⨯ ﹒ ✦ MY STRANGE PAPA! - NEUVILLETTE

03. Was it loneliness?

"Well! It seems like I was overjoyed for no reason! DEAR Iudex, are you sure about simply handing over this infant to the welfare society despite knowing how her entire life is filled with danger? "  

Neuvillette couldn't focus on the impending work that awaits him. Stacks of paper remained untouched as he sat back onto his chair, supporting his chin with the back of his hand as he kept thinking. Though Furina's suggestion were always ignored by him, the one she gave him earlier had been bothering him. 

The residuals of a gone god shouldn't be underestimated. Tantamount to being a curse, it would drive one to the brink of madness and could in some cases lead to death. What truly bewildered the man was the source. How could an infant have such residuals in her body? This couldn't be answered if he were to think through the perspective of a child who was born to a healthy mother as he concluded it was deliberately injected into her.

Dealing with this was easy for a person such as Neuvillette as he had the power from an ancient race of dragons but treating a mere newborn, who is assumed to be two months old — he wasn't sure. 

He wasn't even sure about himself.  Using his powers on a newborn possessed a major risk as their bodies are weak. In worst case scenario, the archonic residuals could repel and cause more issues on the physical body.

Sighing to himself, he leaned forward into his desk, picking up a paper to begin reading it's contents but he was again found distracted as he kept thinking about the baby who was currently occupying in his residence. He dropped the papers back to where they originally belonged as he laced his fingers and closed his eyes, going into a deeper thought..

Today was certainly not his day.

He trusted the melusines and the maids he appointed to look after the little one with utmost care yet he couldn't help but feel distressed inside. As a being who was born among the humans, he who was almost incapable of understanding how emotions worked such that, it was entirely a new feeling to him. 

"Perhaps I should go visit the child." He thought to himself as he took a deep breath and exhaled it out. 

Getting up from the chair and removing his coat before placing onto his chair, he heard soft knocks against the wooden door of his office. Permitting the visitor, he saw Sedene walk into the room as she held a few papers in her tiny arms. 

"Good afternoon Monsieur Neuvillette! The next trial is about to begin in fifteen minutes! A-Are you okay? You seem distressed!" Sedene said as she placed a bunch of papers regarding the upcoming trials. 

"Ah..." Neuvillette dejectedly replied. Of course, he forgot an upcoming trial due to how distracted or concerned he was. "Thank you for reminding me. I am doing fine." He replied with a smile.

The melusine nodded her head and smiled, "Have a good day monsieur!" she said as she turned around towards the exit and walked away, leaving Neuvillette sigh heavily as he picked up his coat once again. 

"Perhaps, after the trial." He muttered to himself as he wore his long coat and picked up his cane along with the required documents for the trial. 

...

It was already night by the time Neuvillette was done with work. Neatly stacking the papers and books aside, he cleared his desk for the next day. Noticing the time on the grandfather clock, he left a dissatisfied huff. 

Walking out of his office, he was greeted by a few gestionnaire who were staying up late due to work related issues. He asked them to get their night's rest but the young youths simply refused and were quite adamant to finish their tasks.

The moon shone bright under the streets of Fontaine with not a single cloud up in the sky. As he went up to his residence, he was welcomed with tired maids greeting him. Confused at everyone's sudden tiredness, Neuvillette posed the question, 

"Is something the matter?" He inquired one of the maids. The maid flinched as she bowed her head low and replied, 

"Monsieur Neuvillette...the baby was running on a high fever the entire day today..She cried with no stop to her sobs and tears! All of us tried everything to make her stop crying but she simply wouldn't stop...it is as if something kept hurting the little one." The maid said as she looked into his eyes and spoke.

 "We had the doctor come over to check on her and fortunately her fever settled and she fell asleep. Poor little baby. We felt quite helpless.." She said as she looked down with a weary tone. 

Neuvillette already had a clue of what might have happened. The curse was finally playing its role in the body of an infant. Rushing towards the infant's room, he slowly opened the door to find her sleeping little figure on the mattress.

Taking careful slow steps to not wake the child, he got closer to her and observed her in silence. She was deep asleep as slight drool stained her round little cheeks. Her little fingers were curled as she slept peacefully, with her little soft lips open. Dry tear stains were noticed by Neuvillette, who removed his gloves to caress her little round face. 

He sat down onto the mattress and touched her soft little cheeks, using very less of his elemental strength to keep the archonic residuals at bay. As he was about to withdraw his hand, the little one gripped onto his finger, refusing to let go. She seemed slightly distressed when he took his hand off. 

Neuvillette's gaze softened at the little one.

"I apologize." He said in a low tone. "I am incapable of being a good figure in your life. I'm quite hopeless and lost." he said as he paused and looked at the child who appeared to have a slight smile on her face as she slept through a wonderful dream.

Neuvillette's lips pursued upwards as he smiled slightly. Taking his finger out of the little one's grasp, he laid down onto the mattress, picking the sleeping baby into his arms before carefully holding her against his chest. 

"You who don't know of your own origins or what this life has to give you..."He muttered in a low tone as he patted the baby's back slightly. "You're just like me. Lonely and clueless.." 

"I suppose, I can now understand why Furina thought I adopted you. On a second note, I don't think of it as a bad idea, anymore." 

END CH.03. 

a/n : aaaaaaaaaaa i love writing this book sm