The Duke Dad I Chose Can’t (Really) See Well - Chapter 64
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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 64
Rene was a bastard child born from the emperor’s affair with a maid.
Though he was far from the line of succession, the empress, who feared he might steal the crown prince’s position, ordered someone to kill Rene.
However, perhaps feeling troubled about directly killing a newborn baby, the butler abandoned Rene here, in the Forbidden Land. It was because he thought the child wouldn’t survive anyway.
But Rene was taken in by a pack of black panthers and survived until now.
In other words, if Rene’s existence became known to the Royal Family, not only Rene but also the black panther pack would be in danger.
I fidgeted with something I had prepared in advance in my pocket.
‘I brought this just in case something like this happened, but…’
Usually, these grave robbers operate in groups. Since this was the Forbidden Land, they couldn’t know what might appear where. So they carry communication devices to immediately find other team members if they’re attacked.
The moment we attacked them, it would alert others that there was something dangerous in this area.
At that moment, Rene crouched low as if he had prey right in front of him.
‘No! No matter how strong you are, it’s too disadvantageous to face so many…!’
That’s when it happened.
Rene leaped quickly and snatched something hanging from one man’s side.
Then he kicked the man’s arm away.
“What the…!”
Something flew up from the hand of the driver who was knocked back.
The driver quickly swung the dagger in his hand, but Rene was faster. He snatched it and turned back toward me.
Soon, a communication stone was placed on Rene’s outstretched palm.
He had taken the dagger while simultaneously grabbing the grave robbers’ communication stone.
Only then did I open my eyes wide.
‘Right. Come to think of it, grave robbers are people who do illegal work, right? If they operate in groups, only a few would have communication stones.’
If everyone had communication stones, it would become a means to drag everyone down if one person got caught.
In other words, Rene first identified what was disadvantageous to him and eliminated it.
‘To make that judgment in such a short moment…’
While I was inwardly admiring this.
Perhaps slightly cut by the driver’s swinging sword, there was a red line on Rene’s cheek.
However, Rene casually wiped his cheek with the back of his hand as if he didn’t care.
Then he clenched his fist and lightly crushed the communication stone in his hand.
Then Stellin let out a hollow laugh.
“I thought those eyes looked bad, and he really is a beast bastard.”
“…”
“But what do we do about this?”
That was the moment.
“…!”
At the cool sensation touching my neck, I gasped. Rene, who had been frowning while looking at me, froze.
It was because of the blade pressed against my neck.
One of the grave robbers had wrapped around me from behind and was holding a dagger to my neck.
“You should have watched your back too, your observation skills are still lacking.”
“…”
“Drop the knife. If you want to keep this girl alive.”
Stellin giggled. Rene frowned even more.
Rene looked back and forth between me and Stellin.
I briefly thought he would naturally ignore this.
The strength in the hand holding the dagger was about to loosen.
“…No, Rene.”
So I opened my mouth.
“You don’t need to do that.”
Then I took out what I had hidden in my pocket.
I aimed it at Stellin, who was confronting Rene.
It was a gun I had brought in preparation for any possible situation.
“Oh my?”
Then the grave robbers burst into laughter as if they found it interesting.
“Is it okay or not okay for such a small kid to hold such a scary thing?”
“Put it down quickly, kid. You’ll get hurt.”
“It would be fortunate if she only gets hurt.”
“What?”
I readjusted my grip on the gun and said.
“This place is the Forbidden Land. If a gun is fired here, the Temple will send a search party, and your identities will be discovered quickly.”
“…So?”
“And the Temple protects children. Unlike certain grave robbers.”
“…!”
“Then I’ll say this gun belongs to you misters. Along with saying you bragged about making it yourselves.”
The Temple strictly restricted and condemned the production of weapons.
Therefore, it was obvious that all those involved in unauthorized weapon manufacturing would be dealt with in the name of god.
But children were an exception. Because of god’s word that children must not be killed under any circumstances.
‘That damn Temple is actually helpful at times like this.’
Perhaps thinking it wasn’t just empty bravado, the grave robbers murmured among themselves.
However, Stellin, who was actually being aimed at, chuckled.
“I acknowledge the struggle, but…”
“…”
“You’ve never used that thing, have you?”
“…!”
“Whether someone has killed a person or not, you can tell just by looking at their eyes. That girl next to you maybe, but you, definitely not.”
Stellin nodded his chin toward Rene beside me and added, “Right?”
‘That’s…’
…true.
I had brought it just in case, but I hadn’t prepared myself to actually shoot someone.
Why didn’t I realize it.
That there’s an uncrossable river between someone who has harmed another person and someone who hasn’t.
At my hardened expression, Stellin giggled and laughed.
“Now that I’ve seen enough of this tearful friendship, shall we follow along quietly? We don’t like our premium goods getting damaged either.”
I still didn’t move. Stellin shrugged his shoulders as if amused.
“Then there’s no choice. Even premium goods can have defects.”
At the same time, Stellin drew his sword. The blade reflected in the moonlight sharply pierced my vision.
‘What should I do now?’
As I put strength into the hand holding the gun and unconsciously squeezed my eyes shut.
Thud.
Suddenly, the sound of something falling was heard.
I slowly opened my eyes.
The driver who had been standing imposingly just moments ago was collapsed on the ground.
“H-hey! Why are you suddenly-!”
And at that moment.
The driver who was trying to check on his fallen colleague also collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The one next to him too.
And the one next to that one too.
They all collapsed powerlessly to the ground and writhed in pain.
“What, what is it. What the hell is happening!”
The man who had pressed the dagger to my neck wildly swung it through the air.
‘I don’t know what happened, but…!’
I took advantage of the moment when his guard was down to duck and slip away from the driver.
“R, Rene!”
When I urgently called Rene’s name, he reversed his grip on the dagger.
Then he swept it across the driver’s arm.
Clang! With a sharp sound, the driver’s sword was knocked away.
“You damn bastards…!”
The driver tried to pull something from his coat, but he couldn’t succeed. The man’s body collapsed powerlessly to the ground.
Rene took advantage of the moment to hide me behind him while scanning the surroundings.
Now only Stellin, who had treated me as premium grade, remained.
“D-damn, how did this…”
It was when Stellin was hesitating and backing away.
Thud.
With a death cry, Stellin’s knee buckled.
Another thud.
This time the hand holding the sword flew away as if struck by something.
“Aaahhh!”
And at that moment, I gasped at the figure I saw in front of me.
Black hair that looked slightly blue in the moonlight. Eyes still covered with cloth, lips pressed firmly together.
And even a gun in his hand.
There was no mistake.
It was Paterre Stukkyia.
“Make him shut up.”
The Duke gave a brief command to the people behind him and carelessly threw down his gun.
Then the way he strode toward us… he looked very angry.
‘Ah.’
I instinctively realized.
‘It’s because of me.’
The tiny hope that he might be worried sank deep down inside me.
The child he had declared he would take as his daughter had come to the Forbidden Land, so now the Duke had to take responsibility for the consequences. The Duke was angry about that.
‘What… what should I say?’
I should apologize first, but would that be enough?
No, he won’t be satisfied with that. Something better. I need to ask for forgiveness more definitively…
Suddenly, the figure of the Duke in front of me overlapped with Count Agnito’s image.
Just as I was about to say something carelessly in my anxiety, the Duke reached out his hand to me.
To my cheek. More precisely, to my entire face and head.
“Are you hurt anywhere.”
“Y-yes?”
“Is there anywhere bleeding?”
Even though he couldn’t see ahead, the Duke asked while quickly turning my face this way and that.
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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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