Black-Haired Dad Isn’t Something You Reap - Chapter 57
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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 57. Two Years Pass in a Blink, But Other People’s Children Always Grow Up Fast (3)
“And you don’t exactly have a pleasant personality either, Prisoner!”
“Aren’t you the worst trash here, I might add?!”
“That’s absurd.”
“You don’t even know your place! You’re completely insane!”
“Foolishness is a disease, I assure you!”
We were bickering back and forth, hurling insults at one another, when the Head Attendant Grandmother appeared, leading a swarm of attendants. She gripped the rope she’d brought in both hands, pulled it taut, and began swinging it wildly while shouting.
“Why are you making the child cry, you wretched Chiron bloodline!”
I felt deeply wronged.
“I’m not Chiron, Grandmother!”
I’m from the Kisomalos Empire. You haven’t forgotten, have you? I’m the sole legitimate heir of the Kisomalos Empire!
As I urgently clarified my identity, Madam Listo’s expression shifted to one of realization, and she drew a breath.
“My apologies. You look so alike.”
“Alike where?! Where exactly?!”
“Well, in every way.”
“That’s terrible!”
That wicked grandmother—the war-loving Lorowi grandmother is going to snatch me away!
As I made a monstrous sound and scolded the grandmother, Chief Chamberlain Listo let out the tiniest laugh before hoisting me up effortlessly.
“The previous Count would be appalled if he heard this. Are you certain that’s acceptable?”
“Absolutely not. I hate it. Let’s keep this confidential.”
“Very well. What influence could I possibly have?”
Don’t you have plenty of strength? You were vigorous just moments ago. As I spoke with sharp precision, the grandmother grabbed my calf and pulled hard. It hurt.
“The Prince of Media was crying and performed a lunge stop, then executed a power turn and sprinted toward the Princess Palace. What on earth happened?”
Grandmother Listo pretended to be uninterested while clearly knowing quite a bit about roller-skating techniques. In any case, we had sins to confess, so we stammered through what had occurred earlier, and the grandmother smiled knowingly before handing the rope to Choco.
“Bind yourself.”
“Yes.”
“The rest of you, kneel.”
“Yes.”
“But I did nothing wrong?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Hmph.”
The grandmother’s irritation was so obvious that even Prisoner noticed it. Father grumbled but obediently knelt beside me.
“Everyone beneath me is dismissed.”
Thus, ranks below the Chief Chamberlain ceased to exist in the Emperor’s Office. Only those of higher station remained—the Princess of the realm, the Emperor himself, and Choco, the Emperor’s first aide.
“How many times must I tell you to fix that awful personality!”
“Perhaps for Prisoner, but you’ve never said such a thing to me!”
“I called you harsh twice, surely!”
“That’s terrible! I’ll resent you for thirty years!”
“How frightening indeed!”
Ugh, terrible! Grandmother is so disagreeable and awful, and just completely terrible!
Chief Attendant Listo recounted in painstaking detail how miserably we’d all behaved, starting from when Helbatro and Chiron were friends. She nagged on and on, as if she’d lived through an eternity of scolding.
“Nagging Chamberlain.”
I pouted my lips and cursed at her.
Father seemed hurt too, so he pouted his lips identically and cursed as well.
“I have no objections. Shall I go hang myself?”
But Choco didn’t seem particularly bothered.
“You are dismissed.”
Ah! That brat Choco! She’d messed up the most, yet she was the first to escape! Prisoner and I launched into passionate arguments about how she was the one who made Croa cry, but the Chamberlain glared down at us with eyes sharp as axes.
“Choco is reflecting on her actions, so it’s fine.”
“If mere words count as reflection, then I’ll do it too!”
“By all means, try.”
“I’ve done much wrong in making Croa cry!”
“That lacks sincerity.”
“How arbitrary!”
This Imperial Palace is full of nothing but willful people! As I struck the floor indignantly, I heard Prisoner stifle a laugh. My frustration was about to burst, yet only he found it amusing!
As I rolled across the floor and wailed out my sorrow, the Chamberlain gently caught me and held me close, patting me rhythmically while asking about the root cause of the incident.
“What’s this about a friend’s worth and usefulness?”
“Now that you mention it, we were discussing how the Achilles Territory is in danger of disappearing.”
“Right, I was curious about that too.”
While Prisoner calmly retraced the sequence of events, I suddenly calmed down as well, and the Chamberlain muttered that I was exactly the same as him.
“Count Achilles’s Mansion has come under the ownership of some non-profit organization. It seems the territory will be transferred soon as well.”
“What?!”
What is this? How did the mansion and territory end up belonging to someone else? Isn’t a non-profit organization supposed to be something harmless, like the Kisomalos Paper Airplane Flying Club?
“Was Count Achilles defrauded?”
“At this scale, it seems the entire population of the territory is caught up in it, not just the Count.”
“What?!”
Fraud! If he fell victim to a scammer, then that means—
“Jade bracelets! Did he end up buying jade bracelets?”
I’d heard about it. Scammers trick people into buying jade bracelets and water purifiers, right? As I excitedly repeated “jade bracelets, jade bracelets,” Madam Listo and Prisoner exchanged strange looks and bit their lips.
“Pfft.”
“Snort.”
“Why are you laughing? Jade bracelets are serious business, aren’t they?”
“Pfft, snicker.”
“Ha, hahaha.”
Eventually, the two of them laughed so hard they clutched their stomachs, and after they’d calmed down, they came over to me and stroked my head vigorously while pinching my cheeks.
“Yes, jade bracelets are important.”
“Thanks to you, Your Highness, I’ve found reason to laugh.”
Huh? Really? Then I’ll accept your gratitude. I granted Prisoner and the Chief Attendant Grandmother permission to express their thanks, and they bowed their heads, saying my benevolence was immeasurable.
“Either way, this is serious. Shirley was supposed to get that, but it looks like it’ll be taken away.”
“Let’s investigate further. Once we have a clearer picture, I’ll contact you again.”
“Then, Princess, shall we head off to write those letters of reflection and apology for your friends?”
Father said he’d handle it, so I could leave that entirely to him. But honestly, I hadn’t done anything particularly wrong—did I really need to write such things? Seeing the Chief Chamberlain’s expression soften from earlier laughter, I decided to tease her a bit, and the Chamberlain gave me a chilling look before making a sound of scolding a child.
“Tsk.”
“Ugh, just do it! Just write it!”
Don’t make that sound! Who do you think I am, a child?!
I huffed indignantly and went off to write the apology letter. Then I had Emily make a reservation for the Separate Palace Indoor Theater under tomorrow’s date.
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“Hmm, I didn’t mean for you to go this far.”
The Chief Chamberlain chattered away from her seat in the audience. But this was my first time apologizing to a friend. I couldn’t possibly let such a momentous occasion pass without fanfare, could I?
Besides, when you make the scale this grand, the other person is far more likely to hesitate and reluctantly accept. That’s precisely why people resort to public confessions as a strategic tactic—the guilt of appearing heartless makes acceptance far more probable.
“Spotlight on the Princess!”
With the help of the theater’s resident staff, I ascended the stage bathed in spotlight. Croa and Shirley, huddled in chairs in the dark corner over there, looked absolutely terrified. Everything was proceeding according to plan.
I wished there could be applause at this moment. I immediately gestured to the staff and Choco.
“Applause!”
As Choco called for applause, those who had wandered into the theater out of boredom began clapping.
Over there, Prisoner was arm-in-arm with the Minister of Finance, apparently coercing him about something—it seemed they’d stepped out of a meeting. Father wouldn’t have missed my grand debut, after all. I understood that much.
“Ahem, I swear. I, Vishnabel Lorowi Kisomalos, do hereby declare that from this moment forward, I shall speak only truth as I offer my sincere apologies.”
As I finished speaking, Choco called for applause once more, and I received thunderous clapping as I bobbed my head and bowed from the podium.
Then, after taking a deep breath, I proclaimed my feelings like a legendary orator.
“I hereby announce that I am deeply reflecting upon my actions!”
An apology statement should always follow the deductive structure—I needed to convey what harm I had caused and that I was reflecting upon it.
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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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