CHAPTER 860: AS A FATHER

Aldrian did not answer, as what Pope Claudius said was true. He simply let Angelica stay close to him and did nothing, even though he knew that she liked him, because he felt there was no need to do anything about it.

He only followed the flow, waiting to see what kind of future events would occur between him and Angelica, along with her romantic feelings toward him.

If, in the end, their relationship remained as it was now, that would be fine.

If they became more intimate in the future, that would also be fine.

He was open to any possibilities for the future relationship that might be created between him and her.

If, from the beginning, he did not want Angelica to feel that way toward him, he could have done something to make her forget those feelings. He could have been more firm in showing the boundaries between them.

But in reality, he did not do such a thing. The question was why he opened himself up to any possibilities with Angelica? Why he let the flow of fate dictate their relationship? Why he waited to see what kind of bond they would have in the future?

Aldrian pondered, and he also realized this. He did not know why, but he just felt that he wanted to see what they would become. He did not reject the idea of Angelica becoming part of his harem. In fact, he felt quite comfortable with that prospect—him, Sylphia, Baek Jimin, and Angelica.

It was not like with other women, with whom he kept a certain distance. He had already met many beautiful women over time, but aside from admiring their beauty, he did not feel any stronger emotions. He kept those feelings within the boundaries of admiration and never let them rise into a sense of possession.

At this moment, he finally thought about why he felt that way toward Angelica. Was it because he had saved her from her unfortunate fate, which made him sentimental?

Was it because he was unconsciously attracted to her, which made him allow her to stay close to him?

’Or is there something about her that makes me feel this way? Just like Sylphia and Baek Jimin?’

If he thought about it, his harem seemed to share a kind of connection with him, even before he met them, a connection that could be traced back to his past life.

For Sylphia, from the vision he saw at that time when he slept with her for the first time, he knew that he had shared a past life with her at some point.

For Baek Jimin, she had comprehended the Heavenly Demon’s Flower Scripture, whose origin was also closely related to his past life. He even thought that Baek Jimin might have had a relationship with him at some point in that previous life.

How about Angelica? Was she the same as them? Did she have something that was strongly connected to his past life?

Aldrian sighed, as that might be the case. Although he did not know what kind of connection they had in the past, whatever it was, it also affected the way he acted in front of her.

Pope Claudius did not disturb Aldrian, as he seemed to be deep in thought about what had just been said. In fact, he was glad that his words were true, which was shown by how Aldrian remained silent and thoughtful. Aldrian did not refute his words at all, instead, he pondered them to himself.

He then decided to speak again.

"Your Majesty, I say this as Angelica’s father, who has raised her for a long time. As Your Majesty knows, that child has lived most of her life confined by her condition in the past. She never did or felt what a woman of her age was supposed to. Her fate as a Saintess only made her a lonelier figure."

"The womanly experiences and emotions that should have been natural for her were not there. That’s why, when she was finally able to walk and see for the first time, I felt truly relieved and glad that she could finally do whatever she wanted to do. I did not interfere with any of it."

"Now, she is finally showing her feelings as a normal young woman who is interested in the opposite sex. Once again, I am truly glad that she can feel what other women normally feel. I want the best for her. After all that she has been through, I just want to keep her happy and hope that all of her wishes come true."

"She can now walk and see, just as she had hoped since childhood. And now that her feelings have finally bloomed as she becomes interested in a man, I want her to experience the happiness that comes with it."

"Moreover, the one she likes is you, Your Majesty. For me, this feels right. She is worthy of having the best man as her partner, and in my eyes, Your Majesty is the best. So, to make her happy and to fulfill her wish..."

Pope Claudius suddenly prostrated before Aldrian.

"Please give her a chance and accept her into Your Majesty’s harem. Please make her happy by allowing her to stay by Your Majesty’s side."

There was only silence as Aldrian gazed at the prostrating Pope Claudius. Aldrian sighed, then placed his hand on the pope’s shoulders and helped him rise.

"Please, Your Holiness, I feel bad seeing you do this. Just as you said, I am open to any possibilities regarding what may happen between me and Angelica. If she truly feels comfortable with me and the harem, and if Sylphia and Baek Jimin are also fine with it, then I will surely give her a special place in my heart—just like Sylphia and Baek Jimin."

Pope Claudius, upon hearing that, felt as if he could cry from joy. His daughter still had a chance, and she would likely see her other wish come true.

When he heard how she described her feelings toward Aldrian, he knew his daughter had already fallen much deeper than simple admiration or affection for a man.

He did not blame her for falling for Aldrian so quickly. Aldrian was her savior, that alone would already grant him a special place in her heart. Added to that, he was perfect in the eyes of many, which only made it natural for her to fall for him. He truly was the best man for her.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said with a touched expression.

Aldrian smiled and sighed. "But for now, let’s just act normally. I will have to discuss this matter with Sylphia and Baek Jimin first. If they find no problem with it, then I will let her stay close to me until I am ready to accept her into my harem."

Pope Claudius nodded repeatedly. "Yes, that is already good, Your Majesty. I just hope Her Majesty Sylphia or Her Majesty Baek will approve of Angelica."

Aldrian nodded. They finally stood up and began to leave the training hall, but before they could step outside, they saw Angelica enter. She showed a beautiful smile as she walked toward them, holding two small towels in her hands.

Pope Claudius smiled warmly as she stopped in front of them.

"Your Majesty, Father," she greeted them.

"Angelica, my dear, you could have stayed here and watched us train. It would have been beneficial for you," Pope Claudius said.

"No, Father, I was afraid I might disturb your training. Besides, I would really feel bad watching Father get hit by His Majesty, just like the first time I saw it a few days ago," Angelica replied. She then handed the small towels to Pope Claudius and Aldrian, who both accepted them.

Although Aldrian did not sweat, he still took the towel. Pope Claudius raised his eyebrows at her words before smiling again, this time with a hint of teasing in his expression.

"Is that so? I thought you would cheer when His Majesty managed to hit this father of yours. You know, the handsome young—"

"Father!" Angelica shouted in embarrassment, cutting off her father’s words, which made Pope Claudius laugh.

Aldrian smiled at their interaction and noticed Angelica glancing at him. She was still blushing with embarrassment, which he found amusing.

"Please don’t mind Father’s words, Your Majesty. He was just joking," she said.

"Of course, I know. You don’t have to feel embarrassed, Angelica. But I wonder if you would cheer for me if you watched our training. I think it would be a good morale booster for me." Aldrian said, which left both Pope Claudius and Angelica stunned. They did not expect Aldrian to tease!

It was the first time he had ever teased Angelica, and neither of them was prepared for it.

"Hahaha!" Pope Claudius suddenly burst into laughter, while Angelica’s face grew even redder as she became shyer.

"I... I... I... Excuse me, Your Majesty," she said as she rushed outside, her father’s boisterous laughter echoing behind her.

Aldrian only smiled as he watched Angelica’s figure running away in embarrassment. If he intended to make her one of his harem, then the first thing to do was to become closer to her.

And for that, of course, teasing her, just like he liked to tease Sylphia and Baek Jimin. It was a kind of treatment reserved only for the special women close to him.

They left the training hall in a cheerful atmosphere. Aldrian and Pope Claudius talked about other matters as they moved on from the topic of Angelica while walking together. There were many things they could talk about, after all.

They might not have another peaceful moment like this after reaching the Fallen Star Cluster.