I Don’t Need a Dad Like This! - Chapter 99

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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 99>

However, contrary to the Emperor’s wishes, Rie was thinking the complete opposite.

‘Olivia is uncomfortable…!’

Although she was only five years old, how much she had to read people’s expressions at the Duke’s Castle before her regression.

The child who had accurately grasped both Jair and Olivia’s inner thoughts came to a conclusion.

‘…Ah, you know, maybe it would be better for Olivia to just go around separately.’

Rie, who had been rolling her eyes between the two, opened her mouth.

“Olivia, if it’s uncomfortable being with Mother and Count together, you can go around separately.”

But then-

“What? Why? You promised to stay together!”

Suddenly, the child who had turned pale grabbed Rie’s hand tightly.

“His Highness the Crown Prince said it was okay too. Stay with me!”

With an expression as if she wanted to escape from this place.

“Right, Mother? It’s okay for me to stay with Rie, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Do as you wish.”

She even lightly tugged at the Marquis’s Wife’s sleeve to seek agreement.

After receiving permission, she earnestly grabbed Rie’s hand again.

“Rie, let’s go together.”

Olivia’s eyes trembled like aspen leaves.

Though she didn’t say a word asking for help, she was requesting SOS from Rie with just that expression.

Though she didn’t know what it was about, Rie firmly grasped Olivia’s hand.

“Okay!”

‘Rie has to save her friend.’

It seemed like the priority would be to get away from the adults first and ask for the reason.

Just as Rie, holding both Jair and Olivia’s hands, was about to take a step.

“Olivia. Don’t you want to play flower hunting with Daddy? Daddy has been waiting all this time.”

Suddenly, a large hand wrapped around Olivia’s shoulder.

The owner was Count Gillen.

He smiled brightly at the child, then greeted Jair.

“I greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Jair just shrugged his shoulders without looking at him.

“Ah, Daddy? But you’re not my daddy…”

Then Olivia glanced at the Count and tried to escape from his grasp.

Gillen, who subtly put strength into his hand, smiled gently.

“Ah, prospective daddy. I got ahead of myself. I’ll be more careful with titles from now on…”

“You’re not my prospective daddy either.”

Rie, who had been watching this scene, opened her mouth.

“If you’re not married, you’re neither a prospective daddy nor a new daddy. You’re just an uncle.”

Gillen glanced down at the child who spoke so directly, then replied without showing any sign of being flustered.

“So you’re Rie. I heard you’re Olivia’s closest friend, but you seem very interested in family matters too.”

It was roughly noble speech meaning to mind her own business.

Rie knew this too.

She had heard that strange way of indirectly criticizing others until her ears were worn out because of Aunt Serena.

But Rie didn’t even blink an eye.

“That’s right, Uncle. Isn’t that right, Olivia?”

“…He might be an uncle to you. But this Count is going to have an engagement ceremony with Lady Evelyn soon. So he’s no different from Olivia’s new father.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I’m glad you seem to understand.”

“Yes. Then until the engagement ceremony, he’s still an uncle, right?”

“What?”

“Olivia. Do you want to stay with Uncle, or do you want to play with Rie?”

“No, family should spend time together. Olivia. You should listen to Daddy, right?”

Gillen scolded Olivia as if he were a stern father.

However, Olivia looked at Rie with a determined expression and nodded her head.

“Of course I’m going to play with you.”

“Good! Uncle. Olivia really got permission from her mother too. Then goodbye!”

They had to run away before Gillen could say anything.

Rie grabbed both friends’ hands and ran away quickly.

* * *

The official start of the blessing ceremony. The host standing on the platform explained the upcoming schedule.

“The Cradle Blessing Ceremony is divided into Part 1 and Part 2. For Part 1, flower hunting will proceed so that children and their guardians can enjoy the Imperial Palace Gardens together. Please find the flowers with the flower language assigned to each team. There will be prizes for the three teams that find them quickly.”

Rie’s group, separated from the adults.

Rie, who had been listening attentively to the host’s explanation, opened her eyes wide.

“Prizes? What are those?”

Jair answered for her.

“First place gets a private tea time with His Majesty the Emperor. Second place gets a clock made by an imperial craftsman. Third place gets the right to hold a tea time in these Grand Gardens.”

“Wh-what! Such incredibly amazing prizes…!”

“Amazing prizes? Rie, you could do all three of those right now without any cost.”

At his casual words, Rie’s eyes became even rounder.

Come to think of it, she could meet His Majesty the Emperor just by sending a letter, and for clocks, she had an ability user’s clock that was better than anything made by imperial craftsmen.

As for tea time, since she had it in the Imperial Palace Garden every time she met Philip and Jair, wouldn’t it be possible if she said she wanted to do it here too?

“Wow!”

The child who finished imagining covered her mouth with both hands in admiration.

But even without that, strolling through the garden with Jair and Olivia would be enjoyable.

Then, Olivia, who had been quiet all along, nodded her head.

“I don’t need first place or anything like that either. Let’s just have fun together.”

Fortunately, Olivia had been much more stable since separating from the adults.

It was also Olivia who had actively gone to the host to receive the note.

“The flower language of the flower we need to find is ‘truth.’ I brought a flower language dictionary for today. Just a moment.”

“Olivia.”

“Yes?”

It was when Olivia, who had entered the maze-like Grand Garden in earnest, was rummaging through her bag.

It seemed like it would be okay to ask now.

“Is something wrong? When you were with the adults, Olivia looked like you wanted to run away.”

“Ah, that’s…”

An expression of being caught off guard.

Olivia, who had stiffened for a moment, rummaged through her bag again as if it was nothing.

“Was it that obvious?”

“Mm-hmm. The adults are tall so they probably couldn’t see Olivia’s face, but Rie saw everything. The angel saw it too, right?”

“I’m not interested in other people’s private lives, and I don’t have a hobby of staring at other people’s faces. I was only looking at you, Rie.”

“Huh…? But Rie has a face too.”

“Gasp! Cough, cough!”

What did she mean her face was nothing?

When the shocked Rie asked back, Jair suddenly choked.

Rie was a bit confused, but right now Olivia was more important than her own face.

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Olivia, if something’s wrong, tell Rie. Olivia is Rie’s friend, so Rie will protect you.”

“…Rie.”

Whether Jair was flustered or not, Olivia’s eyes reddened.

“…Actually, I haven’t been able to sleep for days because of Mother and the Count.”

“Why?”

“The two of them, no. To be precise, the Count…”

The child fiddled with the flower language dictionary in her hands for a long while.

Then she nodded as if she had made up her mind.

“He tried to cut my hair while I was sleeping.”

“…Huh?”

At the unexpected words, Rie’s mouth fell wide open.

Jair, who had been watching Rie’s reaction, also turned his gaze to the child.

* * *

Turning back time to a week ago.

Until then, Olivia didn’t find Mother’s boyfriend, who claimed to be her ‘new father,’ unpleasant.

Count Gillen was someone with slightly excessive tendencies, but he loved Mother.

At least she thought he was better than Father who had cheated.

So Olivia didn’t find it strange that the Count sat next to her at every meal.

It was after a few days passed that she began to feel uneasy.

She was fixing her hair to go out when Count Gillen suddenly visited her room.

‘Oh, what brings you here?’

‘I came because I wanted to see my daughter. I’m going to be a father, after all.’

It was a flimsy excuse that even a six-year-old could see through, but it was difficult to send him away.

As she touched her hair feeling somewhat uncomfortable, he stared intently at Olivia’s reflection in the mirror before disappearing.

The next day. Sara, the maid in charge of cleaning the room, cautiously came to find Olivia.

‘Miss Olivia, as a maid who has served you for a long time, I have something I must tell you.’

‘What is it?’

‘Actually, Count Gillen… ordered me to bring him any of Miss Olivia’s hair that I find when cleaning the floor.’

The moment she heard Sara’s words, Olivia shuddered with goosebumps.

‘Wh-why does he want my hair?’

‘He didn’t say, so I don’t know either.’

Sara reassuringly comforted the frightened five-year-old child.

‘My hair color is similar to yours, isn’t it? I’ll give him my hair instead.’

Saying she would protect the young miss and not to worry, Sara cut her own hair and left the room.

And she never returned.

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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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