I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 130

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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 130

“…I’ll purchase it.”

A few days after I’d earned some pocket money from Sir Shylo.
A telegram arrived in the morning under Burdbell’s name. It said he’d injured his back and wouldn’t be able to come to Stone House for a while.
“The roof leaked back in summer, so why did he say he’d repair it yesterday? What do you think the reason is, Father?”
Father and I sat across from each other in the living room of Stone House, each occupying our own sofa. Father turned the page of his newspaper and answered me.
“Who knows. It’s better for one’s peace of mind not to try understanding Burdbell’s actions.”
“Will it be okay if I don’t go check on him?”
“Theon and Jeffrey went anyway. Berry can’t go out today because she’s under house arrest.”
“Hmm.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Do I still look like a child to you, Father?”
“Yes.”
“No, I’m fifteen now. Next year I’ll be old enough to receive a stipend.”
“How impressive.”
“A pebble on the street would react better than you do.”
“It couldn’t possibly react better than me. It doesn’t have ears or a mouth.”
What was this?
Only then did I sense something odd. Father’s demeanor was subtly different from usual—distinctly skewed.
I shifted my gaze from Burdbell’s letter to Father. His formal attire and the newspaper obscuring his face. The articles visible on the folded newspaper were different from what I’d read this morning.
‘Oh. This is from five days ago.’
It was an article about the illegal auction house beneath the Seren Art Museum that Theon, Jeffrey, and I had destroyed.
The Museum Director, who had given an interview appealing his innocence to a journalist, was taken into custody by the Investigation Bureau that evening. An anonymous informant had submitted detailed evidence that the Director had provided the venue for illegal non-human auctions and received a commission in exchange for his silence.
‘Zena Chaser really is dependable when you leave things to her.’
In any case, Father’s current skewed attitude was undoubtedly caused by the newspaper article. The fact that he was deliberately holding a newspaper from days ago meant he had something to say to me about it.

“I think it would be best to wind down the clothing business.”

I recalled something Father had said seriously last year. Since Quorta’s growth showed no signs of slowing even after several years, the damage to Father’s performance that I had to account for kept accumulating day by day.

“Why?!”
“The Trang Clothing Shop has grown large enough not to be overshadowed by Mariane, and besides, it’s simply too demanding.”
“Being busy is a good thing. And the biggest reason Quorta could succeed is because of your business ventures, isn’t it? If you withdraw, hundreds of people will lose their livelihoods—”
“Right, Father. Everyone will have no way to make a living. Father, are you really such a heartless person? You should feel a sense of responsibility!”
“…That’s not something Berry—who fought bandits and burned fields—should be saying.”

Father had tried to liquidate Quorta, claiming his own success was the reason, but Victor and I had desperately opposed it, so the clothing business remained operational. Victor and I shared the same objective.
Diamond House, which belonged to Reytan Quartz Trabel.
Therefore, Quorta had to remain under Father’s ownership until the end of this year. While the engagement announcement would certainly be a significant achievement, several months of results threatened Emerald House, so Quorta’s performance couldn’t be ignored either.
‘The museum’s damage compensation claims reduced our performance compared to Emerald House—but the one and a half months of results we’ve been accumulating since then are substantial.’
I couldn’t afford to let my guard down until the very end. I couldn’t allow Father to speak of liquidating Quorta.
“Father.”
“What?”
“Are there any articles about the beastfolk in the newspaper?”
I posed the question to change the subject of our conversation. Father fell silent behind his newspaper, then slowly lowered it and looked at me.
Even as time passed, Father remained handsome. At thirty-seven with taut skin, the depth of years had settled into his atmosphere and features, giving his appearance a lustrous quality.
The problem was that his already sharp intuition had also gained that same luster.
“Father, the way you’re looking at your daughter is rather unusual.”
“You asked me the same question before.”
Father’s blue eyes sharpened, like an investigator whose keen instincts had activated.
“There’s something related to the beastfolk. And it’s connected to me somehow.”
“Unfortunately, you’ve misread the situation.”
Fortunately, my own quick thinking had developed considerably. I offered Father a plausible explanation that materialized in my mind in an instant.
“Uncle Lucian takes great interest in the rights of other races, doesn’t he? Since he’s been busy lately and staying only in the Edencia Kingdom, I was wondering if there was any news about him. I haven’t had a chance to read today’s newspaper yet.”
“Is that so?”
Father seemed to accept my explanation and responded, then set down the newspaper.
“Unfortunately, Berry, this is a newspaper from several days ago. If you’re talking about the beastfolk, it’s the one you rescued from the museum—”
“Oh! That’s right, it’s the last day of my confinement, so I need to visit Grandfather. Father, I’m going to the Main Estate!”

***

I fled Stone House and, having nowhere else to go, walked toward the Main Estate. After all, on the final day of my confinement, I needed to seek out Count Trabel, demonstrate my contrition, and have the restriction lifted.
‘It seems Father hasn’t brought up the war yet.’
I’d broached the subject of the beastkin earlier to gauge his reaction.
‘Father dies in the war against the beastkin next spring, so by now the culprit has likely made contact with their accomplice.’
Every relative of the Trabel Family was a suspect. I couldn’t trust anyone.
“Hey, you failure!”
As I approached the Main Estate, I heard a man’s voice calling out to someone insistently.
“Hey, shorty!”
Making a commotion in front of the Main Estate where Count Trabel resided? At this rate, I’d be cast out of the Trabel Family. I silently offered words of sympathy to the voice’s owner as I stepped onto the staircase before the Main Estate’s entrance.
“Hey!”
A man shouted directly behind me. I stopped in my tracks, exhaled a long sigh, and turned around.
“Calips, doesn’t the Academy teach you how to address people properly?”
“Oh, what. You were listening.”
Calips grinned down at me, his expression smug. Judging by his Academy uniform, he’d just returned to the Trabel Family for the break.
Calips stood on the ground while I occupied one step, yet our height difference was merely a forehead’s worth.
‘…Porchi in my memories hadn’t grown this much.’
Porchi—or rather, Calips—had become obsessed with Theon’s height, his peer, and had begun consuming all manner of foods said to promote growth and exercising regularly.
As a result, eighteen-year-old Calips was among the taller of his classmates, and it seemed he’d earned a reputation for being quite handsome outside. Infuriatingly so.
I casually climbed one more step. Now our eyes were level. Noticing my action, Calips’s eyes crinkled with laughter—clearly mocking me.
“Did only you come? Where are Hati and Mati?”
“They went to Grandfather’s place and came back. Hey, we haven’t seen each other in ages—is that all you have to ask me?”
“Yep. And Theon is apparently 180 centimeters now.”
“Tch. I’ll grow taller too. But why did you come all the way to the Main Estate?”
“It’s the last day of my confinement.”
“What, you’re under confinement again? You won’t even be able to come to my graduation at this rate. When that happens, don’t cause any trouble—just behave yourself, alright?”
“Why would I go to your graduation, Calips?”
“Because family should stick together! I was going to attend your entrance ceremony—you just didn’t show up.”
Then, with a wicked smile, he said to me:
“Who would’ve thought? An idiot who couldn’t even pass the entrance exam is my younger cousin.”
“…I know your entrance exam score, Calips.”
“What, what. How would you know that?”
“How? You came to Stone House after taking the exam and cried. I heard everything while you were crouched outside the Arborvitae Trees. You almost failed by 0.1 points—”
“Hey, hey!”
Calips’s face flushed crimson as he covered my mouth with his hand. I didn’t want to engage in a physical struggle with him and lower myself to his level. Instead, I pointed at his hand with my index finger and conveyed with my eyes:
‘Remove this hand.’
“What are you saying?”
“Calips.”
A heavy voice flowed from behind us. We slowly turned our gazes. A blond man was emerging from the Main Estate.
It was Kane, the eldest son of Uncle, who had graduated from the Academy and returned to the Trabel Family.

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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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