How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 210

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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 210
Father’s cold gaze turned toward the assembly hall.
* * *
Mother, who had been trying to return to Esgaroth, was stopped at the portal.
“I can’t let go of this—!”
“….”
“….”
As Mother squawked loudly, the Irregular Elite holding her looked at me with bewildered expressions.
“Hold her. Don’t you dare let go!”
“….”
“….”
The Irregular Elite turned to look at Mother again.
They smiled awkwardly and spoke.
“Just think of this as a holiday in the Archipelago.”
“The Clan Leader will take good care of Esgaroth.”
Mother, thrashing about fiercely, was lifted—arms, legs, and torso all dangling—and she cried out.
“A holiday? With so much work to do! My trading post, the administration of Esgaroth, not to mention all the invitations I need to accept!”
In other words, that’s why we’re keeping her here.
‘Because she’ll be kidnapped at the party.’
It was the same with other episodes.
In the episode where the male lead is chosen, the Emperor inevitably collapsed.
And in the Noble Families affair, the former Marquise ultimately sparked the chaos.
The central incident of an episode will happen no matter how much you guard against it.
‘Then it’s better if she gets kidnapped at the Archipelago party.’
The Archipelago party was different in caliber of guests.
When such distinguished noblewomen and young ladies of that standing were kidnapped, the nation itself could respond.
If the Imperial Army and the major families deployed their forces, the danger to Father would be greatly reduced.
And Mother would be much safer when kidnapped too.
“Move her to the estate! Quickly!”
As I shouted, the Irregulars scrambled to grab Mother and move.
Mother protested loudly with squeaks, but we eventually brought her to the estate.
The estate.
I faced Mother with a sorrowful expression.
While binding her in rope.
“Please bear with this for a little while.”
“You really are my daughter….”
Mother’s face was one of utter disbelief.
But if we don’t go this far, she’ll scale walls and escape without question.
There was a reason she had the nickname “Mad Dog.”
She’d stop at nothing to achieve her ends.
“You’re going to be kidnapped.”
“Do I look like I’d be frightened of that?”
“That’s exactly the problem. If you’re kidnapped and cause a scene, your head might get torn off.”
“Aren’t you worried about your father?”
Mother squinted her eyes as she looked at me.
I put on a benevolent expression.
“I’m worried about both of you.”
The divine divination did pinpoint Father’s death specifically, so I’m worried about him more, to be honest.
I pulled the rope tightly, binding Mother with genuine regret.
Making absolutely sure it wouldn’t come loose.
“Have the Elite take turns on watch, and have that diligent child attend to her.”
“Mm….”
“Yes….”
The Irregular Elite looked at us both with bewildered expressions.
Mother, bound in rope and raging like a fire-breathing dragon, and me, pretending to dab my eyes with a handkerchief as I watched her.
As for Father….
“….”
His expression was one of wondering if he’d raised me wrong.
But I didn’t mind and left the room.
Then I carefully reviewed all the invitations to the Archipelago estate and those to Esgaroth.
I confirmed the invitations to Esgaroth by contacting the Citadel.
The Elite, except for Miliano who was guarding Mother, spoke to me.
“If the Empress knew about the kidnapping incident, wouldn’t it be highly unlikely that the kidnapping happens at her party?”
“But given the Empress’s character, I don’t think she’d allow such an incident at her own party.”
“Right, the Empress might have only heard about the kidnapping incident. So which party does she get kidnapped at?”
Their expression showed they were wondering if it was possible to figure out which party it would be.
I shook my head.
“We’re not figuring it out. I’m the one who gets to choose which party she gets kidnapped at.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Cesar and Antonio’s eyes widened.
I smiled brightly.
In this episode, the protagonist goes to rescue her kidnapped mother.
In other words….
“She gets kidnapped at a party Mother attends while I don’t.”
“Then….”
Yuise looked at me with a start.
I nodded.
“By using that point, I can choose where she gets kidnapped.”
This way, I’d thoroughly prepare for Mother’s rescue beforehand and resolve everything the moment the kidnapping occurs.
“…!”
“…?!”
The Elite’s eyes widened dramatically.
I smiled brightly.
* * *
A few days later.
Antonio’s Unit stood outside, with Antonio resting his chin in his hand, staring at Yustea in the window.
Cesar and Yuise approached him.
“This is killing me.”
“Antonio, it’s time to change the watch for Lady Dia….”
Cesar and Yuise, muttering with utterly exhausted faces, faltered.
Cesar tapped Antonio, who lay on his belly with his chin resting on his hands.
“It’s time to change watch.”
“Oh….”
“What are you staring at? …Yustea?”
Then Antonio suddenly turned to face Cesar.
“Isn’t the Young Lady amazing?”
“What?”
“She just heard one word from the Empress at the charity party, right? But she immediately grasped the situation, and in the blink of an eye, she finished preparing a countermeasure!”
The other members of Antonio’s Unit nodded readily.
That wasn’t all.
“She’s going to choose which party she gets kidnapped at. Can ordinary people even think of something like that?”
When Antonio asked, Yuise and Cesar also looked at Yustea through the window.
“…It’s usually difficult, yeah.”
“Right.”
Yustea said her talent was the ability to put effort into all things.
But her talent wasn’t limited to that.
“She sees things others can’t easily see….”
Cesar spoke as if sighing, and Yuise, who had been staring at Yustea, murmured.
“She deliberately mentioned Lady Dia to the Empress—it wasn’t out of spite.”
“Then?”
When Antonio asked, Yuise let out a quiet laugh.
“She wanted to confirm what reaction the Empress would show when provoked.”
In the end, the excited Empress let slip a clue.
Yustea was taken aback by the fact that the Empress had feelings for Aslan, but she didn’t feel threatened.
Rather, she was inwardly delighted that she had a means to excite the Empress.
Antonio’s eyes sparkled.
“Amazing….”
Antonio’s Unit members strongly agreed with “Yeah. Yeah.”
“I really like the Young Lady.”
Antonio grinned.
Cesar and Yuise also let out quiet laughs.
Cesar kicked Antonio’s side once more.
“Then focus on the watch as the Young Lady instructed.”
“Got it.”
The moment Antonio stretched with “Ugh….”
Click—the window to Yustea’s office opened.
“Cesar.”
When Cesar looked, Yustea spoke.
“Can you help me for a moment?”
The two immediately headed to the window where Yustea was.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve confirmed which party the kidnapping will happen at. It seems we’ll need the host’s help, but they’re asking for compensation.”
“The money we can currently prepare is about twenty million Gold….”
“They want compensation that isn’t money.”
“A Mana Stone? A sacred relic? If it’s something like that, we’d need the Clan Leader’s permission.”
Yustea shook her head with an awkward expression.
“It’s not something like that….”
The hesitation made it clear they weren’t asking for something ordinarily precious.
Cesar’s expression became serious.
“What is it then?”
“It’s the engagement announcement party of Guinevere, and they….”
Yustea laughed awkwardly.
“They want to meet Oscar.”
“What?”
“Just please convince him and bring him. Will you?”
Then bang—the window closed.
“…Only Oscar’s side can initiate contact!”
To avoid being discovered as traitors by the Reconstruction Council, only Oscar’s side was making contact.
How was he suddenly supposed to bring that guy here?!
Cesar grabbed his head and groaned.
* * *
I stared at the Communication Stone and swallowed a groan.
[Can I see him? Hmm?]
Guinevere asked with an eager voice.
I’d received such calls countless times already.
‘I did tell Cesar to find him….’
Judging by the lack of reports for days, it seems he hasn’t even found a lead.
“We’re trying our best, but as you know, Oscar is….”
[I know. That he’s one of ‘those’ people….]
“Right. And besides, you’re already engaged….”
[Hey, the engagement wasn’t something I wanted. Grandfather was so shocked when he realized I was longing for him that….]
Guinevere’s engagement was something pushed forward by Marquis Nevarro.
It began when Marquis Nevarro discovered a portrait of Oscar in Guinevere’s room—one she had spent a full month painting relentlessly as a painter.
After all, how could the lone and precious granddaughter be infatuated with a Reconstruction Council executive? It must have been shocking.
Especially in times when the Reconstruction Council was rampant.
Marquis Nevarro feared his beloved granddaughter might be singled out as a puppet of the Reconstruction Council.
So it seemed he’d made the engagement decision in the blink of an eye.
I let out a “Hmm….” groan.
“We’re doing our best to find him….”
I knew that even without finding Oscar, Guinevere would help me.
But as a friend, I wanted to help Guinevere too.
I was mulling it over.
Knock knock.
A knock sounded.
“It’s Cesar, Young Lady.”
With a grinding sound of teeth, Cesar’s voice continued.
“Come in!”
When I shouted, he poked his face through the door crack.
“I found him.”
“Really?!”
[Gasp—!]
An ecstatic voice came from the Communication Stone.
I hurried over to Cesar and whispered.
“How did you find him?”
“I set a fire.”
“…What?”
“We set a fire at our external Military Camp so Oscar would contact us to check what was going on….”
His face was gaunt.
He looked thoroughly scolded for setting the fire.
“Both the Clan Leader and Oscar raised hell… Dammit.”
I laughed awkwardly.
“Thank you. And about this matter….”
“Keep it confidential. Because of this, I couldn’t even make excuses to the Clan Leader.”
I laughed and gave him a double thumbs up.
Cesar glared at me and handed me a note.
Oscar’s location was written on it.
I quickly headed back to the Communication Stone.
“Done, done!”
[Yustea!]
“Guinevere!”
We hugged the Communication Stone on each other’s behalf.
Thus I successfully gained the enthusiastic support of Guinevere, the host.
I finished the final preparations for the kidnapping party.
* * *
A carriage from Esgaroth stopped in front of Nevarro’s salon.
Dia, stepping down from the carriage, turned back with a terrifying face.
The timid Irregular Elite quickly averted their gazes.
“You locked me up for ten days…?”
“…We sincerely apologize. However, the Young Lady instructed us to tell you that you must absolutely not forget the plan.”
At Yuise’s words, Dia clicked her tongue.
Her daughter had warned several times that the purpose of this party was nothing more than a safe episode resolution.
Stay quiet, get kidnapped, then quietly wait for rescue.
They’d coordinated with the Nevarro family and planted forces along every possible route, so she was asked to please stay calm.
When Dia didn’t respond, Yuise took on a troubled expression.
“Lady Dia….”
“I know. Calm.”
“We won’t enter the party hall.”
“For the sake of a safe kidnapping.”
The Irregular Elite became awkward once more.
They wondered if “safe kidnapping” was even the right terminology.
But Dia….
“My clever daughter!”
—and hugged herself, enraptured.
With people of Irregular Elite caliber around, there was no telling what enemies might attempt.
It was a reasonable choice.
When the sun completely set, Dia entered the assembly hall.
The moment the Elite breathed relief at having safely escorted Dia into the hall.
Cesar checked the Communication Stone.
The Communication Stone flashed three times before cutting off.
It was the signal that Oscar had safely entered the Nevarro Estate as Guinevere had requested.
At that moment.
Oscar, who sent the signal, sat perched on a window frame.
This was the attic of the salon under the name of the Nevarro Family.
The attic, now that the sun had set, was filled only with a dim moonlight.
Oscar, arms crossed, narrowed his brows.
‘What in the world is this about.’
It was a time when he was already consumed with matters of the Reconstruction Council.
The Reconstruction Council had greatly expanded its forces.
It boasted power incomparable to four years ago, but its internal rifts were severe.
With the organization divided and each faction coveting merit, the checks and balances were dire.
He himself, as the leader’s son, was similarly under scrutiny.
If anyone discovered he’d hidden himself within the Nevarro Family, the opposing faction might suspect anything.
He was letting out a sigh.
“Preparations are thorough….”
“The objective is still that woman… Having finished preparations….”
Familiar voices drifted from outside the attic.
‘Rafael’s lackeys.’
Those voices belonged to Rafael’s followers, who stood opposed to him.
Now that he thought about it, he remembered that Rafael had been unusually silent recently.
‘What scheme is he plotting at this party.’
Just as the voices of Rafael’s followers grew distant and he moved toward the doorway.
Whoosh—!
Ropes shot out from all sides and bound Oscar tightly.
Something soft dropped from the ceiling.
And then.
“Got you!”
Someone tackled him.
Just as Oscar quickly prepared to manifest his power.
The soft thing covering his face was pulled away.
And the face revealed was….
“Oh, oh, oh, h-hello…!”
“…Nevarro Heiress?”
“Y-yes. It’s Guinevere. You do remember me…!”
Guinevere, her face flushed red, writhed and squirmed.
“…So what is this exactly?”
“Um, this is… an abduction!”
“Pardon?”
“You see, I wanted to abduct… you, Oscar….”
Guinevere laughed shyly.
Oscar stood frozen in thought.
Birds of a feather and all that!

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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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