How to Replace Dad Chapter 38
I stepped out of the carriage and turned to look at Yuis.
“Did the stepmother run away?”
“She was fleeing, it seems.”
Interesting.
I had expected her to stay no matter what, since she was running away, but...
“Rather than the grandmother, it’s the stepmother now?”
“Once a decision is made, you have to follow through.”
She had chosen the Esgard Duke in front of the grandmother.
She had to tidy up the titles too to become the ‘perfect daughter’.
Hearing that, Yuis let out a chuckle.
“You must have held on tight, huh?”
“Even on a tuna fishing boat, there are captains and first mates? No Irregulars?”
“There are cat people and dog people. The two factions fight fiercely.”
Truly peaceful organization.
I smiled gently.
Yuis chuckled.
“Anyway, you thought well. Damn old hag.... How long have you been clinging to that old hag until your cheeks are about to burn?!”
His voice rose as he got irritated.
“Still, the stepmother has some good points. She’s the head of the social circle, and she didn’t just dislike our mom, she disliked Stella’s mom even more. Stella doesn’t like her much either. Isn’t that interesting?”
“Is that interesting?”
“She’s like sunshine. Honest with her emotions, laughs and cries easily. Since her outside and inside are the same, she gets along well with everyone.”
I couldn’t do that no matter how hard I tried.
I once asked my father, the son he had before marrying my mother, that is, my uncle, why I was disliked and why he favored Stella.
“Stella isn’t as servile as you.”
“...”
“She doesn’t want to be loved.”
I heard that.
I shook my head vigorously.
It’s fine. I don’t expect the other party’s affection anymore.
I felt bone-deep that trying hard was useless, so no expectations.
I just had to do my best at work.
In that context, I worked hard on this task too.
I seem to have done well in the role of the Duke’s granddaughter.
The Duke was displeased with the Navarro Duke as the grandmother’s granddaughter.
Since I had done well in the Duke’s granddaughter role, it was time for the next one.
I asked Yuis.
“What was the order?”
“Chase Guinevere Navarro?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s holed up in a remote place. On the north side of the first floor, the lounge.”
“Lead the way.”
Yuis nodded and took me to the place.
As he said, it was indeed remote.
I told Yuis from a distance from the lounge.
“Here.”
“There’s only Guinevere Navarro in the lounge.”
“Yeah.”
“If we’re alone and she slaps my cheek, what then. ...Well, it’s not because I’m worried, if I get hit, the vice-captain and Antonio will grab my collar.”
“It’s fine.”
I said firmly.
Yuis said as he walked briskly to the lounge.
“I’ll be here. If you raise your hand, shout immediately. Immediately. Got it?”
I waved my hand and entered the lounge.
I really don’t need to worry.
Bam.
When I opened the door, there was Guinevere as Yuis said.
Sitting under the sofa without turning on the lights.
“Why did you come... hwaa!”
Hmm. I knew this would happen.
Guinevere is actually a soft-hearted person, so every time her report card comes out, she hides in a warehouse-like place and cries.
She doesn’t have the personality to hit anyone just because she’s haughty on the outside.
“Are you here to mock me?!”
“No.”
“Then why did you come... heung...”
“To change shoes.”
“...What?”
Guinevere sniffled.
I closed the door of the lounge and turned on the light.
Then I squatted under the sofa where Guinevere was.
“You walk with weird posture. Your shoes hurt, right?”
“...How did you know that.”
“You wouldn’t have weird posture in front of your respected grandfather.”
“Damn...”
I took off Guinevere’s shoes.
It was hard to take them off.
The feet hidden under the skirt were messy.
I tied her feet with a handkerchief and put my shoes on her.
“No heels, and it’s loose. I put cotton in the toe to wear them too.”
“Why such a stupid thing?”
“Shoes are expensive, I can’t buy them well.”
“...”
“Go put medicine on them. You can’t have wounds on your precious feet. Your parents will be upset.”
“...How do you know that.”
Guinevere sniffled and asked.
“We always studied alone in the academy library. There were times when you fell asleep from exhaustion.”
“Yeah...”
“Then you asked me to contact you.”
“...Eh?”
“When I contact you, your father secretly enters the academy and carries you to the room.”
“...”
“So you never lost to me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t have what you already had.”
“...”
If such a person mocks me, how much would that father hate me.
It’s important to be liked by the Duke, but not being on the power holder’s bad side is equally important.
There are already many power holders who dislike me, so adding Guinevere’s father would be bad.
Guinevere, who was staring blankly at me, her face twisted with emotion.
Then she started crying like a child.
“Annoying.”
“Eh? Why?!”
I was surprised and looked at Guinevere.
I was trying to help, but I made her heart hurt more.
What if I tell father?
She was fidgeting, so she cried even louder.
“Why are you kind? I was mean, why are you comforting me... tsk, I can’t even resent you. Hiiing...”
Guinevere hugged me tightly.
I, who had been her enemy in the academy by chance, was hugged by her, blinking my eyes.
It’s not comfort, it’s sincere.
Guinevere was crying to the point where she could barely speak.
I awkwardly tried to pat her back.
At that moment.
“Miss, are you here?”
The door opened, and Guinevere’s maid peeked in.
It seems she didn’t stop Yuis from coming to check the situation.
And she froze seeing Guinevere crying and me raising my hand.
“What kind of trick is this!”
The maid pushed me away and hugged the crying Guinevere.
Guinevere, who had kept her image like iron, was in panic.
She was a person who hated more than death to reveal that she was a crybaby and had a weak heart.
But when her crying was exposed, panic set in.
The maid shouted.
“Is there anyone here? Miss Guinevere...!”
Then Yuis, who was nearby, hurriedly came in.
Yuis wrapped me and asked.
“What’s going on, miss.”
The maid shouted.
“What’s going on! She raised her hand to our miss! Right, miss? You wouldn’t cry like this unless it’s not the case!”
Guinevere was flustered and her mouth twitched.
“That... so...”
She was fumbling, delaying time.
Another sound came from outside the lounge.
The voices of the elderly who had come back from enjoying fireworks.
And among them....
“What kind of commotion is this.”
Guinevere’s grandfather, the Navarro Duke, was there.
Guinevere’s grandfather’s gaze moved one by one to me who was sitting on my butt, crying Guinevere, and the maid who was glaring at me.
His face twisted fiercely as he figured out the situation.
“What did you do to Guinevere!”
He shouted.
Yuis held my shoulder more strongly.
It seemed he was starting to guard in case his escort attacked me.
“How dare you make my granddaughter shed tears. I’ll tear you apart. What are you doing!”
Sparks flew from Guinevere’s grandfather’s eyes.
Yuis muttered low.
“Obey and die.”
At the moment Yuis and Guinevere’s grandfather’s escorts grabbed their swords.
“No!”
Guinevere shouted loudly.
“What?”
“Eh?”
“Hm?”
Guinevere’s grandfather, her maid, and the elderly who were watching all looked at Guinevere.
“I... I was the one who cried first. Yustea... Yustea came because she was worried about me...! Heuheung!”
Guinevere, who shouted like that, covered her face with both hands.
Guinevere’s grandfather’s eyes widened.
He had an expression as if he couldn’t imagine his usually stern granddaughter crying alone.
“Because you don’t listen to me, I’m angry... I lost to Yustea every time, I couldn’t be proud of grandfather... my shoes hurt... heuheung!”
“What?”
“I... because walking is weird, Yustea came... huing... she changed my shoes and comforted me...”
“...”
“I have a lot... so it’s not like I lost... so.... I was really mean in the library... Yustea... even if I try, I can’t get father’s attention... she laughed and said I need to work hard? Hang...”
Guinevere, who was crying messily with hiccups, pointed at me.
“That person knows all that... when I fall asleep in the library... my father contacted me. When I see father carrying me... it must have hurt my heart... hang...”
“...”
Guinevere’s grandfather’s gaze turned to me.
I flinched and held out both hands.
“I’m sorry for causing a misunderstanding. That... it wasn’t really to hit...”
“Apologies.”
“...Eh?”
“I misunderstood your friend as Guinevere’s friend.”
“Ah...”
“I didn’t know you had such a good friend for my granddaughter.”
Guinevere’s grandfather approached me.
“Guinevere’s friend is my friend too. Navarro, cherish your heart.”
Then Guinevere sniffled and approached, extending her arms.
“Thank you, Yustea.... As grandfather said, you are my best friend.”
I quickly looked at Yuis.
What is this happening.
It’s a royal straight flush.
Yuis said with his eyes.
I quickly turned and hugged Guinevere.
“Of course. Guinevere.”
“Yeah. Yustea!”
The elderly watching around nodded with moved faces “Yeah. Yeah.”
By chance, I became the best friend of the previous head of the 7 families and Guinevere, who will be the successor.
Royal straight flush.
In short, a big win.
* * *
Guinevere hugged Yustea for a long time.
The elderly with weak tear ducts were appreciating the touching scene and rubbing their noses.
Guinevere’s grandfather left the lounge without disturbing the two girls.
There were quite a few people outside the lounge.
The Esgard knights patrolling and the Esgard Duke with his back turned.
The Esgard Duke said with a smile.
“You survived.”
Damn bastard.
He was preparing to fight when I came out with Yustea.
Guinevere’s grandfather snorted and said.
“You must be Yustea’s friend. Judging by saving your life.”
“It should be cherished even more.”
“I was being sarcastic.”
“If you insult with the right words, what does it matter?”
“You should have been a little kinder to Yustea at the academy, then we would have been friends.”
“I don’t have a hobby of keeping stupid people around.”
“What? This guy really...!”
Guinevere’s grandfather was about to shout in anger but sighed deeply.
“I’ll forgive you because you have a debt to Yustea.”
“Rare judgment not being stupid.”
Guinevere’s grandfather looked at the patrolling Esgard knights and waved his hand at the escorts holding swords tightly.
Then he approached the Esgard Duke and asked.
“By the way, what is the relationship between you and Yustea? Are you trying to adopt her to your son Javier? Would the Duchess allow it?”
“Let’s see.”
“Illegitimate child. Illegitimate. What power do you eat to have that...”
“Shut up.”
“Tell me a bit. The relationship isn’t ordinary.”
The two old men chatted while crossing the night.
* * *
I returned with a very tired face.
The members heard that I went to buy clothes and went to Luna Hardin.
“What the hell?!”
“Yeah. Walking...”
“What kind of walking is 450km...?”
“Took the portal...”
Even with portal, it’s an enormous distance.
It’s like Jeju from Seoul.
Thanks to that, I was extremely tired.
The captain said with a cold face,
“Damn old man.”
I barely missed him saying that.
I barely washed and fell on the bed.
I fell asleep like that, and I could wake up after noon the next day.
And at noon, there was a surprising thing waiting.
The luggage carriages were piling up at the carriage depot.
Pulled by the excited Charlie, I asked blankly.
“So this is...?”
“Those 200 pairs of shoes were sent from the Navarro Duke’s family, and all those clothes were sent from the Esgard main castle.”
“...Why?”
It was an amount that couldn’t be handled by one dress room.
Moreover, clothes with prices that make your eyes pop.
Charlie shrugged.
“Well. Eh, don’t stare. You kids! One outfit is three years of our salary!”
“What?!”
Antonio, who was touching the clothes among the members, quickly moved away.
“One ribbon is 2200 potatoes.... 2200 potatoes...”
Muttering.
Yuis pushed Antonio’s face with a dazed expression and came closer to me.
“Look. It’s a royal straight flush, right?”
“I know you bought a lot instead of the shoes Guinevere’s grandfather gave you, but why the Esgard Duke?”
“Ah, that.”
“What is it?”
“When I first entered the room, Guinevere mistook you for a maid.”
Right.
I was told to receive the Duke’s clothes.
Yuis lifted the clothes and said.
“That’s why.”
“Why?”
“Grandfathers usually do that when they see their grandchildren being hurt.”
Is that so?
My late grandfather couldn’t see himself being hurt more than his grandchildren being hurt.
While thinking that.
The members stepped back at once, making a path.
The captain and vice-captain walked down the path.
“Hello!”
“...”
He stared at the luggage carriages.
When I wondered why, I looked at the vice-captain, who smiled awkwardly and said.
“There was a letter from the main castle in the morning...”
“A letter?”
“Yes. The, content is...”
Then Antonio said “Ah.”
“If it says that grandfather is better than father, send it to my castle immediately.”
Then looking at the vice-captain.
“That was written, right?”
The captain’s face was cold.
He said.
“Do you like clothes?”
“...?”
“You like handsome guys, don’t you.”
Suddenly, the conversation I had with the members in the cave when we first met came to mind.
When asked who to follow to the main house, I chose the captain.
“You’ll regret it. The captain’s faction is different from other factions, they take detours.”
“Still, I like being by the captain’s side.”
“Then why!”
“That is, because... handsome?”
The captain was trying to build affection on the way because he knew he would become the future duke.
But I couldn’t say that, so I used the excuse that he was handsome.
Of course, I can’t say now that it was just saying what came out.
“Handsomes... like it.”
Then the captain said.
“I’ll keep being handsome for you.”
“...?”