The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 247: Father

Chapter 247: Father

There was only silence. What else did she expect from a statue? That was all this Goddess was, a statue, a rock, not worthy of being a Goddess!

And now, here she was again.

History was repeating itself.

She refused to let that happen.

Annora refused to lose again.

Her fingers curled into fists as she wiped the tears from her face, her sorrow quickly hardening into hatred.

If the Goddess wouldn’t answer her, then she would take matters into her own hands.

She would not let Adeline win.

Even if she had to burn everything down to the ground.

Dimitri was already gone.

Adeline stared at the horizon, knowing that he had left for the Mage Tower, and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t reach him, couldn’t talk to him, couldn’t even confirm if he would listen to her if she tried.

Even if she went all the way to the tower, there was no guarantee that she would see him.

Dimitri was a different person now. He was not the boy she had taken in, not the one she had encouraged, trained, and pushed toward his destiny.

They were not friends anymore.

She let out a deep breath, Would he refuse her? Would he look at her with cold indifference, the way he used to look at Annora?

Her fingers curled into fists.

She didn’t want to think about it anymore.

If these male leads were acting as they used to, then that meant that she, Benedict, and Cassian were still "friends." More or less.

Friends who stabbed each other, but friends nonetheless.

She let out a humourless chuckle. It was ridiculous when she thought about it like that, but what else could she call it?

Their original dynamic had been twisted, filled with betrayal, schemes, and blood. But even in that chaos, there had been moments when they had relied on each other, if only for their own benefit.

But that wasn’t what she wanted now.

Right now, she just wanted to go home.

She wanted to be surrounded by people who wouldn’t betray her, who wouldn’t manipulate her, who wouldn’t stab her in the back—metaphorically or physically.

She wanted to be with her family.

As soon as she reached home, she didn’t hesitate. Like a child, she ran straight to her father.

The moment she entered his office, her tense shoulders finally relaxed.

Her father, ever composed, was seated at his desk, going through various documents. He was managing the intelligence guild full-time now. Not that it required much effort.

The guild practically ran itself.

People traded secrets for secrets. Information was currency, and there was no need for him to actively gather intelligence when everything came to him effortlessly. He did not want to retire but it seems like he was living that retired life.

She strode across the room and sat down right next to him, refusing to say a word.

Her father glanced at her briefly before returning to his documents. He didn’t ask anything at first, simply allowing her to sit in silence.

A few moments passed.

Then, she did something childish.

Each time he picked up a paper to read, she slowly reached out and covered it with her hands.

Her father sighed, setting the document aside.

He then put on glasses.

Adeline immediately frowned. Glasses?

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Since when do you wear glasses?" she asked, suspicion laced in her tone.

Her father froze.

He had been wearing glasses for a while now.

Did his daughter never notice?

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem. Did something happen, Linny?"

Adeline sighed and pressed her forehead against the desk.

She didn’t want to talk about it.

Her father studied her for a moment before reaching out to gently pat her head. He refrained from sighing himself.

He could already tell what was happening.

She wanted him to ask.

But at the same time, she didn’t want to answer.

Adeline sighed again.

Where could she even begin?

How was she supposed to explain the mess she was in?

The absurdity of it all?

She was sad.

There was hope, but it was still devastating.

She was trying her best to keep things lighthearted, to hold herself together.

But it was hard.

It was so, so hard.

And yet, sitting here, beside her father, she felt a small sense of relief.

At least her family hadn’t changed.

That thought alone grounded her.

Even if everything else had shifted, even if Dimitri had left, even if Cassian and Benedict had fallen under Annora’s spell, even if the world itself seemed to be against her—her family was the same.

They were still here.

They still loved her.

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking comfort in that thought.

No matter what happened, she could hold onto this.

She had to.

What if those people targeted her family? No, Edward said they were targeting people close to Annora, which meant only the male leads.

"Come now, Adeline. What happened?"

Her father asked again, his tone softer this time. He reached out and vigorously rubbed her hair, treating her like a pet.

Adeline immediately pouted in annoyance, shaking his hand off.

"Stop that!" she huffed, fixing her messy hair.

Her father only chuckled, clearly amused by her reaction.

"Nothing happened," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "I just wanted to spend some time with you."

She whined a little, hoping he wouldn’t push further.

Her father narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her. She could tell he didn’t believe her.

After a short pause, he asked, "Did your brothers bully you?"

Adeline immediately shook her head.

"Of course not!"

They would never dare.

She was too cute, too powerful, and she wasn’t afraid to remind them.

If they ever tried anything, she was more than willing to zap them.

Her father smirked as if reading her thoughts.

"Good," he said, leaning back in his chair. "They should know better."

Adeline nodded in agreement.

She leaned her head on his desk again, feeling a little better just sitting here.