Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: A Father's Desperation
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Audience waiting room. Morris Allie looked down at his son, who was sitting far away and trembling violently.
"Noah, I heard you caused a scene."
"……."
At the quiet reprimand, the boy's small frame shrank even smaller. He was a timid child by nature, but he trembled especially hard in front of his father. Irritated by it, sharp words inevitably spilled from Morris's lips.
"They said you cried like a fool not once, but twice."
"……."
Morris ruffled his hair in annoyance as he watched his son bow his head without a word. They were a wealthy family rivaling any ducal house, yet how much scorn had they endured from the other nobles behind their backs just because they came from merchant stock?
Idiots who had nothing but their names.
His teeth ground together.
To build his son some good connections, he'd greased palms to secure invitations to the luncheon. Not only that, he'd sent expensive gifts to the other noble children in attendance today and presented His Highness with a pair of earrings set with red diamonds—gems rarer than one in thirty across the world.
That alone was worth an entire castle.
"Why on earth did you cry?"
After all the care he'd put in, how could the boy not even stand up for himself once?
"I-I'm sorry……."
"I'm asking why you cried."
"I-I made a m-mistake……."
"You'll apologize properly to His Majesty today, then pay your respects to His Highness and the 1st Prince!"
"…Hic, h-hic……."
Morris hadn't even approached, but his son backed away unsteadily. He'd never once laid a hand on the boy in his life, yet he couldn't fathom why the child feared him so.
Seeing his son inching farther away, Morris felt a surge of emotion and bellowed.
"Noah!"
"……!"
Crash! Thud!
As his voice rose, the boy toppled backward, smashing his head on a low table. Morris rushed over in alarm, but Noah started screaming.
"Aaagh! D-don't come near, don't come! Aaaah!"
Noah clutched his head, shrieking and thrashing in a fit. Morris's face twisted at the plea to stay away, and he reluctantly stepped back a couple of paces.
Why did the boy act like this only with him? Even as a newborn, he'd wailed the moment he saw his father. As a child, Morris had chalked it up to fear of a large adult male.
But his son cried only for him. He'd smile so brightly at everyone else, but with his father...
"Noah……."
"Hic, ugh, d-don't come, don't come. M-monster……."
A wave of anger surged through Morris.
"Why do you only act like this with your own father? Do I look like a monster to you? I've never laid a hand on you. How could I, when you have these fits the moment you see me since you were little?!"
"M-monster, stay away! Get lost! N-no!"
"Does my voice sound like a monster's roar to you? I never asked much of you. But how have you treated me? Throwing glass bottles, splashing water, even stealing and hurling the sword I'd cherished as a family heirloom! See these scars? Your doing! Did you want to kill your father that badly?!"
"Aaah! No, no!! G-get away! D-die! Aaagh, disappear, just disappear!"
Die?
Blood rushed to Morris's head.
Did the boy really mean it when he threw that sword? Was he truly a monster in his son's eyes?
The old wound on his shoulder throbbed. Even scars that should no longer hurt ached.
"...You finally drive a spike into your father's heart."
Morris took a step toward Noah as he spoke. He ignored the pleas and convulsions begging him to stay back.
Maybe if he just touched him, the boy would realize he wasn't a monster.
But it was his own arrogance, his mistake. Cornered, the child climbed onto the terrace railing.
"N-Noah! That's dangerous—come down!"
"D-don't come, don't come!"
"It's dangerous!"
"A-ah, aaah……."
"Noah, I-I won't come closer. Come down."
"Ugh, h-hic… hic……."
"Noah, be a good boy?"
"F-Fath… er……."
Morris's eyes widened. He'd never been called "father" before—he forgot all about the railing and stepped forward without thinking.
"D-don't……!"
"……!"
The frail little body slipped downward.
"Noah!!!"
"……."
"……."
Several minutes had passed since they were summoned, but silence still hung heavy. The king kept opening his mouth to speak, then closing it with a sigh, repeating the cycle.
Finally steeling himself, he was about to speak when Nihil beat him to it.
"This is Father's fault."
"...What do you mean by that?"
Sedes could only agonize over what he'd done wrong to deserve his son's plump cheeks being nibbled. If raising such a cute child was a crime, then yes, guilty.
"I dreamed last night that a shrimp-headed thing would show up today."
"……."
Which was why, Nihil threatened, he'd served something ridiculous like roasted shrimp.
"...That was a problem on your end too. I just asked to add some shrimp dish."
"Don't dodge responsibility."
"……."
"Well, the cake was fine."
Though all the strawberries on top had gone straight into the baby kitten's mouth.
"That's... good to hear."
Sedes nodded, relieved at least one thing had gone right. Silence fell again. He tilted his teacup, then frowned at something off, setting it down.
"...That's not the issue here."
"Won't take the bait, huh."
"……."
Sedes rubbed his dry face, realizing everyone fell for this. But he couldn't say anything now, so he sighed.
"Don't bite the prince's cheeks like that."
"If not now, when?"
Nihil sipped his tea calmly and continued.
"Father should try it sometime too, before he gets bigger. They're so soft and squishy."
"Tha……."
"More importantly, Father, I wanted to ask about Noah Allie."
Nihil cut him off before the nagging started. The kid might shove anything in his mouth; no need to be so strict.
Sedes eyed his impudent son's friend who'd interrupted him, realized he couldn't win, and gave the answer.
"The only son of the Allie barony. Ever heard of Allie Trading Company?"
"No clue."
"...You're definitely not from Harpen."
"That famous?"
"Beyond famous. Aside from the magic tools the Magic Tower hoards, they control everything else. Their wealth might even surpass a duke's. A family that rose to nobility purely through commerce—if you want to popularize those heated stone products, the Alllies would handle it smoothly."
"Got it. But I made their only son cry twice today."
"……."
Sedes was at a loss. He opened his mouth to ask why, then sighed and shut it.
Nihil offered a brief excuse.
"Wasn't trying to make him cry."
"...Sure."
"Really."
"I know. From the start... that child doesn't have the best reputation in his family, so it shouldn't be a big issue."
"Only son, though."
Bad reputation for their sole heir? Nihil tilted his head questioningly, and Sedes elaborated.
"They say he has... mental issues. He seemed fine today, though……."
"Mental illness. That explains it."
"...Explains what? Running from you and falling?"
"No."
Nihil answered curtly, then bolted toward the terrace.
He leaped onto the railing, arm outstretched, and barely caught something falling from above. But his balance tipped forward, dragging him outward too.
'Damn.'
Nihil yanked the falling object into his arms and curled protectively. It was bigger than him; he couldn't shield it perfectly.
Glancing up, he saw a middle-aged man on the upper terrace reaching out.
Nihil gauged the height mid-fall.
'Three floors up.'
He hadn't brought wire today—retrieved by the puppy right before entering the palace. If the queen caught him, it might land him in prison for attempted regicide.
He debated using mana, then tensed and squeezed his eyes shut. Two floors wouldn't hurt too bad. Better than exposing mana to those guys.
Pain shot through his ankle. Opening his eyes, he saw the shadow knight reaching between railings, eyes wide, having snagged him mid-drop.
"...What are you staring at? Blood's rushing to my head."
"……."
"Slow as hell."
At Nihil's jab, the knight hauled him up swiftly. Feet on solid ground, Nihil set down the bundle in his arms on the sofa.
Whether he'd passed out from the fall or fallen because he passed out, Noah Allie lay with eyes closed.
"Wha... what......?"
Sedes stared blankly at Noah who'd dropped from the sky, then asked cautiously.
"Do you... know what happened?"
"Father and son had a little spat upstairs."
"...How bad a spat ends with the kid falling off?"
Sedes muttered about a child nearly dying in his palace, then flopped onto the sofa.
"...I thought it was an ambush."
Not just him—shadow knights emerged from hiding, surrounding Sedes.
If the captain hadn't grasped it fastest, Nihil would've plummeted with the kid.
"What would I gain ambushing Father? Still need my allowance."
Nihil joked lightly, checking the boy's pulse. Unsteady but not life-threatening, no injuries.
"He's fine, don't worry."
"...Is he?"
Nihil draped a blanket over Noah and redonned his face cloth. Soon, frantic footsteps pounded, and the drawing room door burst open.
"No……!"
Morris, about to call Noah's name, froze at the sight of Sedes. His Majesty had been in the 5th-floor office for his report—why was he in the 2nd-floor drawing room?
"Come in, Baron Allie."
"Y-Your... gasp, s-sorry, Your Majesty. Gasp... I-I didn't know you were here. M-my... gasp, my heart was racing, gasp, forgive my rudeness."
"It's fine. Understandable in the moment. Your son's here—take a deep breath first. He's unharmed, no need to worry."
Morris collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. His disheveled hair and clothes spoke volumes.
"Come have some warm tea."
"Th-thank you... thank you, Your Majesty."
"It's just tea."
"No. Thank you... for saving my son."
"I didn't save him. It was... er... this child here. Say hello."
Sedes fumbled for a title for his son's friend. Morris gaped at his sleeping son and the pale child beside him.
He'd seen a white blur envelop Noah as he fell. But he hadn't expected something so small. How? The thought swirled, but Morris bowed his head.
"Thank you... so much. I'll repay you properly."
"Thanks noted. After all, I'm the one who made your son cry twice today."
"……?"
Morris wondered if he'd misheard and jerked his head up. But the child's voice continued calmly.
"Just don't scold him for crying, Noah's father."