I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 51
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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 51】
Meanwhile, Morgana, who had been walking down the corridor with Nelson, suggested teatime.
“I was having tea. You should join me.”
“I’m tired, so I’ll wash up. I have to return to the orchard again starting tomorrow.”
“What? You’re going back to the orchard already? What about the Theodore Ducal House’s auction?”
“Theodore….”
Suddenly, Nelson stopped walking.
“…I won’t go to the auction house. They’ll fail anyway since they won’t be able to meet the quantity they want.”
“What do you mean it’ll fail without even trying? You were happy about being able to extort money from the ducal house.”
“I won’t take Theodore’s filthy money!”
“What?!”
Bang-
Nelson suddenly made a loud noise, closed the door, and went inside.
“Has that guy hit puberty in his old age…. Mary!”
“Madam-!”
As Morgana’s walking stick trembled, Mary, who was beside her, supported her.
Rie, who was hiding around the corner, was watching everything.
‘Uncle isn’t going to the auction house?’
If that happened, Rie couldn’t go to the auction house either, and Father’s identity as a bastard would be exposed, leading to regression….
If she went back to the past again, Mother would be in danger!
Thump, thump.
Her heart, which had been excited until just now, started beating for a different reason.
The auction house aside, why was Uncle angry?
‘If Uncle Nelson is angry enough to get mad… something really, really upsetting must have happened!’
She wanted to hear what it was about, but having a conversation with Uncle right now seemed impossible.
“But if Uncle Nelson leaves tomorrow, that won’t work… Ah!”
Rie’s eyes, who had been whimpering like a puppy, suddenly lit up.
“Then I can just go to the orchard with Uncle tomorrow!”
The child who had diligently written a letter with crayons knocked on Nelson’s bedroom door.
A moment later.
Nelson, who had been contemplating, opened the door.
Instead of a person, there was just a piece of paper folded in half lying there.
[Uncle Nelson. Rie wants to eat those figs from yesterday again. And also, I’m really, really curious about how figs are made. I want to go to the orchard together!]
A letter written in colorful rainbow colors.
Above it, a tall man and a small child were drawn.
It was him and Rie at the fig orchard.
“….”
Nelson fidgeted with the rainbow brooch attached to his chest.
She changed into a comfortable tunic, but somehow felt she shouldn’t remove the brooch, so she pinned it back on.
Though he had never seen her before, he cherished Rie.
He had fallen for her at first sight.
She was a lovely child who looked exactly like his dear sister – how could he not love her?
The reason he had initially ignored the child was because he didn’t know how to treat her and wanted to ask Mother about it.
But when the child greeted him again, he unconsciously blurted out these words.
‘Another mouth to feed. About 0.5 portions.’
Translated into his language, it meant he would take responsibility for her until the end.
He had added “0.5 portions” to indicate he had specifically considered how to take responsibility.
But seeing how angry the Viscount Couple became, it seemed he had been too clumsy after all.
Even so, the child approached him without any shyness.
‘If I can grant what Rie wants. It’s a modest orchard, but I should take her there.’
His sharp nerves melted like cotton.
[Let’s leave tomorrow.]
After writing his reply on the back of the letter, he placed it in front of the child’s bedroom door and shyly disappeared.
* * *
At that moment, Serena, who still hadn’t left the banquet, was leaning against the terrace sipping fruit wine.
“…That damn Birdwell. If only Duke Casselik would look at me, I wouldn’t have to deal with that family… Why has the god Chronos given me such trials?”
“It would be the god of magic, not the god Chronos.”
“Oh my!”
Startled, Serena turned her head to see a strange woman with a pale face standing there.
“Have you forgotten that we’re already in the same boat?”
“Excuse me?”
“You did well to attend though. When you entered the banquet hall, everyone was buzzing about you.”
The woman with a faint smile clinked her glass against Serena’s wine glass.
The woman made a “cheers” sound with her mouth and took a sip of wine.
‘She said “we.” Then she must be Count Greenlenton…’
But the Count was a man, and the person standing before her was a woman.
Hesitating, Serena whispered.
“Are you someone sent by Count Greenlenton…?”
“I just said ‘we.’ The Count is me. The god of magic blessed me and granted me Marchioness Conn’s body.”
Shiver.
At those words, a chill ran through Serena and she trembled.
“I’m telling you this to avoid misunderstanding, but I followed the Count’s instructions. I cared for Mary like my own child. Later I heard through rumors that the child Rie had discovered Mary’s true identity.”
“I heard that too. Though no rumors spread since Theodore hasn’t revealed the dark mage’s identity yet, I had my sources.”
“What do we do now?”
“What do you mean what do we do? Since the Duke’s side took Mary as a weakness, we need to obtain the Duke’s weakness too.”
“…A weakness?”
Serena tilted her head.
A Time Ability User, victorious in every war he participated in.
What weakness could there possibly be in someone who even demonstrated skill in all business ventures?
“He is a bastard.”
However, at Count Greenlenton’s plain answer, Serena covered her mouth.
“Is, is that… really true? You mustn’t lie, Count.”
In the Chronos Empire, the position of a ‘bastard’ was miserable.
The act of bringing life into being through the wayward behavior of one spouse was something that couldn’t be helped even by turning back ‘time.’
Of course, there were also sayings that turning back time would eliminate the life, but this was a moral issue.
Therefore, those born as bastards either couldn’t set foot in High Society at all or lived after lowering their status to commoners.
“I never heard anywhere that Duke Casselik was a bastard. If I had known the Duke was a bastard… no matter how much it was a contract marriage….”
Of course, even so, she would have ultimately married Casselik.
Despite the fatal flaw of being a bastard, he was a man who possessed many things.
Regardless, the Count continued speaking.
“That’s why you must attend the auction. We’ll bring Mary using this as a trading condition.”
“But… what if the Duke immediately uses his Knights to put us in Prison?”
Serena knew well how thorough Casselik was.
For example, hadn’t he arrested all the Children at the Dessert Shop just for being friendly with Mary?
But he smiled broadly as if telling her not to worry.
“I’ll use Dark Magic to Teleport the Duke. Then we can deal with him without any interference.”
“Teleport?”
“Yes. For that to work, my hand must touch the Duke. That’s why Serena needs to invite me to this auction house.”
Using Magic again?
Serena asked carefully while pretending to be nonchalant.
“…If it’s Dark Magic… who will be sacrificed again?”
“Yes. Would you recommend someone, Serena? Someone who could be sacrificed in an accidental death without any trouble being buried.”
The eerie voice seemed delighted as if choosing an object.
‘Another person…. This is scary. Why does it have to be this way.’
Serena squeezed her eyes shut.
If she designated a Noble like Ella, someone would surely appear wanting to investigate like Cedric had.
Then….
“How about an Orphanage in a remote Rural Village? If we sacrifice any Child from there, it won’t cause much of a stir and will pass by quietly.”
“Serena is gradually becoming smart like ‘us’ too. Good.”
She didn’t want to hear such praise.
“And also.”
“…Yes?”
However, she opened her eyes wide at the Count’s following words.
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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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