How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 154

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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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Chapter 154

Two days after the family ceremony ended.

An awards ceremony was prepared.

The awards ceremony that should have been held immediately was delayed due to the torrential rain that poured down as soon as the family ceremony ended.

However….

“What do you mean because of rain? When have we ever postponed an awards ceremony because of rain?”

The nobles who came to observe the awards ceremony whispered among themselves.

“Yes. It must be because of the incidents that occurred during the family ceremony.”

“You mean the assailant who was hiding as a knight in Andres?”

“Not just the assailant. I heard an executive from the Old Empire Reconstruction Society was involved too. You know, that man we saw through the Mirror World during the reconstruction society headquarters incident.”

“But why did that executive help Esgaroth eliminate the assailant?”

“Who knows. It’s certain that Andres and Esgaroth have secrets we don’t know about. …And that both families know each other’s secrets.”

Because of this, Esgaroth and Andres couldn’t easily attack each other.

The moment one side attacked, the opposing camp could also drop their bomb.

Esgaroth and Andres were maintaining a tense balance like this.

That’s when it happened.

“They’re coming!”

Those carrying Esgaroth’s banner walked majestically through the nobles.

The victors of the family ceremony.

Esgaroth’s knights.

And the one who led them…!

“Yustea! Our Saint!”

“Yustea!”

“Waaah—!”

The people who were watching erupted in cheers.

This family ceremony was chaotic, but there was one thing that remained unchanged.

There was no disagreement that Yustea was the victor!

“When the assailant tried to kill all the knights with strange alchemy, wasn’t it Yustea who handled the situation?”

“That’s right! She realized the assailant had created an error in the Mirror World transmission and deceived the assailant to fix the transmitter’s error!”

“Ah, it was to send an emergency signal to the Imperial Palace.”

The people’s excited shouting reached the nobles’ ears as well.

The nobles groaned.

The family ceremony was ultimately an event to select the most outstanding family.

They held back their words out of envy and jealousy toward Yustea, who had defeated their own families to become the winner.

An elderly nobleman clicked his tongue.

“Luck played a part too. And who knows? Maybe Andres deliberately ruined the family ceremony finals to push their own blood.”

Duke Navarro chuckled.

The elderly nobleman frowned.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It doesn’t seem like Andres is the type of family to suffer such losses just to push their daughter in the family ceremony.”

“That’s….”

When the elderly nobleman flinched, other nobles spoke up.

“It’s frustrating, but Duke Navarro’s words aren’t wrong. Besides, the reason the people have no disagreement that Yustea is the winner must be because of the wit and ability she showed in the preliminaries.”

The nobles thought.

‘That’s right, has there ever been a family ceremony that excited the people this much?’

‘From the preliminaries, she made the people hold their breath with amazing strategies.’

‘When the preliminary participants ganged up to target her alone, didn’t she use that against them?’

‘When separated from her knights, didn’t she start a forest fire to use as a signal?’

‘Before the assailant turned the tables, it was definitely Yustea who had seized the advantage.’

She had subdued the girl who appeared as Andres’s family ceremony captain.

An elderly female noble glanced at Marquis Esgaroth.

“How delighted that old man must be.”

And it wouldn’t just be Marquis Esgaroth.

She had seen even the vassals subtly strutting around several times.

‘It does make one’s blood boil.’

Probably everyone in the family was thrilled about this victory.

People thought so.

But the people of Esgaroth themselves were….

‘Careful, careful!’

‘Who was it that suggested having the awards ceremony right after the rain stopped?’

‘The ground is muddy…!’

From the vassals invited to the awards ceremony to the Irregulars’ elite, everyone was on edge watching Yustea.

The problem with the family ceremony finals wasn’t just GM.

“At this rate, our young lady is going to fall.”

Charlie, a female member of the Irregulars, said restlessly.

That’s right.

Yustea had shrunk.

To the size of a bean…!

The nobles looked at the child-like Yustea.

“I heard it’s a side effect of using divine power to the limit?”

“That’s what they say.”

“How small has she become?”

“Well, she looks about three or four years old.”

A tiny body that barely reached a knight’s shin.

Flushed, chubby cheeks.

Her briefly visible hands didn’t even seem to be two joints of an adult man’s finger.

The sight of her tottering with that body was truly….

“…cute.”

The cuteness of a bean-sized little child was devastatingly powerful.

Especially if it was a child desperately moving that short, chubby body.

“Yustea of Esgaroth, to the dais.”

The Imperial Palace administrator serving as the host spoke.

Yustea tottered toward the dais like a newborn chick.

The Irregulars’ elite below the dais had tense faces.

‘That’s right, be careful… no, I said be careful!’

‘Too fast. Slowly!’

A body with underdeveloped fine and gross motor skills wasn’t suitable for walking on muddy ground.

Their young lady was walking almost like a newborn chick.

Still, she somehow managed to reach the front of the dais without falling.

‘Yes, now she just needs to climb the stairs… wait, stairs?’

Yuise gasped.

She had only worried about walking on the muddy ground, but thinking about it, there was a bigger problem.

Stairs that were too high for a little child to climb!

Antonio whispered.

“Shouldn’t we carry her up even now?”

“But the dignity….”

“What dignity when our young lady is the size of a grain of rice?”

Yuise gritted her teeth.

‘I know, I know, but….’

The decision hadn’t been made yet whether to announce ‘that problem’ or not.

Right, that problem.

‘It’s not just her body that became younger!’

Right after her body became younger, she maintained an adult’s mind, but as time passed, her mind became younger too.

The Irregular elites looked at Yustea with anxious feelings.

‘Of all things, such a high dais…’

They had only practiced walking without falling and presenting awards.

Not anticipating that the award platform stairs would be so high was their mistake.

Yustea stopped in front of the stairs and hesitantly looked back and forth between the stairs and the Irregulars.

‘If she bursts into tears at this rate, it’ll be a disaster.’

Yuise swallowed dryly.

While he was worrying, Antonio spoke.

“Damn it, I don’t know…!”

But before Antonio could rush out.

“Heave…”

Yustea began jumping up the stairs.

She climbed one stair and rested briefly, then climbed again, which took quite a lot of time.

But laughter erupted from the surroundings.

“Hahaha! How cute! So adorable!”

The sight of a small child working so hard created a warm atmosphere in the assembly hall.

Even Antonio, who was about to rush out, quietly watched the scene.

Yuise thought.

‘Thank goodness she’s a good child who works hard at everything…’

When told ‘you must go up to the dais to receive an award,’ she was desperately trying to climb up somehow.

She finally climbed all the stairs.

Though she was panting, she did very well without crying.

The Irregulars and everyone who knew the truth of this matter silently cheered.

The Emperor read the award citation.

And handed over the prize, the Spiral Coffin, and the certificate.

The Emperor smiled warmly and added a word.

“You’ve worked hard. Now go to your father.”

Yustea tucked the certificate and Spiral Coffin, which were as big as her body, under her arm and earnestly climbed down again.

The Irregulars watched the scene fondly.

Just when their tension was finally about to ease, the place Yustea arrived at was…

“…?”

…in front of Count Andres.

Yuise startled.

“You’ve worked hard. Now go to your father.”

“Go to your father.”

“Father.”

The good child who worked hard at everything had, this time too, earnestly gone to ‘father’ as the Emperor said.

Since the father in young Yustea’s memory was Count Andres.

Count Andres furrowed his brow and looked down at the blinking child.

“What the…”

It was then that Yuise rushed over like the wind and scooped up Yustea.

“Your legs must hurt, Young Lady.”

“…Huh?”

That man told me to go to father.

Yustea blinked with that expression.

Yuise hastily shouted.

“Yes, you must go to Father, Young Lady!”

And immediately thrust her into Aslan’s arms.

As soon as Aslan caught Yustea, he quickly left the assembly hall.

People laughed heartily.

“Is his daughter that precious?”

“I’d be wary of having my treasure stolen if I had such a daughter too.”

“Hahaha! But anyone watching would think he’s running away!”

Everyone laughed while saying such things, but they didn’t understand Aslan and the Irregulars’ feelings.

Aslan arrived at a deserted corner, set Yustea down, and said.

“I’m your father.”

“…”

“I’m your father, I tell you. Not that bastard.”

“…”

“So I’m—”

“Wah…”

Yustea, who had been extremely tense since being carried by Aslan, finally wrinkled her nose.

A face that looked like she would burst into tears at any moment.

Yuise sighed and approached.

Then Yustea quickly hid behind Yuise’s legs.

Aslan groaned.

“Why does she hate me so much?”

Antonio said.

“Young Lady seems to be afraid of adult men. Since Clan Leader has such an intimidating presence, she’s even more scared.”

“Then Yuise is.”

At that moment, Yustea, clinging to Yuise’s shin, mumbled.

“Big sister…”

“…”

Yuise picked up Yustea with clouded eyes.

“That’s why.”

The Irregulars fell silent.

It was the moment when the Irregulars’ child-rearing began in earnest.

* * *

Young Yustea was not a particularly difficult child to raise.

First of all, she was gentle.

The unit members offered food with beaming faces.

“Now, say ‘ah,’ Young Lady.”

“…Ah.”

A good child who did as she was told.

She would at least put in her mouth even vegetable pie that would horrify other children.

The problem was…

“Paper isn’t for eating.”

…she also put non-food items in her mouth.

Yuise sighed.

Yustea was chewing on the vegetable pie along with the baking paper underneath it.

If told to eat, she would eat even sand.

It meant she would do whatever she was told.

“Those damn Andres bastards, just how did they raise this child?”

Yuise muttered through gritted teeth as he removed the baking paper from Yustea’s mouth.

‘Is she even a child…?’

She rarely cried and was well-behaved.

She didn’t speak even ten words a day.

No matter how much she disliked something, she would do it once ordered.

Even now, her lips were pouting because she disliked the broccoli in the vegetable pie, but she had no intention of spitting it out.

“Are you planning to melt it in your mouth?”

At that, Yustea flinched and began chewing reluctantly.

Soon she made a sad face, apparently disliking the taste of broccoli.

Miliano, who had been watching Yustea from a distance, extended his hand.

“I meant you could spit it out if you don’t like it, Young Lady.”

“….”

“Young Lady?”

Yustea began fidgeting restlessly.

Yuise looked at Yustea.

‘Is she really wondering if it’s okay to spit it out?’

“It’s fine, so spit it out.”

“….”

“I said you can spit it out—”

“…pee.”

“You don’t like it?”

Yustea shook her head vigorously.

“Pee….”

Only then did Miliano startle.

“Don’t you need to go to the restroom?”

“…!”

The room stirred.

“Pee! Pee!”

“Pee!”

The unit members panicked.

From the restaurant to the restroom was quite a distance.

With Yustea’s pace, it would take forever.

Most importantly, since this child never made demands, she must have endured to her limit before speaking up.

Yuise scooped up Yustea and ran at full speed.

The other unit members frantically chased after them.

They barely managed to reach the nearest restroom and set the child down.

“Go on, go in. You can take care of business by yourself, right?”

That’s when it happened.

“What’s this? Why are you all like this?”

Cesar, who had naturally joined the Irregulars after the virtual battle finals, spotted them and approached.

Cesar furrowed his brow and looked at Yustea.

“What’s in your mouth? You should swallow it.”

“….”

He said to swallow it….

The obedient good child hesitated, forgetting about entering the restroom.

The hated broccoli.

The restroom.

Broccoli.

Restroom.

Broccoli.

Overloaded, Yustea could neither do this nor that.

Her face was getting redder and redder.

Antonio and the unit members, startled, shouted.

“Shut up! Yustea is going to melt the broccoli in her mouth!”

“That’s right! Shut up!”

“…Why are these people acting like this?”

While Cesar was making an incredulous expression, even Yuise shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Forget it, Yustea. Just go to the restroom first! Go in!”

But Yustea didn’t know what to do and just gripped her clothes tightly.

The unit members turned pale.

‘This is the limit.’

‘It’s over.’

‘We’re doomed.’

They sensed that Yustea’s bladder was about to declare a strike.

Yustea’s current age was around three or four.

But her essence was that of a mature lady of considerable age.

If she had an accident in her clothes, she would want to bury her nose in a folding screen from shame.

“Uwaaa….”

It was the moment when the unit members covered their faces with both hands.

“Here we go, Young Lady!”

A hero shot out from somewhere like lightning.

Charlie from Antonio’s unit.

She quickly scooped up Yustea and rushed into the restroom.

Soon after….

Whoooosh—.

The sound of the toilet flushing could be heard.

At that moment, the unit members in front of the restroom raised their arms toward the ceiling.

“Waaah!”

“Uwaaah!”

They had protected the Young Lady’s dignity.

Even Antonio and Yuise cheered, shouting hurray.

Cesar muttered with a bewildered expression.

“…Have they all lost their minds?”

Miliano, standing at a distance, let out a small chuckle.

“The situation is complicated, but one thing has become clear. Teaching the Young Lady to say ‘I don’t like it.'”

Yuise rubbed her face dry and sighed.

Right.

That was what was important.

If she couldn’t say ‘I don’t like it,’ she would just follow Count Andres, that man.

That was the biggest reason they couldn’t reveal that Yustea’s mind had also become childlike.

The unit members’ gazes all converged on one spot.

The man who was best at saying ‘I don’t like it’ among the Irregulars.

“What? Why?”

It was the moment Cesar was selected as Yustea’s teacher.

* * *

Aslan closed the parenting book 【Dad is Daughter’s Best Friend】 and nodded.

It had been a beneficial time.

His desk was filled with books by Ronald, the author of 【Dad is Daughter’s Best Friend】 and a full-time househusband known as the light and salt of the Empire’s fathers.

Teacher Ronald had said.

Opening a child’s heart requires the childhood self and smile that one has treasured in their heart.

Aslan stood up to share his childhood hobby with his daughter who had become a young child.

In his hands as he walked down the corridor were tools for his childhood hobby of ‘weapon maintenance.’

Sharp swords would be dangerous, so a whip and spiked mace would be good.

He had carefully chosen spikes that weren’t too sharp.

Aslan headed to the study where Yustea was.

In the study, Cesar was furrowing his brow while instructing his daughter about something.

“Understand? Expressing your intentions is important. If you don’t like it, say you don’t like it. If you like it, say you like it. You have to speak up for the other person to know.”

“Mmm….”

“Also, don’t forget that you need to identify your target accurately… Clan Leader.”

Cesar stood up upon seeing Aslan.

Yustea blinked and looked at Aslan.

Aslan raised the corners of his mouth high as Teacher Ronald had instructed.

“Yustea, together—.”

“No.”

Aslan froze.

Cesar and the other Irregulars in the study also flinched and stopped moving.

Yuise, who had been leaning against the bookshelf with her arms crossed, straightened her posture and spoke.

“Well… she just learned to say ‘no,’ so it’s not her true feelings—.”

It was then that Yustea slowly raised her finger.

The well-behaved, obedient child Yustea put what she learned into practice well.

Identifying her target accurately (pointing directly at Aslan’s face),

“No.”

—she said.

The Irregulars fell silent.

Only after a long while did the unit members speak with awkward expressions.

“…Since you came carrying all those weapons….”

“She must be scared, naturally….”

Aslan decided to burn that bastard Ronald’s book.

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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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