Black-Haired Dad Isn’t Something You Reap - Chapter 79

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

Chapter 79. People don’t change until they die. If they change, it’s time for them to die. (3)
“You’re a genius! Grandmother, you’re truly a genius!”
“When I first heard Pisha’s method for resupplying airships, I thought she was a genius too!”
“A genius! A genius, genius! Grandmother, you’re truly a genius!”
“Hahahaha! Pisha is a genius!”
When Grandmother and I leaped to our feet and danced hand in hand, the Old Butler wept, saying it had been ages since he’d seen the master so delighted. Just as Grandmother grew so excited she tried to hoist me onto her shoulders, Shirley picked up the models of the airship and airplane, examining them before offering her thoughts.
“But even if we can transport it, how does it actually fly in the air?”
“Huh?”
“Oh?”
“Airplanes are different from airships—don’t they need a runway?”
“Huh?”
“Oh?”
Can’t airplanes just hover in the air and fly? Since I normally travel by airship when I need to go skyward, I’d never really understood how airplanes take off. This blind spot apparently extended to Grandmother as well—she froze mid-motion of hoisting me up. Shirley fidgeted for a moment, then retrieved paper and a pencil from the desk.
“What if we shaped it like this—made it look like a ship’s hull, and used a flat area as a runway…”
Shirley sketched deftly, creating an image of a vessel dangling beneath the apparatus.
“Oh, oh!”
“With this design, the airplane could take off.”
“Since it’s a ship that flies through the sky, could we call it a flying aircraft carrier?”
Croa, I love that name! Grandmother and I adopted it immediately and embraced Shirley.
“Shirley, you’re truly, truly a genius! I always knew you were brilliant, but right now you’re truly, truly a genius!”
“So the genius Pisha has a genius advisor as well!”
“Hehe, ehehe.”
Grandmother was in such high spirits that she hoisted Shirley onto her shoulders and began a jubilant celebration.
“What on earth are you doing? You’re disturbing the entire floor below!”
Ah, we must have been making quite a racket. The Head Attendant Grandmother came to complain about the noise.
The Head Attendant Grandmother observed my Maternal Grandmother carrying Shirley on her shoulders, me dancing, and Croa clapping, then twisted her face in displeasure and spoke as though disgusted.
“What exactly is going on here? Have you lost your mind?”
When the Chief Chamberlain rebuked her, Grandmother cleared her throat with a cough and set Shirley down.
“I suppose I got a bit carried away.”
“You’ve lost your mind. If you wish, I can have the Imperial Physician sent to examine you.”
“You’re far older than me, and yet you concern yourself with my wellbeing!”
Wait, does the Head Attendant Grandmother call my Maternal Grandmother “grandmother” too? But she called the Old Butler “mister”—so exactly how old is the Chief Chamberlain?
I blinked in surprise, my eyes widening, but the Head Attendant Grandmother paid no mind and asked why we were pretending to be senile. When my Maternal Grandmother explained what had just happened, the Chief Chamberlain shrugged dismissively.
“Pisha need not participate in such war games. Focus on your studies instead.”
“Oh, speaking of studies…”
Could you review the legislative proposal? When I handed the Chief Chamberlain the documents my friends and I had compiled so far, she put on her characteristic red-framed spectacles with a snap and read through the text.
“The format is adequate.”
“Really? Do you think it will pass in the assembly?”
“Whether it passes and whether it becomes law are two different matters…”
Some revisions would be necessary, and a bit of presentation would help. When the Chief Chamberlain said this, I tilted my head in confusion. Revisions made sense, but what did she mean by presentation?
“This sort of thing works fine if you just squeeze out some tears in front of the Physicians and say, ‘I am always concerned for the safety of my people,’ or some such nonsense.”
“…It doesn’t sound like Helbatro. Are you talking about our grandmother?”
“Yes. My first Emperor was quite the accomplished actress.”
I see. So my grandmother was the type of woman who could summon tears before her retainers when necessary. I’d only heard rumors of her as an iron-blooded sovereign who had completely ended the invasions of neighboring nations, but to learn she was equally skilled at appealing to emotions while weeping—somehow that made her feel more relatable. After all, I’m genuinely excellent at crying at the most unexpected moments.
“I’m really good at crying! I can do it!”
“Yes, when it comes to whimpering, you are unparalleled, Pisha.”
Ah, honestly! The Chief Chamberlain managed to make even a single comment sound disagreeable!
In any case, with everyone gathered like this, I decided to discuss Air Force matters further with my Maternal Grandmother and review the legislative proposals with the Chief Chamberlain. Shirley stayed with my Maternal Grandmother while Croa assisted the Head Attendant Grandmother, and I shuttled between the two groups, working through the day until it was completely spent.
“Oh, that’s right. I had something I wanted to ask Grandmother.”
As both my Maternal Grandmother and the Head Attendant Grandmother began preparing to leave, I hurried to broach the subject. The previous Marquess of Lorowi had assured me I could ask about anything.
“If it’s Pisha, I could even tell you the first-half budget of the Lorowi Private Army.”
“No, I’m not particularly curious about that.”
I already knew they poured every penny they earned into it anyway. That wasn’t really what I needed to know about. Honestly, I was more curious about where the money came from to fix the bathrooms.
“Does my Aunt perhaps dislike me?”
If my Aunt wouldn’t tell me directly, perhaps my Maternal Grandmother might know the reason. With that thought, I asked—but both my Maternal Grandmother and the Head Attendant Grandmother made puzzled expressions.
“Pisha’s Aunt? You mean Kazelnu?”
“If it’s her, wouldn’t she naturally be fond of you, Pisha? Why would you think such a thing?”
Well, it wasn’t as though I had any particular reason to suspect it. Just as I was about to say I had no real basis for the question, Croa and Shirley stepped forward and brought up what had happened before.
“On the day the previous Marquess visited the Imperial Palace, an anonymous letter was delivered to the Princess Palace.”
“That’s right. It said that Lorowi disliked you, Pisha.”
When my friends mentioned that incident, both my grandmother and the Head Attendant Grandmother grew serious.
“It referred to itself as Lorowi, you say? I wouldn’t have been surprised if it were me back then, but Kazelnu?”
“An anonymous letter? We need to tighten discipline among those Princess Palace guards.”
Both of them suddenly looked so intimidating that I felt as though I’d made a mountain out of a molehill. I was about to say that if there was no particular reason to worry, it would be fine—but they moved so swiftly that they left with barely a word.
“We’ll have Kazelnu brought in for confrontation soon enough. We’ll also investigate whether there are any involved parties within Lorowi, so Pisha, you wait here.”
“I must send word to the Emperor at once. The Chiron Duke’s House private army can’t even stop a single anonymous letter.”
Hmm… With just one word from me, both my Aunt and Father the Emperor would be in quite the predicament. I felt a little sorry for them, but since what was done was done, I decided to simply play like the child I was.

✦ ✦ ✦
A few days later, a trial took place in the Marquess Estate’s command office. Among those called as witnesses were people bearing marks of torture, and my Aunt Kazelnu Lorowi knelt in the center of the conference room like a criminal.
Ah, no—just because Aunt said she didn’t like me, did things really escalate this far?
As I entered the conference room, trembling with anxiety, my Aunt—already bearing a nasty bruise across her face from a blow—cried out as though deeply wronged.
“Pisha! I don’t dislike you, Pisha!”
“No, I didn’t expect things to become like this either.”
“Pisha, I’m sorry, but we were unable to identify who sent the anonymous letter.”
Of course not—that note was left for me by Kisomalos. Unable to speak the truth, I simply squeezed my eyes shut.
“Come here and sit.”
Yes, as you command. Trembling completely, I sat in the chair beside me as my Maternal Grandmother instructed. When Croa and Shirley hurried over to sit beside me as well, Grandmother spoke with solemn authority.
“The circumstances are now clear to me.”
Huh? Circumstances? What circumstances? Can such a thing as circumstances exist when one person simply dislikes another? As confusion crossed my face, my Maternal Grandmother uttered something unexpected.
“While I was away on campaign, Kazelnu temporarily took charge of your education.”
What? Does Aunt disliking me have something to do with her being in charge of my education? More than that—Maternal Grandmother didn’t know Aunt was overseeing my instruction? How little attention did she pay to Aunt and me?
“Mother, that’s—!”
“What was your intention in having Pisha imitate me?”
What is this? Was this truly such a serious matter? As my Maternal Grandmother spoke, something struck a nerve in Aunt; she averted her gaze from Grandmother and bit her lip.

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