Black-Haired Dad Isn’t Something You Reap - Chapter 226

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

Chapter 226. A Moment to Contemplate Why This Work Exists in the Romance Fantasy Category (6)
“Launching from Kisomalos to the Media Coast will require considerable propulsive force.”
“We’ll use liquid fuel. There’s nothing better for an immediate launch.”
“The guidance system is still under development….”
“You don’t trust me? When I was eight years old, I destroyed the Media Military from Loruruje Fortress without even adjusting the cannon’s position.”
Well, of course I trust my Shirley. I trust her tremendously, but field conditions always have variables. We could be unlucky enough to collide with a passing flock of geese, or the weather could worsen with strong winds or rain.
As Shirley had experienced countless times, real combat differs from calculations. When I expressed this concern, she snorted dismissively and said something utterly reckless.
“Even if it falls, it’ll land in Media anyway.”
“Then it’ll just bounce back further, you fool!”
“This foolish Princess is calling me a fool!”
As Shirley and I grabbed each other’s cheeks and bickered, Leon, who had been watching, laughed heartily and clapped. It was the kind of response only someone who understood we weren’t fighting in earnest could give. I was genuinely grateful my son had grown into a child who could read the atmosphere and empathize with others.
“Mother, does Leon go back to the Imperial Palace now?”
“Yes, now we all go home together as a family.”
“Um, Uncle Croa is nice, but that man being there is uncomfortable.”
Huh? What’s with “Uncle Croa” and “that man”? As I struggled to grasp Leon’s terminology for Leonhardt, Shirley stepped in to clarify.
“‘Uncle Croa’ refers to Croa.”
“But he’s not even Leon’s relative. Why call him Uncle?”
“Since he’s going to marry Pisha, he should be called Father. But he arrived at the Princess Palace late. Since his rank is lower than mine, he’s the younger Uncle.”
“I see….”
If Croa found out, he’d start another fight insisting Leon call him the older Uncle. I decided to avoid conflict for now and pondered the term “that man.” If Croa was the younger Uncle, then the man Leon disliked could only be Nanakda.
“Leon has never even met Nanakda. What could he possibly dislike?”
“Just the way he acts is disagreeable.”
Yes, a child’s perspective can be ruthlessly cold sometimes. Honestly, someone at my level finds Nanakda’s antics cute, but from the perspective of powerless, low-ranking people, his romantic advances would be terrifying. Leon, being the Imperial Grandson, gets off with mere dislike.
If an ordinary citizen witnessed Nanakda’s behavior up close, wouldn’t it feel like cosmic horror? The wealth he possesses, the manpower he can mobilize—when you really think about it, it’s truly astronomical.
“He’s quite peculiar. During his time as Emperor’s Son, he barely had any presence at all.”
“Adversity is the kind of thing that builds a person.”
He certainly did suffer through a lot. He lost Hisperon and even had a bounty on his head from Astiages. As I recounted the various hardships Nanakda had endured, Shirley looked puzzled before saying something unexpected.
“The adversity I meant was Pisha.”
“What about me?”
“Ah… well….”
Shirley, who had been about to explain, made a gesture suggesting she was wondering whether this fool could possibly understand her genius insight. Eventually, she gave up and simply patted my head.
“Never mind. Just live as you are.”
“There you go again, treating me like I’m stupid!”
“Well, I’ve never said Pisha’s intelligence is low. I just thought you were stockpiling it for emergencies.”
“That means I’m lacking normally!”
Shirley patted my head again, essentially confirming that was what she meant. Don’t pat me like I’m a dog. I might bite. I’ve trained in Pankration for over ten years.
“Which island should we launch? If it’s close to the coastline, we could even go watch.”
“Hmm, if it’s too close, Croa will throw a fit over the breakwater project again.”
That man’s breakwater—years have passed and there’s still no news of completion. As Shirley and I put our heads together to think, Leon, who had been diligently memorizing the current forms and maps of various nations, offered an island name.
“Mother! What about Bikini Island!”
Leon pointed to the coastline near the Media Royal Palace and Ismenios Territory on the massive world map hanging in the Dining Hall. The map’s scale didn’t allow for detailed depiction, but there had to be an island somewhere in that vicinity.
“It’s an uninhabited island! And it’s close to Ismenios Territory, which is a conflict zone.”
“The coastal villages will flood again, but it’s perfect for a demonstration.”
“Then I’ll arrange the location and call Croa.”
“Excellent!”
After a full day of rest at the Achilles Mansion, we returned to the Imperial Palace and immediately began preparing our plan to quell the civil war in Media.
Shirley mobilized all of the Kisomalos Forces’ research team to construct a liquid-fuel rocket, while my Aunt obtained Yupi Grandmother’s consent and relocated the Lorowi special bombs from the Old Lorowi Territory. Croa persuaded Ismenios and the leaders of the Anti-Kisomalos Faction to arrange a meeting, and since I had a very important role to play at that gathering, I assembled the nation’s highest officials and greatest scholars to hold a competition.
“Now then! Let us commence the First Annual ‘How to Look Like Kisomalos’ Villainess’ Fashion Competition!”
“Ohhh!”
“I’m going to win first place, you hear me!”
If I’m going to be a villain anyway, I might as well commit to it completely. Fuhaha! Fuhahahehe!
I invited Emily, who handles the Princess Palace’s casual wear, and Emily, who handles formal gowns, and then summoned the Chief Chamberlain, my Father, Choco, my Aunt, Yupi Grandmother, Nanakda, Marshmallow, Doctor Marichi who is Shirley’s mother, and even Princess Hekta to seek new ideas.
The Chief Chamberlain initially complained about summoning busy people, but as the competition heated up, she even got into a heated argument with Yupi Grandmother over a single decorative flower.
“If we’re talking about the symbol of a villainess, it has to be the peony! You haven’t even read history books because you’re always running around battlefields!”
“And you, a broadcasting station director, ignore public appeal? The symbol of a villain is obviously the red spider lily!”
Hmm, both grandmothers made valid points. I put on a form-fitting red dress and pondered which flower would suit me better. The peony had this luxurious beauty to it, while the red spider lily had an air about it—as if deliberately calculating its lethal charm.
I pinned one of each flower in my hair as decoration and struck a pose in front of my Father. When I asked which he preferred, he deflected and changed the subject.
“Either one is fine, but make sure you bring this equipment with you this time.”
“Huh? Another wisdom bundle?”
But this looks like equipment you’d only see at a radio broadcasting station. I can overlook that massive machine over there, but that microphone definitely looks like a recording device. And is that a reflector used for photography?
“It’s a recording device. The Elset and Kisomalos Radio Broadcasting Station collaborated to create it this time.”
“Huh? Recording?”
“It’s a device that captures sixty photographs per second to create the illusion of movement—what we call moving pictures.”
“Amazing!”
Wow, so now photographs move too? The world really is developing at an incredible pace. Though it seems like Father forcibly accelerated this development himself. I suppose you could say it was born from his sheer determination to have me as an endless spectacle to observe….
“Nanakda, look at this. Which one do you think looks better?”
Since Father said everything looked good, that wasn’t helpful at all. So I struck a pose in front of Nanakda, and the man made a displeased face, pointing to my shoulders and thighs.
“Isn’t the exposure a bit too much?”
Isn’t that usually how villainesses look? I asked others if the exposure seemed excessive, but most of them had seen me running around completely naked as a child, so they didn’t seem to mind.
“I also think… it might be a bit too provocative.”
If even Princess Hekta was saying that, perhaps I should exercise some restraint. I added a shawl to drape over my shoulders and struck another pose. The Princess seemed reasonably satisfied, but Nanakda still looked displeased.
“My apologies for being late!”
Oh, Croa! It’s been a while! I thought it would be nice to have Croa escort me and arrive together at the Lorowi special bomb explosion show, so I had him return to the Kisomalos Imperial Palace. And since Croa’s outfit was just as important as mine, I wanted to style him more innocently to create a contrast with me.
“Croa, your clothes are over here….”
I was about to tell him to pick from them, but the man suddenly made a sorrowful face, hastily removed his outer garment, and came rushing toward me.
“No, the exposure is too severe!”
You’re saying the same thing as Nanakda.

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