I’m The Male Lead’s Biological Daughter, But I Want To Live With The Second Male Lead! - Chapter 109

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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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Episode 109
When Franceska designated some phantom princess as Ian’s fiancée.
Franceska’s face contorted as though she’d swallowed poison.
Ian truly despised Mabel, but he was willing to endure it for Franceska’s sake.
He wanted his parents’ relationship to improve.
He wanted to live laughing with his mother and father, like other children did.
But in the end, what happened?
“How could you take the Empress Consort instead of the Empress on a state visit to another country? There are limits to how much you can disrespect my mother!”
And that wasn’t all.
The Empress Consort, hand in hand with Zigmund, actively worked to obstruct Franceska.
“The cats died? That’s all because of Father. Father killed them!”
Ian thrashed about again.
As a son, this was all he could do for Franceska—the thought made him burn with shame.
Ian’s chest boiled with apologies to Franceska even for this.
So when Franceska showed the Cat Coat as though she’d been waiting for it, he was overjoyed.
Because she seemed to understand his sincerity.
Because Franceska’s mood appeared to have lightened!
But today, Edward stripped away even Franceska’s Internal Authority.
Ian could bear it no longer.
“The cat is like my child? Then what about me? Me—Father, what about me!”
Zigmund’s expression, which had been watching Ian with evident distress, slowly hardened.
Yet Ian continued to pour out his rage.
“I’ll kill them all, I’ll kill them all!”
Ian’s anguished sobs filled the dark room completely.
Not one of the adults present dared speak carelessly.
Edward knew full well that Ian didn’t know the truth about his own blood.
Yet even if Ian were truly his son, Edward could not have loved the boy easily.
Auburn hair, green eyes, sharply angled at the corners, and a slightly prominent nose bridge.
Ian was the very image of Franceska.
Of course, Edward carried guilt toward Ian, who knew nothing of this.
So he had actively supported Ian as Crown Prince, ensuring the boy could enjoy and possess everything.
But now, thinking that all of it had created this situation, his heart found no peace.
“……Ian.”
Edward drew a deep breath and moved slowly toward Ian.
Ian, trembling violently, started at the sound.
Edward placed a light hand on Ian’s shoulder and bent one knee.
Then, meeting Ian’s eyes, he spoke.
“Your anger is justified.”
Ignorance is a sin, but ignorance born from adults’ concealment is not the sin of a child.
At least, that’s what Edward believed.
“But the way you expressed that anger was wrong.”
“Father……!”
“The crime you’ve committed is the crime of treating life with contempt. This is not something the Crown Prince—nor any person—should do. The same applies to the Empress.”
Edward’s gaze remained dry.
Ian felt the ground crumble beneath his feet as despair washed over him.
Why wouldn’t they understand, no matter how much he cried out?
My loneliness. Our mother’s wretchedness.
“I’m imposing a thirty-day Confinement Order on you. Your birthday celebration this year will be minimized as well.”
“Father!!!”
Ian rushed at Edward again, but Edward remained firm.
“Reflect on yourself.”
“Father, Father!”
Ian ran forward with his legs pounding, but Edward no longer looked at him.
“My apologies, Zigmund. For involving you in such a matter.”
“Not at all. I take it as a sign of your trust in me.”
“That too is not without truth.”
Edward smiled, looking somewhat weary.
“Then, as a final matter… would you escort the Crown Prince to his quarters?”
“I shall do so gladly.”
Zigmund, who had answered, bowed his head slightly.
Then Ian threw a fit.
“My story isn’t finished yet! Father, please return the Internal Authority you confiscated from Mother! Without it, she won’t be Empress Consort anymore!”
Ian shouted continuously as Zigmund dragged him out of the Empress Consort’s Palace.
The commotion was loud enough to wake the sleeping palace staff, and word of it reached Franceska.
“Ian! What on earth is this about?!”
Franceska rushed out in her nightclothes and recoiled at the sight of Zigmund.
“Your Majesty, please, let me—”
A pale-faced attendant hurried over and draped a shawl around Franceska’s shoulders.
She had come running so frantically that she’d forgotten entirely about propriety.
“Mother, Mother!”
At the sight of Franceska, Ian burst into tears.
Zigmund still held Ian restrained as he bowed respectfully to Franceska.
Franceska drew the shawl closed around herself and fixed Zigmund with a glare.
“The Grand Duke of the Eschlide Grand Duchy must explain himself at once.”
But when Zigmund had laid out the entire situation, her fierce gaze found not him, but Ian.
“You!”
With her face contorted like a demon’s mask, Franceska brought her hand down sharply across Ian’s cheek.
Crack!
“…!”
The bold strike made Zigmund and the attendants gasp in shock.
But the most shocked of all was Ian himself.
His head had turned with the blow, and he stared back at Franceska with a whimper.
“M-Mother…?”
Ian’s lip split at the impact, and blood beaded at the corner of his mouth.
Franceska’s eyes flickered when she saw it, but only for a moment.
“I understand the situation. Now hand the Crown Prince over to me.”
When Zigmund did not at once release Ian, Franceska lowered her gaze.
Her hands, gripping the edges of her shawl, trembled visibly.
“Do not worry. I am well aware of how serious this matter is. Please, let me punish my son with my own hands. And tell His Majesty that I have no objection whatsoever to his recovery of the Internal Authority.”
“Mother!”
Ian called out to her pleadingly, but she turned away from him with cruel coldness.
Zigmund deliberated for a moment, then handed Ian over to Franceska.
Franceska quickly moved Ian behind her and apologized to Zigmund.
“I apologize for the trouble at this late hour.”
Her slender shoulders trembled with barely contained rage and humiliation.
When Zigmund bowed, Franceska immediately left with Ian.
In the corridor, which had grown quiet as suddenly as it had erupted into chaos, Zigmund stood alone and rubbed the back of his neck.
‘This is exactly why I didn’t want to involve myself in imperial family affairs…’
Zigmund clicked his tongue and turned to go.
‘I’ll file my report and get back before the children wake up.’
He found himself thinking of his own children, sleeping peacefully and unaware of any of this.
* * *
Several days had passed.
The commotion that had taken place in the Imperial Palace that late night became something everyone hushed up and pretended had never happened.
But the news that six cats had survived reached Mabel this morning.
“How wonderful—at least six of them made it!”
Knowing how heartbroken Lillian had been when speaking of the lost kittens, Mabel shared in her joy as if it were her own.
At such moments, Mabel’s face was radiant and peaceful, unmarred by a single shadow.
‘A child’s face really should always look like this~’
Ella, with tail combs and hair ribbons looped over all ten fingers, spoke brightly.
“Now then, how shall we style your hair today~?”
“Um, today—!”
Mabel, seated at her vanity, swung her legs thoughtfully.
It would be a shame to just tie it the usual way—plain twin braids or left loose.
Today was the engagement celebration party, which she’d been preparing for days!
Zigmund had even bought her a new Dress and Shoes for today.
‘Just a gift,’ he’d said.
Mabel understood what those words meant, and she’d accepted them gladly without worrying about the cost.
A father giving to his daughter.
A warmth bloomed in her chest at the story told without words.
‘Winter objected, sure, but I felt like I owed it to the Patriarch to tell him what I was thinking….’
Yet Mabel couldn’t summon the courage.
‘But how am I supposed to say that the Patriarch feels like a father to me!’
Squee~
Her heart fluttered just thinking about it.
Was that why?
Lately, whenever she stood before Zigmund, her mind went blank.
‘Come to think of it, unlike me, the Patriarch’s been looking more haggard each day.’
Could it be connected to his sudden hike in the Patent Fee, then the reversal of it?
Not just the alchemists across the kingdom, but the cat enthusiasts from abroad were all begging him for mercy.
Yet for some reason, Zigmund had resisted lowering the fee for a while before finally adjusting the rate not long ago.
Around that same time, news came that Sophia had left for the Southern Region, which only deepened Mabel’s confusion.
‘I hope nothing’s gone wrong. I’m worried….’

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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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