I Will Try to Save My Dad - Chapter 19

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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 19

Jeffrey had fallen ill last year.
My parents’ meager inheritance was exhausted entirely on his medical treatment, and I had done everything within my power to help him recover.

“I would do anything to cure your illness, Jeffrey.”

Jeffrey despised when I spoke like that.
Though he was only six years old, he understood why I had to suffer so much.
It was because we had no money.
An illness of unknown origin tormented me relentlessly. Even when Jeffrey bared his fangs in protest and told me to stop, I would smile and venture outside to earn coin.
Then one day, not long after the Countess’s pearl earrings had gone missing from our home, Knights arrived. They said we could no longer live here.
Jeffrey resisted as the Knights dragged him from beneath his blankets.

“Let go! I’ll bite you!”

Anne would return. I had to stay and guard the house.
Even as his worsening condition clouded his mind, Jeffrey extended his claws and clung desperately to the bed.
Rip. Rip. The worn mattress tore beneath his nails. His frail body, unable to resist the brute force of the Knight gripping his ankle, was hoisted into the air. Jeffrey bared his fangs and growled.

“Let me go! Where is my sister?!”
“Such spirit in something so small. Ears? Wait. Are you a Wolf Tribe hybrid? I know how to handle beasts like you.”

The Knight was a xenophobe.
Crack! He seized Jeffrey’s slender neck in a single hand.
Then, as though displaying a trophy to his companions, he shook Jeffrey’s limp, powerless body. The Knight laughed with contemptible cruelty.

“Little ones like this go quiet when you do this.”

Jeffrey’s body trembled uncontrollably. Whether from the plummeting body temperature or the terrifying thought that Anne might be in danger, he couldn’t tell.
The Knight hurled Jeffrey beyond the outer wall’s gate as though discarding a beast. Shocked by the sight, the Innkeeper Woman rushed the child back inside.
The chills intensified relentlessly.
‘It’s because of me.’
Lost in agony so severe that reality itself blurred, that singular thought consumed him.
The lack of money, Sister being accused of theft—all of it stemmed from my existence. If I simply disappeared, Sister would—
Gag!
Jeffrey’s brow twitched involuntarily.
A bitterness so intense it triggered dry heaves. Yet that awakened sensation dragged the child’s consciousness back to reality.
Someone had forced something into my mouth.
The liquid flowing across my tongue was swallowed reflexively. I assumed it was medicine, but this felt different. Bitter and scorching.
As though I’d swallowed fire itself, the searing sensation descended through my esophagus and dissipated somewhere near my chest.
What did they make me consume?
“Grrrgh….”
“Whoa. Theon, be careful. Looks like he’s upset about the taste.”
A girl’s voice. Followed by a boy’s.
“Should I give him more?”
“No, a spoonful is just right.”
Jeffrey’s brow furrowed at the voices emanating from his bedside.
My head ached. Or rather, it didn’t.
‘Warm?’
Something was wrong. Given how severe the symptoms had been yesterday, I recognized the change immediately.
For days now, Jeffrey had existed as though submerged entirely in an icy lake.
Yet warmth now radiated from his chest, spreading throughout his entire body—like drinking the hot broth Sister used to prepare.
Feeling the tension drain from every muscle, Jeffrey slowly lifted his eyelids.
“Oh. You’re awake? Can you see my face clearly?”
Something pink moved within his unfocused vision.
From her voice, he knew she was a girl. Jeffrey shook his head.
“That’s the medicine spreading through you. The muscles that contracted so tightly are relaxing now—it’s a natural effect. Your vision will return soon. Your voice won’t come out either, will it?”
He couldn’t comprehend all the complex terminology. Jeffrey took comfort in knowing his eyes would return to normal, and nodded at her mention of his lost voice.
“At least you came to quickly. I would’ve had to explain how to take the medicine otherwise.”
‘How to take the medicine…?’
“Should we leave this here?”
“Yes! That spot’s perfect.”
At the girl’s word, the boy placed something basket-like on the small table beside the bed’s headboard.
The girl spoke again.
“Those are leaves from a two-year-old evening primrose. Every day, place a handful in your mouth and chew until the juice flows, then swallow. Once you can move your body, you can gather them from the Inn Backyard. If you take it for a year, your illness will be cured. Oh, and I’m leaving candy too! Eat one after each dose of medicine.”
The girl, who’d rattled off the instructions as though being chased, turned as if to leave immediately.
‘My illness will be cured?’
Jeffrey desperately wanted to know who this voice belonged to.
But the child left me with one final piece of advice before slipping out the window with the boy who’d come with her.
“You have to take your medicine without fail! If you get sick, it’s not just you who suffers—your family grieves the most.”

***

That evening.
We returned home from the Inn with our spoils—treasures exchanged for Father’s wallet—piled high in the carriage.
Clothes filled the carriage’s cargo hold, and I was astonished to learn that even more garments were yet to be delivered.
Sherry seemed equally startled at the sight of the carriage.
“Did you purchase a clothing shop, sir? I’ve heard the young master has been like this since childhood. A man who shows no interest in anything else, yet the moment he steps into a clothing store—.”
“Sherry. You don’t need to bring that up.”
“Oh my, I’m terribly sorry. I’ve said the most foolish things.”
Sherry called over several people to help organize the clothes. Her face was radiant with joy.
“Had I known that Miss Berry and Theon would look so adorable in such cute outfits, I would have asked to come along too.”
She seemed particularly delighted that Theon’s wardrobe had expanded. He’d owned only two sets of clothes before, and Sherry had been troubled by his comment about pocket money yesterday.
“Ah, Theon, shall we go upstairs together and organize your clothes? I’d like to arrange your wardrobe by purpose, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.”
“It doesn’t matter how you arrange it….”
“It most certainly does matter! It’s your wardrobe, after all! Come along. Quickly now.”
Sherry seized Theon’s hand and dragged him into the Stone House. Theon cast a bewildered glance in my direction.
Our eyes met—his expression one of confusion.
“Berry….”
“Organize it nicely~!”
I waved until Theon disappeared from sight. Left alone with Father before the empty carriage, I broached the subject cautiously.
“Father, will we be alright going forward?”
“…What do you mean by that, Miss?”
“Our household expenses have suddenly skyrocketed.”
I’d put on a cheerful face in front of Theon, but the truth was I’d lived my entire life as a commoner.
This kind of extravagant spending was unprecedented for me. I was genuinely anxious.
“We might end up eating nothing but 100-Cona bread from now on….”
The 100-Cona bread sold as a loss leader in shops was hard and crumbly—you couldn’t tell if you were chewing bread or newspaper.
Of course, such bread would never grace a table in Trabel. But that’s how dire the situation felt.
As I shuddered at the memory of that bread’s taste, Father spoke to me.
“Berry Berry.”
“Yes?”
“The direct line of the Count Trabel Family receives something called a dignity maintenance allowance starting at age sixteen—money given each season for purchasing clothes and accessories.”
I looked up at Father.
I’d assumed today’s expenses came from Father’s emergency funds. But could it be—.
“…Six years’ worth of dignity maintenance allowance?”
“You’ve already figured it out.”
“That’s an incredible windfall.”
“Where did you learn to say such things?”
Ugh. The telltale signs of a lecture incoming.
Just then, Sherry called Father over. Apparently, she’d found some clothes among Theon’s belongings whose proper wearing method eluded her, and she wanted him to come verify.
“Since it’s evening, I’ll just head to my room—”
I retreated to my second-floor room to safeguard my allowance. The Maid Sisters were organizing clothes here as well.
‘Hmm. When will Anne be able to come out?’
If she were here, I’d tell her to go see my younger brother. It was a shame that Anne couldn’t witness Cona’s miracle right away.
“Miss Berry.”
A Maid Sister called out to me as I walked toward the sofa.
“Your sleeve button has come undone. Let me fasten it for you.”
“Oh. Thank you.”
Without thinking, I extended my arm, and the Maid Sister placed something into my hand and closed my fingers around it.
“Huh…?”
The smooth texture of paper and edges that pricked my palm slightly. I turned my gaze toward the Maid Sister.
The Maid Sister fastened the button as if nothing had happened. Yet her fingertips trembled.
Seeing her nervousness, my mind raced with possibilities. She’s close with Anne, after all. Could Aunt Mariane have planted another spy? What on earth did she give me?
“Read it in secret.”
After securing the button, the Maid Sister whispered discreetly to me, then excused herself, claiming she needed to organize the clothes.
Her behavior was decidedly suspicious.
I carefully unclenched my left fist. It was a folded piece of paper. …A letter?
My heart pounded. While I deliberated whether to open it now, Father entered my room.
“Berry, about those clothes—”
“I-I’m going to the bathroom!”
I quickly slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. Just to be safe, I even climbed onto a low stool to lock it from the inside.
This Maid Sister is probably just a diligent worker. Why would she slip me a note…?
With hurried hands, I unfolded the crumpled note.

———-
Are you keeping what I gave you safe?
I’ll check on it without warning, so it’s best you carry it with you at all times.
———-

Ugh. This is a threatening letter.
I crumpled the paper and shoved it into my pocket.

***

I hadn’t slept a wink all night.
Stone House wasn’t in my possession, yet I felt as though Grandmother could burst through my door at any moment to search for it.
In the end, I retreated to the Room of Contemplation and wrote ten pages of self-reflection, then devised ten schemes to prank Aunt Mariane.
I arrived at the Main Estate with dark shadows beneath my eyes, only to find Serber waiting for me with a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
“So you’ll be receiving direct instruction from the Trabel Family starting today, Miss Berry.”
“…Pardon?”
Had I misheard?
…Miss Berry?

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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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