The Extra's Rise
Chapter 687: Daughter (2)

Chapter 687: Daughter (2)

The elevator rose smoothly toward the top floor of the luxury apartment complex, its polished interior reflecting Luna’s nervous expression as she gripped my hand tightly. The penthouse had been my family’s home for as long as I could remember—a spacious dwelling that offered both privacy and the kind of security that came with living among the capital’s elite.

"Daddy," Luna whispered, her voice carrying a nervous tremor, "what if they don’t like me?"

I squeezed her hand gently. "They’ll love you, sweetheart. Just be yourself."

The elevator chimed softly as we reached our floor, and I used my key to access the penthouse. The familiar entryway opened before us, revealing my mother’s worried face almost immediately.

Alice Nightingale was a striking woman in her mid-forties, her black hair falling in waves past her shoulders and her azure eyes—identical to my own—carrying the sharp intelligence that made her invaluable to my father’s guild operations.

"Arthur!" she exclaimed, relief flooding her features as she took in my appearance. "Thank the gods you’re safe. Douglas has been pacing holes in the floor ever since we got word you’d disappeared, and the girls have been calling non-stop asking if we’d heard anything—" Her words died as her gaze fell to Luna. "Who is this?"

"Mother," I said carefully, "I’d like you to meet Luna. Luna, this is my mother, Alice."

Luna performed a small, perfect curtsy that Cecilia had obviously taught her. "It’s nice to meet you, Grandmother," she said with eight-year-old solemnity.

The silence that followed could have been cut with a blade.

"Grandmother?" Alice repeated faintly, her azure eyes moving between Luna and me with visible confusion.

Heavy footsteps announced my father’s arrival from his home office. Douglas Nightingale commanded attention without trying—tall, broad-shouldered, with silver-streaked black hair and the weathered hands of someone who’d built his guild from nothing. His expression shifted from relief at seeing me to bewilderment as he processed the scene.

"Arthur, who—" he began, then stopped as Luna looked up at him with those dark eyes full of nervous hope.

"Father, this is Luna. My daughter."

Douglas blinked once, twice, then sat down heavily on the leather couch. "Your... daughter."

"Arthur Alexander Nightingale," a familiar voice called from the hallway leading to the bedrooms, "you disappeared for over a week without a word, had the entire family terrified, and now you show up with a—" Aria’s rant cut off abruptly as she spotted Luna.

"Hello," Luna said politely, offering another small curtsy. "Are you my Aunt Aria? Daddy told me about you."

Aria’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly, reminding me of a fish. It was possibly the first time in my life I’d seen my sister rendered speechless.

"Perhaps," Alice said with admirable composure, drawing on the organizational skills that kept Minerva Guild functioning, "we should sit down and discuss this properly."

Twenty minutes later, we were gathered in the family’s spacious living room, with Luna perched nervously on the edge of an armchair while my parents and sister sat across from us wearing expressions of barely contained shock.

"So let me understand this correctly," Douglas said slowly, his guild leader training helping him process information methodically. "You’ve adopted an eight-year-old girl who was the subject of illegal experimentation by a cult organization."

"That’s the simplified version, yes," I confirmed.

"And you’ve had her for how long exactly?" Alice asked, her maternal instincts clearly warring with confusion.

"About a week."

"A week," Aria repeated hollowly. "You’ve been a father for a week."

Luna looked between all of them with growing anxiety. "I’m sorry," she said quietly. "I didn’t mean to cause problems. If you don’t want me here—"

"Oh, sweetheart, no," Alice interrupted immediately, her motherly nature overriding all other concerns. She moved to kneel beside Luna’s chair, her voice gentle. "You’re not causing any problems. We’re just... surprised. Arthur has a habit of making very important decisions without warning anyone."

"It’s not her fault," Aria added quickly, shooting me a pointed look. "It’s his fault for being an impulsive idiot."

"Language, Aria," Alice chided automatically, though her attention remained focused on Luna.

"She’s right though," Douglas said, though his stern expression was softening as he watched Luna’s obvious nervousness. "Arthur, this is a significant responsibility."

"I know it won’t be easy," I said honestly. "But Luna needed a family, and I... I couldn’t leave her alone."

Luna looked up at me with such pure adoration that I saw my mother’s heart melt in real time.

"What happened to her parents?" Alice asked gently, directing the question to Luna rather than me.

"I don’t remember having any," Luna replied with matter-of-fact sadness. "The doctors said I was made in a laboratory. But Daddy chose me anyway."

The silence that followed was different this time—not shock, but the kind of profound quiet that comes when decent people confront genuine injustice.

"Made in a laboratory," Douglas repeated, his voice carrying the dangerous edge it took on when he encountered something that threatened innocent people—the same tone he used when discussing guilds that exploited their members.

"The Red Chalice Cult," I explained. "They were creating artificial super-soldiers. Luna was... their most successful attempt."

"Was?" Aria asked, noting my careful word choice.

"The enhancement process has been reversed. She’s a normal child now."

Alice reached out to smooth Luna’s dark hair, her touch gentle. "And how do you feel about that, sweetheart?"

"Happy," Luna said immediately. "I was always afraid before, afraid I might hurt someone by accident. Now I just feel... light."

"She likes butterflies," I added, knowing it would help my mother understand Luna’s true nature. "And drawing, and puzzles, and garden stories."

Alice’s smile grew warm. "I have some wonderful books about gardens. And there’s a butterfly conservatory in the city that I think you’d love."

Luna’s eyes lit up. "Really? With real butterflies?"

"Hundreds of them," Alice confirmed. "All different colors and sizes."

I watched my family’s resistance crumble in real time. Luna’s genuine sweetness, combined with her obvious need for love and stability, was working its magic on their protective instincts.

"The Imperial Palace has been quite accommodating," I said carefully. "Luna has her own room there, and Cecilia has been helping with the legal arrangements."

"Of course she has," Alice said with a knowing smile. "That girl has been beside herself with worry. She called here three times yesterday asking if we’d heard anything from you."

"Princess Cecilia stopped by the guild office personally," Douglas added with amusement. "Nearly gave our receptionist a heart attack when royalty just walked through the front door."

"And Princess Seraphina sent a formal inquiry through official channels," Aria contributed. "Very proper and polite, but you could tell she was worried sick."

"I like all of them," Luna chimed in helpfully. "Cecilia bought me books and toys, Rose got me pretty clothes, Seraphina teaches me about different subjects, and Rachel always smiles at me. They all say they’re going to be my mommies when they marry Daddy."

"All of them?" Alice asked with raised eyebrows, though she didn’t seem particularly surprised by this revelation.

"Apparently," I said, feeling heat rise in my cheeks.

Douglas chuckled. "Well, we always knew you’d inherited your mother’s ability to attract devoted followers. Though I have to admit, four princesses is impressive even by our family’s standards."

"Douglas!" Alice protested, though she was fighting a smile.

"What? I’m just saying—running a guild has taught me to appreciate good organizational skills. Having four brilliant women willing to share responsibility for keeping Arthur out of trouble seems like excellent strategic planning."

Luna giggled at the family dynamic, and I realized how natural this all felt. My parents had known about my complicated romantic situation for months, and while they occasionally expressed concern about the political implications, they’d accepted it with the same pragmatic approach they brought to everything else.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of getting-to-know-you conversations, with Luna gradually relaxing as she realized she was truly welcome. My parents told embarrassing stories about my childhood, Aria showed Luna some of her magical techniques, and slowly but surely, my daughter began to feel at home.

As evening approached, Luna’s exhaustion from the emotional day became apparent. She was trying valiantly to stay awake, but her eyelids were drooping as she listened to one of my mother’s stories about managing adventurers who thought they were much more competent than they actually were.

"I think someone needs to get some sleep," I observed gently.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight, Daddy?" Luna asked, her small voice carrying a vulnerability that made my chest tight. "I don’t want to be alone."

"Of course, sweetheart."

After saying our goodnights and promising to visit again soon, I carried Luna to my childhood bedroom. The space felt oddly nostalgic, filled with memories of a simpler time when my biggest worry was passing academy exams and helping with basic guild paperwork.

Luna curled up against my side the moment I settled into bed, her breathing evening out almost immediately as exhaustion claimed her. Within minutes, she was fast asleep, one small hand still clutching her butterfly toy.

I lay there in the darkness, listening to her peaceful breathing and marveling at how completely my life had changed. A week ago, I’d been a single man focused on growing stronger and protecting those I cared about. Now I was a father, responsible for this precious child who had somehow claimed a piece of my heart I hadn’t known existed.

’You did good today,’ Luna’s voice whispered in my mind. ’She’s settling in well.’

’She’s remarkable,’ I replied mentally. ’After everything she’s been through, she still trusts so easily.’

’Children are resilient. And she knows she’s safe with you.’

A warm feeling of contentment settled over me as I prepared to drift off to sleep. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new responsibilities, but for now—

Pain lanced through my chest like a blade.

I sat up sharply, pressing a hand to my ribs as agony radiated through my torso. Something was wrong—very wrong. The sensation felt like my insides were tearing apart, as if some fundamental force was trying to rip its way out of my body.

Trying not to wake Luna, I slipped carefully out of bed and stumbled toward the attached bathroom. The pain intensified with each step, and by the time I reached the sink, I could barely breathe.

Another wave of agony hit, and this time I couldn’t suppress the violent coughing fit that followed.

Blood splattered across the white porcelain.