I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 14

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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 14

I fled the Room of Contemplation like a fugitive, changed into dry pajamas, draped my wet clothes over a basket, and retreated to my bed.
[Quartz! Can’t you hear me?]
I can’t hear. I can’t hear.
I see nothing and hear nothing.
‘Whimper.’
The problem was that I heard and saw far too clearly.
It had emerged from the pocket of my wet clothes, which I’d carelessly tossed onto the basket. The pocket had contained nothing but the stone Grandfather gave me…!
‘Grandfather gave me something strange….’
It was neither a stone nor a jewel.
I lowered the blanket slightly and shifted my gaze toward where it might be. The room wasn’t bright, but thanks to the night light, I could make out the shapes of things around me.
It had somehow climbed onto the storage cabinet near my bed and was now warily eyeing an octagonal matchbox-sized object.
‘It’s the exact color of that stone.’
A shade created by mixing a few drops of blue paint into white. Its form resembled a lizard, but with oversized face and eyes, and thick, sturdy legs that gave it the appearance of a country dog.
The spiky protrusions running along its back shimmered like transparent water. As it moved, the spikes rippled like droplets.
As for other distinguishing features.
[How could you not hear me? Quartz! Quar-tz!]
It was a chatterbox that spoke in human language.
Losing interest in the matchbox, it turned back toward me. I quickly pulled the blanket over my head.
‘Is it a non-human species? I’ve never heard of a non-human that transforms into a stone.’
In my other memories, there was no such creature. Perhaps Grandfather, who gave me the stone, knew.
Since it’s night, I should ask Grandfather in the morning—no, I need to ask Callet secretly without the relatives knowing….
[Quartz!]
“….”
The stone bounced on my bed, calling out to me. It seemed smaller than two of my fists put together, yet its voice was loud enough to make a mandrake weep.
[Quar-tz!]
Ugh. Noise pollution.
…Wait. What if someone hears this and comes in?
Father was in the adjacent room, and Theon was in the room across the way. If Theon happened to come in at this hour—
‘My allowance!’
I scrambled up and grabbed the stone.
“I hear you. I can hear you!”
[I knew you would.]
The stone’s large eyes narrowed with irritating smugness.
“Why do you keep calling me?”
[Because you were pretending not to know me.]
“Who are you?”
[Akum! Your friend!]
Stone House flicked its tail against the bed in frustration. When had I become friends with Stone House…?
It seemed I wasn’t the only one bewildered.
[But Julia. Why have you become so small? The last time I saw you, you were much larger with wrinkles all over. You look like a child now. Do humans grow younger too?]
“Julia? Do you mean Julia Quartz?”
[Yes.]
“She’s our grandmother…”
I trailed off. A question that had been about to be answered was suddenly becoming clear.

“I’ll be severely punished if I lose it.”

Grandfather’s smug presentation of the stone, and Uncle Callet’s shocked reaction to it. Could it be…?
“…Grandmother’s keepsake…?”
This water monitor lizard?

***

At that same moment, Laksek heard his aide Callet’s report and let out a hollow laugh.
“Does that even make sense? Holding Reytan responsible for an earring stolen by a maid?”
Laksek had left the Training Grounds earlier and spent the afternoon away, returning to the Mansion late in the evening.
But his first wife, Priscilla, who greeted him had an unusual expression. He asked Callet to look into what had happened that afternoon, and the incident was quite amusing.
It seemed Mariane and Priscilla had orchestrated this scheme to check Reytan.
“It’s the kind of absurd reasoning even a seven-year-old would see through. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Indeed, sir.”
“But Mariane isn’t just keeping the sapphire for vanity. She must be plotting something more.”
The collective responsibility might be the first move in Mariane’s plan to trap Reytan.
Callet, thinking the same thing, asked.
“Shall we investigate this properly? There’s a possibility Lord Reytan could fall into a trap.”
“Leave it be. He should resolve such matters on his own.”
It was an unspoken rule of the Trabel Family that the patriarch refrain from interfering in household matters during the succession decision.
Laksek dropped the letter he was holding onto the desk and leaned back in his chair.
The letter was one Reytan had received from Priest Fin today, containing a promise to bestow blessings upon the chosen successor on the day the Holy Sword’s rampage was prevented.
Amusing fellows.
He would tolerate their insolence only until the Alchemists’ research was successfully completed.
Well, for now—
‘That little head keeps coming to mind.’
Laksek recalled the youngest granddaughter he had met today.
Those intelligent green eyes. Cheeks still full of baby fat. Not a single angle to her anywhere.
Especially how that round little head fit so perfectly in his palm.
“….”
For some reason, my hand felt empty.
Laksek briefly grasped the armrest of the chair, then released it.
This isn’t the feeling I’m looking for.
“Callet.”
“Yes.”
“Once we resolve this Seonsu matter, how much damage will that reckless fool make up for?”
“The Alchemists have projected one year for developing the ship technology that won’t capsize. Calculating the anticipated losses until then, it matches Yosel’s performance over the past four years.”
“That’s no small amount.”
Six years ago, there would have been no hope whatsoever. Reytan was the sort who would accept joint responsibility without complaint and surrender his own achievements.
“Let’s see how this plays out.”
Laksek lifted one corner of his mouth.
“Whether a man who’s become a father can keep his full bowl of rice.”

***

[Quartz is dead—!]
At the news of Grandmother’s passing, Akum at Stone House burst into tears. Large, pale blue eyes brimmed with tears that fell in steady drops.
I worried he might collapse like this.
“Akum. Have some water.”
I thrust a water cup toward Akum, then withdrew it. Akum was smaller than the cup itself.
[Trabel starved Quartz to death!]
Regardless, Akum paid no attention to the water cup and wailed with enough force to hurt the ears.
At first, I worried he’d wake everyone in the house.
‘Father said I was the first person besides Grandmother Julia to hear Akum’s voice, right? And since Father hasn’t come to my room, it doesn’t seem to be a lie.’
That’s a relief, but what about my eardrums!
To preserve my hearing, I had to stop Akum’s crying. I attempted conversation with a topic that might interest him.
“Say, I’m curious about something. Do I look a lot like Grandmother? Enough that you mistook me?”
[You don’t look alike.]
Akum stopped crying at once and denied my words. He wasn’t being serious, was he?
[You confused me because of your energy. Besides your eyes, you don’t resemble her at all. Julia was a composed person.]
“…I see.”
Akum stared at my face and tilted his head curiously.
[Your hair color is different too. Pink? Then whose daughter are you? Julia had two sons. Brown? Reytan?]
“You know about Uncle Brown?”
I was startled.
Uncle Brown was an illegitimate child born before Grandmother Julia and Grandfather were married, who never took the Trabel Family name—Father’s older brother.
How did Akum know about that?
[Hmm. So you’re Reytan’s daughter? That makes sense. Reytan was more of a troublemaker than Brown. How are they both doing?]
Akum’s short, stubby tail wagged with anticipation.
“Father is doing well. As for Uncle Brown…”
I quietly brought both hands to my ears and continued speaking.
“He passed away seven years ago, apparently.”
[What—?!]
Crack.
Even with my ears covered, it was futile. Akum, as expected, burst into tears again at the news of Uncle Brown, and I spent the rest of the night consoling him until I finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.
And when I woke up—
“Morning….”
“You should eat. Did you sleep well?”
“Ugh! Dad? Um… did you happen to see my lizard in my room? I brought it last night….”
“I didn’t see it.”
Only Father, who had come to wake me for breakfast, and I were in my room.

7. Pearl Earrings and Relatives

“But it wasn’t a dream, was it?”
The notebooks and pens scattered across the floor of the Room of Contemplation, the damp pajamas hung out to dry, the glass of water on the bed—
All traces of last night remained intact.
The only thing missing was the pebble Grandfather had given me.
“Where could it have gone?”
After breakfast, Father and Theon left for sword practice.
I pretended to play alone while searching through every corner of Stone House, looking for Akum.
Even though he had transformed into a talking lizard, he might be Grandmother’s memento, and if Grandfather found out I’d lost it—
‘Oh no. I have to find it quickly.’
Moreover, I had an outing scheduled for the afternoon. The tight schedule made my heart race with urgency.
“Young lady, are you going outside? You shouldn’t go far.”
“Yes! I’ll just play in the garden out front!”
The maidservants were working inside Stone House, and I was wandering alone through the garden, whispering Akum’s name as I searched.
‘Huh?’
Beyond the dense arborvitae trees that served as a fence, I heard voices in conversation.
“Got it? Hati? When the frog appears, you throw this.”
They were children’s voices.

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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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