Chapter 29

I stared, startled.

I never knew Papa was a man with such a past. But if he knew how to use magic, how did he lose it? That's something I would dig into later.

"Now... Griffin—Ahem, I mean Bad Uncle—answer everything I ask you now," Papa stated, smirking slightly.

"Y-Yes, sir." Bargue stammered, visibly sweating.

"Did you use hypnosis on her?" Papa's sharp gaze intensified as he leaned forward.

Bargue flinched and hesitated, but Papa's voice rose with authority.

"Come on! What is wrong with you? Answer me!"

Bargue gulped and finally admitted, "Y-Yes, sir. I did."

Papa's expression darkened immediately, his piercing eyes filled with barely restrained fury.

"You... didn't try to break her mind or something, did you?"

"No! Absolutely not, sir!" Bargue said, shaking his head vehemently. "My magic didn't even work on her!"

Papa leaned back slightly, narrowing his eyes as if assessing whether Bargue was lying.

"Hmm... I see. Aleena, come here."

I rushed to him with my tiny feet, eager to see what he wanted.

As soon as I got close, Papa pulled me into a tight hug, his warmth engulfing me.

"Aw! My cutie is so talented! You even resisted an S-rank magic!"

I giggled and hugged him back. His arms felt like a fortress protecting me from everything.

Meanwhile, Mari stared silently at the floor, too scared to even lift her head.

Papa then stood up and turned to Bargue. His voice carried a weight that made the room feel colder.

"Now that I'm here, I believe my daughter can enter the special classes. Right?"

Bargue nodded furiously. "Absolutely, sir! I'll make the arrangements immediately."

---

As we headed home, I sat on Papa's lap, clinging to him like a little monkey.

"Papa was a hero?" I asked curiously, tilting my head.

Papa chuckled and nodded. "Yes, my little princess!"

"Then why isn't Papa a hero now?" I asked, determined to uncover more about him.

Papa paused for a moment, his smile softening.

"That's not something kids should know," he said gently.

I puffed out my cheeks in frustration and tugged at his cheeks. "Tell me!"

"No!"

I tugged harder. "Tell me!"

"No!"

Annoyed, I crossed my arms and turned away from him.

"Aleena won't talk to Papa if Papa doesn't tell Aleena," I declared dramatically.

Papa gasped in mock horror. "Please don't do this to me, my little princess!"

Still, I refused to look at him.

He sighed in defeat and finally began.

"Fine... If my little princess wants to know, I'll tell her. One day, Papa fought a big monster! Really big! When the monster attacked the cities, Papa and his team tried their best but couldn't beat it. So, we trapped the monster, and now it's inside Papa."

I blinked, trying to process his words.

"Huh? Papa turned into a monster?"

"No! Well, it's... complicated. When Aleena grows up, I'll explain it again."

I pouted but decided to drop the subject for now.

When we arrived home, Mama greeted us with a warm hug.

"Aww! My cutie is looking so happy and beautiful today!" she said, lifting me into her arms.

She turned to Papa and asked, "So, how did it go?"

Papa gave her a thumbs-up, and Mama sighed in relief.

We ate dinner together, laughing and enjoying Mama's delicious cooking. The warm atmosphere made me feel safe and loved.

---

Later that night, I lay in bed, pretending to be asleep. Once the house was silent, I opened my eyes.

"It's time to get to work," I whispered to myself.

I tiptoed to Papa's room, carefully opening the door with a soft creak. He was sound asleep, his face relaxed and peaceful.

Papa had described how he sealed the monster inside himself. I remembered learning from a book in my past life that this kind of ritual was dangerous and consumed a person's magic endlessly. It also caused great pain. I couldn't bear the thought of Papa suffering anymore.

Raising my hand, I began the process of entering Papa's mind. Killing a powerful being sealed inside someone else's body would take a lot of mana, but I was determined.

"Just endure it a little more, Papa!" I whispered as sweat began to form on his forehead.

Inside his mind, I faced the monster—a giant, shadowy beast with glowing red eyes. Its roar shook the air, but I held my ground. Summoning all my magic, I attacked with everything I had.

The battle was long and exhausting, but finally, I landed the finishing blow.

"Phew," I sighed, collapsing to my knees. "Now Papa won't have to suffer, and he'll be able to use magic again."

But then, dizziness overtook me.

"What... is... going... on?" I stammered as my vision blurred.

I collapsed to the floor beside Papa's bed, struggling to stay conscious. My body felt heavy, and my magic was completely drained.

As darkness closed in, I thought, I did it... Papa can finally be free.