Chapter 5

    "Ice Witch, It’s not funny."

    "I've only ever been involved with the opposite sex once, and you are the only person I've been with. After returning from the magical world, I found out I was pregnant. What do you think about that?"

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "If you don't believe it, we can go for a DNA test."

    "Hold on, my heart can't take this. Can I have a moment to process this?" Gavin nearly bowed down. He needed to digest the information, not just for himself, but for everyone present.

    The young lady had never once mentioned the name of the little lady's father, only that he was a powerful sorcerer well-known in the magical world. Who would have thought it would be this man?

    Kurt and Holly felt like they were testing their hearts' endurance. They were dying to know who the father of their beloved niece was. Who would have thought they would find out today, and in such an unexpected manner?

    "Really? Eris is my daughter? My daughter?"

    "Um," Kariette nodded affirmatively, leaving no room for doubt. Why would the Ice Witch lie? There was no point in it.

    "I have a daughter... I... I still have a family," Gavin murmured, his knees buckling. He gazed at the woman and child in an embrace, his face a mix of disbelief and emotion, his garnet eyes trembling before tears began to stream down his face.

    "I... I still have a family. Ah... sorry, I got a bit carried away," he said, wiping his face slightly.

    "Come inside first. Housekeeper, prepare a room for him."

    "Yes, miss."

    "And you, get cleaned up and dressed. Then we'll talk."

    "Uh... okay," Gavin nodded, following the mother and daughter inside, with Kurt and Holly finally regaining their composure.

    "Incredible! I finally got a brother-in-law," Kurt exclaimed.

    "Brother-in-law, what nonsense! I will never accept that man. He's not right for our sister."

    "Sister, are you blind? Don't you see how well our sister treats him? She sees every man in the world as a pest, yet now she's welcoming him."

    "It's just because he saved Eris, so she's being nice. That's normal!"

    "No, you don't understand. It's a woman's perspective you're lacking. Those were the eyes of a woman in love!"

    "You're speaking nonsense! You're too biased. I don't know what I'll do if that man becomes my brother-in-law. I might just leave home."

    "Holly! Can you even object to whom your sister decides to marry? Who has to be approved by you first to get married?"

    "There are plenty of suitable men in the world for our sister, not some soy milk owner."

    "Don't let profiles deceive you. Our sister told us he's a great sorcerer. Maybe we could benefit from having him as a brother-in-law."

    "I don't believe he's as great as our sister says. Isn't he a sorcerer without a family? He doesn't even descend from a line of ancient sorcerers."

    "Who knows? He might be extraordinarily gifted!"

    "Why are you so in his favor? Have you been bought?"

    "No! Do you see me as such a person? I'm just happy that our sister might finally have a decent life."

    "Nonsense! I will oppose this as much as I can. Just watch."

    Kurt and Holly went back inside the mansion, making sure to remind everyone not to disclose this information to the outside world.

    Inside the mansion, Kariette was having a heart-to-heart with her daughter.

    "Eris, listen to Mommy."

    "Eris listening to Mommy," Eris nods slightly.

    "People are born from two individuals: a father and a mother. Mommy is your mother."

    "Yes, I know," Eris acknowledged. She understood that everyone had parents, but she couldn't grasp why she didn't have a father. Despite asking many times, she never got answers. Other children bragged about their fathers, but she had never met hers.

    "The uncle who saved you is your father."

    "My father?" Eris began to grasp the concept. Her mommy was significant in her life, and now there was another person of equal importance: her father. And the heroic uncle was her father?

    "Uncle is my father?"

    "Yes."

    "He is my father?"

    “Yes.”

    "He can take me to the beach? Buy me things? Take me to amusement parks?" Eris strained her brain to match what other kids said their fathers could do.

    "Yes, but Mommy will come along."

    "Can I ride on his back? Can I play with every toy with him?"

    "Yes, everything. He is your father."

    "Great! The heroic uncle is my father. My father is a hero." Eris was ecstatic, newly acquainted with the identity called 'father.' Fathers were magnificent beings, especially what Gavin did today, engraving itself in the little girl's memory and heart.

    "Let's bathe and change clothes, then we can go see your father."

    "Okay!"

    Everyone got themselves organized and gathered again in the dining room because the situation with Eris had made it impossible for anyone to eat anything all evening. Now that things had settled, they could finally enjoy a meal together.

    A special addition was Gavin, the guest, who felt quite nervous until Eris, dressed like a princess, was carried down the stairs. The little goddess smiled sweetly and waved at him.

    "Papa!"

    Crack!

    This term of endearment was overwhelmingly impactful.

    Though he didn't understand why she called her mother 'Mommy' but her father 'Papa,' it didn't matter. At this moment, Gavin was happier than when he had successfully defeated a demon.

    "Ahem, brother, my niece called you. Why aren't you responding?" Kurt coughed to bring him back to reality.

    "Uh... yeah, here I am. Here I am." Gavin got up quickly to take Eris from Kariette, still needing time to accept the truth that he had become a father.

    Gavin lifted Eris to take a closer look once more.

    ‘Um... really cute. Indeed, my daughter. Eris's eyes resemble mine, and her eyebrows too, but everything else is just like Kariette's, as if she was molded after her.’

    "Let's have dinner first, I have a lot to talk to you about."

    "Yes, yes." Gavin nodded rapidly. At this moment, anything was fine as long as he could be with his daughter.

    Gavin, who was now indifferent to the world, felt like forsaking everything to devote himself to his daughter. He considered closing his soy milk shop so he could spend mornings with his daughter.

    Everyone sat down, but now Eris was sitting on Gavin's lap.

    "Papa?"

    "Yes?"

    "Papa?"

    "What is it? Who taught you to call me 'Papa'?"

    "I don't know. Eris can't remember. But some kids call their fathers 'Papa,' so I just followed them."

    "I see." Gavin smiled, brimming with joy. Ah, a life filled with battles was so empty. This was true happiness. He vowed not to look for a place to die twice a week anymore and to be more humble.

    "Eris, Auntie has prepared a special mushroom soup for you. Do you like it?" Holly asked her niece. Of course, Eris's attention was still on her father. The little girl looked at her aunt, then at the mushroom soup, and shook her head.

    "No."

    "You haven't even tried it yet. Why say you don't like it?"

    "I don't like it." Eris shook her head fervently, disappointing Holly and even the family chef.

    "Eris, why don't you try the soup first and then say whether you like it or not? Doing this makes your aunt sad, you know." For the first time, Gavin took the opportunity to discipline his daughter, but the little girl stubbornly shook her head again.

    "Not tasty."

    "Hmm?" Gavin frowned before tasting his own mushroom soup, finding it quite good. Why did the little girl say it wasn't tasty?

    "Anorexia," Kariette uttered succinctly, clearing up Gavin's confusion.

    "How serious is it?"

    "She has no appetite at all. It's very rare for her to say she wants to eat something. The last thing was your soy milk." Kariette obviously knew everything about her daughter.

    "Ah... poor thing. Something must be wrong." Gavin stroked the little girl's head affectionately.

    "Little one, you need to eat, you know. Eat to live, not live to eat."

    "I know, Papa. I want to eat something tasty. Can Papa find it for me?"

    "Sure! Tomorrow, Papa will make something delicious for you to eat."

    "Really?"

    "Absolutely! Ask your Mommy how good Papa's cooking is. I'm unmatched. Tomorrow, I'll make the world's tastiest clear soup for you."

    “…”

    Clear soup, huh?

    Even Kurt was taken aback.

    "Hey! Eris has been eating only high-quality food all her life. You're going to make clear soup for my niece?"

    "Don't underestimate my cooking skills. Or, no, don't underestimate our traditional dishes. Clear soup, green curry, braised eggs, egg with tamarind sauce – they all evolve when served on my plate."

    "Don't exaggerate too much."

    "Holly," when Kariette spoke up, the younger sister ceased her objections.

    "Let's eat quickly so we can go to bed. Tomorrow, you can wake up to Papa's cooking," Kariette said to her daughter.

    "Yes!" Eris eagerly stuffed her mouth, so Gavin had to take on the role of feeding her and wiping her face to prevent her from getting too messy. Today was one of the happiest days for the little girl, despite the serious incident of being kidnapped. The appearance of someone called 'Papa' outweighed all the bad stuff.

    Eris was about to be taken to bed by Kariette, but when she realized she had to part with Papa, the little girl started to fuss.

    "Papa! Papa!"

    "Yes?" Gavin responded immediately.

    "Papa, come sleep with me."

    "That might not be very appropriate," Gavin glanced at Kariette, who was giving him an icy glare. Of course, they had a past together for a while, but it was a brief and not deeply intimate period like a husband and wife. This woman would never allow another man to sleep near her, for sure.

    "Papa doesn't want to sleep with me..." Eris began to pout. She wanted Papa to sleep with her, just like the other kids bragged about. The little girl turned to look at her Mommy for help, unaware that the main reason she couldn't sleep with Papa was because of her Mommy.

    "Papa needs to rest. Let's not disturb him. Now, Mommy will tell you a story."

    "No! Mommy's stories aren't fun." Eris resisted vehemently. Her Mommy was perfect in every way except for singing and storytelling. With Mommy's almost emotionless voice, she couldn't expect these things. Conversely, she wanted Papa to tell her a story.

    "Papa, Papa, will you tell me a story?" Eris looked at her father expectantly. Gavin couldn't refuse anymore and glanced at Kariette, noticing that the mother of his child wasn't overtly objecting. He then nodded to his daughter.

    "Of course, what story would you like to hear?"

    "Do you know many stories, Papa?"

    "Lots! I know plenty."

    "Tell me one, please."

    "Alright, but you must listen to Mommy. Go wait in the room first, and Papa will think about which story to tell."

    "Yes, yes," Eris nodded rapidly and toddled toward her mother. The little girl was then carried into her mother's bedroom. Being only three and a half years old, she still slept in the same room as her mother. Soon, Gavin followed them into the room.

    Kariette felt a bit awkward. Aside from family, she had never invited any man into her room. Gavin's scanning gaze made her feel shy, but his lack of judgment or criticism made her both relieved and annoyed.

    Gavin sat down beside the bed, eagerly watched by Eris.

    "Once upon a time, long ago, there was a king endowed with profound wisdom and knowledge, a ruler who governed his kingdom in peace and prosperity. Until one day..." Gavin began the story with focus. The content was familiar to Kariette, not just any fairy tale, but a tale from another world.

    The magical world had a history spanning thousands of years with many stories. Gavin just adapted one of those tales. What he didn't know was that Kariette had already told this story to Eris. The woman watched curiously to see how her daughter would react.

    "Wow! Such a smart king. But why did he still answer the demon's questions knowing it would heal the demon?"

    "Because the stories and the questions posed by the demon challenged his intellect. As a wise king, he couldn't resist answering the demon's questions."

    "Umm... I think this king was both smart and foolish at the same time."

    "Ha, ha, exactly, Eris. You are right. This king was both intelligent and foolish."

    Gavin continued the tale, captivating both the young girl and her mother, leaving Kariette puzzled. She had told this story before, but why did her daughter act as if she was hearing it for the first time?

    Kariette's voice was not suited for storytelling to children; whatever she narrated seemed boring to a child. Instead of being lulled to sleep by stories, Eris felt like she was enduring a lecture. Hence, she never remembered any tale told by her mother.

    Gavin's story was a nested narrative about a king tasked with defeating a demon. When nearing death, the demon would tell a story and always pose a question at the end. If the king answered, whether correctly or wrongly, the demon would regain its strength.

    The demon and the king battled this way thirty-two times until the king eventually lost and died. Despite his wisdom and courage, facing the demon thirty-two times drained him. But he persisted in listening to the tales and answering the demon's questions.

    Tonight, Gavin told just one story, similar to the Vikram and Betaal tales where the demon narrated stories and posed riddles for the king to solve. If answered correctly, Betaal returned to his tree, and the king must carry him back to fulfill his quest, repeating twenty-four times, making his own storytelling the twenty-fifth tale of Betaal.

    Eris listened until the end and fell asleep. Gavin glanced at Kariette standing at the door. She nodded before leaving. Gavin looked at his daughter's sleeping face before exiting with a heavy heart.

    It seemed there would be family issues to resolve. What must he do to spend more time with Eris?