Episode 33

Hooking fingers, I gently started a conversation.

“Are you really okay now?”

My heart was still pounding. If something had happened to Elia, I…
I didn’t even want to think about it. The thought of them disappearing from my life was terrifying. It was different from them growing old and finding lifelong partners to leave my side. I couldn’t accept the meaning of my life disappearing because of my own mistake.

Elia seemed to notice the worry on my face and opened her mouth with a trembling expression.

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“It’s okay, really. As long as Elia is safe, that’s all that matters to me.”

After finishing my words, I hugged her again. Unlike before, I didn’t feel a slight tremor. It felt like the happiness Elia was feeling was flowing into me. She seemed stable enough as she held me tightly and buried her face in my neck.

“Dad, I love you.”

Her sweet voice resonated directly in my ear; though my face felt a bit warm, I thought it was a common greeting daughters give to their fathers and hugged her tightly, responding in kind.

“Daddy loves his daughter too.”

Elia smiled sheepishly and stepped back from my embrace.

After wiping the saliva off her mouth, I got up and headed to Rihanna’s room.

Despite the commotion, Rihanna was sleeping soundly, drooling, and even snoring.
She was grinning, possibly having a pleasant dream.

Though it was an unseemly sight, I didn’t mind. In fact, I was rather relieved.

Rihanna seemed to have become quite close with the children while I was away, and if she found out about what happened to Elia while she was asleep, she might be surprised and, like me, feel guilty.

Momentarily forgetting due to the series of commotions, I called the children to the living room and sat at the table.

“Is everyone seated?”

Though they wore puzzled expressions, they answered in unison as I showed them the books I was holding.

Numerous books I brought from the village library, with covers detailing basic gender concepts, sex education, and proper methods of masturbation for men and women.
Rihanna, sitting among the elves, asked me with a look of confusion.

“I understand the sex education, but why me? I’m 20 years old now…”

She was at an age where she knew what she needed to, having lived a challenging life, but probably never learned it formally. There was no harm in learning alongside the children with this opportunity.

I lightly dismissed Rihanna’s complaint and passionately conveyed knowledge by reading the books or wrapping what I knew in engaging explanations. I contributed to their knowledge with all my heart and soul.
The children watched me with shining eyes as I clumsily imitated a professor.

In truth, the content wasn’t anything extraordinary.

I simply read aloud the contents of the book: masturbation isn’t bad, it’s a perfectly natural act, contraception methods, interspecies mating, and how to have sex filled with love.

During the lengthy lesson, Rihanna had already fallen asleep on the table, but the children, though blushing with embarrassment, looked at me with bright eyes.

The warmth in their passionate eyes made a corner of my heart feel inexplicably warm. Is this the fulfillment only an educator can feel?

As if not allowing me to linger in the sentiment, Olivia raised her hand and was the first to ask a question.

“Dad, can humans and elves have children together?”

“Probably, right? The half-elf race didn’t just come about for no reason.”

Initially, it was known that male elves were few in number and had almost no sexual desire. There was a reason why the number of pure-blooded elves was small.
If there were as many male elves as females, and they were as sexually active, this continent would have been taken over by elves living eternally.

Putting aside such terrifying thoughts, I listened to Stella, who asked the next question.

“Is it better to use contraception?”

“It would be better, right? I don’t know about when you become adults, but for now, you’re not at an age where you can take responsibility for someone.”

“If I’m confident I can take responsibility, then I don’t have to, right?”

Stella’s rather assertive attitude. I reluctantly nodded, and it seemed for a moment that her eyes gleamed mischievously.

Before I could catch my breath, Noah shyly raised her hand halfway.

“Um, then, like with Dad’s clothes today…”

The rest was left unsaid, but it was enough to infer what she meant.
It was indeed a somewhat embarrassing question, but I couldn’t show it. Having already set a precedent with Elia, I couldn’t hurt them.

There were no other young men in the village anyway. If my clothes could allow them to continue healthy activities, I was more than willing to permit it.

I maintained a composed demeanor as I patted Noah’s head.

“Right, but you shouldn’t be so obvious like before.”

“Okay, I’ll be careful.”

The brief question time ended, and the children were exchanging and absorbing the knowledge they had acquired, expanding their store of knowledge once again with satisfied expressions.

“Elia, don’t you have any other questions?”

Was it the aftermath of what happened earlier? This class was originally started for Elia.
Usually, in such situations, Elia, who had the most questions, kept her mouth shut.

She was hesitating, only watching my reactions.

Was she still holding onto that incident?

Elia, who had been staring blankly at the book cover, gently asked a question.

“Can I do everything mentioned in this book with Dad?”

It couldn’t even be compared to the question Noah asked.

“Elia, I understand what you’re thinking, but if you do this with Dad…”

Before I could even finish, Elia jumped up from her seat, veins bulging in her neck as she raised her voice.

“Why? Why is that?! Why can’t I do it with Dad?! Are you telling me to allow my body to other filthy humans?!”

At her outburst, the three children who were chatting happily and even Rihanna, who was snoring, let out a gasp and looked around.
Elia had somehow grabbed my arm and spoke pleadingly.

“Well, it’s also a social issue…”

Elia retorted stubbornly.

“Is there a social issue with this? We can just do it secretly among ourselves. And doesn’t it say here to only have relationships with the person you love? We love Dad more than anyone, and being with Dad would make us the happiest, so why refuse? Does Dad dislike us? If it’s not Dad… it has to be Dad! No other filthy man can touch my body!”

As Elia’s voice grew louder, Olivia and Stella held her arms.

“Elia, calm down a little.”

On the surface, everything seemed fine.
The moment we made a promise, Elia appeared as usual until then.

But was it different inside? Did I act too hastily with a child who still needs stability?
Compared to Stella or Olivia, Elia, who was weaker, couldn’t shake off their arms and was just shouting in frustration.

“Huh? Elia has grown up so well…! Elia can have Dad’s baby! If Dad wants, even right away…”

Finally breaking free from their arms, Elia grabbed my hand and swiftly moved it to her chest.
With a blissful expression, she whispered in a melting voice as my hand touched her.

“Dad, can’t you feel it? Elia’s feelings for you… How is it? My soft and big chest, doesn’t it feel good? I can make Dad feel even better with this…”

Elia’s chest, which usually felt soft against my arm, felt unpleasant for the first time.

Even Rihanna behind, as well as the other children, looked unsure of what to do.
I never imagined that Elia, who was always gentle, would react this way.

She placed her hand on mine, pressed it firmly, and opened her mouth.

“Dad’s hand is warm… If it’s something you say, I can do anything… Right? You can use my body as you wish…”

I couldn’t allow this any further.

She is my daughter; I couldn’t let twisted desires control her.
There was no way my words could reach her when her mind was elsewhere. I gritted my teeth and took decisive action.

*Slap! *

A sharp sound echoed in the room, and Elia looked at me with a bewildered expression, rubbing her reddened cheek.

“…Dad?”

More than the stinging palm, my heart ached.
The pain of hitting a child is incomparable to anything else.

Barely holding back the tears that were about to fall, I spoke in a firm tone.

“Elia! Value yourself a little more. You will meet someone who truly loves you later on. Right now, it might feel like I’m your entire world and that I’m the coolest, but that thought will gradually change.”

Elia, with her head hung low, said nothing for a moment.
She suddenly stood up, and all I heard was the sound of her going into her room and locking the door.

I rubbed the palm that had struck her cheek with trembling hands.
It stings; this kind of pain is new. Even if my heart were stabbed with a dagger, I wouldn’t feel such pain.

Good intentions don’t always lead to good outcomes.

The breeze blowing gently through the window felt only cold.

I was still a clumsy parent.