I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 118

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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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【Chapter 118】

Casselik’s evaluation of her was worse than she had thought.

Of course, it was Serena herself who had chosen to parasitize Emilia’s body, but having her ‘real’ self denied like this didn’t feel good.

“If you don’t mind, would you like to look at the dresses I have stored? They’re yours anyway, so if there’s anything you want, you can try it on right now.”

But Casselik’s following proposal seemed to iron out her crumpled mood.

“Really?”

Her voice grew louder without realizing it.

What Serena loved most was receiving men’s attention and dress shopping.

‘Dresses I never saw even during my time as Duchess. Now that I’ve entered Emilia’s body, the Duke is treating me so kindly, isn’t he?’

Serena naturally accepted his proposal and entered another dressing room she had never seen before with the maid.

While eagerly looking around at the gorgeous dresses with eyes wide with excitement, a silver dress that would suit Emilia’s blue eyes caught her attention.

“Shall I try this one on?”

“Yes.”

After changing into the dress with the maids’ devoted care, she turned around once in front of the full-length mirror.

Swish, the dress made of luxurious silk fabric that shimmered with subtle light was clearly clothing of the upper nobility.

‘I’ve really returned to the life of a Duchess! I succeeded!’

Serena, wearing the dress, returned to the reception room while hiding her excitement.

“…Beautiful. It really suits you well.”

Casselik, who had been looking at her with a dazed expression, murmured.

Serena smiled prettily, pretending to be shy.

Just by changing into one dress, she received praise from that man!

At this rate, remarriage was only a matter of time.

Serena clasped her hands together with the most moved expression possible.

“If we have a good time as a family at this Cradle’s Blessing Festival, perhaps reuniting would also be…”

That’s when it happened.

“I’m truly sorry for interrupting your conversation.”

One of the maids continued speaking with her head bowed.

“It’s just… His Grace told us to report to him anytime there was talk of Lady Emilia and Lady Rie. Lady Rie has come to visit.”

‘Rie? Why is that child suddenly here?’

Serena’s mood, which had been walking on clouds, suddenly plummeted.

Casselik also looked at Serena with a surprised expression at the child’s sudden visit.

“Emilia, was Rie supposed to come too but came separately? Or didn’t you know either?”

“Ah… Yes. Actually, I went to work at the embroidery shop today, but the work finished quickly. Rie probably still thinks I’m working at the embroidery shop… Did you perhaps exchange letters with her?”

“No. Just like you came suddenly, Rie came suddenly too. This is a strange coincidence.”

‘…What coincidence, it’s because that little one Rie is running around everywhere!’

In any case, Casselik naturally and readily accepted Rie’s visit.

A moment later.

Rie arrived at the reception room with a maid.

The child, who had been looking around like a meerkat trying to find something, made eye contact with Serena.

The child opened her triangular mouth and pointed at her.

“Huh? Why is Mother here? Didn’t you go to work?”

‘…Sigh. I shouldn’t have said I was going to work.’

In fact, Serena had quit the embroidery shop immediately after parasitizing Emilia’s body.

Since the Birdwell Barony was well-off, it was natural not to work.

‘…Anyway, this child is no help in life.’

But the current situation wasn’t disadvantageous to her.

As long as Rie and Casselik firmly believed she was Emilia, she had a weapon to resolve this lie.

“Actually… I haven’t told you two yet.”

Casselik’s eyes narrowed.

“What…?”

“The Birdwell Barony’s situation has improved a lot, so I quit work a while ago.”

Pretending to be pitiful while fidgeting with her fingers, she quickly squeezed out tears and looked up at the two of them.

“But if I told them I quit work, I thought people would dislike me.”

“Why would they dislike you?”

“Well… because people who don’t do anything aren’t needed by the family. Especially since the Duke always taught me that way…”

As she subtly gazed at Casselik while murmuring, she felt his facial muscles stiffen.

It was natural.

The Casselik that Serena knew was a man who had treated both Rie and Emilia coldly when they were at the Duke’s Castle.

If she blamed Casselik for the ‘lie she told because she wanted to rest from work,’ the Duke and Rie would naturally recall the atrocities he had committed against Emilia during that time.

Then sympathy votes would naturally fall to her.

“…I have nothing to say.”

As expected, Casselik slowly rubbed his face with both palms, seemingly feeling guilty.

‘This should work out.’

Just as Serena’s lips were about to curve upward after seeing his expression.

“That’s a lie.”

Suddenly, a childish voice interrupted between the two of them.

Before she knew it, Rie was sitting on the sofa between Casselik and her.

“Mother never learned that from the Duke.”

“…Really?”

‘Was Rie originally… cold toward her mother too?’

While Serena was confused and flustered, the child continued speaking smoothly.

“Because Mother bullied Rie when Father wasn’t around, and said that Father would abandon Rie if Rie didn’t listen.”

“…Emilia, no. I said that?”

“Uh-huh. Mother said that.”

‘Emilia, what kind of things were you doing behind the scenes while pretending to be good on the surface?’

Serena clicked her tongue at Emilia’s wickedness.

It turned out this woman had only acted pitifully toward the Duke, but was apparently a bad person who said vile things to her daughter behind the scenes.

“Especially when Uncle Nelson and Muha went to the orchard! Mother made Uncle make a terrible contract and told him to earn even a pittance!”

“Hmm…?”

But Serena tilted her head at the following claim.

‘The one who told Rie and Uncle to earn a pittance… that wasn’t Emilia, but me, Serena, wasn’t it?’

However, unlike the puzzled Serena, Casselik’s expression hardened grimly.

“Is that true. That woman did that?”

“Yes.”

“She tried to deceive me just now too. She was doing all sorts of vile things back then as well.”

“…What?”

This situation shouldn’t be going this way, should it?

Without realizing it, she agreed with Rie enough that the things she supposedly did deserved criticism.

She had thought everything would work out easily if she parasitized Emilia’s body.

Though it was a bit uncomfortable, she had to tell them that it was all Serena’s doing.

Before things got worse, Serena approached Rie and gently wrapped her arms around the child’s small shoulders.

“Listen, Rie. I don’t know who you’re confusing Mother with right now… but that wasn’t something Mother did, it was something Serena did. You know that, Rie.”

But.

“Yeah. That’s right. The person in our Mother’s body right now is Aunt Serena.”

Blue eyes without a trace of falsehood filled Serena’s vision completely.

It felt like her heart stopped for several seconds.

Serena had frozen like a stone at the unexpected situation.

She heard the sound of Casselik standing up from across the room.

“That’s right. The woman who linked arms with me and got excited over just a few dresses isn’t Emilia, but Serena.”

“…What?”

At his tone suggesting that even Casselik knew everything, Serena flinched in surprise and stepped backward.

“No, why do you think I’m Serena? If it’s Rie, then fine. Rie might be right about that. But shouldn’t you at least listen to what I have to say, Duke? Until Rie came, you… you saw me as Emilia!”

“Saw you as Emilia? Your acting was so damn terrible that I just played along. Though it was confusing since the shell was still Emilia’s.”

The red eyes that had been gentle throughout their conversation suddenly turned sharp.

“His Highness the Crown Prince told me. Before Rie’s regression, you threatened me using Rie as a hostage.”

“…What?”

“To do such a thing and then shamelessly appear before me. You must have multiple lives or something.”

Though she didn’t understand what he meant, the sudden killing intent pierced through her body.

‘I need to… I need to escape.’

The potion with blood and the magic circle. With just those, she could get out of this place.

Trembling violently, Serena hurriedly searched through her dress pockets, but for some reason, the potion and magic circle weren’t there.

“What are you looking for? The vial of blood and magic circle are in your real dress.”

“!”

“That’s what you get for coveting someone else’s dress.”

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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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