How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 148

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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 148

His chest felt stuffy and his mouth was unpleasant.

In contrast, Yustea was calm.

She looked at him quietly without any emotional disturbance.

After clenching his teeth for a moment, he spoke again.

“You seem to have no appetite, so let’s get up.”

“Marquis.”

“Get up.”

Yustea let out a sigh.

As they left the restaurant after finishing their meal, people’s gazes followed them the entire time.

At that moment, Nevarro Manor.

The nobles who had received invitations from Marquis Nevarro were each holding wine glasses and chattering.

The gathering that started under the pretext of the former marquis’s birthday was aimed at exchanging information among the upper class.

“—So His Majesty seems to have Prince Luciano most in mind after all.”

“Of course. Just look at how he entrusted the Sowing Festival presidency to Prince Luciano instead of the eldest son—it’s only natural.”

“By the way, now that Andres has driven out his one remaining daughter, what will he do about presiding over the Sowing Festival?”

“That’s right. Didn’t he want the Sowing Festival presidency to push Stella as Bi to Luciano?”

“Well… Even if it’s not the position of Crown Princess, the Sowing Festival presidency itself is attractive, but who knows what he’s really thinking?”

When talk of the Family Tournament came up, Marquis Nevarro’s eyes turned fierce.

He slammed down his wine glass with a loud thud.

“What a topic to ruin the taste of wine.”

The nobles laughed awkwardly and tried to appease Marquis Nevarro.

“If it’s about your granddaughter, just forget it, brother.”

“Our Guinevere almost died. How can I forget!”

“The principle is to forget what happens in the Family Tournament.”

“Even so, how could…! Damn Andres. He deliberately committed such vicious acts targeting Nevarro’s succession.”

Marquis Nevarro clicked his tongue with a displeased expression.

The Duke and Duchess looked troubled, but they didn’t add to the conversation.

Guinevere found it harder to recover emotionally than from her physical injuries.

Considering it shameful, she hadn’t gone outside even now that she had recovered.

Marquis Nevarro glared at Duke Esgaroth while fuming.

“Yustea must be preparing well for the Family Tournament.”

“She’s been putting effort into training.”

“I can’t stand to see those Andres bastards get their hands on the trophy. Yustea needs to show her skills.”

Marquis Nevarro’s eyes blazed.

Duke Esgaroth chuckled and raised his wine glass.

“Our Yustea does everything well without needing any encouragement.”

Aslan’s chin, sitting beside him, rose to an arrogant angle.

Duke Navarro let out a quiet laugh.

Even if he pretended to be calm, there was no way he wouldn’t be happy about his child’s achievements.

Duke Navarro filled his glass with wine and said.

“I’m the same way.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t give Guinevere separate praise for her performance before the finals. I didn’t show that I was pleased either.”

“….”

“I was worried it might burden the child. That child has an overly desperate side to her.”

“…Yustea is the same.”

“I understand. She’s admirable, but it’s worrying.”

“….”

Aslan became quiet.

Gripping his wine glass, he glanced at Duke Navarro.

“What should I do?”

“Pardon?”

“To be a good parent to such a child.”

“Ah….”

“I’m asking for advice.”

Duke Navarro’s eyes widened.

Even the Marquise sitting beside him was startled and opened her eyes wide.

Aslan was not someone who could bow his head to anyone.

He never bowed his head even to Duke Esgaroth, his own blood relative.

When the Marquise chuckled softly, Aslan’s eyebrows twitched.

The Marquise spoke in a gentle tone.

“I apologize if you found that offensive. It’s just that you already seem like a good parent.”

The Duke also nodded.

“I think so too.”

“It’s relative.”

“Pardon?”

“Because that child is such a good daughter, I always seem lacking.”

Aslan’s voice was low and quiet.

“On days when I’m late, she always waits by the gate with her head peeking out.”

“….”

“That child’s eyes never rest even during meals. She’s always watching to see if anything’s uncomfortable, if the food doesn’t suit my taste.”

“….”

“I don’t know how to choose even a single piece of clothing or accessory. No matter how difficult yesterday was, she always has clothes picked out by morning.”

“….”

“Even though I didn’t take that child in with good intentions from the start, she always did her best.”

“….”

“Every day I hear from that child’s eyes that she loves me.”

“….”

“How should one be the father of the kindest child in the world? I always feel acutely aware of my shortcomings.”

The surroundings became quiet.

Duke Esgaroth, Marquis Nevarro, and even the people around them stared at Aslan with wide eyes.

Marquis Nevarro was the first to speak.

“…Now we have to be creative even when bragging about our children.”

The former marquis spoke with a distorted expression.

“Yes, having such an excellent child must be agonizing!”

“There was definitely some bragging mixed in.”

When Aslan spoke arrogantly, laughter burst out from around them.

Duke Esgaroth giggled.

That’s when it happened.

“What kind of nonsense is that.”

A noble who had received a report from his adjutant spoke in an incredulous tone.

“Count Andres is dragging Yustea around.”

What?

Everyone’s gaze turned to the man at once.

The man who had raised his voice in bewilderment became flustered at receiving all the attention.

“No, well….”

Duke Esgaroth narrowed his brow and said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, that… Count Andres spent a blissful time with Lady Yustea at the restaurant and then dragged her around the marketplace…”

Aslan’s face hardened.

After the finals ended, Yustea had been strange.

She tried not to show it, but when she was alone, she would often zone out.

If that was because of Count Andres…

Aslan immediately got up.

* * *

I sighed as I looked at the clothes piled up like mountains in the arms of four shop assistants.

“I don’t need them.”

“Look at the accessories too.”

“Marquis!”

The sun had already set completely, and it was pitch-black night.

My patience had reached its limit.

Until this hour, the Marquis had bought me all sorts of things.

Books, weapons, accessories, clothes…

“I want to go back now.”

“If you don’t like the design, we can go somewhere else. I’ve ordered the nearby dressing rooms to stay open.”

“Father will be coming home soon. I need to go in.”

“How long are you going to keep calling him father—!”

I looked at him in surprise.

Getting this excited in a place full of people?

It was very rare for him to raise his voice.

The people in the dressing room and even Andres’s guards looked at him in surprise.

When I stiffened, the Marquis furrowed his brow.

After being silent for a moment, he pointed to the clothes on the mannequin and said,

“That one too.”

“Ah… Yes.”

Only after the clerk moved hurriedly did he look at me.

“Leave everything from Esgaroth behind.”

“…”

“Move as soon as the family tournament ends.”

“…Because if you steal away the captain of the family tournament and win, there’ll be problems with the prize?”

Then the Marquis’s eyebrow twitched.

“It wouldn’t be bad if you came now either. There would just be some things to handle.”

“Marquis.”

“Use the proper title.”

“…”

“Let’s go.”

I was dragged out of the dressing room by him.

The place he headed wasn’t the carriage.

He was trying to go to another store.

“Let me go. It hurts…!”

That’s when it happened.

Thwack—!

Someone threw a punch at the Marquis’s face.

Because of that, the Marquis let go of my wrist.

I was startled and covered my mouth with both hands.

“She said it hurts.”

“Father…!”

Father threw another punch.

This time the Marquis twisted his head to dodge the punch.

The Marquis’s knights rushed toward Father.

However, there were people by Father’s side too.

They were Irregulars, not Elite.

The knights of Andres and Cuaron faced off.

“Father, stop it. Stop…!”

I hurriedly hugged Father’s arm.

Only then did Father stop trying to rush at the Marquis.

However, his fist wouldn’t unclench.

“She said it hurts.”

“Let’s go. Okay? Let’s go, quickly…”

I was about to drag Father away.

“Hold him like that.”

It was a sound that came from the Marquis’s mouth.

And thwack!

Father’s head turned.

This time it was the Marquis’s punch that landed.

“Father!”

I stiffened completely and looked at Father.

Father’s lip was split and bleeding.

‘I… because of me…’

He couldn’t dodge the Marquis because he was worried I might get hurt.

He wasn’t someone who should have been hit.

Father could have dodged a punch like that.

I felt like sparks were flying from my eyes.

The moment the Marquis clenched his fist again,

I pushed between Father and the Marquis and shoved the Marquis’s chest hard.

“Why are you hitting him, why!”

“…!”

“…!!”

Father and the Marquis looked at me in shock.

I frantically threw punches at the Marquis’s chest.

The thought that we were blood relatives and people would point fingers if they saw—that thought had long since flown away.

“Who are you to hit my father!”

“…”

“Get lost! Go away! I don’t even want to see your face, so go back—!”

“…”

The Marquis looked at me with a hardened expression.

Father was also staring at me blankly.

I was so angry my chest felt like it would burst, and blood rushed to my head.

Even around my eyes must have turned bright red from the heat.

The Marquis stared at me intently and said,

“You…”

“Torment me all you want! But not Father! If you lay a hand on Father, I’ll kill you!”

“Yustea!”

“I want to drain every drop of blood from your body—!”

I was blind with rage and threw punches wildly.

Not just his chest, but his shoulders and arms.

In the blinding fury, everything I had learned was useless.

I instinctively clawed with my nails, forgetting even which knuckles would cause the most efficient pain as I just reached out with my hands.

Father wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

“Stop.”

“Let go of this! I’m going to kill him!”

“Stop it, Yustea. You’re bleeding…”

Father’s hand tightened as he held me.

Only then did I stop and gasp for breath.

I forcefully tried to pull out my nails that were caught on his shoulder insignia, and all my nails became ragged.

Even so, I didn’t realize it hurt.

I said while sniffling.

“This kind of thing is fine. He got hit because of me… I’m sorry…”

“That weak punch doesn’t hurt at all.”

“But you’re bleeding…”

“I said it’s fine.”

Father smiled faintly.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes…”

I turned around with Father.

The Marquis’s persistent gaze followed us from behind, but I didn’t look back.

I only looked at Father’s hand that held my bleeding hand.

‘This can’t go on.’

I thought it would be okay if only I left so that Father and the Irregulars could be safe.

I wanted Father and the Irregulars to be safe without losing anything.

But I learned from this incident.

No matter how well I behaved, Count Andres would attack Father when things didn’t go his way.

He would casually do something like tearing someone’s mouth as if it were nothing.

‘That can’t happen.’

Seeing Father’s torn mouth, I gritted my teeth.

“I’ll pay him back a thousandfold.”

“…What?”

“My patience is over now.”

I looked back at the Marquis and spoke fiercely.

* * *

Andres Estate.

The Marchioness hurriedly came out to greet them.

“What is that state you’re in. And what are these rumors from the marketplace.”

“…Go inside.”

“Rohan!”

“I said go inside!”

“…!”

The Marchioness flinched at the Marquis’s shout.

However, the Marquis just walked past the Marchioness.

“Father, you’re back…!”

With each step, the phantom of Yustea from when she was called the Andres Noble Lady followed him.

“…”

“Go, good morning. Um, did you take the medicine I gave you yesterday? Your voice seemed hoarse… Oh, you should eat, right? Some warm soup…”

“…”

“It’s Academy vacation, so. I want to help with Father’s work… May… may I come in?”

“…”

“Father.”

“…”

“Father—.”

“…”

“Father—!”

Bang!

The Marquis’s face crumpled mercilessly as he struck the wall.

The face that smiled brightly at him overlapped with Yustea screaming in rage at the marketplace.

“I… I respect Father more than anyone in the world…”

“Who are you to hit my father!”

Like that…

“I’ll work hard. I’ll do my best. Being recognized by Father is the happiest thing.”

“I want to drain all the blood from your body—!”

…You make me realize, you do.

How precious that past was.

Behind the Marquis who gritted his teeth were the knights of the Family Tournament.

Leira giggled.

“Oh my. Our Marquis seems to be in a very unpleasant mood. Isn’t that right, GM?”

GM quietly looked at the Marquis who covered his eyes with one hand.

“You don’t know when you have it in your hands. You only realize how valuable it is after it runs away.”

Leira crossed her arms and sneered.

“You and the Marquis are both seriously mistaken. What’s so special about that girl.”

GM looked at the window that appeared behind the Marquis.

[Rohan>Yustea]

Designer of Darkness 【Rohan Andres】

●●●●●

●●●○○

“You still don’t understand what’s amazing about that child.”

Look, even without a scenario, she makes that man realize the true nature of his emotions.

* * *

Day broke.

It was the start of the Family Tournament finals.

—————
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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