I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 69

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

<Chapter 69>

 

Ethan’s breath stopped.

 

The man he thought he had surely protected glared at Ethan with a sword piercing his abdomen.

 

“…Cough.”

 

As his shoulders shook from coughing, blood trickled down from the corner of Verdick’s mouth.

 

“Ethan, you fool… Ah. That’s what I told you. I’m still… your… knight captain…”

 

“C-Captain…”

 

“I was… calculating. But you suddenly… jumped out…”

 

Cough!

 

With another bout of coughing, Verdick’s eyes swayed like a lost mast.

 

“Captain-!”

 

“Captain!”

 

Only then did the navy knights who noticed the knight captain’s injury come running.

 

Though he was jostled by colleagues rushing toward Verdick, Ethan stood frozen like ice.

 

Only then did he realize.

 

That Verdick was an object of admiration before being someone to protect.

 

I should have been the one to trust him most.

 

* * *

 

After that, Ethan turned away from Verdick’s death.

 

He didn’t even go to the Funeral Hall.

 

There was one reason he couldn’t accept parting with him.

 

Because he had rejected the ring Verdick gave him.

 

Ethan had rejected something that could have let him long for his lover for life.

 

He shouldn’t have done that.

 

He should have trusted him.

 

He should have at least accepted the ring with gratitude.

 

Returning to the Birdwell Barony, he decided to suppress his emotions.

 

He didn’t even have the right to cry.

 

* * *

 

After the memory ended.

 

The children who returned to the present from the blue whirlwind Tunnel couldn’t easily speak.

 

“V-Verdick knight…”

 

Before she could finish speaking, tears like chicken droppings welled up in Rie’s eyes.

 

“Angel… R-Rie did something really, really wrong. Rie asked Uncle Ethan who Uncle Verdick was.”

 

Rie remembered her Uncle who had tried to smile and avoided answering.

 

‘Verdick? I don’t know?’

 

Before Regression, on the day Mother went to Heaven.

 

If someone had approached crying Rie and asked “Why did your mother pass away,” Rie’s heart would have crumbled.

 

Moreover, this wasn’t something Rie could solve.

 

She had promised Marquis Philip.

 

Time Reversal would only be used for up to one week.

 

Without reversing time, if she found the ring and returned it to Uncle Ethan… wouldn’t he become even sadder?

 

This was exactly like Father looking at the Notebook with Mother.

 

“So we need to bring it to an end.”

 

But a calm voice pulled Rie out of her thoughts.

 

“…Huh?”

 

When she turned her head, she saw Jair with his arms crossed.

 

The Boy was also a little sad from the Time Travel, but he had learned to think as rationally as possible during his 10 years.

 

“This is a problem that can’t be solved. So let’s find the ring for Ethan and help him bring it to an end himself.”

 

“If we end it…”

 

“He can start anew.”

 

‘Huh?’

 

Rie, who had been crying, blinked her eyes.

 

Suddenly, an unexpected scene flashed before her eyes.

 

‘Mother and Father loved each other, but… Mother went to Heaven because of Father. I won’t tell Father. Rie wants to live alone with Mother.’

 

“Hehe…”

 

Surprised Rie unconsciously opened her mouth.

 

If Uncle could receive comfort by getting the ring… maybe it would be okay to show the Notebook to Mother and Father too?

 

Rie looked at Jair with moved eyes.

 

“Angel…”

 

“What?”

 

“The best-!”

 

Moved Rie hugged Jair tightly.

 

Though the tiptoes she stood on to wrap around the Boy’s neck were trembling… as expected, Angel is amazing!

 

“…Really? I hear that often though.”

 

Jair, who had stiffened like stone for a moment, quickly regained his composure and smiled.

 

So Rie didn’t know. That the Boy’s earlobes had turned slightly red.

 

Even Jair himself didn’t notice this.

 

* * *

 

“You brat. I told you not to take sedatives during the day!”

 

Thwack.

 

Ethan got flicked on the forehead by Morgana again today.

 

He had been holed up in the Study Room even though it was broad daylight, and smiled weakly while touching his forehead.

 

“Mother. Why are you being so violent to your patient son?”

 

“I told you to only take them before bed to prevent sleepwalking, when did I say to eat them like three meals a day! What if you become dependent on the Medicine!”

 

“Hahaha. What dependency would I have? I’m navy.”

 

Even after several days had passed, Ethan’s sleepwalking showed no signs of improvement.

 

He even seemed to be suffering not just at night but during the day too, secretly taking sedatives after waking up in the morning.

 

Morgana let out a frustrated sigh.

 

“Tell me now.”

 

“What?”

 

“What happened during the last pirate suppression? Did you lose a colleague?”

 

“…”

 

“Then just cry, you fool. Go to the cemetery and cry and wail. Tell this mother everything about how hard it is!”

 

“Mother, I’m disappointed. You’re making me into a weak man.”

 

“This boy, to the very end!”

 

Thwack.

 

In the end, he got flicked twice.

 

When Morgana left, Ethan’s bright smile faded.

 

Ethan wanted to cry too.

 

But he had neither the right to cry nor anyone to confide in about his relationship with someone of the same gender.

 

“…They say time heals all wounds. Until then, I’ll endure with sedatives.”

 

Forcing himself to push away his thoughts, he opened the door wearing his cheerful Mask again.

 

Today he had promised to go sightseeing Downtown with Rie.

 

“Mill, shall we go?”

 

“Yes-!”

 

As if she had been preparing, Rie came running over wearing her outdoor clothes.

 

Ethan held Rie in his arms.

 

The Child’s characteristic warm body temperature spread throughout his body.

 

He deliberately played with Rie a lot.

 

Part of it was because he enjoyed being with the child, but it was also because time flew by quickly when things were so hectic.

 

“Haha, you like it that much?”

 

“I like Uncle Ethan. Uncle Ethan is the best!”

 

“Oh really? You’re being unusually generous with the compliments today. Aren’t you going to call me stupid uncle?”

 

Rie shook her head back and forth.

 

“You’re not stupid uncle. Now you’re cool Uncle Ethan.”

 

Her gaze as she tilted her head back to meet his eyes was unusually serious today.

 

‘Did something happen?’

 

Of course, if he had escaped from being stupid uncle, that was a thank you for Ethan.

 

He didn’t pay much attention to it.

 

“What should we do and play with Mill today? I heard there’s a delicious pasta place around here, want to go? Don’t worry about money. Uncle Nelson is rich now.”

 

Buy toys with Nelson’s money, and feed her delicious food too.

 

That way he could kill time until Emilia got off work.

 

But this little snot Mill seemed to have something else she wanted.

 

“Rie wants to go there!”

 

“Did Rie plan today’s course?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

Ethan, who was about to obediently follow the child’s gaze, hesitated.

 

The place Rie pointed to was the seaside.

 

It was in the direction where the house that the late Verdick had lived was located.

 

“…Hmm.”

 

His usually smooth reactions briefly malfunctioned.

 

After a moment, Ethan nodded as if nothing was wrong.

 

“Shall we?”

 

What would a child know?

 

She probably didn’t even know who Verdick was, so she wouldn’t have deliberately chosen this path.

 

But the child’s next destination was stubbornly persistent to a resentful degree.

 

“Uncle. I heard from a friend that the steak restaurant here is really, really delicious. Rie wants to eat there.”

 

The restaurant that the late Verdick had frequently visited.

 

Her cute little finger was specifically pointing to this place.

 

The moment he faced the familiar orange roof, something flashed through Ethan’s mind.

 

‘Once this cleanup is over, let’s go to that steak restaurant. If you reject me there too, know that there won’t be any more proposals.’

 

“Uncle, are you okay?”

 

He seemed to have spaced out for a moment.

 

When he came to his senses, the child who had grabbed his pinky finger was shaking his hand.

 

Ethan mechanically raised the corners of his mouth.

 

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

 

Since he had resolved to hide it from his family, there was no need to avoid it awkwardly.

 

Just like he had done well until now, he could smile and get through it.

 

But the moment he entered the restaurant and opened the menu.

 

‘Eat the T-bone steak.’

 

‘What? I was going to eat sirloin though?’

 

‘Here, the T-bone is delicious, not the other stuff. Two T-bones please. Wine too.’

 

‘This person is completely selfish.’

 

‘What?’

 

‘I said you’re properly charming. Hahaha!’

 

An unstoppable past struck his mind like a blow.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————