Chapter 36
Deokbae Asil was a famous figure in the royal capital.
Although he was a low-ranking noble, he had exceptional scholarship and graduated at the top of his class from the Royal Academy. He was also handsome, and many noble ladies adored him.
For that reason, many people envied and resented him, but they all fell for Deokbae Asil’s character and became his close friends.
His abilities earned him a position as a scribe for the kingdom, a post previously open only to high-ranking nobles. Far from being looked down on for his status, he immediately became a promising official favored by the prime minister.
Many families therefore tried to bring him in as a son-in-law, but he chose Elize Linz, who was likewise a low-ranking noble.
People mocked his choice, calling him foolish for giving up a chance at advancement, but on their wedding day, the beautiful couple’s appearance moved them to offer their heartfelt congratulations.
The two vowed to live happily together for the rest of their lives, and everyone believed they would.
However, their happiness was shattered when a daughter was born to them.
Cecilia Asil possessed magical power from birth.
The moment she came into the world, she cried and released her magic, destroying all sorts of things around her.
Everyone who had gathered to celebrate was shocked by the sight, and in their shock, someone blurted out:
“…S-She’s a witch! A witch has been born!”
The people should have condemned those who hurled curses at a newborn child, but they too seemed to agree with those words in their hearts.
At the sight, the couple drove everyone outside.
To the couple, she was simply their beloved daughter, born blessed with magical power.
But their misfortune was not over.
Elize, whose health had always been frail, fell ill with an unknown disease and took to her bed.
Deokbae Asil believed she would recover and get back on her feet in no time, but reality was cruel.
Even after he called for doctors and priests, no one could determine what illness she had.
All he could do was watch his wife waste away with each passing day.
Then a sinister rumor began circulating through the royal capital.
The rumor claimed that the daughter of Deokbae Asil and Elize Linz was a witch who had stolen her mother’s magical power in the womb to be born, and had continued the act ever since.
Deokbae Asil went around denying the absurd rumor, but it spread quickly.
And when Elize Linz eventually passed away, people accepted the rumor as fact, saying they knew it would happen.
On the day of Elize Linz’s funeral, Deokbae Asil could not stop crying.
He wailed until the moment his wife’s coffin was completely covered with earth, then fainted.
But Cecilia Asil did not shed a tear, not even once.
Instead, she gave a faint smile when Deokbae Asil collapsed.
“She’s a witch! A witch, I tell you! That damned girl killed Elize, and now she’s trying to kill Deokbae too! Just look at that girl laughing without shedding a single tear!”
Deokbae Asil’s friend shouted when he saw the scene.
At his shout, everyone stared at Cecilia Asil in horror, and this time she answered with a broad smile.
“Mother told me to smile when I’m sad. I’m very sad right now.”
But no one believed her.
Revolted by the chilling sight Cecilia Asil had shown them, people left one by one.
In the end, the only ones left were the unconscious Deokbae Asil, the smiling Cecilia Asil, and Elaine Dwen, the couple’s longtime friend.
Elaine Dwen said to her through his tears:
“I can’t believe what you said. …But I want to believe it. Because you’re the daughter of Deokbae Asil and Elize Linz. It’s not you I believe in, but your parents.”
“Leave the royal capital. It has become too harsh a place for the two of you to live. Go to Opien. It’s one of my domains, so no one will be able to harass you there.”
“But please… come back once the royal capital has quieted down. Return and prove that my faith in you was not misplaced. Then restore the honor your family has lost.”
“This is my request… as their longtime friend.”
He bowed to her.
She answered with another radiant smile.
“All right.”
It was the smile of an extraordinarily beautiful girl, but
to him, it was nothing less than the smile of a demon.
A few days later, Deokbae Asil fled the royal capital with his daughter.
Thanks to Elaine Dwen’s help, the two of them safely settled in the village of Opien.
That was when Gam Deokbae became Deokbae Asil through ‘Heroine Netori.’
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[Four years later]
“Good morning, Father.”
I had a daughter.
A silver-haired beauty with an elegant bearing and charming face, a girl who always acted gracefully but acted coquettishly toward me—she was my daughter, Cecilia Asil.
The royal capital had called her a witch, spoken of curses, and so on, but after confirming through ‘Observation,’ I found that Cecilia merely possessed an abundance of innate magical power and had no other problems.
“Oh my! It’s an egg sandwich this morning? Hehe, then I’ll enjoy it!”
My daughter was incredibly cute.
She still hadn’t reached puberty, so we still slept in the same bed, and whenever I saw her asleep in the morning, she really looked like an angel. They say beautiful people are sleepyheads, and the fact that she loved sleeping late was another adorable trait.
If not for Cecilia, I never would have made it through four years. Raising a daughter really was fun. It even reminded me of when I used to play Princess Maker.
“Ria! You said you wouldn’t use magic while eating.”
My daughter was a genius.
I didn’t even know the first thing about magic, yet she taught herself spells I had never taught her, and now she used magical power as naturally as her hands and feet.
What witch? Cecilia was simply loved by magic.
That was why she was planning to enroll in the academy next year. I intended to show Elaine Dwen what I had promised him at the academy.
If she used magic for everyone’s sake, people would stop calling her a witch.
“Father, are you going out to make your rounds again today?”
I became a doctor.
To be precise, I was a healer pretending to be a doctor.
In this world, healers were people—high priests or those above them—who used healing magic granted by God,
while doctors were people who used independently developed techniques, herbs, folk remedies, and so on.
So it would be more accurate to call myself a healer than a doctor, but if I went around calling myself a healer, the church might pick a fight with me, so I comfortably pretended to be a doctor.
“Doctor! Please! My wife has been burning up since yesterday…”
I became a doctor so I could enter the academy.
The main story takes place at the academy… but Deokbae Asil had already graduated. And not only had he graduated—he had been the top student. Therefore, I couldn’t enroll as a student.
In that case, becoming a teacher would be best, but I lacked the ability to do that, so I planned to become a doctor and enter as the academy nurse.
To make that happen, I had asked Elaine Dwen to quietly spread rumors—the sort that said Deokbae Asil had become a doctor and was highly skilled.
“Doctor Asil! Haa… I think I’ve caught the flu, haa… Please give me an injection!”
Being a doctor was perfectly suited to Netori.
If I used plenty of intimate stimulation under the pretext of an examination, patients would spread their legs for me whenever I wanted, just like now. It was a little bothersome when they requested follow-up examinations, but beauties like these were always welcome.
I’d slept with every adult woman in this village, and I figured I’d be able to do the same at the academy.
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“Haa… Father… I smell that woman on you again…”
Before bed, while talking with Deokbae, Cecilia quietly used magic to put him to sleep and
pulled the blankets over him, carefully making sure he was comfortable.
“…You really do overwork yourself. Haa… There, there…”
Then she leaned close to Deokbae and listened to his breathing.
At that moment, she felt something poke her side.
“Honestly… Such a troublesome father…”
Cecilia lowered her hand, pulled the blanket up, and checked Deokbae’s forehead.
It was hot enough to worry her, but she did not pull her hand away.
Instead, she slowly cooled his brow with a damp cloth.
“Hehe… You’re staying right here tonight.”
Saying that, Cecilia changed positions and settled down beside Deokbae.
The sight of him sleeping peacefully eased her anxiety.
Cecilia watched him with a relieved expression.
“Haa… There, there… Rest now… Hehe, you’re safe.”
She tended to him naturally, as though she had done it many times before.
Whenever he stirred, Cecilia gave him a worried smile.
Then she carefully kept watch over him.
“There, there… It’s all right… Sleep peacefully…”
She adjusted the pillows and blankets, and after a while, Deokbae finally relaxed and fell asleep.
“Haa… My throat’s dry…”
-Gulp
Cecilia took a drink of water and swallowed it.
“Haaah!”
Seeing his breathing settle made Cecilia sigh softly.
With a satisfied expression, she checked his breathing one last time and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
After that, she lay down beside Deokbae as though nothing had happened and held his hand.
“I love you, Father…”