How to Replace Dad 48
What the hell is that window?
The [Purifier] was like the final evolution of the [Priest].
But there’s a third class?
No player has ever done a third job change.
What the hell is that?
“No, more importantly, Mom.”
I quickly checked on Mom’s body.
The traces of Sasa Poison had disappeared.
The purification was complete.
“Thank goodness…”
I let out a sigh.
At that moment, my vision blurred and my body felt like it was collapsing.
It made sense.
I had been holding on with my mental strength, but my body was in agony from mana depletion.
It was the moment of gritting my teeth.
Knock knock knock!
The sound of knocking on the door came.
“Are you okay?”
It was Uis’s voice.
He came at the perfect timing.
To his question, I shouted loudly.
“No! Help me!”
The door burst open.
Uis, in a posture as if crawling on the floor, barely lifted his head to look at me and froze.
“Did you bump into something because of the earthquake?”
“Mana depletion…”
“What?”
Uis’s face crumpled up.
“I told you to think about your body!”
He shouted.
It’s unfair.
I didn’t intend to use up all my mana.
How could I, right after trying to purify Mom, get my mana sucked out like that.
But in front of me was a secondary battery… no, to not upset the mana lord, I lowered my eyebrows.
“Then, can I just heal you and deal with the grudge later?”
“You’re driving me crazy because of you. You know?”
Uis approached me and reached out his hand.
***
A few days later.
Uis handed me a coat and said,
“That thing where you took away my mom’s mana. That, by any chance…”
“Was it not just purification but also healing?”
“You noticed?”
“Mom’s bedsores completely disappeared from her body. And after that, her complexion improved tremendously.”
“You know that’s a huge deal, right?”
Purification and healing are different.
Simply put, it’s like this.
Purification is pulling out the thorns stuck in the throat.
Healing is returning the swollen throat caused by the thorns to a healthy state.
“Probably, after starting the third job change, something changed for me.”
“Even during the job change, with that much power, if I fully change jobs, it’ll be amazing.”
“Don’t say that.”
If it becomes known that I became a panacea, it’ll be troublesome.
I’ll be targeted from everywhere.
“I won’t say it.”
After getting confirmation from Uis, I put on the coat.
Today was the day of the New Year Festival.
So, the day when it was announced that Dad was the son of the Esgard Duke.
To witness that glorious moment, we decided to go to the New Year Festival hall.
The New Year Festival is held in the outer palace.
Dad and I got into the carriage to the outer palace.
Uis and Antonio followed as escorts.
The outer palace was already bustling.
I explained the New Year Festival to Dad.
“Ministers and selected representatives from the seven great families will give speeches.”
“I heard. This year, an old man is giving the speech.”
“Yes. It’s Duke Esgard. Probably, he’ll announce something during the speech.”
“I see.”
With that, we sat on the circular structure stairs like in the coliseum audience seats.
The great nobles sit in the VIP seats, but since we’re not yet full nobles, our seats were here.
As we waited for the start…
“Oh my…”
“Is the goddess of beauty descending her attendants?”
“Hmph…”
The sounds of gossip came from around.
The noble ladies looking at Dad were blushing.
Still, compared to last time at the casino… that is, the secret warehouse of the Andres family, the reaction was more restrained.
The people there were trying to grope Dad while searching for a baby kitten.
My gaze also turned to Antonio and Uis.
The girls glanced at them with shy expressions.
Both seem familiar.
Uis might not notice, but even Antonio’s natural face was surprising.
The girls were braver than the noble ladies.
They approached Uis and Antonio.
The group that approached first went to Uis.
“I am Ashley of the Baronto Count’s family. Please grant me the honor of kissing your hand.”
“Miss, shall I bring a blanket?”
“Well, I’m the young lady of the Baronto Count’s family…!”
“Miss, please button up your coat.”
…Completely ignored.
The girls’ faces turned bright red.
And the girls who approached Antonio…
“Triceps…!”
“Biceps…!”
“Pectoralis…!”
They panted heavily and diligently drew on the paper.
They didn’t say a word.
At that moment.
The hall was noisy.
The great nobles were starting to enter.
Among them were the Andres Marquis and Duke Esgard.
“Soon it will start.”
As expected, after a short while, the gong sounded with a ding!
It was the signal to take seats.
A huge door connected to the imperial palace opened, and two groups appeared.
One was the Emperor and the imperial palace officials.
The other was the Pope and the high priests.
The start of the New Year Festival speech.
***
The VIP seats were opposite where Yustea was sitting.
Some great nobles whispered.
“Yustea Andres, not that one.”
They glanced at the Andres Marquis and his wife.
The Marquis’s wife looked at them with cold eyes.
Only then did the nobles close their mouths and pretend to be busy.
The Marquis’s wife straightened her posture and frowned.
Her nerves were sharp.
Just seeing Yustea, Andres naturally comes to mind.
And there Emma caused a big incident.
The news of Emma causing incidents spread through the servants’ mouths.
It was a humiliation like no other.
But what was most worrying was…
“Uhn. Uhn.”
The Duke Esgard, who was smiling while gesturing to Yustea on the opposite side.
Yustea was also participating in that ridiculous act.
“Duke, are you cold?”
The imperial court’s cold is not comparable to the north’s cold.
“As expected, the ruler of the north. Impressive.”
This is outrageous.
The daughter of a saint, like treating her as a grandchild…
The Marquis’s wife bit her lip and turned her head.
No need to worry.
Are you protecting Yustea with your true feelings?
The Duke is like an enemy to her late husband.
Taking the granddaughter of such a person would be fun.
But that’s all.
That fun could be taken away anytime.
We can take her if we want.
How can the saint of Esgard defeat the heads of the seven families.
The Duke Esgard has no reason to stop it.
If the Duke Esgard personally intervenes in the affairs of the saint family, it will only bring ridicule.
Yeah. It’s not that I don’t take her because I don’t want to, it’s not that I can’t take her.
While thinking that, the ministers’ speeches ended.
Now it was the turn of the heads of the seven families, Duke Esgard.
The Duke stopped his meaningless gestures and stood up from his seat.
Yustea looked at that figure with sparkling eyes.
A wrinkle appeared on the Marquis’s wife’s forehead again.
Why is she smiling like that…
There were too many annoying things.
After the New Year Festival speech ends, I’m going to go and scold her.
I have to scold her properly for not getting excited about other people’s business without manners.
The speech of Duke Esgard began.
“This year, with the safe completion of the year, there have been the efforts of all people. Let’s not forget the efforts of our society’s members and welcome the new year with joy. Blessings to the empire.”
“Blessings!”
“Blessings!”
Everyone chanted Duke Esgard’s words.
The atmosphere heated up.
Even the Emperor and the Pope nodded with pleasant faces.
It was then that Duke Esgard opened his mouth again.
“Also, there is good news in Esgard.”
Then people murmured.
“Good news?”
“Did the previous tower location finally decide to be Esgard?”
“The only son was decided to be the successor. The Duchess will be relieved.”
Such speculations flew around.
The Duke Esgard smiled wryly and continued.
“In the meantime, my close aide, Aslan, who left Esgard, has returned. Therefore, I would like to introduce him here.”
“…What?”
“What?”
“W-what…?”
In an instant, a bomb was dropped in the hall.
The hall became noisy as if people were leaving.
It wasn’t just the nobles who were shocked.
The Pope had a surprised face, and the Emperor looked at Duke Esgard with a dumbfounded expression.
However, Duke Esgard continued calmly.
“Aslan Esgard, come forward and greet.”
Then, what arose was a handsome man with pitch-black hair sitting in the general seats.
The great nobles were the first to recognize him.
“Ah, no, that guy…!”
“The one who was involved in the assassination attempt incident when the area was controlled…!”
One of the great nobles who had been body-searched with him shouted in shock.
“The one who adopted the abandoned eldest daughter from Andres…!”
The people’s gazes immediately turned to the young girl sitting next to the man.
Silver-blonde hair.
Golden eyes, symbol of nobility.
Among the empire’s great nobles, was there anyone who didn’t know that girl.
The girl recognized as the empire’s top lady by the Empress Dowager.
But the one who was exiled from the family for poisoning her half-brother and wandered the streets…
It was Yustea!
“…?!”
“…!!!”
In the confusion, Aslan extended his hand to Yustea.
Yustea took his hand.
Yustea Esgard Quaron.
The familiar yet unfamiliar name appeared in the empire.
***
The commotion was huge.
I didn’t even know how the Emperor and Pope’s speeches went.
After the New Year Festival speech ended with a huge storm.
Dad and I were formally invited to the New Year party hosted at the imperial palace.
Since we couldn’t bring escorts into the inner palace, Antonio and Uis were sent back.
I walked with Dad through the quiet corridors of the inner palace, muttering.
“Becoming the direct descendant of the Esgard family feels real. The invitation to the New Year party is extremely difficult, you know.”
“I see.”
“It’s a party where nobles who made great contributions to the empire that year are invited. The imperial palace managers are really troubled in selecting them.”
“I see.”
“Being invited to such a place in an instant is really an amazing thing.”
It wasn’t just that.
Dad smiled softly and stroked my hair.
“Good.”
“Really.”
Just as I was saying that.
Dad looked ahead.
He sensed presence.
The night when the sun had set.
The dim moonlight of the full moon illuminated the dark corridor.
Footsteps echoed in the silent corridor.
The footsteps that I could distinguish even with just the rhythm now, since I had waited and waited when I was young.
…My biological father.
The biological father who had walked behind me looked at Dad and me.
“I have something to say to that child, so step aside.”
Dad didn’t avoid his gaze.
“If you have something to say, say it here.”
The biological father smiled wryly.
“Do you have to tell me that it’s something to say secretly?”
“It’s no longer a time to have secret conversations.”
“Even if you distance yourself, my blood hasn’t disappeared from that child’s body.”
“Blood has no meaning. When you drove that child out, the same blood was flowing.”
The Marquis’s eyebrows twitched.
However, Dad’s expression remained calm.
While the conversation flowed, I rolled my eyes to gauge the situation.
“Let’s go, Yustea.”
Dad extended his hand to me.
“I have to talk, Yustea.”
The Marquis sent a nostalgic gaze to me and said.
The two people’s gazes collided fiercely.
It felt like the temperature around dropped by 10 degrees.
Uncomfortable…
Just as I thought that, the two called me at the same time.
“Yustea.”
“Yustea.”
I looked at the Marquis once, and Dad once.
Uncomfortable. Uncomfortable, but…
It’s not that I don’t know who to hold hands with.
There was a clear answer in me.
I held Dad’s hand.
“Let’s go.”
Dad’s eyes were soft.
We, holding hands, passed the Marquis.
When we were a few steps away from the Marquis.
“You won’t regret it.”
I stopped for a moment.
I opened my mouth as is.
“Not at all.”
The Marquis said in a low voice.
“Why make such foolish confidence.”
“Because there’s no Dad in that house.”
“Chances are not given twice.”
“I wish for it.”
I started walking again.
With my Dad that I found.
The hand holding my hand gained strength.
***
The party hall.
The nobles flocked to Dad.
To get to know the successor of Esgard.
I greeted the elders I had seen at the picnic.
“Aslan Esgard’s daughter, Yustea.”
The elders laughed heartily and welcomed me.
“So, the Duke Esgard brought you for some reason, so that’s what happened.”
“It was strange because he didn’t seem to be the usual affectionate type.”
Duke Nevarro’s face was sullen.
“After all, it’s my granddaughter. No, our Guinevere, even though she lost in academics several times, the outcome isn’t over.”
At that moment.
Duke Esgard approached my side.
“Not several times, all of them.”
“14 wins and 13 losses!”
“One time I couldn’t compete because I graduated early. Did any of your blood relatives graduate early? Early graduation is something only exceptionally talented people can do.”
“…”
Duke Nevarro trembled.
Duke Esgard smiled and pulled my shoulder.
“Being close to old people transfers the smell of old age.”
“What?!?”
“I’m not old, am I?!”
The elders squinted their eyes, but Duke Esgard only laughed.
“It’s not uncomfortable to deal with old people, is it.”
“Rather, it’s good. I’m grateful to be able to learn.”
The elders laughed.
“Impressive.”
Duke Nevarro snorted.
“Our Guinevere also went to various places following her grandmother. The Empress Dowager says she loves our Guinevere very much.”
While such conversations were going on, other people approached.
“Miss Guinevere is the cream of the crop. My son entered this year, no, he entered as the top…”
“Hahaha, although it’s not bragging, my daughter successfully led this charity event this year. Thanks to that girl, I could come to the New Year party this year too.”
Everyone bragged greatly about their children being the best bragging.
Duke Esgard also hugged with a happy face.
It wouldn’t have been this fun raising my son with the Duchess.
That side was also a bit of a troublemaker.
“I don’t know much, but the word ‘the best in the empire’ has always been attached next to Yustea’s name.”
Another noble chuckled.
“I can’t join in the blood bragging between Esgard and Nevarro. Aren’t those two young ladies hard to distinguish in gender?”
Duke Nevarro jumped in.
“Ah, we are the best now. At the academy, no matter how well you do in studies… After being on the streets for a few years…!”
The speaking Duke Nevarro flinched.
Then he cleared his throat.
“It was a slip of the tongue.”
“…”
“Don’t look at me like that…. Really a slip of the tongue. I also cherish Yustea. She’s not a close friend of our Guinevere.”
“…”
“W-wrong…”
Duke Esgard’s eyes were sharp.
Not only because of Duke Nevarro.
It was because he saw the nobles’ faces unable to hold back laughter at the words he said.
Among the heads of the seven families, there was one with a slightly upturned mouth.
At that moment.
“His Majesty the Emperor, His Holiness the Pope, please come in.”
People split like a red sea.
A huge door opened, and two rulers in luxurious attire appeared.
“Greetings to Your Majesty!”
“Greetings to Your Majesty!”
A loud greeting erupted.
The Emperor looked around at the people with a smiling face.
“With a solid foundation in the empire, welcoming the new year is not scary. All, raise your heads.”
People raised their heads.
Just as I slowly raised my face…
[Remaining Time 00:00:00]