"You saw... didn't you?"

I can only nod.

"Yes, I am part-oni... And my affinity is [Dark]," he smiled and tucked his bang outward, revealing his whole face and the two tiny horns gathered on the right side of his face. They were really tiny and grew curled up, so it was possible for him to grow his bang to cover them.

"Wow... that's cool!" Alt-nii was exasperated seeing Rupert's horns. I think the type of horns that he has is quite rare.

"Are you... afraid, Lyra?" Rupert asked.

"Eh? Uhm, no...," I shook my head quickly.

"Really? I heard about your reaction to Dark magic and I thought you'd be quite scared to know that a part-oni and a [Dark] magic user is right here, close to your proximity," Rupert's expression started to loosen as if he was relieved by my answer.

Ah... when we first met and when Gale revealed his part-dwarf blood, Gale was encouraging Rupert to reveal his oni blood, yet Rupert seemed reluctant to say anything...

Could it be because of me?

He thought I'd be more guarded and put my distance if I knew he was part-oni... so he didn't reveal that so I could pose as his daughter just fine...

I lowered my head, thinking.

Could it be that I was too biased...?

I hated the people who bullied, exiled, and judged me because of my Dark affinity in the past as Reinst... but could it be that I was also doing the same thing? To be prejudiced against something without any good reason?

Realizing that the possibility of my being biased exists, I contemplated. Of course, there was also trauma involved in my reluctance to learn Dark magic... but could it also stem from my prejudice?

-

"Alright, I think the officers would be here soon, so let's tidy it up," Dad concluded as he looked down on the captured kidnappers.

"Okay, let me go down to check on them and to get some medicine for Gale," Rupert silently moved outside, with his shoulders sustaining Gale's injured body.

"I would love to interrogate you all right now, but... be thankful that the kids are here. You need to spill everything out after this," he said.

Hearing those words, Miss Trouble suddenly laughed.

Who knows what triggered her to suddenly laugh like a madman--but I sensed that her eyes glittered with idea just now... perhaps it was just my imagination?

"What's so funny?" Dad had his icy glare again when he looked at Miss Trouble.

Miss Trouble glowered at Dad. Although I'm sure that Dad has the right to scowl at her, not the other way around, seeing the current situation... Dad standing tall while Miss Trouble was all tied up on the floor.

However, Miss Trouble only laughed again.

"What's your objective?" Dad continued to ask her.

"Hmmm? Why should I tell you? Would it suffice to say that... for now, we'd love you to renounce your title as Duke! You don't deserve that noble rank!"

Dad raised his eyebrows.

"Oh. You are one of those who opposed my assignation to resume the title of Hartmann's Duke?" Dad said, as if he was used to handling people like her.

"Yes!!" Miss Trouble hissed.

Dad sighed.

"Which noble house hired you to do this? If you have any problem with me, then shouldn't you be aiming for me, and not the children? You want to threat me using the children?"

"That is... another agenda of ours, but we can kill two birds with a stone that way," Miss Trouble's eyes stared back at us, as if she felt some kind of excitement from saying it.

"...Enough. I'll be tearing off your mask right now," Dad moved closer to Miss Trouble, after deciding that it was no use asking her anything right now. Perhaps having her identity might help.

But before Dad managed to touch her mask...

[Hlynrian hnitan] (Thundershock)

Electric spark was emitting from her body—wait, did she really electrocute herself to send the electric spark flying, in order to prevent Dad from getting closer to her?!

"Ha... haha!! How did you think that you deserved the noble title of Duke, when you're nothing but a mad lunatic?!" Miss Trouble asked Dad, without any hint of her feeling hurt from the electric shock running through her body.

Eh?

Dad only heaved a long sigh.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh? But I know how you came to gain that Duke title!! We are really much alike!!"

Dad's expression stiffened at her words. Miss Trouble's eyes flashed with happiness.

Wh... what is it?

Is this Miss out of her mind?

There is no way they are alike at all.

"...We are not alike at all. I am not a mad lunatic like you," Dad said calmly.

At that time, I could hear footsteps rushing to our room.

"But... But you snatched the Duke title after killing your own family!!"

Miss Trouble's cold voice echoed through the room. At the same time, the door's opened, and I could see Mom standing there, surprised to hear the mad lady's words.

What...?!

Altaire and I are standing there in our surprise and confusion. Our pupils are widened, our gazes are filled with disbelief.

"You murdered your own flesh and blood, you're mad like me, how come you claim yourself deserving the Duke title, when you obtained it in such a dirty way?!"

Since there was no response, Miss Trouble continued to spout such a nonsense.

I mean, there's no way a person as gentle and kind as Dad would be capable of doing familicide, right?

Miss Trouble's only spouting nonsense to cause a rift in our family...

"Every single of them deserved to die, for they have made a lot of people suffer."

To the contrary, the words I heard from Dad's mouth were not words of denial. His icy voice could be heard instead, his face twisted with hatred.

In that instant, I felt as if I didn't know my dad at all.

Alt-nii and I could only look at him, our minds drawing a blank.

Miss Trouble seemed to be laughing at the spectacle, but for some reason, my mind omitted her laugh.

...Dad?