I’m The Male Lead’s Biological Daughter, But I Want To Live With The Second Male Lead! - Chapter 115

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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 115
After a series of unforeseen complications, the banquet finally began, and Zigmund, standing at the center alongside Mabel, surveyed the gathered crowd.
Everyone gazed at Mabel with an air of fondness, their faces alight with contented smiles.
This gathering held only those who had come to celebrate the dissolution of Mabel’s engagement.
“Well then, I’m grateful you’ve all gathered on such a joyous occasion.”
Zigmund spoke with a deliberate weightiness in his tone.
Mabel, accustomed to Zigmund’s usual warmth toward everyone, found something unfamiliar in this gravitas.
For some reason, it struck her as both amusing and embarrassing—her lips kept twitching upward of their own accord.
Aselt and Kellic, standing across from her with glasses of juice in hand, were suffering the same struggle.
“Today, we have arranged this banquet because the betrothal matter that has long troubled Mabel has been wholly resolved.”
Yet Zigmund seemed entirely at ease with this formal manner of speaking.
Now that she thought of it, Zigmund was a Grand Duke and master of his household.
When addressing vassals or nobles from other families, he would naturally adopt such a tone far more often.
‘Still, it feels odd.’
Just as Mabel was fighting to suppress her twitching lips, a servant drew near.
The servant extended a tray bearing glasses of juice toward her.
When Mabel’s eyes widened in surprise, the servant instructed her to take one.
“As the Grand Duke is doing, miss.”
Upon hearing the servant’s words, Mabel cast a sidelong glance at Zigmund.
Indeed, Zigmund was holding a glass of Champagne aloft.
Mabel quickly set Winter down and reached for a glass to follow his lead.
Zigmund then raised his Champagne glass high and spoke.
“May only blessings await Mabel, who has so admirably weathered this difficult time.”
“Only blessings await!”
The crowd echoed his words with cheerful voices, following his lead.
Mabel, caught off guard, raised her glass high as well.
“Woof!”
Winter, seated on the floor, lifted his head proudly, having claimed the water bowl Ella had brought instead of a glass.
As if to insist they not forget he was here too.
“My goodness.”
Mabel giggled at Winter’s endearing display, and Zigmund spoke to her.
“Now, Mabel, everyone here is blessing you. Surely you have a response to offer them?”
“Oh, ah, yes!”
So that was it!
But what on earth should she say?
She felt a little nervous, lacking eloquence as she was.
Yet upon reflection, it didn’t seem as though grand words were necessary at all.
So Mabel, still holding her juice glass aloft, spoke with a radiant smile.
“Thank you all so much—may you all find happiness as well!”
Just as I am happy right now.
May everyone here be blessed with happiness!
Mabel wished that all those who had blessed her would themselves be blessed.
It was a response purer and more sincere than any elaborate speech could be.
“Yes! Let’s all be happy together!”
Kellic was the first to answer Mabel’s heartfelt words.
His juice sloshed precariously in his glass as he thrust it high and shouted.
Amused by his enthusiasm, Aselt also raised his glass again in response.
“Yes, let’s all be happy from now on.”
Following his lead, cries of happiness rippled across the hall.
The Banquet Hall, once filled with words blessing the child, now overflowed with blessings for one another.
“As the host of this gathering, that was a most splendid response.”
A gentle smile played at Zigmund’s lips as he reached out to touch Mabel’s head affectionately.
Mabel giggled in response and drew Winter back into her arms.
“Be happy too, Winter.”
“Yip!”
Winter gently tapped Mabel’s cheek with a paw soft as a mangosteen, his gesture tender.
[Mabel too.]
It was a blessing more precious than any other.
Zigmund then tapped his glass again to draw everyone’s attention.
“Well then, on such a joyous day, I have yet another piece of happy news to share.”
The cheerful crowd of happiness evangelists turned their focus to Zigmund.
Their eyes brimmed with anticipation.
Zigmund lightly touched Mabel’s shoulder as she cradled Winter, and spoke.
“From this day forward, Mabel is…….”
Zigmund’s gaze shifted toward Mabel.
Mabel tilted her head for a moment, then her eyes widened.
She had realized that Zigmund was asking for her consent even now, at this final moment.
Faced with his careful, tender gaze, Mabel quickly raised her voice to answer.
“My father’s daughter!!!”
She wanted nothing more—truly, not even the smallest thing more—to be a stranger.
Following the child’s sharp cry came another burst—pop, pop!
Fireworks exploded, and colored torn paper fluttered down.
“Wonderful~!”
“Congratulations, miss!”
“Now you’re truly our young lady!”
Applause poured forth, and amid it all, a whistle sounded from one corner.
Ella and Lundwell, standing in front, quietly brushed away tears.
“Oh, she really is—my young lady, on a day like this, in all my life, oh—!”
Dain had nearly collapsed into sobs, gripping someone’s shoulders.
Just as Sheila was pulling Dain away, insisting he compose himself, Kellic and Aselt drew near.
“So now Mabel has older brothers and a father too!”
“Right? Really fortunate. To have such a good father.”
“Heh, thanks!”
Aselt reached out and gently stroked Mabel’s hair as she beamed.
Deep down, he had been preoccupied with the fact that Mabel had called Caesar ‘father,’ but now it seemed he could finally set that worry aside.
Mabel now had a proper father.
“Hmm…….”
Then Zigmund, who had fallen quiet for a moment, posed a tentative question to the children.
“But the family tree is rather peculiar, isn’t it? You lot are Mabel’s older brothers, yet you’re not yet my sons.”
Kellic, however, merely shrugged.
“So what? Our being family doesn’t change either way.”
“Or—are you asking us not to call ourselves Mabel’s older brothers from now on?”
“What? Really? That can’t be it, can it, master?”
At Aselt’s anxious question, Kellic bounced to his feet.
“We became Mabel’s family first, after all! Isn’t that right, Mabel?!”
“Huh? Y-yes! That’s right. You two became my family before anyone else……!”
Mabel answered eagerly as Kellic pressed the point.
Becoming Zigmund’s daughter was wonderful, but she had no wish to stop being the older brothers’ little sister.
“Yelp, yelp!”
Winter circled around Mabel, insisting not to be forgotten either.
“Yeah, that’s right. Winter comes before Father too.”
Mabel set down her juice glass and quickly embraced Winter.
“The order is me, Kellic, Winter, and then you, master.”
“Right. So no cutting in line!”
Aselt and Kellic stepped forward protectively, flanking Mabel.
At the sight of the four children suddenly huddling together so tightly, Zigmund was left speechless.
“I’ve had this feeling for a while now—why do you all keep making me out to be the villain?”
Zigmund had harbored no such intentions whatsoever.
“What exactly is my image in your eyes?”
“Huh? Uh, well…….”
“Um…….”
“Uh…….”
The children exchanged uncomfortable glances.
Truth be told, there was no reason to be wary at all.
Zigmund had always been gentle with the children, always eager to give them more.
Just as the children were about to apologize—
“Hey.”
Winter spoke.
…….
…….
“…….”
He couldn’t converse with Winter, but he understood what the beast had just said.
“This bastard’s using casual speech again.”
Zigmund muttered in an icy voice.
“Eek.”
Mabel flinched, startled by the curse she’d never heard him use before.
But all things considered, it was a relief.
‘If she’d seen the words floating above Winter’s head, it would’ve been a real disaster.’
Indeed, words continued to materialize above Winter’s head in a steady stream.
[Worst.]
[Thief.]
[Stole. From me. Mabel.]
[Thieving cat.]
[Won’t. Admit it. Dad.]
[If. Enters. My eyes. Dirt.]
Mabel laughed awkwardly, pretending not to notice the words that kept refreshing above Winter’s head.
But her effort proved futile—Winter’s pale blue eyes were wide open and blazing.
Zigmund wasn’t about to back down either and fired back at the beast.
“What, won’t lower those eyes?”
“No.”
“What?”
Just as an indignant Zigmund opened his mouth to respond, Aselt stopped him.
“Master, you can’t seriously be going all out against a baby white lion. Whether you win or lose, you’ll look foolish either way.”
…….”
Stung by the remark, Zigmund let out a few awkward coughs and throat-clearings.
“Anyway.”
Zigmund lowered his posture as though nothing had happened, bringing his gaze level with the children’s.
Then, glancing between Aselt and Kellic in turn, he spoke.
“What I meant to say was—why don’t you two start calling me Father?”
“Father? You mean us?”
“Huh?”
Aselt and Kellic exchanged a startled glance.
Zigmund placed his hands on both boys’ shoulders and continued.
“Mabel calls me Father even though her name hasn’t been entered in my household registry yet.”
“But that’s—I mean, Mabel’s scheduled to be entered soon, isn’t she?”
“Then doesn’t the same logic apply to you two?”
Zigmund had been intending to adopt both boys as his sons for some time.
He simply hadn’t been able to proceed due to opposition from the elders.
To Zigmund, Aselt and Kellic had long been no different from his own sons.

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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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