Chapter 12: Dad’s lap

“Leo Valentine! Is there a Leo Valentine here?!”

A rider on horseback had arrived at Leo’s workplace.

He was a guard from Lenz Academy.

Being a former knight, he could ride a horse, so he was the one sent.

The horse was foaming at the mouth and stamping the ground, clearly having been ridden hard, and the rider was gasping for breath.

He pushed his way into the site, frantically looking around like a madman.

“What’s going on?”

“Isn’t he one of the staff from Lenz Academy?”

“Hold on! Everyone, stop what you’re doing for a moment!”

The manager urgently halted the work and approached the rider.

“What’s the matter?”

“Is there a Leo Valentine here?”

“Yes, there is. Should I call him?”

“Yes, please bring him right away.”

The manager was quick on the uptake.

He promptly brought Leo, who had been pushing a cart full of rocks.

Leo, suddenly called by the manager, looked confused.

“What’s going on?”

“Just—just get on. I’ll explain on the way.”

The rider reached out to help Leo up.

But he didn’t need it.

Leo mounted the horse with ease.

He was more skilled than the rider himself, despite the rider’s background as a knight.

But there was no time to be surprised.

The rider kicked the horse’s side, and they galloped away from the worksite.

“Explain. What’s happened to my daughter?”

“Well… your daughter committed an assault.”

“…What? She committed it? Not that she was attacked?”

“You’ll hear the details when we arrive.”

The rider clenched his teeth and urged the horse forward at full speed.

Thanks to that, they arrived in just a few minutes.

The front of Lenz Academy was in chaos.

There were several noble-looking carriages and automobiles, and even knights were present.

“…Is that him?”

“Wow, he really is a laborer.”

Leo hadn’t even had time to change clothes, so he still wore his work outfit.

People whispered as they looked at him.

The man who brought Leo profusely apologized to the onlookers and escorted him inside the school.

He held Leo’s wrist tightly, preventing him from running away.

But Leo didn’t resist.

He was only worried about Elizabeth.

The school campus was eerily quiet.

Not even the sound of insects could be heard.

Leo couldn’t make any sense of what was happening.

‘Elizabeth, committing assault? That sweet girl? It would make more sense if she had been hit—but hitting someone herself? That was impossible.’

“Go inside.”

They stopped in front of the principal’s office.

The principal’s office.

Just the name made it clear how serious this situation was.

Leo knocked on the door, then carefully opened it.

Inside, Principal Felix stood by the window, looking out with a grave expression.

But even more striking was the elderly woman sitting nearby.

Wearing luxurious silk clothes and a fox-fur wrap, her dignified presence was suffocating.

Beside her, a young girl with a swollen cheek was sniffling.

Seated around them were people who appeared to be her family, all glaring daggers at someone.

The target of their glares—

…was Elizabeth.

Elizabeth stood tall, her back straight, meeting their eyes head-on.

“You’re here.”

The elderly woman looked at Leo and spoke.

“Ah… Mr. Valentine.”

“Principal, I came straight from work, so I have no idea what’s going on. What happened?”

“Hah! Work. Yes, you do look like you came from the site.”

Someone seated nearby scoffed at Leo’s sweat-stained, dust-covered appearance.

“You’re asking because you don’t know? Take a look around. Then you’ll understand.”

The elderly woman snapped her fan shut and gestured side to side.

The girl with the swollen cheek—and Elizabeth standing across from her.

“…You’re saying my daughter did that?”

“At least you’re perceptive. Yes, that’s right. Your daughter struck my granddaughter, Beatrice Valdeck, the second daughter of the Marquis Valdeck, multiple times across the face.”

Thud.

The sound of Leo’s heart dropping echoed in his ears.

‘No. Please, no.’

‘You would never do something like that. You’re a good kid. You’d never hit someone.’

Leo looked at Elizabeth.

She avoided his gaze.

“I am Celia Valdeck, Beatrice Valdeck’s paternal grandmother. Let’s skip the introductions and get to why we called you here.”

She sat in the highest seat.

From that alone, it was clear she was the head of the Valdeck family.

“I don’t even raise a hand against my granddaughter. Because she’s precious to me. Because I love her dearly. And yet she came home with her face like this—how do you think I feel, Mr. Valentine?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Your love for your daughter is touching. But we humans are creatures of intellect. No matter how angry we get, is it acceptable to resort to violence first? Especially against another young girl, and in this way?”

“…I’m truly sorry.”

“Kneel.”

The old woman pointed to the floor with her fan.

“Given your financial situation, asking for compensation would be like squeezing blood from a stone. I won’t press charges. But instead, I demand your honor and pride. Kneel, and apologize.”

I was about to kneel.

At that moment, Elizabeth, who had kept her mouth shut until now, spoke.

“Don’t.”

“Elizabeth.”

“Don’t kneel.”

“Elizabeth.”

“I said don’t. Dad, do you have no pride?”

The Valdeck family stared at the two of us in silence.

The old woman looked indifferent.

“Do it or don’t”—her eyes said it didn’t matter.

‘If I didn’t kneel, our lives would surely become more difficult and having hurt a noble child, an apology was the least we could offer.’

“What are you doing? Get up.”

As I started to kneel, Elizabeth grabbed me by the collar and yanked me upright.

I swung my hand.

Smack!

Elizabeth’s head snapped to the side.

Her hair flew through the air.

It didn’t hurt much, but a far greater shock must have struck her heart.

The old lady’s eyes widened, and the people of the Marquis family were left speechless.

Even Beatrice looked utterly stunned.

She had thought Leo would defend Elizabeth.

He had always smiled even when his daughter ignored him.

But now, he had slapped his daughter’s cheek—with a stern, unforgiving face.

“Elizabeth Valentine.”

Leo called his daughter’s name in a cold, firm voice.

The atmosphere in the principal’s office shifted—subtly colder, heavier.

The people of the Marquis family swallowed without realizing it.

“What do you think you’re doing right now?”

Elizabeth’s cheek turned red as she stared ahead in shock.

Her pupils trembled, her mouth hung open.

Seeing that expression on his daughter’s face for the first time, I held down the ache in my chest and said, “At the very least, you should take responsibility for what you did. You hit someone, and yet you stand there acting proud? What, did you think no one would ever hit you back?”

Elizabeth lowered her head deeply.

“I spoiled you too much. I believed in you because you were smart and capable. But what is this? Tell me, Elizabeth Valentine. What gave you the confidence to act this way?”

***

Drip, drip.

Crystal-clear tears fell from her eyes.

With a broken expression, like her emotions and face no longer aligned, she cried bitter, hen-like tears.

I let out a deep breath and knelt before the old lady.

These were knees I hadn’t even bent before the Emperor.

Putting aside my pride and honor, I sincerely apologized to the old lady and her family.

‘Pride? Honor? I had already decided to throw those away the moment I committed to raising Elizabeth.’

“Don’t…”

Elizabeth’s voice dissipated into emptiness.

Ignoring her, I bowed my upper body while still on my knees.

“I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize for failing to raise my daughter properly. I promise this will never happen again.”

“…Very well. We’ll let it go this time, out of respect for your decision. But there won’t be a second chance.”

***

Madam Valdeck forgave us.

And Principal Felix chose not to expel Elizabeth.

He believed it would be a waste to expel such a talented student.

She was top in nearly every subject and had a commendable character.

Felix decided to give her one more chance.

Madam Valdeck did not object to this.

She was the mother of the head of House Valdeck.

While the son governed the family, the old lady handled external politics and social matters.

She was a powerhouse in every sense of the word.

If she truly wanted to, she could destroy our lives.

Elizabeth and I left the school and walked home.

The path was suffocatingly silent.

Around us were the sounds of passing streetcars, horses’ hooves, and everyday noises, but between us, it felt like we were in a different world.

Neither of us spoke first.

We both knew—this wasn’t the time for words.

Leo looked at Elizabeth’s delicate back as she walked ahead.

Her head was lowered, and she shuffled slowly.

He wanted to see her expression but couldn’t.

‘…Was I too harsh?’

He looked down at his hand.

It was rough and ugly.

He had struck her soft, pale cheek with it.

A red mark still lingered.

Clench…

He tightened his fist.

“…Elizabeth.”

He called her name gently.

But Elizabeth didn’t respond.

She kept walking.

“Elizabeth.”

I reached out and held her hand.

She turned her head and glared at me.

Her eyes, fierce like a wild beast’s, were filled with tears.

That look froze my body.

Whack!

Elizabeth roughly yanked her hand away.

“Do you even know what she said about you?”

“…What did she say?”

“She said… it was too much.”

“She said you should just make money by selling your body! That she could let everything else slide—even criticize your job—but that you’re just a filthy whore!”

Elizabeth dropped her head.

Her shoulders trembled like a baby chick.

“It was too cruel. That’s why—I lost control… and snapped… hic.”

“Daughter.”

“I’m sorry. Because of me, you had to kneel… all because of me.”

“It’s fine. What’s so important about a knee? It’s not like it’ll wear out.”

“It does wear out!”

Elizabeth suddenly raised her head and glared at me, breathing heavily.

“It does wear out…”

Muttering like that, she fell into my arms and sobbed.

Leo gently stroked her head to comfort her.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re more important to me than my knees. So please, don’t cry too much. Okay?”

His calm tone, like it was nothing, made Elizabeth feel even more defeated.

Her father, who had always seemed so big, now looked pitiful and small.

She wanted to keep him from kneeling again—but she didn’t have the strength.

She didn’t regret slapping Beatrice.

Beatrice hadn’t insulted her.

She had insulted her father.

That was something she could never forgive.

She had to set things right.

…And this was the result.

A moment of impulse had made her father kneel—right in front of everyone.

“Hic… hng.”

“There, there. It’s okay. It’s all right.”

After returning home, Elizabeth closed her door and collapsed onto her bed.

***

The moment her father’s tall, firm back bent…

The moment his knees—those proud knees that had never bent before—touched the cold floor of the principal’s office…

Elizabeth’s world shattered.

Strangely, no more tears came.

Hot emotions and cold guilt twisted together and stabbed at her chest.

As the night deepened, something solid began to grow within her heart.

It wasn’t sadness.

It wasn’t anger.

It was something else entirely.

“I will never… ever let Dad kneel again.”

It wasn’t just a resolution.

It was a vow to the world.

Elizabeth clenched her fists.

Her nails dug into her palms, but even that pain helped her strengthen her resolve.

And in that moment, her dormant bloodline stirred.

A pentagram flickered in her blue eyes—and vanished.