Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Demanding Accountability
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Due to the mansion burning down completely, we were taking refuge in a temporary army tent.
Dad frowned as he pushed open the tent flap, sensing the awkward yet warm atmosphere lingering between us.
"...Dad, should I just head back out?"
"...No."
Our eyes met, and my face burned with embarrassment as I recalled throwing my arms around his neck and bawling my eyes out right after being rescued.
It was all because of that childish instinct.
In the midst of the shock, I'd encountered the one adult I could rely on, and I just couldn't hold back my emotions...
I wore an abashed expression as I quietly scooted toward the edge of the bed and sat there.
I heard Dad let out a soft chuckle as he looked down at me, but it was still too hard to meet his gaze again.
"How's your body feeling?"
"I'm okay. Nurse smeared some ointment on it, so it's all good."
"Don't move around carelessly for a while and follow Anna's instructions."
"Yes, sir."
According to Dad, the nurse and Dietrich would be returning not alone in the dead of night, but accompanied by knights.
They'd be shocked again because of me.
I'd promised to stay hidden quietly, but instead, I'd gone and filmed an action movie in the middle of the flames.
Of course, I'd done my best to stay hidden.
The explosion that sent me flying was an unexpected fluke, so maybe the nurse would cut me some slack?
"What about Betty and Laura...?"
"They're handling the cleanup at the mansion. I ordered them to look after you once they're done, so don't worry about that."
"And the others?"
Dad fell silent without answering. That alone felt like an answer.
People really do die so easily.
It was a fact I already knew well from my original world, but it hadn't been quite this blatant.
Monsters had appeared, the house had collapsed, and then fire had broken out on top of it all.
Just imagining how many faces I recognized had perished in that chaos made my stomach churn all over again.
As I closed my eyes to fight off the dizziness, I could feel Dad's gaze on me the whole time.
Only after confirming I was barely okay did Dad finally turn toward Florian.
"Is Your Highness alright?"
Florian slowly nodded.
I squinted my eyes, trying to blur my vision as much as possible when I spotted a few drops of blood splattered on Dad's arm as he turned.
Dad had handed us over to the physician and then left briefly, saying he'd speak with the surviving main family retainers.
That must have been the trace of the "conversation" that took place while he was gone.
Violence is, after all, the most powerful tool for communication.
"Have the interrogation results come in?"
Florian seemed most curious about that too.
"One of the main family guards confessed to the mastermind behind it."
"Who is it? The Empress?"
Dad glanced at me briefly before answering.
He must have been concerned about my age—only four years old—but having nearly died entangled in this, I had to know who was behind it.
I clamped my mouth shut stubbornly to show my resolve, and Dad answered without dragging it out.
"All the retainers sent from the main family this time were personally selected and dispatched by the Kalenberg Sub-Duke."
"I've heard of the Kalenberg Sub-Duke. Rumor has it his son is betrothed to the Empress's nephew in the womb..."
"Yes, that's correct."
Sub-Duke... that would be Uncle.
Uncle's son would be around my age, and he's already got a marriage pact?
That had to be a political marriage, then.
If the Empress and Uncle were joining hands by marrying off their nephew and son, then our family and Florian shared a common enemy.
"I'm sorry. This is my fault, causing trouble for Sir Leopoldt and his daughter."
Florian bowed his head slightly toward Dad and me.
An apology from a kid who'd nearly been assassinated just left a bitter taste.
"What are your plans going forward, Sir? The Empress and the Petherzen Duke's faction won't give up easily. Why not just send me back?"
If he'd fallen out of the Empress's favor, wouldn't he be dead the moment he returned?
I was about to say something, since he seemed far too accustomed to throwing his young life away, but Dad spoke first.
"Since His Majesty entrusted Your Highness to me, you are under my purview. I have no intention of sending you off to die."
Dad's words sounded quite touching, but Florian clearly thought differently.
His face hardened coldly as he stared at Dad.
"My thoughts differ from His Majesty's. I do not acknowledge you as my teacher. I never needed one to begin with."
"Is it because the man previously in charge of you tried to kill you?"
"...If you know that much, then you should understand why I say I don't need a teacher, Sir Leopoldt."
A tense exchange unfolded, far too grim for me to follow.
I couldn't grasp the full context, but I knew enough to realize this wasn't my place, so I stayed as unobtrusive as possible.
"I am not like Baron Mueller."
"My former teacher, Baron Mueller, said something similar. And then he tried to burn down the crown prince's palace to kill me."
As he said that, Florian clenched and unclenched his right hand.
Even after being saved from the inferno, his wariness toward Dad hadn't softened a bit.
Well, it couldn't be helped.
If your previous teacher had nearly killed you, it was hard to immediately trust Dad just because of an imperial decree.
Dad gave a wry smile at Florian, who bristled like a spooked cat.
"This matter concerns me as well, Your Highness."
"What do you mean?"
"Even if I were to abandon Your Highness and shove you into the jaws of death, the Kalenberg Sub-Duke wouldn't cease his attempts on my life."
"That's..."
"The Sub-Duke likely targeted me and my children, sending spies for that purpose. You know that main family retainers were already here before we arrived with Your Highness, yes?"
Florian slowly nodded at Dad's flawless logic.
"Your Highness being in danger this time is no different from being caught up in my affairs."
I don't want to use my brain.
I'm not using it now either, but I really don't want to have to use it even more actively than this.
But it was too late to unhear it.
According to Dad, Uncle seemed to be plotting to kill him and the three of us siblings?
Why is this deep, dark abyss staring back at me?
I didn't want to peer into the abyss!
"Whether I send Your Highness back into danger or not, the Sub-Duke's targeting of me remains unchanged. Taking on one more like Your Highness won't make a difference."
Florian let out a small sigh after Dad's lengthy persuasion.
He hadn't shown it, but he'd been tense, fearing Dad might tell him to return to the palace.
His words sounded like he'd renounced the world, but he was still just a kid.
"And Your Highness will definitely need a teacher."
"Why are you so certain?"
Dad flashed a playful grin, undeterred by Florian's distrustful gaze.
With a casual wave of his hand, one of the servants by the entrance pulled back the tent flap.
In plain view was the corpse of a monster, impaled on unthawed ice, its limbs preserved like a specimen.
It was still enormous, even on second glance.
The beast's carcass, which had wrapped around the entire house, was grotesque enough to send chills down my spine just looking at it.
"You couldn't properly use your divine grace because of the monster's poison."
"..."
"You can't rely solely on the power of your bloodline. There are enemies who can render divine grace unusable."
"..."
"Learn swordsmanship, learn politics, employ every means at your disposal, master everything you can to grow strong."
The weight of Dad's words left a long silence hanging in the tent.
"Then what should be done now?"
Florian hesitated before finally voicing one question.
Dad responded with a cold smile, as if he'd been waiting.
"First, we must go demand accountability."
Accountability? From whom?
"For now, please come with me to the Northern Duke's residence, Your Highness."
The Duke's residence... Grandpa's house?
From what I'd heard, Dad and Grandpa didn't get along well. Was it okay to barge in like this?
But Dad offered no lengthy explanation.
He appeared calm on the surface, but a storm of fury churned in his eyes, leaving me unable to ask more.