I’m The Male Lead’s Biological Daughter, But I Want To Live With The Second Male Lead! - Chapter 94

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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 94
Cough.
Zigmund’s breathing came in short, labored gasps.
His eyes, which had been darting frantically toward Mabel, began to lose focus, as though receding into some distant place.
With each passing moment, his mind seemed to sink deeper into the abyss.
If he was left like this, something terrible might happen.
“I—I—I’m… a nightmare, it’s a nightmare….”
Zigmund continued to mutter to himself, his gaze fixed on his own broken wrist.
It was as though he had fallen into a new nightmare with his eyes wide open.
‘A nightmare…?’
Mabel recalled that moment, long ago, when she had wavered for an instant—when she had believed that Caesar’s tenderness was real.
It was that nightmare, so sweet it made her want to flee reality.
Because she had endured that once, Mabel now knew exactly what to do.
“Look! Look here, look at me! I’m perfectly fine!”
Mabel sprang up from where she sat.
Then she began bouncing on the bed with all her might.
The surest way to escape a nightmare was simple.
‘Show him that it’s only a nightmare, nothing more!’
To awaken him to the truth—that reality is different from nightmares, that he must not forget what is real.
“See? See how well I’m bouncing? It’s all because the Grand Duke is protecting me!”
“G-Gr…?”
Zigmund stared with vacant eyes at the child bounding merrily on the soft bed.
Like children who smile unknowingly when they run, a smile had spread across Mabel’s lips.
With each spring of her jumps, her half-tied twin braids came loose and fluttered about her head.
Her round, peach-tinted cheeks flushed with laughter, and in her bright red eyes—there was not a trace of fear to be found.
The child was truly safe.
She was not injured anywhere, had not suffered a seizure, and did not fear him.
His own subconscious had protected her, and Winter had not faltered before the danger.
Because of that, Mabel was smiling so brightly.
“Ah….”
A glimmer of light returned to his eyes, which had been pitch black.
He realized that although he had made a mistake, the worst had not come to pass.
“See, I’m really okay! So…!”
As Mabel bounced, her spirits lifted, and she spoke cheerfully.
A clear, bright laughter filled the room that had been dim and full of anguished groans.
Each time Mabel sprang up, Winter too bounded into the air.
“Mew~, ow~, ing~”
Winter, who had been howling fiercely and worrying at Zigmund, now made sounds of pure contentment.
The darkness was receding.
The nightmare that had invaded reality was withdrawing.
Cold sweat had soaked through his clothes, clinging to his skin.
As his sense of reality returned, a sick, dizzy pain washed over him.
“Ugh….”
Zigmund clenched his teeth and finally released his broken wrist.
His wrist had already swollen to a dark, bruised red.
“Grand Duke! Grand Duke, are you coming back to yourself?”
Mabel hurried toward him.
Of course, she moved on her knees carefully, knowing the bed would jostle if she wasn’t cautious.
Though his wrist had already throbbed painfully from all her bouncing, Zigmund said nothing.
Instead, he wiped his sweat-dampened palm absently on the quilt and, out of habit, reached toward Mabel.
Then he stopped abruptly, his hand frozen mid-gesture.
She would be frightened.
But.
“Mm-hm. You’re feeling better, aren’t you?”
Mabel bowed her head and nudged it beneath his outstretched palm.
She tilted her head back and forth of her own accord, guiding herself under his hand for a stroke.
“Hehe—”
“…….”
Even though she had nearly died by these hands, the child did not draw away.
Mabel was truly unafraid.
“Ah…….”
Zigmund collapsed onto the bed, every ounce of strength drained from his body.
The impact jarred his broken wrist, forcing him to swallow a sharp gasp of pain.
“Your Grace!”
Mabel started at the cry and rushed over to examine Zigmund with frantic concern.
Zigmund looked up at the girl leaning over his bedside, her face creased with worry.
“Your Grace, are you all right?”
Mabel’s face was still perfectly clear and unmarked.
At least she hadn’t been left with any lasting trauma—small mercy for that.
Confirming this once more, Zigmund made one final request of her.
“Mabel…….”
“Yes, yes! What is it?”
“Could you call a doctor for me……?”
Because honestly, the pain was becoming so unbearable that tears were starting to flow.
At his words, Mabel’s eyes and mouth went wide.
“Oh no, that’s right!”
She’d forgotten because she was so worried about him falling into a Nightmare!
Drawing a sharp breath, Mabel tensed her entire body and shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Help! Help us!!! The Grand Duke, the Grand Duke-!!!”
……What?
Zigmund’s eyes snapped open without warning.
“Help! Someone help!!!”
Wait—Mabel? If she’s shouting like that, then people who know about my sleeping habits will……?
“Wait, no, if you do that—!”
Zigmund threw himself upright, trying to stop her, but it was already too late.
“Miss Mabel is in danger!!!”
“Get the tools, the tools!!!”
“Rescue the young lady!!!”
“Miss Mabel—!”
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
The housemaids who’d been cleaning seized buckets as helmets and armed themselves with brooms.
Jack appeared with a frying pan in each hand, while Ella came sprinting up the wall itself.
Her dark eyes gleamed with a chilling murderous intent.
“Squeak!”
Startled by the sudden commotion, Winter yelped and leapt into the air.
At that, every eye turned toward Winter’s snout.
Toward the snout that was smeared with blood.
In that instant, the faces of the crowd twisted into something monstrous.
“How could this be……!”
“You shameless wretch!”
“Harming a child? I must have been a fool to ever think well of you!!!”
Wait—it was me who got hurt, wait—my forearm was torn open and my wrist was broken by me—!
But before Zigmund could defend himself, Aselt tore off his Sunglasses and bellowed.
“Everyone, close your eyes!!!”
“Hold on, Aselt, just listen to me—!”
Zigmund reached out toward Aselt.
Crack.
And in that very posture, he turned to stone.
“Wh—ah—aaagh?!”
Mabel, who had instinctively closed her eyes at Aselt’s command, jumped to her feet.
“What—what do I do!!! The Grand Duke—!”
“Miss, Miss! Are you hurt?”
“Come here, the young lady! That man is dangerous!”
“Mabel, come over here now! Winter! You too!”
“Wait, please, I’m fine—the Grand Duke—!”
Mabel tried to explain, but the already-frenzied crowd showed no signs of calming down.
Bang-bang-bang!
The moment Mabel stepped out, the servants rushed to nail shut the Grand Duke’s Bedroom.
They wielded the hammer with practiced efficiency—clearly not their first time.
“Ah, wait, but the injured one was—!”
It was no use Mabel trying to stop them.
“What? She’s hurt? The young lady is injured?!”
“Let me see—where does it hurt?”
“Oh no, what do I do! I should have told you beforehand~! I’m so sorry~!”
Mabel, surrounded by a crowd of people, couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
Only after she’d proven that she wasn’t hurt in the slightest could Mabel finally make herself properly understood.
“Hold on, it’s the Grand Duke who’s been badly hurt!!!”
“……Pardon?”
Mabel flailed her arms about as she explained the whole chain of events from start to finish.
“So I’m perfectly fine! But the Grand Duke—he’s seriously injured!”
The startled crowd exchanged glances, looking at one another in dismay.
“……Oh no!!!”
What in the world have we done?
Belatedly horrified, the crowd frantically worked to pry away the hastily nailed boards.
But the nails had been driven in so firmly that the pry bar wouldn’t budge them loose.
“Everyone, stand back!”
Finally, Ella stepped forward.
“Hah!”
With a battle cry, Ella delivered a fierce kick toward the sealed Grand Duke’s Bedroom.
Whoooosh—Crash! Boom! Bang!!!
Could such a sound effect really come from a human foot?
The surrounding walls crumbled, and dust billowed through the air.
While Mabel stood frozen in shock, the others stormed into the Grand Duke’s Bedroom with practiced ease.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Grace!”
Zigmund remained rigidly fixed on the bed in his petrified state.
If his expression looked unbearably sorrowful just then, well… that must have been an illusion.
“N-now release the ability at once!”
Aselt removed the Sunglasses again, and in a flash—
The Petrification broke, and Zigmund collapsed right where he was.
“Y-Your Grace!”
As the alarmed crowd rushed toward the bed, Zigmund, sprawled on his side, curled himself up into a ball.
What if his body was seriously damaged?
How badly was he hurt? Where?
We need to call a physician right away for an examination!
“Hngh…”
Mabel squeezed her face through the press of people and pushed her way forward.
The moment she reached the bed, Mabel heard it distinctly.
…Sniffle.
“You said it would be just a moment……”
The sound of Zigmund weeping, his voice heavy with bitter sorrow.

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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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