Saving the Villain

In Conrad's study room, Maxen stood near the entrance while Conrad approached the stand where a decanter of wine was stored. But just before he could pour himself a glass, he looked back at the young man he invited for a talk.

"Sit down, Mister Cloven." Conrad motioned his hand towards the couch, picked up the decanter and two empty glasses, and perched on the head seat. Maxen was on the long couch.

"Do you drink?" asked Conrad as soon as he placed the decanter and glasses on the coffee table, glancing at Maxen.

"No, sir." His answer was short and almost toneless.

Conrad rocked his head, shoving his hand inside his pocket only to take out a cigarette tin which he placed on top of the table. "Do you smoke?"

"I quit not long ago."

"Since you've quit, I won't offer you a stick."

"It's fine, sir." Maxen glanced at Cosette's father, watching the latter lean back with the glass in his hand. The longer he stuck around this man, the more nervous he felt. Sweat already damped his back, waiting for the harsh words Conrad had in store for him.

The only positive thought inside the young man was the unspoken belittling that was yet to leave this man's lips. With just a glance, one would instantly realize Conrad came from an entirely different world. Even with how he held the glass, the way those naturally sharp eyes glint, the aura, and Conrad as a whole.

He was a powerful and influential man. He wasn't just rich. Conrad was a man whose words held power and his existence was important to the economy.

"Relax, Mister Cloven. Don't be nervous. I'm simply… appalled because this is the first time my daughter brought home a friend." Conrad's cool voice broke the stifling silence, noticing the nervousness of the young man.

Although he understood the boy, Conrad would be lying if he said he was perfectly fine with all this. Cosette was a girl, and for her to introduce a male friend slightly worried an over-protective father like him. Especially now that Cosette was changing, unlike how she was in the past.

Even so, he didn't want to hurt his daughter just because he wasn't ready to let his little princess hold another man's hand. She was already at the age where she would experiment and explore her youth. Still, he wanted to supervise, just in case.

"I won't beat around the bush, Mister Cloven. I would like to ask you something, and I want an honest answer." He cleared his throat and looked Maxen straight in the eye. "Are you my daughter's boyfriend?"

Maxen's back stiffened and then breathed out. "No, sir."

"Good." Conrad rocked his head. "Although I want my daughter to enjoy her youth, I won't allow her to marry for the next fifty years."

"…"

As silence descended on them once again, Conrad simply studied the young lad while tapping his fingers against the armrest and twirling the wine in his other hand. When he spoke once again, Maxen raised his eyes at him.

"Mister Cloven, I will be very direct and honest with you," Conrad broke the silence once again while Maxen subconsciously held his breath.

'This is it,' he thought, preparing his heart for everything this man had to say.

"Cosette used to be a strict young lady. She's ambitious and competitive. At a young age, she was already preparing herself to take over the company and prove to everyone that she was capable. In doing so, she forgot that she is just a young girl who should enjoy her youth and make memories." Unlike what Maxen expected, Conrad looked at the wine in his hand and spoke about how was his daughter in the past. "We used to live under the same roof and barely spoke a word to each other, and all those conversations always end on a bad note. Cosette wanted to involve herself more in the company so bad, but I told her to take it easy. However, she never listen and took it as me not having enough confidence in her."

There was bitterness that flashed across Conrad's eyes which didn't go unnoticed by Maxen. He continued;

"I don't blame her, though. I knew she is a capable young lady, but as someone who lived for the money, for the power his entire life, I do not want my daughter to walk on the same path as I did." Conrad raised his eyes at Maxen. "I mean it when I say I do not want her to marry for the next fifty years, but obviously, that is just a selfish whim of a father. I will never stand in my daughter's way, especially in what makes her happy."

"Cosette is the only one I have, and she means the world to me, Mister Cloven. Her happiness is my happiness and so is her pain. As a father, I would trade the world just to make her happy and see her smile. That is why I asked a moment of your time to indulge with me," he added. "As I've said, this is the first time Cosette brought a friend over. Matter of fact, she never called the connections she made in the past friends. She called them as prospective business partners — connections, in the future."

"In the society we walked in, calling someone a friend is rare. It had always been a matter of give-and-take, and how the other person could benefit and what they can offer you. Hence, I wanted to thank you for becoming my daughter's friend and for taking care of her." Conrad offered a meek smile while an enormous question mark hovered over Maxen's head.

'What?' he wondered, thinking he misheard Conrad's remarks. 'He's thanking me for… becoming his daughter's friend? Me? Why?'

Conrad chuckled faintly, seeing the puzzlement in the boy's eyes. It was obvious Maxen had thought of the worse, and Conrad couldn't blame him. If not for the fact that Maxen wanted to walk her home because he was worried it was already late for a young lady to travel alone, he would have had second thoughts.

"Although I am thankful for this friendship, I also liked to ask you a favor." He cleared his throat and his expression grew solemn. "As her father, all I ask from you is to not make my daughter cry, Mister Cloven. I am a person who believed in development. Therefore, I can't rule out that your young hearts might fall for each other. It doesn't matter if you end up liking her or the other way around. All I'm saying is, wait for the right time and take things slowly if that happened, and if it's one-sided…"

He paused and pondered about it. "If it's just you, I hope you respect my daughter's decision, and if it's just her, get out of her life and end the friendship so she wouldn't hurt anymore. Because at the end of the day, anyone who makes her cry will be my enemy and I'm telling you beforehand you don't want me as your enemy."

"I will destroy you," he added. "Completely and mercilessly and that is not a threat, neither it is a promise. It's a statement and a fact."

There was a moment of silence between the two as they stared at each other. Although Conrad's last remarks were enough to scare anyone, they sounded different in Maxen's ears. Conrad was simply trying to protect his daughter and never once did he point out Maxen's upbringing, status, or worth, which surprised the young man. If anything, Conrad spoke to him man to man and with respect which Maxen rarely received.

"I understand, sir." Maxen hung his head low. But when he raised his head, Conrad smiled slightly.

"Then I'd take that as a promise." Conrad nodded, pleased that Maxen was quick to understand the worries of a single father who simply treasured his daughter. "Very well. You are always welcome in our home, anytime you like… just not in my daughter's bedroom."