Chapter 98: The Overly Guarded Girl

"I've recovered! I've been able to use my magic energy back! Yay, yay!"

Somewhere in the magnificent and luxurious castle, a girl was prancing with great joy on her bed.

"One week, I suffered and was just locked up in the castle without being able to use magic. My smelly father watches out for you later. If I was stronger than you, I'll beat your ass and perhaps kick it too." A silver-haired girl held her hand, with her ambition that slightly off the mark.

"Ehem... What are you going to do to me, Sylvia? I heard something about the ass and kicks?" Suddenly a black mist appeared in the room, and from it emerged the manifestation of a man.

"Ah, um... It's nothing. I just feel like my ass is healthy and not sick anymore. I can also kick kicks, father. Look..." Sylvia broke out in a cold sweat. She immediately demonstrated some martial arts as soon as a man with short silver hair, and a slightly cold face smiled at her.

"Ho? Is that so? Well, it's been one week. Your punishment period is over." Dylan nodded as he folded his arms.

"Ah! This is the umpteenth time I remind you, right, father? Do not enter my room without knocking first! That's rude! Now you do it again, I will... I will... I will punish you." Sylvia thought of a proper threat to her father, and she got off the bed.

"I'm Devil Emperor, I make the rules. Hmm? What kind of punishment will you bring to me?"

"Hehe... But you have to agree first that you will accept the punishment from me, and you will allow me to do it." Sylvia smiled as she rubbed her hands and walked over to her father.

"No, I'm not interested anymore. Do what you want." Dylan had a bad feeling coming from his daughter, who smiled mischievously at him.

"Oya~ My father, the strongest being in the Devil Continent, is afraid of the petty punishment of his little daughter who can't even kill a chicken?" Sylvia covered her mouth with her palm as if in surprise, then squinted her red eyes as if she was mocking her father.

"Hmph! Did that chicken you mention was Sophia Lor-hen? She is one of the Emperor-class devils below me. Of course, you can't kill her with your Saint-class power. Alright, the almighty me will accept it. Now tell me what you want." Dylan snorted and relented. He somewhat spoiled his daughter in his own way.

"That's my father. Then, your punishment is... Give me the freedom of adventure!" Sylvia spread her arms cheerfully while jumping.

"Rejected." Dylan just flatly refused.

"Why! You've promised and accepted it! You're Devil Emperor, so keep your promise!" Sylvia made a sudden pout.

"I never promised. I just said I accepted it, but that doesn't mean I'll guarantee it to you and let it go." Dylan grinned as if he had won.

"Whoa! How sneaky!"

"Heh." Dylan smirked. He didn't even want to lose.

The pouting Sylvia now puffed out her cheeks while glaring at her father. But, her father just looked at her with amusement and didn't give up or yield.

"Fine! Well then, but next time don't try to find me if I can't be found anywhere! Maybe I've explored the end of the world and saw for myself what it looks like. In the next year, you won't have to celebrate your daughter's birthday anymore!" Sylvia tried to dramatize the situation with tears in her eyes. Maybe her father would make her wish for granted.

"Then I'll lock you up under heavy guard in the castle. I want to see how you can escape then." Dylan remained steadfast in his stance. He felt the outside world could no longer be trusted and too dangerous for his innocent daughter, especially after he ascended the continent throne.

"Just do it. I also want to see how long you can keep me in the castle. I've become friends with a Goddess. I'll ask Ely to punish you and take me away!" Sylvia raised her voice. She was already so annoyed with her father, he never let her out with a little of her ideal freedom.

Once she went outside, it was always under heavy guard, and it was only within the Devil Continent particular area. Apart from the Capital Region, which she explored far too often, she just explored the other four regions simply because her father was in that region. She was not allowed to be too far from her father.

"Sigh... Is it not enough just in the regions of this continent? Here is such a vast area for you to explore all your life. Why is it necessary to go far? What are you trying to find?" Dylan took a deep breath and then drew closer to the window to see the sun slowly approaching the western horizon.

"Friend. I'm looking for a friend, father. Someone I can talk to freely, not someone who came because of you or because of your orders. I also want to have friends like in stories. Playing, joking, traveling, exploring, exchanging stories together... There are so many things I want to do..." Sylvia lowered her head while shedding tears, not pretending or anything, but desperate to cry.

"I've spent 556 years with you, father. Since you were an ordinary devil until you became a great Devil Emperor and respected throughout this continent. During that time, I already felt lonely..." Sylvia could no longer continue her sentence. Her words ended with sobs and tears.

She sat on the floor, wiping her tears that continued to fall after speaking honestly about how she felt that had been endured so patiently for so long.

There was only a girl's cry that sounded heartbreaking to anyone who heard it. Dylan didn't know what to do, this was the first time Sylvia had cried, and the cause was himself.

Since he had been taking care of his daughter after his wife died, Sylvia had never cried. He just came occasionally, then went to quickly increase his strength because his determination and anger for revenge were so great as to fuel the struggle.

At that time, Sylvia was locked up in a safe place or area, and sometimes she was only accompanied by someone else because of his orders. Little Sylvia could only play alone and was guarded by someone on the orders of her father.

She hadn't complained for hundreds of years. She also developed a childish nature because she couldn't grow up under tight restraint. She was just trying to get everyone's attention because she started feeling lonely, and she didn't want to feel alone.

Even so, the way she valued a person and her thought processes were top-notch. Her father just hadn't realized it or just didn't even try to believe it.

Reading fairy tales and stories had become her sanctuary. They could accommodate all of her imaginations about many places far beyond the continent. Sometimes, she would imagine herself as the main character in the story and fantasize about what it would be like if it were real.

Dylan sighed once again before he approached his daughter, then crouched down and hugged her. He didn't know what to do, but a hug might help. They spent time like that until Sylvia stopped crying, but they remained silent without anyone opening their mouths to speak.

"So, I was allowed to go?" Sylvia asked softly after the silence started to kill her.

"No."

The short answer was predicted by Sylvia. She took a breath and then immediately released herself from her father's embrace to stand up while wiping the remaining tears on her cheeks. Dylan also stood up, not knowing what his daughter would say for the next.