Upon arriving at the sick room, Liria moistened her lips and blinked her large eyes.

“Hello, Father. Liria is here. Today, I’ve finally gained the ability to heal you… I hope you’ll wake up tomorrow and greet me.”

Classid lay in deep slumber, appearing unchanged from yesterday.

This was the moment she had been waiting for.

She had been working hard all this time to save her father.

Though she wasn’t sure if the Key of Healing was the answer, this was all she could do right now.

Don’t be disappointed or expect too much beforehand.

‘I should try using the key right away.’

Liria approached Classid while trying to calm her anxious heart.

In the original story, Tiana used the key in a special way.

「Tiana poured holy water onto the blue magic key, placed it in the sick person’s hand, and then prayed earnestly to God.

As the light from the key enveloped them, the sick person’s ailments were washed away.

It was truly salvation.」

So Liria had prepared Holy water to pour on the key.

Before leaving the spring, she had asked Melissa for it.

When she tearfully expressed her desire to wash her sick father’s face with holy water, her eyes streaming with droplets.

After hesitating, Melissa agreed to Liria’s request, saying she would explain to the villagers on her behalf.

She also promised to occasionally bring holy water on her way to work at the Grand Duke’s castle.

“She’s truly a kind saint—no, gardener.”

Liria smiled softly as she took out the bottle containing the glistening holy water.

Paaah!

Next, she took out the Key of Healing and whispered.

“Please stay still for a moment.”

Perhaps understanding Liria’s desperation, the Key of Healing, which had been writhing until now, remained still in the air.

“That’s right, good.”

Then she dropped the key into the holy water bottle with a plop.

She thought this would be more effective than just pouring the water.

“This should be enough for it to absorb plenty of holy water.”

Liria retrieved the key and firmly placed it in her father’s hand.

His hand was so large that it was difficult for Liria to make him clench his fist.

The final step was an earnest prayer.

Liria closed her eyes tightly and prayed.

“Please completely heal my father’s illness.”

Soon, a white, transparent light spread from Classid’s fingertips throughout his entire body.

Whoooosh!

But… after the light faded, there was no change even after counting from 1 to 100.

“…What went wrong?”

Liria muttered, tilting her head.

Then she filled the Key of Healing with her own mana and tried healing again.

Once, twice, and then a third time.

Despite multiple attempts, Classid didn’t even blink.

The number of attempts didn’t matter.

She could do it ten times or a hundred times.

How much time had passed like this?

As there was no change despite repeated attempts, Liria grew increasingly anxious.

“Dad, sob. No. It can’t be…”

With a trembling voice and clenched fists, Liria looked at her father who wouldn’t wake up.

Tears welled up suddenly.

“Father… no, Dad. Please wake up.”

Was it really impossible to cure her father’s illness even with the Key of Healing?

But it was strange.

Even if not complete healing, she thought the Key of Healing would at least restore consciousness.

Trying hard to erase her disappointment, Liria felt completely drained.

She collapsed beside her father, tumbling face down next to him.

Sadness and fear crossed her mind at the thought that she might never see her father again.

“No, no. Sob, hic. Dad, I miss you. Don’t die and leave me alone. Don’t die…”

Liria finally burst into tears.

Her heart ached, crumbling under the weight of despair.

Liria summoned the Key of Power as well and firmly grasped both keys.

These mysterious tools were powerful means, but perhaps not for the current Liria.

She still didn’t know much about the keys, and couldn’t use magic.

Maybe it’s because I’m lacking.

“Huuung.”

As Liria wept sorrowfully, a tear fell from her eye and touched the key.

At that moment, a change occurred.

Classid’s finger moved slightly.

***

Even in his distant consciousness, his daughter’s voice was clear.

“Dad… don’t die and leave me alone. Don’t die…”

His closed eyelids twitched upward.

Awakening from a long sleep, Classid slowly looked around, rolling his red eyes.

The first thing he recognized was the child who had come to his bedside, curled up in a small body, trembling and crying.

His only daughter, Liria.

It had been a whole year.

Not news heard through letters, communication devices, or someone else’s relay.

It had been so long since he had seen his daughter’s face directly.

Watching the child crying, begging him not to die and leave her.

Countless emotions stabbed at his heart.

Nevertheless.

Classid remained expressionless.

Showing emotion was too difficult for him.

Was it since the accident that took his mother in childhood?

Or when his wife Serna demanded a divorce?

The emotions that had slowly faded since then completely shut down after the last battle against the magical beasts.

What attacked him wasn’t just a simple magical beast.

The strongest creature on earth.

When the dragon’s claw pierced his heart, everything shattered.

He could guess whose order it was.

It was an opponent he could never stand against.

For a mage, the mana heart was everything, so now he was a half-person living on borrowed time.

And even that wouldn’t be long.

Three years? Or one?

He didn’t know how long.

The daughter before his eyes was too young.

Too young to understand what death meant.

For his remaining life, he would keep his distance from the child and not give her affection.

That was how a father could minimize the final wound.

Classid bit his lip firmly and made a solemn vow.

“You know a child needs a mother. Just wait three years. I’ll come to take Liria as an imperial princess. Until then, please protect her within the confines of Roberg.”

Moreover, in half a year, his divorced wife Serna would come to take Liria.

Until he sends the child to her mother.

Until then, he just needed to endure.

Thus, Classid decided on the separation alone and hardened his heart to push Liria away.

Closing his eyes tightly, Classid touched his heart area.

Then he looked down at Liria with a coldly hardened face.

“…Stop crying.”

“Huh? Fa… Father?!”

Liria jerked her head up, opening her eyes wide, and threw herself into Classid’s arms.

“Huung, Father! Father, Fathew! I, I, are you really awake?”

With tears pooling in her large, grape-like eyes, Liria called out to Classid repeatedly.

“Yes, at least my hearing is fine.”

Classid said quietly.

“Sob… I thought I would never, …never see you again.”

“I’m awake now, so stop crying.”

Nod, nod.

Classid tried to ignore his daughter’s tears but ended up wiping them away with his index finger.

With disbelief evident in her expression, Liria said.

“Father, please pinch me here once.”

Having stopped crying, Liria pointed to her plump, pale cheek.

Classid only stared intently at the soft cheek the child was pointing to.

“Hmm? You won’t pinch me?”

Liria felt awkward, sensing she had overstepped boundaries.

It seemed she had been too childish.

“…Right. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.”

“Ah…”

Liria agreed with that sentiment.

At that moment, Kiki climbed onto Classid’s bed.

Revealing his rice-grain-sized teeth, he lightly bit Classid’s forearm.

T/N: Your daughter just performed LITERAL MAGIC to save your life while sobbing her heart out, and your grand plan is to… checks notes… push her away and be cold to her? SERIOUSLY?!

Your heart may be damaged, but your BRAIN seems to be the organ needing immediate attention! Perhaps consider that pushing away the ONE PERSON who literally cried healing tears over you might not be the galaxy-brain move you think it is!

Please reconsider your half-baked “I’ll just be mean to her so she won’t miss me when I’m gone” plan.