I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 18
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
【Chapter 18】
“Bellik.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Send word to the Archbishop right now to find out what dates are available for officiating the wedding ceremony.”
“Understood.”
After giving orders to his assistant, Casselik turned his gaze to Serena.
“Send a wedding invitation to Rie. I’ll leave the preparations to you, Serena.”
“Yes, yes. Just leave it to me! Oh, how about asking Rie to be the flower girl? She would be so adorable. It would make a beautiful picture for the guests to see too.”
Casselik’s eyebrows rose at this additional suggestion.
He didn’t really care about making a beautiful picture, but thinking of the child in a flower girl dress made him nod involuntarily.
Meanwhile, even though Serena had spoken with a smile, she was burning with jealousy inside.
Why does His Grace have such lingering attachment to that incompetent child?
However, she hated the idea of him continuing to have contact with Emilia because of Rie even more. That’s why she had decided to bring her back.
It was fortunate that Casselik was a man who showed things through actions rather than words.
Serena mentally thought about what to write in the wedding invitation.
* * *
At that moment, at the Birdwell Barony.
“Madam, letters have arrived!”
“Put them on the table over there.”
“Yes!”
Mary was checking through more than ten letters one by one when she paused.
“…Huh? There’s also a letter for Rie.”
It was then that Morgana, who had been knitting while wearing glasses, stopped what she was doing.
“Rie? Who would write a letter to a four-year-old kid?”
“Huh?”
Meanwhile, Rie, who had been sitting in a children’s chair diligently coloring, suddenly lifted her head.
The child struggled to get down from the chair, lost her balance, and plopped down on the floor.
But Rie was a brave little child!
Without showing any sign of pain, she dusted herself off and got up, then bounced up and down in front of Mary.
“That’s mine! Give it to Rie! It’s a reply from Marquis Philip!”
“Oh, oh, yes. I understand!”
“Marquis Philip… you don’t mean that…? Are you saying Marquis Philip sent you a letter right now?”
“Yesh. When Rie had the trial with Mother, Marquis Philip helped us a lot. So Rie wrote a thank-you letter.”
“Hmm? Why would Marquis Philip…?”
Morgana pushed up her glasses with a suspicious look.
“What is he trying to get from our little brat who’s still wet behind the ears?”
“Huh, huh?!”
Rie, who saw Morgana’s face, stumbled backward with a tottering step.
When Grandmother pushed her glasses up sharply… it was only when Rie was dawdling over her meal.
‘She’ll take my letter!’
Sensing something strange, Rie quickly ran away and awkwardly climbed up, pressing the stairs with her small palms.
“Our little rascal. Where are you going!”
Behind her, she could hear Grandmother slowly getting up and chasing after her, but…
‘I’ve been waiting so long for Marquis Philip’s letter!’
This time, even Rie couldn’t back down. She had waited a whole three weeks to receive this letter!
“I don’t have time to love~ Don’t look for me, I’m a man who wastes time~”
A song naturally flowed from the child’s mouth as she entered her room and clutched the letter envelope. It was a song that had once been popular among the Maid Sisters.
The letter inside was filled with elegant handwriting that resembled Marquis Philip.
[To my smart and lovely Rie.
Rie. I’m so happy to hear that you get to live with Mother, and that I was able to help even a little bit.
I’m so grateful that our Rie wrote me a letter that I want to buy you delicious desserts. Can I visit Rie’s house soon? I’ll ask for permission from Rie’s Mother and Viscount Birdwell.
See you soon^^.]
“…Wooaaa. He even drew a smiling face…”
Her blue eyes sparkled like stars as she looked at the letter paper.
“Rie can’t lose either. I have to draw an even prettier smiling face.”
Rie wrote a reply saying anytime was fine, then clumsily drew two smiling people with crayons.
It was Rie and Philip.
“…Hmm, but will this letter be enough?”
However, there was another reason why Rie had been waiting for Philip’s letter.
While chatting with Marquis Philip through letters was fun… the fact was that this was all part of Rie’s plan!
“…Hehe. Now all the truth will be revealed.”
One corner of her mouth rose crookedly, intoxicated by her own cleverness.
Her hamster-like small hands moved secretly while clutching the letter.
The small birdhouse she had made in Rie’s Room.
Rie rolled up the letter and stood on her tiptoes to slip it into the round hole.
“I brought what you wanted.”
Then a black beak popped out through the hole.
The sharp beak sniffed at the letter Rie offered as if appraising a jewel.
“Hmm. From the smell… this is definitely written by Marquis Philip himself. I can feel that guy’s energy.”
“Then… will the truth about the notebook be revealed now?!”
Rie’s expression brightened.
“What? Kid, did you think this would be enough? Not even close! I’ll need at least ten letters!”
It immediately darkened though.
Rumble-!
It even seemed like thunder was striking behind her.
“Te, ten letters?! To wait for that many letters… Rie can’t stand being so curious…”
Rie had waited so hard. And now she has to wait again here…?
“Eeeeeek-!”
The child, who had finally gotten sulky, turned away from Kami and went to the bed, burying her face in the blanket.
The reason Rie was obsessed with the letter was none other than Casselik’s notebook.
A few days ago.
Rie, who had been looking at Casselik’s notebook with an expression full of anticipation, was greatly disappointed.
[You may not believe it, but keep in mind that all the following content is true.]
Because this was the only sentence revealed in the notebook.
There must be important words written after this.
Then I might be able to understand why Father cried like a little child because of Mother who divorced him a year later!
“Don’t be disappointed, little one. Originally, time ability grows more when used for others rather than oneself, so if you help someone, you’ll be able to see more sentences.”
Kami said that if Rie used her time ability for ‘others’ rather than ‘herself’, she would be able to see the notebook.
So Rie decided to help Marquis Philip.
The Marquis was very, very tall and reliable, but actually Rie kept being bothered by what he had said.
‘No. Rie can still turn things around, so I want her to be happy.’
At that time, Marquis Philip looked very, very sad and lonely.
So much so that his tall height and handsome face looked like a little child’s.
And so, back to the present.
“To see the Marquis’s past, I need to be with the Marquis, but since that’s impossible, I need the Marquis’s belongings.”
Squirm, squirm. Rie, lying spread-eagle on the blanket, looked like a giant caterpillar.
Her body had definitely felt light until just a while ago, but now it felt heavy like a cotton ball soaked with water.
“But to receive ten letters from the Marquis… I’ll have to wait ten nights, no, ten-ten nights more.”
“It’s not ten-ten nights, it’s twenty nights.”
Rie coolly ignored Kami’s answer.
“Then Rie might explode from curiosity about Father’s notebook contents… pop!”
“You’re not a balloon, you’re a person. You won’t explode, so don’t worry and wait, little one.”
“Tch-. Kami is no fun. Just like Rie’s Father. Father’s name is Ca, ssel, lik. From now on, Kami’s name is Ca. Ssel. Lik!”
Kami, startled, popped out of the black hole.
“What?! That’s a terrible insult! Take it back!”
Regardless, Rie turned her head and made a “hmph” sound.
“I don’t want to? Ca. Ssel. Lik?”
“Don’t call me that! I was wrong, okay?!”
It was when Kami, with his black beak wide open, was scurrying toward Rie.
“They think our baronial house is a joke!!”
At the sudden terrifying shout, both Rie and Kami’s actions stopped.
“Ma, Madam. Please calm down!”
“Do I look like I can calm down after seeing this letter? All the nobles will think the Duke is looking down on the Birdwell Barony!”
Downstairs, Morgana was raging terrifyingly like thunder.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————