How to Replace Dad 65
Directly Carmen slammed me into the room.
Carmen collapsed on the floor, glaring at me.
“You...!”
I brushed off my hands and said.
“I’m from San Miguel.”
Carmen froze.
Even if I didn't know the name of the Duke, I couldn't not know San Miguel.
The news that San Miguel and Valboa had merged into Quaron was very famous.
Carmen must have heard about Quaron and been the captain of the knight order.
Carmen froze, barely turning her eyes to look at the children.
The children felt something strange and furrowed their brows.
Carmen’s breath trembled.
But soon she gathered her strength and said.
“Lies. You think I’d fall for your scheme?”
“How could I have gotten along well with the Quaron soldiers?”
“... .”
Her mouth closed again.
The children’s expressions grew more suspicious.
The girl with short bob hair frowned.
“You don’t know your father’s name?”
It was hard to believe that Carmen was the daughter of the Quaron knight captain, so suspicion sprouted easily.
The children said to Carmen.
“What are you talking about?”
“Why can't you answer?”
Carmen’s pupils shook slightly.
But she couldn't say anything and hesitated.
Or not, I helped Renee up.
“Have you eaten?”
“No. After going to the priest, I was to help with work...”
“Then you must not have eaten. There's still time, so let's go.”
I took Renee and left the room.
Renee's eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
***
Carmen walked briskly down the hallway.
The believers gathered in small groups whispered when they saw Carmen.
“It was a lie that she was the daughter of the Quaron knight captain...”
“She was good at lying since she was young...”
“Thinking about it, it's strange that a high-ranking lord like the knight captain would leave his daughter alone even if she was a bastard...”
Carmen clenched her teeth.
The people who had been trying to look good before lunch suddenly turned away.
The children were the first to change their attitude.
Even when studying under the priest's supervision, they glanced at her with suspicious eyes.
And as soon as the priest left, they ran up to her and started questioning.
They were about to push her out of the room if I hadn't stopped them.
When Carmen returned to the room, she threw the pillow.
“It’s all because of that girl!”
That girl was Yustea.
She suddenly rolled in and ruined my peaceful daily life.
Carmen bit her nails.
“What to do.”
If this continued, she would be exposed.
If she was seen as a liar, the priest's reputation wouldn't be good.
“I can’t become a priest.”
Then I’d live my whole life in neglect and criticism.
Carmen grabbed her hair with a trembling hand.
“No. I can’t do that.”
I absolutely don't want to!
“If I can get the High Priest's help, the situation will change.”
But the High Priest wouldn't sympathize with lies.
“If I do the task assigned by the High Priest even better...?”
If she makes me even more adorable than before, I can turn the situation around.
Carmen quickly turned her head to the wall with bookshelves.
I quickly ran over and pushed the bookshelf a little.
Then I pulled out the brick on the wall.
There was a small key inside.
“This is a very precious key. It must never be lost or discovered.”
“Okay.”
On the day the first 'mission' was given, I received this key.
Carmen’s eyes flashed sharply.
As if nothing had happened, I tidied the room and left the door.
Then I went down to the basement.
And I arrived at the small warehouse next to the chapel.
“Here.”
After confirming no one was around, I entered the warehouse.
I locked the door tightly, then immediately felt the wall for the groove.
When I pushed the groove, a small keyhole appeared.
I inserted the key and turned it...
Kugugugu.
The floor opened and stairs appeared.
This was the place where Carmen always performed her 'missions'.
I quickly descended the stairs.
A small man with a very bent back and one eye crushed approached.
“A-at this time, what business do you have coming here?”
“I have to report to you everything I do!”
I shouted, and the man covered his head with both arms and screamed “Hic!”
“Even a half-goblin like you dares to enter my sight without permission.”
“Yes, yes...”
The scared man retreated.
A human-goblin hybrid.
This being was born in this very laboratory.
Yes. This was the Dawn Council’s laboratory.
Cruel experiments were being conducted here.
Carmen’s mother was a mage here.
Because of that, she knew about the laboratory and was recruited by the High Priest.
Carmen shouted at the man.
“Bring the waste. I will prepare the 'meal'.”
The man hesitantly went and pulled something.
The thing being dragged by the man by the collar was a human.
It was the old woman who had approached Carmen at the dining hall today.
The old woman, who had been dragged away in fear, saw Carmen and her eyes widened.
“C-Carmen... Carmen!”
Like she found a savior, the old woman clung desperately to Carmen's legs.
“Where is this place? Huh? I, I came to the warehouse to find things on the High Priest's orders, but this person dragged me here...”
“Because you're so stupid, you'll be discarded, grandma.”
“W-what...?”
“Stupid and old, useless to the church, so shouldn't you offer your body?”
“Carmen...”
The old woman looked at Carmen with disbelief.
Carmen nodded at the man.
“Put it in.”
“Yes, yes...!”
The man dragged the old woman's neck and opened the iron door on one side of the laboratory.
“Save me!”
“Aaaah—!”
“Stop, stop, stop—!”
Heart-wrenching screams echoed from outside the iron door.
The old woman, whose face turned deathly pale, shouted.
“Save me, Carmen! Save me...”
Carmen sat on the chair with legs crossed, turning her head.
The man threw the old woman into the iron door.
Kung!
The door closed.
Carmen stroked the ends of her hair and asked.
“When is the completion time for the 'meal'?”
“M-my meal tomorrow morning. B-but even so, is it okay... T-the meal time hasn't come yet, and there's not enough waste...”
“Waste? If there's not enough, just bring more. There's plenty here.”
Carmen answered nervously, then “Ah.” and lifted her head.
The corners of her mouth rose.
“There is an appropriate waste. An ugly girl with black hair and golden eyes. Her name is...”
“Yustea.”
From the door, a voice came.
Carmen froze.
Turning her stiff head, she saw that girl, Yustea.
“You... how...?”
“Of course I followed you.”
“W-what...?”
“If you think the lie will be exposed, you wouldn't cling to the High Priest?”
Carmen’s mouth twitched.
Yustea smiled brightly.
***
I had expected Carmen to go to the High Priest.
Rather, I had encouraged her to go even faster.
I told the members to spread the rumor that Carmen had lied about being the Duke's daughter.
“Is this the laboratory?”
In the glass cases lining the walls were various solutions, and in the solutions were various creatures.
Animals with skulls opened.
Monsters with bellies split open, revealing their insides.
Even humans.
Carmen jumped up.
“Capture that girl—!”
The man with a severely bent back looked at me.
The man holding the scythe on his waist kicked the ground and ran.
But the scythe didn't reach me.
Because Antonio, who jumped out in front of me, immediately subdued the man.
Crack.
With a sound of bones twisting, the scythe fell from the man's hand.
“Aaaah—!”
Antonio said with a nonchalant expression.
“What is this? It looks weird.”
“Did I come alone?”
I knew where Carmen was going.
Of course, I brought Antonio along with me.
“L-let me go. A-ah, I don't want to die. I don't want to die...”
The man screamed desperately.
I approached Carmen.
Carmen, who was trembling, backed away.
But after a little while, she sat down with a thud.
Carmen, whose face turned deathly pale, shouted.
“If you do this to me, my father won't stand by! My father is the captain of Quaron's knight order...!”
Still the same story.
Is that the only thing to believe?
Of course, since I exposed the laboratory, the High Priest won't forgive me.
I will be abandoned by the High Priest too.
I was about to say something.
“...What?”
A sound of taking a sharp breath came from behind.
Without turning, I said to Antonio, “No.”
Antonio, who had thrown the man, ran to me.
“But you said he was the Duke's daughter!”
“...”
“I knew this would happen. That human, I knew he was plotting behind the scenes. Such a disgusting...”
“...”
I quietly nodded.
If Antonio went back, he would die at the Duke's hands.
***
[I knew this would happen. That human, I knew he was plotting behind the scenes. Such a disgusting....]
“That dog...”
The Duke muttered harshly.
Yuis shook his head lightly.
“Why are you reacting so strongly. It's a lie about a 47th rank.”
Then he smiled and said.
“Be honest. Is there something in the past? Why did the pub owner's wife run to the Duke's bedroom—.”
“Stop it.”
It was Aslan's voice.
The Duke looked at him with a grateful expression.
“Even if subordinates and colleagues are swayed by gossip, the leader is still...”
“She was not the wife, but the employee.”
The leader said sharply.
The Duke pondered what to do.
***
I said to Antonio.
“That’s a bright red lie.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Why did you lie? Are you crazy?”
Antonio looked at Carmen with an incredulous face.
“The Duke... no, the captain, with his personality, wouldn't leave you alone?”
Carmen’s pupils shook greatly as she looked at Antonio.
It seemed annoying that Antonio was talking as if he knew the Duke.
“What does that mean...”
“If I say it like this, will you understand?”
I smiled and spread my hand, pointing at Antonio.
“The one over there is the training instructor of Quaron.”
“...What?”
This time I put my hand on my chest.
“This side is the daughter of the Quaron viscount.”
“L-lie.”
I spread my hand towards the glass case.
I gathered mana and released it.
Then, a blinding light spread from the corpses in the glass case.
The black spots that had been eating half the corpses disappeared instantly.
“S-Saint—!”
It was the man who said that.
Carmen couldn't even make a sound.
I smiled and pointed at the glasses.
“And this is the transmission device. Your lies are being watched by the captain of Quaron's knight order.”
“...!”
Carmen forgot to breathe and just twitched her mouth.
She trembled as if something was vibrating on her chin.
I rested my elbow on my knee and propped my chin.
“So, will you tell me about this laboratory?”
“N-no... no! It's a lie...!”
Carmen screamed and pulled up her sleeve.
When I saw the sleeve, I furrowed my brows.
A tattoo.
And that shape was...
“No!”
I quickly grabbed Carmen, but it was useless.
I couldn't overcome the strength of a person in panic struggling.
In the end, Antonio caught me when I was pushed.
“Miss, are you okay?”
“Stop, hurry!”
But it was too late.
Carmen smiled wickedly and drew a cross on her forearm.
“If you use this in a crisis, it says everything will be resolved. I'll tear you to pieces. You'll receive divine punishment...!”
At the moment I screamed like that.
Spikes shot out from Carmen's whole body.
“Kuk!”
Blood spurted like a fountain from Carmen's body.
“You idiot...!”
I thought that was some great attack or guardian, but it was wrong.
This is the sacrifice geum-sul!
The taboo magic that offers oneself as a sacrifice to create a barrier!
Carmen collapsed.
From her body, a red aura like a banner spread out.
Pajijit—!
A crack appeared on the glasses.
The magic transmission device broke.
Since this barrier blocks all communication...
Then, the countless droplets hanging on the wall started ringing noisily.
Ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting.
It was the sound announcing the abnormality in the laboratory.
I hurriedly said.
“Run, hurry.”
“...”
“Antonio-nim?”
“...”
Strange.
Antonio didn't move, but tensed his body and stared ahead.
And he said.
“...Too late.”
The crack in the wall appeared at that moment.
Kwaddeuk—!
The wall collapsed instantly and black mist spread around.
From inside, the sound of footsteps was heard.
Antonio stood up.
This face of his was the first time I'd seen.
Like a beast before a hunt.
He pushed me and hid me behind his back and said.
“Stay behind me. ...They're coming.”