How to Replace Dad 86
“How did you know I met Cesar?”
asked Yustea, and Oscar smiled faintly.
Then he pulled something from his pocket.
It was a dagger wrapped in leather instead of a sheath.
He unwrapped the leather and gripped the dagger.
Shick.
He slashed through the air.
Surprisingly, a red line appeared in the air.
The red line connected from me to the ceiling, but was cut off at the spot where Oscar had slashed.
And...
Thud—!
Something fell from the ceiling.
“...!”
I was startled and turned my head toward the sound.
Yuis quickly examined it.
“...Damn it.”
The thing in Yuis' hand was a mechanical device shaped like a white bug.
I frowned and asked.
“What is that?”
“Cesar's puppet. It's like a tracker.”
Ah.
Oscar seemed to think he met Cesar because he sensed the tracker.
I looked at the puppet in Yuis' hand and frowned.
“If even Yuis didn't know, it means Cesar is disguising himself.”
“Not disguise, control.”
“Control?”
“My specialty is controlling humans or puppets. He was probably controlling you from far away, watching you.”
“Who was it?”
“I don't know. I don't know, but... if I meet him, I'll kill him.”
The puppet broke with a crack in Yuis' hand.
At that moment.
Knock knock.
There was a knock.
It seemed the one who was arguing to meet me first outside the room had been settled.
Oscar said.
“Should I help after all?”
“No. I have to meet him once.”
Since I have to return soon, I'll say goodbye too.
With that said, I opened the door.
But the people waiting were unexpected.
“Hello.”
“Hello... yes.”
It was Hui and Igis.
They were friends of Onel who came with Benjamin.
Anyway, I went out into the hallway and closed the door.
“How...?”
Then Igis looked at the end of the corridor with “Ah...”
“If it's people... contact came from the palace and it was urgent...”
“Contact?”
“His Majesty the Emperor... issued an emergency summons to the Privy Council...”
Ah.
Well, it was rather strange that he hadn't issued the emergency order yet.
Since the Old Empire Reconstruction Society had been exposed to the world, they must have been preparing methods to exterminate them quickly.
I nodded.
“What brings you two here?”
asked, and Hui, with a displeased face, handed over a letter envelope.
The envelope was sealed with wax, and the wax pattern was familiar.
‘Gold Star...!’
It was the gathering of young nobles and imperial heirs belonging to Onel and his friends.
Only successors of major families could be invited.
In Andres, since Onel was already a member of Gold Star, I couldn't join that group.
“The reason I came to Andres this time was to invite you to Gold Star. Originally, it was supposed to be Benjamin who delivered it, but...”
Hui stared at the letter with a blank expression.
“...Well, it ended up like this.”
“I see.”
When I quietly took the letter, Hui asked.
“Won't you give a toast?”
“What?”
“We lost a friend. So—.”
I quickly covered Hui's mouth and looked around.
Hui's eyes widened as he stared at me.
After confirming no one was listening, I lowered my hand.
“Never say that.”
“Friend?”
“Yes. Benjamin is a member of the Old Empire Reconstruction Society. Being friends with him is a huge problem for the prince.”
“...”
“And...”
I continued, looking at Hui and Igis.
“Any toast from me will be empty words.”
“...”
“...”
I don't think it's good that someone died.
But I had no reason to mourn Benjamin's death.
How many horrible things had I endured because of the Stella poison incident.
It was something words couldn't fully express.
If Benjamin was the starting point of that incident, he's an enemy to me.
“I don't want to comfort you two with empty words.”
Hui stared at me intensely.
It was so intense that it was a bit embarrassing.
“Why are you looking at me like that...?”
“Much better than fake.”
“What?”
“I like honest ones, you know.”
“...?”
Hui smirked and messed up my hair.
At that moment.
“Your hometown has no manners about touching others at will, does it?”
It was Onel's voice.
When I turned my head, Onel and his vassals were coming around the corner toward us.
Onel strode over and glared at Hui.
Hui clicked his tongue and said to Igis.
“That one always has bad manners.”
“Manners... not really...”
Igis, after saying that, told Hui “Let's go.” and bowed to me.
Hui clicked his tongue and retreated with Igis.
Then he looked at me.
“Come to Gold Star. I'll treat you well!”
With that said, they left.
I looked at Onel.
“What else is there?”
“I have to go to the capital with my father. I only came to see you before that.”
“What?”
“You.”
“Why.”
“...Do you have to be so sharp?”
I frowned.
Then Onel turned his head.
Even I thought my words were unreasonable.
The truth of the Stella poison incident was revealed.
With him, the vassals had embarrassed expressions, so it seemed they knew everything.
Meaning, it was revealed that I was expelled without fault and suffered greatly.
Onel looked away and said.
“...I'm sorry for that. All of Andres.”
The vassals bowed their heads to me.
‘Why bring the vassals too.’
“Enough.”
With that, some vassals' faces brightened.
“Yes. What's done is done. What good is talking about it now. From now on, we won't let such things happen...!”
“That's not the culprit's words.”
The vassals were startled.
“I didn't intend to be excused for not apologizing since I won't forget.”
The vassals groaned.
I crossed my arms and said.
“So? Anything else to say?”
Onel was silent for a moment.
After a while, he faced me and said.
“Nothing. ...I just wanted to apologize.”
“...”
“I thought it might ease my mind.”
“...”
“I heard you return in the afternoon. Be careful.”
“How cowardly can you be.”
“What?”
I looked at Onel with a blank face.
Panick was in Onel's eyes.
“Is bowing the end?”
“...”
“Everything is ridiculous.”
Onel looked at me with panic.
“I am...”
“You too, the Marquis of Andres, the Duchess, the Vice Duchess.”
“That's...!”
“Yes, apologizing won't make my heart better.”
How to forget.
Torn heart.
Unforgettable wounds.
“Even so, if you're human. At least human—!”
“...”
“You should reflect.”
“...”
“Instead of regretting, you should feel sorry for what you trampled.”
“...”
“You seem to think you're very different from the Marquis of Andres. No, no, Onel.”
“...”
“Would it have been better if you didn't know?”
“...”
Onel's eyes shook.
I stared back at his eyes without avoiding.
Onel turned his head when his mouth opened to speak.
“See, you're this cowardly.”
The vassals exchanged glances in panic.
At that moment.
The butler approached at brisk pace.
“Master, you are wanted in the conference room.”
“...I'll go.”
Onel looked at me.
“Next time...”
“Please, there shouldn't be a next time. Don't come back again.”
“...”
Onel bit his lips tightly, swallowed dry saliva.
And said to the butler.
“Do not neglect Yustea's farewell.”
“Yes.”
With that, Onel left the place.
I sighed.
At that moment, the door slightly opened, and two faces poked through the gap.
“Miss, cool.”
“Well done.”
It was Oscar and Yuis.
I laughed.
Finally over.
Finally parting with the disgusting Andres.
Relieved.
And I glanced at the butler.
“Now, shall we go?”
“Yes, prepare for farewell...”
“No. I have to return to Quaron. ...Cesar.”
“...”
“...?!”
Oscar and Yuis looked at me startled.
I smiled at the butler.
“You said Cesar? The name.”
“...”
At that moment, the butler's expression changed instantly.
“How did you know?”
In the room.
Yuis and Oscar sat on chairs, staring at the butler who looked dazed.
Actually, he was dazed.
Using magic to put in trance, Cesar was controlling the butler's body.
Yuis said to me.
“How did you know?”
“Crows gather.”
“What?”
“If you scatter crow feathers, no one cleans them. Servants wouldn't ignore that. This is a guest room.”
“Short time difference, not that.”
“Originally, the problem is crows are around.”
Crows bring misfortune.
Guest is here, crows would be cleaned.
“Moreover, most people I contacted are nobles?”
“Yes.”
“But if a noble's condition is abnormal, someone should have noticed.”
So, if controlling, it's the employer.
And superior employer who can command not to harm crows.
The superior employer who meets me is naturally the butler.
“Idiots. Oscar's crows almost died 8 times.”
Oscar propped his chin and said.
“Even if kill, doesn't die, no matter. My crows are not actually living beings.”
“Then, by tracking mana, you found me.”
“By then, would have finished and left, no matter.”
“Why? Unless you were blabbing about Irregulars and Quaron.”
Yuis laughed.
“I was caught too.”
“Shut up.”
“Does it hurt your pride being caught?”
“Did you go deaf? Didn't you hear 'shut up'?”
Yuis raised eyebrow.
Might fight.
I raised both hands.
“Enough, now let's go back.”
“Who do you think you're ordering?”
Yuis' face hardened.
“Miss. The one recognized by the master.”
“Only the master can give orders to me. Even if daughter recognized by master, no relation to me.”
Black aura flared around Yuis.
I quickly grabbed Yuis' collar.
“Enough.”
“...If you were here, your neck would have broken. Cesar.”
Butler's neck stiffened.
“Did you ever beat me?”
Oscar clapped.
“Stop boasting about bad temper, get to the point?”
Then Yuis sighed, turned head.
Point?
Yustea looked, Oscar smiling brightly at butler.
“Andres infiltration was only me, why are you here, Cesar.”
“Three members of my unit were assassinated last month.”
What?
Startled, looked at butler.
Yuis also frowned.
“Assassination? What happened.”
“Asked if Irregular, immediately attacked.”
“...Did you reveal the location?”
“Successfully tracked the assassin's back. Andres' vassals.”
“...”
“?!”
Yustea and Yuis stiffened.
Do Andres know Irregulars exist?
‘Impossible.’
If Marquis knew Irregulars, when trading, would have targeted that.
Not save mom, but report Irregulars.
“Marquis doesn't know Irregulars exist. It's the other side.”
“Yes. The Old Empire Reconstruction Society.”
When Yustea swallowed dry.
Oscar said.
“Ah. Really, things are getting complicated.”
“Complicated?”
“Seems the Old Empire Reconstruction Society is inside us too.”
“What?”
Oscar smiled.
“The reason I came here is that. Caught Cesar inside Irregulars. Through Andres, communication.”
“Then...”
“But strange thing.”
Oscar propped head on clasped hands and said.
“Left one of the three, killed two. Confirmed corpses.”
“...But?”
“But in Andres, there was a mage I killed.”
Oscar looked at Yustea.
“Benjamin, really dead?”
I spat out dry breath.