I’m Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 173

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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 173
In any case, my greeting with the Emperor did not extend much longer and came to an end.
The Emperor and Empress returned to the Castle, and the Knights dispersed to their respective duties, yet a considerable crowd still remained before the Castle gates.
Perhaps because of this, people’s attention remained fixed upon us. Since I disliked being the center of attention, I needed to return home as soon as possible.
I turned to bid farewell to Enoch and Kaiden when my eyes met those of a middle-aged man who was staring at me intently.
A refined middle-aged man with long, slightly coarse hair neatly tied back—none other than my father, Duke Flone.
The moment our eyes met, his face bloomed like a flower, and he waved at me. His stern, dignified expression melted away beautifully, transforming him into something almost foolish, which I found rather remarkable.
‘Yes. Father has always been that way.’
Father. I continued to turn that word over in my mind. The feeling was strange.
If the identity of Lee Jin-ju within me were stronger, then the name “father” and all these circumstances should feel unfamiliar.
Yet because the Margaret of the past was undoubtedly also myself, everything was accepted naturally without any sense of alienation. It was even more remarkable that this was a separate emotion from the strangeness I felt.
“My little filly!”
Father rushed forward in a single stride as if he had been waiting for this very moment, and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“You’re alive! This father of yours… I… *sob*…”
He began to weep bitterly while holding me.
Duke Flone was ordinarily an elegant and dignified nobleman, yet whenever family matters became entangled, he became as delicate as a single flower.
I sighed and patted my father’s back. I was deeply embarrassed by the onlookers watching this touching reunion between father and daughter, but most of all, I was mortified that Enoch and Kaiden were watching us with bewildered expressions from a distance.
Moreover, “my little filly”—
I remembered that my father’s pet name for me was “filly,” but to use such an endearment in such a public place…!
I could die of shame…!
“Father, please… this is…”
“Yes. You must have missed your father dearly too. Are you hurt anywhere? How difficult it must have been for you all this time. Just imagining what hardships you endured makes it difficult for this father to breathe…!”
Father wept with a heart-wrenching expression, truly sorrowfully. And faced with his loud theatrics, I found myself momentarily at a loss for words and closed my mouth.
In truth, I had worried that when I returned to the Langrid Empire, I might fail to adapt like a stone rolling into the world of nobility.
Yet if my father, the head of the prestigious House Flone, was such a person, surely one more strange person wouldn’t be too much of a problem?
It was Innis, the eldest daughter of House Flone and my sister, who rescued me from this predicament.
“Father, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Magic Tower Master are standing right there. What is the meaning of this disgrace?”
At Innis’s words, Father finally wiped his tears with the back of his hand and glanced at Enoch and Kaiden standing behind me.
After Innis finished introducing herself to Enoch and Kaiden, she pushed Father aside and approached me, pulling me into an embrace.
“Margaret, I’m relieved you’re safe.”
Compared to Father, it was a far more composed and calm greeting, yet I noticed her voice trembling at the end.
Standing there bewildered, I eventually embraced her in return. Then I quietly buried my face against her shoulder.
“I missed you, Innis.”
This is something I say, and something Margaret says.
Strangely, her scent was familiar. And most oddly, I felt as though I might cry. Even amidst the confusion, I was genuinely delighted to see her, and that feeling was profoundly strange.
“Margaret, what about your father? Won’t you tell your father that you missed him too!”
Had Father not been pestering me from behind, it would have been quite a moving family reunion.
“Of course I missed you too, Father.”
Yet at my affectionate reply, Father seemed startled instead. He turned his head sharply toward Innis, his voice trembling.
“Innis, doesn’t our little filly seem a bit strange to you? That child could never be so kind to her father.”
Innis glared at her father with an irritated expression, as if he were a nuisance. Seeing that cold gaze, her father whimpered that his daughter’s face was too frightening and that his feelings were hurt.
I spoke to them with a slightly weary expression.
“Would it be alright if I greeted Your Highness Crown Prince and Lord Kaiden?”
Innis and her father belatedly noticed Enoch and Kaiden’s expressions, then quietly stepped aside.
After confirming that no one was close enough to overhear our conversation, I turned to face Enoch and Kaiden.
Enoch and Kaiden looked at us with fascinated expressions, and when their eyes met mine, they smiled.
“Your family is quite true to form.”
“Peculiar as expected. Just like you.”
Kaiden spoke in succession after Enoch.
For some reason, my face felt flushed. It was exactly as Margaret remembered. Truly, my family was an embarrassment wherever they went.
I placed my hand on my cheek for a moment to cool the heat, then opened my mouth.
“It feels strange that we truly must part now.”
We had been together every day for several months, and I sensed it would feel quite lonely. Though it wasn’t as though we would never see each other again.
At my words, Kaiden’s face crumpled suddenly.
“Part? What are you saying?”
“We are parting, aren’t we?”
At my words, Enoch nodded and lifted my hand, slowly pressing a kiss to the back of it.
“I shall visit Flone Estate formally soon enough.”
Watching this, Kaiden lifted my other hand and left a kiss on the back of it.
“Then I’ll visit unofficially.”
“Lord.”
At Enoch’s sharp tone, Kaiden merely shrugged his shoulders and laughed with ease. The gesture was so utterly Kaiden.
Our three figures would have appeared deeply connected even without hearing the conversation we shared. It had felt natural on the Island, but I sensed these people here would find it strange.
I could see people watching us from a distance with curious faces suddenly stir in surprise.
I exhaled wearily and stepped away from Enoch and Kaiden.
“Please don’t come so close to me. What if a scandal arises? It’s not just about me—it would be bad for both of you as well.”
At my words, Kaiden’s eyes gleamed sharply. He drew closer to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Margaret, we agreed not to keep our distance.”
The hand resting on my shoulder felt somewhat heavy. With so many watching eyes, Kaiden refrained from further physical contact as he spoke to me.
“And if anyone dares spread rumors, I’ll tear their mouths to shreds.”
It was likely an empty threat, but somehow I felt Kaiden might actually do it—which would only make things worse, wouldn’t it?
Enoch, having separated from Kaiden, regarded me quietly. My face was reflected in his dignified, piercing golden eyes.
“If you’re worried about scandal, don’t be. Soon it will cease to be scandal.”
Enoch’s words were laden with meaning, making them difficult to interpret. I became somewhat conscious of the surrounding gazes. In any case, I wanted to avoid this situation.
“In any case, as I said before, this isn’t Alea Island. An unmarried man and woman being this close would seem strange. Now we must adapt. To civilized society.”
I shook my head and firmly prevented them from drawing closer to me.
“…Did you just say marriage?”
“What? What are you saying, Margaret? Did you have a man you were going to marry?”
I narrowed the space between my eyebrows at their interrogation.
“Would I?”
Watching the two men exhale in relief, I ultimately shook my head and bid them farewell.
“In any case, I’ll be taking my leave now. Both of you stay well, and I’ll see you at the homecoming celebration.”
“I’ll visit the Manor before that.”
“I shall also call upon you before then.”
Fine, fine. I acknowledged them perfunctorily before turning away.
Then I spotted my father and Innis standing there with their mouths agape, staring at me.
The mere thought of explaining my relationship with them was already giving me a headache.
* * *
The servants of the Flone Estate were on edge.
“It’s wonderful that the Young Lady is alive, but the thought of her returning is terrifying.”
One of the maids busily preparing for the party spoke up, and the other maids around her all chimed in agreement.
“That’s right. She doesn’t inflict sadistic punishments like the Young Lady of the Cozette Family, but there are definitely some girls who’ve had their hair pulled by the Young Lady, aren’t there?”
“Well, didn’t they deserve it? Rosy stole the Young Lady’s jewels. And Hilda spilled hot coffee on the Young Lady’s hand, nearly giving her a burn—do you think she wouldn’t grab her hair for that?”
“Still, what kind of noblewoman just grabs someone’s hair the moment she gets angry?”
“That’s true. Our Margaret Young Lady was particularly unlike a typical noblewoman.”
“That’s why she has that nickname—Scoundrel. Even the Duke and Duchess call her that.”
“She’s a scoundrel alright, but she’s kind of cute about it, you know?”
Giggle, giggle.
“What is all this talk?”
At the sound of Vanessa’s voice from behind, the maids jumped in fright.
“You’ve all lost your minds.”
Vanessa swept her stern gaze across the chattering maids. Those who met her eyes trembled.
Vanessa was the personal attendant to the Young Ladies of House Flone. Unlike these lower-ranking maids, she naturally held a higher position and carried considerable authority.
“I-it was a slip of the tongue.”
“A slip of the tongue? Everything you said will be reported directly to the Head Maid. Remember that.”
At Vanessa’s cold words, the maids’ faces went pale as they collapsed into their seats.
If Vanessa reported them to the Head Maid immediately, the maids would surely face punishment.
* * *
I boarded the carriage heading to the Flone Estate in the Capital alongside my father and Innis.
My father and Innis sat side by side while I sat awkwardly across from them. My father kept sniffling, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.
Innis, watching my father, sighed as if she couldn’t help it, then looked at me.
“Are you alright?”
“Huh?”
I countered somewhat awkwardly before closing my mouth again. I couldn’t bear the discomfort.
It was undeniable that they were my family. It was equally clear that I was Margaret. So the fact that it didn’t feel strange to be with them somehow felt strange to me instead.
I suppose it’s like feeling as though I’m not myself.
That was when Eun-ji, rustling in my dress pocket, poked her head out with a “peek-a-boo.”
“Agh!”
My father cried out in shock and struck his head against the carriage window, letting out a groan. Unlike my startled father, Innis regarded Eun-ji with a composed expression, utterly unperturbed.
“Is this perhaps that legendary divine creature everyone speaks of?”
Eun-ji responded to Innis’s words by opening her mouth and breathing out a flame no larger than a finger.
“Goodness! Is this a divine beast?! It just looks like a snake to me!”
At Father’s exclamation, Eun-ji snorted with displeasure. For some reason, Archbishop Luzef’s face seemed to overlay Father’s features, and I desperately hoped it was merely my imagination.
Innis, who had been quietly observing Eun-ji, gently stroked her head.
Eun-ji glanced up at Innis cautiously, gauging her reaction. Apparently pleased, she closed her eyes and nuzzled her face against Innis’s palm, displaying her affection.
Innis’s usually stern cheeks flushed a delicate pink. Embarrassed by her own reaction, she cleared her throat and withdrew her hand.
“Hmm. She’s adorable.”
Eun-ji wagged her tail like a puppy, the tip swishing back and forth. As she gazed at Innis with bright, eager eyes, Innis’s face grew increasingly flushed.
“How did you come to meet her?”
“I found her on the island where I was kidnapped. I was wandering about when I discovered an egg and brought it with me. She hatched from it and has been following me around ever since, believing I’m her mother.”
Upon hearing my explanation, Innis’s expression darkened considerably as her thoughts seemed to turn grave.
“Wait—you said you were kidnapped. What exactly happened during all that time? Did you suffer any harm?”
“Our dear girl, what are you saying? Did you truly endure something terrible?!”
As Innis pressed her interrogation, Father startled in alarm, bending forward convulsively and gripping my shoulders.

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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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