Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Grandfather's Declaration
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Dad was out at the external military camp, so he said he'd come straight to the dining hall after finishing up his work.
So, holding Dietrich's hand, I skipped merrily toward the main house.
I never imagined I'd run smack into my cousins right at the entrance to the main house.
Monica, who was trailing behind Mark like an errand boy, spotted me and lit up with a glad expression.
"Ah, hi, Mari..."
"Hey, pig! Don't you have any self-respect?"
Monica, who had been about to greet me, shrank back like a turtle pulling in its head at Mark's sharp rebuke.
Did Uncle and Aunt have business elsewhere?
The only people around were the servants Mark had brought with him.
Even so... no, even if Uncle or Aunt had been there, Mark's temper wouldn't have mellowed one bit.
Dietrich, watching Monica cower pathetically, curled his lip in disbelief.
"Where do you get off yelling like that?"
"What?"
"You think I've forgotten how you tried to hit baby Ella before?"
"Hah, that's a laugh! She started it—the brat right there!"
"Who're you calling a brat, you little shit."
Dietrich had shot up even taller lately.
So as he closed in on Mark, the height difference between them stood out even more starkly.
Mark backed away bit by bit, but his pride wouldn't let him go down without a fight—he raised his voice anyway.
'Should I stop them, or...?'
I watched Mark try to hide behind the servants in terror, then decided to intervene.
The jerk might deserve it, but today was the meal Grandfather had arranged to mend fences between the families.
I couldn't just ignore that effort.
"Ditri, let's just go. Gwampa's waiting."
"Count yourself lucky."
As soon as I spoke up, Dietrich halted his threats and let his shoulders slump.
Anyone else would have shut up right there.
But Mark wasn't me, and the moment Dietrich backed off, he puffed right back up.
Grinning smugly, he opened his mouth.
"Too busy sucking up to Grandpa, huh?"
"M-Mark...!"
Monica, pale-faced, grabbed Mark's arm as if to stop him, but Mark roughly shook her off.
"Who do you think you're touching, you illegitimate spawn!"
He shoved her hand away so hard that Monica stumbled and fell flat on her butt.
I rushed over and helped her up.
"You okay?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Her butt must hurt like hell.
Yet Monica got to her feet without a single complaint, just staring down at the ground.
'She was the same way when she apologized last time.'
I'd heard she'd gotten an earful from Aunt for sneaking snacks in the kitchen because of me, but even then she'd insisted she was fine with that exact face.
Seeing me bite my lip in pity for Monica, Mark twisted his lips into a sneer.
"Defective's sister and an illegitimate brat. You two match perfectly."
Defective? How am I defective's sister?
Dietrich and I locked eyes, then both tilted our heads with a confused "Huh?"
Realizing we had no clue what he meant, Mark ground his teeth.
And true to form as the reckless punk cousin who never knew when to stop, he charged straight over the line in an instant.
"You don't know? Erich's nickname is the North's Defective..."
His words didn't get to finish.
Dietrich closed the gap in a flash, shoved Mark to the ground, and started raining down punches.
Mark writhed and grunted, trying desperately to fight back, but he couldn't match Dietrich's strength or build.
I bellowed at the servants inching forward.
"Don't you dare interfere!"
Just try sticking your nose in kids' fights.
Lately, I was the granddaughter getting the most favoritism from Grandfather in the main house.
At my fierce shout, the servants glanced nervously at Mark but didn't dare step in.
North's Defective? How dare he...
"Say it again, punk! North's what?"
"Waaah! Mooom!"
"Ditri says say it again, dummy! Mouth not working?"
Even with me and Dietrich glaring from both sides, Mark just covered his face with his arms and bawled.
The commotion grew, and I heard quick footsteps approaching.
The newcomer grabbed Dietrich's shoulder and shoved him back hard.
I steadied Dietrich, who nearly toppled from the brute force, and shot the intruder a glare.
"You ill-bred mongrels! How dare you swing fists like common thugs in this place!"
"And what were you lot doing instead of protecting Mark?!"
It was Uncle and Aunt who'd come running.
While Uncle berated the nearby servants, Aunt scooped Mark into her skirts and glared at me and Dietrich like she wanted to kill us.
Then her gaze whipped over to Monica.
"I told you to look after our Mark, and what do you do, you fool!"
Monica flinched and hunched her shoulders.
I couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward.
"Monica didn't do nothing wrong. Mark's the bad one!"
Aunt's eyes blazed with fury as she screamed at me.
"Fighting with fists like animals! Just because Father favors you a bit, you've gotten all high and mighty...!"
Dietrich threw his arm in front of me protectively and shot back.
"This has nothing to do with Grandfather."
"Shut your mouth! You illegitimate lowborn scum who haven't even earned proper recognition!"
Ignoring Aunt's venom, Dietrich took a step forward.
"Hey, Mark."
Mark hiccuped sobs as he burrowed deeper into his mother's embrace.
"If I ever catch you insulting my family again, I'll make you pay before I get punished—no matter what."
Even at his young age, a ferocious killing intent emanated from Dietrich's entire body.
Moments like this, he really took after Dad. And Grandfather too.
That seemed to rile Uncle even more.
Uncle stepped forward with a savage scowl.
"How dare you threaten...!"
A cold voice rang out from behind Uncle, who had raised his hand as if to strike Dietrich.
"And what exactly do you think you're doing?"
It was Grandfather!
As he descended the stairs leisurely, we all fell silent and bowed our heads.
I could see Uncle's back trembling with rage, but even he didn't dare speak out.
"Trying to hit a young nephew—are you in your right mind?"
"Father, Dietrich started..."
"Whose fault is it that your child is weak and arrogant?"
"Father!"
Aunt burst forward with a tearing scream.
Her beautiful face was consumed by fiery rage; her hair practically quivered with fury.
"How can you defend those lowly things and insult our Mark?!"
"I heard you say those children are no better than illegitimate lowborn scum since they haven't earned my recognition?"
So he'd caught that part.
Grandfather parroted Aunt's exact words back at her with haughty disdain, looking down on Uncle and Aunt.
"Leopoldt's children are all grandchildren of Maximilian Kalenberg."
That was Grandfather's first official acknowledgment of us.
Dietrich and I both stared up at him in stunned awe, but there was no time to bask in it.
Uncle let out a shrill cry like a scream and took a step forward.
"F-Father!"
"You fool. When we took Monica into this family, I said we couldn't cast out a granddaughter of my bloodline."
"Monica's mother was noble-born anyway! But those ones—they're commoner spawn, aren't they?!"
"Even with commoner blood mixed in, they're still of my line. Who in this world can call my bloodline lowborn?"
"Father!"
"Dominik."
As Uncle froze, Grandfather continued.
"Remember that you are not yet the masters of this house."
It was a clear warning.
Even Uncle, who'd been raising his voice, retreated with trembling lips before that razor-sharp admonition.
Aunt went without saying.