"duke, we have bad news..." The doctor said as she opened the door.

"Is my wife and child alright?" Thomas asked, the doctor was silent for a moment.

"Your child is alright, although your wife, duchess Callista died during childbirth," the doctor said as she stepped aside so Thomas can enter the room.

"V-veronica!" Thomas yelled running to his wife. He held her hand but no heat can be felt.

"Veronica...please...don't leave me!" Thoma said as a tear escaped his eyes, he too knew that his wife was already gone.

"Would you like to hold your daughter?" The doctor asked signaling to the baby in one of the doctor's assistant's arms.

Thomas nodded, and the assistant gave the baby to the duke.

The baby was not crying but it was awake and breathing fine.

"I'm sorry for your lost duke, we tried everything to save the duchess," the doctor said, the duke nodded as he looked at the baby.

"What was the reason that my wife died?" Thomas asked.

"It seems like her body couldn't handle giving birth, her body was too weak," the doctor said, the duke nodded.

"What would you like to name your daughter?" The doctor asked.

"Aderi...Aderi Nova Callista" Thomas answered, the doctor nodded. One of the assistants started writing aderi's name on her birth certificate.

"Congratulations, you are finally a father, now...if you'll excuse us we will give you a moment..." The doctor said. The doctor and her assistant left the room.

Thomas sat on the bed beside her dead wife.

"Our daughter is so beautiful...but why must you leave us?" Thomas asked as he shed another tear.

That night was filled with sorrow and happiness.

°

°

°

"My lord! Some people are planning on attacking the Callista's manor since right now they see you weak. After all, you have two weaknesses right now... the death of your wife and, the birth of your child" one of the soldiers of the Callista reported.

"My lord I'm afraid they might use your daughter as your weakness...what shall we do?" One of the soldiers asked.

"You might also be forced to marry again since the duchess position is now vacant," the butler said.

All of these opinions and assumptions were filing up and Thomas himself don't know what to do.

That night he went to aderi's chamber, he looked at the sleeping baby in her crib.

"I don't want you to suffer...I don't want you to be used as a weapon, as my weakness...so from now on, you are not my daughter" Thomas said mumbling his words as he looked at the sleeping aderi, he kissed her forehead before leaving.

°

°

After that Thomas married leni, and Thomas left aderi to the maids, ignoring her.

As she grew older she was starting to look like her mother more and more, he did not like that.

Since he felt guilty about what he did to aderi, for abandoning her, for ignoring her.

So aderi's face became his weakness and fear, he hated his daughter for reminding his failure as a husband and father.

But he was afraid that people will use his dear daughter to ruin him and ruin the Callista.

So he said and did things that weren't nice to aderi, he pushed his daughter, yell at her, and blame her for his wife's death.

Although the things he did to aderi, like physically hurting her...he was in some kind of influence.

°

"It's your fault, and do you think my mother, your wife would approve of you hurting the child she died for? The child that symbolizes both of your love?" Her daughter asked with a tear leaving her eye. Thomas was speechless since he now realized how much pain he put his daughter in.

"If you excuse me...I'll go, this conversation is over, duke," Her daughter said bowing before leaving his office.

'duke'

That sentence broke him. Whenever aderi addresses him as 'father' after their fight that day, her tone was always sarcastic.

Inside him, he started to feel something...and that was guilt and confusion.

He knew he messed up from the very start. But he is still afraid they will use aderi to bring the Callista's down.

But now...he couldn't help but rethink his decisions.

°

Now he is looking at the window, his father's yelling and her daughter's statement today made him come to his senses. Something broke inside him.

"I think it's finally time to not be afraid, instead of being afraid they will use aderi against me and put her in pain... I'll protect her so she won't be in pain anymore...why were you a coward back then, now look what you've done," Thomas said regretting everything he did to his daughter.

"Ignoring your 'weakness' will not make things better, since that 'weakness' will just be in pain"

"The one you love will be in pain"

"When I think I'm doing the right thing...I was only doing the wrong thing...I was blind by fear and ignorance, I won't excuse myself for what I did, but instead, I'll face it and apologize"