How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 251

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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 a Father
Episode 251
Yujina’s voice exploded across the space.
“What exactly did you just do?”
“What do you mean?”
At my question, she gawped like someone had stolen her breath.
“You abandoned the barracks and led everyone here!”
“I never made such a proposal.”
“Then who ordered everyone to move quickly, to run? Have you forgotten?”
“Those were words I spoke to Prince Luciano, Prince Ain, and my soldiers.”
It was she who tagged along the moment the fighting broke out.
When I responded calmly, Yujina’s face twisted.
“Fine. Let’s say that’s true. But isn’t that an incredibly foolish decision?”
Yujina’s gaze turned glacial.
I turned my body, which had been half-averted, to face her directly.
“Foolish?”
Yujina glared at me, arms crossed.
“If we’d stayed in the barracks, we wouldn’t have any problems with food and water.”
So that was the real issue.
‘She’s upset because she can’t lord the supplies over us anymore.’
I shook my head slowly.
Even Ain had a bewildered expression, but Yujina pressed on with unshakeable composure.
“I cannot trust your command. This is a declaration that I will no longer follow your orders.”
“Very well.”
I didn’t push back.
Yujina looked taken aback.
“So you’re surrendering command authority?”
Her voice had softened.
I examined my pack casually as I spoke.
“Why would I object to the Sixth Prince’s Wife directing her own guard?”
“Pardon?”
Yujina’s eyes widened.
I glanced at her, wondering if I’d misunderstood.
“I’m asking just to be sure—really just to be sure. Surely you’re not so delusional as to think otherwise. …You’re not asking me to surrender command of my own soldiers too, are you?”
The Irregulars looked up from inspecting their weapons at Yujina.
Yujina tilted her chin up with an arrogant expression.
“Isn’t that obvious? How could I trust someone who commands so recklessly?”
Then she gestured toward the princesses.
It looked like a signal for them to side with her.
The princesses wore reluctant faces.
They weren’t foolish enough to oppose someone who held both the food supply and the soldiers, yet they couldn’t easily reject Yujina either.
‘There’s something else at play here.’
I let out a silent laugh.
Likely, Yujina had leveraged something—traded food rations at the barracks to bind the princesses to her.
That’s what gave her the arrogance to act this way.
There were six members of the Imperial Family present in this place.
And to sum up the situation plainly:
1. Prince Luciano – My ally
2. Prince Ain – My ally
3. Prince Gaspard – Nearly an enemy. He won’t cooperate with me.
4. Prince Ludovico – Yujina’s husband. Obviously he’ll work with her.
5. Princess Rosebella – Swayed to Yujina’s side
6. Princess Chesserin – Swayed to Yujina’s side
In other words, I have only two members of the Imperial Family on my side.
Yujina’s faction numbers three.
She clearly thought that being the majority gave her the power to crush me.
Like it was some game played in the social elite circles.
‘Is she joking?’
“Did you really think I’d be frightened because you’ve won over a handful of the Imperial Family?”
I asked, my expression one of pure incredulity.
“That’s…!”
“If you don’t trust me, we can simply go our separate ways.”
“What, what did you say? Just because they have more soldiers than us doesn’t mean they have any real advantage. I’m taking three-tenths of the entire force with me…!”
“Fine. Take your three-tenths and go.”
I spoke in a flat, disinterested tone.
Of course, losing those numbers stung.
In battle, every extra body counts.
But military strength can’t be measured in headcount alone.
What we had here were Irregulars.
And not just any Irregulars — we had the Elite.
Those same Elite who could annihilate a couple of standard units single-handedly.
In other words, Yujina’s forces made up less than one percent of our total strength.
The Irregulars frowned as they looked at Yujina.
Yujina’s lips trembled slightly.
“What, what are you…!”
The color drained from her face.
“If you act this way, it’ll cause problems for you too. If the princes or princesses end up wounded or dead because you urged them to leave, you’ll be held responsible…!”
“Urged? Me?”
I tilted my head skeptically.
“How am I supposed to stop people who don’t trust my command from leaving?”
“If, if you tried to persuade them, would you be willing to…!”
“There’s no time for persuasion during wartime. If you want to go, go.”
I gestured vaguely toward the distance and lowered my bag.
“Let’s eat and move out to prepare for combat.”
“Yes.”
“Yes!”
The Irregulars began moving in perfect unison.
Shunted out of my concern, Yujina flushed crimson.
Prince Ludovico and the princesses clenched their teeth, glaring at Yujina.
* * *
While our people ate, Yujina’s group stood at a distance, watching us.
Yujina’s group probably hadn’t filled their bellies properly—the situation had erupted during their meal.
And they’d burned through energy fleeing, so they must be ravenous.
Antonio watched Yujina’s knights swallowing hard and shook his head.
“Those fools are dumber than me. Is that really what they teach people?”
I responded lightly to Antonio’s comment.
“The princes and princesses probably never believed Yujina’s coercion would work in the first place.”
Yujina herself likely hadn’t truly expected to seize command authority.
“Even if, by some chance, I had genuinely lost my judgment, she’d have no grounds to take command. Prince Luciano is here, after all.”
“Then?”
“It was Bluffing.”
“Bluffing?”
“She was trying to intimidate me by openly showing that she has the backing of many of the imperial family.”
“Why do something like that? She could have just stayed quiet.”
“Because then I might have willingly shared our rations with them.”
“Huh?”
Antonio looked at me as if asking what I meant.
“They don’t know how far they need to run, and we’re the only ones with provisions….”
“Ah, so she was trying to pressure you because she was desperate.”
“Exactly. She’d probably demand I hand over command, and when a fight broke out, she’d back off one step and then suggest we split the rations fifty-fifty.”
“I see.”
“It’s a common tactic in the social elite circles.”
“But you cleanly told her to leave, so she panicked.”
“Right.”
While Antonio and I were chatting away, the Irregulars and Ain’s guards kept glancing sideways at Yujina.
Yujina’s face had turned so red it looked ready to burst.
Antonio and I hadn’t lowered our voices at all.
Everyone heard every word.
Prince Ludovico kept his eyes tightly shut, embarrassed by his wife.
The princesses sighed and crossed their arms.
Only Antonio tilted his head.
“That’s a strange way to conduct a transaction. If you wanted help, you’d grovel.”
“Some people let their pride rule their mind.”
Yujina finally lost her patience, hurled her fan away, and vanished somewhere.
“If you’re going to leave completely, say so! I need to decide whether to abandon you or not!”
At my shout, Yujina gritted her teeth.
Tears welled up in her eyes, bitter and burning.
“Hgh….”
I watched her flee, her sobs echoing, and muttered to myself.
“Sulking like a child.”
Ain chuckled quietly and shook his head.
“Touch her and she’ll bite your hand clean off.”
Luciano let out a soft laugh too, then placed his hand on top of my head.
“So you really won’t share with them?”
I spoke to the Irregulars.
“Distribute the dried rations we brought.”
“Sir?”
“But why should we… …”
Yuise and Cesar both frowned.
“If we’re bringing them along alive, we might as well use them in combat. If their bodies are weak from hunger, they’re useless in a fight.”
Yuise and Cesar clicked their tongues in disapproval.
But they soon gestured to the Unit Members.
The Unit Members transferred the dried rations from their military packs to the knights of the other princes.
Gaspard clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he seized the food and took it anyway.
And the princesses flinched.
“We can’t even fight. Why would you…”
“That’s true…”
They looked at me.
“If they’re too exhausted to run away, they’ll only slow you down.”
“.…”
“.…”
The princesses quietly handled the dried rations.
I produced what I’d gathered and set aside from around the barracks.
“Dried mushrooms. They won’t be as pungent as jerky. You eat them on bread.”
The princesses who took them flinched.
“The smell… isn’t bad…”
“It actually tastes pretty good, doesn’t it, sister?”
“It really does…”
The princesses hesitantly settled beside me and began eating.
Only Ludovico refused the food.
He seemed to have a pride just as strong as his wife, Yujina.
Watching them eat must have offended him—he followed his wife and disappeared somewhere.
I shrugged my shoulders.
* * *
After the brief meal, the Irregulars searched the surrounding area.
The Unit Members gazed contentedly at Yustea, who sat among the princesses.
“Our young lady is truly virtuous, I tell you.”
“Nothing like those belly-stuffed bastards.”
“Sharing rations even with such people…”
Miliano grinned widely and slung his arm around their shoulders.
“Watch your words. The princes are present.”
“It’s not wrong, is it? Our young lady is so unfailingly kind it’s almost foolish…!”
Then Cesar snorted.
“Foolish? Someone as sharp as that?”
“Sir?”
“She bought the princesses’ hearts with dried rations costing less than a gold coin.”
“What do you…”
“Look closely—the princesses have clearly been struggling with food this whole time. That Yujina, the Sixth Prince’s consort, must have been wielding control through rationing.”
“The imperial knights did mention something like that.”
“But now there’s someone handing out food for nothing. And that person holds absolute power within this group.”
Cesar’s lips curled upward.
“The princesses will have realized that a world where Yustea becomes Empress benefits them.”
Miliano nodded with a smile.
“When you can’t hold power yourself, human nature makes you want to rely on something safe.”
He’d struck precisely at that weakness.
Now they would have no choice but to support Yustea.
The Unit Members burst out in a cheer—”Woo-ooh!”
“Magnificent!”
“Remarkable!”
“Frightening, even!”
Miliano nodded.
“Right. The terrifying young lady has ordered us to move quickly, so let’s hurry.”
“Yes!”
“Yes…!”
The Unit Members began moving with excited energy.
Miliano and Cesar glanced behind them.
The princesses were clinging to them like shadows.
And….
“What about the Sixth Prince and his wife?”
“What’s become of them?”
He asked Yuise, who had just returned from the Lake Shore where the Sixth Prince and his wife were.
“A complete mess.”
Yuise shook her head and vanished.
Just as Yuise had said, the Lake Shore was in chaos.
Ludovico’s face had turned crimson as he roared.
“You imbecile…!”
“I, I was only trying to do well!”
“Please, just shut your mouth! How much more humiliation must I endure because of you!”
Yujina had gone pale, her fists clenched in her skirts.
“But, how can you say such a thing? Using the Oath Document to bind the princesses—that was all my achievement…!”
“Silence! I won’t forget this.”
“You won’t forget?”
“The moment we return to the Imperial Palace, I’ll discuss divorce with Mother.”
“What, what did you say?”
Yujina’s eyes widened in shock.
‘This is too much….’
How could he say such a thing?
“No, no matter how angry you are, you can’t….”
Her hands trembled violently.
If she were cast out after a divorce?
Her family would disown her.
She would never be able to enter society again, never remarry.
Who would want her—a former princess consort?
She opened her mouth, gasping.
“I’m carrying your child!”
“I can’t spend my life with a fool over one child.”
“Ludovico!”
Ludovico shoved Yujina.
Screech!
Yujina cried out.
Her back slammed against the thick trunk of an ancient tree, and she gasped in pain.
Crack-crack-crack….
A strange sound echoed out.
From the ancient tree.
Ludovico and Yujina stared at the tree.
The trunk of the tree swung open, revealing a staircase.
“This is….”
Yujina murmured.
Ludovico’s eyes flew wide.
“What, what is this?”
It was at that moment when both of them wore expressions of bewilderment.
A familiar figure emerged from the stairwell, climbing upward.
The eyes of the two widened beyond measure at the sight of him.
“You…!”
Ludovico and Yujina both clamped their mouths shut simultaneously.

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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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