I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 85
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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 85>
‘Could it be… Father…?’
The reason Father was following Rie around everywhere. That had to be the only situation!
“Father.”
“Yes?”
“Did your business fail?”
At his four-year-old daughter’s serious question, Casselik was momentarily at a loss for words.
“…Why would you think that.”
“Is it because you don’t have work that you’re eating with Rie?”
“No.”
“Then why are you having meals with Rie?”
He sighed and answered.
“Because I want to have meals together.”
Rie looked at Casselik with wide eyes.
Just when he thought it was finally over.
“Why do you want to have meals together?”
The question hell began again.
He sincerely regretted having neglected the child.
The karma of being indifferent to Rie all this time hit him like a direct blow today.
After that eventful lunch was over.
When he briefly went out for external business and returned, the Duke’s Castle was strangely quiet.
“Where’s Rie?”
“While Your Grace was out, Lady Emilia came by. She returned to the Birdwell Barony.”
“I see.”
‘…Without even saying goodbye.’
He knew he shouldn’t feel disappointed, but…
Looking around with an empty heart, he realized.
That he was already missing the child’s question bombardment.
* * *
After returning from the Duke’s Castle, Rie’s daily life was peaceful.
Except for one thing.
Kami’s absence.
“Kami, Kami! Look at this!”
When something interesting happened, Rie ran into the room and shouted toward the window.
But the front yard was quiet without a single sound of flapping wings.
“Oh, right. Now Kami is…”
The back of the child’s head looking at the window drooped sadly.
Rie still often forgot about Kami’s absence.
Even Mary, who used to scatter bread crumbs in the front yard, had realized that crows no longer came.
But not Rie.
As soon as she woke up in the morning, Rie would habitually stare at the window.
‘Little One!’
In case Kami might come fluttering by.
‘Kami, I want to see you. Father is nice too, but… Kami is…’
Feeling inexplicably gloomy, Rie crouched down.
That’s when it happened.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, someone’s voice flashed through her mind.
‘Yes. So, I’d like you to reveal that Rie is a time ability user.’
‘I am Chronos. Originally, a god’s power grows stronger through people’s faith. If you reveal your identity to the world and people’s faith increases, I might be able to give you even more powerful help.’
“The goddess said. If Rie reveals that she’s a time ability user… she’ll help Rie…”
Could that help possibly bring Kami back to life too?
She wouldn’t know without trying, but in times like this, Kami always nodded his head.
While shouting ‘Let’s try it!’
“Good. Let’s try it.”
Rie, who had firmly clenched her previously limp cotton fists, bravely left the bedroom.
* * *
A few days later.
The Temple of the Theodore Duchy.
At the appearance of Rie, who was firmly holding Emilia’s hand, the High Priest and priests sighed with troubled expressions.
“A child who already received a judgment of being powerless, and now we have to test her again…”
“But Rie really is a time ability user!”
Rie raised her hand high.
“Yes, yes. I’m sure you think so. The problem is there are dozens of other families who want retesting because of Miss Rie.”
“Huh?”
‘D-dozens?’
When the flustered child turned her head, there really were dozens of children lined up with their parents.
* * *
When Rie and Emilia first went to the Great Temple to apply for an ‘ability assessment test,’ the Great Temple naturally refused.
There was no reason to retest a child who had already been judged powerless.
But when Duke Casselik, who heard this news, ordered a ‘retest,’ the Great Temple reluctantly announced the test date.
The problem started here.
Branch families who had received powerless judgments also began applying for retests one after another.
“We were behind Mary in the last test and couldn’t even get assessed! Since Miss Rie was judged powerless, we should go first!”
“No, why did that child even come in the first place?”
The High Priest lamented that today would not pass easily.
‘The entire Theodorlein is already in an uproar because of Duchess Serena, and now retests. Being the High Priest of this place isn’t entirely good.’
His reputation had already worsened from incorrectly judging Mary, who was a dark mage.
‘A person who’s supposed to be God’s representative can’t even filter out foreign substances. I should increase prayer time.’
When even the Crown Prince, despite being seven years old, scolded him, he even felt doubt about his past days as High Priest.
So this evaluation absolutely had to be accurate.
But why did Rie, who already received a powerless judgment, come?
‘Even if she’s Duke Casselik’s bloodline… this isn’t an assessment test you can take just because you want to… Tsk.’
The Duke probably just tried it out of some faint hope anyway.
The High Priest looked down at the child who seemed as small as if stuck to the ground with disapproving eyes.
“Miss Rie will be tested last.”
“But we came first?”
At Emilia’s words, the High Priest let out a snort of laughter.
This was a reaction he could show because he still didn’t know how much Duke Casselik cherished Emilia and Rie recently.
“The assessment test is a noble test that determines the succession of the Theodore Ducal House. It’s not a test that can be given first just because a failure who already bore a powerless child came first…”
“Are you calling the woman I love a failure right now.”
Then, a low growling voice came from behind the High Priest.
“…?”
As a black shadow fell at his feet, the High Priest, who got goosebumps, respectfully raised his head.
Casselik was standing there.
With a menacing gaze as if he was about to hit someone.
“Who exactly did you dare call a failure?”
The High Priest felt intimidated by that gaze but also felt puzzled.
‘There were rumors that Duke Casselik was obsessed with his former wife, but… weren’t those just empty rumors?’
But contrary to such thoughts, when a man much larger than himself glared threateningly, the High Priest’s arms trembled.
“Th-that, I couldn’t sleep last night… so the wrong words must have slipped out. I’m the one who failed… Hahaha!”
“Right. Not a bad excuse. Place Rie in the first position and proceed with the assessment test immediately.”
“Yes.”
The High Priest nodded without even being able to object.
Then someone from the branch families in the distance, sensing something strange, raised their hand.
“Duke Casselik. Wasn’t Miss Rie already determined to be a Non-Ability User?”
Their expression showed why waste time on pointless matters. Casselik answered him with the same menacing expression.
“That Dark Mage was also determined to be an ability user by the High Priest’s poor discernment. Re-examining Rie wouldn’t be meaningless.”
“Uh… but still…”
“If you’re truly dissatisfied, I’ll arrange for volunteers to be placed before Rie’s turn. However.”
Their expressions, which had brightened momentarily, turned deathly pale at the next words.
“If Rie is determined to be an ability user, I’m not sure how I’ll handle the treatment of the families who requested earlier positions.”
Then the murmuring sounds completely disappeared.
“No volunteers? Why don’t you have your son go first.”
“N-n-no…! Our son will wait as scheduled.”
The noble who had raised his hand quickly backed down, hiding his child behind him and disappeared.
‘…Duke Casselik is protecting Rie and Miss Emilia to this extent?’
‘Could it be that he misses his former wife since Duchess Serena disappeared?’
‘I don’t know. I knew he was originally attached to Miss Emilia… but at this level, isn’t he basically treating her like a Duchess?’
The surroundings were still quiet, but people exchanging glances were bustling with conversation.
None of them knew.
Just how deep Duke Casselik’s love for Rie and Emilia truly was.
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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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