I Became the Abandoned Daughter of an Underworld Boss

“Was it not good?”

As his small daughter’s reaction was somewhat strange, Asil almost clicked his tongue internally.

It was then.

The wizard Al from the empire spoke up.

“It’s been a while, Miss Yuriana. Do you remember me? I am Al, a wizard serving His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Hello?”

When Harun came, they couldn’t talk much, but it didn’t feel awkward.

Contrary to what one would expect from a wizard, he spoke fluently.

“It is said that both the kingdom and the empire celebrate by gathering families during the New Year. His Majesty the Emperor has specially sent me, Al, and Lord Ifrit to you.”

“Yes.”

“Moreover, it has been designated as Miss Yuriana’s birthday today. Therefore, we sent a gift in advance, and it appears you have received it.”

Birthday?

Her birthday?

Asil, her father, deduced the date to hold a birthday party and a New Year celebration?

It was an incredible statement, hard to believe.

Yuriana muttered foolishly.

“My… my birthday? Today?”

“Yes.”

Karas greeted her once more.

“Hello, Yuriana. Have you been well?”

“So, the chocolates were sent because it’s my birthday?”

“Yes. Have you eaten them?”

Karas took the chocolate bar Yuriana had been holding and placed it on the table.

The chocolate was still new and intact.

“Oh, you haven’t eaten any of it.”

Upon hearing his disappointed tone, she snapped back to her senses.

It wasn’t just anyone’s gift; it was Karas’s gift, and she didn’t want to disappoint him.

“I just received it! And because it was a gift… I was planning to eat one piece a day to savor it.”

Karas looked at the beautifully shaped chocolates and said.

“Our family is famous for making such delightful snacks more than main dishes. I’ll send more later, so please enjoy them.”

“Ahem, ahem!”

Asil cleared his throat loudly.

He didn’t dislike Karas personally.

It was just that seeing his daughter having fun with Karas subtly made him angry…

This was the dire fate of fathers with daughters.

Levina quickly approached and whispered.

“Miss, please have a seat. I’ll keep these chocolates in a cool place and give them back to you later. And this is my gift; please open it later.”

The fur gloves and coat… oh, that was the gift Dad told me to prepare.

Before sitting down, Yuriana twirled in front of Asil, wearing the one-piece coat.

When someone received a gift, they should reciprocate!

“You look beautiful.”

“Hehe.”

Asil nodded, smiling contentedly at his daughter’s enthusiastic display of gratitude.

So, this was the joy of spending money?

Levina’s gift was a princess-themed coloring book she had drawn with a pen and new crayons.

‘So, they have similar things here. I must have played with such things when I was young too.’

However, Yuriana’s guess was off in one way.

There was another birthday gift Asil had specially prepared. Not just clothes!

Before the food was served, he handed her a sparkling silver necklace.

Hanging from the necklace was… a whistle!

“What is this?”

Asil glared somewhere, specifically towards Karas, as he spoke.

“Yuriana. You need to understand reality now. In Dark Town, only the strong survive.”

The harsh reality. She had never forgotten it.

If Asil’s mind changed, she would have to leave Dark House anytime.

One day, he might say, ‘Yuriana. Now that you are grown up, you must live independently on your own.’

“Yes.”

“You’re still young, so of course, I will protect you, but that’s not all. You need to know how to alert others if you’re in danger, right?”

“Of course.”

Asil continued slowly.

“If a bad guy appears in front of you and bothers you, or if a pervert shows up, grab this and blow into it powerfully. I’ll come no matter where I am in Dark Town. Want to try?”

Here… here? Why was he saying this while staring at Karas so intently? He didn’t do anything wrong!

Zing.

Asil’s intense glare did not leave Karas.

She felt the urge to protest, but what could she do?

She had to do as told.

She put the whistle to her lips and blew it strongly.

Piiiii—!!

‘Whoa, what a loud sound, like a train whistle!’

Yuriana was the most surprised by the louder-than-expected sound.

Karas, who had been receiving Asil’s glare, comforted her instead.

“Are you okay? Yuriana, weren’t you surprised?”

“Huff… huff…”

Asil smiled contentedly.

“It’s loud, right? It has to be that loud to echo through Dark Town’s alleys and be heard from afar. I don’t intend to let you wander alone, but it’s a precaution. Now, that’s enough.”

“Yes… yes!”

Out of the blue, receiving a whistle as a New Year’s gift.

‘Will I ever use this?’

And finally, a table for everyone began to be set.

The food was quite different from what they usually ate. Out of the many dishes, the one she liked the most was the soup right in front of her.

‘Wow, this really feels like a holiday.’

She didn’t know the name of the dish with the round dumplings floating in the broth, but it was delicious. Warm, too.

While munching on something resembling dumplings, another thought suddenly occurred to Yuriana.

‘But… how long is Karas staying? Like last time, for one night and two days? Or will he leave right after the meal?’

She didn’t prepare any New Year’s or birthday gifts for Karas.

It was frustrating. If she had known in advance, she would have prepared something!

As she chewed her food, Yuriana’s face turned into a pout.

Seeing his daughter’s nose and lips twitch, Asil quietly chided her.

“Yuriana. You’re already seven years old. From now on, if you have something to say, don’t hesitate and just say it. Like the proud daughter of Asil Litus.”

“Yes…”

“Why the gloomy face? You look like a wet mouse caught in the rain.”

However, it didn’t seem appropriate to ask during the meal, “When is Karas leaving? Wah, please stay longer.”

More importantly…

The suspicious remark to try blowing the whistle while glaring at Karas.

Suspicious!

‘Why does Dad hate Karas? It’s different from when he had a standoff with Harun.’

She didn’t know the reason, but she felt it was not a good idea to bring up Karas now.

Trusting her instincts, Yuriana decided to ask a different question.

There were many things she had thought about but never mentioned in front of Asil.

“Dad, what did you do when you were seven?”

At her question, not only Asil and Karas, but even Levina’s eyes focused on her.

Unlike other bosses, he became the ruler of Dark Town without any backing, money, or a large network!

If he only had brute strength, he wouldn’t have been able to keep his position.

Asil’s past was a subject of interest.

What sparked his success story?

“Ahem! You’re curious about what I did growing up, aren’t you? That’s indeed a fitting question from my daughter.”

Yuriana couldn’t help but find her father’s sudden solemnity amusing. She perked up her ears and focused on what he had to say.

“I…”

“Yes.”

“Probably wandered around this area, just like you do now.”

“Oh… I see.”

So, it was that!

Well, he grew up in Dark Town, so he survived here even after reaching adulthood.

Asil spoke quite kindly.

“But that’s all in the past, both for me and you. I won’t let you wander around the alleys of this place again.”

Oh, that was touching!

“Dad…”

“I mean it, Yuriana. Dark Town will thrive even more, and no one will be able to invade it. I promise.”

Even with the empire’s guests present, not just the two of them or with Levina…

This was no light statement.

Levina, savoring Asil’s declaration, was moved again.

When he told them to repair and set up the place, it was already surprising. It was a decision to remove all traces of Alice.

At this rate, the father-daughter relationship would only improve. That was a good thing.

“Boss!”

“Levina, you’ve worked hard.”

Incredible. The boss of Dark Town was acknowledging the hardships of his subordinates!

Levina quickly shook her head.

“No, I’m happy every day to take care of Miss Yuriana.”

“I’ll continue to count on you.”

“Yes!”

However, there was someone who wanted to ruin this warm atmosphere.

To be precise, it was Al, the empire’s magician, who had to deliver a bombshell statement instructed by the insidious Harun.

“Ha-ha, it’s nice to see such a close family bond.”

“Hmm.”

“So, I must ask.”

“… what is it?”

Asil felt an ominous feeling even before hearing it.

The sudden arrival with those two bumps during the last contact was already unsettling.

“What do you think is the most significant and weighty alliance?”

Asil almost choked while lifting his glass.

What kind of question was that? Obviously, a fucking marriage alliance!

‘Harun, you scoundrel!’

Such cases existed right in this land.

The Reef Empire, with its strong military and economy, led the integration and absorption of other tribes.

In contrast, the Nea Kingdom, where they lived, expanded its power through marriages.

Asil’s fierce gaze swept over Al, but he just kept smiling.

No way?

‘I already found it suspicious when Harun sent his precious nephew with only one magician.’

Were they hinting at evaluating a prospective daughter-in-law here?

No way!

Even if he were to be buried in dirt and hit by a typhoon, Yuriana would never be sent to the empire.