Poisonous Love

Chapter 5: New Daughter?

*This is in our beloved Duke Vermillion's point of view!*

I had always been the doting father that I wished I could have received as a young lad, but despite all my efforts to shower my tiny daughter in love, she seemed to adore her mother more. Why is that?

She loved dancing and embroidery just like her mother, never once skipping a lesson in etiquette and always begging to attend tea parties. She was a miniature version of my beloved wife. She looked just like my wife as well, the only thing she took from me was my eye color and our tendency to forget what we were looking for after entering another room.

When my small daughter was five, her heel broke and she took a dangerous fall down the stairs. She was unconscious for days, and the doctor merely said rest was all she needed. Me and my wife lost sleep over this as we waited for our child to wake up.
Thankfully she did, and without any issues she was back up and healthy again, just how she was before... is what I'd like to say.

She changed after that, not her attitude, she was still the sweet angel as before... but she seemed more mature. She no longer chased after her mother, and declined on further dance lessons. She opted for more math and science tutors, spending hours in the library or garden. She came to me one day requesting a room in which she could conduct experiments and tests. She wanted to work on medicine.

I merely assumed it the will of a child, but granted it for her nonetheless since it was the first time she had ever asked me for something personally. Her adorable eyes bore into mine with such excitement and hope.
And after that, we became closer. She would bring it new desserts that I had never heard of, nor the chefs. Delicious teas that held floral or fruity aromas, and much more exciting things.

One day she brought it a new and improved 'cold medicine'. She explained the process and ingredients. Not wanting to disappoint my child, and also hopeful to give her a chance to prove herself early to society, I recommended the medicine to the doctors in our Fief.

Not long after it was apparently the most sold medicine on the market. The money it brought in was no simple pocket lining. I decided to put the money aside for her personal usage for experiments and whatever else she made. As a child of the Vermillion household, she had done amazing. I couldn't help but look at my child with pride.

It didn't stop there however. A request from the King, and my good friend, came for Rose's hand in marriage to his first son, the crown prince... I initially was impressed, it meant she earned the acknowledgement of the King. On another hand I was sad... my small daughter would be growing up too quickly. With her intelligence it would be difficult to hide her away from the cruelty of Nobility. Yet she never wavered or blinked an eye in surprise when I told her of the engagement.

A few weeks later, as I worked on my paperwork for the Fief as usual in my office, a piercing scream sounded throughout the mansion. I was immediately on guard and rushing out along with the stationed Knights to my daughters laboratory. Panic was beginning to overtake me as I imagined only the worst...

Yet my daughter was fine, besides her personal maid crying on the ground.

"What happened, why was there a scream?" I asked in a gruff voice, but I needed an answer to this disruption. My daughter simply looked at me before pointing upward. My blood chilled and my face paled at what floated above our heads... a floating child.

No, it was a fairy. A small green haired fairy with bright blue eyes and a mischievous smile on his face. His wings unmistakable. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity...

"His name is Ricin, and he's my partner!" Rose proclaimed happily, as if she didn't just name a fairy... a blessed being proclaimed to be impossible to meet or find. They only showered themselves to people they liked, and even then not very often, let alone to make a contract... I felt faint at this.
My tiny daughter not minding everyone's discomposure one bit.

'I would have the inform the King...' I thought warily as the fairy 'Ricin' floated above still chuckling at our reactions.

"Ricin-san... was it? Why my daughter?" I asked curiously. What made Rose special enough for a fairy to appear?

"She's funny!" Ricin laughed heartily... and I was left in disappointment. It couldn't be that simple. Not from the knowing smile on my daughters lips.

My daughter is not normal, I had concluded. But when she rushes into my office to show me something new with those big innocent eyes, and a smile on her lips, I couldn't say I minded.