Dad is Back From a Deserted Island - Chapter 76

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

Father has returned from the Deserted Island
Chapter 76

Even without seeing his face, it was not difficult to guess who owned that jet-black hair.
“Diti…”
At the sound of Vivian’s voice, Diti turned around.
[There’s no way anyone could mistake him for someone else.]
As Kiki had murmured, it was impossible.
Diti’s face, now bearing the full visage of a man, differed from Dietrich’s face only by the addition of a few years of age.
While childhood and adolescence bring considerable changes to one’s features, the facial structure that had already matured in adolescence remained largely unchanged into adulthood.
Beyond his facial appearance, much else had transformed.
This man possessed a robust physique capable of crushing an apple with a single hand—far from the sickly appearance of Dietrich. His body radiated strength.
Even his skin, once pallid and devoid of any healthy color, now appeared vibrant and alive.
The most striking difference lay in his eyes.
Though his expression had always been cold, there had been warmth in his gaze whenever he looked at Vivian—whether as Diti or as Dietrich. But now, as a young man, his eyes were as frigid as a winter wind laden with snow and frost.
Beside Vivian, who stood speechless, unable to find words for her emotions, Kiki murmured.
[How could such a being have become this terrible, wretched state?]
When Vivian had first introduced Dietrich, comparing him to the Dragon, Kiki had inwardly scoffed.
How could a mere human possibly resemble that magnificent existence?
Yet the man before her unmistakably emanated a similar aura.
The sheer magnitude of power he possessed was comparable even to the Dragon—a boundless, oceanic force that radiated from him.
‘Was he suppressing his strength before his body had fully matured?’
The boy who had played with young Vivian before the world shifted bore no trace of such power.
Kiki clicked her tongue in sorrow. She could not fathom how such a formidable being had been reduced to this corpse-like, pitiful state.
Suddenly, Kiki’s eyes narrowed.
[That is—]
A familiar name was written on the documents the man held in his hand.

Jean de Lamber.
Murder and arson committed. Apprehended at the scene.

Who committed what crime and got arrested?
Kiki urgently sought out Vivian.
[Vivian. The writing on that paper over there—I think you need to read it!]
Vivian, who had been staring blankly at Diti’s face, reacted a moment too late.
As Vivian approached to read the text on the paper, she realized that Diti—Dietrich—this man possessed the tallest stature of anyone she had ever met.
Though height hardly mattered at this moment.
Still, thanks to it, she didn’t need to bend her waist excessively to read the documents in her hands.
“This is… what are you saying right now? Father killed someone and set fires? Why would Father—”
Vivian’s eyes widened as she read further down the page.
“Revenge against those who made his daughter die miserably… what on earth is this supposed to mean?”
Below that, the names of the victims were also listed.

Ron, Mary, Peter.

The name of the dead daughter—Vivian de Lamber—appeared so unmistakably clear that further denial was meaningless.
“I died. And Father took revenge for me?”
Vivian clutched her bewildered head. So much overwhelming information was pouring in that it was difficult to maintain her grip on reason.
Kiki could not console Vivian. The divine beast was equally confused.
A tragic future beyond imagination, the white-streaked hair of the Imperial Prince, the power sleeping within Vivian’s body despite having no connection to the Imperial Family, and the way Diti had treated her so familiarly from their very first meeting—all of it pointed to one truth.
All these clues were speaking of a single reality.
The moment Vivian and Kiki grasped this fact.
As if shown solely for that purpose, the dreamscape receded once more into the distance.
As if to show all of this solely for that purpose, the dreamlike landscapes receded into the distance once more.

At the same moment, Vivian and Kiki, both awakening, locked eyes.
The two stared silently at each other’s faces for a long while.
“…Is such a thing even possible? How?”
Kiki did not question the subject-less inquiry.
[The Dragon founded this nation and left descendants with humans. If one were born carrying that bloodline particularly thick…]
“But… they’re human. How could a human manipulate time?”
[Vivian. Do you still see that one—no, do you still see him as an ordinary person?]
“…”
[Of course it is impossible. An ordinary person could never have dared attempt such a thing. But this is no time for us to be discussing this amongst ourselves.]
At Kiki’s words, Vivian sprang to her feet.
It was still the pre-dawn darkness.
It was still the break of dawn before the east had brightened.

* * *

It was the hour when ordinary people would be deep in slumber, yet Vivian pushed open the door to the building where Dietrich resided without a moment’s hesitation.
The Castle was shrouded in darkness. Without the moonlight seeping through the windows, each step would have been nearly impossible.
Relying on the dim moonlight to find the Stairs, Vivian discovered a shadow leaning against the railing, gazing down at her.
“…Your Highness.”
“Vivian.”
Moonlight broke through the clouds, illuminating Dietrich’s face. The moment Vivian saw his hair—translucent and pure white—her eyes grew wet as she stepped onto the Stairs.
“I apologize for arriving so abruptly at this late hour and imposing myself upon you. There is something I simply must ask, and I have committed this rudeness.”
“Is your business so urgent that you rushed here in such attire?”
Vivian realized she wore only her nightgown without even a shawl, and her cheeks flushed crimson. Yet she could hardly turn back now to fetch something to cover herself.
“Yes. It is truly urgent and important, Your Highness.”
As if inviting her to speak, Dietrich simply gazed at Vivian intently.
Suppressing the tumultuous emotions within, Vivian slowly ascended the Stairs.
“Will you promise me one thing? That you will not answer my question with a lie?”
“What on earth are you trying to say?”
“Will you promise?”
“Yes. I promise.”
Dietrich nodded, his expression unreadable and inscrutable. Vivian truly wished she could open his mind and peer inside.
Vivian climbed slowly until only the final step remained.
The height difference between her and Diti in that dream was precisely this distance.
Though the boy before her now possessed a frame far more gaunt than it had been then.
Vivian’s pale hands gripping the railing trembled with tension.
Her heart felt as though it would burst. Her lips quivered and her voice cracked, yet she forced herself to speak.
“Is it you? Diti?”
Dietrich’s expressionless mask did not crack.
The boy simply gazed down at Vivian, unmoving.
“Keep your promise. You said you wouldn’t lie.”
The silence stretched endlessly as she waited for his answer.
At last, Dietrich’s lips parted, and Vivian held her breath.
“…I have done something pointless. It was not to help awaken that divine beast.”
His words were as good as an admission that he was Diti.
[P-pointless, you say—]
“Pointless indeed. I have learned a truth I wished you never to know.”
“Wait. You can understand what Kiki is saying?”
Dietrich brushed back his hair and nodded.
“We share power that originates from the same source.”
[You—you’ve understood all this time and pretended not to notice?]
Kiki gestured wildly, foam flecking at the corners of her mouth.
Of course, Dietrich paid no mind to Kiki’s reaction. His attention was fixed solely on Vivian.
“Even if I am Diti, nothing changes. Leave this place and return to your ordinary life. Your purpose is fulfilled now that the divine beast has awakened.”
“Nothing changes? What are you saying? I have so many questions for you. How could I possibly leave you behind?”
“Go back.”
His tone was uncompromising, offering no alternative.

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