Chapter 1003: I'm So, Sorry, I Didn't Protect You From Your Evil Father

Rowena was lost in his kiss. She closed her eyes and held back the tears from falling down. 

This... is not a dream. The realization came to her.

But then, she wondered.  Why would Raphael still kiss her? Was he not disgusted by her? Didn't Draco say awful things to him about her? Rowena clearly remembered the vengeful look on her father's face before she left. He said he would make sure she was going down with him.

Did he die before he could say anything more?

No... Rowena faintly remembered Draco apologized to the royal family for not stopping his daughter from seducing Raphael for the immortality potion. Or, perhaps, she only dreamed it. Now, Rowena didn't know what was real anymore.

"Now, do you believe me that I am real?" Raphael smiled so broadly when he broke their kiss and he looked at Rowena's face from such close proximity.

Rowena nodded without a sound. She didn't know what to say.

"Rowena... I have told you, that I will never leave you, no matter what, and if you left me... I will search for you and bring you back to me," Raphael said seriously. "Do you understand?"

At that moment, all his jealousy was gone. He could see how troubled she was and didn't want to let her be by herself. Raphael remembered his promise and suddenly he felt ashamed of himself for even thinking about leaving.

Rowena bit her lip. She really didn't understand why Raphael was so persistent to be with her. What did she do to deserve his devotion?

"I did many bad things..." she finally croaked a reply. "I hope you would forgive me."

"There is really nothing to forgive," Raphael replied. "You did nothing wrong."

"I did," Rowena said dejectedly. "I dropped the immortality potion and I stabbed my father..."

She only did it to prevent her father from becoming an immortal because... by then it would be too late. However, she took full responsibility for what happened. She had wasted away the precious potion gifted to her by Raphael's parents as a sign that they accepted her to become their daughter-in-law.

And... the fact that she tried to kill her father was already bad enough.

Did Draco die?

"Why did you leave?" Raphael asked her. "I only need to know so I could understand. I am not trying to accuse you of anything. Please tell me what happened. I want to help you."

"D-did... did my father die?" Rowena asked back. She needed to know if Draco Roseland died before she could decide whether she would tell Raphael the truth, or not.

Raphael nodded. "Yeah. He died, but not before he spouted so much nonsense that many people became distraught."

Rowena's breath hitched and she stepped back a little when she heard the confirmation from Raphael that her father was truly dead. There was a sense of relief that slowly filled her chest.

"So, he died..." She nodded absent-mindedly. "Finally..."

Raphael was surprised to see Rowena's reaction. Instead of being distraught for having caused someone's death, especially her father, Rowena actually looked relieved. Did she want Draco dead?

Wait... did she plan to kill her father?

The man narrowed his eyes and looked at Rowena carefully. He touched her arm and pulled her to sit on his lap as he found a big rock to sit on. 

"Does that make you happy?" he asked carefully. He knew Draco was often mean to Rowena, but he didn't expect Rowena would hate her father so much that his death would make her happy.

Rowena shook her head.

"No. I feel nothing for him. Maybe slight relief, but nothing more."  She looked at Raphael with so much guilt. "I only regret that my action must have caused you shame."

Raphael shook his head. "Your action made me worry. I hope you would never leave again without explanation."

Explanation. What was there to explain?

Rowena felt embarrassed just thinking about how wretched her father's plan was. 

"I am sorry," she said with a low voice. "I'm... ashamed."

"Ashamed of what?"

Raphael looked at Rowena closely. He could see how much she struggled to speak. Did she feel embarrassed about what her father had done?

"My father..." Rowena worked so hard to articulate her words. After she thought about it, she did owe Raphael an explanation. The man came all the way here to find her, and when they met he treated her well and still spoke to her without judgment. 

He was too kind and Rowena felt bad about lying.

Rowena took a deep breath. "My father wanted me to seduce you. He wanted me to get the immortality potion for him, I think... his failure in the tournament of godhood made him feel obsessed about wanting to be one of the gods."

Raphael listened to her words attentively. He knew there must be something wrong for Draco to accuse his daughter as he did. No decent father would openly call out their daughter for a crime and smear her reputation.

Rowena's explanation actually made Raphael feel slightly relieved. It was better to know Draco Roseland forced his daughter to seduce Raphael to get the immortality potion for his own gain than to revive Julian who was Rowena's boyfriend.

That means Rowena didn't actually love Julian as Draco said. 

"Did he threaten you?" Raphael asked patiently.

Rowena nodded. She turned her head to see Julian's body who was 'sleeping' peacefully to her right. She couldn't hold back her tears from falling down when she explained everything between her sobs.

"Gosh...!" Raphael felt his heart in literal pain when he finally understood what happened. Draco Roseland was truly heartless.

Raphael remembered the night he and Rowena had sex for the first time... He just found out it didn't happen because Rowena was drunk from too much wine, but it was because Draco drugged her.

This made him so angry.

How could someone do that to another human being... and moreover it was his own daughter? His flesh and blood! Was Draco even human?!

"Oh, Rowena..." Raphael cried as he hugged her so tightly. "I am so, sorry... I am sorry, I didn't protect you from your evil father."