My Crybaby Father is the Kingdom's Worst Villain
Chapter 35: The Gift He Never Wanted

Chapter 35: The Gift He Never Wanted

Two days passed, Ignacio’s birthday party finally arrived...

Luzia arrived at the Duke Castillo’s estate with Elena and Stephan, stepping down from the carriage onto the cobbled stone path. The grand castle loomed ahead, its tall spires casting long shadows as servants rushed to greet them.

When they reached the entrance, the young Lord Ignacio, barely fourteen, came running up to meet them. He was dressed in an elaborate hunting jacket, his youthful face adorned with pride. Behind him stood Duke Alejandro de Castillo, a tall man with the air of a man used to commanding attention, and his wife, Duchess Isabella, who wore a smile that was kind yet distant.

"Lady Luzia, welcome," Ignacio said with a bright, eager grin, his eyes gleaming as if this was the most important moment of his day.

Duke Alejandro stepped forward, offering a polite bow, though his eyes studied Luzia with a practiced interest. "Lady Luzia, how wonderful to see you. We are honored by your presence," he said smoothly.

His wife, Duchess Isabella, smiled warmly as well, her voice soft and sweet. "We’re so pleased you could attend, Lady Luzia. I hope the journey wasn’t too taxing."

"Thank you, Your Grace," Luzia replied, bowing her head slightly. "It’s an honor to be here."

The Duke’s gaze shifted briefly, then lingered with a faint curiosity as he spoke again. "Ah, I noticed Lord Ramiro is not with you today. I take it he couldn’t make it?" he asked, his tone casual but carrying an edge of expectation.

"My father had something important to attend to," Luzia said smoothly, her expression composed, though there was a slight coolness in her voice as she quickly added, "He sends his apologies, Your Grace."

"I see," the Duke said, nodding thoughtfully. "Well, that is alright. I’m sure we’ll make do just fine." He turned to his wife, gesturing toward the other guests arriving. "Why don’t you and Ignacio get along for a while, Lady Luzia, while we go greet the other guests?"

Duchess Isabella gave her son a gentle push, and Ignacio eagerly moved closer to Luzia. "We’ll leave you to enjoy yourselves," she said with a soft chuckle before both she and the Duke walked off toward the other nobles.

As soon as the Duke and Duchess were out of earshot, Ignacio turned to Luzia with a smug expression. His youthful arrogance was apparent in the way he held himself.

"Why would I talk to a ten-year-old?" Ignacio said, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly unimpressed by the thought of spending time with Luzia.

’I guess his previous politeness was just for show,’ Luzia thought, raising an eyebrow as a cool, sharp smile curved her lips.

"I don’t want to talk to you either, my lord," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "So here’s the gift I got for you. Happy birthday."

With that, she handed him a small, carefully wrapped package. Inside was the a finely crafted hunting dagger. It was an elegant but practical gift

Ignacio’s smirk faltered for a split second, his red eyes narrowing as he processed Luzia’s words. The sharpness in her voice carried a dangerous undercurrent, and his initial confidence began to waver.

"A dagger? Really?" Ignacio scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "A brooch or a gun would have been nice, but you decided to give me a dagger? Who do you think I am? The Castillo family does not use daggers to hunt."

’Good, he hates it...’ Luzia thought, her smile remaining cold, eyes unwavering.

"Oh well, my bad," she said smoothly. "I must have given you the wrong gift." A cool smirk played on her lips as she added, "I suppose I shouldn’t have expected you to appreciate something practical."

Ignacio’s brow furrowed, frustration creeping into his voice. "Then where is my gift?"

Luzia gave him an unapologetic shrug. "I didn’t get you any."

Elena and Stephan froze in their tracks, exchanging nervous glances. In their heads, they both thought simultaneously, What is the young lady doing?!

Ignacio’s temper flared, his face turning an angry shade of red. His eyes gleamed with fury as he stepped closer, his voice rising with irritation. "You dare..."

Luzia raised a hand, cutting him off before he could finish. "Shush," she said sharply, her voice low but laced with authority. "Do you really want to ruin your own birthday? With all the gifts you’ve gotten, why get so worked up over one?"

Ignacio clenched his fists at his sides, clearly not used to being spoken to like this, especially not by someone of Luzia’s standing—or lack thereof in his mind.

His next words were laced with venom. "An orphan pretending to be nobility—how amusing. A stray from the orphanage such as yourself dares to speak to me like this?"

Luzia’s expression darkened, and in her mind, she couldn’t help but think, Orphan? Is he dumb? How did I ever end up with this red-haired baboon?

Her voice cut through the air like a blade "An orphan? Me? Really? Just because I grew up in an orphanage?"

Ignacio crossed his arms, his smirk returning as he leaned in, clearly pleased with himself. "Indeed. It’s curious how someone from an orphanage thinks they belong here. You should feel honored just to be invited."

Luzia’s eyes narrowed dangerously. She took a step closer to him, her presence commanding the space between them. The shift in the atmosphere was palpable as she moved within inches of Ignacio.

She leaned in, her voice a quiet but lethal whisper, just for his ears. "I will have you know that my father is Lord Ramiro de Cazadores. I am his missing daughter, and that means I am no orphan. If my father heard you say that, do you know what he would do? Think carefully, Ignacio. Some insults come with consequences."

Ignacio froze, his breath hitching in his throat as the weight of Luzia’s words sank in. His cocky demeanor faltered as he realized just how far he had overstepped. For the first time, doubt flickered in his eyes.

But Luzia wasn’t finished. She straightened up and took a step back, allowing her words to hang in the air like a lingering threat. "So be careful, Ignacio. You don’t want to start a war you can’t finish."

Elena and Stephan stood back, watching in stunned silence as the encounter unfolded. Elena’s fingers tightened nervously around the fabric of her dress, and Stephan’s jaw was set, as though trying to anticipate the next move in their standoff.