I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 16

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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 16】

Serena spoke about this situation while sobbing.

‘Wouldn’t respecting Rie’s choice be what a true caregiver does? If it’s a time ability user… I’ll definitely give birth to one!’

Her words were right.

Rie was powerless, and they could just have another child with abilities.

But respect Rie’s choice?

Does a child who’s only four years old even have the right to choose?

A vein suddenly bulged on his forehead as he fell deep in thought.

“…Why does this feel so unsettling.”

He stood up from his seat and roughly swept his bangs back.

The child’s vivid eyes.

The innocent voice that called it a ‘poop carriage’ kept echoing in his ears.

It was strange.

When the child actually lived at the Duke’s House, he had treated Rie like a shadow.

‘Why do I have such lingering attachment to that child.’

Leaving his office, he suddenly headed toward the bedroom.

Everything had clear cause and effect.

The fact that he kept thinking about the child meant there was a proper reason for it.

‘…Then that would be…’

When he yanked open the bedroom drawer, the notebook that should have been there was missing.

“…?”

His gaze silently narrowed.

Just in case, he searched the lower drawers and the entire bedroom, but the notebook didn’t appear.

Casselik was a time ability user, but when he regressed by years, he couldn’t remember what had happened during that time.

That’s why he had recorded important life events in his notebook.

If he regressed but didn’t even know why he had returned to the past, it would be like wasting his life twice.

Therefore, he always wore a bracelet engraved with the phrase ‘Check bedroom notebook’ on his arm.

“…But the notebook is missing?”

This couldn’t be right.

Even the maids who cleaned the bedroom didn’t know the notebook existed. He had given them advance notice not to touch the drawer.

“This makes no sense. Where did it go?”

He could find the answer to that reason by turning back time.

Taking out the pocket watch from his jacket pocket, he turned the clock’s second hand to the left with a click—

“Hey, but if Lady Rie personally went all the way to the courtroom with Lady Emilia to say she wanted to live together… how much must she have disliked His Grace?”

“It’s true that he had no interest in Lady Rie.”

“Ugh, so he should have treated her well while she was here.”

In the rewinding time, maids entered the bedroom walking backwards and chatted while cleaning.

Casselik silently glared only at the bedroom door.

Like that for a day, a week. And several weeks ago.

While the usual situation of only him and the maids going in and out was unfolding, time suddenly stopped.

As if someone had deliberately stopped it.

“…?”

It wasn’t an ability he had used.

Currently, Casselik was the only time ability user.

Rie, his bloodline who was the most likely candidate, had been determined to be powerless.

But just in case.

“Shadow.”

“Yes.”

When Casselik, who had set the time to the present, came out of the bedroom, the man who had been waiting bowed his head.

“Monitor Rie residing at the Birdwell Barony all day long. If the child is somewhere else at any moment or shows strange signs, report immediately.”

“Understood.”

“And find out about all children under 10 years old among the branch family houses.”

“Understood.”

Even though she was determined to be powerless, it was necessary to check once more. There was no precedent yet, but he also needed to confirm if any ability users had emerged from the branch side.

Casselik needed the notebook.

He had to find out why he had regressed.

* * *

Rie was quickly adapting to the Birdwell Baronet Manor.

“I’ll remove the fish bones for you, so stay still. This old lady may not be able to feed you meat every day, but I can remove fish bones.”

“Gwandma, the besht!”

“What’s so great about being the best? Rich houses that give meat are the best.”

“But you know what. I like grandma who removes bones more than rich houses.”

“This little one is already talking sweet…”

Grin.

Though she grumbled, the corners of Morgana’s mouth went up.

“Hey, Mary. Bring that blueberry cake we bought last time. This little Rie’s tiny belly is still hollow!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Huh? G-grandma. I’m full!”

She had already eaten three whole fish?

Flustered, Rie hurriedly stuck out her belly.

She showed off her baby belly that protruded like a small hill, but it clearly wouldn’t satisfy grandma’s standards.

“Saying you’re full with just that, how on earth did the Duke educate this child!”

‘G-grandma is angry!’

At times like this, she absolutely had to eat the food without complaining…!

Though she felt like her cheeks were getting chubby somehow, Rie gulped and stabbed the cake with her fork.

“That’s right. You can’t get tired if you want to grow big and strong, right?”

Mordic, who was sitting beside her, had a pleased expression on his face.

‘…Grandma, Grandpa, to make them happy, Rie needs to become plump and chubby.’

A sense of responsibility settled on her small shoulders with this new mission.

Just then, someone suddenly placed a hand on top of Rie’s head.

“Who is it?”

When she tilted her head back, Emilia, who had changed into her outdoor clothes, was looking at the feast spread before Rie with a proud smile.

“Rie, eat lots of delicious food. Mother will go to work and come back.”

After moving here, Emilia had gotten a job at a nearby embroidery shop.

She chose this because she didn’t want to ask her parents for money, and her goal was to save up quickly and become independent with Rie.

“Mmhm. Mother, have a good day-!”

After seeing her mother off like that, Rie finished her meal and came into the bedroom, holding her plump belly.

“Phew. That was an enormous amount. If Grandpa hadn’t helped me in the middle… I would have given up.”

Her little belly, after the fierce battle, was bulging out between her shirt.

“Oops.”

Rie covered her round belly with her skirt, sat on the children’s chair, and picked up her crayons.

It was nap time now, but she had something to do.

That was writing thank-you letters to Kami and Marquis Philip!

Being able to live her four-year-old life again was thanks to the time ability Kami gave her, and without Philip, she wouldn’t have been able to get to the courtroom on time.

But setting that aside, Rie was curious about why Marquis Philip had such a sad expression back then.

‘No. Rie can still turn things around, so I hope she becomes happy.’

She didn’t know what was wrong, but couldn’t Rie help somehow?

Rie wanted to express her gratitude and also ask about that sad expression from back then.

First, she should write a letter to Kami!

“I’ll draw pretty flowers on the letter paper, and lots of cookies that Rie likes too.”

As she was diligently writing the letter while gripping her crayons.

Tap tap.

Suddenly, there was a tapping sound from the window.

When startled Rie looked toward the window, Kami was already sitting on the window sill.

“Huh? Kami-! Perfect timing! I just finished writing a letter!”

Excited Rie ran over and opened the window for him.

Kami hopped into the bedroom and looked around with a satisfied expression.

“Hmm. You finally got away from that bastard? It’s more modest than your previous house, but there are lots of fluffy cushions that resemble you.”

“Yeah, it’s all thanks to Kami! That’s why Rie wrote a letter, want to see it?”

“A letter? You could just say it out loud, why bother with a letter.”

Though Kami acted annoyed, he was already spreading his black wings and waiting for the letter.

“This is something Rie wrote and drew herself!”

Rie tore a page from her sketchbook and held out the letter she had worked hard on.

Then Kami, with narrowed eyes, glared at the letter for a long time like a teacher checking homework.

And then.

“…What’s this black thing here?”

“That’s Kami!”

“What about the white thing next to it?”

“That’s Rie! It’s Rie’s hair color!”

“Hmm. A black circle and a white circle…”

Rie’s drawing skills were terrible, but her intentions were good.

The corners of Kami’s mouth couldn’t help but curl up into a grin.

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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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