I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 61
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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 61>
It was the moment when Cedric lost his words due to the suddenly changed atmosphere. The boy smiled knowingly.
“Ah, I see. It would be more comfortable to interrogate a helpless child like catching a mouse rather than dealing with the Duke.”
“Y-Your Highness! That’s not it….”
“Then shall I come along to the Duke’s Castle with you?”
He had been rambling incoherently with nothing to say, when a lifeline-like proposal fell to him.
“I feel sorry for you somehow. If you go with me, the Duke won’t be able to say anything to you.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. You can confirm there why your sister isn’t responding, right?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right. Thank you so much, Your Highness!”
Excited, Cedric bowed his head deeply.
‘I really did well coming to the Birdwell Barony!’
Of course, he didn’t like that the Crown Prince would take Rie along when going to the Duke’s Castle.
Still, once the Crown Prince entered the Duke’s Castle, he would soon realize what a bad child Rie was.
‘Serena said so. That Rie’s reputation in the Duke’s Castle isn’t very good.’
Cedric glanced at Rie, who was still holding hands with the Crown Prince, then changed his expression and bowed his head obsequiously.
“Hehe, let’s go.”
A short while later.
They arrived at Theodore Ducal Castle.
Though they came without any prior notice, the gatekeepers responded kindly, asking them to wait a moment rather than treating them coldly.
‘To think the knights of the Theodore Ducal House are so kind… power really is the best.’
Being next to the Crown Prince, Cedric felt as if he himself had become royalty.
‘Hmm. If I expose Rie’s bad reputation in the Duke’s Castle and flatter him well, maybe I could become friends with the Crown Prince?’
He was lost in rosy fantasies when the main gate opened and the head butler greeted them.
“I greet you, honored one, Crown Prince Jair. The Duke just mentioned wanting to see Your Highness, so this is perfect timing. Lady Rie, it’s been a while. And… why is this person here?”
An uncomfortable gaze touched Cedric and then disappeared.
“…?”
Cedric was seized by a strange feeling.
‘Wait a minute. Are they asking me why I came?’
No. He must have seen it wrong.
He was Serena’s real brother.
He was family to the child currently most beloved in the Duke’s Castle, so they couldn’t treat him carelessly.
“I’d like to see the Duchess. Where is she now?”
“She happens to be with the Duke. I’ll guide you there.”
‘As expected, she was with the Duke!’
Cedric smiled contentedly at the following answer.
‘No matter how much Rie tries to sow discord, the Duke must be completely smitten with Serena. There’s no man who wouldn’t fall for that child’s beauty.’
But the direction the butler was guiding them seemed strange somehow.
Usually the reception room used by couples would be on the 3rd or 4th floor where the castle’s masters stayed.
The head butler suddenly stopped on the 2nd floor and was leading them toward the guest room area.
‘What? Are there other guests too?’
And the moment the butler opened the door, Cedric froze solid like ice.
“D-Duke. Please just look at me once, I’ll definitely bear a time ability user as per our contract. Could you please just consider it until then? Duke, please… please… sob….”
His precious sister, who wouldn’t hurt even if put in his eyes, was kneeling and begging.
There were numerous servants in the room, but not a single one was helping that frail child.
“…Serena…?”
Forgetting even the title of Duchess and calling his sister, her fly-like begging stopped.
Serena jumped up from her spot and ran to him.
“B-Brother. T-The Duke is trying to send me to prison. P-Please tell him to give me just one chance. Please. I can’t survive even a single day in prison…!”
“S-Serena. What on earth is this about? First calm down…!”
“Your sister brought dark mages into my castle.”
Then a huge shadow fell over Cedric.
Duke Casselik, who had appeared before him, quietly explained in a chilling low voice.
“Not only did she deceive us by claiming the dark mage Mary was a time ability user, she also contracted with over 50 farmers at the reverse auction to drive down fig prices to ridiculous levels. And she dealt with dark mages to try to kidnap my child.”
“…What?”
He couldn’t even respond properly to the flood of words when Jair smiled mockingly from the side.
“Cedric. You’re not thinking this is also because of Rie, are you?”
Right after that, Cedric fled from the Duke’s Castle as if escaping.
“T-That’s impossible. That gentle child couldn’t have joined hands with dark mages. There’s no reason for that at all. No way….”
After muttering like a madman for a while, he disappeared with the support of Marquis Mersila’s servants.
* * *
Serena, whose prophetic dreams were exposed as lies, was imprisoned.
The Imperial Palace and the Duke’s House decided to secretly investigate to thoroughly eliminate other groups of dark mages, but rumors spread uncontrollably before long.
Naturally, the Duke’s servants kept their mouths shut.
However, the problem was the servants of Marquis Mersila’s house who had taken Cedric away at that time.
Not knowing they were spitting on their own master, they carelessly wagged their tongues.
“Of all things, joining hands with dark mages… people really are different on the outside and inside.”
“Exactly. Who would have known Duchess Serena was such a frightening person?”
“Even what she claimed were prophetic dreams were all lies. Mary, who was adopted as a time ability user, was also a dark mage.”
“What? Doesn’t that mean Duke Theodore brought an assassin into his house as his wife?”
“Ugh, how scary.”
At any banquet or gathering, Serena’s name was mentioned at least once.
The beautiful flower of the greenhouse was now being called a poisonous plant.
Newspapers that wouldn’t miss this opportunity naturally competed to publish articles.
[Duke Theodore’s Wife Joins Hands with Dark Mages Despite Having Time Ability User Husband.]
[Were All Prophetic Dreams Lies? Did Duchess Serena Bring Dark Mages to the Temple?]
[Marquis Mersila’s House. Still Silent Despite Numerous Controversies.]
Morgana clicked her tongue while reading the newspaper.
“Tsk, tsk. She should have kept her heart pure, everything comes back around.”
“Then, will Duke Casselik divorce again?”
Mary asked casually while pouring tea.
Morgana was disgusted.
“Of course he should divorce after bringing dark mages into the Duke’s Castle! But it’s none of our business. We’re just in a business relationship with the Theodore Ducal House now.”
A peaceful afternoon.
While Morgana and Mary were chatting, Rie was taking a nap for the first time in a while.
No, actually she was pretending to nap while secretly slipping out of bed.
It was to read Father’s notebook that she couldn’t read because of the villain Cedric.
“Kami. Are you ready?”
Rie rubbed her small hamster-like palms together.
Kami opened his beak wide as if he’d been waiting.
“Hurry up and open it! I’m dying of curiosity!”
How much she had looked forward to this time.
When she pulled the notebook from between the mattresses, blue light poured from a new page.
The previous notebook’s content was roughly like this.
Father sent a marriage proposal to the Birdwell Barony where Mother lived!
But when it was discovered he was an illegitimate child, Father regressed again and again to become a perfect person…?!
“Here the Duke loved Mother. But why is he a Dung Cart now?”
Four-year-old Rie couldn’t understand it.
Thump thump.
Rie quickly turned the page like a reader curious about a new story.
However.
“….”
The child who read the text realized.
That the misfortune hadn’t even begun yet.
And that misfortune had started from the moment Rie was born.
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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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