That Piece Of Trash Was Me - Chapter 196
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 196
“Aster Frazier.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Are you not giving Tulia proper allowance?”
Grandfather’s expression twisted sternly.
“How is it that the child keeps trying to earn money on her own?”
“I’m giving her three times more than both her brothers combined. Do you think I’m neglecting Tulia? What nonsense…”
Father, who had been retorting in a cold voice, suddenly paused and looked at me.
“Tulia. Is your allowance insufficient?”
Before I could even answer, Grandfather shouted.
“What kind of question is that? Of course it’s insufficient, that’s why she’s doing this!”
Father immediately replied coldly.
“I wasn’t asking you, Father.”
“Thoughtless fool. Tulia is such a mature child, how could she openly say her allowance is insufficient?”
‘I was just about to say that, Grandfather…’
“And what? You give her more than the twin boys combined? Are you saying that like it’s something to brag about? What I give her monthly is much more than that!”
“Do you think I only give her cash? Father, you always think only you raise the child well. Then do you have even one grandchild who acts cute with you?”
“Tulia does!”
“Tulia is my daughter.”
“Are you even close to Tulia? Tulia has spent more time with me than with you!”
I briefly turned my gaze to look at Ruk and Adel. I also glanced at Max, Father’s trusted advisor.
Adel had her usual neat, expressionless face, Ruk was just smiling warmly, and only Max was shaking his head with a smile that looked like he might cry, just like me.
* * *
In the end, the small commotion was settled with me coming in early.
The dinner banquet with Grandfather, Father, and me all gathered together was quite lavish.
The leafy vegetables were sprinkled with tangy sauce to stimulate the appetite, followed by very thinly fried oysters, spinach, and mushroom dishes.
The crispy texture stimulated my tongue, and the unique flavor of the mushrooms was so rich that I happily cleaned my plate.
Next came bite-sized braised beef dishes that wouldn’t burden the stomach even when eaten for dinner, and we could even choose our own soup.
I chose a grain soup with plenty of rich cream sauce and warmed my stomach.
‘But why are both of you choosing the same menu as me? Doesn’t Grandfather like chicken soup?’
Are you perhaps following my choices?
If so, I felt a mischievous urge to try a spicy soup with pepper and chili powder tomorrow.
“Oh, Tulia.”
“Yes?”
At Grandfather’s call, I was startled and answered, thinking my inner thoughts had been discovered.
Then Father said coldly.
“Father, you’re calling her too suddenly and startling the child.”
“…”
‘How has Father lived all this time without being able to pick fights with Grandfather? He picks fights as naturally as breathing…’
Of course, Grandfather completely ignored Father’s words, but his eyes looking at me were different. Rather, there was a hint of carefulness that made me want to apologize first.
“I forgot to tell you. From tomorrow, take more guards with you whenever you go out.”
“Guards?”
“Yes. I’ve already arranged it, so they’ll escort your carriage.”
“Yes, well. I don’t mind… Is something happening?”
“Let’s move to another place to continue talking. Ruk?”
Ruk, who had been standing behind us, stepped forward and spoke in a respectful tone.
“I’ll escort you to the tea room.”
‘What’s going on that they’re acting like this?’
“Tulia. You know that your father and grandfather went to ‘that cave’ in Belus Territory, right?”
“Ah! Yes. You told me about it. Did you discover something strange there?”
“Originally, I was going to tell you properly as soon as we came up to the Imperial Capital, but as you know, there were many things like the broken engagement with the Crown Prince.”
I nodded.
In fact, Grandfather as the family head, and Father as the next family head, had been constantly going back and forth to the Imperial Palace because of that matter. There were also endless meetings.
“We discovered something strange in that cave.”
I instinctively felt my heart sink.
The place where I had rescued Klaus.
The place where I had brought the already dead Klaus back to life through ‘Benefit’.
Also, the fanatics who kept crying out to some unknown god and screaming at me that I was a woman from the destroyed continent…
Everything I witnessed in that cave was itself an unknown crack that I had never seen in .
The more I heard the stories discovered through the fanatics from Grandfather, the more I fell into a labyrinth.
‘What exactly is Animus? I understand it’s their god, but.’
I couldn’t think of them as just a common heretical group because I had obtained the ‘White Tulia Seed’ from them.
The White Tulia Seed, which was one of the special core rewards in .
And they had already killed and offered Klaus, a hidden male lead.
Surely there must be some role for those heretics.
“Tulia.”
It was then that I heard Father’s heavy voice while I was deep in thought.
“I have something to tell you separately.”
“Separately?”
Grandfather surprisingly said nothing and just lightly patted my head before leaving.
Whatever it was, it seemed like Grandfather already knew about it too.
“It’s about your mother.”
Instantly, my eyes widened.
“Mother?”
Father’s stiff lips suddenly softened.
“Yes. Your mother.”
“What about her?”
“Your mother… you know she’s from the Summer Continent, right?”
“Of course.”
I listened to Father’s following words with intense concentration, not even breathing.
And I became increasingly shocked.
‘A star pattern on the crown of the head?’
When I was a baby, the person from the tribe who took Mother away also had a star pattern on their crown, and now these heretics also have the same pattern on their heads?
That was shocking, but I unconsciously found myself looking up at the empty air at the mention of ‘star’.
Star.
Star…
Don’t I also have a star?
‘When I stand still in proper posture.’
Exactly above the crown of my head.
That utterly sacred Kim Ddongbyeol bastard, gently fluttering with golden light.
‘Surely not, right?’
But usually, ‘surely not’ is what gets people in trouble.
I wanted to stare blankly at Kim Ddongbyeol, but I had to listen to Father’s words.
“So you’re saying they’re kidnapping only children fifteen years old and under for human sacrifice?”
“That’s right. However, your grandfather and I share the same opinion. Since it’s a heretic group conducting human sacrifices in Belus Territory, it would be better not to inform the Temple.”
Since Belus Territory is officially my property, if bad rumors spread, it would damage my reputation as well.
Father was worried about that point.
“We’ll need a method.”
Father stroked his chin with a contemplative expression.
“The war with the barbarians is still in full swing. If we deploy the army as loosely as possible in the frontier under the pretext of strategy, we should be able to catch those suspicious heretic groups somehow.”
“But, Father.”
I knew there was a blind spot in that statement.
“Of course, the more remote the frontier, the weaker the security becomes. But with that method alone, we can only look after children near the frontier. Most importantly, the Spring Continent is too vast to handle everything with just the army you command, Father.”
“But this is the best method I can devise right now.”
“Father. Do you know something?”
“Hmm?”
“I… love money.”
Father smiled broadly.
“I’ll raise your allowance.”
“What? Thank you. But that’s not the main point—I’m talking about my money being good. When making any plan, if you can use other people’s money, there’s no reason not to use it, right?”
Father looked puzzled as to why this topic suddenly came up.
I spoke with a smile that felt moreAchievement than before, that is, with a grin full of greed.
“Let’s use the Imperial Knights?”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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