Chapter 4953  Lydia's Confession

Davis brought his hands together, sighing lightly.

"I told you. It doesn't matter whether you're a reincarnator or not. As an Anarchic Divergent with a reincarnation-attributed soul physique, how could I not detect a unique mature soul wavelength in your young infant soul? From the moment you were born, I knew you were a reincarnator, but you showed no signs of awakening, so I imagined that this would happen someday."

He lied through his teeth and then made a solemn expression, "Regardless, it wouldn't change the fact that you're my cute little daughter, Lydia, so why would I treat you any differently?"

"That…" Lydia's expression churned.

She found his words somewhat believable as she couldn't find any discrepancies. It made sense since no one attacked her even after finding out, considering Mother Mingzhi would've known her awakening as early as the time when Father had left for the secret realm.

Davis smirked, "I continued to treat you as I would treat any of my other children, waiting for you to awaken and confess, just like I did. If you didn't confess, that's fine too. I can't expect all reincarnators to be foolish like me. We can pretend this never happened and continue with our lives as father and daughter as though we don't know each other's uniqueness."

Lydia nearly stood up in rage, but she calmed herself and retorted, "That's too convenient. Which family does this? No one would believe you don't have ill intentions."

"Perhaps a family that belongs to Davis Loret." Davis chuckled, "But I'll tell you what matters. Do you have any bad intentions towards the Davis Family?"

"…"

Lydia looked taken aback before she shook her head, "Not one bit. I doubt Mingzhi would've stayed her hands if I turned out to be hostile."

Davis nodded, "Then what are you afraid of? It's not like I don't have the heart to adopt someone's daughter. Yulai is Mingzhi's adopted daughter, so she is my adopted daughter as well. This situation isn't any different than that. Biologically, you are my daughter, no doubt, and through soul, you could be considered my half-daughter. Either way, you're still my real daughter, so why do you keep having doubts about that? Come, sit on Papa's lap."

He patted his thigh, causing Lydia to feel hot over her cheeks.

"Insolent. I'm not your daughter!"

She retorted, but suddenly found herself sitting on his lap, her expression alarmed.

"Don't be so stubborn. Quick, accept me as your father."

"Ridiculous…!"

Lydia struggled to get off Davis, but her arms and waist were captured, causing her to look at him with tears in her eyes.

"Then do you want to really leave this family? Sigh, I suppose that's also a path to take."

Davis loosened his grip over Lydia and took back one of his hands, his expression laden with sorrow, "I'll prepare a few million Peak-Level Transcendent Crystals and many treasures for your growth. There are also guardian constructs that Bylai had made. They're like puppets with less control but more power. Even as a mortal cultivator, you could still give them commands and make them do your bidding."

"…"

Lydia momentarily felt as though she was suddenly lonely.

"Why- why are you doing this…? You're lying. Even a fool could tell that it's just better to end me, saving yourself trouble in the near future as there's no way to tell if I'm truly capable of harm or not…"

"That's true." Davis nodded, appearing dissatisfied, "I still have no idea who you are exactly, but one thing is for sure. There is no way I would end my child with my own hands for just having a consciousness that they retained from their previous life."

Lydia pursed her lips, going silent.

She stared at Davis's expression, trying to see through him as she tried to leave, but couldn't. Her struggles also stopped, her lips quivering.

"My name is… Alicia Starshroud, one of the nine Starshroud Family's major figures, the Phoenix Priestess."

"Lady Alicia… or Lydia. Which one do you want me to call?"

"…" Lydia bit her lips, "Do you truly mean that I could continue to stay here?"

"What have I been saying all this time? Of course, you can stay here. Did it seem like we're going to do anything to you? Other than intimidating you, what did Mingzhi do? Look at your mother and tell me if you want to leave her like that…"

Lydia trembled, barely managing not turn to look because she knew her mother was crying.

This man was good. He knew how to tackle the heart with Heart Intent. She was well aware, but she couldn't stop her tears from flooding her eyes.

"Shut… up…" She glared at Davis.

"Please stay~ You are my child, Lydia." Ellia stood up, crying out through her sobbing voice.

"I cannot…" Lydia shed tears as her eyes gleamed. Her voice quivered as she uttered through her teeth, "I am a vengeful soul. I will not rest until I find the ones who poisoned my people and me, torture them, and kill them. There is no way I can stay here and affect everyone else… you… You all are a family I don't deserve to be with…"

Davis's expression turned solemn, his eyes turning moist, "If you feel that way, then why do you seek to hurt us by wanting to leave?"

Lydia grabbed his robes over the chest, "I'm afraid… I'm afraid I'll forget to avenge my people… avenge myself… let me go…"

"Never. Whether you leave or stay, you will always be my Little Lydia. This, I promise you, will never change."

"…"

Lydia trembled heavily, causing Davis to touch her cheeks and caress her.

"For a grown man, I cried like a baby when confessing about my reincarnator past to my mother. There's no reason for a cute little girl like you to hold back your tears. Get rid of your worries. Let out your heart and cry on your father's shoulders for once…"

"Aah…"

Her voice cracked audibly, and the dam inside her heart shattered as a great wave of emotions emerged.

Lydia suddenly leaned forward and buried her face into Davis's chest, her small hands clutching his robes as though she feared he would disappear the moment she loosened her grip.

Her body trembled violently.

"Why… why are you all like this…?" She cried, her voice breaking apart, "Why would you accept someone like me… I will bring nothing but trouble… I am not even truly your daughter… I lived another life… I failed my people… I failed them all…"

Her fingers tightened against his chest as tears soaked through his robes.

"I watched them die…!" she roared, sobbing ceaselessly, "My Astral Phoenix Peak… the elders… the disciples… the children… all of them poisoned like insects… I could do nothing… I was the Phoenix Priestess, yet I couldn't save anyone…!"

Her voice turned hoarse as the pain she had sealed away finally burst free.

"They trusted me… they believed I would protect them and lead them to glory… but I died first… I died before I could even find who betrayed me…!"

Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as years of suppressed anguish poured out.

"I woke up here… already living as a Lydia… in a peaceful family… with mothers who loved me… and siblings who laughed together and even… a father who protects everyone…" she choked. "How could I allow myself to enjoy this…? How could I forget them…?"

Davis remained silent.

His arms slowly wrapped around her small body, holding her gently but firmly as though shielding her from the entire world.

"You foolish girl." His voice was soft yet steady.

"You think revenge and family cannot coexist?" Davis asked quietly, "You think staying here means betraying your past?"

She did not respond, her face still buried against his chest.

Davis placed his palm on her head and gently stroked her hair.

"Then listen carefully, Little Lydia."

His voice carried warmth that seeped straight into her trembling heart.

"You can cry here. You can grieve here. You can hate your enemies here, and when the day comes that you want revenge…"

His arms tightened slightly around her, with a faint smile appearing on his face.

"I, your father, will help you burn your enemies to ashes and bring them much more pain than you have ever felt."

Lydia froze.

Her sobbing stopped for a moment as her tear-filled eyes slowly widened.

Her small arms wrapped around Davis's waist as she clung to him desperately, as if trying to hold onto the one place in the universe where she was finally allowed to be weak.

"Father…!" Lydia cried out helplessly.

The Phoenix Priestess, who once stood above countless cultivators, now cried harder like a lost child in her father's embrace.

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