I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 7

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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 7】

“Well done. If you want to return to the present, just press and hold the center button of the clock.”

Lost Time’s lesson was kind and simple.

When she pressed the center button like that, Mother and Father froze in their last positions.

Rie looked at Lost Time with a dazed expression.

‘…Rie has obtained something amazing.’

Now Rie was an ‘ability user’ like Father had talked about endlessly.

She should have been excited, but for some reason, Rie found herself lost in thought as she stared blankly at the clock.

Lost Time, watching her, tilted his head.

“Why?”

“…Kami. If they find out I received the Time Manipulation Ability, Father and Mother won’t get divorced, right?”

“Is that what you were worried about? Well, of course they won’t. That’s great then. You’ll be happy.”

Happy?

“…”

The finger that was about to stop the second hand curled inward.

Before she knew it, Rie’s eyes had become watery.

“…Can Rie only receive Father’s love if she’s an ability user?”

“!”

Lost Time fluttered in shock.

A great disaster had befallen Lost Time, who had thoughtlessly assumed Rie would be happy.

He hurriedly flew down from Casselik’s head and poked at the child’s round shoe toe with his beak.

“Hey, kid. That’s not what I meant. Stop crying, now!”

Though she hadn’t known him long, Rie understood.

Lost Time was a good friend, and he had said those words thinking of her.

But.

If the family didn’t divorce as Lost Time said, would Rie and Mother be happy?

The answer was ‘no.’

Mother and Father hadn’t married out of love like the lovebirds in fairy tales.

Mother had lived with drooping shoulders even before Rie took the ability assessment test.

Since Father had no interest in Mother to begin with, the people in the Duke’s Castle didn’t treat Mother well either.

“Can Mother and I only be happy if we receive Father’s love?”

Lost Time hesitated at the unexpected question.

The child was only four years old.

Yet those small shoulders were being crushed by humiliation and despair that even adults would find hard to accept.

“…”

Children’s thoughts run deeper than adults expect.

How many minutes passed with Lost Time at a loss for words and Rie just crying?

Time naturally wiped away the child’s flowing tears.

After crying for a long time, her mind had actually become clearer.

“Sniff!”

Rie wiped her running nose with the hem of her skirt and raised her head.

And she pouted as if she had made up her mind.

“No! Rie can live happily with Mother even without Father.”

Seeing Rie finally regain her strength, the crow also became excited.

“Of course! I’ll help you.”

“Good. I think I can do it if I’m with Kami.”

Getting the answer she wanted, Rie nodded her head.

And.

“Father. Father needs to exit for Rie and Mother’s sake.”

Rie had changed.

Gone was the naive and obedient child!

Now Rie was a ‘Time Ability user’ who had returned sharpening the blade of revenge!

Her narrowed eyes turned toward Father in front of her.

Now that she had come to her senses, a little revenge should be fine, right?

“Kami? Are you ready?”

“Of course. Watch and learn, little one.”

After whispering together for a while, the two went into the room and brought out crayons and a small hair tie.

Wobble, wobble.

Rie placed her black shoe on top of Casselik’s knee as he stood with his legs awkwardly bent.

And she began to climb up with difficulty as if conquering a giant mountain.

Finally, the summit.

Holding crayons and gripping Casselik’s face as if it were a canvas, the child’s lips curved up like a villain.

* * *

“Your Excellency. I tried my best to wipe it off with perfumed oil, but there are still marks, marks… Pffft-!”

At the same time as the maid’s laughter, Casselik squeezed his eyes shut.

Because spit had flown.

“I have committed a mortal sin! Please punish me!”

The maid’s face turned pale at the sight, and she pressed her forehead to the floor with a thud.

Everything was tiresome.

“Get out.”

“Yes, yes!”

Casselik sighed as he watched the empty spot where the maid had disappeared as if her tail was on fire.

10 minutes ago.

After bringing the child who had fallen asleep in Emilia’s arms to the bedroom and walking down the corridor, strange gazes followed him.

At first, it was the knights saluting him.

‘Why?’

‘Ah, that’s… it’s nothing!’

At the cold question, the knights looked frightened yet wore strange expressions.

After that, every servant who passed by had the same reaction.

Thinking something was odd, as soon as he returned to his office, he checked the mirror-

‘What is this!’

There was graffiti around his eyes in the shape of glasses.

On his cheeks were even cat whiskers.

Moreover, his hair that had been neatly styled with mousse was roughly tied into two pigtails as if someone had been pulling weeds.

‘Who was it.’

Casselik’s eyes glared at the empty spot left by the departed maid.

When he was having a conversation with Emilia, he had been perfectly fine.

It was fortunate that she had been looking only at the child the entire way back to the bedroom and hadn’t seen his face.

Who dared to draw on the Duke’s face.

And how exactly had they done it.

“Unless they stopped time…”

He paused.

Stopping his muttering, he narrowed his eyes.

“Did someone stop time?”

At the same time, the small child who had been in Emilia’s arms came to mind.

But he soon shook his head.

“She’s already been identified as powerless in the ability test. There’s no way she could stop time.”

If her ability had manifested even late, that child wouldn’t have failed to tell him.

She would have said something if only to live with her mother.

‘I should probably investigate this.’

Thinking of the child, his thoughts suddenly deepened.

The eyes that had looked at him and the small hand that had held out a paper claiming it was an invitation.

For now, he vigorously rubbed his face with a towel.

Just as one of the glasses disappeared from his face.

“…Duke Casselik?”

There was a knock and the door opened.

“Duke, there are glasses and cat whiskers on your face…!”

What entered was Serena, her white shoulders wrapped in a delicate shawl.

“I know, so shut your mouth.”

She who had been startled quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

“…What on earth happened? Wait a moment.”

Though it should have been amusing, she only wore a worried expression.

Serena, who had brought a handkerchief, reached out her hand to wipe his face.

Thud.

Casselik stopped her action with an uncomfortable expression.

“Do it yourself. We agreed to have no contact except for the purpose of bearing a child, wasn’t that clearly stated in the contract?”

“…Oh, I’m sorry. I was just worried…”

Serena’s delicate shoulders shrank as she hid the towel behind her back.

Casselik looked down at her and frowned.

It was difficult to speak harshly to this woman. Because she looked so much like Emilia.

‘Why did I choose Serena?’

It was a question Casselik still pondered from time to time.

Out of so many people, why did he choose a woman who resembled Emilia, of all people…

The reason he chose Emilia had been clear. Because she had a rare ‘appearance.’

Mysterious aqua-colored eyes. Pale gray hair. According to the family’s oral tradition, unusual appearances give birth to special abilities.

But when her child was determined to be powerless, Casselik decided to set completely different criteria for his choice.

This time, the criterion was ‘noble bloodline.’

That’s how he found the woman called the living angel of the Chronos Empire.

The youngest daughter of the Marquis Mersilla House, Serena.

Pink hair that resembled flower petals and blue eyes.

Since it was just a contract marriage, he had no feelings whatsoever. But sometimes when he saw this woman shrinking or cowering, he couldn’t stand it.

Because such behavior kept overlapping with Emilia’s image.

It bothered him so much that he tried to cancel the contract—

‘If she just bears me a child with abilities.’

Casselik sighed inwardly while frowning.

If she could just achieve that goal, he could endure anything.

“By the way, you’re officially getting divorced this time. Does that mean I’ll really become the Duke’s wife?”

Serena, who had been clapping with a clap sound, blushed as if embarrassed.

“…Um, shall we throw a party to celebrate? How about it?”

“A party. Don’t mention it, I’m sick of them. I already went to a divorce party.”

“What? A divorce party… With whom?”

“With my daughter and Emilia. The child gave me an invitation saying she was celebrating the divorce.”

“…What?”

For the first time, Serena’s expression, which had been innocent throughout, became subtly distorted.

But she quickly smiled as usual and tilted her head as she spoke.

“I’m so envious. I want to become friends with Rie soon too!”

Thinking that she should meet Rie soon.

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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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