it is a request from a Pureblood, we will gladly accept it as we have done with past Demon Kings.”

Aura smiled as she said so, thinking darkly of the favour she was gaining in return.

“Thank you. I am deeply grateful,” Vaahl said, bowing his head deeply to Aura.

“No, not at all. We will also provide her with compulsory education here. It will surely help her in life.”

“I understand. Then please—”

“I don’t want to study.”

At Roza’s sudden declaration, the room fell silent.

“…Roza. You never had a chance to receive an education, so—”

“But it’s studying, right? I’ve lived long enough. I know plenty.”

“…However, you’ve never lived outside the village. You will need—”

“Nooo. father, I don’t need to study, right?”

Roza turned to Vaahl, the most powerful person present.

Vaahl looked troubled and turned towards Aura.

Aura, too, wore a troubled expression.

“Vaahl, spoiling her alone won’t make you a parent,” Cross muttered with a wry smile.

Both Vaahl and Aura looked momentarily surprised by his words.

After thinking it over, Vaahl turned to Roza with a serious expression.

“Roza. This will be essential for your future. That’s why you must study under the Demon King.”

Roza pouted at his words.

She had thought from now on everything would go her way.

But it didn’t.

That was something her child’s heart found hard to accept.

“Why!? Why do I have to do something like that!?”

She began to throw a tantrum, banging on the table.

It wasn’t logical.

It was pure, childish selfishness.

Indeed, Roza’s heart was still that of a child.

Vaahl looked troubled.

Aura seemed on the verge of tears.

Cross and Ellie watched the scene calmly.

Children throwing tantrums was only natural.

If one claimed to be a parent, this was something they had to accept.

That was why Cross remained silent, and from his attitude, Ellie understood there was no real problem.

“…Cross-san, you’re quite used to dealing with children, aren’t you?”

Ellie spoke softly, unconcerned by Roza’s tantrum.

“Hmm? Well, I lived in a village, so I interacted with kids often. Plus, during my Hero days I went around orphanages. And anyway, until just recently I was basically a kindergarten kid myself.”

“Ah… that’s true. But… could you do something about this situation soon? Lady Aura looks like she might cry, and Lord Vaahl is sweating so much his beautiful face is about to melt.”

“…They should overcome this themselves since they’re looking after her… but, well, it is the first time. Fine.”

Cross deliberately stood from his chair with a loud scrape.

At the sound, Aura, Roza, and Vaahl all paused and turned their attention to him.

“Roza, do you like delicious food?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course.”

“Right? Especially the food here. It’s top quality, right?”

“Yeah! The ice cream was absolutely the best!”

Roza beamed as she spoke.

“Isn’t it? But don’t you want to try other tasty things too? Not just expensive ones. There’s cheap but delicious food out there as well.”

“Really? But expensive stuff is still—”

“You know, you can buy ice cream outside too.”

Roza’s ears twitched.

“On a hot day, eating ice cream before it melts, with the sun beating down… Buying it yourself and eating it yourself… it’s a special feeling.”

“Oooh…”

Roza drooled unconsciously.

“Interested?”

“Yeah! I’m super interested!”

Her childlike excitement showed clearly.

Seeing that, Cross smiled.

“But right now, Roza can’t buy it herself.”

“Eh!? Why not!?”

“Because you haven’t studied. You need to learn how to buy things, how to pay. That’s studying too. Walking around town, playing with other kids—that’s also studying.”

“…Ehh.”

Roza pouted deeply.

“But that also means there’s studying where you get to eat ice cream.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

Cross met Roza’s eyes firmly.

After a moment, Roza’s expression brightened into an obvious, cheerful smile.

“Then… studying might be okay sometimes! I’ll study properly!”

Hearing her words, so quick to change, Aura let out a great sigh of relief, and Vaahl exhaled in relief as well.

“Vaahl. I’ve never been a parent myself, but… responsibility is heavy, you know?”

Though said with a teasing grin, Cross’s words came from the depths of his heart.

Vaahl smiled wryly and nodded.

“Yes… I shall accept that deeply weighty advice with gratitude. Truly… even after living so long, there is still so much I cannot do. Ah… it seems I still have reason to keep living.”

He said this as he gazed at Roza, who was smiling brightly.

Surely, she would cause him no end of trouble in the days to come.

But thinking of that, Vaahl felt as though each day from tomorrow onwards would be filled with joy once again.

For the first time in a long while, he felt the hope of a bright dawn.

That night, Cross returned to his room for the first time in a long while and flopped onto his bed.

“Ah… this bed really is comfortable. I wonder how much it would cost to buy one like this.”

He patted the mattress softly as he spoke.

At that moment, he heard a knock at the door.

“Hah… For me to be able to tell who it is just by the knock. Come in.”

As expected, it was Mercurius who appeared.

“Pardon my intrusion, Master. Is there anything troubling you?”

Mercurius swept aside her long silver hair as she spoke.

“Your hair’s really beautiful. Nah, nothing in particular. Thanks for checking.”

“I shall take that compliment as well as your lack of complaints. But… that matter this morning. You handled it well. For reference, might I hear the reasoning behind your actions?”

“That matter?”

“Your actions towards Lady Roza. Both His Excellency and Lady Vaahl were at a loss, yet you resolved it so smoothly. I wish to learn for future reference.”

“Oh… kids don’t really respond to logic or reason. And even gently pointing out their mistakes often backfires. In those times, it’s best to distract them with something else fun or interesting. That’s the official, not untrue reason… but this time, it was just a pretext.”

“Oh? Meaning there was another reason?”

“Can you promise not to tell anyone?”

“I swear.”

Cross nodded at those words, smiling wryly.

“To be blunt… Roza was only pretending to resist.”

“Oh? Explain.”

“Think about it. Roza’s a child, but she’s lived for hundreds of years. Alone, at that. She acts selfish, but she understands perfectly well how pointless true tantrums are.”

“Meaning?”

“In short, she just… wanted to trouble her father.”

Cross smiled softly as he spoke.

He had accepted her as kin.

He had acknowledged her as his daughter.

He had promised to treasure her.

And yet, despite all that, Roza still felt anxious.

Because they did not share blood, she could not rid herself of that unease.

“Whether human or monster, it’s the same. When children feel anxious, they sometimes act out just to get attention.”

“…I see. If I may, two questions arise from that. First, how did you know?”

“I saw it often in the orphanages I visited. Kids who’d lash out at friends or foster parents on purpose, just to trouble them.”

“Understood. And the second question: why did your words calm her down?”

“Because… the moment her father showed he cared, she was already satisfied. But having raised her hand in defiance, she didn’t know how to lower it. My intervention just gave her an excuse to do so.”

“…I see. I cannot say if that is correct or not, lacking the experience. But I now understand that you are perceptive to a child’s heart.”

“I don’t know the right answer either. Every kid is different. Roza was just… easy to read this time.”

“To call Lady Roza easy to read… most children would be manageable for you, then. Very well. My questions are answered. Now, may we proceed to tomorrow’s plans?”

Cross nodded, and Mercurius began explaining their departure from the Demon King’s castle the following day.