IHDOE Ch 98

The man continued, his voice steeped in nostalgia as if retracing a distant memory.

[Man] "Due to circumstances, we parted when she was young and never reunited... but she was such a beautiful child. Her smile was so angelic that possessing it felt like holding the entire world."

Satina shrank behind Katan, hiding her face. Her heart had pounded erratically from the moment she laid eyes on him.

Time had aged his features, yet the man, with his neatly swept-back blonde hair and striking red eyes, remained undeniably handsome.

Though more than a decade had passed since she last saw him, she was certain.

He was her biological father.

She tried desperately to analyze the situation rationally, but the sudden appearance of her own flesh and blood paralyzed her mind.

[Man] "Satina... Are you my daughter, Satina?"

Is she really my daughter?

Overlapping his gentle, probing voice came the sharp, abrasive memory of the man from her childhood.

Her head spun wildly. Satina clutched Katan's forearm with an ice-cold hand.

[Man] "Satina, I missed you so much! My daughter!"

The man kept speaking, but not a single word registered. Her entire body trembled so violently that the slightest shift in balance would send her collapsing.

Katan sensed her distress and stepped forward, shielding Satina behind his back to block the man.

[Katan] "You have mistaken her for someone else. This lady belongs to our noble house."

[Man] "Ah..."

With Katan blocking his path, the man gazed at Satina with sorrowful eyes.

[Man] "Th-Then, could I at least know the lady's name...?"

[Katan] "Circumstances prevent me from disclosing it."

Satina remained frozen, unable to budge. Katan lifted her into his arms and turned away.

Cradled in his arms, Satina buried her face against his chest. She couldn't see her own expression, but she knew her face was a complete wreck. She refused to let anyone see her like this.

Memories of the last day she saw her father rushed back.

During her childhood, her parents fought constantly. Whenever an argument erupted, Satina hid inside the closet. Catching their attention risked drawing their wrath onto her.

[Father] "Who was the man you met yesterday?! Who was he?! Are you cheating again?!"

Her mother screamed back, refusing to yield.

[Mother] "Why blame me? This is all your fault! If you brought home decent money, why would I see other men?"

[Father] "What? Have you lost your mind!"

[Mother] "Going to hit me? Go ahead! Aren't you seeing other women too? Do you think people don't know what's going on between you and that aide?"

Satina covered her ears tightly and curled into a ball. Then she slowly counted backward from one hundred.

Her parents had never gotten along, but their quarrels had grown far more frequent. Their words were often too fast and harsh for young Satina to comprehend. Yet she understood one thing with crystal clarity: they despised each other.

When she learned they were separating, a strange feeling washed over her. Anxiety over her broken home, relief that the fighting was over, and a hollow sense of futility.

Even now, Satina couldn't articulate those complex emotions. She only remembered the bitter sadness of watching her parents fight over who had to take her.

[Father] "You take her. You gave birth to her, didn't you?"

[Mother] "Why should I? She carries your family name and your blood."

[Father] "Are you sure she isn't a child you birthed while sleeping around? Is she really my daughter?"

Both parents had forgotten that Satina was hiding in the closet, listening to every word. They were absorbed in their mutual doubt, hurling insults and frantically trying to dump the burden of their daughter onto each other.

On their final day together, her father frantically stuffed belongings into a large bag. Her mother was nowhere to be seen, likely out enjoying herself. Her father packed with a grim face, never once looking at young Satina trembling in the corner.

No matter how often they fought, her parents were her entire world.

Would her father leave like this, never to return?

Satina clutched her stuffed rabbit tighter. The doll her father had brought home years ago was so worn that stuffing leaked from its ear, yet it remained her most precious treasure and sole companion.

On nights when she slept alone, Satina huddled under the covers, clutching the doll over her head.

The house sat in a dilapidated, unsafe neighborhood. Nightfall routinely brought the slurred shouts of drunks and the chaos of violent brawls. Yet this moment felt far more terrifying than enduring those nighttime noises alone.

She was terrified. Though she knew she had to be a good child to be loved, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

Her father continued packing without looking at her. Satina summoned every ounce of courage and squeezed out a whisper.

[Satina] "D-Daddy..."

I'm right here. Please don't abandon me. Take me with you. Don't leave.

She couldn't utter a word. Despite the fragile title, she managed to speak. The man finished packing in silence.

[Satina] "Daddy..."

Perhaps her voice had been too faint. She clung to a sliver of hope and called out once more.

Her father's gaze finally shifted toward her. Instead of comforting his crying daughter, he picked up his bag and stood.

[Father] "I'm not your dad anymore, so don't call me that."

His dry voice harbored not a shred of affection. He walked straight out of the house without looking back.

That was the last time she saw him.

Katan carried Satina to a nearby park and set her down on a bench.

[Katan] "I will fetch us something to drink."

As he turned to leave, Satina reflexively grabbed the hem of his coat. It was an unconscious reaction. She realized what she had done a moment too late and jerked her hand back in surprise.

[Satina] "Ah, s-sorry. Go ahead."

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Her body felt freezing cold beneath the warm sunlight. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to gather her thoughts.

Get a grip. That happened over ten years ago. Are you a seven-year-old child?

No matter how much she scolded herself, the trembling intensified without a sign of abating.

Satina thought in a daze.

Liv... I need to call Liv...

Hearing the mechanical voice would remind her this was just a game world and bring her peace of mind.

Just then, Katan wrapped his arms around her. He gently stroked her back.

[Katan] "It is all right. Calm down."

[Satina] "I, I..."

[Katan] "Your heart is beating too fast. Follow my lead and take slow, deep breaths."

Following his calm, steady voice, Satina slowly inhaled and exhaled.

[Katan] "You are safe. Nothing bad will happen."

He held her tightly, whispering steady, comforting words into her ear. In his embrace, the trembling gradually subsided.

Her limp hands twitched. She slowly raised her arms and wrapped them around his torso. Katan patted her back approvingly.

[Katan] "Well done."

Though she knew she couldn't fully trust him, she couldn't bring herself to leave the warmth of his arms.

She looked up and found him gazing down at her with gentle eyes.

[Satina] "...Katan."

A wave of curiosity washed over Satina. Many aspects of his behavior puzzled her.

In the original game, Katan had longed for freedom, even betraying the female protagonist before returning to her side. Yet when given the chance, instead of abandoning Satina and fleeing, he had saved her and stayed.

He said he loved me.

Satina brushed her fingers against his lips. His lips, slightly chapped from neglect, had always confessed a passionate love for her.

[Satina] "Why do you like me?"

[Katan] "..."

[Satina] "You said it was fine even if we never became lovers. Why do you like me?"

Katan had treated her with the utmost care all this time. He constantly checked on her well-being and cherished her.

When she returned from the imperial palace with a sprained ankle and scraped palms, Katan had examined her hand with an expression far more distressed than her own.

Someone else might treasure such devotion, but to Satina, his affection felt unfamiliar and unsettling.

Satina waited quietly for his answer.

She had to admit it now. At some point, she had come to rely on him. Because of that, his answer would mark a crucial turning point.

[Satina] "I want to know your true feelings. Is it because I'm pretty? Or because I was kind to you when you were a slave? Because I promised to make you a knight?"

[Katan] "Whether as a knight or anything else, it matters not, so long as I can remain by your side."

He sensed the genuine vulnerability behind her questions.

[Katan] "Because I have loved you from the very first moment I laid eyes on you."

And so, he decided to reveal a piece of his heart he had kept hidden.

---

Requested by readers. If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a rating or review on KakaoPage, Naver Series, Ridi, and Novel Updates.