Black-Haired Dad Isn’t Something You Reap - Chapter 121

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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 121. Lorowi Answers. Only What Was Asked (4)
Wait, what’s this? I feel like I was dreaming. I’m certain I went downstairs with Grandmother, but the moment I closed and opened my eyes, I found myself cradled in Father’s arms being carried to Mother’s Room. My head seems to ache a little…
Oh, that’s right! Didn’t the Chamberlain hit my head with her walking stick?!
“Chamberlain! The Chamberlain hit my head with her stick!!”
“So you really were asleep.”
When I suddenly cried out in my half-awake state, Father let out an exasperated sound, and the Chief Chamberlain pressed her forehead with her hand.
“You must have been tired from seeing so many people today. You might have even been intoxicated by the smell of alcohol.”
“If that Lorowi had done something to you, I would have wiped out his entire line.”
“Hmph, children often fall asleep like a battery running out, even in the middle of playing. You’re showing your inexperience with raising children.”
“Now that you mention it, I did see it a few times during my internship.”
Internship? You mean from when you were studying early childhood education? How did you manage to attend university and do internships while escorting the Emperor’s Son and going to war and being so busy? How did you manage your time? Did they pay divine power to turn back time for you too?
“I was asleep?”
“The Duke was talking with Lorowi’s god when you suddenly crashed your head into the palanquin and fell asleep.”
“Ah… so that’s why my head hurts.”
But was I really hit by the walking stick? Or was it a dream? My mind is so hazy that I can’t remember clearly. I want to go home. To the House with Apple Tree.
“Pisha, are you very tired?”
“We promised to play cards before bed. Should we not?”
“What are you saying? Of course we’re playing! Let’s play together!”
What should we play? If we’re going to play anyway, let’s do our Uno! This time I’ll definitely beat Father!
As I threw myself into the spirit of competition and started shadow boxing, Shirley and Croa laughed and said we should play late into the night. Besides, Father rarely has free days, so I need to make the most of today and get my fill of fun.
“Bathing comes first. You’ll certainly be having snacks, so let’s put off brushing your teeth for later.”
“Yes!”
“Okay!”
“Got it!”
We divided into teams by gender and headed to the Grand Bathhouse. Usually we just fill a bathtub with water and wash up simply, but bathing in a large bathhouse really does feel different. We all soak in the warm water, scrubbing our bodies while building camaraderie.
Our country’s bathing culture is truly wonderful. The Astyages Empire does have grand bathhouses, but they use a sauna method, so it felt a bit strange. Though I must say, imagining Hisperon sweating it out in a sauna puts me in the best mood.
“Close your eyes tight.”
“Okay!”
Usually the palace attendants wash us, but the grandmothers insist on washing us themselves, saying it won’t be clean otherwise, so Shirley and I were both captured by the Head Attendant Grandmother and my Maternal Grandmother respectively. Grandmother lathered soap all over my body and scrubbed my hair vigorously, rubbing my hair strands as if doing laundry.
“Ow! You’re damaging my cuticles!”
“Still, it seems.”
“What do you mean?”
“There are such things.”
The Chamberlain is nothing but secretive. Anyway, after we finished bathing, we each downed a glass of apple milk. After drying our hair and waiting in Mother’s Room with a mat laid out, I could see Father and Choco and Croa, who seemed to have received extensive care and were gleaming.
“Wow! Father’s face is all shiny and bright!”
“They forced a facial mask on me.”
“They also applied something strange to my hair, I must say.”
While they gleamed, both seemed somewhat exhausted. But Croa’s condition was even stranger than theirs. His face shone, but Croa, with an expression of shock as if he’d seen a ghost, continued staring at Father with his mouth hanging wide open.
“Croa, what’s wrong?”
Did he really see a ghost in the bathhouse? I asked, thinking that if it were our Mother, a ghost might well emerge, but Croa said something completely different.
“Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty the Emperor’s—”
“Why is Father—?”
“It’s an elephant! Only an elephant!”
“Ack! Cack!”
Good heavens, what in the world is this Little One babbling about right now?
“It’s this big! Bigger than my forearm, and it’s right there!”
“Ah, yes, that one is quite large. It’s understandable to be shocked seeing it for the first time.”
Choco, what are you doing calmly assessing things like that? Since Croa had been shocked to the point of collapse—something I’d never seen before—we warmed up a glass of milk, wrapped him in a blanket, and fed it to him. The Little One was accepting it readily enough, but the look of shock still hadn’t faded from his face.
“Just how big is it? Pisha, have you ever seen it?”
“Why would I have any reason to look at Father’s… that?”
As Aunt and I stared curiously at Father’s crotch, he approached us and gave us both a sharp flick on the head, telling us not to pay attention.
“But it’s so distracting!”
“Honestly, I’m curious too. What could be so impressive about it?”
“If you say another word, I’m leaking to three major newspapers that Lorowi’s second daughter and Kisomalos’s Princess were charged with sexual harassment.”
Well… even if we got sued, we could just defend ourselves, so he’s resorting to a media war. Fine then—we’ll just have to wait for an opening and sneak a peek.
I’ll plan this out carefully with Aunt later and make absolutely sure to check. I huddled conspiratorially with Aunt and formed the Royal Alliance.
“Why are you so interested in other people’s… private areas?”
“Children go through phases where they become curious about such things. It’s a normal part of development.”
“Your daughter is over twenty years old.”
“She’s still a child.”
“You really do imitate the Chief Chamberlain.”
Father looked at me with wonder and pointed to Maternal Grandmother. See? I wasn’t lying, was I? He really does imitate the Chief Chamberlain.
As Father and I whispered and gossiped about Maternal Grandmother, the Chief Chamberlain arrived with what looked like a large platter and tapped us on the head.
“If someone hasn’t quite become human yet, such behavior is possible.”
So Head Attendant Grandmother knew about this too? I thought only I had noticed. Then again, Grandmother was the one being imitated, so she probably caught on faster.
“What would you like for a late-night snack? Please order everything at once so the palace staff doesn’t have to work twice.”
Oh, so that was a menu? I called over Shirley and Croa and carefully selected what we’d eat for our late-night snack. Father and Aunt also examined the menu intently from above us, but apparently unsatisfied with something, they voiced their complaints to the Chief Chamberlain.
“What is this? There’s no alcohol?”
“Me too! I’d like to drink some alcohol!”
“Please remember that you have a ball scheduled for tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen.”
We were all gathered together in good spirits—wouldn’t it be fine to let everyone have just one drink? I voiced this opinion, but the Chief Chamberlain shook her head and said that one drink becomes two, and two becomes three.
“Well, once I have one sip, I can’t resist having a second.”
“How would you know that?”
“Ahem!”
Oh, you startled me! Father always jumps in like that whenever I mention alcohol! When was the first time? Was it when I had a sip of sake with mackerel sashimi? It must have been around the time we captured Loruruje Fortress.
“No, I mean—even with juice, you think you’ll just have one glass, but once you finish it, you want more.”
“That’s right. I heard that high-fructose corn syrup isn’t very good for your body.”
“Since we’re still young, our pancreas can’t handle it?”
Shirley and Croa started discussing blood sugar levels, and the conversation shifted in that direction. Anyway, under the Chief Chamberlain’s supervision, we played and ate late-night snacks well past midnight and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves today.
I wanted to play a bit longer, but when the palace staff came to take us to brush our teeth, my eyes started closing on their own. I must have dozed off for a moment in the middle, because when I opened my eyes again, the scenery had changed and the Chief Chamberlain was laying me down on my bed.
“The children will use the beds. I’ve tidied up the surrounding rooms as well, but if you’d prefer, I can lay out a mat in this room for you.”
“I’ll share a room with Pisha, if that’s acceptable.”
“Me! I want to sleep on the floor next to Pisha!”
“Every now and then, something like this is rather nice.”
“If that Chamberlain is here, I suppose I should stay as well to keep watch.”
So in the end, we were all sleeping together anyway. I drifted off with a contented giggle, pleased to be resting in Mother’s Room surrounded by people I cherished. Life in the House with Apple Tree had been joyful. Yupi was hopelessly awkward, but that was precisely what made her endearing.

✦ ✦ ✦
When I woke, everyone was bustling about preparing for the ball. We’d all stayed up late playing together and slept deeply, so we’d risen later than intended. Hastily donning our clothes and adorning ourselves, we barely managed to look presentable before hurrying toward the Outer Palace.
Since the host had not yet arrived, the Party Hall remained closed, and the grounds before the building were packed with those waiting to enter. Among them stood one man who caught the eye with particular prominence—Duke Alset, unmistakably a married man, occupied a space unto himself.
Everyone recognized Duke Alset and kept their distance, leaving a perfectly circular empty space of roughly one meter in radius around him.

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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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