The Duke Dad I Chose Can’t (Really) See Well - Chapter 81

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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 81

‘He really must have learned the language wrong!’

Although the baby bird had given that answer, it could have looked like Rene had responded. I did my best to protect Rene.

“He’s been traveling to many places, so his speech is still clumsy. There’s no way Rene would say such things. Haha…”

“…No, I think he’s right though?”

“Huh?”

I tilted my head in confusion, but Paterre Stukkyia just shrugged as if it didn’t matter either way.

Then he leaned back more comfortably.

“I am handsome, after all. It would be revealed eventually even if I hid it, so I decided to just show it.”

While adjusting his clothes, he asked the baby bird, “Chirpy, what do you think?”

‘He’s speaking playfully, but…’

I carefully opened my mouth.

“…It’s because of Count Karbendi, isn’t it?”

Paterre Stukkyia, who had been pleased by the baby bird’s compliment, froze.

He spoke as if playing innocent.

“…That’s strange. Why would your thoughts jump there?”

“I heard from other adults. They said Count Karbendi was the person who hated your seclusion the most.”

“…”

“So you’re doing this on purpose. Making sure word of what’s happening now reaches the Count’s ears. So he’ll come back.”

“…”

“Count Karbendi is someone even His Imperial Majesty covets, and with his signature as well, they couldn’t easily ignore an adoption request.”

Then Paterre Stukkyia frowned slightly.

“Why does the Temple come up here?”

“Well, because Agnito would have processed me as deceased. For smoother processing…”

“Hanisha.”

I froze at Paterre Stukkyia’s low call.

“That’s not something for a child like you to worry about.”

“…But.”

“Most importantly.”

Paterre Stukkyia spoke in a firm voice.

“You keep talking about yourself as if you’re dead.”

“…!”

I unconsciously drew in a breath.

That I was treating myself as a dead person.

That was a thought I had never considered before.

Shocked at discovering a scar within myself that I hadn’t known existed, I closed my mouth, and the carriage atmosphere instantly became quiet.

Even the chattering baby bird and Rene seemed to read the mood and quietly watched us.

Paterre Stukkyia spoke in a low voice.

“That’s what keeps bothering me.”

“…”

“You, who dragged me out into the world, keep talking about your own affairs in that way.”

Paterre Stukkyia speaking this way looked frustrated and, on the other hand, sad. Even though I couldn’t read his thoughts because I couldn’t see his eyes.

“It might be true on paper, but those scraps of paper can just be burned anyway.”

“But.”

“You’re definitely alive here, Hanisha. In front of me, beside me.”

“…!”

“Others might not know, but don’t you forget that. Understand?”

It was a stern voice, yet one that felt affectionate.

And I could now somewhat faintly understand that this wasn’t a rebuke, but worry.

“…Yes.”

Something tickled inside my throat, so I answered with a choked voice.

Then Paterre Stukkyia tilted his head with a “Hmm.”

“Strange. I can’t hear your answer well. Now my ears are also going wrong…”

“Yes. I understand!”

I answered vigorously, not to be outdone.

Then Paterre Stukkyia laughed saying “That’s right” and patted my head.

Noticing the atmosphere had lightened, the baby bird chirped “-Tense! Suffocating!” It was something Max often said.

That’s when it happened.

The speed gradually slowed and the carriage came to a complete stop.

When I peeked my head out the window, I could see the Northern Temple.

Since children were valued so highly, all adoption procedures, regardless of nobles or commoners, were required to go through the Temple.

“Huh? That person… could that be Paterre Stukkyia?”

“No way. Why would Paterre Stukkyia come here? And with such a young child too.”

“Is that so…?”

As soon as we got off the carriage, I could hear people murmuring.

“I’m not Paterre Stukkyia, and my eyes were originally like this, so don’t murmur.”

“…?”

“Oh, and this small cute girl and quiet gloomy boy have nothing to do with me, so don’t give them unnecessary looks.”

“…??”

“Explanation over. Everyone disperse.”

Paterre Stukkyia clapped briskly as if imitating Caron.

I really thought he wouldn’t imitate the butler…

‘Still, this is too half-hearted…’

Though I muttered to myself.

Since Paterre Stukkyia had been secluded for such a long time, people also seemed confused about whether he was really that Paterre Stukkyia.

“See, I was right?”

Paterre Stukkyia shrugged as if to say ‘I told you so.’

“Well then, shall we go in, daughter?”

Then he walked inside very confidently.

* * *

The Northern Temple is generally quiet.

Since it was rumored to be a garbage dump, no one set foot there. So only the bare minimum of clerics were stationed there.

Moreover, the north had statistics showing adoptions maybe once every few years.

Having only one person in charge of the Adoption Bureau was perfectly natural.

It was also natural that this person in charge had long forgotten their duties and devoted all attention to entertainment and slacking off.

“Is anyone here?”

But someone had come to that deserted place.

It was a man with an enormous build, his eyes covered with a black eyepatch.

His clothes were ordinary butler attire, but judging by the atmosphere he gave off and his physique, he didn’t seem to be an ordinary person.

“It’s really in a deep place. I was trying to adopt a child and almost got lost myself. Good thing I found it before that.”

His tone was strangely slow and leisurely, but it was like saying in a roundabout way ‘What a terrible job they did with the department placement.’

‘What, what is this? Someone sent from the main temple?’

If not that, there was no way such an appearance and entrance could happen.

The cleric asked while hiding his flustered feelings.

“How, how did you come here?”

“By carriage. With a very cute child and various others too.”

“…?”

“Ah. Are you perhaps the person in charge?”

“Yes, I am, but….”

“I’d like to adopt a child. Do I just need to submit an adoption application here?”

A man dressed in butler’s attire asked with an extremely casual attitude.

His clipped speech patterns. His playful tone that showed not a trace of politeness gradually made the cleric feel displeased.

Someone with such an insolent attitude couldn’t possibly be a cleric like them.

“First, which family are you from and who are you?”

“Stukkyia.”

“I understand. Stukky… What? Where did you say you were from?”

The cleric reflexively asked back.

He had no choice but to do so.

An adoption from Stukkyia? That was an impossible occurrence.

At the follow-up question, the man in butler’s attire muttered, “Do your ears get bad when your department is far away?”

Then one shoulder of the butler’s outfit was pulled down repeatedly.

“I told you that you should only think such thoughts to yourself.”

When he glanced down, he saw a small girl in white clothes next to the man, firmly tugging at the man’s sleeve.

Unlike the man who might as well have been naked despite wearing clothes, the child was wrapped up entirely in warm fur clothing.

He could feel someone’s determination not to show even a bit of skin other than that cute face.

The man replied leisurely as if he didn’t care.

“Ah- sorry. I have a loose mouth, so I couldn’t help it.”

“You should keep those words to yourself too. How many times do I have to tell you, Your Grace?”

“I know. I did it on purpose this time. And you too.”

The man who had been soothingly patting her head then poked the child’s cheek with his index finger.

“-You just said ‘Your Grace,’ didn’t you?”

“Hup.”

“I guess we can call it even with this.”

The man grinned mischievously.

Then the bird on the shoulder of the young boy who had come in with them started chirping, “-Stupid! Stupid!”

It seemed like a playful situation at first glance, but the cleric couldn’t laugh along.

The family name Stukkyia and the title ‘Your Grace,’ his overwhelming physique.

The sensation he had been feeling from the beginning, which was exactly opposite to his own holy power.

Above all… that appearance with covered eyes.

‘It’s Paterre Stukkyia.’

Then could that child possibly be…?

The cleric recalled the request that someone from the Agnito side had conveyed a few days ago.

“If anyone tries to adopt Hanisha, you must oppose it unconditionally. If that happens, both the cleric who processed her death certificate and we will be finished. It won’t end with just disciplinary action!”

They had then informed him of the child’s appearance.

Small build. The name of the child with curly silver hair and blue eyes was….

“And Hanisha. It’s not Your Grace anymore, it’s Dad now.”

“Ah.”

“You got the title wrong, so one more week of punishment added~”

It was the moment when his brief prayer to God crumbled.

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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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