How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 48
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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 48
* * *
What on earth is that window?
[Purifier] was like the final evolution of a priest.
But there’s a 3rd advancement?
‘No player has ever done a 3rd class change.’
What the hell is that supposed to be.
“No, more importantly, Mother.”
I hurriedly examined Mother’s body.
The traces of the snake poison had disappeared.
The purification was complete.
“Thank goodness…”
I let out a sigh.
At that moment, I felt dizzy and my body collapsed.
It was understandable.
I had been enduring through willpower, but my body was suffering tremendously from mana depletion symptoms.
Just as I was groaning in pain.
Bang bang bang!
The sound of knocking on the door came.
“Are you okay?”
It was Yuise’s voice.
He had come at perfect timing.
At his question, I immediately shouted.
“No! Please save me!”
The door burst open.
Yuise froze when he saw me barely lifting my head while crawling on the floor.
“Did you hit something because of the earthquake?”
“Mana depletion…”
“What?”
Yuise’s face crumpled.
“I told you so many times to think about your body!”
He shouted.
It’s unfair.
I didn’t intend to use up all my mana either.
How could I help it when my mana was drained away as soon as I tried to purify Mother.
But to avoid upsetting the portable battery… no, the mana-rich person in front of me, I drooped my eyebrows.
“Can’t you save me first and scold me later.”
“You’re driving me crazy. You know that?”
Yuise approached me and reached out his hand.
* * *
A few days later.
Yuise handed me a coat and said.
“About your mother draining your mana. Could that possibly be…”
“You mean I didn’t just purify but also healed her?”
“You noticed?”
“The bedsores completely disappeared from Mother’s body. Her complexion has gotten tremendously better since then too.”
“You know that’s an incredible thing, right?”
Purification and healing are different.
To put it simply, it’s like this.
Purification is removing a thorn stuck in the throat.
Healing is returning the throat swollen from the thorn back to a healthy state.
“It seems some kind of change happened to me after starting the 3rd class advancement.”
“If you have that much power even while in the middle of class change, it’ll be incredible when you fully advance.”
“Absolutely don’t tell anyone.”
It would be troublesome if it became known that I became a cure-all.
All sorts of places would target me.
“I won’t.”
After getting a definite answer from Yuise, I put on the coat.
Today was the day of the Year-End Ceremony.
In other words, it was the day Father’s identity as Marquis Esgaroth’s son would be announced.
To witness that glorious moment, we decided to go to the Year-End Ceremony venue.
The Year-End Ceremony is held in the Outer Palace.
Father and I got into a carriage heading to the Outer Palace.
Yuise and Antonio followed as escorts.
The Outer Palace was already bustling.
I explained the Year-End Ceremony to Father.
“Ministers and selected figures from the heads of the Seven Families give congratulatory speeches.”
“I heard. This year the Old Man is giving the congratulatory speech.”
“Yes. Marquis Esgaroth. He’ll probably make the announcement during his speech.”
“I see.”
Saying that, we took our seats on the circular stepped structure like Colosseum-like audience seating.
High Nobles sit in the VIP section, but since we’re still just ordinary nobles, this was our place.
As we were waiting for it to start…
“Oh my…”
“Did the god of beauty send down a divine servant…”
“Mmm…”
Whispering sounds came from around us.
The noble ladies looking at Father were blushing.
Still, it was a more refined reaction than at the casino last time… that is, Andres’s secret warehouse.
The people there were looking for baby cats and trying to grope Father.
Antonio and Yuise also drew attention.
Girls glanced at them with shy expressions.
‘They both look used to it.’
I didn’t know about Yuise, but it was somewhat surprising that even Antonio had such a natural expression.
The girls were braver than the noble ladies.
They approached Yuise and Antonio.
The group that approached first headed toward Yuise.
“I am Ashelia of the Count Baronto family. Grant me the honor of kissing your hand.”
“Young Lady, shall I bring you a blanket.”
“Well, I’m a Noble Lady of the Count Baronto family…!”
“Young Lady, please button up your coat.”
…He completely ignored them.
The girls’ faces turned bright red.
And the girls who approached Antonio’s side…
“Biceps…!”
“Biceps…!”
“Pectorals…!”
They breathed heavily while diligently drawing pictures on parchment.
They didn’t talk to him at all.
That was when it happened.
The assembly hall began to buzz.
The high nobles had started to enter.
Among them were Count Andres and Marquis Esgaroth.
‘It’s about to begin.’
As expected, it wasn’t long before the bell rang—ding!
It was the sound commanding everyone to take their seats.
The massive doors connected to the Imperial Palace opened, and two groups appeared.
One side consisted of the Emperor and Imperial Palace officials.
The other side was the Pope and high-ranking priests.
The year-end ceremony speeches had begun.
* * *
The VIP section was on the opposite side from where Yustea sat.
Several high nobles whispered.
“That’s Yustea Andres.”
They glanced at Count Andres and the Marquise.
The Marquise looked back at them with cold eyes.
Only then did the nobles shut their mouths and pretend to look elsewhere.
The Marquise straightened her posture and frowned.
Her nerves were on edge.
Whenever she saw Yustea, thoughts of Andres naturally followed.
On top of that, Emma had caused quite the scandal.
Word of Emma’s mishap had spread to the vassals through the employees’ gossip.
There was no greater humiliation than this.
But what bothered her most of all was…
“Oh my. Oh my.”
That Marquis Esgaroth, grinning and having a gestured conversation with Yustea on the opposite side.
Yustea was participating in that ridiculous display as well.
Your Grace, aren’t you cold?
How could the archipelago’s cold compare to the North’s cold?
As expected of the North’s ruler. How wonderful.
‘This is outrageous.’
As if a vassal’s daughter were some kind of granddaughter…
The Marquise bit the inside of her mouth and turned her head away.
‘There’s no need to worry about it.’
Would he truly protect Yustea from the heart?
The Marquis was practically an enemy of her late husband.
He must find it amusing to have stolen away such a man’s granddaughter.
But that was all.
That amusement could be taken away at any time.
‘We can bring her back whenever we set our minds to it.’
How could a mere vassal of Esgaroth stand against the head of one of the Seven Families?
Marquis Esgaroth would have no justification to intervene.
If Marquis Esgaroth directly interfered in a vassal family’s affairs, he would only invite ridicule.
‘That’s right. We’re not bringing her back because we choose not to, not because we can’t.’
Just as she was thinking this, the ministers’ speeches ended.
Now it was time for Marquis Esgaroth, head of one of the Seven Families, to take the stage.
The Marquis stopped his disgusting gesturing and rose from his seat.
Yustea watched him with sparkling eyes.
The Marquise’s brow furrowed once again.
‘Why is she smiling like that…’
Everything was irritating.
Once all the year-end ceremony speeches were over, she planned to go and give her a warning.
‘I need to firmly scold her not to get so uncouthly excited over other people’s affairs.’
Marquis Esgaroth’s congratulatory speech began.
“There has been the hard work of all the people in safely concluding this year. Let us not forget the efforts of our society’s members and welcome the coming new year with joyful hearts. Prosperity to the Empire.”
“Prosperity!”
“Prosperity!”
Everyone echoed Marquis Esgaroth’s words.
The atmosphere heated up.
Even the Emperor and Pope nodded with pleased expressions.
It was then that Marquis Esgaroth spoke again.
“Also, there is joyful news for Esgaroth as well.”
At this, people began to murmur.
“Joyful news?”
“Has the Matap relocation site finally been decided as Esgaroth?”
“His only son has been decided as heir. The Marquise must be relieved.”
Such speculations went around.
Marquis Esgaroth smiled broadly and continued speaking.
“My legitimate son Aslan, who has been away from Esgaroth, has returned. Therefore, I wish to introduce him at this gathering.”
“…What?”
“What did he say?”
“Just now… what…?!”
In an instant, a bomb had been dropped in the assembly hall.
The hall became so chaotic it seemed it might collapse.
It wasn’t only the nobles who were shocked.
The Pope had a startled expression, and the Emperor also looked at Marquis Esgaroth with a bewildered face.
However, Marquis Esgaroth calmly continued speaking.
“Aslan Esgaroth, rise and offer your greetings.”
The one who stood was a handsome man with jet-black hair who had been sitting in the general seating.
The first to recognize him were the high nobles.
“No, that man is…!”
“The one we saw when the area was controlled due to the assassination attempt incident…!”
One of the high nobles who had been body-searched alongside him cried out in shock.
“Isn’t that the man who adopted the abandoned eldest daughter from Andres—!”
People’s gazes instantly turned to the young girl sitting beside the man.
Honey-colored hair.
Golden eyes, the symbol of nobility.
Was there anyone among the archipelago’s high nobles who didn’t know that girl?
The girl acknowledged by the Empress Dowager as the archipelago’s finest lady.
But also the one who was expelled from her family for the crime of poisoning her half-sister and wandered the streets…
It was Yustea!
“…?!”
“…!!!”
Amid the confusion, Aslan extended his hand to Yustea.
Yustea took his hand.
Yustea Esgaroth Quaron.
It was the moment when a name both familiar and strange appeared in the Empire.
* * *
The commotion was tremendous.
I didn’t even notice how the Emperor and Pope’s congratulatory speeches passed by.
After the year-end ceremony speech that brought a tremendous storm had ended.
Father and I were formally invited to the year-end party hosted by the Imperial Palace.
Since we couldn’t bring guards into the Inner Palace, we sent Antonio and Yuise back.
I walked through the quiet corridors of the Inner Palace with Father, chattering away.
“It really feels like you’ve become a direct member of House Esgaroth. Year-end party invitations are incredibly difficult to get.”
“I see.”
“It’s a party where nobles who made great contributions to the Empire that year are invited. The palace administrators agonize greatly over the selection.”
“Right.”
“Being invited there so suddenly is truly an incredible thing.”
That wasn’t all.
Father smiled gently and patted my head.
“That’s good.”
“It really is.”
Just as I was saying that.
Father looked ahead.
He had sensed someone’s presence.
Night, when the sun had disappeared.
The pale moonlight of the full moon illuminated the dark corridor.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor filled with silence.
Footsteps that I had always waited and waited for when I was young, so now I could distinguish them by rhythm alone.
…It was my biological father.
My biological father, walking with his hands behind his back, looked at Father and me.
“I have something to discuss with that child, so step aside.”
Father didn’t avoid his gaze.
“If you have something to say, say it here.”
My biological father smiled coldly.
“Must I tell you that I have something private to discuss?”
“We’re no longer in a relationship to have private conversations.”
“Just because we’ve grown distant doesn’t mean my blood has disappeared from that child’s body.”
“Blood has no meaning. The same blood was flowing when you cast this child out.”
The Marquis’s eyebrows twitched.
However, Father’s expression remained calm.
During their conversation, I kept glancing back and forth, reading the atmosphere.
“Let’s go, Yustea.”
Father extended his hand to me.
“We need to talk, Yustea.”
The Marquis sent me a steady gaze as he spoke.
The two men’s gazes clashed fiercely.
It felt like the surrounding temperature had dropped by about 10 degrees.
‘This is uncomfortable…’
Just as I thought that, both men called my name simultaneously.
“Yusi.”
“Yustea.”
I looked at the Marquis once, then at Father once.
‘Uncomfortable. It is uncomfortable, but…’
That didn’t mean I didn’t know whose hand to take.
There was a clear answer within me.
I took Father’s hand.
“Let’s go.”
Father’s eyes were gentle.
Holding hands like that, we passed by the Marquis.
It was when we had walked a few steps past the Marquis.
“Won’t you regret it?”
I stopped walking for a moment.
I opened my mouth while staying in that position.
“Not at all.”
The Marquis spoke in a low voice.
“Why do you have such foolish certainty?”
“Because that house won’t have a father.”
“I won’t give you a second chance.”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
I started walking again.
Together with my father, whom I had found.
Father’s hand holding mine tightened with strength.
* * *
The party hall.
Nobles flocked to Father.
It was to become acquainted with Esgaroth’s heir.
I greeted the elderly gentlemen I had seen at the picnic.
“I am Yustea, daughter of Aslan Esgaroth.”
The elderly gentlemen laughed heartily and welcomed me.
“I wondered why Marquis Esgaroth brought you along, but there was such a story behind it.”
“It did seem strange how much he doted on you, more than usual.”
Marquis Nevarro was frowning with emotion.
“So she was his granddaughter after all. No, even though our Guinevere may have lost in grades a few times, that’s not the end of the competition.”
That’s when it happened.
Marquis Esgaroth approached my side.
“Not a few times, but all of them.”
“It was 14 matches with 13 losses!”
“The one time was because she graduated early and couldn’t compete. Have any of your bloodline ever graduated early? Early graduation – that’s something only exceptionally outstanding children can achieve.”
“This…”
Marquis Nevarro trembled with anger.
Marquis Esgaroth grinned and pulled my shoulder toward him.
“Stay too close to old men and their musty smell will rub off on you.”
“What?!”
“Am I not old too?!”
The elderly gentlemen’s eyes became triangular with anger, but Marquis Esgaroth just laughed heartily.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable dealing with old men?”
“I actually like it. I’m grateful to be able to learn from them.”
The elderly gentlemen chuckled softly.
“How admirable.”
Marquis Nevarro snorted dismissively.
“Our Guinevere also traveled everywhere following her grandmother. Even the Empress Dowager adores our Guinevere greatly.”
While such talk was going on, other people also approached.
“Lady Guinevere is truly a talent among talents. My son just entered the civil service, and well, he entered as the top candidate…”
“Hahaha, not to brag, but it was my daughter who successfully led this charity project. Thanks to that child, I was able to come to the year-end party again this year.”
They say the most enjoyable bragging is about one’s children, and everyone was incredibly proud.
Marquis Esgaroth also joined in with a joyful expression.
He probably didn’t have this kind of fun while raising Javid, the son he had with the Marquise.
That one’s quite the scoundrel too.
“I don’t know much about it, but the words ‘first in the Archipelago’ have always been attached to Yustea’s name.”
Another noble chuckled softly.
“We cannot compete with Esgaroth and Nevarro’s boasting about their bloodlines. Those two young ladies are impossible to distinguish in terms of superiority.”
Marquis Nevarro jumped up and interjected.
“Ah, we’re currently the best. What good does excelling at the Academy do? She’s been on the streets for years…!”
Marquis Nevarro, who had been speaking, flinched.
Then he cleared his throat with a cough.
“That was a slip of the tongue.”
“….”
“Don’t glare at me like that… It really was a slip of the tongue. I also hold Yustea dear. Isn’t she our Guinevere’s close friend?”
“….”
“I, I said I was sorry.”
Marquis Esgaroth’s gaze was sharp.
It wasn’t just because of Marquis Nevarro.
It was because he saw the faces of nobles who couldn’t suppress their sneers at his words for a moment.
Even among the heads of the Seven Families, there were those whose lips curved up crookedly.
That’s when it happened.
“His Majesty the Emperor and His Holiness the Pope are entering.”
People parted like the Red Sea.
The massive doors opened, and two rulers in luxurious attire appeared.
“We greet Your Majesty!”
“We greet Your Majesty!”
Resounding greetings burst forth.
The Emperor looked around at the people with a smiling face.
“With such solid foundations in the Empire, I do not fear welcoming the new year. Everyone, raise your heads.”
People raised their heads.
The moment I also slowly lifted my face…
[Time Remaining 00:00:00]
A window appeared before my eyes.
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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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