Lady Invincible

Chapter 4

* * *

"Are you sure it was an awakening?"

That evening, their father, Diego Inoaden, returned home.

Like Ricardo, he also has dark red hair and golden eyes. Since he arrived before sunset, he seemed to have hurried home as soon as he heard the news.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Finding it hard to believe, he tried to confirm it again from Ricardo.

Hilise was standing on the stairs, out of their sight, and listening to their conversation.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she found them when she was on her way downstairs.

"Think carefully and don't make a hasty judgment. From what I heard, it's possible that it's your power, not Hilise's."

He doesn't know when to give up. Hilise chuckled at her father's words.

(Of course, there's no possibility that Ricardo would have tried to use his power to protect me from that situation. Even Father knows that, but he still had meaningless expectations.)

"Every step she took was followed by a rose that had the same color as her hair."

Ricardo's voice, which was lower than before, flowed into Hilise's ears. Diego's voice was also lowered.

They never thought about this possibility, but now that Hilise was awakened with the heir's power, they must've felt like they lost their footing.

"For now, we must keep this matter to ourselves."

"But Father-"

"You don't think the news had already been spread outside, do you?"

"No... I made sure everyone keeps quiet about it."

Father praised Ricardo for doing a good job. Ricardo, however, seems to carefully think about what Father said.

**Clack- Clack-

Hilise's steps that stopped for a while, continued. Diego and Ricardo were both surprised to hear someone walking down the stairs, not far from them.

Their reactions worsened when they saw her face. Their faces were so stiff that she almost thought they were made of ceramics.

"Don't come here."

Diego, who looked at her with disapproval, turned his head away. Judging from his expression, he seems to think that she have come to greet him after his arrival. But Hilise only glanced at them inadvertently and brushed them aside. Because of that, Diego and Ricardo's faces conveyed embarrassment.

"Wait."

Her father called her. But she ignored him and kept walking.

"Hilise!"

He raised his voice and called her name this time. Hilise halted and looked back at him.

"What is it?"

Diego's face showed embarrassment for the second time.

(This is the first time I've seen him make such a face.)

"What is it?" ~~(note: Kinda like mimicking what she said.)

He asked dryly when he heard her nonchalant reply.

"That's a strange reply. You should not speak to me like that."

"..."

"Then how should I speak to you, Father?"