I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 40
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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 40】
Of course, he wasn’t there at that time.
But the child was staring intently at Casselik, as if she had anticipated that he would be watching with his time ability.
“When Rie causes trouble, people come running. Since I broke this many flower pots, Father must have come too, right?”
Casselik was so shocked he was at a loss for words.
Because what she said was correct.
“I had something to tell Father. Aunt Emilia and Mary keep following Rie around. I wanted to talk about this.”
‘…So. The child caused trouble just to talk to me? She used my time ability against me to make me come here?’
Before the shock could even fade, Rie continued speaking.
“On Mary’s neck, there’s a black crescent moon drawn. And the black crescent moon is proof of being a dark mage. There’s a dark mage in the Duke’s Castle!”
What?
“Watch Mary’s neck closely. I learned that dark mages are bad.”
If someone dared to hit him on the back of the head, would it feel like this?
While he stood there dumbfounded like a wooden statue, Rie, having finished what she wanted to say, quickly disappeared.
“…Dark magic?”
Casselik, who belatedly came to his senses, quickly returned to the present.
* * *
“Wow, I can’t believe I’m at Theodore Ducal Castle…”
“As expected of Mary. Oh, no. As expected of Princess Mary!”
Seeing her friends exclaim in admiration, her shoulders naturally rose with pride.
Mary sat primly with her arms crossed and legs crossed.
“The Duke’s Castle is just a place where people live. It’s embarrassing, so stop gawking and sit down quickly.”
“Still, the size of the garden is unbelievable.”
“Right. It’s at least five times bigger than our house’s garden?”
“Of course you can’t compare the Duke’s Castle to your houses. Do you know how complicated it gets when you become a time ability user? That’s why you need plenty of space to rest.”
Mary sighed as if she were tired.
Then one child asked with a curious expression.
“Rie, right? You cried and ran away in front of that child at the wedding banquet. You didn’t know it would turn out like this back then, did you?”
The other children flinched at the humiliating question.
But Mary wasn’t offended at all.
The reason she invited the children was to repackage the grief from that time into good memories.
“Even when I was crying like a fool, I was a time ability user… I just didn’t know myself. I didn’t need to cry like that.”
“Right. My mother said that people eventually find their way to positions that suit them.”
Mary’s lips curved up at the appropriate response.
“Your mother said something really wise. But there’s still a child wandering around looking for her place. Rie is currently staying at the Duke’s Castle.”
“What?”
“Why is she there?!”
“I don’t know. After I was identified as a time ability user, she suddenly clung to the Duke and said she wanted to stay here.”
“Wow, how shameless!”
“Kids, want to go see what she’s doing?”
At one boy’s mischievous suggestion, the children who had been grumbling got up from their seats with laughter.
“What are you all talking about? Really… it can’t be helped.”
Mary, who pretended to stop them while slyly getting up, roamed through the Duke’s Castle with her friends.
There had never been a happier moment than this.
Though born into an ancient Count family, how sad she had been to realize there were hierarchies even among nobles.
She couldn’t express how frustrated and bitter she felt at the saying that abilities were passed down through bloodlines.
But her parents had used the lower classes to bloom equality of abilities, making Mary into a princess.
In the distant future, when she became a Duke, she would repay her parents’ kindness.
And she would make it so that anyone who believed in the god of magic rather than Chronos could use abilities.
Anyone, as long as they were noble!
Mary opened the door without knocking, her heart pounding with excitement.
But Rie wasn’t there.
“What? Where did she go?”
As she looked around wondering if she should ask a maid, one maid happened to approach her.
“Oh, Alice. Perfect timing. Where is Rie…?”
“The Duke is calling for you.”
But the maid suddenly cut off her words and bowed her head.
She could feel her friends’ gazes from behind.
‘…She’s interrupting me? And in front of my friends?’
She wanted to make the maid kneel, but meeting the Duke took priority.
“Alice. Take me to where the Duke is. And wait in the corridor while I speak with the Duke.”
“Yes.”
“You all wait in the corridor together too.”
As her voice naturally became stiff, her friends who had been reading the mood tried to comfort Mary.
“…The Duke must really adore Mary. I heard rumors that he’s not even interested in his family, but he’s calling for you separately.”
“…Yeah.”
Though she was angry at the maid’s attitude, she was pleased that Casselik had called for her.
‘Why would he call me? Still, I’m glad he called while the kids are here. It makes us look close like they said.’
Arriving at the reception room, Mary knocked, then opened the door and bowed her head.
“Hello, Duke.”
“Oh. Mary!”
But what she heard wasn’t a cave-like deep voice, but Rie’s voice.
‘…?’
Confused, she raised her head to see Rie and Casselik sitting together.
“Come in.”
Even at Casselik’s words, Mary hesitated for a moment.
‘…Don’t tell me he’s treating that girl and me as equals?’
Sure enough, behind her, friends with puzzled faces whispered among themselves.
“I guess she was called together with Rie.”
“But she’s not from Theodore Castle anymore.”
“Shh, be quiet. Let’s wait in the corridor.”
Realizing that Duke Casselik was in the reception room, the children became as quiet as mice.
But Mary’s pride had already been torn to shreds.
Her fists hidden beneath her dress skirt trembled violently.
‘Could it be that little one tattled to the Duke? That I keep bullying her?’
There was plenty of circumstantial evidence. Even now, countless memories from the past flashed through her mind.
‘…Ha!’
But Mary’s lips only curled upward.
Even so, whenever she was with Rie, Serena was always present, and when she wanted to tease the child, she had couched it in terms of education or noble etiquette.
‘For forcibly waking her during nap time? For dressing her in ridiculous dresses and giggling? For saying her mother’s family was low-class?’
Everything could be excused under the pretext of education and etiquette training.
‘Go ahead and try, Rie.’
The girl stood confidently before Rie.
And she flashed a smooth smile as if to show off.
“Hello, Duke. Rie, you’re here too?”
“Wipe the child’s neck.”
But the command that came was completely different from what she had expected.
“What? My neck?”
Mary stepped back in surprise, but the maids appeared with wet towels.
“Wait a moment, Duke. I’ll wipe my neck myself! But if you could just tell me why I need to wipe it… Ah! It hurts!”
As the maids scrubbed her neck as if washing off grime, Mary screamed fiercely.
But…
“There’s nothing there.”
On Mary’s neck, only red scratches remained, and the black crescent moon was nowhere to be found.
“What exactly isn’t there?”
Mary glared at the maids with irritation.
But the child’s mind was in complete chaos.
‘Could he be suspecting me of being a dark mage? How? I hid all the evidence the Duke could find.’
Though she was startled, Mary reassured herself.
It was still just suspicion, wasn’t it?
She had hidden the crescent moon mark with dark magic so that no one could notice it.
‘In times like this, I need to act boldly.’
Mary placed her hand on her chest.
“Even if you are the Duke, I’d appreciate it if you could tell me the reason for this. If you keep treating me so frighteningly like this… I might even regress, you know?”
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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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