How to Replace Dad 3
Aslan, Antonio, and I moved into the underground sewer.
This was because of the pursuit that had been placed after the incident with the Marquis's employees in the merchant district.
After entering the sewer, Antonio reported the situation to the elite squad.
“Ah, got it. We entered the underground sewer. It was different from the plan, but we secured the ‘goods’.”
This crazy kid. Couldn't kill his temper and made a squad?
“It’s not like I did it.”
That’s a lie.Then Aslan must have done something like that, right?
Antonio was in a state of despair.
When I saw Aslan getting beaten by the Marquis's employees to protect me, I thought it was over.
I raised my fist with the intention of beating him to death, but the one who actually did it wasn't me.
The crazy part is that I did the same thing.
Who would have known that he would even carve a mark on his face?
“Aslan did it…”
Shut up.Die already!
The communication cut off without a single person to believe in.
Antonio looked at Aslan resting peacefully with a sad face.
Next to him, I was busy moving around.
“What are you doing?”
When Antonio asked, I, who was taking something out of the bag, said,
“Organizing the luggage. And I’m going to gather some herbs that are growing in the sewer.”
“You should rest. Look at your face in the water. Is that the face of a fifteen-year-old girl?”
Because of the beating from the Marquis's employees, my face was swollen.
“You’re not going to move after sunset, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“It’s winter, so the sun sets early. I have to organize before that, otherwise it will be in the way when we move.”
Then I got busy packing again.
I don't know how skilled my hands are.
The luggage that was piled up became flat with just my touch and went into the bag one after another.
“You really were a noble, weren't you?”
Is a noble lady this skilled in survival?
I folded the bag of vegetables while saying,
“Until I was twelve, I was. My father is Duke Andres, and my mother is the head of the Baul Merchant Guild… No, now it's called the Andres Merchant Guild.”
“You must feel a lot of self-doubt about your current situation.”
Antonio muttered without thinking, then realized.
Everyone else had fallen into the mud because of various circumstances.
It was a line he always said in jest when talking to us, but it could be a wound to a fifteen-year-old girl.
“Self-doubt is…”
I stopped and muttered.
Antonio flinched.
“No, I didn’t mean—”
“Not occasionally, but every day?”
“…Eh?”
“It seems like I go once every minute when cleaning the bathroom. The soldiers' bathroom is really dirty…”
“…”
Seeing me dejected because the bathroom was dirty, Antonio let out a dry laugh.
She was definitely a bit strange.
Wait, not strange, but amazing.
I quickly finished organizing the luggage and started gathering herbs.
“The sewer has water flowers blooming. If I had known this was where they grow, I wouldn't have bought them from the herb shop.”
How regrettable.
I muttered this and gathered a bunch of water flowers without mercy.
“This is the best for recovering fatigue when boiled and drunk.”
“Really?”
“Wait a moment. I'll boil the tea soon.”
I took out a pot as big as my body, boiled water, and took out sugar and some dried fruits that I said I bought at the market.
Soon the sewer was filled with a good aroma.
I poured the tea into cups and gave them to Antonio and Aslan.
Antonio frowned.
“There’s foam on it?”
“Water flowers produce foam when boiled. The taste is extremely bitter.”
“Is it edible?”
“Try it.”
Antonio took a sip with a suspicious expression.
But.
“…!”
Antonio's eyes widened in surprise.
“You said it's bitter?”
“Only when just boiled with water flowers. When boiled with fruits with strong acidity, the bitterness is neutralized. Is it drinkable?”
Antonio, who had let out a dry cough, drank it while covering his eyes.
Actually, it was the first time he had tasted such delicious tea.
He had thought that only crazy nobles who indulged in luxuries like black tea enjoyed tea, but now he understood why they searched for tea.
I said to Antonio, who gulped down the water flower tea as if it were soup,
“Water flower alcohol is also delicious. Shall I make it for you next time?”
“Alcohol?”
“If you drink it chilled, it’s said to be a summer delicacy.”
At the word alcohol, Antonio's eyes sparkled.
“W-when are you going to make it?”
“If I can get the alcohol.”
“What if I go out and get it?”
When Antonio said it without taking a breath.
Clack.
Aslan placed his cup down with a loud sound.
Antonio flinched.
“It’s not because of alcohol that I went out. I was just checking the surroundings.”
“…”
“I’ll set up a perimeter…”
“…”
Even though I said I would stay quietly, Aslan didn't take his eyes off me.
Was he angry that I was being foolish?
When I was tense.
I approached Aslan with a pout.
“Would you like another cup?”
“Full.”
“Yes.”
…Maybe the weird one isn't just me.
Antonio looked at Aslan leisurely drinking the water flower tea with an incredulous expression.
* * *
It had been three days since Aslan, Antonio, and I left the sewer.
We encountered the pursuit team once, but Aslan and Antonio wiped out the entire unit in about five minutes with their overwhelming strength.
After that, it was a peaceful journey.
During the journey, I had quite a few conversations with Antonio.
“You really did everything. You must have worked hard.”
“Only Antonio-ssi would say that.”
“However, are you okay leaving the territory with your mother?”
“I asked the landlord who was taking care of me. I paid half a year's rent.”
“I see.”
We entered the forest where we were supposed to join the other squad around noon.
But there was no one at the place we had planned.
“Weren't we the last ones? The others aren't here.”
“Because of the disturbance operation due to the merchant district incident. We'll join soon.”
“I see…”
Everyone is suffering because of me.
When I became dejected, Antonio waved his hand as if to tell me not to worry.
“Even if it wasn't for you, I probably would have caused an accident.”
It was meant to comfort me, but the attitude that causing an accident was natural was brazen.
Aslan looked at Antonio with eyes full of disgust.
Antonio had been beaten by Aslan three times in the two days it took to get here.
Because he was clueless.
Thanks to that, I learned how to deal with situations like this.
Just do your work quietly.
I took out my notebook and started scribbling.
“What are you doing?”
Antonio asked with a bored look.
“Writing a ledger. On the first day, I spent my own money at the merchant district, but after that, Antonio-ssi paid the money.”
“Then?”
“So, I have to write the ledger, right?”
“Why?”
“Don't Irregulars write ledgers?”
“No.”
“Who…?”
“Me. The vice-leader ordered me to.”
Eh?
Antonio is a good person.
Yesterday, when the butcher shop owner quoted an absurd price to me, he beat him up severely.
But…
“If you don't speak properly, your neck and body will be separated forever. How much is a 6-kin rump?”
“T-that's, 30 copper per kin…”
“So how much is it!”
“Eh?”
…How can I handle the ledger if I can't calculate?
“Um, Antonio-ssi. Can I see the ledger?”
“Sure.”
Antonio threw the entire bag at me.
I took out the ledger from the bag.
It was completely crumpled and messed up.
I smoothed out the crumpled parts of the ledger and examined the contents.
It was a mess.
The vice-leader probably didn't know Antonio would be this serious.
Well, even if it was serious, since there were only Aslan and Antonio in our squad, Antonio had no choice but to handle it.
I organized the ledger again.
While I was concentrating for a while, I heard footsteps.
“Aslan.”
The Irregulars who were supposed to join had all gathered.
Among them, there was a face I hadn't seen before.
A tall, handsome man in neat attire.
The man ran over with a brisk walk and knelt before Aslan.
“I greet my lord.”
“Viscount San Miguel.”
Viscount San Miguel?
San Miguel is a vassal of the Esgard Duchy, right?
Already allied with Esgard's vassal?
Originally, the Esgard Duke was discussing marriage with the princess.
He announced his marriage to a humble baroness from a rural area.
Of course, the vassals didn't like the baroness well, and they conspired to kill the baroness with the princess.
But the baroness was a clever person.
She sensed her death and expected that her son would suffer the princess's hand after her death.
She stole the newly born son.
That was Aslan.
Aslan's life was miserable.
It is said that he was taken away by a knight and raised in the battlefield as a cradle.
Life of being killed if not killing.
The reason he continued a horrific life was because of his ambition to get the Esgard Duchy.
“You must have suffered a lot. Let's go to the San Miguel territory quickly.”
Go to the San Miguel territory?
I looked at Antonio with a puzzled expression.
“Didn't you say you were going to the main base?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why the San Miguel territory…?”
“The San Miguel territory is the main base. I hope my cute vodka and whiskey are doing well. Yustea, I'll give you a special share.”
“It's okay. Because I'm a minor.”
Anyway, the main base was the San Miguel territory.
Then, it wasn't alliance with the San Miguel viscount, but creating a viscount who likes the taste by taking the San Miguel territory.
Amazing…
A chill ran through me.
Currently, the Esgard Duke doesn't know about Aslan's existence.
So, he is exerting that much influence on a great noble family with his bare hands.
More amazing than I expected.
The reason I have to stay with the Irregulars is becoming clearer.
Well done.
I clenched my fist.
And I declared with resolve.
“Shall we prepare the meal?”
“…!”
“…!!”
The squad members opened their eyes wide.
But Aslan glanced at me and waved his hand.
“I can't let you eat such humble food anymore. The meal will be prepared at the estate.”
At that moment.
Then the squad members, especially Antonio, shouted fiercely.
“The food of this kid is not humble!”
“The taste is the best!”
Even shouting the words from the recommendation letter given by the Imperial Army's Colonel Logan.
Aslan let out a dry laugh as if he couldn't believe it.
“What on earth… Why are you all like this, Aslan.”
“…”
“Aslan?”
Aslan was already sitting on a suitable rock waiting for the meal preparation.
Aslan looked at him with a bewildered expression.
* * *
Good. Clean.
I looked at the cooking utensils and bowls after washing the dishes with satisfaction.
After wiping off all the moisture, they sparkled.
After the squad members finished the galbi-jjim meal, it was as if a storm had swept through.
The reaction… Yeah, it was too good.
The self-proclaimed cultured San Miguel viscount was expressed as if he were a bunch of dogs.
In the end, they were on guard against each other as if they were parents' enemies over a piece of galbi-jjim.
I recommended it to the San Miguel viscount, but he said to me…
“I have no hobby of eating cheap food on the street.”
With a very cold tone.
At the time when I was thinking that.
“Are you upset because of the viscount?”
Antonio suddenly poked his face in.
I opened my eyes wide.
It wasn't because he suddenly talked to me that surprised me.
Wow.
He was wearing the knight's uniform.
It seemed he had changed clothes while I was cleaning up.
The silver armor and long cape suited him well with his tall, broad shoulders.
When you think about it, Aslan stands out because he's handsome despite being of a different race, and Antonio is also a handsome man.
Brown skin, distinct features.
Superior physique over 180 cm.
A playful expression was attractive.
“You look cool!”
“Of course.”
Antonio smiled and ruffled my hair.
“Don't worry about the viscount. The vice-leader said the viscount is just a noble in appearance before Aslan entrusted him with the San Miguel territory. He must be deeply offended by the backlash.”
Antonio heard what the viscount said to me.
To be precise, only Antonio heard it.
Because the viscount was quietly saying it while watching Aslan's eyes as he ate the galbi-jjim.
“No. It's okay that you didn't eat the galbi-jjim.”
“Then?”
“It seems you are avoiding me.”
No, it was more like a gaze of deterrence rather than avoidance.
Why is a person who is just a worker being treated like a viscount?
There was no reason.
Antonio looked at the air as if thinking something.
Then soon said “Ah.”
“Did the viscount misunderstand?”
“Misunderstand?”
“Yeah. You might have thought of you as Aslan's adopted daughter candidate. The age matches.”
Adopted daughter?
Does Aslan have an adopted daughter?
“Is Aslan-ssi taking in an adopted daughter?”
“Yeah. We need a child to send to the princes' education… Oops.”
Antonio, who answered naturally, flinched and changed the subject.
But I noticed the content.
Because I know the game's story.
Now that I think about it, the princes will come to the Esgard Duchy soon.
The emperor gave the great noble's manor to the princes as part of the successor education.
That's how the order of Esgard came.
When the princes come, there need to be children of the same age to talk to.
That's called a betrothal.
And Aslan is sending the adopted daughter as a betrothal to contact the Esgard Duke.
Finally, the time has come for Aslan to reveal his true appearance in the imperial society.
The San Miguel viscount was probably trying to deter me because he thought I would be taking the role of Aslan's adopted daughter.
Don't worry for nothing.
It seems Aslan likes my cooking.
But would he entrust me with the role of adopted daughter just because of that?
Without any trust.
Yeah, good. Then there's no need to worry.
The San Miguel viscount is the lord of the Irregular main base, so if he's disliked, it's troublesome.
But since the misunderstanding will be revealed, he won't care soon.
I shook off my worries and smiled brightly.
“Antonio-ssi, shall we go now?”
“Eh? Yeah, what…”
Seeing me brighten up suddenly, Antonio tilted his head.
“It's good that you're positive. There's a saying that people who smile are not eaten alive.”
“…”
“Why?”
“…Not people, but pigs. Pigs that smile are not eaten alive.”
Anyway, it's normal that people aren't eaten alive.