I’m The Male Lead’s Biological Daughter, But I Want To Live With The Second Male Lead! - Chapter 68

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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 68
Clatter.
Mabel set down her spoon with deliberate noise.
Then she sprang up from her seat.
“Miss—?”
“Just one moment, please!”
Ignoring Ella’s call, Mabel made straight for the table where the women sat.
At once, the attention of everyone in the Cafeteria—those who had been pretending indifference—snapped toward her.
Unintentionally, this Cafeteria had become a gathering place for the nobility; the menu prices were steep enough to keep commoners away.
Naturally, not only those who had attended the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet yesterday but also those who had heard the story were present.
“Good afternoon.”
Mabel greeted them with a clear, melodious voice as she reached their table.
The women, their faces hidden behind fans, stiffened slightly.
“Oh, yes. Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon.”
They lowered their fans just enough to show their eyes as they returned her greeting.
Yet their discomfort was plainly written across what little of their faces remained visible.
The moment their eyes met hers, they looked away—exactly like the old maids from the Ducal Residence of Asilonia used to do.
Those memories kept surfacing unbidden, even now.
She hadn’t fully escaped those traumas yet.
Why did they speak so carelessly, knowing nothing?
Mabel unconsciously relaxed the tension in her stiffened body and opened her mouth.
“You were at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet yesterday, weren’t you? I didn’t mean to listen, but your voices were quite loud.”
“What? I—”
“You said I look far too healthy to have suffered abuse, didn’t you?”
“Well…”
As Mabel spoke with measured precision, the women exchanged glances but said nothing.
But before long, realizing that all eyes in the room had turned toward them, one of them cleared her throat deliberately.
“If our voices were loud, we apologize. But miss, it’s hardly proper to eavesdrop on others’ conversation and then come seeking them out like this, is it?”
“The festival brought crowds, so voices naturally grew louder. I’ll be more careful next time. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”
The women still held their fans rigidly before their faces.
They had dismissed her and turned to resume their own conversation when—
“I’m afraid I can’t leave just yet. If I simply retreat now, I’m certain false rumors will spread.”
“False rumors? Are you suggesting we’re spreading lies about you?”
“Miss, that’s a harsh accusation. We spoke nothing but the plain truth, as we saw it.”
At Mabel’s words, the women bristled, their gaze turning cold and downward-bearing.
But Mabel did not yield; she held their eyes, looking up.
Quietly, Ella and Hishin moved to stand behind her.
Yet the women too had brought retainers of their own.
Unlike Mabel, who had only a maid and one young knight at her back, each of these women commanded three burly attendants.
Emboldened, they spoke to her as though instructing a child.
“Isn’t it plain? Your speech yesterday was far too eloquent and lucid. How could that be possible? If you’d truly endured something so terrible, it would have been agonizing even to recall.”
“Perhaps you’re too young to understand, miss, but genuine victims rarely speak as you did yesterday. The pain of such memories makes even recalling them unbearable.”
And so, they added, your behavior yesterday was hardly that of a true victim—their suspicions were entirely justified.
Creak.
Behind her, Ella’s teeth ground audibly.
The women and their attendants flinched, but all eyes fixed on Hishin, not the slender Ella.
Into that silence, Mabel spoke quietly.
“What does it mean to act like a victim?”
“…I beg your pardon?”
“What does acting like a victim mean? Exactly as you just described—”
“Then was the Duchess of Asilonia acting like a perpetrator when she shed false tears before me yesterday? Do you have proof—other than my demeanor—that the Duchess didn’t commit abuse?”
As the women’s words caught in their throats, Mabel continued.
“Would your attitude toward me be different if I had spoken yesterday as the Duchess did—while weeping?”
“…”
“Wouldn’t you say the festival day was nothing but tears, that I spoke while crying so much it was hard to understand, that the Ducal Residence signaled me to cry—wouldn’t you say such things?”
The women’s lips trembled behind their fans; they had been struck where it hurt.
Yet Mabel maintained her composure throughout.
“The Asilonia Ducal House ordered me to say I’d been abused? You think it was to extort money from Asilonia? Do you have proof of that?”
“Well, that is…”
“Both of you are sitting there without a single rebuttal to what I’m saying. So what exactly isn’t a false rumor?”
As Mabel stepped forward, challenging them to answer, the women flinched and rose from their seats.
“W-well, I mean…….”
The women glanced around desperately, as if seeking rescue.
But the others merely coughed and quickly turned their heads away.
Whether the story of Mabel’s abuse was true or false was beside the point—no one dared openly antagonize the Asilonia Ducal House.
As no one stepped forward to support them, the women exchanged a rapid glance.
“Oh, we just remembered we have an appointment.”
“Hehe, we really must be going…….”
The women were gathering their things to stand when—
“It seems the conversation is just about wrapped up~”
Ella, who had been standing behind Mabel, cut in smoothly.
Mabel’s eyes widened at Ella’s sudden intervention, having expected her to remain silent.
Ella, now positioned between the women and Mabel, turned to ask her a question.
“Don’t you think we should call it here?”
“Ah, but…….”
She hadn’t received an apology yet.
Mabel’s lips trembled slightly.
Whether or not she’d truly suffered abuse didn’t matter anymore.
But she wanted an apology for the disrespect shown to the Asilonia Ducal House—to Zigmund himself.
As Mabel hesitated, Ella spoke with disarming charm.
“Wouldn’t you, Miss? For my sake~?”
Mabel felt a pang of disappointment at Ella’s words.
I didn’t do anything wrong, yet she’s speaking as though I should simply let this go and make peace.
But Mabel understood well enough.
There was nothing to gain by escalating this further.
So Mabel nodded reluctantly, her face hardened with frustration.
Tears she hadn’t shed all this time threatened suddenly to spill.
“Then~ I’ll tidy up and catch up with you. Why don’t you head out with Hishin first~?”
Hishin, who had already packed up the food and gathered their things, approached and extended his hand.
Mabel took Hishin’s hand and began walking slowly, reluctantly.
Her reluctance weighed on her feet so heavily that it took considerable time to exit the cafeteria.
The moment Mabel stepped out of the cafeteria and Hishin closed the door behind them—
Crash! Bang! Clatter-clatter-crash!
An enormous sound erupted from inside, as though something were being overturned.
“Wh-what?!”
The surprise so startled her that her tears, which had been threatening to break free, vanished in an instant.
“What on earth…….”
“Pardon me.”
Before Mabel could turn to look back, Hishin scooped her up into his arms.
He strode swiftly away from the cafeteria, and even as he did, the sounds of shattering items and screams continued to pour from within.
“What is happening? What’s going on?”
“Is it a terrorist attack?!”
“Shouldn’t we call the security team?”
The commotion was so loud that merchants from the surrounding shops rushed out to see for themselves.
“Wh-what……?”
Mabel looked up at Hishin in bewilderment, still clasped securely in his arms.
But Hishin appeared unsurprised, as though he’d already anticipated this.
His tension lay elsewhere entirely.
‘I’m holding an egg right now…… I’m holding an egg…… ‘
The slightest excess of pressure and Mabel would shatter like spun sugar.
Moments later, Ella emerged.
“Phew~”
She looked as refreshed as someone who’d just finished a thorough cleaning.
Behind her, cowering in a corner, were the other patrons.
Though they were all accomplished nobles of considerable standing, they huddled like cornered rats, trembling violently.
Ella turned back with a bright smile and spoke.
“I’ve memorized all your names and families, so feel free to contact the Asilonia Ducal House if you’re upset~”
Then she approached the cafeteria’s master, who stood in the corner quaking, and apologized.
“I’m terribly sorry about the tables being destroyed. Whatever shall I do~?”
“N-no, not at all. I’m quite grateful, actually. I was thinking of changing it soon anyway…….”
“Oh my~ Really~? But I won’t feel at ease unless I do~”
She unpinned the Maid Badge from her chest and handed it to the master.
“Please send the repair bill to this~”
“Y-yes, thank you for saving me, or rather, yes…….”
Ella left the Cafeteria with a light, cheerful step, laughing softly.
Hishin and Mabel were nearby.
“Miss~ All settled now~ Shall we go meet the Duke~?”
Ella wore the same gentle smile as always, as if nothing had happened.
Only then did Mabel understand.
That was what Ella had meant by “settling things.”
By afternoon, the heat had grown even more oppressive.
Yet Mabel no longer felt the warmth at all.
The chill came from Ella, smiling so naturally beside her…….
‘I need to be careful not to anger Ella…….’
Mabel made a fresh vow to herself.

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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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