I Live With My Villain Uncle

Aika was Valliot’s treasure and his greatest weakness.

 

His heart skipped a beat when he held his baby in his arms, who would never be hurt in front of his eyes.

 

“Goodness, my baby.
Why were you hiding here, hm? Did you have a nightmare? You should’ve told me.
Grandpa’s heart almost fell.”

 

“T-There are scary noises outside.”

 

Illode was relieved and opened his eyes tightly.

 

It seemed that Aika had listened to the sounds outside.

 

“Sorry to startle you.
A flying fly came in, but Grandpa has cleaned it up.
You don’t have to worry anymore.
Nothing happened.”

 

Golden eyes shimmered even in the dark.

 

He thought he should pay more attention to the soundproofing, yet Aika asked, her eyes wide open as she stared at the door.

 

“Grandpa, did the shadow go?”

 

“Hm? Shadow?”

 

“The scary people, are they gone now? Is the hide-and-seek game done?”

 

Illode stiffened as it was.

 

“…Aika.”

 

As if this wasn’t the first time, this feeling.

 

Illode’s eyes narrowed.

 

How on earth…

 

“Mom told me to hide here when playing hide and seek.
I have to hide in the same closet at Grandpa’s house and mine.”

 

“…”

 

Only then did Illode look around the room while holding Aika.

 

All of these places were touched by Seria’s hand.

 

It was a place where Seria wanted to make a room for her daughter, so he asked her to come anytime.

 

She didn’t come into the Duke’s house, and he wanted his daughter, who was staying outside, to come in like that.

 

Although she didn’t come even until the end.

 

He even sternly told Aika not to throw anything away in this place so that he could feel Seria’s warmth at least a little.

 

“…Mom told you to hide here?”

 

“Yes, of course the dolls will protect me.
I’m really good at hide and seek.”

 

The dolls scattered on the bed came into view again.

 

It was said that all of that was made by these little hands.

 

Perhaps she was holding her breath in the closet, sweat dripping from her small forehead.

 

Indeed, she must have been hiding in this closet.

 

He thought it was a design with a particularly higher chin than a normal wardrobe, but he didn’t think it was a big deal because Seria was so eccentric.

 

Although not all of them, it’s not unusual to put a closet in the bedroom.

 

“How on earth…”

 

What were you doing outside, Seria?

 

Yet no one was there to answer.

 

A lot of thoughts filled his head, but Illode patted Aika on the back with a smile on his face.

 

“Right, now that the game of hide-and-seek is over, shall we sleep now, Princess? The shadow will never come.”

 

“Absolutely?”

 

“Of course.
Even if they come, this old man will defeat them all, so don’t worry and sleep.
I will protect Aika no matter what.”

 

Illode removed the dolls from the bed and set Aika down.

 

As she was used to, Aika put away the dolls and got ready to go back to her bed.

 

Illode sat down next to her.

 

“Shall Grandpa sing you a lullaby?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Aika, who pulled the blanket over her neck, nodded her head and her eyes twinkled.

 

Illode patted Aika’s chest with a disturbed heart and softly sang a lullaby.

 

Until Aika once again fell asleep.

 

“…”

 

Looking at her angelic face even while she was asleep, he became confused.

 

This ignorant, happy child already knew how to hide from an attack.

 

[Mom told me to hide here when playing hide and seek.
I have to hide in the same closet at Grandpa’s house and mine.]

 

As long as she has the blood of Valliot, she can’t avoid attacks anywhere.

 

Still, he put many of the guards in the mansion where Seria lived.

 

What he thought was safe was actually Seria trying to prevent them from reporting it to him.

 

‘What the hell does this lump of blood know?’

 

Since Seria was born, she hasn’t been the type to upset Illode much, but whenever she had an accident, it would hit Illode hard.

 

She was a daughter who was good at dealing with accidents on her own, and even so, he always believed in her.

 

She had risen to the rank of prime minister with only her skills, then his daughter, who had endured all kinds of vicious rumors, had suddenly disappeared.

 

Then, 2 years later, she showed up with this lump of blood.

 

[…Father.]

 

[Where have you been?]

 

[I… can’t tell you.]

 

With a weaker appearance than anyone else, with a stronger will than anyone else.