I Summoned the Demon King and Got a Dad - Chapter 12
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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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12. The Child’s Father (1)
[Father, the princess is feeling lonely.]
…What do you want me to do about it.
Theodor felt slightly irritated as he looked at the Magical Diagram that appeared before his eyes, blocking the documents he was working on.
Theodor was busy.
The newly established Helios family didn’t have that many tasks yet.
This was because there were no other duties like business or knight order management aside from territory administration.
The problem was the Demon Realm.
The one month he had told his aide about had long since passed.
It was fortunate that there was now someone to take care of Shuria, otherwise Theodor would have had to process days’ worth of backlogged work without even sleeping.
Letting out a slight sigh, Theodor pressed his forehead.
Still, if I work until today, most of the urgent matters will be finished, and the Mortal Realm affairs don’t take long to process, so perhaps I should visit her today.
It seemed like quite some time had passed since he couldn’t play with Shuria due to being busy.
At that moment, the sound of knocking was heard.
You can’t become a noble either.
Theodor naturally thought the person who knocked was Shuria and told them to come in, but.
The one who opened the door and entered was not Shuria, but Antonio, his aide and butler.
“What is it?”
Theodor’s voice asking the question was somewhat sharp.
Not only was the person who entered the room someone he didn’t want to see.
But also because he found his own expectation that it would naturally be Shuria rather absurd.
The bundle of documents in Antonio’s arms surely contributed to his irritation as well.
And Antonio, exposed defenseless to such hostility, had to continue speaking before him without even knowing why he was trembling so much.
“…Residents from other regions who were impressed by Your Grace’s heroic tales are applying to relocate to the Northern Region.”
The moment he finished those words, Antonio felt the air somehow become even heavier.
Having many territory residents meant that the amount of taxes to be collected would increase accordingly.
An increase in the amount of capital that could be circulated meant that the duchy’s position and influence could be further expanded.
It was certainly a good thing.
However, Theodor had no intention of doing so much work.
He hadn’t planned to stay in the Mortal Realm for long in the first place.
So for him, those words meant nothing more and nothing less than that his future workload would increase tremendously.
“I see.”
The irritation he couldn’t hide was unmistakably revealed in his response.
At Theodor’s answer, Antonio placed the documents on the desk.
But there were still documents remaining in his arms.
Feeling somewhat uneasy about this fact, Theodor looked at Antonio.
Though he wasn’t aware of it himself, his gaze filled with hostility toward the documents became silent pressure for Antonio.
But Antonio had to continue speaking before him, not knowing why he was more nervous and fearful than usual.
“Th-this is… documents of knights who have volunteered to become knights of the duchy.”
Ah, damn.
Knights of noble families weren’t essential beings.
However, it made no sense for a family with the position and status of a duchy not to have a knight order.
After all, it was the knight order that was responsible for protecting the territory and maintaining public order.
And now that Theodor’s knight order didn’t exist, it was truly natural for other knights to covet Theodor’s knight positions.
The vacant knight order positions in a newly established prestigious family were coveted positions by anyone, and moreover, the head of that family was the empire’s hero.
Theodor was currently the most honorable knight and noble in Filton, so it was truly natural for so many knights to flock to him.
But right now, such facts weren’t important to Theodor.
What mattered was just the fact that his work had increased again.
“Leave them.”
Theodor, who said that, thought that surely this must be the end now, but.
There were still documents remaining in Antonio’s hands.
“These are complaints from the territory residents. Since they know it’s a territory that hasn’t established its foundation yet, there aren’t that many.”
…This isn’t that many?
Theodor looked at the bundle of documents that fell onto his desk with a noise.
Just how do people here handle their work?
Let me say again, Theodor was a king recognized for politics even in the Demon Realm.
The number of complaints he received in a year was far fewer than the complaints he just received.
Of course, the fact that no one dared to challenge him, the strongest in the Demon Realm, was also a reason.
But since anonymity was guaranteed, the number of complaints was considerable.
Yet this was considered few.
Theodor clicked his tongue while thinking that.
Even the first page of documents was absurd.
[I lost my puppy, please find it.]
[The girl next door doesn’t like me, please help.]
Now that the war is over and things are peaceful, meaningless and stupid complaints are coming in.
The moment he felt irritated.
One thought came to Theodor’s mind.
“You read through them and dispose of all the useless complaints.”
“I am merely a butler, not an aide, such important matters…”
But Antonio couldn’t continue his words to the end.
Because Theodor had thrust the documents with complaints written on them in front of him.
“Distinguish things like this.”
At his words, Antonio, who read the first sentence, also seemed to understand what he was saying as his eyes widened.
“Understood.”
Watching Antonio’s retreating figure as he left, Theodor thought.
I’ll need to hire a new aide soon too.
The Helios Estate had no lady of the house or head maid.
That meant Antonio, the head butler, was currently handling most of the manor’s affairs alone.
Theodor thought while looking at Antonio’s seemingly struggling retreating figure.
…A head maid too.
Theodor, who shifted his gaze back to the documents, roughly looked through them once and then got up from his seat and moved his steps.
Though there was a pile of documents to resolve.
To do something more important than that.
When Theodor stopped and knocked, a cute voice was heard from beyond the door.
“Daddy!!”
Somehow knowing it was him again, a voice filled with anticipation.
Bang.
The door opened with a loud sound, and facing Shuria who welcomed him with a bright smile, Theodor naturally bent his waist.
Then the small child, now familiar, jumped into his arms.
“Now, is all the work finished?”
Even if the answer was no, why was it so difficult to respond and why did he feel sorry?
Theodor thought he couldn’t understand himself as he patted Shuria’s head.
“No.”
At his answer, disappointment flashed across Shuria’s expression.
It was understandable.
For a while, Theodor had been so busy that there was no time to see each other except for breakfast and dinner.
“Are you just going to eat and leave again?”
Shuria, who said that, looked up to check the clock.
It was Shuria’s new habit that had developed recently.
And the reason was naturally to check the time she spent with Theodor.
Theodor didn’t know that she waited all day just for mealtime when she could be with me.
“Yes.”
That’s why he could give such a firm answer.
Seeing Shuria’s face instantly turn tearful at my response, Theodor let out a small laugh and spoke.
“Instead, let’s go out to eat today.”
Her expression brightened again at my single sentence.
Looking at Shuria gazing at him with anticipation and excitement, Theodor found himself smiling without realizing it.
“Go out? Where??”
He thought her excited, flushed voice was cute.
“The bustling district, the market, anywhere.”
At those words, Shuria’s expression instantly brightened.
It was already strange that she didn’t hide her expressions, but seeing them change moment by moment was even refreshing.
Though he was putting off his backlogged work and using territory inspection as an excuse to go out.
Still, seeing her so happy made him think that working busily for one more day wouldn’t be so bad.
“Is there anywhere you want to go?”
At Theodor’s words, Shuria poured out her words as if she’d been waiting.
The problem was.
“I want to see the witch’s candy house, the fairy who grants wishes, and the talking flowers and trees!”
All of them were things that came from Shuria’s fairy tale books.
Looking at Shuria gazing at me with sparkling eyes, Theodor realized.
The fact that she had never once gone outside until now.
He should tell her that such things don’t exist in this world.
Though he still didn’t want to shatter those fantasies.
But this time, he had to say it.
To live properly in this world, she needed to accept reality.
Since he couldn’t stay with Shuria until the very end.
“Those things don’t exist here.”
At Theodor’s words, Shuria’s expression gradually hardened.
But even if there weren’t such fantastical or fairy tale-like things, there were many other beautiful and wonderful things in this world.
He hoped she wouldn’t be too disappointed.
Theodor pointed to the doll Shuria treasured most and spoke.
“But there are toy stores full of dolls, dessert shops that sell chocolate and candy, and even salons that will make you into a princess.”
Now that he said it, they were mostly places that sold things, but what could he do—the garden and flowers at his manor were surely more beautiful.
And there was no way young Shuria would be interested in architecture or landmarks.
“There are also bookstores that sell lots of fairy tale books.”
He had no choice but to redirect her interest with things like these.
Whether his efforts worked, Shuria’s expression began to show signs of life.
“Will you buy me everything?”
Bright eyes looking at me with shining anticipation and lips curved up even higher.
Theodor felt relieved at that voice, now elevated with joy and filled with happiness.
“Yes.”
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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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