The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Peterlor Estate- Artificial Lake)

"Hmm… looks like we might need to change the bait," Duke Peterlor muttered as he reeled in yet another empty catch.

"Why aren't these darn fishes hungry today?!"

What bad luck!

Usually, he was able to fill an entire cooler with fishes by now, but it looked like today was one of those days when nothing seemed to bite.

He reached into the bucket near his foot and pulled out a squirming worm-like creature that hissed menacingly.

With well-practiced motions the duke attached the creature to the end of his fishing rod and then flung the line back into the water.

Ripples spread out from the point of impact and disturbed the calm lake. Sophie sat quietly in the shade of a nearby tree as she observed her father's struggles.

It was the morning after her mental breakdown and her father had decided to spend the day with her.

Fishing together was a tradition that the duke had started since Sophie was a little girl and being with her father again made her feel quite nostalgic.

Sophie had not touched her communicator since last night and on the advice of her father, she decided to spend the day just relaxing.

It was perhaps a bit unfair to her friends, but Sophie knew that right now, the best thing for her mental state was to try to clear her mind.

She was not prepared to have a conversation just yet. In fact, she still hadn't decided if she wanted to let her friends know about her situation.

Tomorrow Duke Peterlor planned on having a serious conversation with his daughter about going to see a psychologist for regular sessions.

Possibly over a long period of time…

Sophie knew that there was a very real possibility that she would be unable to return to university next semester.

Especially considering her current fragile mental state.

Maybe it was time to consider taking a year off to recover before returning.

Sophie frowned slightly as she imagined being an entire year behind her friends. No… there was no need to rush.

Being a cultivator meant that her lifespan had already been extended for hundreds of years, one extra year of university was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

The hybrid girl hummed softly as she took a few glances at the beautiful scenery all around her.

Her father had constructed an artificial lake some distance away from the main estate that was around the size of two football fields.

Magnificent trees lined the shoreline which provided shade and the genetically modified grass was soft like a pillow and purple in colour.

"Honey… are you sure that you don't want to try?" Duke Peterlor called out.

Sophie lazily got up from the ground and approached the edge of the lake.

She dipped her toe in the cool water and swirled it around. The water was crystal clear, and it was possible to see tiny fishes merrily darting around the plants that grew on the lake bottom.

Sophie knelt down and scooped up a handful of water before splashing it against her face. She giggled softly as the water droplets ran down the sides of her cheeks.

There was secretly a sense of relief in her heart.

After her father discovered what had happened in the greenhouse, Sophie had been afraid that he would look at her differently or treat her like a monster…

But he didn't.

In fact, her dad had been nothing but patient and supportive.

Being the head of a high noble family meant that the duke had a constant barrage of responsibilities and tasks to oversee and yet…

Here he was spending the entire day with her.

Sophie appreciated what he had done far more than her father would ever know. He was truly the light that brought her back from the darkness.

"Okay dad. I'll give it a try," Sophie spoke softly. She stepped out of the water and walked towards her father.

The duke handed her a spare fishing rod. Sophie ran her fingers along the wooden frame and let out a light sigh.

Old fashioned just as she remembered. Duke Peterlor loathed to use high tech nano-fiber fishing rods and preferred simple wooden ones created by passionate craftsmen.

A genuine smile flashed across Sophie's face for a brief moment as she reached into the bucket of bait.

She picked up a particularly nasty-looking creature that attempted to bite her fingertip as she hoisted it out.

Sophie placed the creature on the hook and then flung the bait as far as she could. The hook landed several feet in the distance with a loud splash.

"You probably scared away all the fish already!" Duke Peterlor chuckled loudly. The middle-aged man placed his arm around his daughter and drew her in close.

Sophie leaned against his muscular chest and the father daughter pair relaxed in silence as the afternoon passed.

Occasionally the duke would bring up random topics for conversation, so Sophie never felt bored during the quiet moments.

He made sure not to mention anything about her time in the Unovan Syndicate but instead talked about the latest entertainment news or gossip among the noble families.

Sophie quite impressed with her father's knowledge of the latest boybands and girl groups.

Little did she know that her father had spent a few hours prior to their fishing trip on the Virtual Net searching for topics to bond with his daughter.

"I will say that I don't quite understand the appeal of those… so-called 'Rexen Boys'," Duke Peterlor said with a bewildered expression on his face.

"All their songs are basically them saying their names over and over while electronic noises blare out and you can hear screams in the background."

"Well dad… that's the appeal. They are supposed to be an underground indie band that are fighting against the elites of society…" Sophie tried to explain to her confused father.

"Maybe I am a bit too old for that sort of thing," Duke Peterlor mused with a helpless smile.

The look of confusion and resignation on her father's face caused Sophie to giggle and she leaned in closer.

The warm comfort of her father made the afternoon seem a bit brighter. Suddenly Sophie jerked forward in shock as she felt a faint tugging sensation on the end of the line.

"I've got a catch!" Sophie exclaimed excitedly as she stood up.

"Steady hands… steady hands… just remember to not use too much strength or else you'll break the line,' Duke Peterlor warned calmly but the glint in his eyes betrayed his inner excitement.

Sophie gripped the wooden handle firmly and pulled back as her fishing rod started to bend. She gradually began to reel in the line as the tugging sensation intensified.

Having supernatural strength meant that there was no suspense in whether she would be able to pull in the fish but rather the issue was if she used too much force.

Sophie took a few deep breaths and then gently exhaled. She carefully monitored her strength while the line got shorter and shorter.

She could now see a vague dark shape thrashing frantically just under the surface of the lake.

That was it!

Sophie immediately jerked the fishing rod upwards, but her exhilaration was cut short when she heard a loud cracking noise.

The fishing rod had split into two pieces as Sophie in her excitement accidently used a bit too much force.

The hybrid girl could only watch numbly as the other half of her fishing rod fell into the water with a dull splash.

What made matters worse was that the black shadow had managed to free itself during the accident and swum away.

Duke Peterlor patted his daughter on the back and walked over to the storage bag where he pulled out another fishing rod.

"Want to try again with your old man?" Duke Peterlor asked warmly.

The annoyance and rage that was beginning to bubble up in Sophie's chest instantly disappeared as she heard those casual words.

"I would love to," Sophie replied firmly. She took the fishing rod from her father and repeated the process of putting bait on the end of the hook.

This time she cast out the line closer to the shore of the lake before settling down for yet another long wait.

"Do you want me to ask Butler Gerald to bring Lily over later this evening? Or are you more comfortable with just the two of us?" Duke Peterlor asked kindly.

Sophie considered his suggestion for a minute and then replied, "Um… I'm feeling better today so it shouldn't be a problem."

The duke powered on his wrist communicator and sent a message to the butler to bring Lily over in a few hours along with a few crates of food.