The Dutiful Kid Who Saved the Villainous Family - Chapter 88

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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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Episode 88

“So this village was created about 10 years ago, is that right?”

“That’s right. Some noble sponsored it to create this village. That’s how it started, at least.”

“A noble sponsored it?”

Penedeex’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“That’s right. Nobody knows which noble it was. They said this place would become a paradise for persecuted Hybrid Monsters.”

“Ah…”

“As you can see, it’s in this state now though.”

The Old Woman shrugged her shoulders. She acted as if it wasn’t a big deal, but there was an atmosphere of someone worn down by life’s hardships.

After all the stories ended, Penedeex tried to comfort her.

But right at that moment.

Airi thrust out her small fist.

“Grandmother!”

“Hmm, Child?”

“If we bump fists together, we can give each other strength!”

It was a hand sign she had learned when attending school.

When Airi thrust out her round, chubby fist, the woman smiled.

“Good.”

Their two fists bumped together in the middle with a thud.

Airi smiled brightly and said.

“Don’t hurt anymore, Grandmother! I’ll come play again next time!”

The woman smiled brightly while massaging the shoulder that Airi had rubbed for her.

Penedeex grinned.

‘The feeling is good from the first day?’

After organizing and noting down the information the Old Woman had told them, Penedeex sharply handed her a consultation fee.

After wandering around here and there, before they knew it the sun was slowly setting.

And suddenly Airi thought.

‘Gasp, I didn’t absorb any magic at all!’

Cookie sent a telepathic message from her pocket.

[But it was fun so it’s okay!]

Then, Penedeex spoke as if reluctant to part ways.

“Hmm, shall we move to a Coffee House nearby? I’d like to rest a bit before going back.”

“Gasp! There are Coffee Houses in the Northern Region too?”

There are so, so many in the Southern Region.

Penedeex shrugged his shoulders. He replied mechanically like a super computer with all information values inputted.

“Of course. There are exactly three places, and there happens to be a place nearby that sells decent parfait. How about it, shall we go together?”

“Gasp, parfait!”

Airi raised her hand vigorously while sticking out her belly.

“Let’s go eat parfait!”

“I’m fine with it too.”

Penedeex grinned looking at Karhen, who had been silent the whole time but rarely answered.

‘He must have secretly wanted to eat parfait.’

He acts mature and is a meaningful Child with mixed monster blood.

But even so, seeing his childlike side was quite interesting.

* * *

Now, inside the Coffee House.

The parfaits that the three people ordered had just come out.

Penedeex, who ordered strawberry parfait, made an amazed expression looking at Karhen’s ‘cilantro parfait’.

“I thought Isadel Marquess was the only person in the world who ate cilantro parfait.”

“Gasp, but I’m also seeing someone who eats cilantro flavor for the first time. Oh, and this is also the first shop I’ve seen that has cilantro parfait on the menu!”

Airi, a Child with firm taste preferences who likes mugwort but dislikes cilantro, looked at Karhen with curiosity.

“Even the way of eating is exactly the same.”

Penedeex raised his eyebrows watching Karhen eat only the cilantro from the cilantro parfait.

“Isadel ate it that way too. She ate the cilantro first and left the parfait.”

“Oh my… To think there are two such unique people in the world.”

It’s amazing even though they’re not family!

Airi looked at Karhen with curiosity, then stared at Penedeex again.

“But it seems you and Isadel were close. You even know that she likes cilantro!”

“We weren’t close. But Eastern People probably know quite a lot about Isadel’s trivial habits. Her love story with Duke Jacquel was made into an opera.”

“Wow, that’s really amazing…”

When Airi’s eyes sparkled, Penedeex said lightly.

“Come to think of it, we’re looking for ‘Berry’, but we haven’t told you about that story. It’s a story all Eastern People know, would you like to hear it once?”

“Gasp, I’d like that! I want to hear it!”

Karhen, who had already inhaled all the cilantro parfait, also listened attentively.

Penedeex spoke in a seductive voice as if possessed by Scheherazade.

“This is a story from long, long ago.”

「There was a beauty who was abused by her parents as the illegitimate Child of the Milang Marquess Family, a influential family of the East, and ran away.

Her name was Isadel Milang.

On a snowy day, she who was driven to the Snowy Plains by her family met a beautiful man who had come out hunting.

He was the Duke Jacquel of the East.

Duke Jacquel picked up Isadel like picking up a snow fox.

The two fell in love at first sight and had a passionate love.

When Duke Jacquel got engaged to her, an illegitimate Child driven out by her family, countless people opposed it.

But after the fruit of their love was born, she became a noble Marquess.

People in the world praised their story as beautiful.

However, all stories have conflict and adversity cast upon them.

One day, Isadel Milang left the East holding her newborn Child.

It was a meticulously planned escape.

People thought she would be caught and punished soon.

However, she was not caught.

Neither Isadel nor the Child who had the prenatal name ‘Berry’ ever returned.

People pointed fingers saying the woman had an affair and gave birth to a Child.

Stories spread that she ran away fearing punishment from Duke Jacquel.

When everyone thought that way, only Duke Jacquel remained calm.

No, actually the man had gone completely mad.

It had been 7 years since then.

He was still chasing the Child and woman.」

Airi was completely absorbed by Penedeex, who had the skill to speak skillfully like a storyteller.

He concluded the story and said.

“My lord had such deep love. So I too want to find Berry, who is the fruit of their love. Ah, my story ends here, how was it?”

Airi thought carefully and then said.

“The Duke must have had a really hard time.”

“What about Karhen?”

Karhen gave an unexpected answer.

“I envy Berry.”

“What? He lost his parents right after being born…”

However, Karhen looked surprised at his own words. He hurriedly tried to salvage the situation.

“No, that’s not it. I misspoke…”

Penedeex shrugged his shoulders.

“That can happen. If you enjoyed eating, shall we go home now?”

The parfait placed in front of Karhen had melted, and the parfait placed in front of Airi had no trace left as if it had been washed clean.

‘Both of them really have distinct characters.’

He grinned and stood up.

“Let’s meet again as assistants next time.”

Airi glanced at Karhen.

Somehow it seemed like Karhen was deep in thought about something.

* * *

That night after parting with Penedeex.

Airi came into his room to meet Karhen.

It was right after having a conversation with Cookie.

“No matter how I think about it, that guy Karhen seems really dejected.”

“Right? He looked gloomy when family talk came up.”

“That would make sense. Originally, hybrid monsters don’t really know who their parents are. Monsters have no maternal instincts, so they just abandon their children. Unless their physical characteristics are prominent, they don’t know their roots.”

…Thinking about it that way made Karhen seem pitiful.

Suddenly Airi thought.

Even though she had been with Karhen for so long, might she still not know Karhen?

So they ended up sitting face to face on the fluffy sofa in Karhen’s room.

“Karhen, when you were listening to Prince Berry’s story earlier.”

“Yes.”

“Did you feel really bad? I was worried about you.”

His transparent blue eyes seemed to ask what could possibly be wrong.

But before those eyes could look at the world so transparently, there had been countless hardships.

Airi stared intently into those eyes.

Then Karhen pulled back as if burned by something and muttered.

“What you said about envying Prince Berry.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s true.”

Karhen couldn’t help but be honest when looking into Airi’s eyes.

It was natural for a ‘guardian’ to be honest with their ‘master.’

So he began to gradually reveal his twisted, tangled, raw feelings.

“Prince Berry has someone who’s been searching for him for over 7 years.”

“…”

“But I don’t have family like that.”

Karhen had always lived a life of abuse and torment.

But his family never came looking for him.

So he didn’t need family.

He was content just living as a guardian protecting his master, Airi.

But then Airi said.

“Karhen.”

“Yes?”

“If you ever want to find your family, tell me anytime!”

Airi clenched both fists and said.

“I’ll work hard to help you find them!”

Looking at Airi’s pure eyes, Karhen thought.

Even if he found his family, they would probably be so humble they couldn’t even compare to Airi.

Since they’re monsters, they might already be dead.

Still…

Karhen smiled brightly.

“If I ever want to find my family later, I’ll definitely tell you.”

If Airi would search for his family like today, if she would hold hands and go around together with him.

That alone would be satisfying.

Then, Airi grinned and added her next words.

“If you don’t want to find your family!”

“Yes.”

“Still tell me!”

“Yes.”

“Because I’ll become your family!”

When she first met Karhen in the ‘Red Room.’

With that same smile from when she had extended her hand to him.

Airi smiled brightly once again and extended her hand to Karhen.

At that moment, Karhen’s thoughts went in a different direction.

Family means people who share blood.

But Airi and Karhen are strangers who don’t share blood.

Then what could it possibly mean for them to become family?

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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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