Black-Haired Dad Isn’t Something You Reap - Chapter 48

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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 48. If This Were a Game, a System Window Would Have Appeared Saying the Quest Was Complete (1)
“Rise and shine with strength and vigor!”
It’s already been four days since I arrived here. Though I’m now a captive of these bandits, I cannot afford to live idly as a princess of an empire. I sprang from my bedding, folded my blankets with crisp efficiency, and stepped outside to wash my face in the cool morning air.
To prepare breakfast, I milked the goats that the bandits kept—a skill I’d learned from the bandit children—and carried the bucket to the kitchen, where the cook announced he would prepare us a delicious milk porridge this morning.
“Wonderful! Milk porridge! Hurrah!”
“Miss, you certainly have a wonderful appetite for anything.”
Yonseok was speaking carelessly. How could this be “anything”? I offered him a gentle rebuke while praising his efforts.
“It’s not ‘anything’! When you prepare food with such fresh ingredients, it’s only natural that it tastes delicious, isn’t it?”
“My, what pretty words you speak!”
The woman remarked that my future husband must be delighted, then showered me with kisses. Though he’s not truly my husband, I’ll take it as a compliment. I laughed cheerfully and went to find the Bandit Leader to ask if I could go out and play with the children today.
“Little One, you see….”
The Bandit Leader asked hesitantly if I understood my current situation, and I answered confidently that I was a guest here. He sighed deeply, then asked who I would go with and how far.
“With the Bandit Leader’s daughter and her friends. They said they’d teach me how to ride horses?”
“Then just to that hill ahead. As long as it’s within sight, it should be fine.”
“Wonderful!”
“But wait.”
Just as I was excitedly heading toward the tent, the Bandit Leader stopped me, saying he still had something to tell me. He showed me the dress I had been wearing, his expression growing suspicious.
“The jewels and ornaments you had would need to be sold in a larger city. And your dress—they refused to buy it unless we went all the way to the Capital.”
“Is that so?”
“Surely Count Hipasis, who rules this region like a king, could afford such items. But I doubt his branch family would have that kind of wealth.”
“The Count certainly has deep pockets.”
“I’m beginning to think I’ve captured some troublesome people….”
The Bandit Leader scratched the back of his head with an exasperated expression. I offered him a cunning smile to reassure him.
“Don’t worry! It won’t be troublesome! I promise it won’t be!”
Once the transaction is complete, we’ll be strangers to each other. I’ll make sure everything ends cleanly with no complications. As I soothed the Bandit Leader, he seemed uneasy, as if making a losing deal.
“The money from selling the jewels will come in, so if worst comes to worst, you can just take everything and flee. Go on and play, child.”
“Yes! Bandit Leader, thank you!”
Hehehehe. I should have killed him outright when we first met. But after several days of sharing meals and hardships together, it’s no longer so simple. Even bandits are human, and humans are all the same in that regard.
I left the tent and called for my friends. I had some confidence in horseback riding since I’d learned it as part of my education, but the horses in this region were so massive and powerfully built that my courage faltered.
“Huff! Huff! Ugh!”
I never realized it when riding so gently within the Imperial Palace, but horseback riding was quite a demanding sport. I dismounted and retched pathetically. One of the older children from the bandit gang handed me a waterskin.
“At your age, you can’t even ride properly. Even among nobles, it’s rare to be this bad, isn’t it?”
“I’m not a noble from this region! I’m from Kisomalos!”
“Ah, that explains the Central Continent accent.”
The children whispered among themselves, then looked at me with pity, saying it couldn’t be helped if I was from the Central Continent.
I was quite indignant, but since my riding skills were indeed lacking, I had no grounds to argue back.
“Still, if you’ve married into this region, you should at least be able to shoot a bow while riding.”
“And hang upside down while galloping.”
“And ride backwards too.”
“That’s something only acrobats do!”
When I burst out laughing, the Little Ones found my joke hilarious and clutched their bellies, cackling away. If you’re an acrobat, you should be able to swallow swords or breathe fire… Wait, wasn’t that some kind of magic? Did you use the power of a household spirit, the kind that swallows swords?
“Look! An airship!”
“Wow! I’ve never seen one so big!”
Huh? For an airship to come all the way out here to the countryside, it could only mean one thing—had the Imperial Family finally found us? If so, there should definitely be the Astiages Imperial crest on the airship, but it was still too far away to see clearly.
“Hey! Can anyone see the emblem on that airship?”
“Noble lady… you can’t see it?”
“Is your eyesight really that bad? Don’t you need glasses?”
Did I have the same vision as grassland nomads?! I admitted my eyes weren’t great and asked them to check if there was a large bird emblem there. The Little Ones all testified that they could see a large bird with spread wings and sharp, extended talons.
“That’s it! They’ve arrived! Let’s go!”
I mounted my horse and galloped off at full speed, and my friends jumped on their horses too, saying they wanted to see what was happening. When we arrived at the settlement where the tents were gathered, paratroopers were descending from the sky.
“Piiiiisha!”
And from the sky, Choco fell without a parachute. With a loud crash, dust billowed up in a haze.
“C-Choco! Choco!”
“Pisha! Are you hurt? If Pisha gets hurt, Chiron will kill me!”
“Choco! Speak more gracefully! At least pretend you’re worried about me out of pure concern!”
“But my own life is the most precious thing to me!”
Ugh! Fine, that’s enough. Once Choco confirmed I was safe, she looked ready to slaughter everyone on the spot, so I hurried to explain.
“Choco! Don’t kill them! We captured these people by accident!”
“Why would you worry about other people’s lives, Pisha?”
“We eat from the same pot—how are they strangers?”
“I see.”
With a resigned sigh, Choco sheathed her sword. It seemed she was planning to subdue them with her bare hands instead.
“I’ll inform the Imperial Forces members as well. Please hide somewhere safe, won’t you?”
“All right. The Fifth Prince is locked up in that wooden warehouse over there, so hide well in that spot.”
“Why is he there?”
I paused for a moment, considering various reasons, then spoke the biggest cause of this whole situation.
“Because he has no manners.”
“I see.”
Choco, understanding perfectly what I meant, picked me up and whooshed me into the wooden warehouse, storing me safely inside. In the dim interior, the Fifth Prince was contentedly munching on potatoes.
“What’s happening?”
“The Astiages Imperial Family has sent a rescue party. You just need to hide until everything is settled.”
“Oh! Finally!”
The Prince jumped up excitedly and tossed the potato aside. Wasting food brings punishment. He’d been holding it so carefully just moments before. This brat really has no manners whatsoever.
Though it was just warning fire, the sound of gunshots rang out from outside, and the Prince immediately crouched down and curled up. I had no choice but to hold the Little One’s hand and calm him down, waiting in the warehouse for about an hour.
When the gunfire and screams finally subsided, I heard someone rushing over, and the warehouse door suddenly burst open.
“Your Highness!”
It was the Chief Attendant Grandmother. Madam Listo looked rather amusing—she’d come in such a rush that she still had her parachute pack on. She was dressed in her neat Chief Attendant uniform, but her hair was disheveled, and seeing her with that oversized pack made me want to take a picture and tease her about it forever.
“Ugh!”
I stood up with composure, ready to scold the Grandmother for being late. But perhaps from the relief, my emotions welled up, and my nose began to sting.
“Waaah! Grandmother!”
I must look absolutely hideous right now. Once the tension broke, I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. As I sobbed uncontrollably, even hiccupping between gasps, the Chief Attendant Grandmother pulled me into her embrace.
“Yes, yes, Grandmother, I’m here. I apologize for being late.”

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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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