Father, I Won’t Do Anything - Chapter 61

When Arnen, who tried to pick a fight with Jayna disappeared, she began to concentrate on horseback riding once again.

However she soon had to let go of the reins once again.

“Neighhh!”

It was because a horse with wings descended from the sky.

“What is that? Is there something wrong with my eyes……?”

“A horse can have wings…… No, can horses fly?!”

People around Jayna rubbed their wide-open eyes.

The white horse that came down from the sky had a white horn, and its eyes shone like eyes in the light.

“Neigghh!”

As it descended onto the earth, it began galloping towards the training grounds. People rushed to try and stay away from the horse.

“Argh!”

Arnen was no exception.

He was busy riding away with the horse-riding skills he boasted about to Jayna.

It was an attitude which showed that it didn’t matter whether the people around were surprised.

(Q/N: meaning, Arnen only cared about himself.)

At the riding grounds where everyone else had fled, Jayna, who stayed still, faced a white horse.

Jayna slowly approached the white horse and asked.

“What’s wrong?”

Unlike her noisy surroundings, she was noticeably calmer.

“Jayna!”

Princess Elia, who was far away, was running towards them with her sword drawn. However, Jayna wasn’t worried in the least.

Rather, she took a step closer to the horse and met its gaze.

“……!”

The horse stepped back in surprise when Jayna made eye contact.

Then, it quieted as if it had died.

Princess Elia, who ran towards them, put the sword back in its sheath with a bewildered expression.

“What happened……?”

“The more alert the animal, the more they respond to my aura.”

Princess Elia immediately understood what Jayna meant.

Jayna was someone part of the race said to be the peak of all races, the Dragon Race.

The white horse immediately felt a predator’s aura in Jayna’s eyes.

“The horse is smart. Its personality shows that too.”

As Jayna calmed the white horse, people in the distance murmured.

“Oh my, did it really stop walking towards her?”

“Is she just good with her words?”

Arnen, who watched everything from afar, mumbled with a tired expression.

‘What’s wrong with her…….?’

Is she even human? Is there no normal person around Rosian?

When the situation had calmed down to some extent, a man in the distance rode towards them on a large wolf.

“Melvestan!”

“Neighh!”

The white horse neighed loudly in response to his voice. Princess Elia, who saw this, spoke after a sigh.

“You’re too late.”

“Goodness, did this guy already make a fuss? Sadly, I couldn’t help it, the two of us just fought.”

While scratching his bushy-brown beard, the man said,

“Elia, have you been well?”

“Yes. Though, I would have been better off if someone didn’t let a horse run loose.”

“Haha, I haven’t been in contact as of late, but when I did stop by, it seems like I bothered you.”

Despite the man’s shabby clothes, he and the princess seemed close.

He smiled sheepishly and then looked around.

“That guy’s in trouble because he doesn’t properly listen to me these days. It happens especially in front of others. He always ran around wildly……

Elia, how did you quieten him down?”

“I didn’t, this child was the one who did it.”

“Child?”

Only then did the man turn his head to look at Jayna. It seemed that he just noticed her presence.

“Huh……? I’ve seen this face before.”

The man tilted his head, and extended his face towards Jayna.

“Have we met each other before?”

“No, I don’t remember such an incident.”

“That’s weird. I’m not usually someone who forgets a person’s face…….”

The man jumped onto the wolf as he scratched the corner of his face.

“Bezriche! You were still alive? How did you get younger?”

The wolf, suddenly hit by a direct attack of the man’s butt, voiced protest and the man scratched his head and apologized.

[T/N: Direct attack as the man just jumped onto the wolf]

“Even though we’ve met after a long time, not much has changed. This child is not Bezriche, but her daughter.”

Instead of Jayna who simply titled her head, Elia spoke so to the man, as if he was pathetic. The man scratched the back of his head.

“Bezriche. Yeah, she does look like Bezriche. Why didn’t I think she was her daughter?”

Considering the fact he acted casually with Elia and spoke fondly of Jayna’s mother, it was clear he was an old colleague of her mother.

Jayna politely bowed to the man.

[T/N: As in korean-greetings bow, not I’m-sorry-that-I-hit-you-with-my-car-and-when-you-got-

amnesia-i-pretended-to-be-you-and-stole-your-money-and-lover bow]

“Hello, my name is Jayna.”

“I’m Seidan Albert. I don’t know whether you know, but I’m a summoner dealing with divine beasts…… I sealed the demon king along with your mother.”

Seidan Albert.

The nightmare of Keald Cliff.

Jayna’s eyes widened after learning the identity of this man.

He had a shabby appearance, but he was the greatest summoner on the continent.

“He may look pathetic, but he’s a man with good skills.” (Elia)

“Haha…… I’ve become a person who can’t be trusted even by a child.” (Seidan)

“It’s because you can’t properly tame your summoned animal.” (Elia)

“Anyways, thank you for helping quieten the horse, Jayna.”

Horse……?

When Jayna tilted her head, Elia said,

“He’s talking about that pegasus. Albert really doesn’t have good taste in naming things.”

“Even if one was a dragon, they would have been surprised to see a pegasus for the first time, but you’re surprisingly calm. If Bezriche had seen this scene, she would have boasted about how you were her daughter.” (Seidan)

“Bezriche isn’t like that.” (Elia)

“Don’t all parents who have daughters like to boast about them?” (Seidan)

Seidan tilted his head as he continued speaking

“Well…… if you have a mother, you have a father too. So, who’s your father? As far as I know, Bezriche only had Diamide. Ah sorry. The two broke up. God, suddenly mentioning your mother’s ex-lover…….”

“You don’t have to apologize. Diamide is Jayna’s father.” (Elia)

“……What?”

Seidan jumped out once again.

“Diamide? That guy, hasn’t he been going around saying that Bezriche betrayed him for a while now?”

“You can’t say that in front of the child.”

“God, I’m so sorry. I’ve made several mistakes today…….”

Seiden was stunned and barely able to change the subject.

“Then, are you living in the dragon tribe, or in the Tower of Wizards?”

“I live in the Tower of Wizards.”

“Then, I want to see Diamide’s face…… Ah, ouch, Elia, why are you hitting me?”

“I’ll explain everything later, so shut up.”

Elia glanced back at him and continued,

“And, calm down. Your words might cause a fuss again.”

* * *

The pegasus, the horse said to have caused a fuss because of its fight with Seiden.

“I gave this guy sweets a few times, then he said that he wouldn’t eat anything but unhealthy food…….”

[T/N: This guy = pegasus]

Seidan also added that the horse liked sweet apples, but he forgot to give them, and gave onions instead.

“It was my fault.”

Seidan scratched his head with a lazy gesture though he was not relaxed.

He was a man with dull corners in many ways.

‘Well, even I wouldn’t recognize the child of a dead colleague as my own…….’

[T/N: I think this means that even though Seidan was dull in many ways, even he wouldn’t do something ‘dumb’ like recognizing the child of a dead colleague as his own. Though, for the life of me, I can’t get how it’s dumb]

“He must be busy taking care of his kid, so there’s no way that he’s interested in other people. I don’t have many friends…… The only people I meet up with are old colleagues like Elia.”

Jayna was currently riding the pegasus along with Seidan. This was because Seidan himself said he would take Jayna to the Tower.

Looking down, Jayna could see Arnen doltishly staring at the pegasus.

There was a reason why the lazy Seidan took her all the way to the Tower.

– Please see whether Jayna is doing well while at the Tower. Rosian says she’s okay, but an adult’s perspective is different from a child’s.

– Can’t you go there yourself? As Micheal’s aunt that is.

– If I do, it’ll seem like the Empire is involved with the happenings in the Tower. Even so, Rosian does often visit the Tower, so much so that word has gotten out.

“Seidan seems to be on good terms with his summoned beast.”

Jayna said as she saw the pegasus complaining unhappily to Seidan.

[T/N: They’re on good terms as otherwise pegasus would just be stoic, but he’s friendly and

open with his emotions.]

“Well, I was the one who summoned them so I have no choice but to take care of them. Anyways, why isn’t your father taking responsibility?”

Elia purposely talked about the situation behind Jayna’s back, but Seidan was so excited he didn’t even think about it.

[T/N: Excited to know more]

Unlike Seidan however, the person involved was calm.

“Well, I don’t really need a father.”

“What?”

“I’m satisfied with what I have right now. I never thought I was unhappy because I didn’t have a father.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t mean all children without parents are unhappy…… but those who don’t take responsibility are trash.”

Seidan’s eyes narrowed.

It was a pity that a cold and blunt person like Elia had to take Jayna to social gatherings and teach her horse-riding.

In his youth, Seiden had lived in a warehouse without anyone taking care of him, and was furious because Jayna reminded him of his past self.

‘Diamide Bellaphanian, you bastard.’

Just because Diamide was sloppy didn’t mean he didn’t understand human reason.

Having distanced himself from humans for many years, he should have had an innocence that did not compromise on injustice.

“We’re here.”

The gatekeeper’s eyes widened as Seidan descended from the pegasus.

“Tell Diamide I am here to see him.”

There were only a few people who could mention the first name of Diamide, who the people of the Tower regarded as God; so the gatekeepers were very nervous and polite.

“Who are you, and where do you come from?”

“If you tell Diamide its Seidan Albert, he’ll understand.”

The gatekeepers were shocked to hear Seidan’s name and rushed inside to contact Diamide.

He indeed was someone who could comfortably call Diamide’s name.

Seidan was a person with a history of sweeping away all the evil spirits from the cliff.

[T/N: Keald Cliff]

“The Tower Lord is on his way now. Would you like to go in and wait? Feel free to sit in the drawing room…….”

“No, I don’t wish to. I’ll be following this kid around the Tower.”

The gatekeepers looked down at Jayna with amazement.

It’s amazing enough to be able to monopolize the attention of Micheal and Hilvenzia, but they couldn’t believe she was also close to the hero Seiden.

Jayna looked up at Seidan as she entered the Tower.

“What would you like to look at in the Tower?”

“Any place would be great. Show me where you usually are or where you like to go.”

Seidan grinned. He had a good looking smiling face.

Jayna stared at him blankly.

This was a request from Elia and above all, Jayna was the daughter of his old colleague, Bezriche. So, Seidan would have felt a strange intimacy with her though they just met.

‘You seem to care enough about me to curse at the Tower Lord.’

Jayna thought he misunderstood something…… she didn’t really want to be recognized as the daughter of the Tower Lord.

“Then, first of all, I’ll show you my favorite place in the tower, the library where I’ve spent a lot of time.”

Jayna headed towards the library in the Tower with a brisk pace.

The library was located in the basement of the tower, but the Tower was built to ensure every place was well-lit. Thanks to this, a flower garden beautifully decorated the entrance of the library.

‘It’s a landmark of the Tower.’

Jayna excitedly walked around and talked,

“Even a small person like me can freely take out books.”

Jayna proudly showed the sight of an unknown light in the hall pulling out a book.

“That’s amazing.”

Seiden smiled on the outside, but on the inside, he couldn’t hide his complicated feelings.

“So how long do you usually stay in the library?”

“Well, there are a lot of days where I stay here from morning until I go to bed.”

Seiden’s expression hardened at those words.

He looked around.

The library was obviously a great place that didn’t lack anything, but a bleak and heavy atmosphere prevailed beyond its beauty.

Since the Tower was a place where elite people were selected and taken in, tests, assignments, and research was conducted at all times, wizards had no choice but to compete to survive in it.

That was why tension always filled the library.

Seiden’s eyes sank as he looked at the wizards’ blank eyes, trembling hands, and chapped lips.

‘At this place, a wizard who wishes to use Jayna as an experiment could appear.’

It would not be strange if a person died right now.

Even if a person dies, these people would just think about their futures and start reading a book without blinking an eye

‘Truth, power, and reason.’

No matter how much Jayna liked reading, it was not good for her to continue to be exposed to this environment.

‘You shouldn’t trust wizards who only know about research.’

Seiden calmly looked at the library with cold eyes.

‘She isn’t here for just an hour or two…… is this because there’s no one here taking care of you? This is just blatant neglect.’

Unbeknownst to Jayna, Seidan, while he wore a serious expression, was deeply worrying about. Meanwhile, Jayna was thinking of the next place to visit.

Seidan asked Jayan a question in an off-hand manner.

“Did you use to live in a warehouse?”

“Did you hear that from Princess Elia? Well, it’s true. Later on, it was renovated with magic, so it wasn’t much of an inconvenience. Rather, it was a comfortable and nice place.”

Jayna added that it was a storage room, not a warehouse.

[T/N: ….did I mess up tls? Yes, I may have TwT. Storage room is basically the same meaning as warehouse so I may have messed up its meaning. I’m sorry. Apparently it’s a storage room, so let’s go with that for the rest of the story? ]

But the fact that she had breathed in stale air didn’t disappear.

‘Diamide, you fucking bastard.’

Seiden was harshly swearing at Diamide on the inside, but then he heard a cat cry from somewhere.

“Nyaa.”

“Ah, Izren.”

As a summoner, Seiden immediately recognized that the cat in front of him was not an ordinary one.

Poof!

Perhaps because it was a deserted hallway, but Izren immediately turned into a person.

“Hello Jayna.”

“Seidan, this is Izren, my escort. Izren, this is Seidan, a former colleague of my mother’s.”

As an escort, he must spend a lot of time with Jayna.

“I’ll take a break for a moment.”

Seiden talked to Izren while Jayna went to the bathroom.

“Well, I’m curious whether Jayna has been doing well here, so what do you think? Has she ever been treated unfairly?”

“Treated unfairly…….”

Izren’s expression became serious.

“A teacher hit Jayna, but it wasn’t her fault.”

“What?”

“Jayna told me not to tell anyone about it though.”

Seidan’s expression hardened after hearing Jayna’s story, who quietly endured abuse at the hands of the harpsichord teacher because she was afraid.

And then he was shocked to see the monster flower garden that Jayna showed him as the last place in the tour.

“Isn’t it cute?”

[T/N: If that’s cute, so am I]

The monster plant, which definitely couldn’t be called cute, was several times taller than Jayna, and Seidan, an adult male, had to tilt his head to the farthest possible to be able to see it…….

“……How tall is this thing?”

“I’m not sure.”

Seiden was at a loss for words as he watched the monster plants struggle to reach the sky.

Woosh-

‘There are some healthy animals here because people live here. The sound of birds is calming…….’

“My god!”

At that moment, a monster plant swallowed a bird flying in the sky in one go.

Jayna covered her mouth and let out a soft exclamation.

“Oh my. The bird was eaten.”

“……Are you okay with that happening”

“It’s the cycle of life.”

“No it isn’t, there aren’t any monster-plants like that in nature.”

This was not right.

It really wasn’t right.

This would totally ruin a child’s education!

Seidan’s face hardened.

So he shouted out as soon as Diamide came to visit him.

“That child, I’ll take her as my stepdaughter!”

* * *

Diamide was on his way back from some work, and wondered what was going on when he heard that Seidan visited the Tower after so long.

However,

“That child, I’ll take her as my stepdaughter!”

In an instant, Diamide’s mind turned white.

He did not always act rationally, Diamide just licked his lips quietly. He felt everything that he had learned so far felt useless.

‘You want to take that kid……?’

Before Diamide could utter a word, Seidan continued speaking.

“I’ve heard that you haven’t even recognized her as your daughter, and it’s been three years since she arrived at the Tower at ten.”

“……What are you trying to imply?”

“What you’re doing to her is a type of child abuse called neglect. Don’t you know the opposite of love is indifference?”

Seidan stared at Diamide with eyes filled with contempt.

It was clear to Seidan that his old colleague, who judged everything based only on skill, had abandoned his daughter.

‘If I leave like this, I wonder whether she’ll be used as an experiment or something more long-term…….’

Seidan’s eyes shone sharply to avoid being pushed back by Diamide’s intense spirit.

“Even if Bezriche betrayed you, her child is innocent.”

“……Do you think you have the right to say those words?

“Bezriche had saved my life on the battlefield multiple times. Jayna may be the daughter of an enemy to you, but to me, she is the daughter of a saviour.”

Seidan also added another statement which expressed just how fed-up he was.

“I honestly didn’t expect you to be this big of a scum, Diamide.”

Seidan’s words stabbed Diamide in the chest because all that he said was correct.

Diamide was someone who was always logical.

He always kept his composure in any debate or argument, and never lost when it came to logical things.

However, Diamide couldn’t say anything at that moment.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

When Diamide continued to be quiet, Seidan snorted and said,

“If you don’t have anything to say, I shall give you a choice. Send that kid to either me or someone else.”

“……!”

“To be honest, I’m not yet ready to raise a child. However, I can at least be a better guardian and raise her better than you.”

“…….”

Diamide left his seat without being able to refute anything said by Seiden.

Unlike usual, Diamide didn’t return to his bedroom by using Space-Movement magic. Rather, he went to a nearby garden to cool his head.

But then, Diamide saw Jayna walking from the other side.

“……!”

Without realizing it, he hid behind a pillar.

Diamide himself didn’t know why he was acting like that.

His body just moved instinctively.

“Seidan.”

Jayna approached Seidan, it seemed that she hadn’t noticed Diamide.

However, Seiden seemed to have noticed that Diamide was hiding behind the pillar and looking towards his direction.

“Yes, Jayna…….”

While talking to Jayna, he did not take his eyes off the pillar where Diamide was hiding for a very long time.

Soon after he properly faced Jayna, he looked into her eyes and asked,

“……Hey, have you thought about coming with me?”

“About that…….”

“Honestly, I really do want you to come with me.”

He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but Diamide continued to listen to the conversation.

Diamide’s shoulders tensed up.

“It’s weird to say this, but I’m the first person ever to be considered a summoner. I could give you anything you want.”

Even when Diamide heard those words, they felt sweet. He thought it was better than being treated as mere luggage without a solid position in the Tower.

‘I won’t be able to win Jayna’s heart…….’

These days, Jayna had been avoiding him. It was clear that even face-to-face contact was uncomfortable for her.

Nevertheless, should she still stay at the Tower? Would she truly be happy here?

“If you want, I could help you get adopted by someone else. I’ll surely be careful to check whether they’re strange or not.”

Like this, did he have to let Jayna go like this?

‘I haven’t even done anything yet……. All I’ve done is say vicious words…….’

Diamide involuntarily lowered his head.

How he wished he could turn back time.

‘Then, from the first moment you came here, I would have hugged you and said you were my daughter…….’

It was only natural for Jayna to stay away from him.

But, but……

Couldn’t she give him a bit of time so he could properly atone? Couldn’t she allow him to approach her, even a little?

Diamide closed his eyes and clenched his teeth because he didn’t feel confident enough to hear her answer.

[T/N: Confident that she would refuse]

It was then.

“There’s no need. The Tower Lord is good to me.”

“What?”

“He gave me a luxurious room…….”

Jayna explained to Seidan how good the Tower was to her.

There were no signs of resentment on her face as she spoke.

“Most of all, he saved me when I collapsed from allergies.”

‘Me…… Did you think of me in a good light? Yet you still don’t recognize me as your father……?’

Diamide couldn’t help but blankly stare at Jayna.

“Of course, it may seem that I’m left all alone, but I’m a dragon and don’t require protection. I’m much stronger than humans,”

Jayna’s usually expressionless eyes bent beautifully as she smiled.

“There’s also brother Micheal in the Tower. Izren and Yurika too. Brother Micheal is pretty blunt but full of affection for me. Hilvenzia is someone who always makes food for me. Furthermore…….”

[T/N: Jayna used Oraboni, which is a formal way to say big brother in korean]

Seidan, who was quietly listening to Jayna, interrupted her, realized something and asked a question.

“Then, what do you think of Diamide?”

“What?”

“All the people you mentioned seem to favor you. What about Diamide? Do you think he gave you a good room because he favors you?”

Jayna’s eyes, which had bent up beautifully, straightened. She was quiet for a bit, and then uttered a single word.

“No.”

It was a cynical and indifferent answer, unlike the question she had answered with an innocent face before.

Diamide felt that those words struck him like how a dagger would.

While looking at Seidan, Jayna continued to speak.

“Seidan, you’re someone sharp.”

“Jayna, you don’t want to stay in the Tower because of Diamide, right?”

“That’s right. I want to remain in the Tower not because of him, but because of the people around me. While it is true that I’m indebted to the Tower Lord, I don’t think he helped me out of his goodwill or favor.”

At her words, Diamide felt his heart drop.

He stood there as if he were nailed to the spot, not feeling Seiden looking where he stood.

It was because even the slightest expectation that remained had disappeared.

How excited and delighted Diamide was when he heard that she wished to remain in the tower, and that the Tower Lord was good to her.

However, she did not want to remain in the Tower because of her expectations or any feelings of love or hate for him.

Micheal, Hilveniza, Izren…… It was even because of the maid he assigned to her.

‘There’s no place in Jayna’s heart for me to squeeze in.’

Whether it’s for anger, hatred or revenge.

“Thank you so much for your suggestion, Seidan. I know you said what you did because you think of me…… but I don’t want to leave the precious people who reside in the Tower.”

“Then, if you had just arrived at the Tower, would you have accepted my offer?”

Jayna answered.

“Yes.”