12 She felt undeserving of such precious words.

"... And as Reinhart's mind struggled under the weight, grappling to maintain his sanity as he called out 'SeraphKlinge,' I seized the moment to unleash my Mana Zone."

"So, it's akin to gambling. What if Reinhardt never summoned his sword? Fawwaz, you're going to have a serious problem," Damian, typically jovial, now spoke with a chilling tone.

The day after the destruction of the Slavery Organization1, I found myself in the living room, facing Damian and Isabella, both seated in front of me, ready to interrogate.

"Yeah, I admitted my mistake, I'm sorry, Father."

"You just suddenly decided to take care of them alone. Don't you value your life?" Isabella, now also scolding me, vented her frustration. Her blood-red eyes, filled with anger, bore into me, yet I could also detect a hint of trembling within them.

"I'm very sorry, Mother," I murmured, unable to meet their gaze. As a parent, knowing their child had faced a notorious criminal alone must have caused them immense worry.

"Haaa, you mustn't repeat such reckless actions, do you understand?" Isabella, letting out a long sigh, now sought my assurance.

"Yes, I understand, I won't repeat it."

"Really, you didn't even tell us, if there was no Merlin, I wouldn't know about this."

"I'm sorry." I could only bow my head as a sign of regret.

I hadn't informed either of them about my plan of attack because if they had known, it would never have materialized. So, I simply invited Merlin, and as luck would have it, Mr. Magnus happened to be stopping by.

"Well, let's put an end to this, Isabella. Fawwaz has expressed his regret, and he's a smart boy. I'm confident he won't repeat something like this, right, Fawwaz?" Damian's persuasive tone aimed to calm Isabella's anger. He truly was a wonderful father.

"Yes, you're right, Mother. I won't repeat this anymore."

"Haaa... Alright," Isabella relented to Damian's and my persuasion.

"Ah, Father, Mother. About my proposal, can it be realized?"

"Of course, Isabella and I have already discussed it. That girl is also a good child, and as you said, she has a 'sukma.' So it's not a bad thing to do what you asked," Damian replied to my question, casting a glance at Isabella, who nodded in agreement.

"Mhmm, thank you both for your consideration," I smiled and bowed my head once more.

"Of course, and Fawwaz, regarding your birthday party tomorrow, we will host a gathering with the noble retainers. Also... the Princess of the Astralia Family will be in attendance, and we will discuss your engagement."

"Yes, Father, I will do my best."

"Don't get too tense. Although I mentioned discussing your engagement, it's really just a casual conversation between the two families. In recent years, the relationship between the factions has improved significantly, so any tension between us has dissipated," Damian reassured me with a gentle smile as if to calm my nerves.

"Hmhm, alright. Then I'll take my leave now. I have my routine to attend to."

Feeling that the conversation had come to an end, I rose from my seat and exited the living room.

"Sure, don't push yourself too hard, Fawwaz," Damian said with a hint of concern in his voice.

As I walked away with my back to them, Isabella raised her voice just as I reached for the door handle.

"Fawwaz..." Isabella's voice was low, perhaps indicating that her anger had dissipated, yet there was still an awkwardness in her tone as she addressed me.

"Hmm, what's wrong, Mother?" I turned my body to face her, meeting her gaze.

"You know... I'm really worried about you, and I love you a lot too. So what I said earlier wasn't just scolding you, I was genuinely concerned," Isabella spoke softly, trying to express her feelings for me honestly.

"Of course, Mother, I know that. I love you both too," I replied, smiling softly. With that, I stepped out of the room and closed the door behind me.

***

With Fawwaz having departed, silence enveloped the room, leaving Damian and Isabella alone with their thoughts.

Neither of them spoke; both stared blankly at the door through which Fawwaz had departed.

.

.

.

"I... I..." Isabella's wavy snow-white hair cascaded down as she bowed her head. Her hoarse voice shattered the silence in the room.

"I know that I don't deserve this, but hearing his words makes me very happy. I-"

-cries

Isabella, unable to hold back her tears any longer, cried with her head bowed, her tears soaking the pink dress she was wearing.

-hugged

Damian, witnessing Isabella's distress, slowly approached his wife and enveloped her in a tight embrace, as if he already understood the reason behind her tears.

"Fawwaz said such kind things to me, despite my past transgressions... I had even promised never to expect affection from him... but hearing that, I... Tell me, Damian, do I deserve this blessing?" Isabella's voice trembled with emotion as she sought reassurance from Damian.

Isabella couldn't hold back her tears anymore; she cried harder on Damian's shoulder, overcome with deep regret. Damian, hearing her words, simply held Isabella tightly, as if he didn't have an answer to her question.

Tired of crying, Isabella broke away from Damian's embrace. Her blood-red eyes were now moist from tears, her small white nose reddened from crying.

"Isabella, I've pondered this deeply, and honestly, I can't answer your question. But what we can do now is support Fawwaz above all else. Both you and I have committed great sins against him, and fate has granted us a second chance. So let's do our best." Damian, breaking his silence, spoke with conviction.

"Mhmm." Isabella nodded in agreement, her eyes reflecting determination despite the traces of tears still lingering.

Since 'that' incident, they have realized the mistakes in their attitudes toward Fawwaz since childhood. Despite their acknowledgment of their errors, the wounds they had inflicted upon Fawwaz over the years left them feeling unworthy as parents. So, hearing Fawwaz express love for them brought tears to Isabella's eyes, regret swelling in her heart as she felt undeserving of such precious words.

***

"Hufth Hufth Hufth, I think that's enough for today."

During my battle with Reinhardt yesterday, I came to realize my lack of stamina. Despite having an incredible amount of mana in this body, my stamina is severely lacking. The disparity between my mana and stamina capacity is likely 10:1; just opening the Mana Zone nearly depleted all my stamina. Therefore, I've decided to intensify my physical training significantly.

"It's already evening. I need to take a shower and go to dinner,"

As evening descended, I concluded my training session and made my way back to my room. Shedding my sweat-soaked shirt, I found myself walking around the mansion shirtless. Occasionally, I encountered the maids, whose faces flushed with embarrassment at the sight of me.

Well, objectively speaking, my body is quite fit. It displays some abdominal muscles, but not excessively like a knight, nor is it too skinny. One might say it's just right. Interestingly, Fawwaz himself is a character greatly favored by female fans in the series.

Walking with certain thoughts, I spotted a familiar silhouette observing the flowers in the garden. Her long sea-blue hair draped over her body as she focused intently on the blooms.

Approaching the figure, I called out to her from a distance, mindful not to startle her.

"Kadita, how are you?"

She turned to me, her face immediately flushing bright red upon seeing me. Quickly, she averted her gaze in the opposite direction.

"Mhmm, I'm doing well. The servants here are very kind to me, and I've been given good food too. Thank you," Kadita replied, her voice soft and hesitant. Though she avoided looking at me directly, the slight tilt of her head suggested her embarrassment.

'Ahhh, so it's because of this'

I glanced down at my bare chest, realizing that Kadita's embarrassment was likely due to my current state of undress. After all, Kadita was a young woman who had reached an age where such matters might be considered.

"Hmm, good then. Well, since I've just finished training, it looks like I have to head back to my room soon. Let's reconvene at dinner tonight," I suggested, giving Kadita a chance to compose herself.

"Mhmm, well, see you then," Kadita responded softly, still avoiding facing me. Observing her in this state, she seemed almost like a sulking hamster, with her shy demeanor and flushed cheeks.

After arriving at my room, I immediately rushed to take a shower. The sensation of fresh water cascading over me instantly relieved all my fatigue from training. Remarkably, the shower equipment here was identical to what I had used in my previous life.

After taking a refreshing shower and getting dressed, I stretched out on my king-size bed, patiently awaiting dinner time.

"Hmm, there's no denying my strength, much like in the original story. However, facing an opponent of Reinhardt's caliber is a different matter. I emerged victorious this time due to the advantageous match-up between my Mana Zone ability and Reinhardt's Stigma. Additionally, Reinhardt never anticipated the strength of my Mana Zone ability. Had he realized sooner, I would likely have been defeated. To confront the true adversaries in this world, I need absolute strength. After all, I intend to survive until the very end."

Immersed in my thoughts, I gradually drifted off to sleep on the bed, only to be roused by the arrival of dinner time.

"Right, I'll address that later. For now, I must confront the issue at hand—

that is, the engagement with Olivia."

~~~

A/N: You might be tired of this, but I am truly grateful to those of you who have read this series, and to those who have supported me. I am genuinely thankful. ^_^