I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 29
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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 29】
* * *
Meanwhile, Rie found herself in an extremely difficult situation.
She was on her way to the forest to find the clock that Jair had thrown away, when some mean children followed her.
‘Rie has seen this scene! In 【That.Gul.Do】, it’s the scene where the villains really, really bully the protagonist!’
In situations like this, the protagonist of 【That.Gul.Do】 dealt with the villains using cool words.
But! Cool words! They won’t come to mind!
“Hmm…”
It was when Rie, lost in thought, was touching her chin.
“Hey. Can’t you hear me? Answer me, can’t you speak Imperial?”
“No, she was speaking before. Maybe she became stupid after changing her castle to Birdwell.”
Among the children who were giggling at each other, a girl with ordinary brown hair pointed and said.
“You shouldn’t be so relaxed. When Duchess Serena has a child, you’ll be abandoned!”
“Huh…?”
At her friend’s advice, an exclamation mark appeared in Rie’s head.
“Really? Then Rie will be abandoned?”
“Of course. Are you finally seeing reality?”
“Then, Father won’t bother Rie anymore, right?”
When Rie suddenly sparkled her eyes, the girl who had been leading the conversation hesitated.
“…Are you stupid? You should be grateful just for the Duke showing interest in you.”
“Do you like the Duke that much?”
“Of course. If I were the Duke’s daughter, I wouldn’t act stupidly like you, and would work hard to lead the Ducal House as the heir, you know?”
“Really?”
…So she likes him that much.
Rie nodded her head.
“Then I’ll give Father to you!”
“What?”
“You can be the Duke’s daughter. Rie doesn’t need that kind of father.”
The girl was shocked by the seemingly generous words and closed her mouth.
And suddenly, tears formed in the child’s bloodshot eyes.
“Are you… making fun of me right now?”
There were only three Ducal Houses in the entire Empire.
But that child… how could she treat a Ducal House like throwing away trash?
The Count’s Daughter was blinded by jealousy and gritted her teeth.
“Ever since I was little… I wanted to become a direct descendant of a Ducal House, or at least be adopted… But you…!”
“Mary, if you cry, you lose. Don’t cry!”
The surrounding children cheered for the girl, but she eventually burst into tears from frustration.
“You are… waaaaah!”
Eventually, when the girl ran off, the other children nearby made awkward expressions and chased after their friend.
Left alone like that, Rie tilted her head.
“Why cry? Isn’t it good that Rie said she’d give her father?”
Well, anyway, it’s fortunate that the friends disappeared.
Now she could really find the clock!
“Good. Finding the clock, start!”
Rie knelt down.
As she fumbled through the bushes with her palms, sharp blades of grass that stuck out scraped against her tender wrists.
“I definitely threw it here…”
How should she go about finding the clock?
“It feels like playing hide-and-seek with the clock…!”
Hide-and-seek? That would be fun.
“Hehehe…”
Rie’s concentration was like grains of sand held in her hand.
At the word hide-and-seek, memories of playing hide-and-seek with Emilia suddenly floated up like fluffy drawings.
‘Where could our Rie be?’
When Emilia was trying to find Rie, Rie was giggling and hiding inside the wardrobe.
Then.
‘Hmm. Rie really isn’t here. Then Mother should have some black tea~’
‘Rie, Rie is here!’
Emilia was about to give up on hide-and-seek and leave, and panicked Rie hurriedly ran over and hugged her waist.
That’s right.
“…Rie won’t look for the clock. The clock will come running to Rie!”
The child who had gained enlightenment knelt down and closed her eyes.
After a moment, the rustling sound of someone stepping through the bushes approached from not far away.
“Hey you…”
Someone standing in front of Rie was about to speak, but.
“Shh.”
With her eyes still closed, Rie placed her short thumb against the other person’s lips.
“You have to be quiet. Rie needs to listen for the sound of the clock walking around.”
“…”
Fortunately, the other person seemed to understand Rie’s words and became quiet.
And after a moment.
In the quiet forest.
Tick, tick, tick.
The sound of the second hand moving began to be heard.
* * *
Against the backdrop of the quietly echoing second hand, the two children sat motionless for a moment.
‘…I thought she’d be crying after being bullied by the kids. This is quite interesting.’
Although the child’s index finger, extended with a “Shh” sound, was touching Jair’s chin rather than his lips, he quietly left it be.
Silver hair that seemed woven from moonlight reflected on dark river water.
Porcelain-white skin with delicate features.
Perhaps it was because of her unusual hair color.
The girl, smaller than children her age, looked like a doll.
‘But how long are we going to stay like this?’
Contrary to his expectations, the child had admirably driven off the rude little ones by herself.
He had felt some sympathy seeing her being cursed at, so he had even knelt down to meet her eye level.
But she showed no sign of opening her eyes, whatever she was doing.
‘Should I wait?’
Why bother?
Just as he was about to reach out to speak to her.
“I can hear sounds. I have to go over there!”
Then, suddenly, blue waves came crashing in.
He had met the blue eyes of the child who had opened them.
“Oh? It’s the Crown Prince? I’m meeting such an honored person. Well then, farewell-!”
The child, who seemed urgent about something, rattled off only what she had to say before running off somewhere.
But Jair could only freeze like stone.
Their eyes had definitely met, but he couldn’t see the child’s future.
Neither the other person’s noisy inner thoughts nor their private life he didn’t want to know about.
It was fascinating.
For the first time in a long while, it felt like staying in that moment, neither past nor future.
“…Hah.”
Jair unconsciously let out the breath he had been holding softly.
He could breathe freely.
“…Mill.”
“Yes?”
“Duke Casselik’s daughter. What was her name again?”
“Ah, the one who just ran away? Her name is Lady Rie.”
“Rie.”
Jair rolled the name on his tongue.
“Rie. Rie.”
Somehow it seemed like a name he had heard long ago.
Suddenly, memories from the past burst forth like fireworks.
‘Crown Prince! Shall we tell each other then? Rie has a secret too!’
“No way. That kid back then…?”
Jair’s half-open eyes widened in surprise.
The day he had thrown away the clock he was going to give to Marquis Philip. He had been crying alone when a strange voice from behind him made a proposal.
That voice resembled this child’s.
“Mill. Let’s follow that kid.”
Jair’s eyes, which were always indifferent, sparkled with curiosity.
* * *
“Found it! Marquis Philip’s watch!”
A white face peeked out from the blue bushes.
Dirty hands covered with soil held the clock that Jair had thrown away in the past.
“Yo-hoi! Kami. I found something to make Marquis Philip smile!”
“If you found it, let’s go quickly. I have a bad feeling.”
But Kami trembled all over.
“Huh? Why?”
“I feel like extraordinary energy is chasing after you. If you found the clock, hurry up and clean yourself up to go to the banquet. Quickly!”
“Ah, I know.”
Kami’s words were absolute.
Because Kami was… Kami!
After using Time Reversal on her body to restore it to its original state and putting the clock in her pocket, Rie looked around like a meerkat.
Only after confirming that no one was there did she run toward the crowded Outdoor Banquet Hall.
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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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