Black-Haired Dad Isn’t Something You Reap - Chapter 56

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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 56. Two years pass in the blink of an eye, but children from other families grow up quickly anyway (2)
“Emilies! Where is Emily today!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! I am Emily today!”
“An urgent matter has come up—send a telegram to Father, the Emperor!”
“Yes!”
Father always prioritizes meeting with me anyway, so I could just send word and make a quick trip to the Main Palace. I put on my personal roller skates to keep pace with Croa and told Emilies there was no need to follow since I’d be visiting the Main Palace and back.
“You’re going to see His Majesty?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it because of what you said to Achilles Young Lady?”
“Yeah.”
“Your trust in him is remarkable.”
Well, I suppose I do tend to trust Father. When Croa spoke as if my faith in him was extraordinary, I shared a conclusion I’d drawn from reflecting on our shared history.
“But Father is just… amazing in so many ways, you know?”
“He truly is remarkable in many respects.”
“No matter what form it takes, he grants my requests.”
“Right. He’s the kind of person who fulfills wishes like a demon would—always accomplishing things in the strangest possible way.”
You’ve lived with him long enough to know, haven’t you? Regardless of the method, the results end up helping me. He didn’t hesitate to raise an army just because he decided to raise me, and when you said you wanted something, he immediately drew up a contract and bound you to me.
“Oh, that’s the first I’m hearing of this. Did Her Highness the Princess really say she wanted me?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I really accept this so plainly?”
“If I wanted something, I say I wanted it. What’s the problem?”
“I think I’m getting heart palpitations—please stop talking.”
“No way. I have more to say.”
I remember that night when I happened to take an evening walk and spotted light coming on in the Northern Tower. As I recounted that fateful moment in vivid detail, Croa became terribly embarrassed, covered his ears, and ran away. That boy really hates ticklish stories like that. Must be going through puberty.
“Do you remember when I first saw you and said you were definitely a girl!”
“I can’t hear you! I can’t hear anything!”
“That’s because you were so incredibly beautiful!”
“Kyaaaaa!”
Teasing Croa never gets old.
As I chased after the speeding Croa, I arrived at the Main Palace before I knew it. I knocked on the Emperor’s office door, and Choco opened it for me personally.
“I received word. How is it that only the two of you have come?”
Noticing that Shirley was missing from the group of children, Choco peered out the window to check if perhaps Shirley was clinging to the outside of the building. Shirley isn’t a lizard—why would she be stuck there?
“This is about Shirley.”
“I see.”
When Choco spoke from a child’s perspective, asking if I was planning a surprise party, I shook my head and explained Shirley’s family situation.
“I was wondering if there’s a way to make her a legitimate heir.”
“You’ve come to the right place, Your Highness. When it comes to succession disputes, the Chiron Duke’s House is the expert!”
Now that I think about it, that family’s internal strife was truly severe. Deaths in succession disputes were commonplace, but since they’d even dragged Lorowi into it, it would have been tantamount to a civil war.
“If Father hadn’t intervened, wouldn’t you have had to inherit the Duke’s title?”
“Ugh, I didn’t have the confidence to take responsibility—it actually worked out well.”
No, you took good care of things while Prisoner was in the Prison. Just maintaining the status quo without letting the household fall apart is already incredibly impressive.
When I praised Choco based on facts, the man became terribly embarrassed and fled, saying he’d bring some sweets.
“Pisha, you can’t just shower everyone with praise like that so carelessly.”
“Choco isn’t just anyone!”
“That’s true, but….”
Why are you like that to Choco? Your mood’s been all over the place today. Is it puberty? Are you producing some weird hormones?
When I pinched both of Croa’s cheeks and pulled them out, the little one chattered away with an expression caught between bewilderment and resignation.
“I’m sowwy for my cwime.”
“You sound exactly like you did when I was poisoned.”
“I’ll hold my cheeks and wait for punishment.”
And he made an exaggerated pained expression and pouted.
Strange. Looking at him like this, he seems just like usual.
“Stop your nonsense and come inside.”
“W-when did I ever flirt with you, Pisha!”
His face flushes red again and he gets angry. The heart of a twelve-year-old boy is more fickle than a reed. No wonder they call adolescence a period of storm and stress.
I glided smoothly through the Emperor’s office, surveying the interior. The air force founding plan seemed to be in its final stages, and seeing the opposition figures’ directory stacked over there, it looked like Father was preparing to purge them on a set date. Father really is efficient with his work.
“Father Emperor, I have a request today.”
“What is it?”
I sat down gracefully on the sofa before Father and took a delicate sip of tea. As expected, he uses tea leaves several times better than what the Princess Palace provides. That educational philosophy of his—cutting the Princess Palace budget in half and making me live frugally because I owe him a debt—is truly outrageous and makes my skin crawl.
“Please find a way to make Count Achilles into Shirley.”
“Hmm.”
His reaction seems odd. The usual Prisoner would have said he could do it or that he’d find a way, offering positive words, but this time was different.
The man rose from his desk, rummaged through the cabinet containing information on Border Region nobles, and tossed a report on Achilles onto the desk with a thud.
“Achilles seems like it’ll disappear soon.”
“What?!”
What kind of nonsensical gibberish is that! Why would such a precious household—one that would elevate Kisomalos’s divine status—disappear!
“No! My precious wealth and honor and divine status!”
“So you were planning to raise that little one to Count and reap the benefits.”
“Yes!”
When I answered honestly about my desires, Prisoner muttered under his breath, “I wonder who he takes after.” When did Father Emperor say I took after you?
The news was so shocking that I even let out a cry of despair, and Croa, with a puzzled expression, carefully asked me a question.
“Um, Your Highness… you didn’t become friends with Shirley thinking she would definitely become Count Achilles, did you?”
“Huh?”
Well, of course not, right? Hearing myself make such a foolish sound, both Croa and Prisoner narrowed their eyes and stared at me.
“Even if Shirley doesn’t become Count Achilles, she’s still your friend, isn’t she, Pisha?”
“Did you choose this little one as a companion with such ulterior motives in mind?”
“Huh?”
Why is everyone looking at me like I’m trash? No, I didn’t have such intentions from the beginning, did I? If it’s going to happen anyway, isn’t it better to have something good?
“No, if they’re going to be legitimate heirs anyway, isn’t it useful and good?”
“Do you choose your friends based on their usefulness, Pisha?”
“Just as I thought—he takes after Helbatro.”
Both Croa and the Prisoner clamped their mouths shut, then looked at me as though I were garbage. Meanwhile, Choco, who had arrived with pastries, seemed to be entertaining some thought of her own and tossed out a joke, pointing at Croa.
“Wow! So Your Highness, if Croa weren’t the Prince of Media, you wouldn’t have befriended him, right?”
“Ha ha.”
What value could Croa possibly have if he weren’t the Prince of Media? Before my true feelings could slip out, a hollow laugh escaped instead—and Choco’s eyes widened in shock. She abandoned her usual affected speech pattern and spoke with sudden gravity.
“Your Highness, when you laugh like that, it means you’re not denying it.”
“….”
“….”
Croa flinched violently. Choco seemed startled by her own words and dropped her pastries with a clatter. The Prisoner carefully opened a telegraph line and began preparing a rope to hang Choco.
“No, I’m… fine. That Your Highness would need me at all… is already a great honor.”
For someone speaking so calmly, you’re definitely crying right now.
Croa, tears streaming down his face without a single blink, finally burst into sobs and bolted from the office.
“Choco, do you have any sense at all?!”
“I’m so sorry! My mouth only speaks the truth, I can’t help it! I’m so sorry!”
“I’m surrounded by nothing but moral garbage.”
Since it had always been this way, I supposed it was my fate. My father laughed bitterly at this realization, and I offered him a sharp retort.

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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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