Ten Years Have Passed Since I Was Reincarnated. I Have Become the Father of a Villainous Noble Lady - Chapter 5

The Duke and I stood silently, staring at each other for a few moments before I finally came to my senses and turned to the waiting maid beside me.

“Please escort him to the grand hall.”

“As you wish, Master.”

With that, Duke Berger followed the maid and left the garden.

Whew… that was nerve-wracking.

For a moment, I feared he might suddenly bring up the engagement issue right then and there.

I still hadn’t figured out how to explain that Alize wasn’t particularly eager about the idea of getting engaged.

I wasn’t ready to have that conversation yet.

Eventually, I managed to greet all the arriving nobles, and at last, the preparations for the event were complete.

I made my way through the mansion corridor to the grand hall, where the gathered nobles were chatting and mingling.

I stepped forward and offered my formal greetings to the heads of the noble houses.

“Thank you all for coming today. I am Dennis Bataille, your host. I hope this marks the beginning of many good relations to come. Today marks the fifth birthday of my only daughter, Alize, and in her honor, we are holding this formal debut. She is a daughter I am immensely proud of, and I sincerely hope you’ll take this chance to meet her.”

As I finished speaking, our in-house musicians began playing a stately melody.

At the same time, a pair of large double doors on the opposite end of the hall began to slowly open with a deep creak.

…Beautiful.

That was the word that slipped into my mind the moment I saw her.

Alize stepped through the doorway with elegance and grace, reminiscent of my late wife in her prime.

I could see the tension in her posture, but even so, she held her head high and walked forward with her back straight.

She had barely interacted with the outside world up until now, and yet here she was, standing tall in front of a hall full of adults.

The sight of it made something stir inside me.

“Pleased to meet you all. I am Alize Bataille, eldest daughter of House Bataille. I have just turned five today, and I am truly grateful to be given this opportunity to greet you all.”

As she paused, a round of warm applause echoed throughout the hall.

Amazing…

Her voice was steady, not a hint of hesitation. Even as her father, I couldn’t help but be impressed.

She must’ve practiced endlessly for this moment.

Her tutor had told me how hard she’d been working, but seeing the results in person brought a lump to my throat.

Tears threatened to fall as I watched my daughter’s growth unfold before my eyes.

…Of course, I held them back. Crying here would’ve been disgraceful for a nobleman.

Alize finished her greeting and turned gracefully on her heel, heading back toward the doors—

Rip!

The sharp sound of tearing fabric reached my ears.

In the next instant, I saw Alize stumble, and then fall forward onto the stage in what felt like slow motion.

Thud.

She had fallen completely.

Debut dresses for girls of noble status are traditionally designed to trail on the floor, with long hems and high heels being the norm.

Walking gracefully in such attire isn’t something a child can do without considerable training.

It seemed she had caught her heel on the hem of her dress and tripped.

Her composure, held together so tightly until now, completely unraveled in that moment.

“U-u… Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!”

I moved before I even realized it.

“Alize!”

I rushed over to her as she sobbed on the stage.

Who cared about the eyes of the other nobles? Who cared about dignity or decorum?

None of that mattered right now.

I knelt beside her and gently scooped her up into my arms, carrying her away from the hall.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorryyyyyyyy!!”

She cried over and over again as she clung to me tightly, her voice shaking with emotion.

Once we were away from everyone’s eyes, deep in one of the inner rooms of the mansion, I set her down gently in a chair.

Let the nobles wait. That wasn’t important right now.

I could apologize to them later. If they were offended, I’d do whatever it took to make it right—even pay them.

But if I left Alize alone now, I felt like it would leave a scar on her heart that would never fully heal.

And so, holding her tightly in my arms, I whispered again and again—

“It’s okay… It’s really okay, Alize. You did your best—so much more than enough. You were incredible. I was moved. Seeing how hard you tried… it made me so proud and happy. So please, don’t worry. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

She continued crying for a while, but with me gently repeating those words over and over, she eventually began to calm down.

Once she finally stopped crying completely, she looked down in embarrassment, her voice trembling as she spoke.

“I’m sorry, Father… I… I really, really tried my best so I wouldn’t cause you any trouble… but… b-but I… I messed up, and… and… and… Waaaahhhhhhhhhh!!”

It seemed remembering the moment triggered her emotions all over again, and she burst into tears once more.

I could only hold her close, gently rubbing her back as I whispered again and again— “It’s okay… It’s okay…”