How to Be a Dark Hero’s Daughter

I suppressed the tender feelings that surge up unexpectedly. If I acknowledge them, it would only lead to more complications, like the difference in their statuses…

“This time, I saw many unexpected sides of Cedric.”

“Did you?”

“Yes. Cedric always surprises me.”

“Did you dislike that?”

“Not exactly… But what did you do that prince Ranbi can’t make a move against Cedric?”

Cedric smiled faintly.

“I found his weakness.”

“What weakness?”

“Similar to this time. I discovered the misdeeds of prince Ranbi and warned him not to harass my brother Ileph again. In return, I gave back the evidence.”

“Did he obey?”

“Because I spoke to him threateningly.”

“What do you mean by ‘threateningly’?”

I recalled Cedric’s glare at the auctioneer on the slave auction stage.

I couldn’t see Cedric’s expression then, but the auctioneer dropped the microphone, trembling in fear. Even my pet tiger, Fifi, obeyed immediately when Cedric looked at him.

‘How does he intimidate people?’

I don’t like men who are too terrifying.

I observed Cedric. He seemed approachable yet distant, unwilling to open up about certain aspects.

Suddenly, a question I had been pondering for a while emerged.

“What if I’m not the person you imagined, Cedric?”

“I’d appreciate even more the new side of Leticia.”

My hand, resting on the cold stone railing, trembled for a moment.

Could he be a notorious womanizer?

“Why are you so sure?”

“I trust myself.”

“…Do you have confidence in yourself?”

“Yes, I have an excellent memory.”

What does that mean? I tilted my head.

“The men in our family are generally faithful. So, any unexpected side of Leticia probably won’t faze me.”

Really? Even if I had been a street beggar? Even if I could lose my dignity for a moldy piece of bread?

‘How can Cedric imagine that?’

I wanted to change the subject. Thankfully, Cedric introduced a new topic.

Marquis Rongo had been on the decline for years and couldn’t even enter the palace for a while.

So, he got involved in the slave trade.

The auctioneer, who used to work for Marquis Rongo, was an old friend and introduced him to the business.

“He claims that he went astray because of befriending the wrong person at that age.”

“How pitiful, Marquis Rongo…”

Then silence arose. Cedric pulled something from his pocket.

“What’s this?”

“It’s my knight’s ID. Even though I’m primarily an inquisitor, I’m still a knight with a royal seal. This is only issued when a member of the royal family becomes a knight.”

A small metal ornament. On its surface, the emblem of our kingdom, a silver wolf, was engraved.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Giving the knight’s emblem to a beloved lady is a tradition. And now it’s time for me to pass it to you.”

What is my relationship with Cedric? Doubts filled my mind. I couldn’t deny the obvious romantic tension.

“Leticia.”

As if reading my mind, Cedric looked deep into my eyes, so I was taken aback.

“Yes?”

“Let’s go on a date,” Cedric smiled.

I nearly dropped the emblem from my hand.

The term ‘date’ momentarily made me forget the distance between us and our different statuses.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Just because. I want to be with you.”

“Just because.”

I licked my lips.

“Just spend one day with me, like a date. Don’t think about anything and enjoy. Spending one day like that won’t be a big loss, right?”

I couldn’t decline. With my heart racing, I nodded unconsciously.

‘It’s just one date. It should be fine.’

A small justification emerged in my mind. I felt like I’d fallen into a sweet trap, but it must’ve been my imagination.

Cedric’s lips touched my cheek. I took a deep breath, feeling warmth on my face.

“Goodnight, Leticia.”

Cedric whispered against the moonlight backdrop.

I felt overwhelmed, my heart racing. I nodded, and Cedric jumped off the balcony.

Only the fluttering of my heart and the quiet night breeze remained. I looked up at the sky.

If the prophecy of the goddess was true, she deeply hoped that Cedric wasn’t her first love.

The feeling seemed too old to be the first.