I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 113

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 113

Frederick Karl Igselona.
Eight years had passed since he ascended to the throne at the young age of twenty-nine.
Recently, he had heard something shocking from his personal physician.

“Your seed… is not viable.”

He had demanded answers about why no heir had been conceived, only to hear that his seed had withered. The man he’d summoned as a supposed expert in the field was clearly nothing but a charlatan.
‘That cannot be.’
Frederick suppressed the anxiety rising within him.
In truth, during all those years without an heir, a whisper of doubt had slumbered in some corner of his heart—’What if…?’ But whenever that thought threatened to surface, Frederick crushed it with even greater force.
It was not mere pride protecting his ego. He had grounds to stand upon.
The vigor of his days as Crown Prince. That fervent passion with which he had disguised his appearance and station to meet women who caught his fancy.
‘Would such things have been possible without viable seed?’
Frederick took pride in this reasoning. The timing was simply delayed; an heir would come.

“What of adopting an heir? I hear there is a promising child among my relatives.”

Yet lately, even the Empress had begun to scratch at his composure. Until just last year, she had insisted his own inadequacy was to blame for the lack of an heir, but now she brazenly revealed her true intentions—securing her own position.
What troubled him most was that the Empress was merely the beginning. Adoption proposals would come without end.
From the imperial concubines to the highest nobility—there was no shortage of those desperate to place their own candidates on the throne of Crown Prince.
‘An adopted heir.’
Some unrelated wretch would arrive and claim the imperial throne as if he were Frederick’s own blood?
The very thought made him nauseated.
The successor must carry his blood. Perhaps there were children born during his days as Crown Prince, but even that prospect was distasteful. He had chosen women based solely on appearance, regardless of station. What if the mother of such a child were of low or common birth?
‘How the palace would mock me. They would think I had descended into desperation at the lack of an heir. The Empire’s people would view it unfavorably as well.’
It would tarnish the very reputation I have labored so carefully to build as Emperor.
‘I must father an heir.’
Only then would all these troublesome matters be resolved at once.
His visit to Goldport was connected to this very resolve.

Hours earlier.
Frederick had been bathing in the Forest Spring near Goldport. He had heard that immersing oneself in those waters held efficacy for such matters. Encouraged by reports of its potency, he had gathered a minimal retinue and sought out the spring.

“A wild beast has absconded with the baggage!”

Yet a wild beast had audaciously snatched away the Emperor’s discarded clothes and shoes, pockets and all. The Knights had pursued and recovered the garments, but the shoes remained lost.
If someone were to see him waiting for new shoes at the Spring, they might question the Emperor’s masculinity. Then wouldn’t there be no reason for him to have undertaken this covert mission with minimal attendants?
Frederick borrowed a subordinate’s shoes and personally made his way to the Shoe Shop in the heart of Goldport. As if he had merely stopped by during a patrol.
“It is an honor to serve you, Your Imperial Majesty.”
The Manager bowed respectfully. Frederick spoke with the benevolent countenance of a virtuous Emperor.
“I apologize for the sudden visit. I need only purchase a few pairs of properly fitting shoes, so I shan’t linger long.”
“Oh, no, Your Majesty. Please take all the time you need. Allow me to show you this way.”
It was as the Emperor led the Knights and Attendants in a procession, following the Manager’s guidance, that our eyes met.
The same black hair and dark eyes as mine. Blessed with parents of good countenance, the child possessed remarkably striking features.
The boy bowed respectfully. He seemed to be staring directly at me.
‘How curious—to see the Emperor up close.’
The distance was too awkward for conversation. Frederick withdrew his gaze from the boy and questioned the Manager.
“Who is that?”
Upon feigning curiosity, the Manager answered immediately.
“Today, Count Trabel’s grandchildren visited our establishment, and that child is part of the entourage of his youngest granddaughter.”
“Count Trabel’s grandchild’s entourage? What noble house does the child belong to?”
“Ah, well… The other members of the party are commoner children with mixed blood from the Wolf Tribe. My apologies, Your Majesty. I shall inquire further at once.”
“No need. That child is likely just another commoner.”
Though I was not particularly fond of children, my gaze inexplicably lingered on the boy. Yet Frederick denied the unsettling feeling once more.
Goldport was a region near the Trabel Estate. He had no recollection of ever indulging himself recklessly in the vicinity of such a troublesome place.
‘It cannot be.’
For Frederick, there were two facts absolutely unacceptable.
One was that he suffered from azoospermia.
The other was that he might have to bring to the Imperial Palace a child born of a woman of low birth or from a powerless house.
And so the Emperor, faced with a boy who bore his own likeness, simply walked past.

***

“The Emperor himself has come? To this shop?”
I stood frozen at Callet’s words, my mouth agape. I hadn’t even reached the lobby yet.
Callet, who had gone out to investigate the commotion outside, had returned bearing extraordinary news.
“Really?”
“W-what do we do?”
“Did he come to see Grandfather?”
“…The Emperor?”
I wasn’t the only one startled by His Majesty’s appearance. Calips, the Twins, and Ciel all stopped what they were doing and approached Callet.
“Should we… greet him?”
“Of course we should. Otherwise Grandfather will scold us later.”
“I’ve never met the Emperor before.”
“Everyone, calm down. Callet will arrange everything for us.”
“Yes, I shall attend to it at once. Young masters and young ladies, please remain here for a moment.”
The fact that we were sharing the same space with His Majesty in Goldport—not even in the Imperial Capital—left everyone in a daze. If word reached Grandfather that we hadn’t even greeted the Emperor, he would surely be furious.
I crept toward the exit of the children’s shoe section. The chaotic atmosphere was actually working in my favor. No one was paying attention to me. If things continued this way, I could slip away unnoticed…!
“Berry.”
“Yes?”
Oh no. Jeffrey had spotted me. Right, Jeffrey—but I’m in a hurry right now…!
“Where are you going? I’m coming with you.”
I turned my head quickly, and Jeffrey’s face came into view. His bright, eager eyes gleamed with determination to follow me.
But this time, I couldn’t predict what might happen, so it was better to move alone. I leaned close to Jeffrey’s ear and whispered.
“Jeffrey, I need to step out for a moment. You stay here and tell me what happens.”
“Just me? Why?”
“Because you’re the only one I can trust here.”
Jeffrey’s wolf ears perked up and twitched. His tail swished back and forth as he nodded, silently agreeing to the task.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. Go ahead, I’ve got this.”
With Jeffrey’s permission granted, I hurried through the exit and dashed toward the lobby.
The Emperor would have no interest in the lowest-ranking granddaughter of Trabel. But there was someone far more important to me than His Majesty.
‘I can’t let them meet face to face yet…!’
They say there’s something between parent and child that transcends words—an instinct for recognizing blood ties that’s terrifyingly acute.
Intuition is frightening. It grants baseless certainty, and it’s hard to dismiss it as wrong. Especially when my intuition has proven eerily accurate so many times…!
What if the Emperor saw Theon right before his eyes?
‘That can’t happen!’
I couldn’t send my boyfriend to the Imperial Palace yet. It wouldn’t work unless the Emperor, having realized how precious his son is, reached the point of begging Theon to enter the Imperial Family.
“Theon!”
Not long after I started running, I spotted Theon still standing alone in the lobby. The employees seemed to have been mobilized entirely to attend to the Emperor.
“Berry?”
I grabbed Theon’s hand and pulled him into a nearby open doorway. It was the storage room—the employees must have left the door open in their haste to respond to the Emperor’s visit.
I shut the door firmly so no one could see us, then turned my body away. Theon stood in the middle of the small storage room and asked me in a bewildered voice.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Ugh.”
I embraced Theon tightly. Even when Theon said he was going to the grand banquet with Father, I hadn’t felt like this.
The thought that Theon had just met the Emperor face-to-face terrified me. It felt as though I might lose him at any moment.
“What is it? Berry. Tell me.”
Theon’s voice grew serious.
“It’s alright. Whatever you tell me, I’ll keep it secret.”
“Theon, who did you meet in the lobby? Or… did you encounter His Majesty the Emperor?”
“Yes. Is that why you’re like this?”
“What did His Majesty say to you? He didn’t ask you something like who you resemble to be so handsome, did he?”
“….”
Holding Theon close, I poured out questions with my head bowed.
Then Theon grasped both my arms and pulled me away from his embrace, bringing our eyes to the same level.
“Berry, did you see a pocket watch in my room?”
A pocket watch?
Only then did I look at Theon’s expression. It was composed, but the feeling it conveyed was different from usual. Theon was confused. And he was certain of something. My instinct, witnessing that, spoke again.
‘He’s figured it out.’
The saying that there is intuition between parent and child also meant that a child could recognize their parent.
A whimper escaped me as Theon looked at my tearful face and asked.
“Berry… did you already know?”

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