It's Troublesome That My Doting Dad Became A Villain

“They tried to hide it, but it got exposed in the end. And this quickly, too.”

His voice held many layers of emotion.
There was resignation, like he’d always known this day would come, and frustration that he couldn’t keep it hidden until the end.
I let out a faint sigh and opened my mouth.

“How are things outside? Should I just smash this tower and walk out?”
“Everyone’s holding out with everything they’ve got. The ones insisting you need to be executed are doing everything they can to make sure you don’t step in. They’ve already spread the story all across the country—that the Demon King’s daughter must be eliminated.”
“Isn’t it kind of ridiculous, then, to keep me locked up if people’s safety is the priority?”

Seriously, what backward thinking.
Whether I was the Demon King’s daughter or some distant cousin, shouldn’t getting rid of the Magi come first?
Human lives should be the top priority.

It’s not like I’m an actual demon.
Wait… I guess I am now, huh?
It left a bitter taste, but I couldn’t say I didn’t understand where they were coming from.

There were probably plenty of people who would rather try handling things themselves than borrow the help of the Demon King’s daughter.
Meteor sighed lightly and answered.
“They probably just hate seeing you act like a hero again. That’s how they’ve always been.”

“Yeah… true enough.”
Bishop Baldwin and his crew likely couldn’t stand the idea of me saving people. It wasn’t about pride as humans—it was just pure spite.
Meteor’s eyes grew serious again.

“Crescent. Why don’t you just leave the temple? You’re only pretending to be locked up to get some rest anyway. Staying here is just going to exhaust you.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Still, I was a knight of the Holy Palace. I didn’t want to act entirely on my own whim.
Being confined to the tower was a gesture of respect—for Ammas and the temple.

I could walk out of here and head straight for the Demon Realm, but I wanted to end things properly with the humans while I still could.
Running away just because my identity had been exposed didn’t sit right with me.
With a lighter feeling, I replied.

“Even so, I want to try doing what I can from here. Running the moment the truth comes out would be cowardly.”
“Word’s probably already reached the imperial court. It’s only a matter of time before the whole country knows. Do you really think His Holiness the Pope will let you live?”
“Speaking of which… do you think I could meet the Pope?”

I’d never spoken with the Pope in person.
I’d only seen him from a distance at national celebrations.
I had a gut feeling he wouldn’t welcome my existence.

Even after becoming a Saintess, I was never summoned to meet him.
But the Pope was the person closest to the god Ammas. If anyone knew where Ammas was, it would be him.
“Why the Pope? You’ll probably be summoned soon enough.”

“Great. There’s something I absolutely need to ask him.”
“….”
Meteor’s eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed suspicious of whatever I was planning, but also didn’t seem inclined to interfere.

A short silence followed.
Amid the awkwardness, I hesitated and then spoke.
“By the way… why’d you do that earlier? I mean, you really lost it, even with all the cardinals and bishops watching…”

They weren’t actually trying to kill me—just trying to drag me away—and yet he’d acted like he was ready to destroy them all.
That just didn’t seem like something he’d do for me.
I’d thought Meteor wouldn’t care even if I got locked up in this tower.

“…I thought you didn’t care whether I lived or died.”
It was strangely difficult to meet his eyes, but I didn’t look away. I gazed steadily into them.
“Crescent must not be killed. Not that anyone here has the power to do it, but regardless—do not touch her.”

Why had he said I couldn’t be killed?
Why forbid them from even touching me?
Come to think of it, during the battle with Cyrillote, I’d heard that when I lost consciousness, Meteor had been the first to run to me.

And he stayed by my side for two days while I was out.
When I opened my eyes, the first person I saw had been Meteor.
Back then, I figured someone just ordered him to do it.

But looking back now… maybe that wasn’t the full story.
The thought made my heart race all of a sudden.
This translation is the intellectual property of .

Was it because of the bond we’d formed when we lived like family? Or maybe because he worried his mother would be heartbroken if I got hurt?
Whatever the reason, I couldn’t help but care.
After a brief silence, he spoke.

“I thought you didn’t care whether I lived or died.”
“….”
“If you’re not planning to escape right now, then just get some sleep. I have to head back.”

So… things weren’t looking good.
I bit my lip, falling into deeper thought.
***

Even in the middle of the night, the twisted, bulging sky wasn’t hidden by the darkness.
Across the entire nation, Holy Knights fought without pause to stop the flow of Magi from pouring out of it.
The Magi blanketed the skies of the entire empire.

It slithered and pulsed as it expanded, like a disease cast into the heavens by a demon, infecting the air of the human realm.
Holy Knights slashed through the air relentlessly.
Swish!

Thud.
“Haa… I’m going to lose my mind.”
Edgar landed, his emerald-green hair whipping around him.

His hair was soaked with sweat, and his lungs burned so badly it felt like they might collapse.
Even his limbs were trembling.
Most of the knights were in the same state.

“Damn it. That tiny demon bastard really did a number on us.”
“When I see them again, I’m ripping all their hair out!”
“Hair? Their head needs to come off.”

“Huff… huff…”
The air was filled with heavy breathing and the sound of blades tearing through the sky.
But every time they drove the Magi back, it was only temporary. It came flowing back as soon as they turned away. The knights were barely managing to keep the flood from swallowing the entire country.

The only relief was that the higher-tier knights with strong divine power were carrying the battlefield.
They moved across large areas, purging huge swaths of Magi. Some could even clear Magi that had consumed entire lakeside villages.
But even they couldn’t be everywhere at once.

“We’re gonna die. We’ll die before the Magi even gets us!”
“Damn, I’m exhausted. This is all because of that so-called Saintess who turned out to be the Demon King’s daughter!”
Whack!

“Argh!”
Adrian smacked someone on the head with his palm. It was the knight who had just insulted Crescent.
“What the hell?!”

As the knight grabbed the back of his head and turned around, Adrian shot him a terrifying glare.
“She didn’t pretend to be a Saintess. The Saintess just happens to be the Demon King’s daughter. Got it, or do I need to draw you a picture?”
“What kind of nonsense—!”

“Whoa, more Magi incoming!”
Swish!
Adrian and the other knights didn’t have time to argue. They ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ swung their swords in a hurry. Even a brief conversation was a luxury now.

The Magi vanished in a flash of divine power, but immediately began pouring out again from the sky.
Was it just him, or was it flowing faster now?
“How are we supposed to stop this at this rate?! We’re all going to be swallowed up!”

“Damn it! Some of our guys are already down! How long can we even last like this?! We’re overwhelmed!”
“Ugh—!”
In the blink of an eye, the Magi was right in front of them. It was too late to draw their swords.

Is this how we die?
Then, a flash of light, unreal and blinding, burst before their eyes.
It was clearly still the dead of night—yet it suddenly felt like broad daylight. Everything lit up in an instant.

Everyone froze in that light, blinking in a daze.
A wave of radiance larger than the clouds swept across the sky. The Magi was torn away, helplessly dragged off by the holy light.
None of them had ever seen divine power so vast and overwhelming.

No—actually, they had seen it once before. When Crescent fought the demon in the human realm not long ago.
“L-Lady Crescent…”
One of the knights murmured without realizing.

As if summoned by that whisper, someone descended to the ground.
Their landing was so soft it barely made a sound.
The Magi that had filled the air was completely gone.

They could even see the moon and stars sparkling again, which had been hidden moments ago.
The night sky had been perfectly restored.
Framed against that background, a woman with golden hair tied high put away her sword. The knights recognized her instantly.

“L-Lady Crescent!”
“Weren’t you supposed to be locked up?!”
Edgar called out, and Crescent turned to look at him.

Her brow furrowed slightly at the sorry state the knights were in.
She stepped toward them, speaking as she walked.
“Locked up? Who could possibly lock me up?”

“Bishop Baldwin and the cardinals just now—”
“I’m a Saintess. So what’s the problem? I outrank bishops and cardinals.”