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.

but who gave

look exactly like

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

did she hear him speak to her with such

see her usually expressionless father staring at her with an expression that was

to be

like you

to was, but Melissa had an idea of whom he was referring to, and as she

how to

stomach is starting

life, this was the first time that her father had talked about

He looked… frail.

glasses and pinched the middle

expect something from me? You don't have to pretend to be like this, if you want something,

nearby stool

he was behaving was

Emotions made her cringe.

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

in her research and avoided people. It wasn't so much that she hated them, but she was incapable of

and

scratched the side of her

want

akin to

***

the nearby stools. He covered his mouth

things that he wanted to say to her now that he had finally managed to regain clarity over his own head, however, as he

few tid bits that he managed to remember were no pleasant

of how he had treated his daughter for the past few years… the disappointment in her face, the times he saw her cry, and the times she tried to meet his expectations

his heart

failed as

blurted out

she looked at

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

the price he had to pay

everything. I was happy back then. In more

across his face as he thought back at

was truly happy back

everything that I could ever ask for in a partner.

let out a soft chuckle at the last part, and he felt something toward the corner of his

His gaze softened.

I was when I heard of the

marry her, that was singlehandedly the

excited me. Every day I would wake up thinking about

and the smile that had spread across his

I lost her was