Black-Haired Dad Isn’t Something You Reap - Chapter 60

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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 60. There Are As Many Ways to Commit Fraud As There Are Twinkling Stars in the Night Sky, and Now That I Think About It, How Romantic (2)
“I only have two arms, so what can I do?”
Since Choco insisted she could only reliably protect exactly two people if an emergency arose, Croa had to be left behind. And even setting that aside, there was the matter of the Imperial Kingdom’s reputation—what would happen if we brought the child along and he got hurt?
“That prince will definitely spend his whole life sharpening his blade over this slight, but if you bring him back a souvenir from your travels, he’ll at least pretend to be appeased on the surface.”
“It’s creepy how well you know Croa.”
“Oh, Your Highness and your friends already know this anyway. His personality is just that… distinctive.”
So Croa’s oddly strange personality was already common knowledge. And here I thought I was the only one who noticed.
“Lady Pisha, you’re in a different room from him, so you wouldn’t know, right? But do you know there’s sometimes the sound of hammering coming from his room at dawn?”
“What? That’s terrifying. I hate ghost stories. Don’t tell me.”
I covered my ears, not wanting to hear it, but Shirley seemed determined to tell me anyway. She made an eerie expression and mimicked Croa right in front of me.
“How dare that brat, how dare he disrespect me? I’m Lady Pisha’s precious and cherished friend, aren’t I?” And you can hear him muttering this down the entire second-floor corridor.
“Kyaaaaaaaa!”
It sounds like an actual curse! Stop it! No more talk about Croa until we get back! I poked and tickled Shirley’s sides, playfully telling her to stop, when a sign reading “Welcome to Achilles Territory” suddenly whooshed past us. So we’d entered Achilles Territory now.
“Wow, it’s much more rural than I imagined.”
“It’s famous for jade mining, so there are only mines all around.”
With just the current industry, they should be rolling in money—so why did they become interested in health bracelets? I found it strange and opened the sunroof, poking my head out to look around.
Barren mountains and valleys where only muddy water flowed. It was a typical mining village landscape, but the people’s faces were all smiles. Artificial smiles that felt somehow unsettling, and every person had a magnetic bracelet like the one I was wearing on their wrists.
“This isn’t just fraud—this place has been taken over by a cult, hasn’t it?”
“Chiron was considering that possibility too.”
“You sent me to such a dangerous place?!”
“Because you’re the Princess, Your Highness. Shouldn’t you understand how the Imperial Kingdom operates?”
I don’t need to know that! My own father died indulging in luxury back at the Palace! What exactly are you trying to make of me by sending me here and there, educating me like this? A legendary wise ruler? Don’t make me laugh! I have the bloodline of Kisomalos, specialized in luxury and indulgence—how am I supposed to become a virtuous ruler?
“Dust is getting in. Please close the roof.”
“Okay.”
The dust really does kick up terrifyingly here. In a mining village, they should have built supports, but with so few trees, I’m more worried about landslides.
“This desolation. I can almost picture what your childhood was like, Shirley.”
“Right? All I had to play with were rocks left over from mining.”
“I bet you were playing jacks or something, then realized that volume and mass aren’t related, conducted experiments to prove it, and your parents hastily promoted your older brother as the heir.”
“Gasp! How did you know that?!”
Shirley was startled and kept pressing me about whether such things were written in her parents’ employment history. Of course, your childhood wasn’t written in any employment history. But after reading a few biographies of people called geniuses, I noticed that people like you always have exactly one pattern like this.
“Everything else can be covered up with the Princess’s authority. Just don’t become a war criminal.”
“Oh, I don’t even have an army, so how could I become a war criminal?”
No, you’ll probably create some strangely functioning large-scale bomb that changes the paradigm of warfare.
Now I understand why Count Achilles warned Shirley not to study. The girl isn’t just ordinarily intelligent in physics and science.
“There it is! That’s the Achilles Mansion!”
“Wow.”
“It’s an insane display of wealth.”
Isn’t this more ornate than the main Imperial Palace building? Those outer wall tiles look like they’re all jade. This place must be where both jade and nephrite are found. With money rotting away in abundance, it’s no wonder the con artists have their eyes on it.
“Your Highness the Princess! Young Lady of Count Achilles! Welcome!”
Choco drove the car right up to the gates of the Achilles Mansion, where a suspiciously-looking man accompanied by a maid was greeting us. He had green hair like Shirley, though the saturation was different—more of a jade-colored hair—and he was fluttering about in a white gown.
Draped in jade ornaments, he looked like some sort of cult leader, and dressed in what appeared to be a lab coat, he had the air of a mad scientist. How could someone’s character be so utterly incomprehensible?
“Where is the Count?”
The man spoke to me without waiting for permission to greet me—utterly lacking in courtesy. I understand he’s a con artist from the countryside and unfamiliar with Imperial etiquette, but surely even a common person knows you don’t initiate conversation with a superior without being acknowledged first?
“Count Achilles and his son are currently conducting dantian cultivation in the Pyramid Chamber.”
Everything from beginning to end is nonsense, and I can’t even decide which word to object to first. Setting aside the fact that he elevated the Count with an honorific in the presence of me, the Princess—what in the world is the Pyramid Chamber? And what is dantian cultivation?
“Dantian cultivation? What is that?”
“Through dantian cultivation, one can activate the chakra within the body and elevate one’s divine status, Your Highness.”
“What are you babbling about, you lunatic.”
“Pardon?”
“No, never mind.”
Ugh, this bastard is giving me a headache. Can’t I just kill him and return the Count’s territory to the Imperial Family? When I gave Choco a meaningful look, the man shook his head firmly, as if recalling something Prisoner had told him.
“That madman said something about it. He said bears don’t hunt salmon for their cubs—they teach them how to hunt instead.”
“That’s a bear, and we’re people.”
“That’s true enough.”
“I just want Dad to buy me salmon sushi and salmon sashimi and salmon steak.”
“Well, Your Highness, you’re the one who started calling him ‘Dad’ in the first place.”
“Ugh!”
I was absolutely insane back then! Of course, if I could go back and choose again, I’d still pick Prisoner over my biological father! But why did I only have two options to begin with?!
“Argh! Ugh!”
“Lady Pisha, have some chocolate.”
“Mm.”
It’s delicious. Eating something sweet seems to calm me down a bit.
I munched on the chocolate while opening the sunroof and stood up boldly in the car. Then, looking down at the man, I spoke with stern authority.
“You there. What is your name?”
“I am Edison, Your Highness.”
“What spirit do you serve?”
“I do have a spirit of light, but they haven’t grown enough to teach me their name yet.”
So he’s just carrying around a low-grade spirit fragment. In that case, there’s no point in continuing this conversation.
“Bring the Count himself! How can someone be so utterly lacking in manners!”
When I meet that fool, I’ll give him a proper scolding. Picking a foolish successor, selling off the talented child to the Imperial Palace as a servant—and now this con artist, this charlatan. What is all this nonsense?
“But Your Highness, the Count is currently conducting dantian cultivation….”
“Are you the master of this place?”
Only the master of Achilles Territory has the right to serve me. With that meaning behind my glare, Choco quickly descended from the car and grabbed the con artist by the scruff of his neck.
“Aaaahhh!”
“If you value your life, you’d best do as you’re told.”
What—she grabbed him by the nape of his neck with her bare hands. That must hurt terribly. Indeed, the man who introduced himself as Edison was screaming in agony, begging to be released. When I gestured, Choco slammed him to the ground.
“Consider my desire not to see blood spilled. Now, where is the Count?”
“Th-this way!”
Finally, he’s listening. These types always need violence to open their ears.

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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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