The Duke Dad I Chose Can’t (Really) See Well - Chapter 69

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 69

 

However, since a promise was a promise, I obediently picked up my utensils.

 

Only after hearing the clinking sounds did Paterre Stukkyia seem to breathe a sigh of relief and lean back deeply into his chair again.

 

“Please understand. If I don’t do this, my daughter won’t eat.”

 

“….”

 

“So what were we talking about just now?”

 

“…We were discussing matters related to the assets of Medena Count, who was Ashirion’s guardian.”

 

“Of course that should go to Ashirion. Could Medena Count have been so successful in the first place if not for the child’s abilities?”

 

“That’s true, but….”

 

“Thinking from the perspective of a father with a daughter, there couldn’t be anything more unjust than this.”

 

Paterre Stukkyia let out a sigh.

 

“We should return it like this. If you’re worried about financial management, we can take care of it from this side.”

 

“Um, Your Grace.”

 

That’s when it happened. One of the retainers who had been listening to the continuing conversation mustered the courage to speak up.

 

“…There was something I wanted to ask.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“That… when you say daughter….”

 

It was a very carefully posed question.

 

Then Paterre Stukkyia said “Ah,” as if belatedly recognizing the situation.

 

“Right, there’s a separate reason I called you all at such an early hour.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Let me introduce her formally.”

 

Paterre Stukkyia opened his mouth. As cheerfully as if telling some passing joke that would be forgotten.

 

“This is Hanisha Stukkyia, who became my daughter starting today.”

 

At that moment.

 

The retainers’ mouths slowly fell open.

 

The same was true for me.

 

I ended up dropping the food I was about to bring to my mouth with a thud.

 

‘So that’s why he suddenly called me…!’

 

Why are you talking about adoption while I’m eating…!

 

When I froze while holding my spoon, Paterre Stukkyia went “Hm?” and reached out to wipe the corner of my mouth.

 

“You need to eat carefully. You’ll ruin your clothes.”

 

“Your Grace, you can’t see so you might not know, but it’s the right cheek, not the left.”

 

“I know. I was going to wipe this side first.”

 

“It was a father’s heart wanting to be thoroughly attentive. I apologize.”

 

Caron, who had been pointing it out, obediently backed down at Paterre Stukkyia’s retort.

 

Only after my cheek, which had only a tiny bit of sauce on it, was completely wiped clean did the retainers speak up.

 

“…Is this really true?”

 

“Who adopts a child as a joke? Do you bring children in and kick them out as jokes? This is disappointing.”

 

“But the child’s origins aren’t even clear….”

 

“Are there trash dumps that are picky about where things come from? Does high-class trash make any difference?”

 

“And we don’t know what dangers there might be….”

 

“If that’s the standard, then Ashirion has no right to be here either. Starting with that guardian count who wasn’t exactly a normal human being.”

 

Every rebuttal they voiced crumbled helplessly before Paterre Stukkyia.

 

I quietly observed my surroundings.

 

The retainers currently seated were people who had protected Stukkyia for a long time. Simply put, people who had hoped Paterre Stukkyia would please come to his senses.

 

That same Paterre Stukkyia had formally introduced me as his daughter. They would know better than anyone that this wasn’t a simple joke.

 

Perhaps that’s why. Rather than disliking me, they seemed suspicious because they weren’t certain yet.

 

Then, suddenly, there was a knock.

 

Caron, who was standing by the door, opened it and said “Ah. Finally here,” as he opened the door.

 

Soon someone entered along with a servant.

 

Neatly dressed clothes.

 

Hair much tidier than before and skin that had become pale. Perhaps because of that, his golden eyes stood out particularly.

 

“Rene!”

 

I was so surprised that I forgot there were adults in front of me and jumped up from my seat.

 

“Why are you here? Did you come back? Why are you here…, no wait. Were you hurt anywhere?”

 

Despite my rapid-fire questions, Rene gave no response. He just glanced at me and looked straight ahead again.

 

“He was standing blankly in front of the castle this morning. I thought he’d catch a cold if left alone, so I brought him in.”

 

Caron answered.

 

Standing in front of the castle meant he had left and then deliberately returned?

 

I had many things I wanted to ask, but there was no way Rene could answer even if I asked.

 

“Miss Hanisha, how about feeding him first?”

 

At Caron’s words, I quickly came to my senses.

 

Come to think of it, this was an opportunity. I could pretend to eat while knowing nothing and listen to what the adults were talking about.

 

“Let’s eat together, Rene. You haven’t eaten anything yet, right?”

 

I quickly led Rene over here. Rene just glanced down at the hand that grabbed him, but didn’t shake off my hand.

 

“Sit here. Food is… ah, you probably don’t know how to hold utensils yet?”

 

It would be better to teach him step by step from the basics.

 

“Here, this is a fork.”

 

“….”

 

“You have to poke the food like this with it to eat.”

 

For a moment, Rene’s eyes seemed to grow cold, but I didn’t have time to worry about it. I pretended to teach him everything from one to ten while perking up my ears.

 

There must have been a definite reason why Caron brought Rene in.

 

And the adults began to continue their conversation again.

 

“Who is that child?”

 

“A ‘Chess Piece’ that my daughter personally sponsored.”

 

“A Chess Piece means… isn’t he a slave? Where on earth did you see such a child….”

 

“A slave, that’s not wrong.”

 

Paterre Stukkyia replied lightly.

 

“The Forbidden Land is worse than ruins.”

 

The Forbidden Land.

 

The moment Paterre Stukkyia mentioned those words, everyone fell silent.

 

They all looked at me and Rene with expressions of disbelief. More precisely, at Rene.

 

Rene’s emotionless golden eyes turned toward the assembly.

 

Then all the suspicion on their faces turned to certainty.

 

A child the emperor made through an affair with a maid. That child died as soon as he was born.

 

The Royal Family announced that the child’s life was too short, but rumors circulated among the people that it was the empress who killed that child. Saying she had taken action in advance so he wouldn’t threaten the crown prince’s position.

 

Of course, now that time has passed, it’s treated as a rumor spread by those trying to frame the empress and doesn’t even reach the level of slander.

 

However, everyone knows.

 

Even now, years later, the empress still sends people to monitor the Forbidden Land.

 

To check if there might be a boy with golden eyes.

 

‘So he won’t interfere with her son.’

 

The Forbidden Land, golden eyes.

 

In that combination of words, everyone seemed to vaguely realize that Rene was the abandoned prince.

 

Someone spoke in a lowered voice.

 

“…What will you do about this matter? If Her Majesty the Empress finds out.”

 

“Wouldn’t that actually be good? That child is the original sin of the empress who was blinded by the throne. If we have that child with us, we’ll be able to silence both the Temple and the Royal Family.”

 

Every child born receives confirmation from the Temple.

 

Even if Rene was the son of a maid, he’s the emperor’s son. There must be at least one cleric who was present at the moment that child was born.

 

However, the child was announced dead immediately after birth and quietly abandoned in the Forbidden Land. This meant the Temple had also agreed to the Empress’s scheme.

 

In other words, Rene’s existence was a weakness for both the Empress and the Temple.

 

Because they had betrayed the will of their god, who had so strongly emphasized that children must not be harmed.

 

“Certainly… the person who kept mentioning Stukkyia’s succession and trying to push children forward was Her Majesty the Empress. If we protect that child, the Royal Family won’t be able to discuss the succession issue anymore.”

 

“Rather, they would be afraid. If Your Grace were to put forward that child as an heir, their own crimes would be exposed.”

 

The retainers nodded as if they had realized something.

 

Everyone’s expressions brightened considerably. As if a problem that had been troubling them for a long time had been resolved.

 

‘Good. It seems to be going well.’

 

Relieved, I pretended to focus on eating while feeding Rene various things.

 

“Here, Rene. Try this too.”

 

What I stabbed with the fork and offered was a healthy bell pepper.

 

I should eat it too, but I had to feed it to Rene, who was more nutritionally deficient. It absolutely wasn’t because I didn’t like it that I was feeding it to him.

 

“….”

 

Was the bell pepper fascinating to him? Rene stared intently at the bell pepper on the fork once, then at me who had offered it once.

 

But when I waved the fork once more, he obediently ate it.

 

It was when everyone was accepting Rene’s existence.

 

“I think we’ve forgotten something.”

 

Paterre Stukkyia spoke slowly.

 

“The one who sponsored that child and brought him here is Hanisha. Not me.”

 

“Ah….”

 

“And those who help Stukkyia must receive corresponding compensation. Even if they are commoners.”

 

“….”

 

“Now it should be explained, shouldn’t it? Why I want to take Hanisha as my daughter.”

 

Paterre Stukkyia smiled and nodded his head lightly.

 

However, everyone knew.

 

That this wasn’t an explanation, but a declaration.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————