My Crybaby Father is the Kingdom’s Worst Villain

Ramiro's study was dimly lit, the crackling fire in the hearth casting long shadows over the shelves lined with ancient tomes and maps.

Ramiro sat at his desk, his face illuminated by the warm glow of the lamp as he read the letter from Duke Alejandro de Castillo. His jaw tightened with every line, his piercing eyes narrowing in disgust.

A knock on the door broke the silence.

"Come in," Ramiro mumbled, his voice low and distracted as his eyes remained fixed on the parchment.

The door creaked open, and Esteban stepped in with a polite bow.

"My lord, the children have settled, and the staff at the old estate are already taking care of them," Esteban began, his tone calm yet efficient. "Shall I begin the redevelopment of the orphanage?"

Ramiro finally looked up, his expression hard as stone. "Yes..." he muttered. With a sharp motion, he crumpled the letter in his hand and held it above the desk. A flicker of crimson light danced in his palm as his flame magic ignited, consuming the letter in a swift blaze. The ashes drifted to the floor like dark snow.

Esteban's sharp eyes caught the tension in his master's movements. He hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously. "My lord... Is something the matter?"

Ramiro leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming against the armrest. His gaze was distant, simmering with restrained anger. "That bastard, Duke Castillo..." he growled, his voice venomous.

Esteban stepped closer, his brow furrowing. "Did he dare to threaten you, my lord?"

Ramiro scoffed, his lips curling into a bitter smile. "Not me. He wouldn't dare. It's about Luzia."

Esteban stiffened, his calm exterior faltering. "The young lady?"

"Yes." Ramiro's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "He said since he helped me find Luzia, I should keep my end of the bargain."

Esteban's eyes widened in shock. "The bargain was to engage Lady Luzia to his son, Ignacio, if you found her in the location he provided. Correct, my lord?"

Ramiro exhaled sharply, his frustration evident. "Yes. He's a sneaky one, Esteban. I was so focused on finding Luzia, so consumed by desperation, that I didn't think far enough ahead."

Esteban's brows furrowed deeply as he processed the situation. "This means he knew where Lady Luzia might have been all along and deliberately chose to tell you when you were most vulnerable—when you were on the verge of giving up your search."

Ramiro's fingers clenched the edge of his desk. "And the fact that he knows I've already found her, despite me not informing anyone outside this household, proves he's been watching me all along."

Esteban's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. "To know about Lady Luzia's arrival so quickly... It's no coincidence. He planned this perfectly."

Ramiro's eyes burned with a quiet fury. "If he thinks I'll hand Luzia over to him, he is gravely mistaken."

"What will you do, my lord?" Esteban asked, his voice steady.

Ramiro leaned forward, his gaze sharp and calculating. "First, I'll honor the letter, Esteban. I'll agree to his terms." He paused, his lips curling into a dark smirk.

Esteban raised an eyebrow and thought, ' He is complying? That easily?'

"Understood, my lord," Esteban muttered with a curt nod.

As Esteban turned to leave, Ramiro's voice called out, low and determined. "And Esteban?"

"Yes, my lord?"

Ramiro's voice softened but carried an icy edge. "Have our 'informants' keep a watchful eye on Castillo."

"It will be done, my lord," Esteban promised, before quietly leaving the room.

As the door closed behind him, Ramiro turned back to the window, the firelight casting a fierce glow across his face. "Alejandro, you made a mistake thinking you could toy with me," he murmured, his voice like steel.

A while after Esteban left, the sound of a soft knock on the study door interrupted Ramiro's thoughts. Without looking up from his work, he muttered, "Come in."

The door creaked open, and Beatriz entered, her movements quiet and efficient. "The young lady has taken her bath, my lord, and now she is fast asleep."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Ramiro's lips, though his gaze remained fixed on the papers in front of him. 'That's great... I really wish I could go see her, but she's asleep now, and I'm quite busy,' he thought.

"Wake her up once it's dinner time," Ramiro instructed, his voice calm yet carrying a hint of satisfaction.

Beatriz bowed, her eyes flickering with a trace of respect, before turning and leaving the room.

---

Meanwhile, in Luzia's room...

Luzia slowly opened her eyes, her senses sharp as she scanned the room. There was no one there. She blinked in the afternoon sun light, then carefully propped herself up on the bed, the sheets rustling beneath her.

'Good, no one's here. I faked my sleep just so they'd leave me alone,' she thought, relief washing over her. She glanced at the window, her mind racing as she ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

'Everything feels so... different,' she mused, her gaze shifting between the walls of the room, the luxurious furniture, and the distant view outside. 'Why is it that everything feels strange? Why is this place so unlike what I read about? I can't make sense of it...'

Her fingers tightened into fists, the frustration building in her chest. "Now, i'm not sure if Ivan will attempt to kill me..."

Luzia's mind was racing, the quiet room suddenly feeling much too small. "I have to keep an eye on Ivan... but how?" she muttered under her breath, a troubled frown forming on her face as she sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window as her mind raced with possibilities, none of them quite good enough. She needed to figure this out.

As Luzia pondered the question, her vision began to blur, the room around her fading into a soft haze. She blinked, trying to shake the sensation, but it only deepened. Her heartbeat slowed, and a strange, almost surreal calm settled over her.

She felt as though she were slipping into another place, another time, as if her very consciousness was being drawn somewhere else entirely.

The world around her shifted, and she found herself walking down a long hallway.

'Huh?! This is Duke Ramiro's estate, right?' she thought, her gaze sweeping over the familiar yet strangely oppressive surroundings.

She moved silently, her feet making no sound as they glided across the marble floors.

'Is this someone else's memory?' she wondered, a chill running down her spine at the thought.

Ahead of her, she noticed a door slightly ajar. Through the crack, she glimpsed a shadowy figure standing inside Ramiro's study, hunched over his desk. The figure was cloaked, their hood pulled low over their face, hiding their features. Their hands trembled as they rifled through papers scattered across the desk.

"Where is it?!" The voice was strained and filled with frustration as the person searched frantically.

Suddenly, the figure froze, they found a medium-sized black box with golden runes on it.

'What is that?' Luzia thought as she narrowed her eyes.

A faint creak of the floorboards broke the silence. Their head snapped up, and Luzia felt the weight of their gaze even though their face remained hidden in shadow.

"Who's there?" The voice was cold, sharp, and brimming with suspicion. Luzia's breath hitched as a wave of unease washed over her.

No matter how much she tried to focus, the figure's face remained obscured, their identity shrouded in darkness. But then, her eyes caught a glimpse of what the figure held in their hand.

It was a crystal with a central core that had an ethereal deep blue, veins of silver-like lightning pulsing through it.

'Who is this person? And what is that they are holding? I need to know...' Luzia thought, her frustration growing as she strained to make sense of the scene unfolding before her.

Her breath caught in her throat as the trance began to break. The vision blurred, slipping away like sand through her fingers. She reached out, desperate to hold on to the fragments of what she had seen, but it was too late. The memory—or whatever it was—vanished, leaving behind only an oppressive sense of unease.

Suddenly, a flash of silver caught her eye. Before she could make sense of it, a hand—slender and unfamiliar—covered her eyes gently but firmly.

A voice, soft yet laced with authority, spoke close to her ear. "This is as far as I can show you... You will figure out the rest yourself."

Her heart raced. 'Who's that?' she thought frantically, but the voice and the presence were gone as quickly as they had appeared.

"My lady," a voice called out softly, pulling her back to reality.

"My lady... wake up. It is time for dinner."

Luzia blinked rapidly, her surroundings coming back into focus. Her heart still thudded in her chest as she turned her head to see Cecilia standing by her bedside, her expression calm, a soft smile on her face.

'Huh? Something...is really not right… Why did I have such a vision?' Luzia thought, her mind racing. 'I've never had anything like this before… not even when I was in Princess Benedicta's body. What does it mean? Is someone trying to send me a message, or is this something else entirely?'

She swallowed hard, her thoughts spinning. 'But first… I need to find a way to watch Ivan.'

Cecilia's soft voice broke through her thoughts. "My lady, are you feeling well? You seemed restless in your sleep."

Luzia managed a faint smile, masking her unease. "I'm fine...I just had a strange dream, that's all."