*Thud-Thud!*
Two crisp, rhythmic knocks on the door shattered the suffocating, hazy air like an ice pick.
"Robin, breakfast is ready~!"
Serfina's gentle voice came through the door.
As if yanked out of a vivid dream, Robin jolted violently—her eyes snapped open wide, panic and shame flooding her gaze.
Lucian's hand, which had been resting on her cheek, withdrew instantly—so fast it left a blur.
Meanwhile, the dark, almost dominating aura that had surrounded him moments before vanished completely, replaced once more by the calm, composed warmth of a gentle father.
"Y-Yes, Mother! I-I'll be right there!"
Robin responded to her mother, but her voice shot up in pitch from nervousness.
Immediately after, she fumbled to adjust the collar of her already-buttoned pajamas, then ran her fingers through her hair in a rush while keeping her gaze down, not daring to glance at Lucian beside her.
"L-Let's go! We shouldn't keep Mother waiting!"
Robin spoke rapidly, her head lowered like a startled fawn as she grabbed Lucian's wrist and nearly dragged him toward the door.
Lucian let her pull him along, his gaze quietly lingering on the flushed tips of her ears and the tense curve of her neck—his eyes deep and unreadable.
===
At the dining table, the delicate breakfast Serfina had made gave off a tempting aroma.
Robin kept her head down, sipping her drink in small gulps—her long lashes drooped low, hiding the chaos roiling beneath her calm surface.
'Oh my god! What just happened?! How could I... How could I get that close to Father? And I even... closed my eyes? What was I expecting?!'
As this thought crossed her mind, a tiny angel with her face—wearing a white robe, a glowing halo floating above her head, and holding a little staff—appeared inside her mind and yelled cutely while clenching her tiny fists.
'What are you thinking?! It's sinful! Shameful! Snap out of it!'
In the next second, however, a tiny devil with her face—waving a tiny black fork and flicking her pointed tail—jumped out to argue.
'You know what's in your heart! He treats you so well, so differently! Don't you like it when he's close to you? Didn't it feel... amazing? Your heart racing, your body turning weak like jelly...'
Upon hearing this, the angel, furious, brandished her little staff.
'No—that's an illusion! It's dependence, not love! Don't let it twist!'
At this, the devil snorted.
'You're just lying to yourself! Look at you—your face is still red like a boiled shrimp! Even Mother across the table could probably hear your heartbeat!'
'Shut up, you wicked creature!'
'Tell me, then—when Father did all that just now... why didn't you stop him? Hmm~? Why didn't you? Hmm~?'
As the devil's voice resounded in her mind, Robin's hand tightened around her mug.
Indeed, why?
Why hadn't she pulled away when her father's fingers brushed against her cheek?
Why, when his breath surrounded her, hadn't she pushed him aside—but instead... closed her eyes in anticipation?
What exactly did she anticipate?
Robin lifted her gaze and quickly glanced at the young-looking father beside her, still looking exactly the same as when they first met.
Lucian was eating breakfast with perfect grace, his movements neat and measured, as if that nearly burning moment in the bedroom had never happened.
Seeing this, Robin's mind was thrown into a daze.
'Could it be that... my affection for Father has changed...?'
Robin thought about this question for a long time, but never found an answer, nor did she dare confess it to Lucian.
In the end, all she could do was pretend nothing had happened.
===
Time passed by in the blink of an eye, and at this point, Robin had become a famous galactic singer in the Epsilon system, just like in the original story.
Three albums alone had earned her countless fans, and because of her uniquely conservative, wrapped, and layered stage outfits, she was affectionately nicknamed the 'Bundle Bird' by her fans.
Yet, just when she had begun shining at her brightest, Robin actually chose to step away from fame.
Why?
Simply because she realized that singing on a glamorous stage could not save the weak.
Even though her songs gave many people the courage to face life, there were still endless refugees crying out for aid.
For this reason, she felt her singing no longer had much purpose, since, to her, it would be far more meaningful to go there herself, to those disaster-stricken places.
'...Mother and Brother would never agree, but Father loves me the most, so he'll understand and support me.'
Deep down, Robin always believed that Lucian would understand her and her decision, because, ever since she was a child, as long as her choices were for the good, he had never once disagreed with her and had instead supported her.
Ultimately, Robin went to Lucian and spoke her mind.
"What you wanna do—just go ahead." Lucian said gently, showing not a trace of objection. "You know I'll always support you."
If his little bird wanted to sing on stage, he let her sing.
If she no longer wished to, she could retire.
If she wanted to go to war-torn places to help the helpless and the weak, of course, she could.
No matter what she chose to do, he would respect her choice, though his only condition was that he would be part of every moment of her life.
"Thank you, Father!"
Robin exclaimed with a beautiful smile, then happily hugged Lucian.
"Umu." Lucian nodded softly and gently rested his hand on her back. "Once I finish handling matters in Penacony, we'll set out."
"We?" Robin paused, blinked her eyes in surprise, then looked up at her father's face. "You mean you'll go with me to those war-torn places?"
"Of course. I obviously will never let you go alone to such dangerous places." Lucian replied with a chuckle. "Or... don't you want me to come with you?"
"Of course I do! I was just afraid you might not want to..."
"Silly, when have I ever refused you? Whatever you ask, I always agree—just like always, no?"
Hearing this, Robin gave another beautiful smile, then suddenly rose on her toes and pressed her soft lips against Lucian's cheek.
"Father, you're the best. I love you..."
Robin whispered gently right next to Lucian's ear.
"Haha, I love you too, little bird."
Lucian chuckled, having not expected such an unexpected bonus at all.
He had to admit that the sudden, warm, tender touch against his cheek sent a faint shiver down his spine. Even for someone like him, who had mingled with many women over the years, this sensation felt strangely new to him.
And so, while Robin packed her things, Lucian went to inform Serfina about their plan.
As expected, when Serfina heard that her daughter wanted to go to war-torn places, she immediately objected without hesitation. It was not until she learned that Lucian would be accompanying her that she finally had no objections anymore.
As for Sunday, just like Serfina, he was also utterly against it at first, but the moment Lucian said he would go along with her, he ran out of reasons to continue protesting, muttering only for them to come back soon.
In Sunday's eyes, Lucian was an invincible, omnipotent being, so with him by his sister's side, there could be no danger whatsoever.
Lucian naturally did not forget to inform Mikhail, Razalina, and Gopher Wood about his departure and entrusted them with Penacony's affairs.
===
Several days later, in the morning, Lucian and Robin finally left Penacony.
When they were still in Penacony, the morning light always carried a sweet tinge of festivities, but outside their spaceship windows now lay a starkly different scene of purgatory—scorched earth, smoke, and twisted metal wreckage jutting toward the leaden sky like the bones of colossal beasts.
Even worse, the air was thick with the stench of rust, lingering gunpowder, and... a far more revolting odor of decay.
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
In the distance, muffled explosions echoed like the cries of dying giants, and the ground occasionally trembled with ominous force.
"Father..."
Robin spoke softly, her fingers instinctively clutching Lucian's sleeve.
It couldn't be helped.
For a maiden like her, who had never directly visited places like these, the sight before her was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the spark of excitement she had felt from her father's company.
Lucian didn't answer her call and merely turned his hand over, enclosing her cold fingers completely within his warm, dry palm.
Robin was deeply grateful, for in this hellish landscape, her father's presence alone gave her an unshakable sense of safety and courage.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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