Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: How to Turn a Crisis into an Opportunity
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I shook my head back and forth.
I had no idea how Dad planned to resolve this, but the situation didn't seem to be turning in our favor.
'The mood isn't good.'
This was the central plaza of the massive Mirmod estate.
It was a place teeming with countless knights, servants, and maids who had come from other residences on errands.
In short, even if he publicly cast out those people today, there could be retainers who would believe the princess's words and fill with distrust toward me.
Even if Dad steeled his fragile heart and banished that 'real daughter,' those people would gossip.
They'd keep yapping on about my bloodline and heritage.
So, somehow, we had to do the paternity test.
Of course, there was something to do first.
"No, Dad. I'll do it."
......Yeah, we definitely needed to pull out the root of the problem.
Whether that daughter was real or not, I'd be the one to sort it out.
With my powerful, squishy marshmallow hands instead of Dad's fragile, bulging-muscle hands!
I put strength into my eyes.
Really menacingly.
And then I tensed up my chubby belly and let out a mighty roar.
"Baby, come here!"
It was so full of vigor that everyone turned to look this way.
It was right then, as I was pushing out my chubby belly with all my might.
Dad smiled tenderly and smoothly lifted me by the scruff of my neck, pulling me into his arms.
"Sien."
Wiggle, wriggle.
I flailed my limbs hard, but I was trapped in Dad's solid, muscular embrace.
I pulled my eyebrows down low and looked back at him questioningly.
"Hm?"
"It's dangerous."
I sparkled my eyes up at Dad.
I was about to say, 'It's dangerous, so the strong daughter should do it, not the fragile Dad! I'll protect you!'
But Dad's eyes turned sharp. When he got like that, he was super stubborn. I couldn't talk him out of it.
And besides......
"Sien, do you trust Dad?"
"Mhm!"
"Then you should let Dad talk with the princess and Count Yoter, right?"
"Eh......? No, that's not okay!"
I thrashed my stubby legs in Dad's arms.
Dad stroked my head with a chilling smile.
"Just a moment. Ten minutes."
"......Ten minutes?"
Dad rarely spoke so firmly.
Except maybe when he was dragging me off to etiquette academy.
And besides...... I looked around.
'Dad has his pride too. If he backs down to me, the duke's authority won't hold. This is a villain family, a place ruled by the logic of power......'
There were even carriages lined up with seals from other families.
He might have a soft heart as a weakness, but Dad was now the one ruling this entire family. If he let a tiny kid like me contradict him in front of everyone, his authority would definitely be damaged.
'Should I...... trust Dad?'
......I was a little worried.
I fixed my trembling eyes on Dad.
He was pretending to be cold right now, but I knew his soft heart all too well.
'Sien, that homeless guy on the street looks so pitiful, doesn't he?'
'Daddy, that old man's wearing a gold necklace.'
'Eh......?'
'That's expensive! You know that, but your heart's getting soft again!'
......The memory from the countryside village flashed through my mind.
As soon as I recalled all the kind things my good Dad had done, I got anxious.
'Can Dad handle those venomous, snake-like people?'
But...... this time, Dad's lips were firmly set. Like he was saying to leave it to him this once.
My heart floated unmoored on the surface of the water like a flower, full of unease.
Even so......
......He was our Dad.
I decided to trust Dad just this once.
If he couldn't break through the situation, I could just try harder.
That's what family was all about.
"Dad."
"Yeah?"
"If anyone says anything, call me right away. I'll be over there. And......"
Of course, since I was worried, I decided to take out one insurance policy.
"I'll take that baby with me!"
Adults with adults.
Babies with babies.
Even if Dad failed, I could just find a weakness in the baby and that'd be it.
"Ah."
It was an un-Dad-like reaction.
Dad brushed my hair back with a chilling expression.
"If you want it that bad, take it."
I stared hard at the trembling child.
"Mhm!"
Adults with adults, kids with kids.
Not a bad setup.
I only got half of what I wanted, but even so, my heart felt at ease.
Deciding to trust Dad just this once...... somehow made my shoulders feel a little lighter.
***
Sien entered a small reception manor built next to the central plaza.
At her side was the child claiming to be 'Matthias Mirmod's real daughter.'
Sien Mirmod was the only one who could control Matthias.
Thus, there was now no one left in this massive family's central outdoor plaza who could control Matthias.
He walked slowly and leisurely right up in front of the princess and Count Yoter.
It was an elegant motion, like a hunter stalking wild game.
"I'm a bit bad-tempered."
"......That's."
Matthias stepped even closer to the princess.
The princess quietly held her breath.
Matthias Mirmod's piercing gaze looked down at her.
Cold and icy eyes.
The gaze of a top predator who could tear her apart any moment but chose not to.
The gentleness he'd shown in front of Sien earlier was gone. He looked down at her like a ferocious beast eyeing prey.
There was no emotion in that expression.
Just the desire to pass judgment.
Only then did the princess realize what she'd done, her hands trembling faintly.
She'd sensed it instinctively—she'd touched someone she shouldn't have.
Matthias Mirmod...... had no intention of taking a wife. Especially not a princess.
And Matthias's reverse scale was Sien.
But she'd touched Sien Mirmod. Without even knowing it.
Her whole body shook.
But Matthias had no mercy to spare.
"Either crawl out of here on all fours."
"......"
"Or die and become my hunting trophy. Decide."
At those words, the Mirmod retainers shuddered.
Matthias was serious, and he had the power to kill the princess.
Other families might have worried about his words.
But the villainous Mirmods worshipped power. In other words, the thick killing intent radiating from Matthias Mirmod looked like something worthy of reverence to them.
Matthias remained utterly relaxed, unbound by others' gazes.
He drew the sword at his waist and pointed it at the princess's throat.
"Th-the sword......"
"Put it away?"
"......That's what I said."
There were many onlookers, and many outsiders.
But he had no interest in their chatter.
"If you don't want your head cut off, declare it right here."
His mocking voice echoed chillingly across the plaza.
No one but Matthias could speak.
"Sien Mirmod is my daughter. Right?"
Those words meant that even if Sien Mirmod wasn't his daughter, she was the only one for him.
Count Yoter's paternity test had been meaningless from the start.
'That man has an excessively strong attachment to that girl Sien.'
It was then, as the princess bit her lip, still refusing to bend her pride.
Matthias's gaze tilted sideways. At the end of it was Count Yoter, who had come to support the princess. Pitifully, he was trembling like an aspen leaf.
"Answer."
Count Yoter, staring at the sword tip aimed at the princess, looked ready to wet himself.
The honed blade touched the princess's nape. A faint trickle of blood flowed from where it pressed in.
A pale aura flowed from Matthias's sword.
But the princess didn't panic; instead, she lifted the corner of her mouth.
Which made sense—auras didn't affect the sacred imperial bloodline.
However, Matthias's aura didn't reach the princess.
The direction his black aura headed was......
Toward Count Yoter, who was choking and gasping for breath.
His aura didn't work on imperial blood, but it was more than enough to subdue a frail thing like Count Yoter.
Soon, the black aura enveloped the count's body.
"The reason I'm thinking of keeping trash like you alive for a while is simple."
"Khk!"
Count Yoter twisted his body and collapsed to the ground.
He looked down indifferently at the count who had dared blather about discovering his true child.
He didn't want Sien suspecting him as a 'bad dad.'
And he had no intention of simply killing off these fools who had dared try to hurt Sien.
Predators didn't hunt just for food.
At that moment, a red light flashed in Count Yoter's mind.
That man could really kill him. He needed to save face here.
The panicked Count Yoter ended up flat on the ground, pleading.
"Y-Yes, you're right! Lady Sien is your legitimate daughter."
The sword tip didn't withdraw.
Instead, Matthias's lip curled up.
"If you've come here to do a paternity test, you must have prepared something."
"Th-that's......"
His icy gaze fixed on the princess.
"Princess."
"......You're sparing my life......?"
She was more composed than expected.
If she survived, it was obvious she'd scheme up something new beyond this.
But Matthias hadn't said he'd let her live.
He just planned to toy with her for a while.
Matthias had seen his precious daughter's eyes shake.
The ominous atmosphere that seemed to say 'you're a fake daughter' to that fragile child.
Sien's tiny scratches versus other people's lives.
If Matthias had to weigh the two, it would always be the former.
Therefore......
He couldn't just easily kill those who had dared wound Sien's heart.
Naturally, he planned to uproot them completely.
"Well. Count Yoter said he'd do the paternity test."
"......Th-that's."
All sorts of tests, including paternity ones, were funded by Count Yoter—or rather, the crown prince.
What if trust in the tests they conducted hit rock bottom?
Their money lines would dry up first.
And next would be the crown prince colluding with Count Yoter, and then the princess.
Matthias's lips curved wickedly.
Pure joy bubbled up at the thought of draining his enemies' blood first.
Turning a crisis into an opportunity wasn't something only Sien could do.
Where else would that blood go?
"I've been annoyed by your rampaging anyway...... Perfect."
"......What does that mean?"
"I'll participate in the paternity test."
It was certainly going according to their intentions.
But why was he suddenly agreeing to the paternity test?
As Count Yoter and the princess's faces turned pale white at those incomprehensible words.
He pulled out his pocket watch and smiled leisurely.
Like a man plotting some scheme.
The sword was sheathed, but the princess and Count Yoter knelt with a thud.
Exactly ten minutes had passed.
He'd spent it with the child claiming to be his daughter and his hunting dogs, so Sien was probably fine and safe.
And at that moment, Sien was 'fine and safe.'
Because she was thinking the exact same thing as Matthias.