The Duke Dad I Chose Can’t (Really) See Well - Chapter 35

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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 35

 

Among my past lives, the most recent memory.

 

So when I lived in South Korea on Earth, not as Hanisha. Even then, I had no family.

 

The person who first discovered me was my father, who said there was just a newborn baby abandoned in front of the house.

 

According to my father, he was annoyed and was going to just pretend not to see it and go inside.

 

However, the child was crying too loudly, and worried that bad rumors might spread in the neighborhood, he brought me into the house as a temporary measure.

 

But after I came into the house, the lottery ticket my father had bought for fun won first place.

 

Thanks to that, we paid off Grandfather’s Company debts that were facing bankruptcy, and jumped into new business ventures with rapidly rising sales.

 

My mother, who had longed so much for a daughter, learned that my youngest aunt was pregnant.

 

All of this happened within a week of taking me in.

 

Besides that, whenever we needed connections, amazing new relationships would form, and other small strokes of luck kept happening one after another. That’s why I was adopted.

 

“With you here, we keep having good fortune. I wonder who you take after.”

 

Grandmother’s touch as she stroked my head, calling me a lucky charm, is still vivid in my memory.

 

‘But that didn’t last long either.’

 

When I got better grades on tests, they thought the luck had gone to me.

 

When I was the only one who passed among the three siblings who took the exam, they also thought it was because I had taken all their luck.

 

When we had a group accident as a family and I was the only one who wasn’t hurt at all, they thought my bad luck had come to them.

 

Envy became jealousy, and before I knew it, I had become the bad girl who stole all the family’s luck.

 

“It’s because of her. She stole everything!”

 

“No, I didn’t do anything…!”

 

“Why won’t you apologize?”

 

And I ran away with all my might to escape the attacking family members.

 

I think I prayed while running.

 

That I wanted to live.

 

That I wanted to have a real family, not this fake family.

 

At that moment, as if it had been waiting, a truck came rushing and hit me.

 

That was my last memory on Earth.

 

And in my next life. In the life where I became Hanisha, I finally met blood-related family members, but…

 

I only realized at the very last moment.

 

That sharing blood wasn’t that important.

 

I just wanted to choose for myself, at least now that I’ve returned. My life, my future. Family was part of that too.

 

But I couldn’t say this. So I had to pass it off naturally.

 

“I…”

 

Was it because this was the first time I’d heard such a question? Or because memories of the past kept surfacing? My mouth opened without my knowing.

 

“I… want to live.”

 

“…”

 

“That’s… that’s all…”

 

Even knowing it was an inappropriate, un-childlike answer.

 

Paterre Stukkyia said nothing for a while.

 

Only after that silence continued did I come to my senses.

 

‘I must be crazy. Why did I say such a thing!’

 

I jumped up from my seat and busily cleared the plates.

 

“A-And! Even if you try to scare me like that, I won’t leave. I’m not afraid of ghosts at all.”

 

Whether he knew I was trying hard to appeal, or whether he was trying to let it slide appropriately.

 

Paterre Stukkyia chuckled and said.

 

“Why. Have you seen one?”

 

“Yes. I’m not sure if it was a dream or not… but I have seen one.”

 

“Not being afraid of ghosts. You really suit Stukkyia well.”

 

Paterre Stukkyia smiled quietly. It didn’t seem like he found me strange.

 

“Then have you… have you ever seen a ghost, Your Grace?”

 

I asked playfully to change the subject.

 

“I have.”

 

But an unexpected answer came back.

 

I turned to look at where he was.

 

Paterre Stukkyia had turned his head toward the window.

 

The light coming through the window slowly brushed across Paterre Stukkyia’s face. I asked as if enchanted.

 

“When?”

 

“Well. When was it?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“I’m not sure. When it was.”

 

Paterre Stukkyia shrugged lightly.

 

As always, it seemed like he was brushing it off casually.

 

But why was it?

 

That his voice sounded sad.

 

As if he was painfully longing for something he somehow couldn’t remember…

 

“Well, your assistant work ends here.”

 

That was brief, as Paterre Stukkyia turned his head back toward me.

 

Paterre Stukkyia, who had returned to his idle attitude, stood up.

 

“Now clock out and go back to being a daughter candidate.”

 

While agreeing to my appointment as Caron’s successor, Paterre Stukkyia added one constraint.

 

The time I could work as an assistant was from morning until lunch.

 

Since I was still young and couldn’t really spend all my time as Caron’s successor, Caron and I agreed to this condition.

 

In other words, I had to clock out for today.

 

‘There were no results…’

 

No. At least there’s a next time.

 

I was about to leave, steeling my heart not to be discouraged.

 

“A new child is coming soon.”

 

In a voice incomparably quieter than before, Paterre Stukkyia spoke.

 

“A quite capable child who has already shown their abilities to the Emperor. And though distant, they share blood with me.”

 

“…!”

 

“Then you won’t be able to stay in This Castle anymore.”

 

A new child. I hesitated at the unexpected words.

 

“And I’m the type who believes in having just one child and raising them properly. More than one would be troublesome.”

 

Paterre Stukkyia raised an eyebrow.

 

It sounded like he was saying I couldn’t compete with someone who had legitimate qualifications, but…

 

Why was it?

 

That it sounded like he was giving me a hint.

 

I closed my mouth for a moment.

 

In terms of qualifications alone, someone with even a little shared blood was superior to me, who was abandoned.

 

But…

 

I answered confidently.

 

“It’s fine. I’m confident.”

 

“Why?”

 

“They may be a collateral relative, but I’m Your Grace’s daughter. One that Your Grace personally brought in.”

 

It was a shameless answer, but it was also my determination not to back down.

 

And it also meant that we were already in the same boat.

 

The duke, who had paused for a moment as if it was an unexpected answer, soon chuckled.

 

“Really now…”

 

He said in a languid voice.

 

“My daughter certainly has a way with words.”

 

* * *

 

A few days later.

 

I met Max after a long time.

 

He was still washing socks today as usual.

 

“Did His Grace seem alright?”

 

Max, who had declined when I offered to help, asked about the duke’s condition.

 

“Yes. He looked in good condition considering the Blue Moon is approaching.”

 

The Blue Moon referred to the days when a blue moon rises for about two weeks each year.

 

Perhaps because of the legend that gods descended to this land along with the blue moon, people with abilities were especially careful of their behavior during that period. Even those accustomed to controlling their abilities risked going berserk if they weren’t careful.

 

Simply put, it was a time when abilities, magic power, and invisible forces became particularly sensitive.

 

“How are things on your end, Max?”

 

“Our side is no joke either. His Grace will probably quietly put the newly made guns on the market.”

 

Max grinned.

 

“This is all thanks to this genius’s brilliant invention! At this level, even the Temple won’t be able to say anything to us, right?”

 

Max was right.

 

One of the terrifying rumors covering Stukkyia was about Stukkyia’s weapons.

 

People feared Stukkyia while also admiring it on the other hand.

 

This was because of the consecutive ability disappearances that had continued for several years.

 

Since the abilities that were god’s blessings had disappeared, people feared that god had abandoned them, and as time passed, more people stopped believing in god.

 

Then the Temple announced that abilities were disappearing because of those who didn’t believe in god.

 

The religious war also broke out because of this. The reason was that if they didn’t punish them in god’s name, this punishment would continue.

 

People who feared the disappearance of abilities, whether nobles or commoners, rushed to participate in that war…

 

And so those at the far end of the continent, who didn’t believe in god and tried to cultivate the land with their own strength, all died.

 

At first, there was great criticism toward such a Temple.

 

However, that criticism soon died down.

 

The abilities of some people who had fought on the front lines returned.

 

‘A miracle.’

 

Literally like a real miracle.

 

People who saw abilities returning believed in god again.

 

This was exactly why the Empire’s citizens couldn’t move against the Temple’s words.

 

Anyway, the Temple, having regained its power, defined the religious war as a terrible thing and strictly condemned weapon production.

 

However, people who had once lost their abilities and were gripped by the fear that they might lose them again wanted stronger weapons. But they couldn’t oppose the Temple either.

 

The perfect excuse for that was weapons made in Stukkyia.

 

The trash duke who didn’t participate in the religious war. Moreover, since he was in seclusion, he was perfect to exploit.

 

Even now, someone was probably using Stukkyia as a shield while busily producing weapons.

 

‘But this gun is different.’

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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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