The Author's POV

Even after he heard his daughter speak in a cool, detached way, Octavious' face didn't change. He had long since expected such a reaction.

Everything became clear once the power he wielded was no longer with him.

When Melissa looked at him, he was able to tell just by looking at her expression what kinds of feelings were going through her mind at that very moment.

They were expressions he'd seen many times in his life. He wasn't unfamiliar with them.

"May I come in?"

He asked, looking around and frowning at the sight of the frozen girl in the distance. Why was she like that?

"Why do you have to come in?"

It appeared as though Melissa did not want him to enter, as she blocked his path. Octavious lowered his head and fixed his gaze on her.

She looked the same as 'she' did when 'she' was younger. Perhaps she was even more beautiful.

'Her angry look is also the same…'

A long-forgotten pain began to reappear in his chest, and his expression nearly collapsed. He was able to retain it after a fierce struggle, and after looking around, he returned his gaze to Melissa.

"I need to talk to you."

***

His voice was calm and soft, but the manner in which he spoke made Melissa feel as though she could not refuse, and she moved to the side in reluctance.

"Make it quick."

She had no desire to interact with the man in front of her, but what could she do? Kick him out? The world's strongest human?

'Pft, as if that stubborn bastard would even bother listening to my demands.'

Melissa could only resign herself to the situation and lead him toward her private lab where there was no one. It was in a bit of a mess at the moment, but she didn't care in the least bit. Since he came so abruptly, she had no time to clean it, and even if he had made an appointment, she wouldn't have cared.

He was a stranger that shared the same blood as her in her eyes.

Clank―!

She closed the door behind her and turned to look toward her father. She wanted to get this done quickly.

"Out with it, what is it that you wan―!"

Feeling a rough hand against her cheek, Melissa froze halfway through her sentence. Her eyes soon opened wide as she looked at the man standing opposite her in shock.

"What are you doing!??"

She smacked the hand away and moved several steps back. With her sleeve, she rubbed her cheek and glared at the man.

you're my father, but

exactly

his voice. It wasn't so much the contents of his

hear him speak

up at him, she was even more shocked to see her usually expressionless father staring at her

to be in...

exactly like you

the 'she' he was referring to was, but Melissa had an idea of whom he was

had no idea how

is

time that her father had

He looked… frail.

took off her glasses and pinched the middle of

You don't have to

nearby stool and bit onto

behaving was giving

Emotions made her cringe.

her younger years made her emotionally immature. She wasn't capable of understanding emotions properly, and anything related to them made

people. It wasn't so much that she hated them,

repulsed her and

scratched the side of her

I want this

behavior was akin to torture for

***

nearby stools. He covered

regain clarity over his own head, however, as he looked at his daughter who

few tid bits that he

few years… the disappointment in her face, the times he

his heart

failed as a

unconsciously blurted

stiffened at his words and she looked at him

at his daughter, he felt himself drowning in even more pain, but he

had to

She was my everything. I was happy back then. In

as he thought

was truly happy

everything that I could ever ask for

part, and he felt something toward the corner of his eyes. He slowly

His gaze softened.

how happy I was when I heard of the news that she was pregnant…

to marry her, that

a family excited me. Every day I would wake up

slowly moved up, and the smile that had spread across his face slowly

lost her was the moment that I