How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 4

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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 4

* * *

We arrived at Count Sanmiguel’s Estate earlier than expected.

There was an underground passage not far from where we had lunch.

The clan members seemed to use this route to secretly enter and exit the estate.

The path was short, but I heard various stories.

1. Within Sanmiguel, only the lord, the Marquis, knows the true identity of the Irregulars. The retainers and employees don’t know.

2. So the clan members use fake identities in Sanmiguel Castle.

3. Among them, the Elite Squad are knights. The Clan Leader is disguised as a military strategist.

And the last number 4 was….

“So all of these are supposedly Tekari-made weapons. Look, it’s written here. ‘Tekari.'”

The clan members each held up their weapons, grinning proudly as they showed them off.

I quietly said.

“…Skull.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Hmm?”

“…It says ‘skull.'”

The clan members instantly fell silent.

And not long after, even on the way to the estate, they glared murderously at the weapons they had been treating like sacred relics.

“That damn old blacksmith bastard….”

“How dare he trick us?”

“I won’t let this slide!”

The clan members threw down their luggage and ran off like the wind.

That’s right.

This was the last number 4.

‘The clan members have a high illiteracy rate.’

So they had no choice but to entrust the ledgers to Antonio.

Among them, Antonio was the only one who could somewhat write.

Even that Antonio was snorting and ready to run off to find that blacksmith old man.

‘Tekari is a difficult character though.’

Especially since they used archaic language instead of common language to look sophisticated.

That’s when it happened.

As soon as we arrived at the castle, the clan member who had guided the Clan Leader and Count Sanmiguel somewhere returned.

“The Deputy Clan Leader is looking for you.”

Antonio hesitated.

He clicked his tongue and said to me.

“Wait a moment. I’ll go see the Deputy Clan Leader, then destroy that blacksmith old man and show you real Tekari-made weapons.”

Then the clan member said.

“He orders that lady to come along as well.”

“Yustea? Why?”

“I didn’t hear the reason.”

Antonio shrugged his shoulders.

“Probably to give her wages.”

Those words reminded me of my situation again.

‘I only agreed to accompany them as a laborer.’

But why would the Deputy Clan Leader want to see me directly?

If it was about wages, he could have another employee deliver them.

With such thoughts, I followed the clan member along with Antonio.

On the way, we chatted casually.

“Damn yellow bastard. How dare he commit fraud?”

“How about learning to read? Then you won’t be scammed anymore.”

“Imperial language is difficult. Common language, formal language, archaic language…. Why are there so many damn characters?”

“You just need to memorize the character ‘Te.’ Archaic language is pictographic, so it looks complicated, but it’s actually derived from pictures.”

“Pictures?”

“Tekari means forged by typhoon. ‘Te’ means typhoon. It looks like this….”

I took out the notebook I had in my bag and wrote the character ‘Te’ for him.

“This part is a house. This part is wind. Looking at it this way, doesn’t it look like a house being blown away by wind?”

“It does.”

Chatting like this, we arrived at the Knight Captain’s Office.

The Deputy Clan Leader’s fake identity seemed to be the Knight Captain.

When the clan member knocked, a low voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Soon Antonio and I entered the Knight Captain’s Office.

And when we faced the Deputy Clan Leader sitting at the desk, I was startled.

‘Did they select all the Elite Squad members based on looks?’

He boasted such striking beauty that such words came to mind.

He was a handsome man with an urban mask, featuring horizontally long eyes and a prominent nose bridge.

Black hair and ash-gray eyes.

His clean and ascetic feeling was like the epitome of a knight.

‘Anyone who doesn’t know would never suspect he’s an assassin.’

The Deputy Clan Leader asked while keeping his gaze fixed on documents.

“The daughter who was kicked out of Andres.”

He seemed to have heard my story from the clan members beforehand.

His gaze was sharp.

Now I understood why the Deputy Clan Leader was personally giving me wages.

He was suspicious of a porter from a marquis family who had suddenly joined among the clan members.

So he wanted to examine me directly.

I clasped my hands with a tense expression.

“I’m Yustea. Nice to meet you. Um, it’s presumptuous of me at first meeting, but could I possibly get a job at the castle instead of wages….”

“Foolish.”

“…!”

The Deputy Clan Leader looked at me.

His ash-gray, ice-cold gaze pierced through me like an arrow.

“A daughter kicked out of a marquis family. Who would hire you unless you’re someone desperate to stand out?”

I was at a loss for words.

Indeed, a place sensitive to security like an assassination squad’s base would be even less likely to hire me.

‘I thought there might be an opportunity since the clan members seemed to like me.’

When I fell silent, Antonio’s face hardened.

“Information control is your specialty, Deputy Clan Leader. If you do that….”

“Information control for a laborer? Money must be rotting away.”

“This kid works well. She’s a good kid.”

However, the Deputy Clan Leader stood up from his seat without interest.

And he strode toward me.

“I can see you’re clever. You’ve manipulated Antonio well.”

“….”

“That’s exactly why I’m reluctant to let you live and leave.”

“….”

I quietly kept my head bowed.

Seeing this, Antonio stepped forward emotionally and blocked between me and the Clan Leader.

“This kid worked hard. She didn’t sleep a wink the entire way to headquarters. She woke up at dawn to prepare every meal, and even while we ate and rested, she mended her clothes and looked after the Clan Leader.”

“In her position, that level of effort is only natural.”

“Clan Leader!”

“She knows the location of the Irregulars’ headquarters and has seen the faces of clan members. Don’t you understand how dangerous the information she possesses is?”

“Are you saying you’ll kill her?”

“It’s the most certain and clean method.”

“This bastard, really…!”

Antonio was about to shout, throwing away even his manners.

I suddenly raised my head.

“Thank you!”

“…What?”

“…?”

Both of them looked at me simultaneously.

I scratched my head with an awkward expression.

“If I were the Clan Leader, I wouldn’t have bothered bringing her all the way here—I would have dealt with her immediately upon entering the castle.”

But the reason he was deliberately arguing with Antonio in front of me was one thing.

“You’re telling me to watch my mouth if I want to live, right?”

Antonio looked incredulous.

“The Clan Leader threatened you. How is that something to be grateful for?”

“You didn’t bring up my mother.”

“…”

“Even though you know that hostages work best for threats.”

After being kicked out of the family, countless people had threatened to kill me.

The vicious ones said they would harm my mother.

Then I would stay up for days and nights protecting my mother.

While I could accept dying myself, the thought of my innocent mother dying because of me was unbearably terrifying.

“Not touching someone’s weakest point is a kind thing to do.”

“…”

“…”

The Clan Leader and Antonio fell silent.

I bowed deeply once more and said.

“Thank you for everything up until now.”

It can’t be helped.

Since the Clan Leader is firm, I’ll have to give up on working at the castle.

Instead, I’ll have to find work near the castle.

* * *

The Clan Leader watched Yustea leaving the castle through the window.

‘Strange kid.’

Grateful for threatening her instead of killing her?

Ridiculous.

If he were truly someone deserving of gratitude, he would have first thanked Yustea for safely bringing the Clan Leader and clan members to the castle.

This mission for the clan members wasn’t such an easy task.

It was the job of completely destroying one of the empire’s prestigious families.

Yet the clan members who should have been exhausted were energetic.

That child Yustea must have taken such good care of the clan members.

‘Such a child, and I threatened her out of nowhere—she has every right to feel wronged.’

The Clan Leader sighed and turned his gaze away.

His eyes met with Antonio, who was sitting crookedly on the sofa.

His face looked very displeased.

“Do you even have a human heart?”

“Stop talking nonsense and bring the ledger.”

Antonio clicked his tongue and threw the ledger.

The Clan Leader caught it lightly with one hand and sat back at his desk.

‘How much of a mess will this be?’

He was only slightly better than the other clan members, so he had entrusted him with this mission’s ledger.

But it would be a complete disaster.

But this was strange.

Purchase costs, suppliers, items, quantities, amounts, and reasons for purchase were neatly organized.

Receipts and contact information for personnel in charge were attached.

Even a layout that was sensibly made so all this information could be seen at a glance—clean, neat, and stylish.

‘The touch of a worker sent by God?’

The Clan Leader looked at Antonio.

“What is this?”

“A ledger.”

“I’m not asking because I don’t know that. I’m asking who wrote this.”

Just teaching letters was difficult enough, there’s no way he could suddenly develop this kind of work sense.

“Ah. Yustea wrote it.”

“That kid just now…?”

Suddenly, a desire to catch that child surged up.

How difficult it had been to lead and work with Irregulars who only knew how to use their bodies.

Things got slightly better after subjugating San Miguel, but the humble city had no talent.

All the decent talents had been snatched up by the noble families.

‘Let me calm down.’

He closed the treasure-like ledger and held his throbbing head.

Then he looked at Antonio.

“I’m not asking you to do this much. At least learn letters well enough to write items properly.”

“From that blondie? Ugh, I don’t want to.”

“That blondie is a teacher we barely managed to find. Do you think there are many people connected to the assassination squad who can teach letters?”

“Still, I don’t want the blondie. He acts so superior, I have to hold back from wanting to break his neck—”

Thwack!

The Clan Leader threw a book at Antonio.

“Ack!”

“So you broke his leg instead of his neck?”

Because Antonio broke his leg, the lesson fee went from 10 gold to 20 gold.

20 gold was enough for a unit to eat and sleep well for a couple of months.

“You’re part of the Elite Squad. When the Clan Leader enters noble society in the future, you too must support the Clan Leader from the front.”

That’s why he was paying the 20 gold lesson fee even though it made his blood boil inside.

Antonio rubbed his head and grumbled.

“The blondie doesn’t even teach well. What Yustea could do in 5 minutes, that guy…”

Why is Yustea coming up again?

The Clan Leader looked at Antonio as if asking what he meant.

“She even teaches ancient language freely.”

“What ancient language. You can’t even speak common language properly.”

“She really knows it, you know?”

Getting worked up, Antonio looked around and pointed at the Clan Leader’s shield hanging on the wall.

“That’s ‘Te,’ isn’t it?”

“…!”

The Clan Leader flinched and looked at the shield.

Then he stiffly turned his rigid neck to look at Antonio again.

“…You do realize this is Tekarijein, right?”

Antonio grumbled and shot up from his seat.

Then he rummaged through the documents on the desk and found a single character.

“This is ‘Basa’. It means tiger.”

“….”

“It’s used when talking about men like me.”

Antonio lifted his chin with a proud expression.

The Deputy Clan Leader checked the character with trembling eyes.

It was definitely the character for ‘Basa’.

“Did… did that child really teach you this…?”

“I told you so.”

If someone teaches me properly, I learn very well.

The reason I’ve gone through 11 teachers so far is because they couldn’t teach properly.

Antonio smiled arrogantly with a smug expression.

The Deputy Clan Leader remained frozen in place, recalling the process leading up to each teacher’s resignation.

The language levels that progressed from common speech, to formal speech, to classical language.

The teachers that the Irregulars’ informants had desperately sought out were blocked at common speech.

And when they treated Antonio like vermin for not following along as expected, they got beaten up.

And when the Deputy Clan Leader went to handle the situation…

“Eek!”

“Please spare me. Please spare me.”

They were terrified and clamoring for him to please accept their resignation letters.

‘But she taught not common speech, not formal speech, but classical language?’

And in such a brief moment?

The moment that thought crossed his mind.

Bang!

The Deputy Clan Leader immediately burst outside.

And shouted with a desperate voice.

“Where is the teacher!”

Information control would be difficult?

He would make it work.

The only person who could teach that fool was Teacher Yustea.

* * *

…Is this a dream?

I stared blankly at the employees of Sanmiguel Territory who were smiling brightly.

Just an hour ago, I was definitely being kicked out and leaving.

Of course, I hadn’t given up.

‘If I couldn’t work at the castle, I was going to find work in a nearby village at least.’

But then…

I was called back to the castle.

And employees who seemed quite high-ranking were even offering me a dress.

“The Knight Commander sent this.”

The Deputy Clan Leader?

I was bewildered, but when the employee extended their hand once more, I accepted the clothes for now.

‘Wow, these are nice clothes.’

Light and soft material.

A lovely design that girls my age would cheer for.

‘Why are they giving me such nice clothes?’

Instead of wages?

But this is too much for wages.

‘Maybe they’re giving me this so I’ll leave the city entirely?’

I became anxious and asked the employee.

“Did the Commander say nothing else?”

“He received an urgent summons and had to step away briefly, so we were told to treat the guest well until he returns.”

That made me even more anxious.

But then.

“The Commander prepared a dress?”

A bright, clear voice was heard.

It was a girl with flowing golden hair, looking quite excited.

The girl who had been entering cheerfully stopped short.

Upon seeing the dress in my hands.

“Why are you holding those clothes.”

“Oh, well…”

Without giving me a chance to answer, the girl strode over and yanked the dress away.

Then she shouted at the employees.

“Why did you let such dirty hands touch precious clothes?”

My hands were covered in wounds and stained from handling food ingredients.

So they must have looked very dirty.

‘They only look that way, but I washed them clean.’

The girl glared at the employees with irritated eyes.

“Be grateful I’m in a good mood. Otherwise, I would have told my uncle and had you punished.”

Then she held the clothes up to her body this way and that.

“The Commander is so thoughtful. He prepared clothes like this, but how could I not know it was my gift?”

And she laughed “ohoho” while hugging the clothes.

“He pretends otherwise, but he was actually concerned about the lord’s niece.”

From those words, I realized the girl’s identity.

‘That girl is Count Sanmiguel’s niece.’

The one the Marquis recommended as the Clan Leader’s adopted daughter.

But…

‘Hmm.’

Those clothes were given to me by the Deputy Clan Leader.

The employees clearly offered them to me saying “The Knight Commander sent this.”

But from the situation, it seems like that girl thinks the clothes are hers?

And from what I can tell, she seems to know about the Irregulars.

Well, that’s why she’s trying to become the Clan Leader’s adopted daughter with her status as the lord’s niece.

‘She’ll be embarrassed if I just leave this alone.’

The Marquis’s niece said with a bright smile.

“I should try it on.”

Thinking this would end badly, I carefully approached her and whispered.

“Those are clothes I received from the Commander.”

The Marquis’s niece looked at me.

I added more so she wouldn’t be more embarrassed.

“The Commander must have been planning to prepare similar clothes for you as well. You might have misunder…”

Just as I was saying that.

Thud!

The Marquis’s niece shoved my shoulder hard.

I collapsed with a thump.

My tailbone hit the floor hard, making my eyes tear up from the pain.

“Ugh…”

“How dare a sewer rat like you try to deceive me. Do you think clothes like this suit something like you?”

It was the moment when the employees flinched in surprise at the Marquis’s Niece screaming at the top of her lungs.

“What’s going on.”

The Clan Leader’s voice could be heard.

—————
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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