Staring at dad who sat across from me with a slightly nervous look on his face I couldn't help but be amazed. What happened to the person who would happily beat swordsmanship into me? Where did he go?
In any case, my vacation ended yesterday which meant it was time to get things done before they get worse. Taking advantage of our time in Roa I would have a heart to heart with dad to solve any problems that may arise.
"Am I in trouble?" He asked tersely, nervousness practically radiating off of him. I suppose it makes sense, I'm taking this a little more seriously than usual considering it may ruin my family if I'm not careful.
"No, but you might be." I replied making him gulp audibly. If this was a battle he would charge in fearlessly but it seems like family matters are different. "Dad, what is your relationship with Lilia?" I questioned seriously in a tone that made it clear I wasn't going to accept anything other than the truth.
"R-Relationship? We don't hav-." Dad hurriedly explained but stopped when he looked at me. He probably picked up that this wasn't a time for joking around. "I made a huge mistake when I was young." He answered with a deep, regretful sigh.
"A huge mistake? Good. That makes things easier." I said with a sigh of relief leaving my lips. If there is a proper reason that can be used to push them together then mom will more easily accept it.
My first thought had been to simply not let them do anything perverted but not only is that cruel to Lilia but it also won't happen as long as dad is dad. Eventually, they'll make a mistake and I'd prefer to have it sorted before anything too permanent such as a child coming into our lives knocks on our doorstep.
"Since you making a mistake and spending the night with Lilia is an eventuality we'll have to stop it. There are three ways to do so, do you want to hear them?" I questioned. Dad was a little sad when I said it was inevitable but even he understood that.
"Yes. Please help me, Rudy." Dad answered seriously, determination in his voice. Compared to the guy from when I was born who wouldn't listen to anyone's advice and rush at problems head on without thinking of anything I definitely prefer this version of dad.
"First, let Lilia out of our lives." I explained while raising a single finger. Of course, I don't want such a thing to happen since not only is she my second mother of sorts but she is also part of our family and I don't let what I cherish out of my sight.
Well, I'm doing that right now but this is an exception.
"No! We aren't doing that!" Slamming his hand on the table dad denied our first option without hesitation. Honestly, if he did anything else I would have thought he had been replaced by an imposter.
"I don't want to either which leads us to option two. Just don't sleep with her but like I said that's impossible. Finally, the last option is to marry her." I explained, raising a finger with each explanation to accentuate what I was saying.
"That's not possible Rudy. Zenith is a devout follower of the Milis faith." Dad explained with a sigh as he reclined back into his chair. Right now he was on a hell of an emotional rollercoaster, it's normal that he'd get tired.
"I know that. That's why we'll guilt trip her using your mistake." I clarified. Immediately dad's head shot up and he looked at me seriously. Honestly, this plan was awful, it was putting dad into the fire for Lilia's sake but knowing my dad he'd rush into the fire one day anyway so I didn't feel bad.
Besides, if mom told him to I'm confident he would jump in anyway. You'd be surprised how meek he is though it's not a thought I enjoy having either. For the oh so gentle mom to be like that is… weird.
"If your mistake is as bad as you make it sound then you should be able to do it. Honestly, it doesn't seem like Lilia cares about it anymore so don't feel bad when you use it to your advantage." I advised him seriously.
He can still feel guilty about it, no I would even encourage him to feel some level of guilt in order to ensure he'll never do it again but that doesn't mean he can't use it to his advantage. He may not want to but sometimes morality has to be traded for happiness.
There is a thin balance between morality and happiness and as somebody who previously went too far on one end, I know the end of whoever disregards that balance.
I thought by throwing away morality I could finally be happy however I was far from happy even at the end of my life. Perhaps others may feel differently but in the end, they will regret everything they've done just as I do.
Regrets are an inevitable part of life however throwing away either morals or happiness never allows for a happy end. It's a difficult concept to understand but it is an invaluable lesson that must be learned.
A hero of justice may feel content with doing good deeds at the cost of their own happiness and a demon of desire may feel joy with all their desires sated but at the end of their lives regret will hit them harder than any other.
As somebody who has walked to the end of that path and is trying to redeem himself for his sins, I will do anything in my power to ensure those close to me don't have to debate over which side of the line to lean toward.
Nevertheless, minor things such as this are inevitable. Instead of trying to force things to go my way I will leave everything up to dad and guide him if he needs to be. Of course, the same applies to all of my family.
[You're feeling awfully righteous, it's not like you. Is something wrong Rudeus?] Laplace questioned in confusion. I suppose I am feeling quite righteous however such a thing is limited only to those closest to me.
I may be on the path to redemption but I was and still am a demon who basked in my greed. Depending on the circumstances I wouldn't hesitate to burn the world. All of my kindness is given to those close to me and those that may become close to me in the near future.
[I'm feeling a little more energized from my vacation so my thoughts are wandering. Don't think about it too much.] I answered Laplace, a faint amusement and relief washing over me. For the Demon God, he was quite the worrywart.
"Now then, why don't we make a game plan?" I advised dad seriously, my hands clasped together on the table.