How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 191

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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How to Replace Father
Episode 191
Those who carried the proposal letter narrowed their eyes at the newcomers’ arrival.
The men who entered the garden were tall and strikingly handsome, their age close to my own.
For those who had brought the proposal letter, wariness was only natural.
Pawell Menod immediately twisted his face.
“What business do you have meddling in others’ conversation?”
Pawell Menod raised his voice.
Yet the handsome men paid no mind.
They simply drew closer to me.
Of course, that action only made Pawell Menod and those who carried the proposal letter more displeased.
Pawell Menod stepped forward in front of me, glaring at the handsome men.
“With no manners to speak of, you lot must be some uneducated vagabonds playing at nobility.”
Pawell Menod and those who carried the proposal letter wore sneers.
Those who had brought the proposal letter rushed toward Pawell Menod’s side.
“Don’t you know where you are, you pretty-faced drifters peddling yourselves?”
“Are your credentials certain?”
Don’t think to bewitch our innocent Saint with mere appearance. Esgaroth is not as easy a place as you imagine.”
“You rootless bastards….”
As those carrying the proposal letter chimed in, Pawell Menod grew increasingly arrogant.
“Let us go, Saint.
“I—.”
I tried to speak, but Pawell Menod seized my wrist first.
“You have much to learn, it seems.”
That was when it happened.
Among the handsome men, one with silver hair seized Pawell Menod’s wrist.
“Aaagh—!”
A sharp cry tore through the air.
He had twisted the wrist with crushing force.
The silver-haired man spoke in a voice devoid of warmth.
“Don’t lay hands on people so casually.”
Pawell Menod stumbled back as though burned, glaring at the silver-haired man.
“This… this fellow…!”
Those carrying the proposal letter joined forces, crying out.
“What are you doing!”
“How dare you…!”
Yet among those who had brought the proposal letter, one did not move.
The son of Marquis Sol, of the neutral faction in Esgaroth.
He alone, the legitimate heir of the Sanwonro family of Esgaroth, recognized them.
“Your… Your Highness?”
The son of Marquis Sol had not been entrusted with receiving the princes on that prior occasion.
Having only watched the imperial procession from a distance, he had been uncertain at first, it seemed.
But upon witnessing him casually twisting the wrist of Count Menod as though it were nothing, his conviction became certain.
The son of Marquis Sol went deathly pale and prostrated himself flat.
“We greet Your Highness—!”
His voice rang out across the garden with such force that it echoed everywhere.
Those carrying the proposal letter were naturally frozen upon hearing those words.
I laughed outright and bowed respectfully toward the silver-haired man—to Luciano.
“We greet Prince Luciano.”
“…?!”
“…?!!!”
The moment I made the pronouncement complete, those with the proposal letter gasped in shock.
They rushed to bend their knees.
Only Pawell Menod, who had dared treat a prince like a vagrant, remained frozen solid.
I spoke to him.
“Allow me to introduce them properly. Prince Luciano and Prince Ain, and this is Lord Romeban of the Olvera Count Family.”
Not one prince, but two.
And on top of that, Romeban Youngshik of the Olvera counts—a high noble closely pursuing the Seven Families themselves.
Pawell Menod’s legs seemed to give out; he sank down slowly.
Prince Ain approached him.
Pawell Menod flinched, lowering his head.
Ain smiled with the warmth of spring sun and spoke.
“Your head sits too high.”
Thud.
Pawell Menod, his head trampled, let out a stifled groan.
Just as the atmosphere in the garden was settling,
“You are late. Coming without any notice, at that.”
The Marquise swept into the garden, her voice cold and sharp.
Javid, who stood behind the Marquise, had gone sallow.
I met the Marquise’s gaze and smiled wickedly.
‘Did you think I’d go down so easily?’
The Marquise clenched her skirts tightly in her fists.
* * *
The princes had visited in person.
For the Marquise to insist as before that she had no time was now impossible.
In the end, the Marquise said she would prepare tea and went ahead to the reception room.
I walked down the corridor with the princes and Romeban of the Olvera family in her stead.
“I only sent word to Prince Luciano—how did you both end up coming together?”
Romeban smiled broadly.
“I took on the role of decoration.”
“A pretense?”
“Decoration befitting the pretext of these two princes’ private excursion through the North.”
Princes taking a private excursion is rather difficult, after all.
It seems they added Romeban to complete the appearance of sightseeing.
“Is Prince Ain also decoration, then?”
“I’m the safety pin for when my brother goes mad over love and flips Esgaroth on its head.”
“Did His Majesty the Emperor send you?”
“Thanks to him, I’m troubled. Spring is Eppy’s breeding season. I was trying to find him a good husband, but it looks like I’m only finding you one instead.”
Ain made a sullen face.
I laughed awkwardly.
“I’ve caused trouble for Lord Olvera and Prince Ain….”
“If you help find a husband for Eppy, I’ll forgive you.”
“I plan to do some sightseeing myself before leaving, so there’s no need for concern. If you’re truly worried, then perhaps you’d allow me to recommend a good inn, haha.”
The two spoke lightly.
I laughed openly.
“Of course.”
Speaking thus, I opened the door to the reception room.
In the reception room were not only the Marquise and Javid, but also their entire faction.
‘She’s positioned her vassals in the back so the princes can’t use imperial authority to crush her.’
Yet those princes appeared utterly unconcerned.
The moment we took our seats, the Marquise spoke.
“This is outrageous.”
In front of outsiders, she addressed them as princes, but in this inner chamber surrounded by her allies, she treated them like nephews.
The Marquise fixed Luciano with a cold stare.
“You enter the Marquis’s household without notice?”
“I received an invitation from the Clan Leader Marquis Esgaroth—so to call it unwarranted would be inaccurate, Aunt.”
“What did you say…?”
Ain smiled and withdrew an invitation from his breast.
Grandfather’s seal was indeed stamped upon it.
‘They were thorough in their preparations, I see.’
I allowed my lips to curve upward.
Seeing this, Javid felt his chest constrict.
“Today is an important day when proposal letters for this… for Yustea are arriving. You should have informed us beforehand of when you would visit…!”
“I, too, regret that advance notice was not given.”
Luciano turned a cold gaze upon Javid.
Javid flinched.
“That is… well… you should have sent at least a letter….”
“Your cousin still appears to lack understanding, Aunt. How can he not read the context like this?”
“Luciano!”
The Marquise raised her voice.
Yet Luciano crossed his legs with ease.
“If you intended to undertake such a matter, you should have consulted with the Imperial House beforehand.”
“A family’s marriage is the concern of the mistress of the household.”
“Yustea and I were exchanging proposal letters.”
“That was a matter of intention. The marriage is not yet confirmed by imperial approval. Well, it is unfortunate. Due to all the upheaval that erupted and caused delays, the marriage has become uncertain.”
The Marquise was shameless.
Her fearless demeanor emboldened Javid and his faction.
The Marquise’s red lips twisted.
“All manner of strife has stood in the way of your marriage. It is not a match ordained by fate.”
“….”
“To cling to what will not be is only to suffer.”
“As the Marquise has done, for instance?”
At my words, the Marquise’s face hardened into stone.
“…What?”
“You clung to Grandfather, a man you were not meant to have, and forced your union together. Did it cause you suffering?”
“You…!”
The Marquise shot to her feet.
Her hand trembled with such violence that her pointing finger shook.
Luciano, Ain, and Romeban regarded me with expressions of intrigue.
Ain spoke to Luciano.
“By now you’d think he’d realize she can’t beat Yustea with words alone. I suppose stupidity runs in the mother’s bloodline?”
He made a show of whispering, but everyone heard it.
Javid gnashed his teeth with suppressed fury.
The Marquise glared at Luciano’s group and me, both fists clenched tight.
“How dare you… how dare you….”
Ain rested his chin in his hand and lifted his teacup.
“I’m already tired of that phrase.”
“Ain—!”
This time it was Luciano who spoke.
“I am no longer in an age where even birds would fall at my feet, ‘Aunt.'”
“What?”
“Do not mistake this for the era when I relied upon the former Emperor’s favor and regarded the current Emperor as beneath me.”
“You….”
“I ask only that you uphold the late Emperor’s deathbed wish—that the Emperor hold you in esteem.”
If not, his tone implied, he would not hesitate to act.
Luciano rose from his seat.
“The Emperor views this matter with considerable displeasure.”
Ain, Romeban, and I followed in his wake.
Behind us, whispered voices erupted from Javid and his faction.
With even the Emperor displeased, they realized there was no way forward.
It was just as we were about to open the door.
“Do you know why Augusto cannot touch me?”
Our footsteps ceased.
‘Why the Emperor cannot touch the Marquise?’
The Marquise glared at us, her mouth twisted.
“You have no idea how much the late Emperor loved me. If a single thread came loose from my shoe, he would make Augusto kneel and clean it himself.”
“Marquise.”
At words that insulted the Emperor, Luciano’s eyes narrowed.
Even the “Aunt” he had used mockingly until now vanished.
The same hardening was visible in Ain’s face, as well as in Romeban’s, who was loyal to the Imperial House.
The Marquise laughed briefly—kic, kic-kic—intermittently, then lowered her head.
“Augusto had to starve for three days because I wept.”
“You…!”
As Ain moved to stand, Luciano quickly held him back.
Something was definitely wrong.
‘Yes, the Marquise was far too arrogant.’
If the Emperor had suffered such treatment in his youth, the Marquise should have feared his revenge.
The Marquise spoke.
“Why did Esgaroth turn against the Marquis and cast out his lover? Are you not curious?”
“….”
“Out of fear of the late Emperor? Then, why did she fear him?”
“….”
“Esgaroth no longer fears the present Emperor as she did before. Why is that?”
“….”
“You understand nothing.”
At the Marquise’s words, Luciano and I narrowed our eyes.
The Marquise straightened her posture.
She spoke, her spine now straight, eyebrows raised slightly.
“Then perhaps it is time I let you know.”
That was the moment.
Episode begins.
‘…What?’
“…!”
I was not the only one startled.
Luciano and I, able to view the System Window, locked eyes.
The Marquise passed us and strode forward with purpose.
She left through the door first, a faint smile upon her lips.
“I am curious who will be the first to bow their head.”
The sound of their footsteps faded into distance.
The Communication Stone chimed.
It was Abel.
[It seems Daegamum has begun….]
The signal of Daegamum had reached even him.
“Yes.”
I answered and ended the communication.
Then I looked at Luciano, lost in thought.
“This is definitely….”
“That side triggered Daegamum.”
“How is that possible?”
Daegamum was an event significant enough to be given its own episode.
“Such a thing can be triggered by human power?”
“…If it is not human power, then it is possible.”
“Divine Authority!”
I gasped.
Divine Authority passed down among the founding nobles.
Count Andres himself received Divine Authority—Lightning.
The founding Emperor likewise played a role in the nation’s establishment.
It is no strange thing that Divine Authority is passed down through the Imperial House.
I furrowed my brow.
“What if the late Emperor passed his Divine Authority not to the present Emperor, but to his beloved daughter?”
“That would explain her recklessness.”
I clenched my teeth.
‘In the original game, Daegamum proceeded after the Ilfarm Delegation episode.’
The Imperial House would not have shared the mana stones purchased from Ilfarm with Esgaroth.
Moreover, with Father’s appearance, Javid’s faction would have been diminished.
The Marquise would have used Divine Authority to overturn the board.
‘That’s why Daegamum always followed the Ilfarm Delegation episode.’
I clenched my teeth.
“We must inform the Emperor. That Daegamum has begun.”
“And after that? Without a countermeasure, we will only be swept along by the Marquise.”
“There is a countermeasure.”
The one that always resolved Daegamum.
Find the Key of the Water Path.
‘And this time, I will bring down the Marquise once and for all.’
I clenched my fist, my expression turning cold.

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