The Duke Dad I Chose Can’t (Really) See Well - Chapter 16

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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 16

The steam rising above told how hot the tea water was.

The small teacup began to gradually fill with hot tea water.

However, the Duke did not stop.

He continued to tilt the teapot.

“Ugh, urgh…!”

Even as the overflowing tea water inevitably scalded the Count’s hands, it continued to rise endlessly.

Unfortunately, the teacup’s handle was thin, so he couldn’t support the teacup widely.

Eventually, the Count, unable to bear the heat, dropped the cup.

Crash!

The teacup that the Chef had carefully selected scattered into pitiful fragments.

Without realizing it, I stiffened and stepped back. The explosive sound was that fierce and strong.

“Oh my.”

Even without looking, I could infer the situation through the sound. The Duke muttered as if regretful.

“To drop the teacup too. At your age, making tea like this, how useless.”

“…”

“At this rate, you won’t even be able to drink poisoned tea.”

The Count collapsed to his knees with a thud.

“P-please spare me. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Then what was your intention?”

“I-I was so worried about bringing someone of unknown origin into Stukkyia as a child…”

He repeatedly banged his head on the floor.

“Please, forgive me just this once. For the sake of my loyalty I’ve devoted to you all this time…!”

Even from my perspective, knowing the whole situation, it was quite a pitiful plea.

Then the Duke let out a low “Hmm.”

“You have been here for a long time.”

“Y-yes. There’s probably no one who has protected Stukkyia as long as I have.”

“So retiring now wouldn’t be bad either. The location, let’s see. The underground prison would be good.”

The Count’s face turned deathly pale.

He tried to get up as if to plead somehow, but Caron approaching was faster. Just as the Count was about to protest.

“It would be best to save your voice.”

Caron said politely.

“Since you’ll have much screaming to do in the prison later.”

“…!”

“It would be troublesome if you got hoarse already, wouldn’t it?”

He smiled kindly as he said this.

As if agreeing with those words, only the sound of gasping breath could be heard from the Count’s mouth.

* * *

After Count Roman was dragged away helplessly.

While everyone was just watching each other’s reactions.

“Finally, I can meet with my daughter.”

The Duke said in a satisfied voice and gestured with his hand.

“Come here, my daughter.”

The way he gently waved his hand was like someone waving grass to entice a puppy.

‘No one had ever called me daughter before, so I was a bit flustered at first…’

I soon regained my composure.

Since there were many watching eyes, he was probably acting like that on purpose.

I smiled brightly and quickly approached the Duke’s side.

“Yes, Duke. You called for me?”

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s not ‘Duke,’ is it?”

I could see his thick eyebrows moving above the cloth covering his eyes. Only then did I realize.

‘He wants me to call him Dad. Since the retainers are watching.’

But whether it’s daughter or dad, I need to be used to such terms…

“Yes, I understand.”

So I answered again.

“D…”

“…”

“D-Dad…”

But I should have said it before!

As expected, my voice trembled pathetically.

It shook so much that instead of ‘Dad,’ it came out sounding like ‘Daad.’

‘I need to act shamelessly, but I can’t be like this already!’

As I was blaming myself inwardly.

“…Hmm.”

The Duke let out a slow breath.

I thought he might be displeased.

But seeing his lips curve up slightly, it seemed to be a fairly acceptable answer.

“Here.”

The Duke showed me something.

It was a document full of blank spaces.

“What is… this?”

“It’s a document used by noble houses when adopting a child. Once it’s completely filled out, it receives certification from the Imperial Palace and Temple, and you can become a member of the family.”

Caron added an explanation to my question.

I had heard of adoption documents before.

Once upon a time, when divine blessings, that is, abilities, were abundant.

Nobles produced many heirs for more abilities. If a born child was an ability holder, it directly led to the expansion of the family’s assets.

Riding this trend, people who couldn’t have children adopted children indiscriminately.

Since no one knew who would manifest what abilities, they adopted randomly and then abandoned them again, creating a vicious practice.

The Temple, which had a duty to protect children, eventually established a law.

It required obtaining the consent of the entire family agreeing to accept this child.

In other words, it was like an oath never to abandon the child for life.

However, this document was rarely used. Once the law was created, indiscriminate adoption disappeared as if it had never happened.

As if proving they had intended to use and abandon children.

Since it was a law created for street children, it wasn’t commonly used in noble houses.

In other words, this was a document that only existed but wasn’t practically used.

‘But showing me this means…’

“How about it.”

The Duke said lightly.

“Dad’s first gift to his daughter, do you like it?”

…He’s asking if I’m confident I can obtain the consent of all of Stukkyia.

‘Can you really handle it?’

‘Even like this?’

-He was asking.

Certification from the Temple and Imperial Palace.

At those words, I unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

It meant there was no turning back now.

But if I was going to hesitate here, I wouldn’t have opened the castle doors and walked in myself in the first place.

“Should I write here?”

“….”

When I asked quietly, Paterre Stukkyia, who had been staring at me intently, held something out to me. It was a small quill pen.

I pressed down firmly as I wrote my name at the very top.

With the fervent wish that I would definitely become the duke’s daughter.

As I slid the document forward, Paterre Stukkyia spoke as if he had been waiting.

“Well then, now that our daughter has taken her hopeful first step….”

He slowly raised his head toward the surroundings.

“The grandfathers whose joints are still spry should also lend their strength, shouldn’t they?”

Count Agnito’s people flinched and trembled.

Seeing that there weren’t many of them, they must have been the most influential among the opposition faction.

If such people not only stopped opposing but even signed the child adoption papers, they couldn’t avoid criticism from the opposition faction.

“W-we are. Well.”

“Could we have a moment to discuss….”

They hesitated and stepped back.

“You’ll have to sign.”

Unless you want your fingers broken next after the cane.

However, with Paterre Stukkyia’s added remark, everyone had no choice but to shut their mouths tight.

And so, the signature section for my adoption consent was filled with the names of grandfathers with spry joints whom I was seeing for the first time.

* * *

Count Agnito’s people returned with pale faces.

Seeing them all muttering things like ‘We’re doomed. We’re doomed….’ it seemed the mission entrusted to them had been quite serious.

In any case, there wouldn’t be anyone to keep me in check for the time being. That alone was satisfying for now.

“I thought they wouldn’t stay quiet, but their method is quite childish.”

“It’s because you’re young, Miss. They must have underestimated you.”

Caron said.

“Actually, it’s not strange. Tea leaves commonly sold in the market and Ramus tea leaves don’t look very different to the naked eye. That’s also why there were so many casualties. Rather, Miss, you were clever to notice.”

“I’m scared I might become like that when I get old. Is that what aging is like?”

Before I knew it, the gentle smile he had when calling himself ‘daddy’ had disappeared from his face.

‘That was just an act he put on in front of Count Agnito’s people.’

I should be careful not to call him daddy even by mistake.

I was keeping this in mind when.

“So….”

Paterre Stukkyia suddenly spoke up.

“How did you know?”

I hesitated at the question that followed.

At first glance, it seemed like he was asking about the tea leaves, but Paterre Stukkyia’s face was turned toward me.

‘He’s not asking about the tea leaves, but how I knew about Count Roman’s scheme.’

Count Roman was a retainer who had long protected Stukkyia both publicly and in reality. Even I wouldn’t have known he was a bad person if I hadn’t regressed.

Of course, I couldn’t say I had regressed.

‘I can’t get away with saying I just had a feeling. I might even look like a spy who sold out Count Roman.’

So I just answered honestly.

“I didn’t think Count Roman was a bad person from the beginning.”

He was one of the very few adults who, even if he hid his true feelings, treated me kindly on the surface.

“And… Count Roman’s thinking wasn’t entirely wrong.”

“His thinking wasn’t wrong, you say. Why. Because you’re a spy from another family?”

Paterre Stukkyia chuckled as if making a frivolous joke.

“Yes.”

“What?”

“I’m actually from Agnito.”

The smile disappeared from Paterre Stukkyia’s face once again.

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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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