Black-Haired Dad Isn’t Something You Reap - Chapter 118

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 118. Lorowi Answers. Only What Was Asked (1)
The entire nation was abuzz over Kazelnu Lorowi’s search for a groom. In the case of the Kisomalos Daily, a photograph of me holding a sign saying I was searching for my aunt’s groom while wearing a thoroughly disgruntled expression was published, and sales skyrocketed. Perhaps they thought it had rarity value, given that most published photos showed me either grinning constantly or gazing majestically into the distant sky.
“Piiiiiishaaaaaa!”
“Kyaaaaa!”
The last time we parted, it seemed we had separated awkwardly with somewhat negative feelings toward each other, so why on earth was she greeting me with such fury!
I fled desperately, but ultimately found myself dangling helplessly in my aunt’s grip. Choco was also present in the room, and though she wore a faint smile, her hand remained firmly clasped around her sword hilt.
“That woman keeps looking for any opening to sever my limbs. Could you ask her to stop?”
“However, Kazelnu is actively hostile toward you. I cannot afford to lower my guard.”
“Well… I have nothing to say about that.”
My aunt still hasn’t sorted out her feelings? When I brought up the shameful display she had made at the Marquess Estate, she set me down on the sofa and collapsed beside me.
“I still don’t fully understand it. I definitely like Pisha, but there are times when I can’t stand the sight of her.”
“At least you’ve reached the point of acknowledgment. Commendable.”
She must have spent considerable time thinking things through while confined to the estate. And I appreciate that her affection for me is genuine. Is this what they call love-hate? If Kisomalos’s eyes shot beams, I could certainly tell for sure.
“But still, isn’t this sudden groom-finding ball rather strange?”
“I’m trying to find you something other than Lorowi to obsess over.”
“Is it really that easy?”
“My mother managed it.”
This is amusing. Usually, my aunt would nag me constantly to be more like my mother, but now the situation had reversed—I was the one pressuring her.
If Mother could do it, then my aunt can too! You can do this! Come on! As I cheered her on, my aunt’s expression grew timid, and she squirmed away from me by a hand’s breadth.
“Does Pisha… not hate me?”
“Not particularly?”
“That’s a lie. I made Pisha learn only what my sister taught me, and I treated her with malice in many ways.”
“No, that’s not—”
How should I explain this? Of course, before the regression, my aunt had schemed and caused me to become isolated in the Imperial Palace. In this life too, I received no protection, and I only learned that my aunt disliked me—it was a mess. But still…
“I don’t think it influenced my sense of self.”
I remained myself. Just because my aunt criticized me didn’t mean I stopped trying to emulate my mother and grandmother, and I was simply too busy grumbling about not wanting to do it while handling the immediate task of cleaning up the mess Helbatro had made.
If anything, what my aunt did was a rather peculiar form of nagging. It couldn’t have influenced the personality and identity that comprise me even in the slightest.
As I explained this at length, my aunt’s hands began to tremble, and she suddenly seized my throat.
“Gack!”
“You wretches, you Lorowi always disregard me like this!”
“Oh no! Stop! That’s enough! Step back!”
As my throat was being strangled, Choco hastily struck my aunt’s arm with her scabbard. If she’d hit wrong, the arm would have broken, but apparently Lorowi’s natural durability meant she only ended up with a bruise.
“This is precisely why I cannot leave Pisha’s side.”
“I’m sorry, Pisha. I suddenly lost my temper.”
Sigh… Lorowi, this collection of mental patients. I coughed and cleared my throat, then spoke to my aunt.
“Aunt, I am Kisomalos. Please remember that much.”
“I’m sorry, I’ve lost my mind. I’m truly sorry.”
It seemed like she would continue apologizing, so I decided to redirect the conversation toward casual updates. As I asked how her journey had been and whether she’d been practicing baking, I finally identified the source of the discomfort I’d been feeling.
“Huh? Aunt, those are new clothes?”
“Hmm? Oh, these.”
Aunt fidgeted uncomfortably with her dress, which had a deep cutout along the back, before bringing up Grandmother.
“Mother said she’d be embarrassed to just send me off, so she told me to have new clothes made.”
“Wow.”
That Chamberlain was actually concerned about Aunt’s wardrobe? Had there been some change of heart? Aunt seemed to sense this too, twisting her body shyly as she spoke.
“Mother seems to have changed a bit, don’t you think?”
“Well…”
I couldn’t say for certain until I understood that Chamberlain’s intentions. Aunt was being naive, assuming Mother had simply changed. Ugh, this soft-hearted woman had lived in Lorowi so long that she’d gone completely soft in the head.
“Surely Grandmother isn’t planning to attend the ball as well?”
“She said she’d come if time permits, but…”
Was there some other scheme at play here? Was she planning to commit terrorism when people gathered at the ball hall? But the men gathering at the ball were those dreaming of social advancement, so they wouldn’t have any distinguished families worth targeting.
“But if she comes, wouldn’t she just look at Pisha, Chiron, and those guys before leaving?”
“Oh, she’s coming to see Father.”
I supposed that made sense, but it was strange how Grandmother seemed to have taken a liking to Father. Why was that?
“But do we really have to do this husband-hunting ball? I’m not crazy about men, and I don’t think I’m the type to fall head over heels for someone at first sight.”
“Aunt will be able to find your own Helbatro.”
“That sounds like you’re cursing my future.”
And now I couldn’t stop it anyway. Father was enjoying himself. In Imperial Palace life where entertainment was scarce, these fresh events were necessary from time to time.
Ha, what a filial daughter I am, even managing Father’s hobbies.
“You’ve only been running around battlefields until now. A grown woman should meet many people, whether men or women. You’ll waste your youth if you don’t.”
“Pisha sometimes speaks like an old woman.”
That’s what happens when you’ve experienced two near-death situations by twenty-one. Life could end at any moment, so if you don’t actively enjoy the present, you’re at a loss.
“But does Aunt know how to dance?”
“Of course! Naturally!”
“What can you dance?”
“The gavotte!”
Sigh… that was trendy ten years ago.
“Let’s start with the basics of the waltz. If we have time, we’ll learn the polka and mazurka too.”
Since ball dances are partnership dances, it would be better to have a partner. When I looked at Choco, wondering if he’d be willing to dance with Aunt, the man grinned and proudly displayed his ignorance.
“Ah, I can’t dance, miss.”
“You were a marquess heir and didn’t even learn that?”
“I learned it, but I can’t dance, miss.”
So he didn’t want to dance with Aunt. Choco was quite picky about these things. Once he decided he didn’t want to do something, he wouldn’t do it even if it killed him. Everything from when we first met—the explosive temperament, the military uniform, the strict hierarchies—was all a lie. He must have accepted it because he thought it would be fun.
After searching around for someone, Marshmallow declined, saying he’d be exhausted after just one dance. Fortunately, Teacher Lee said he could dance the male part too, so he became Aunt’s dance practice partner.
Watching Teacher Lee dressed up like this and escorting Aunt looked quite impressive. He probably had some popularity with female students back in school. With his neat brown bob cut, androgynous features, and tall stature… if he just kept his mouth shut and didn’t suddenly make that awkward sound, he’d look like a prince from a distant kingdom. I wished Aunt would take a liking to Teacher Lee instead of some trash of a man. If it were the teacher, I could trust him with Aunt.
“Pisha! How much longer do I have to dance?!”
“Until Aunt stops stepping on Teacher Lee’s feet.”
Look at her now. She’s stepping on his feet once every three steps, yet he doesn’t even show that it hurts. Our Imperial Kingdom recently passed the domestic partnership law in Parliament, so same-sex marriage is acceptable. Ah, but once this becomes official law, won’t I get more pressure from Achilles?
“Pisha.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t trust Lorowi.”
Choco watched Aunt tinker away with a casual tone. I’ve experienced enough to be fundamentally distrustful and cautious by default. Yet I’m still human—how could I abandon the hope of relying on my own blood?
“I understand, but it’s not easy.”
“Well, that’s probably why you summoned Aunt here in the first place.”
Right? Even Choco would grasp the surface of my feelings, wouldn’t she? As I sighed and exhaled, Choco patted her own chest reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. If it comes down to it, I’ll just kill them all.”
“Yes. You’re truly reliable.”
But I can’t let her stop Lorowi. Lorowi will cry. She might even demand compensation for becoming my legitimate heir.
I carefully persuaded Choco that she wouldn’t need to act as an instrument of slaughter, and kept watch over Aunt. After days of practice, the morning of the ball finally dawned.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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