The Golden-Handed Baby Fixes Everything! - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11
“…I did something wrong? What?”
“…Power, it’s a secret, and I didn’t tell anyone….”
Her head hung low just then.
“I don’t see why that would be wrong.”
Thap.
A big hand settled lightly on top of my head.
I looked up with wide eyes and found Uncle Oliver smiling down at me, his gaze locked on mine.
“I suppose you wanted to keep it hidden. Everyone has a secret they’d rather not share.”
“…R-really?”
“Yes. I have one too. A secret like that.”
“Uncle, you too?”
He gave a small nod and slowly straightened his back.
“Want to see?”
“Huh?”
“My secret.”
Grin.
Behind that deepening smile, he swept his hair back.
At the same time.
“…Huh?”
“W-what is that now?”
“Oh my. I’m seeing so many strange things today….”
The onlookers, who had been watching us in breathless silence, let out gasps of wonder.
I was no different.
“Wow….”
Admiration escaped me before I could stop it.
As that big hand swept back his hair, the brown locks vanished without a trace, revealing dazzling silver hair.
Uncle Oliver had been handsome with his brown hair and blue eyes, but silver hair with blue eyes… how do I put it?
‘He looks like something from the realm of gods.’
It was the kind of beauty that would make you believe an angel had truly descended to earth.
It seemed this was Uncle Oliver’s true appearance.
‘So the brown hair was a disguise for undercover work.’
Haha.
“See? I did have a secret, didn’t I?”
He chuckled lightly, his throat rumbling, just as—
“Wait. That man is….”
“Silver hair and blue eyes? Could he be—”
“…P-P-Pantheibe… Duke Pantheibe?”
Amid the air of awe at his beauty, bewildered murmurs broke out.
My eyes went wide.
‘What? The famous Duke Pantheibe is here?’
In the Empire, Duke Pantheibe had always been a hot potato.
‘That’s why he showed up in every magazine and newspaper.’
Thanks to that, I’d picked up quite a bit about him.
Conti Pantheibe.
The strongest man in the Empire’s history.
The master of darkness, wielding it at will.
A peerless genius who had been called a prodigy since childhood, and at the same time—
Unpredictable—
‘The Pantheibe lunatic.’
Actually, that was the most famous nickname of all.
Despite his angelic face, the lunatic inside him was… no, wide awake, with both eyes open, or so they said.
‘I’d never seen his face in print, but they said he was incredibly handsome.’
Supposedly he had shimmering silver hair and a strange glint in his blue eyes—
…Wait a moment.
‘Silver hair. Blue eyes?’
I’d been glancing around, searching for Duke Pantheibe, but now I stared at Uncle Oliver like a broken doll.
“H-hey, are you… Duke Pantheibe… Duke… Gongzan, sir…?”
He smiled, slow and easy.
That smile, neat as if painted, showed not a single flaw.
“Correct. What a clever little child.”
Well, the people around me did give me the answer, though.
‘…What on earth is going on?!’
I let out a shriek inside my head.
‘Oliver-ajeossi is Duke Pantheibe?!’
But the surprises didn’t stop there.
“Anyway, I’ve been thinking about this the whole time-.”
Uncle, or rather, the Duke, tilted his head and began with an ominous tone.
“A little brat with nearly white silver hair and Power to boot.”
Gulp.
…Is there a problem or something?
I fiddled with my messy hair and looked up at the Duke.
“You, Marshmallow.”
His blue eyes made a full turn before settling back on me.
Tension crept in, and my palms grew sweaty and damp.
I could feel everyone’s attention pressing down on this spot.
Wh-what? What is it…?
At last, the lips that had been pressed shut parted again.
“Are you my daughter?”
Ah, daughter.
‘Well, that’s all it is…’
…Hm? Daughter?
I blinked at him, dumbfounded.
‘What did I just hear…’
I glanced around. Every single face had gone stiff.
The only one wearing a relaxed smile was the Duke.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Exactly three seconds later.
“…Wheeeeeat?!”
“Whaaaaaat?!”
“Nuuuuuh?!”
Starting from someone’s lead, a harmony of shrieks rang out from all over the place.
And then.
“Hic. Hiccup.”
My own hiccup, a little late, followed right behind.
Truly, a sudden outburst.
The atmosphere had suddenly turned into a secret of birth.
* * *
“The knights should arrive around tomorrow. Everyone, understand that and get ready to move out. Oh, and.”
With me tucked under his arm, the Duke jerked his chin toward Dominic, who lay sprawled on the ground.
“Tie that one’s hands and feet and lock him up somewhere. Tell him that if he gets out, he’s dead meat.”
Saying this in a bright, breezy voice, the Duke turned on his heel and walked straight out of Brambshua.
And so, the present.
‘Where am I? Who am I?’
The Duke and I were sitting in the grass near Brambshua.
The Duke, sitting in the grass?
It was a ridiculously mismatched pairing, but it was true.
He plopped down onto the grass and settled me on his knee.
Oh, the sky is blue.
‘Ah, no, that’s not it.’
“…Um.”
“Mm. What is it?”
“Are you, like, for real Melloni’s daddy… Oliver-ajeossi, I mean, Gongzan-nim…?”
“Hmm. Who knows.”
“Huh?”
What is he even talking about.
“Who knows” again? What kind of vague answer is that?
But judging by the mood…
“So you’re not Melloni’s daddy…?”
“Oh dear. I’ve been found out.”
The Duke’s eyes curved into crescents as he shrugged and answered.
“Huh. Honestly.”
“Honestly, for real!”
“Ya shouldn’t joke around with stuff like that.”
I pulled my fiercest scowl and spoke.
“It wasn’t a joke. It was a sincere question, I’ll have you know.”
“…Really, though?”
“Yes, really. You use power, your hair is silver, and you’re a rather clever little thing. You take after me in so many ways. Don’t you think so?”
Using power, silver hair, and being clever. She takes after the Duke in all of those?
“…Um. Kinda looks like that, maybe….”
“Exactly. So for a moment I wondered, ‘Could she be my daughter?’ Though, thinking it over, that was physically impossible.”
I’m not a hermaphrodite, you know.
The Duke added that last part under his breath and smiled again.
“So will you forgive me?”
“Forgive…?”
The Duke tilted his head, reached into his robes, and pulled something out to hand over.
“Whoooa!”
My eyes went wide with astonishment.
“Whoooooa! Y-you’re really giving me all of this?”
“Yes. It’s a bribe, after all.”
What he’d handed over was the jar of candy the Duke always carried around with him.
Ugh. Well, well.
“I forgive ya. Melloni wasn’t really mad at all, ya know.”
“Ha. That’s a relief.”
Hmm. I’m telling the truth, but he doesn’t seem to believe me.
‘I really wasn’t angry.’
It wasn’t because of this bribe, or gift, rather. I really wasn’t that upset.
After all, it was a ridiculous story to begin with.
‘That I have noble blood running through my veins.’
Me, who survived by begging on the streets.
I never believed it in the first place, so there was nothing to be angry about.
Ah, but….
“So what do we do now?”
“What?”
“The big brothers from Brambshua. They’re gonna think I’m Gongzan’s daughter.”
At that practical concern, the Duke tilted his head and murmured.
“…Truly remarkable. Oddly sensible for a child.”
“Huh? What did you just say…?”
“I said, ‘What a serious problem indeed.'”
Strange.
I don’t think that’s what he said.
“Anyway, hurry up and go back.”
“Go back?”
“Yeah. Gotta hurry and tell ’em it’s not true….”
“Well. I don’t think that’s necessary.”
Why not?
I stared up at him with wide eyes, and the Duke’s eyes curved into crescents as he answered.
“There’s an even easier solution than that.”
“An easier way?”
“Make it true before it becomes a problem.”
Make it true before it becomes a problem?
‘Well, yeah. If you make it true, there’s no problem left to deal with.’
…What am I even thinking.
“That’s ridiculous too.”
“It’s not so ridiculous. I happen to have a rather remarkable talent for making things true.”
If anyone else had said that, I’d have scoffed at them.
‘That’s pretty convincing.’
If it’s Duke Pantheibe, he really might be able to turn any lie into the truth.
“So what do you want to do?”
“Me?”
“Right. Your opinion matters too, you know. How do you feel about becoming my daughter?”
Yes? No?
I agonized over the either-or choice I’d been handed.
Ugh.
If I had to pick between liking it or hating it, then—
“…Ye-yes.”

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