The Love That Remains

"When they were taking her away, she cried... as any baby would. She should be around six months old at that time. I didn't stop them. I watched them take her away while my mother cried and asked me to stop them."

Fang Qi's gaze is unfocused. He covers his face with his palms and lowers his head dejectedly. His voice is full of regrets.

"After she was gone, I realized my mistake. She was my blood. My daughter. I realized this late. The council didn't want to return her. They enlisted her as a dangerous creature. They said that she was like a human because her powers were sealed due to the seal on the Fang curse. Dabria sent her away because the baby was useless to her due to the seal."

Sung Jun juts his jaws. The spells might not have worked on Fang Aisa due to the seal. The seal also protected Fang Aisa from Dabria's dark magic. He can't imagine the things Fang Aisa had to go through as a child.

"They found that Dabria had tried to undo the seal countless times since Aisa was born. They found several leftover dark spells on her. The seal couldn't be undone. They would not return her no matter what I did. I was paying for my mistakes. After two years of constant battle in the council court, the council decided to return her. They gave us two conditions. The first condition was that the council would take her back if the seal was ever undone."

Sung Jun is tensed after he hears it. He is suspicious of the council now. The council isn't clean. They are always paranoid. Did they have their hands in her death? Her death is too sudden to accept.

"The second condition was that she must never have any children. The Fang curse and the Dabria's blood should end with her."

"She had an engagement with Mu Qing." Sung Jun raises his brow.

"It was arranged by the council." Fang Qi sighs. "Mu Family's eldest son is not a man."

"Why did the council hide her information? She was not listed as your child."

"Because they don't consider to be a human being." Fang Qi stares at him and adds, "I knew who you were. I thought that you could convince your father that Fang Aisa could live a normal life. I knew that her seal was undone. I was worried that the council would take her away. I was planning to send her somewhere faraway before she...died."

Sung Jun purses his lips. His father is not an easy man. His father would have never agreed with him. In any case, he would have never let his father win.

It doesn't mean anything. Fang Aisa is not alive.

"We were being watched by both the council and the coven. I had to treat her like I hated her...when I wanted to love her as my daughter, I couldn't. I didn't want Dabria to think that she could use her against me. I was worried that she would harm Fang Aisa to get me. I kept her far away. I got the council to set up a spirit shield where she and my mother lived. It was all for nothing. I couldn't save her. I didn't think that she would ever do this."

Fang Qi is desperately trying to convince himself that he did everything. He looks like he is carrying an enormous weight. Fang Aisa is dead, but Fang Qi cannot forgive himself.

"Fang Aisa wouldn't want you to go on like this. She took your curse with her. She wanted you to live and be happy with your family."

Sung Jun leaves after saying those words to the broken man.