The Duke Dad I Chose Can’t (Really) See Well - Chapter 29

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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 29

 

“Wh-what brings you here…?”

 

“That’s what we should be asking.”

 

Ralt spoke with a menacing expression.

 

“You used minerals you shouldn’t have, didn’t you?”

 

“…!”

 

“And today is your family’s wedding? You said it was urgent business, but you dared to lie?”

 

Max couldn’t answer and just mumbled.

 

According to official records, he was an orphan. So there was no way they would believe he had family getting married. That’s why he used the excuse of urgent business to skip work.

 

But it was indeed a lie.

 

And on top of that, he had used dangerous minerals…

 

“I’m sorry. I was wrong…”

 

“If you had such important business, you should have told us!”

 

“…What?”

 

Ralt’s sudden shouting made his ears ring momentarily. He wondered if he had misheard, but the workers nodding in agreement made him realize it wasn’t his imagination.

 

“You little brat. Don’t you know how important these family occasions are for social life? Already keeping secrets at your age, you little runt.”

 

“B-but…”

 

“You need to be punished. For the next month, you’re in charge of everyone’s sock errands. Got it?”

 

Ralt said this and turned around. Just then, Riche and Bashel, who had been peeking outside due to Ralt’s scolding, flinched in surprise.

 

“Wh-who are you people…?”

 

“Ah. Pardon the intrusion. We’re the adults this boy is indebted to.”

 

“Indebted… from the blacksmith? Oh, hello… yes…”

 

Bashel was bewildered by the workers’ respectful greetings that followed, but bowed his head along with them for now.

 

“But what brings you here?”

 

“Are the wedding preparations finished?”

 

“Not yet. There wasn’t much to prepare anyway, we were just planning to change clothes and do it…”

 

“So you’re saying it’s not all done yet.”

 

Ralt, who had been thinking with a “hmm,” grinned wickedly.

 

“The weather’s nice today, how about holding the ceremony outdoors?”

 

“O-outdoors? But we don’t have the preparations to set up an outdoor venue…”

 

“So you’re saying if we had enough preparations, it would be fine to do it outdoors?”

 

When Ralt grinned, the blacksmiths grinned along with him.

 

“Now, now. Important people should sit down. We’ll take care of the rest.”

 

The approaching blacksmiths lifted Bashel up in their arms. Since they couldn’t carry Riche, they safely escorted her to the house.

 

“Little ones, hang on these misters’ arms and play on the monkey bars. Muscles are a man’s greatest companion.”

 

“Perfect for you kids who are still far from marriage.”

 

Play!

 

Phil and Lea immediately hung from the blacksmiths’ arms and giggled as if nothing had happened.

 

Meanwhile, the other blacksmiths pulled out their hammers. Then they began cutting down nearby trees and building a wedding venue.

 

“This is…”

 

Max, who was watching the scene, muttered in a daze.

 

“How is this…”

 

“How is what?”

 

Ralt, who was carrying Max, picked up his words.

 

“Thanks to someone keeping their mouth shut, the newbie got to do some work.”

 

Newbie. As Max blinked, someone appeared from behind.

 

It was Hanisha, dangling from a worker’s side just like him. Hanisha raised her hand.

 

“Hi, Max.”

 

“You… didn’t you go back to Stukkyia?”

 

“I went and came back.”

 

Hanisha said, sniffling once.

 

“Because sister wanted to have a wedding with applause.”

 

Perhaps due to the cold air, Hanisha’s pronunciation wasn’t very good. Her pronunciation of “sister” sounded like “shishter.”

 

“And also to stop Max from using bad minerals.”

 

“…!”

 

When Max flinched at the added comment, one blacksmith continued as if he had been waiting.

 

“That’s right, Max. How could you carelessly take dangerous things? What would your family do if something big happened?”

 

“I’m sorry. I was wrong…”

 

“If you did wrong, you get punished.”

 

Ralt spoke in a solemn voice.

 

“As punishment, one more month of sock washing duty.”

 

As he solemnly declared this, the workers shouted that construction was complete.

 

On the white snow, they had installed two tall trees and hung white cloth over them.

 

In front of that, they laid a long white cloth, and on both sides, they installed waist-high wooden posts at appropriate intervals.

 

On top of those were colorful snow, made by melting minerals the workers had brought in advance. The originally black flowing liquid had transformed into various colors when it met the cold snow.

 

Though not perfect, a lively wedding venue was completed.

 

“Wow…”

 

Riche and Bashel, who had changed clothes at some point, muttered with disbelieving faces.

 

“Oh, right. Money. We should pay you…”

 

“Don’t worry about such things. Think of it as a wedding gift. We may not have money, but we have strength and loyalty.”

 

Ralt waved his hand dismissively and urged them to start quickly now that everything was ready.

 

With the workers’ help, Bashel and Riche stood in front of the altar.

 

Though he used crutches, he still couldn’t walk comfortably without Riche’s support.

 

Max’s expression hardened at this sight.

 

If only he had succeeded, wouldn’t his brother have been able to walk more freely?

 

“What are you doing, Max?”

 

That’s when Hanisha poked Max.

 

“You should go help sister and brother.”

 

“…Me?”

 

“Are you planning to make your sister struggle?”

 

Ralt began threatening that he never taught him to be such a pathetic guy, and that he’d have to extend the sock washing by two more months.

 

Unable to resist those words, Max hesitantly approached Bashel and Riche. The two smiled as if they had been waiting.

 

“Ah, thank goodness. Thanks, Max. We needed someone to help.”

 

“…Is it okay for me to help?”

 

“Of course. Absolutely.”

 

When Bashel spoke, Riche continued.

 

“Neither of us has a father, but… we do have younger siblings.”

 

She continued while looking at Phil and Lea, still hanging from the workers’ arms.

 

“So we wanted to walk down the aisle with you, who became family first.”

 

“…”

 

“Thank you so much, Max. It’s the best gift.”

 

Along with their thanks, Riche and Bashel smiled. With the happiest smiles possible.

 

“…”

 

Max couldn’t give any answer. He was afraid that what was welling up inside him might burst out without him knowing.

 

When the three walked together, Phil and Lea shouted “Max is crying!” and “Crybaby!” but no one pointed it out.

 

* * *

 

Their circumstances weren’t comfortable enough to hold a reception.

 

However, Riche and Bashel insisted that “we can’t serve nothing to guests who came from so far away” and brought out the food they had been saving.

 

Their claim that they ate anything well seemed to be true, as the blacksmiths ate with satisfied expressions.

 

‘It’s food!’

 

And I felt the same way.

 

I had skipped meals since morning while bringing the misters over.

 

Besides, at occasions like this, it brings joy to the hosts when invited guests eat heartily.

 

‘It’s definitely not because I’m hungry and cold. Yeah…’

 

I sniffled once and gripped my spoon.

 

While I was eating warm soup in what looked like a proper outdoor wedding venue blocked from the wind with thick cloth.

 

My eyes met directly with Max, who had been looking around.

 

That was all it was.

 

“…!”

 

Max visibly shuddered with a start.

 

It seemed like he was trying to look secretly in his own way.

 

Anyway, having been caught, Max approached me hesitantly.

 

“Wh-what are you doing here alone?”

 

“As you can see, I’m eating. Do you want to eat too, Max?”

 

Saying that, I smoothly pushed over a bowl that was beside me.

 

He must not have eaten dinner, let alone breakfast, staying up all night researching the prosthetic leg. Moreover, after the wedding ended, he had been continuously supporting Riche and Bashel, so he must be quite hungry.

 

“C-can I eat together too?”

 

“You said it yourself, Max. When there’s something delicious, we should share it.”

 

When I waved a spare spoon as if telling him to hurry up and eat, Max hesitantly took it.

 

However, he only held the spoon without taking a single bite. Max, who had been fidgeting with the innocent utensil, cautiously opened his mouth.

 

“…There’s something I want to ask.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“…Did you know from the beginning? That what I was holding was a bad mineral?”

 

It was as if he was asking how I, a young child, could have known something that even he didn’t know.

 

To that, I replied lightly.

 

“If Max had taken minerals, the adults would have noticed too. But the fact that they still don’t know means you used minerals that didn’t need inspection.”

 

“…”

 

“And… you saw it too, didn’t you, Max? The aura you could feel.”

 

When Max first showed me the ‘prosthetic leg.’

 

I immediately felt an ominous aura.

 

However, at the moment, that aura wasn’t strong enough to kill anyone. That’s why I just left it alone.

 

If it hadn’t been for that, I would have thrown a tantrum or even borrowed the power of the gatekeeper Marsu to drag Max and his family out.

 

“…Is it possible to ‘just’ feel that aura? Isn’t that something only clerics or so would be capable of?”

 

Max muttered as if he found it hard to believe.

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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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