The Duke Dad I Chose Can’t (Really) See Well - Chapter 18

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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 18

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After Hanisha had left.

Tap. Tap.

Paterre, who had been tapping the armrest with his index finger, mulled over the child’s voice he had just heard.

He already knew that Count Roman was up to other schemes. That he was lurking around near Ramus too.

Even so, he hadn’t stopped him.

Poison was nothing to him, and if Hanisha truly wanted to remain as his daughter, it was something she ought to endure.

The reason he had prepared the documents was for that purpose.

Even if he signed them, he could simply not submit them. Since his signature would never be used, this was nothing more than a scrap of paper.

He had no intention of adopting anyone.

So this was meant to test the child’s intentions.

Whether she was an ally, or an enemy pretending to be one.

Even without sight, it was easy to gauge lies.

“I’m actually from Agnito, you see.”

However, before he could even ask for her true intentions, the child had told the truth.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t surprised.

He never would have thought that Agnito would truly abandon a child.

But the child continued speaking more calmly than expected. As if she had known this would happen.

“My existence will be Agnito’s weakness and Stukkyia’s gain. Since you’ll have raised a child that Agnito abandoned.”

This was also true.

“I just didn’t want to see you in pain, Your Grace.”

This too… well, if he considered only the meaning, it was true. If he collapsed, Hanisha would be the one under suspicion.

But.

“No. I’ve never eaten it before.”

The child’s strongly beating heart was telling him.

That answer alone was definitely a lie.

To push her pitiful circumstances, it would have been perfectly fine to tell the truth.

But she didn’t.

That meant she hadn’t eaten it by accident, but had been forced to take it.

And there was only one case where a child of that age would experience such a thing.

‘Someone forced her to eat it.’

And if the child was truly from Agnito, that person would most likely be Count Agnito.

Seeing this, the child’s distrust toward Agnito seemed genuine.

But there was something that concerned him more.

The child’s attitude.

Her tone that suggested it was natural to hate her own existence. The experience of having eaten poison and the faint anxiety he had sensed.

“I hate myself.”

“That’s why I came. Because I thought I might belong here.”

If that faint voice seemed vaguely familiar, was it his imagination?

The eyes hidden behind the veil turned cold for a moment.

Then he chuckled softly. Hanisha had acknowledged that she was the saint’s daughter.

She couldn’t possibly be that person’s daughter, yet was he still unable to let go of his lingering attachment? How foolish.

“Caron.”

With a short call, Paterre dismissed his thoughts and spoke.

“Look into Agnito’s current situation. Whether there have been any other movements. And how the saint’s daughter has been treated all this time.”

He needed a suitable child anyway. Of course, he hadn’t expected that child to be from Agnito, but it didn’t matter.

If they tried other schemes, he could deal with them then, and he could use this as an excuse to delay naming a successor.

Rather, if he showed them playing family with just anyone they wanted, they would be even more infuriated, which would be more amusing.

“Yes, understood.”

A clinking sound followed. It was Caron clearing away the tea pot.

He suddenly remembered the rattling sound of the trolley. And the child’s voice, full of tension despite trying to act calm.

“I just didn’t want to see you in pain, Your Grace.”

“It’s okay. I’m good at persevering!”

“I want to become Your Grace’s daughter.”

Daughter. Daughter…

Paterre rolled around in his mouth a word he had never once pondered in his life. It was somehow, no, much better than he had expected.

“And…”

At the slow call that followed, Caron turned to look at Paterre.

“Haven’t you been feeling restless lately?”

Caron hesitated. But he soon regained his composure and answered politely.

“…Not at all. I am a person born to wear butler’s attire. I cannot hold something as cruel as a sword.”

“That’s unfortunate. I was going to let you do some subjugation that you wanted.”

“But as it happens, I was just feeling that my clothes were getting stuffy. So, where should I go?”

A smile briefly appeared on Paterre’s lips.

He didn’t know her intentions, but Hanisha had chosen him as her father.

“I want to become Your Grace’s daughter.”

Among all the truths, there was no sincerity deeper than that. So…

He could give a small reward to a child who wanted to become his daughter.

“Ramus Mountains.”

Paterre stated briefly.

“Sweep away everything around there. Leave no traces.”

* * *

Caron came to find me the next morning.

Since I had revealed that I was from Agnito, I thought his attitude would become cold.

“Good morning, Miss Hanisha.”

Caron was exactly the same as yesterday.

If there was one difference, it was that his face looked incredibly refreshed.

“The weather is quite nice, isn’t it?”

“Uh… it’s raining today though.”

Right on cue, the sky rumbled.

“That’s why it’s such nice weather. Perfect for washing away all traces.”

I glanced sideways at the handkerchief tucked into Caron’s shirt.

At the edge of the white handkerchief was a red stain that hadn’t been washed out.

“….”

I quickly looked away, pretending I hadn’t seen it.

“Oh, this is something His Grace is giving to you, Miss.”

Caron held something out to me.

It was a bundle that looked heavy at first glance.

“This is…?”

“Count Roman’s head.”

“What?! H-head?”

I bolted up from my seat. I heard the sound of the chair falling over with a thud.

“That’s a lie.”

Then Caron reported in a calm voice.

As if it were real, he shook the bundle and a rattling sound could be heard.

“Y-you startled me…!”

I raised my voice without realizing it. Caron placed his free hand on his chest and spoke politely.

“I apologize. This butler wanted to take a big bite out of the cute young lady, but since I cannot do that, I tried to express this feeling with somewhat twisted humor.”

“….”

Why would you want to bite me.

And isn’t that too creepy to call twisted humor?

I held back what I wanted to say, and Caron continued speaking again.

“It’s Count Roman’s slush fund. He had been steadily leaking our information all this time. Since we learned of this thanks to you, Miss, His Grace ordered that your proper share be calculated and given to you.”

“…His Grace did?”

I looked at the bundle with a face full of disbelief.

‘It’s, it’s really money?’

Compared to other noble families’ wealth, it might be nothing, but it was still an amount I had never touched even once before my regression.

‘My goodness, he really put on quite the act of being a good person…. He truly deserved to be killed.’

“What do you plan to do with this?”

“Hmm….”

At Caron’s question, I fell into thought for a moment.

The fact that he gave this to me even after I revealed I was an Agnito meant he was watching to see what moves I would make.

‘In that case….’

“I have a use for it!”

Due to Stukkyia’s nature, there were many people who infiltrated targeting unknown treasures or something they needed.

What if I hid it carefully and someone took it? Not just the money, but I didn’t want to experience a situation where I’d have to suspect people from Paterre Castle.

“Oho.”

Then Caron’s eyes lit up.

“Couldn’t you tell just this butler secretly what you plan to use it for?”

Caron said while rarely staring at me intently. I wrinkled my nose bridge.

“It’s a secret.”

I couldn’t tell that to anyone. Even the person I would spend the money on didn’t know of my existence yet.

‘Hmm, but how should I deliver it? By law, donations or sponsorship funds must clearly state the donor’s identity.’

As long as I’m still bound to Agnito, I can’t send it carelessly either.

It was while I was pondering this.

“Ah.”

Then he spoke as if he had just remembered something.

“And he gave you one more thing.”

Saying that, Caron pulled something out from his chest.

When I saw it, my eyes widened greatly.

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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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