How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 145
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
How to Replace Your Dad
Chapter 145
I furrowed my brow.
Seeing my distorted face, Stella urgently grabbed onto me.
“I, I’ll apologize.”
“….”
“I did everything wrong… so please, sister…”
“….”
“Please, okay…?”
“….”
“I’m begging you like this, so please spare me, sister. Please…!”
“Were you kicked out?”
Stella’s face became a complete mess.
Stella grabbed my arm as if hugging it and sniffled.
“Y, yes…”
“….”
“F, Father… how could he do this to me…”
“….”
I quietly looked to Stella’s side.
More precisely, at a bag that was clearly Stella’s, carelessly scattered on the floor.
I don’t know how Stella sensed my gaze, but her pleading became increasingly desperate.
“GM too… he’s also acting strange…”
Even though we were in a place guarded by security, Stella’s tears wouldn’t stop.
“He, he won’t look back at me…”
“….”
“And I…!”
Stella, who had been speaking, suddenly hesitated.
Then she bit her lips and hung her head as if she couldn’t bear to speak.
Her face had turned deathly pale.
‘There’s something more.’
Something as terrible for that child as being abandoned by Count Andres and GM.
What could that be?
No, wait.
Why was she abandoned by GM?
‘Even though Stella failed frequently, he had no intention of abandoning her… unless.’
Suddenly, a hypothesis came to mind.
I hardened my expression and looked at Stella.
“Did you perhaps fail at ‘that’?”
I spoke ambiguously because of the guards’ watchful eyes.
But Stella’s shoulders flinched.
She understood.
My question about whether she had failed the scenario.
Stella couldn’t say anything else and just kept shedding tears.
Her silence became an answer for me.
‘Her public approval must have dropped.’
Thinking about how she received harsh looks from the audience at the Colosseum, it’s certain.
Stella and I handled public approval differently.
I had rock-bottom public approval from the start.
But Stella was the people’s beloved.
‘With that title, GM must have chosen 【Voice of the People】 in the main scenario options.’
That would make public approval affect the main scenario.
And the penalty for failing the main scenario is…
I let out a sigh.
“It must have terminated.”
Stella flinched.
She seemed surprised that I had anticipated the game termination.
Stella’s breathing became rough.
She clung to me again and spoke.
“What, what should I do…? Sister, you know, right? Don’t you?”
“….”
“N, now I’m no match for you at all, sister. So you could help me a little, couldn’t you…?”
“….”
“Give me some advice at least. I really feel like I’m going to die…!”
“Yes, you’ll need advice.”
“…!”
Stella’s face brightened.
She murmured “Sister…” and reached out as if to embrace me.
At that moment, I said.
“Don’t let your guard down just because it’s spring, and dress warmly at night. If you get sick, you’re the only one who loses.”
“…Huh?”
“The world outside Andres will be scarier than you think.”
“What…”
“Brace yourself.”
I turned around just like that.
Stella grabbed me as if having a seizure.
“What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what you heard.”
“Weren’t you going to give me advice on how to restore the system?”
I removed Stella’s hands.
“Not at all.”
“Sister—!”
Stella screamed.
The guards started to rush over in alarm, but I raised my hand to stop them.
“This is the last consideration I can show you.”
“Why are you going this far? I said I lost everything! I’m no match for you, sister! So you could pity me…!”
Stella cried messily and shouted.
“Just because you lost everything doesn’t mean all the events between us never happened.”
“I, I said I’d apologize…”
“It’s too late, Stella.”
“Huh…?”
“Your apologies no longer stir any emotion in me.”
“Sister…!”
“And that word ‘sister’ doesn’t tug at my heart anymore either.”
Stella panted and said.
“If I’m kicked out like this, I might die. But half of my blood is the same as yours, sister. If you let me die like this, will the rest of your life be comfortable?”
I let out a bitter laugh.
Stella’s face contorted.
“Why are you making that expression?”
“I find it amusing that you, who lived comfortably, would say such things.”
“What…?”
“I don’t think I cried so sadly even on the day Mother and I were driven out of Andres.”
“….”
“When Mother collapsed and I came begging for help, did you even come to see me?”
“….”
“I don’t think there will ever be a moment when I begged so desperately.”
“I, I… I was told by Grandmother not to go out… I, I had no choice….”
Stella stammered out an excuse.
“I’m tired of such excuses now, Stella.”
“It’s not an excuse…!”
“To you, I was worth less than poor people who didn’t share a drop of blood with you.”
“What?”
“When you spent your fortune to help the people, you didn’t disobey the Marquis and Marquise, did you?”
“….”
Stella opened and closed her mouth, unable to find words.
I smiled.
“I’m not saying you’re bad. Perhaps they needed help more desperately than I did.”
“Th, that’s right? I’m glad you understand….”
“So you understand me too.”
“….”
“I now understand the past you, who found strangers more pitiful than me, who shares half your blood.”
“…!”
Stella’s face hardened.
Realizing she could never get help, the girl slowly sank down.
I placed the coat I had worn out on her knees.
“It will be cold outside. Probably much colder than you think.”
“….”
“Farewell, Stella.”
That’s when it happened.
“That’s why I told you it was useless to come here!”
A sharp shout came from a distance.
It was a familiar voice.
Emma, Stella’s mother, walked toward me with heavy footsteps, glaring at me fiercely.
She roughly pulled Stella’s hand up.
“Let’s go.”
“….”
“I said let’s go!”
“….”
After forcibly pulling Stella to her feet, she even picked up my coat that was scattered on the ground.
Then, thud—!
She threw it roughly.
“What a nasty disposition.”
I quietly stared at the coat that had hit my face and fallen again.
Emma said irritably.
“Who’s pitying whom with this measly coat.”
“….”
“You think a respectable family like Esgaroth wouldn’t want our Stella?”
“….”
“Let’s see who’s happier in the end.”
Just as Emma, who had glared at me fiercely, was about to leave holding her daughter.
I grabbed her arm.
“What, are you finally feeling sor—”
Slap—!
I struck her cheek with all my might.
Hard enough to make Emma stagger.
“Mother!”
Startled, Stella supported her mother.
Emma held her cheek with a shocked expression.
“You, you….”
“How troublesome. If you don’t know your place until the very end, I can’t send you off nicely.”
“What? You…!”
I banged on the iron door.
Then the door opened and employees came pouring out.
“What, what’s happening. Why….”
The Head Maid with a gentle appearance approached Emma with fierce momentum.
Rolling up her sleeves, she said.
“The disrespect dared shown to the Young Lady of Esgaroth. It cannot be repaid with just a bone or two.”
“St, Stella!”
Emma cried out Stella’s name.
As she always called her daughter when things became dangerous.
But now Stella was in no position to help Emma.
“Mother…!”
Stella wailed, but couldn’t stop them from dragging Emma away.
I quietly watched Emma being dragged away and Stella chasing after her, then went inside.
“The chicken soup must be cold by now.”
I muttered.
Then.
“I eat cold food well too, Young Lady.”
“Just one slap?”
“Haha…. Magnificent.”
“If you make those midnight snacks that tasted so good last time, I could handle that for you….”
Antonio, Yuise, Miliano, and Abel spoke in turn.
“Why are you here?”
“In case you got soft-hearted and decided to help. You’re sometimes seriously too kind.”
Yuise grumbled.
I smiled brightly.
‘They were worried I might get hurt.’
I saw a figure standing before me in the distance.
It was Father.
I smiled widely.
“Let’s go. The chicken soup will be delicious.”
—In the warm world I had desperately obtained with all my might.
* * *
Two days later, at a high-end accommodation facility on the island.
Emma roughly threw down the newspaper.
Then she rubbed her joints and let out an irritated groan.
“How did they beat me to leave my body in this state. Stella, come look at this. My back hurts so much I can’t stand it.”
“….”
However, Stella only quietly stared at the newspaper Emma had thrown down.
【The People’s Representative, Her True Face】
【The Reversed Fates of Andres’ Daughters】
【Stella Gaspil, not Stella Andres】
Articles were pouring out that mockingly attached even Emma’s surname Gaspil to her name.
Emma coughed awkwardly and pushed the newspaper away with her toe.
“Don’t mind it. It’s all nonsense.”
“But the moment I step out of this room, everything’s in chaos, so how…?”
“What?”
“How can I not care—!”
Stella shouted.
Emma forced a smile and approached Stella.
“They can babble all they want now, but it’ll change with time. When you return to Andres, do you think they’ll dare to gossip out of fear?”
“…Can I go back?”
Emma snorted.
“What an obvious thing to ask, child.”
“But there’s been no word from Father this whole time…”
At first, she thought it was just done in anger.
Since the Emperor was furious about bringing up the Restoration Council.
She thought he was just punishing her for show until the Emperor’s anger subsided…
When Stella looked dejected, Emma waved her hand dismissively.
“The main tournament starts tomorrow. There’ll be contact before then.”
“Really…?”
“How much did your father care about hosting the Sowing Festival? And how much support did he give you?”
“That’s…”
“How could he conduct the main tournament without you?”
Stella fell quiet.
Some color returned to her face that had been pale as a corpse.
Stella fidgeted with her hands and mumbled.
“Really?”
“That’s right. You just need to wait for someone from the family.”
Only then did Stella sigh in relief.
‘Right, I can go back.’
When I return…
Stella bit her lips.
‘GM won’t forgive me easily.’
How could he say such harsh words?
“Your only value to me is being Yustea’s blood, you stupid Stella.”
She was so angry she couldn’t stand it.
Emma looked at her bruised body and said.
“When you go back, make sure to tell your father about the humiliation I suffered in Esgaroth.”
“…I will.”
Smiles returned to the mother and daughter’s faces.
However, no one from Andres came that day.
The next day, morning.
Stella became anxious again and said to Emma.
“Today is the third day of preliminaries. The main tournament starts after noon. So why haven’t they come yet?”
“That’s…”
Even Emma looked flustered today.
Stella shouted.
“I haven’t heard any explanation about strategy or anything, so how can I perform well in the main tournament!”
“This man really… Is he planning to ruin the Family Tournament or what?”
That’s when it happened.
A noisy sound came from outside the window.
“Oh, is the main tournament being broadcast starting from the families’ departure?”
“Hey, come quickly! The broadcast has started in the Mirror World!”
What?
‘Did Andres give up on the Family Tournament?’
Stella’s face turned pale.
She immediately ran out of the room.
Emma also followed Stella with a flustered expression.
The two hurriedly headed to the mirror installed in the garden of the luxury accommodation.
It was already packed with many people staying at the facility.
Stella and Emma pushed through the crowd toward the mirror.
“Wh-what happened…”
Stella muttered as she looked at various mirrors.
‘Why on earth did Andres give up the match…’
Just as she was thinking that.
“S-Stella, look.”
Emma tapped her daughter’s shoulder and pointed to one of the mirrors.
A group carrying Andres’s flag was setting out.
Four in total.
The ones the Marquis had assigned as Stella’s knights.
“Are they competing without a captain? Is that it, Stella?”
Stella looked at the knight on a white horse at the front.
A girl around Stella’s age riding confidently.
The girl with fine silver hair tied back and drooping eyes was one of the knights.
“It’s Leira. Where is the Marquis?”
“He’s in his office… Why are you looking for Father?”
“Looking for him is naturally because I want to see him, isn’t it? Ahaha, you’re saying strange things.”
She was a woman Stella didn’t like.
With her elegant gestures and perfectly learned etiquette.
Because of such things, the family knights jokingly said ‘she’s more ladylike than Young Lady Stella.’
What was on Leira’s arm was…
‘The captain’s armband!’
Stella’s face turned bright yellow.
People around were also talking about Leira.
“What, did Andres change their captain?”
“Stella Andres… no wait, it’s Stella Gaspil now. Anyway, that girl got kicked out so they urgently changed captains.”
“Was that approved?”
“That’s why they’re short one knight.”
“Hmm, they couldn’t give up the Family Tournament, so they sent them out with one knight fewer.”
“Considering the main tournament content, four people will be difficult. Andres is in a tough spot.”
Emma’s face turned pale hearing people’s chatter.
“Wh-what? What’s going on? Th-then they’re not coming to get you? Right, Stella?”
“…”
“Then what do we do? I naturally thought they’d come get you, so I even put the Andres name on this inn…!”
“…”
“Hey, Stella. What do we do—”
Stella ran off just like that.
Her destination was in front of the Imperial Palace where the imperial family was welcoming the main tournament participants.
She ran frantically, but she couldn’t be faster than horses.
Moreover, that place was already blocked by Imperial Soldiers.
Stella pushed against the Imperial soldiers and screamed.
“Let go! Let me go! Let me see Father! No, that can’t be! Father wouldn’t hold the Family Tournament and leave me behind…!!”
At the commotion, the Imperial Family members, Family Tournament participants, and the people from Esgaroth who had earned a bye to the finals as first place in the preliminaries all turned to look at her.
Leira, wearing the captain’s armband of Andres, glanced at her sideways.
Then she stuck close to the GM and said.
“What a pathetic choice you made. To think you actually chose that thing.”
Chuckle, chuckle, the mockery pierced sharply into Stella’s cheek.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
