How to Replace Your Dad - Chapter 86

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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 86

“How do you know I met Cesar?”

When I asked, Oscar smiled brightly.

Then he pulled something out from his chest.

It was a dagger with its blade wrapped in leather instead of a sheath.

He peeled off the leather and gripped the dagger…

Swish.

He sliced through the air.

Then, surprisingly, a red line appeared floating in the air.

The red line stretched from me to the ceiling, but was cut off where Oscar had thrust his sword.

And then…

Thud—!

Something fell from the ceiling.

“…!”

I was startled and turned my head toward where the sound came from.

Yuise hurriedly examined it.

“…Damn.”

What Yuise held in her hands was a white insect-like machine.

I frowned and asked.

“What is that?”

“Cesar’s puppet. Something like a tracker.”

I see.

Oscar must have noticed the tracker and thought I had met Cesar.

I examined Cesar’s puppet in Yuise’s hands and frowned.

“Since even Yuise didn’t know about it, Cesar must be using a disguise.”

“Not a disguise, but control.”

“Control?”

“His specialty is controlling humans or puppets. He was probably controlling humans or puppets from very far away to watch you.”

“I wonder who it was?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t know… if I meet them, I’ll kill them.”

The puppet crumbled in Yuise’s hand with a crunch.

That’s when it happened.

Knock knock knock.

A knock was heard.

It seemed the arguing outside the room about who would meet me first had been settled.

Oscar said.

“Should I help after all?”

“No. I have to meet them at least once.”

Since I’ll be leaving soon, it’s also to say goodbye.

Saying that, I opened the door.

But waiting there were unexpected people.

“Hello.”

“Hello… there…”

It was Hui and Ignis.

Onel’s friends who had come with Benjamin.

I stepped out of the room and closed the door.

“How…?”

Then Ignis said “Ah…” and looked toward the end of the corridor.

“The people… the Imperial Palace contacted them urgently…”

“Contact?”

“His Imperial Majesty… issued an emergency summons to the Privy Council…”

Ah.

Actually, it was rather strange that an emergency order hadn’t been issued yet.

Since the Ancien Empire Restoration Society had been exposed to the world, they would need to hurry and devise ways to eliminate them.

I nodded.

“What brings you two here?”

When I asked, Hui held out an envelope with an annoyed expression.

The envelope was sealed with wax, and the wax pattern was familiar.

‘Gold Star…!’

It was a gathering of young nobles that Onel and his friends belonged to.

Only heirs of major families could receive invitations.

Since Onel was already a member of Gold Star from Andres, I couldn’t join this group.

“The reason we came to Andres this time was to invite you to Gold Star. Originally Benjamin should have delivered it, but…”

Hui looked at the letter with an expressionless face.

“…Well, it turned out this way.”

“I see.”

When I quietly received the letter, Hui asked.

“Aren’t you going to offer condolences?”

“Pardon?”

“We lost a friend. So—”

I hurriedly covered Hui’s mouth and looked around.

Hui stared at me with wide eyes.

Only after confirming no one was listening did I lower my hand.

“Never bring up that topic.”

“Friend?”

“That’s right. Benjamin was a member of the Ancien Empire Restoration Society. Being friends with him would be a huge problem for the Prince.”

“…”

“And…”

I looked at Hui and Ignis and continued.

“Any condolences from me would all be empty words.”

“…”

“…”

I don’t think it’s good that someone died.

But I had no reason to mourn his death.

What terrible things had I experienced because of Stella’s poisoning incident.

It was something that couldn’t be fully expressed in words.

If Benjamin was the start of that incident, he was no different from an enemy to me.

“I don’t want to comfort you two with empty words.”

Hui stared at me intently.

His gaze was so persistent it was somewhat embarrassing.

“Why are you looking at me like that…?”

“Much better than pretense.”

“Pardon?”

“I like honest kids.”

“…?”

Hui grinned and roughly tousled my hair.

That’s when it happened.

“I suppose manners about not touching others without permission don’t exist in your homeland.”

It was Onel’s voice.

When I turned my head, Onel and his vassals were coming around the corner toward us.

Onel strode over and glared at Hui.

Hui clicked his tongue and said to Ignis.

“That guy always has such an annoying way of speaking.”

“His manners… well, they’re not great…”

Ignis said this to Hui, then told him “Let’s go” and bowed his head to me.

Hui clicked his tongue and retreated with Ignis.

Then he looked back at me.

“Come to the Gold Star Society. We’ll treat you well!”

With those words, they left.

I looked at Onel.

“What is it this time.”

“I have to accompany Father to the archipelago. I just came to see you before that.”

“See what.”

“You.”

“Why.”

“…Do you have to be so sharp with me.”

I frowned.

Onel flinched and turned his head away.

Even he must realize how ridiculous his words sound.

The truth about Stella’s poisoning incident had been revealed.

Judging by the embarrassed expressions of the vassals who came with him, it seemed even they now knew the whole story.

In other words, it had been revealed that I was driven out without any guilt and suffered all kinds of hardships.

Onel turned his gaze away and said.

“…About that incident, we’re sorry. All of Andres.”

The vassals bowed their heads to me.

‘So that’s why he brought the vassals along.’

“Forget it.”

When I said this, several of the vassals’ faces brightened considerably.

“Yes. What’s the point of discussing something that’s already past. From now on, we’ll make sure such things don’t happen…!”

“That’s not something the perpetrators should say.”

The vassals flinched.

“I meant I won’t accept apologies since I have no intention of forgetting that incident.”

The vassals let out groans.

I crossed my arms and said.

“So? Do you have more to say?”

Onel was silent for a moment.

After some time passed, he met my gaze and said.

“No. …I just wanted to apologize.”

“…”

“I thought it might make me feel better.”

“…”

“I heard you’re leaving this afternoon. Travel safely.”

“How can you be so cowardly.”

“What?”

I looked at Onel with an expressionless face.

There was confusion in Onel’s eyes.

“Does bowing your head make everything okay?”

“…”

“It’s all ridiculous.”

Onel looked at me with a confused expression.

“I…”

“You, Count Andres, and the Marchioness too.”

“That’s…!”

“Right, apologizing won’t make me feel better.”

How could I forget.

The day my heart was torn to shreds.

The unforgettable wounds.

“But if you’re human. At least if you’re human—!”

“…”

“You should feel remorse.”

“…”

“Instead of feeling sorry for yourselves, you should feel sorry for what you trampled on.”

“…”

“You seem to think you’re very different from Count Andres, but you’re not. You’re not, Onel.”

“…”

“Was it okay just because you didn’t know?”

“…”

Onel’s eyes trembled slightly.

I didn’t avoid his gaze and glared at him.

Onel opened his mouth to say something but soon turned his head away.

“See, you’re being cowardly like this.”

The vassals exchanged glances with confused faces.

That’s when it happened.

The butler approached with quick steps.

“Young master, they’re looking for you in the conference room.”

“…I’ll go.”

Onel looked at me.

“Next time again…”

“Please, I’d prefer there be no next time. Don’t come looking for me again.”

“…”

Onel bit his lips tightly and swallowed dryly.

Then he said to the butler.

“We must not be negligent in seeing Yustea off.”

“Yes.”

With that, Onel left.

I let out a sigh.

At that moment, the door opened slightly and two faces poked out through the gap.

“Young Lady, that was amazing.”

“Well done.”

It was Oscar and Yuise.

I couldn’t help but smile.

It was finally over.

‘Farewell to the detestable Andres.’

I felt relieved.

And I glanced at the butler.

“Shall we go now?”

“Yes, I’ll prepare to see you off…”

“No. I need to return to Cuaron. …Cesar.”

“…!”

“…?!”

Oscar and Yuise looked up at me in surprise.

I smiled brightly and looked at the butler.

“You said his name was Cesar, right?”

“….”

At that moment, the butler’s expression changed instantly.

[How did you know.]

That voice came from the air, not from the butler’s mouth.

That voice I had heard in Father’s Mirror World.

It was Cesar’s voice.

* * *

Inside the room.

Yuise and Oscar sat in chairs, staring at the butler who sat there like someone whose soul had left their body.

No, his soul had actually left.

His consciousness was put to sleep with magic, and Cesar was controlling the butler’s body.

Yuise said to me.

“How did you know?”

“Crow feed.”

“What?”

“When I scattered it outside the window, no one cleaned it up. There’s no way the servants wouldn’t have cared about something like that. This is a VIP room.”

“Wasn’t it because the time gap was short?”

“The fact that crows were wandering around in the first place was the problem.”

Crows are birds that bring misfortune.

If such birds were wandering around when VIPs were present, they would naturally try to get rid of them.

“More importantly, most of the people I’ve made contact with are nobles, right?”

“That’s right.”

“But if a noble’s condition was strange, someone should have naturally noticed.”

So if someone was being controlled, I thought it would be an employee.

And a high-ranking employee who could give instructions not to harm the crows.

If it’s a high-ranking employee I would encounter, it would naturally be the butler, wouldn’t it.

[Idiots. Oscar’s crow almost died about 8 times.]

Oscar propped his chin and said.

“It doesn’t matter since it won’t die even if you kill it. My crow isn’t actually a living creature.”

[Then they would have tracked your magic power to find you.]

“By then I would have finished up and left, so it doesn’t matter.”

[Why? Are you going to go around spreading that Cuaron has connections with Irregulars.]

Yuise let out a scoffing laugh.

“You’re the one who got caught too.”

[Shut up.]

“Are you hurt in your pride because you got caught?”

[Are you deaf? Can’t you hear me telling you to shut up?]

Yuise raised an eyebrow.

At this rate, they’re really going to fight.

I raised both hands.

“Stop it and let’s go back now.”

[Who do you dare to give orders to.]

Yuise’s face hardened instantly.

“She’s the Young Lady. Someone recognized by the Clan Leader.”

[Only the Clan Leader can give me orders. Even if she’s a daughter recognized by the Clan Leader, it has nothing to do with me.]

Dark energy swirled violently around Yuise.

I quickly grabbed Yuise’s collar.

“Stop it.”

“…If you had been here, your neck would have been broken. Cesar.”

The butler’s neck moved stiffly.

[Have you ever beaten me.]

Oscar clapped his hands.

“Stop showing off your nasty temper and let’s get to the main point?”

Then Yuise sighed and turned her head.

Main point?

Wondering what he meant, I looked over to see Oscar grinning as he stared at the butler.

“I was the only one infiltrating Andres, so why are you here, Cesar.”

[Three members of my team were assassinated last month.]

What?

I looked at the butler in shock.

Yuise also furrowed her brow and asked.

“Assassination? What happened.”

[They asked if we were Irregulars and then immediately attacked.]

“…You mean our location was discovered?”

[We succeeded in tracking the assassins. They were Andres’s landowners.]

“…!”

“…?!”

Yuise and I froze solid.

Andres knows about the existence of Irregulars?

‘That can’t be.’

If Count Andres had known about the Irregulars, he would have targeted that aspect when making a deal with me.

Instead of saying he’d save Mother, he would have threatened to expose the Irregulars.

“The Marquis doesn’t know about the Irregulars’ existence. It’s someone else.”

[Right. It was the Ancien Empire Restoration Society.]

So it was them after all.

Just as I swallowed dryly.

Oscar spoke.

“Ah. Things are really getting complicated.”

“Complicated?”

“The Ancien Empire Restoration Society seems to be among us too.”

“…What?”

Oscar smiled brightly.

“That’s also why I came here. We caught spies within the Irregulars. They were communicating through Andres.”

“Then….”

“But here’s the strange thing.”

Oscar said, resting his head on his interlaced fingers.

“I left one spy alive and killed two. I even confirmed the corpses.”

“…And?”

“But one of the people I definitely killed was in Andres as a mage.”

Oscar looked at me.

“Benjamin, is he really dead?”

I let out a shallow breath.

—————
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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