I’m The Male Lead’s Biological Daughter, But I Want To Live With The Second Male Lead! - Chapter 114

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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 114
“Please, Father…….”
Mabel pleaded with eager, imploring eyes.
Zigmund let out a helpless sigh at the sight of his daughter.
“So the first favor my daughter has ever asked of me, calling me Father, is for leniency toward Dain.”
Zigmund shook his head with a wry smile, regarding Dain, who still kept his gaze lowered.
“You heard her, Dain? My daughter wishes for your mercy. The dismissal is hereby cancelled.”
“Thank you, sire, thank you so much.”
“But I shall impose a different punishment instead.”
“Yes, sire! Whatever that punishment may be, I shall accept it with gratitude!”
Dain’s head snapped up, his voice thick with emotion.
How long had he wept while his head was bowed?
His appearance was ruined—tears, mucus, saliva—he was a sight.
Even his glasses were smeared and streaked from the tears.
Zigmund chuckled and spoke.
“You shall undergo Two-Hour Petrification with Aselt. After that, you may resume your duties.”
Behind the glasses soaked with tears, Dain’s eyes widened.
“Two-Hour Petrification, sire……?”
“Yes. Do you object?”
“No, not at all!”
Dain leaped to his feet.
“It’s just that I’m wondering if I’ll truly be allowed to serve Your Highness and the young lady going forward…….”
Such unreasonable clemency—it was almost cruel!
As Dain’s tears flowed anew, Zigmund glanced toward Ella.
Ella stepped forward and handed Dain a handkerchief.
Sniff.
Once Dain removed his glasses and wiped his face with the handkerchief, Zigmund shrugged.
“Well, what can I do? My daughter wishes it so.”
Then he turned to look at Mabel, who was nestled against him.
“Isn’t that right, Mabel?”
Huh?
Why was the spotlight turning on her?
A flash of understanding crossed Mabel’s wide eyes for just a moment.
Mabel clenched her fists and spoke with conviction.
“Yes! I can’t even imagine Duke’s Castle without Dain!”
In other words, stop feeling guilty and go back to being the Dain everyone knew.
But despite Mabel’s intention, Dain only burst into even louder sobs.
“Waaah, Miss thinks of me so, hic, so kindly, waaaah, I, I…….”
He wept with abandon, his entire handkerchief soaked through.
Mabel, watching this, was flustered and didn’t know what to do.
Zigmund laughed as he looked at her.
“Oh dear. My daughter is already making men cry.”
“Yip, yip!”
Winter, who had been quiet until now, joined in as if to say he agreed completely.
[Bad girl.]
[Mabel!]
The beast tightened his muzzle so much that his whiskers bristled, projecting words above his head.
“What, what?”
As Mabel stammered in confusion, Aselt grinned and piled on.
“Well anyway, making a man cry means you’ve won him over, so that’s what matters, right?”
Was that even support?
Mabel was now too bewildered to speak, but Zigmund beside her took it a step further.
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. Well done, Mabel.”
“Wonderful, Mabel! Keep making men cry like that!”
“That’s right~ If they won’t cry, just hit them until they do~”
No—Kellic and Ella were both heaping it on, one spoonful after another.
Unable to bear any more, Mabel shrieked.
“Stop it! All of you! I’m only nine years old!”
And besides, they were supposed to be celebrating that her engagement to the Crown Prince had just been annulled!
Mabel glared at everyone with an exasperated expression.
The crowd burst into laughter at how endearing Mabel looked.
“Don’t laugh……!”
Yet as she pouted at them, a smile was already tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Seeing Mabel’s lips curl up softly, Zigmund cleared his throat with a quiet hum.
“Well then, that settles the misunderstanding…….”
When Mabel looked up, Zigmund smiled gently and met her eyes.
“Shall we begin the banquet now? It’s a bit late, but we should see it through.”
Then he gave Mabel a wink.
“As the Household Head of Eschlide, I have something official to announce to our Household Members.”
“……!”
Understanding Zigmund’s meaning, Mabel’s cheeks flushed crimson.
So thoroughly endearing that she didn’t need to reapply blush over the tears that had washed it away.
When Mabel gave a small nod, Zigmund glanced around at those gathered.
“Well, everyone’s already found out anyway, but formality still matters.”
“Yes, sir!”
Dain, who had already recovered his spirits, answered enthusiastically first.
Not only him, but Aselt and Kellic, Ella and Shilla, as well as the steward, servants, and maids of the Townhouse all wore expressions of eager anticipation.
“So if you want a proper introduction, let’s get this banquet started!”
“Yes! We’ll prepare at once!”
“We’ll have everything ready for entry within ten minutes!”
At Zigmund’s booming command, everyone scattered with military precision.
To think the banquet that seemed destined to fall through could continue after all.
Mabel’s heart thrummed with anticipation.
“Hehe.”
Zigmund gazed fondly at Mabel, who was smiling softly to herself.
Then, as though he’d just remembered something, he looked toward Dain and spoke.
“Right, you need to endure Two-Hour Petrification, so you can’t attend the banquet.”
“What?!”
Dain, who’d been wiping away his last tears with a contented expression, let out a yelp.
“Wait, why now?! We could do it after the banquet ends……!”
“What are you talking about? Punishment should be administered immediately after the wrongdoing, or else there’s no reflection.”
“B-but still……!”
When Dain protested as though aggrieved, Zigmund cut him off sharply with a decisive gesture.
“Besides, once the banquet ends, you’ll need to help with the cleanup. How could you possibly shirk that by hiding behind Petrification?”
“Hiding?! When you’re Petrified, you’re paralyzed like you’re in sleep paralysis — it’s torture!”
“Right, true. That part really is that bad.”
Kellic nodded in agreement, bobbing his head.
He knew firsthand, having endured it frequently in the past to demonstrate Aselt’s safety.
And Zigmund himself had experienced Petrification once, after he’d broken his wrist in his wrist falling back asleep too late one morning.
So it was certainly not a leisurely, comfortable way to shirk responsibility.
“So you’re saying you won’t accept the punishment my daughter graciously begged for leniency on?”
Zigmund used that to close Dain’s objection.
“Ah, n-no…….”
Dain’s words caught in his throat, and he opened and closed his mouth like a fish.
He clearly wanted to argue that this wasn’t right.
But faced with Mabel staring at him with those clear eyes, he couldn’t say another word.
In the end, Dain had no choice but to answer like someone choking down bitter medicine.
“Miss…… I wish you all the happiness in the world…….”
Stifling a sob, Dain searched for a comfortable position.
Should he lie on the floor? Sit in a chair?
After trying different positions, Dain settled himself straight along the Hallway wall.
Then, like a warrior meeting a noble end, he cried out.
“I-I’m ready! Come ahead, Master Aselt!”
“Right, if you’re ready, look me in the eye.”
Aselt removed his Sunglasses as he spoke.
Dain immediately widened his eyes and stared at Aselt.
But one second passed, two seconds passed, three seconds…….
No matter how long, Dain’s body did not petrify.
“Huh, what……?”
Bewildered, Dain slowly lifted his head.
And so…….
“Pfft!”
“Hah, Mabel, don’t laugh, hehehehe.”
“Hihit, but Father, you’re laughing too!”
“But he’s really just lying there doing that…… gehehehe!”
Mabel and Zigmund stood there, hands pressed to their mouths, stifling their laughter in suppressed bursts.
Kellic and Aselt were no different.
“Puhaha! Isn’t Dain just an absolute fool?!”
“Who’s saying he isn’t, hehehe…….”
“Meow~”
Even Winter was grinning wide, mouth open in a soundless laugh!
“Ah, no, why aren’t you punishing me instead of just laughing…….”
Dain kept glancing around in bewilderment.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Kellic burst into laughter and spoke.
“You really are a fool, aren’t you? What would happen to Mabel’s Banquet if you weren’t there!”
“What……?”
“Ugh, how on earth did you manage to be an aide with such terrible instincts?”
Kellic chided the still-bewildered Dain, then turned to Mabel with a question.
“Mabel, what would you think of a Banquet without Dain?”
Mabel, covering her small mouth with her tiny hands, giggled as she answered.
“I think it would be really disappointing!”
At that, Kellic smiled and turned back to Dain.
“There, you heard her? You going to disappoint my sister?”
Only then did Dain realize everyone had been teasing him.
He shot up from his seat, his face flushed crimson, and let out a sharp cry.
“Ah, you’re all really too much!”
And needless to say, the group’s laughter only grew louder at the sight.

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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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