Dad is Back From a Deserted Island - Chapter 31

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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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Father has returned from the Deserted Island
Chapter 31

“There are so many people!”
[Crowded like this, it’s rather unsettling.]
Beluang was a bustling city in its own right, but it paled in comparison to the Imperial Capital.
Vivian stood speechless, confronted by more people than she had ever encountered in her entire life.
The streets stretched so impossibly wide, and the buildings rose in such profusion.
In a single moment, the world seemed to have expanded infinitely.
“Vivian, you’ll catch flies with your mouth hanging open like that.”
Jean de Lamber closed his daughter’s mouth and fell into contemplation as he gazed upon the Capital’s landscape.
This was where I had spent the most time before my return.
I could find my way even with my eyes closed.
To return here with none other than Vivian felt strangely poignant.
The gathering place was a mansion in the Noble and Bourgeois District.
Since there were visitors arriving from distant places like Jean de Lamber, the schedule called for guests to first rest and recover at the mansion, then venture into the countryside to enjoy hunting and refreshments.
As the carriage entered the district lined with grand mansions, Vivian fell silent, clearly nervous.
It wasn’t as though she had never seen such fine houses before—the new mansion of House of Lamber was equally splendid.
It was simply the atmosphere of the street itself, which seemed to thoroughly reject the approach of outsiders, that made even a child tense with apprehension.
[Why are you so nervous? What is all this fuss about? Compared to the Imperial Palace, this is nothing at all.]
At Kiki’s matter-of-fact voice, Vivian’s shoulders, which had been rigid with tension, relaxed.
“Is that so?”
[Indeed. And I will not tolerate seeing you, who bears the grave responsibility of attending to me, cowering before other humans!]
Though the words were stern and threatening, the concern for Vivian was unmistakable.
Vivian laughed softly, clutching Kiki tightly to her chest while grasping Jean de Lamber’s large hand with her other hand.
The warmth transmitted through their joined hands filled her heart with reassurance, and strength surged forth naturally.
“Hyah!!”
At the unexpected battle cry, Jean de Lamber burst into laughter.
Upon arriving at the mansion, father and daughter received a welcome that was neither excessive nor insufficient, and were guided to their rooms with the natural ease of flowing water.
The servants assigned to attend them introduced the rooms with impeccable courtesy and withdrew, allowing Jean de Lamber and Vivian to recover from the fatigue of their long journey.
After an appropriate interval had passed, the courteous servants returned.
“I trust you are not too fatigued? There are other guests who arrived earlier, and if you are amenable, I shall escort you to join them.”
“Would it be acceptable for the child to come along as well?”
“Of course. This is a gathering where children participate as well.”
“Shall we go then, Vivian?”
“Yes!”
Father and daughter walked hand in hand down the corridor. The Servants, though catching furtive glimpses of Kiki perched on Vivian’s shoulder, betrayed nothing.
Vivian, gripping Jean de Lamber’s hand as they walked, whispered to him.
“Dad, is your heart pounding?”
She could feel his heartbeat through the hand she held.
Jean de Lamber smiled and whispered back.
“Yes. My heart is pounding. What about you, Vivian?”
“Mine too! I want to meet so many friends. Hehe.”
The Servants listened to their exchange and silently swallowed a pleased smile. Upon reaching the door, the Servants announced their arrival in a respectful voice.
“Lord Jean de Lamber has arrived.”
As the ornate yet dignified door opened, the sound of children’s laughter spilled forth first.
It was indeed a gathering that included children, and the atmosphere felt far more relaxed than other venues.
The children sat scattered across the floor, some reading books and others gathered together drawing pictures, while the adults stood before a table positioned by the window.
A gentleman standing with his back to the window welcomed father and daughter.
“Ah! You’ve arrived. I’ve been so eager to meet you. I am Eponnine Clement.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jean de Lamber. This is my daughter, Vivian.”
After the host’s warm welcome concluded, it was time to introduce the other guests.
An elderly gentleman who had been gazing out the window turned around, his back to the door.
Jean de Lamber swallowed hard, his heart threatening to burst from his chest, and managed a smile.
Eduard.
A reunion with his benefactor.

* * *

“You’ve likely heard of him already, but this is Eduard de Valmont, the proprietor of the Valmont Trading Company.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Lamber.”
“The honor is entirely mine.”
As expected, the gentle light in his eyes from memory was absent.
The merchant’s gaze was sharp—evaluating and assessing this newcomer with practiced precision.
When I had met Eduard before, I had been a pitiful wretch bereft of memory, so receiving such a scrutinizing look was entirely new to me.
Yet I made no attempt to conceal my nervousness.
I stood before the Empire’s greatest merchant magnate.
It would have been far stranger for a young man who had fortuitously become master of a diamond mine to remain composed in his presence.
It was a youthful voice that shattered the somewhat strained atmosphere in a single stroke.
“Hello!”
Vivian, whose hand I held firmly, spoke with an even louder voice than usual, as if sensing my tension.
Children were inherently endearing, but Vivian possessed a beauty as if she had stepped directly from a masterpiece.
The adults who had already noticed her smiled warmly, their eyes drawn to the child.
Eduard’s expression softened as well.
“We haven’t met before. Your name is… Vivian, is it?”
“Yes! That’s right! You can call me Vivi!”
Even before this stranger, Vivian answered with spirited confidence.
Children possess an acute sensitivity to their parents’ emotions.
Though I was tense in Eduard’s presence, Vivian instinctively sensed that I neither disliked nor feared him.
“Haha. You have a most delightful daughter.”
“Indeed! Our Vivi is rather exceptionally adorable.”
Under ordinary circumstances, I would have demurred with false modesty, but I harbored no intention of feigning humility regarding Vivian.
Not even before Eduard himself.
Seeing my response, Eduard laughed once more, his gaze noticeably warmer than before.
Of course, he had not yet concluded his assessment of me based on this alone.
After being introduced to the other guests by Clement, the mansion’s proprietor, the conversation was about to commence in earnest.
Children who had been observing Vivian from afar with curious eyes began to edge closer.
“Father. If the introductions are finished, may we…?”
“Ah, Elise. This is my daughter. I believe it would be best if the children introduced themselves to one another. Would that be acceptable?”
“Of course. Vivian has been eager to make friends. Is that alright, Vivi?”
“Yes!”
Vivian approached the children with a shy smile.
The children were quite fascinated by her. Vivian was the sort of child whose appearance naturally commanded attention.
“Wow, you’re really pretty. Look at your hair color.”
“It’s just like flower petals. How old are you? Five?”
“No. I’m seven!”
“What? Seven years old? That can’t be right. You’re so small!”
“Hmph.”
One child became fascinated with Kiki, perched upon Vivian’s shoulder with bright, intelligent eyes.
“By the way, why do you have a doll on your shoulder—eek! This thing is alive!”
[How dare you call me ‘this thing’! Such insolence!]
Kiki, who showed gentleness only to Vivian, immediately bared his teeth, and naturally the children were left utterly stunned.
The child who appeared younger than Vivian was so startled that he sat down hard, tears glistening in his eyes.
“Kiki! Calm down. You’re just too adorable.”
[…Hmph.]
Vivian, already aware that Kiki’s mood brightened instantly at even the smallest praise, skillfully soothed him.
The small monkey, as if he hadn’t just bared his fangs so fiercely, lifted his chin proudly and broke into a pleased smile.
One of the children, impressed by how expertly she handled the fierce creature, spoke up in admiration.
“Wow! He listens to you so well. He doesn’t seem like a dog—what is he anyway?”
“A… monkey!”
“A monkey?”
“What’s that?”
“Well… a monkey is a monkey, but if you ask what a monkey is….”
“Is his name Monkey?”
“No! His name is Kiki. A monkey is like… a dog or a cat, that sort of thing.”
“Must be a rare animal. Where can you buy one?”
[Buy?! Do you think I’m merchandise?!]
Kiki, absolutely furious, screeched and snarled as if ready to pounce at any moment.
The child who had asked the question, terrified, burst into tears with a wail.

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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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