How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 130

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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How to Replace Your Dad

Chapter 130

Palace officials poured into the room.

I frowned when I saw who was leading the palace officials.

‘It’s the Special Agent in charge of the contamination investigation.’

The contamination incident that occurred at Empress Regina’s Palace.

That incident where Luciano and I conspired to trap the Empress.

The Special Agent’s steps headed toward Empress Regina.

Luciano and I both stood up at the same time.

The Special Agent said.

“By order of the Acting Emperor, we are to arrest the prime suspect in the Imperial Palace contamination incident. We shall escort you, Your Majesty.”

I hardened my expression.

Due to the unexpected start of Chapter 2 of the scenario and the Emperor’s collapse, we couldn’t perfectly frame the Empress as the culprit.

‘Yohaël…!’

To free the Empress, he pushed Empress Regina as a suspect.

Well, from Yohaël’s perspective, the Empress had to be released.

If his mother were to be definitively branded as the culprit, it would be a huge stain on him.

With the Empress present, he could perfectly seize control of the Inner Palace’s power.

I moved to the Empress’s side.

“Even if he’s the Acting Emperor, he cannot forcibly drag away a nation’s Empress without evidence. Do you have proof?”

“The Saint speaks foolishly.”

“What did you say?”

“This is an investigation to find evidence.”

His attitude was utterly arrogant.

This man had completely aligned himself with Yohaël and the Empress.

‘If the Empress is taken away like this, there’s no telling what will happen to her.’

The Special Agent overseeing the investigation was on Yohaël and the Empress’s side.

There was no one to help.

Then they could extract false confessions through repeated torture.

I blocked the Empress’s path.

“Without evidence, absolutely not…!”

“Yustea.”

A gentle voice came from behind me.

It was Empress Regina.

She patted my shoulder and stepped forward to face the Special Agent.

“Let’s go.”

“Your Majesty…!”

“Please take care of Luciano.”

“…!”

She turned to look at me.

“He may be lacking. He speaks little and has no expression, easily causing misunderstandings, but his core is as warm as spring sunlight.”

The Empress stroked my cheek.

Her eyes were calm.

“Please get along well with him.”

“…”

“I’ll do my best not to become ash in that child’s future.”

She winked with one eye.

She was vowing never to open her mouth under any torture.

Even if the result would be her death.

Empress Regina left the room surrounded by palace officials.

I quickly turned my head toward Luciano.

“Your Maj…!”

…But I couldn’t say any words.

As the sun rose, red dawn illuminated the dim surroundings.

Luciano’s face, silhouetted against the dawn, showed no expression.

However, his eyes shone more sharply than any blade.

* * *

I sighed as I left Regina Palace.

Clutching the notes Luciano had written for me.

I turned through the notes one by one.

[You don’t need to worry.]

[Don’t mind it and return to the manor.

I’d recommend going down to Esgaloth Estate if possible.

Avoid Yohaël as much as you can.]

And…

[Let’s continue talking about the male lead when this is all over.]

Even the last note written deliberately teasingly.

“Luciano seems similar to Father…”

Just as I muttered this.

I heard footsteps behind me.

I flinched and turned around to see Grandfather and Father.

“You’re saying this fellow resembles Prince Luciano?”

Grandfather pointed at Father.

More precisely, at Father who had a very displeased expression…

I quickly approached them.

“Is the meeting over?”

“Yes. What hardship this is, entering the palace before dawn. This is elder abuse.”

Grandfather grumbled.

For someone claiming elder abuse, his posture was perfectly straight without a bent back.

His face even sparkled more than most middle-aged men.

“How did it go?”

“Well, it was complicated in various ways. But what’s this about Prince Luciano?”

“…His Highness helped me a lot. But he told me not to do anything about this incident.”

I became dejected.

The strength left my hand as I fidgeted with the edge of the note.

“He became a chimera trying to help me. If not for that, His Highness would have been the one to take the Acting position…”

That brilliant performance and merit.

Yohaël even had the stain of his mother bringing contamination to the Imperial Palace.

If not for becoming a chimera, he almost certainly would have become the Acting Emperor.

‘If he had done well as Acting Emperor, he might have gone straight to the Crown Prince position.’

“Even though he’s in a position to ask things of me, he told me to return to Esgaroth…”

“…”

“…”

Both of them remained silent.

I bit my lips tightly and continued speaking.

“That aspect is just like Father. Giving everything to me without reservation, yet expecting nothing in return.”

“…”

“Yesterday too, when Yohaël tried to drag me away, he even threw punches to stop him. Yet why does he himself…”

“…”

“Even though he couldn’t do anything as his mother was dragged away, he jokes with me. Telling me not to worry.”

“….”

“If Empress Regina passes away like this, I won’t be able to hold my head up and live either. Fool….”

“…I see.”

Grandfather looked at Father.

Father frowned.

Then he irritably rubbed his neck and looked at Grandfather.

“Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“To that damn… Count Gallagos.”

Count Gallagos?

That’s Empress Regina’s father.

So he’s one of the heads of the Seven Families, and also Luciano’s maternal grandfather.

As I widened my eyes in surprise, Grandfather said.

“You’re going to support that bastard? In this situation, it would be right to go with Duke Sanponce (Yohaël’s maternal grandfather). Duke Sanponce is eagerly waiting for dialogue with us.”

“Count Gallagos (Luciano’s maternal grandfather) is just as anxious.”

The maternal grandfathers of the First and Second Princes are each trying to gather their forces.

Grandfather made an incredulous expression.

“You go to the Second Prince’s side then. I’ll board the First Prince’s ship. That side has higher odds of winning.”

“I know that too.”

“Then why.”

“…I’m choosing the lesser evil over the worst.”

Father said with a growling tone.

‘It seems Father is going to help Luciano.’

If Grandfather joins in too, it would be like having a mighty army.

My expression brightened considerably.

And I clasped both hands together and looked at Grandfather.

“Grandfather.”

“Hmm….”

“Grandfather….”

“Ugh….”

“Grandfather…!”

I made my eyes sparkle mercilessly.

Grandfather let out a deep sigh.

“Saving one Regina Palace is nothing much….”

“Thank you!”

I quickly clung to Grandfather’s waist.

Grandfather went “Ho.” and looked down at me.

Come to think of it, this would be the first time he’s seen me this happy.

Grandfather chuckled and patted my head.

Though Father quickly pulled me away and made me let go.

“This isn’t permission.”

“Huh?”

“This absolutely isn’t me giving permission to that bastard.”

“…?”

Father pressed down firmly on my tilted head.

Then he dragged Grandfather away and disappeared.

If those two protect Regina Palace, I can rest easy for the time being.

‘Now I need to do what I have to do.’

Luciano isn’t the type to back down just because someone tells him to.

Mother was someone who repaid grudges tenfold and kindness once over.

As her daughter, I decided to repay grudges tenfold and kindness twice over.

‘Let’s wake up the Emperor.’

By excluding candidates.

* * *

With that thought, the first place I headed to was Luciano Palace.

Though Luciano, the palace’s owner, wasn’t there now, I had to see someone else.

It was Ain, one of the male protagonist candidates.

As soon as trouble broke out at Regina Palace, Luciano moved him to his own palace.

I sat Ain across from me and stared at him intently.

‘Affection window.’

Imperial Prince 【Ain】.

♥♥♥♥♥

♡♡♡♡♡

Five hearts.

I had seen this window when I purified his dark magic and checked again.

Ain narrowed his brow and looked at me.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“Just stay still.”

Would you like to exclude Imperial Prince 【Ain】 from candidates?

[Yes] / [No]

‘Yes.’

As I thought it, another window appeared.

Excluding candidate.

Time remaining [09:59:59]

‘Time remaining?’

I tilted my head.

“What’s.”

“Maybe….”

I quickly moved away from him.

I slowly backed away about 10 meters, and the window disappeared.

I approached him again.

‘System.’

Would you like to exclude Imperial Prince 【Ain】 from candidates?

[Yes] / [No]

“…What is this.”

“That’s what I want to ask.”

Ain frowned with irritation.

But the one who really wanted to be irritated was me.

‘So I have to stay within 10 meters of the candidate for ten minutes to exclude them.’

Even in games, there are cases where moving away causes a reset, so I had suspected as much.

I let out a sigh.

“Let’s have some tea….”

“…The situation is already complicated enough, and you’re making it more difficult.”

Ain let out a hollow laugh.

I activated the candidate exclusion and sat in front of him.

“I want to return the situation to normal.”

“I don’t see how measuring distance while looking at me is an effort to return things to normal, but please do your best. I don’t like this situation either.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ll be dragged into investigations again. My Bi will have to be investigated again too.”

“The Regina Palace contamination incident?”

“Right. I was just released yesterday and now again.”

Ain ground his teeth with a grinding sound.

Then he soon raised both hands and let out a sigh.

“If I go in this time, you won’t see me for a while, so take a good look at my handsome face.”

“…This investigation won’t end until we make Empress Regina the culprit, will it?”

“That’s right.”

“So I was wondering. What could give Yohaël and me about 10 minutes to meet face to face?”

“It’s impossible.”

“What?”

“He declared he won’t grant private audiences. Unless it’s official business.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

Ain became quiet.

Something was strange.

I grabbed the edge of the table and leaned forward.

“What happened again?”

Ain crossed his arms and looked out the window.

“Your Highness.”

“My brother told me not to say anything, so don’t tell him you heard it from me.”

“What on earth is it?”

“It seems they’re starting experiments to apply my brother’s condition to other people.”

“…What?”

Chimerization?

“They’re starting with criminals and expanding the scope to soldiers. To ‘review safety.'”

“How are they conducting this safety review?”

When my voice lowered, Ain turned to look at me.

The expression disappeared from his face.

“They have no choice but to use my brother’s body, don’t they?”

I gritted my teeth.

‘Yohaël…!’

Ain stared intently at my stiffened form.

“I think this is a message for you.”

“…”

“If you want to save Luciano, bring a marriage proposal.”

“…Bastard.”

When I muttered, Ain’s eyes widened.

I bit my lips tightly.

A lot of time had passed during our conversation.

You have been excluded from the candidates.

Seeing the window that finally appeared, I stood up.

“I’ll be going.”

“…Alright.”

Even as Ain said that, he was still looking at me with surprised eyes.

Behind me as I walked toward the door, Ain muttered.

“That’s my type…”

—And.

I ignored it.

Afterward, I headed to Yohaël Palace.

I conveyed my wish to meet him to the attendant at Yohaël Palace, but no answer came back.

Not even while I was at the watchtower.

I looked at the sunset sky and thought.

‘He wants me to propose formally.’

So it can never be undone.

My hand gripping my skirt tightened with force.

* * *

Two days later.

Yuise approached me carrying a bundle of letters.

“Well, they’re all invitations. Nobles who want to ally with Esgaroth are probably trying to invite you using their children.”

“What about Yohaël?”

“…Nothing.”

When I narrowed my eyes, Yuise let out an annoyed groan.

“It seems there won’t be any meetings unless you propose.”

“…Seeing how there’s no contact even after sending letters like that, that must be it.”

I’ve sent over ten letters to Yohaël alone.

He gave no response at all.

And today, Luciano is finally scheduled to be dragged to the experiment site.

“What happened with the Privy Council?”

“Count Gallagos, Luciano’s maternal grandfather, is raising hell, but Yohaël’s will is so stubborn.”

“What about ways to enter the palace?”

I was now in a position where I had to find that first.

With Empress Regina being dragged away, my qualification as a companion disappeared.

Ain is also under investigation.

Luciano is also scheduled to be dragged away.

There was no way to get in.

“Sorry. I couldn’t find any.”

“It’s not your fault. The Empress is trying to exclude me from society.”

All the invitations that came today were also from Count Gallagos’s faction.

“In contrast, Andres seems excited.”

“Andres?”

When I asked, Yuise said with a troubled expression.

“The Empress invited Stella to a tea party today.”

“…”

“Well, it seems she’s pressuring you to decide on an engagement quickly if you don’t want Stella to steal Yohaël away.”

“…I have no choice now.”

“Are you going to give up on Luciano…?”

Yuise asked me carefully.

“No, the engagement announcement.”

“What?!”

I picked up a pen.

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