Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: 15. Adding Insult to Injury? (11)
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# 150
#14 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Daughter.
The place where I was born was a small village.
Compared to where I live now with Dad, it was bigger, but it was still small enough to be called a village.
But the village was very peaceful.
The weather wasn't as cold as here, and it was warm, so farming yielded plenty of harvests.
But there was one person who was ostracized in that peaceful village.
It was my mom.
The villagers called her a witch or a sorceress and kept their distance.
Not too far, not too close.
They stayed just far enough that their words could reach her ears, but didn't approach.
The villagers always called our mom a witch who devoured her husband or a sorceress who would bring disaster to the village. The kids threw stones, and the adults flew into hysterics and spewed curses just at the sight of her.
But Mom always smiled.
I was angry.
I yelled, asking why Mom had to endure this treatment and if what those people said wasn't all lies.
Then Mom said to me:
"Uh... um... Sorry. In a way, I did... eat Dad?"
I was utterly shocked.
Crying, I clung to her and begged her to explain what that meant, but she just scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"You're still too young, Ellis... We'll talk about this when you're older..."
Of course, I couldn't accept that.
I couldn't understand why I couldn't hear the story just because I was young.
The villagers treated me, Mom's daughter, the same way they treated her.
No village kids would play with me, and even if one approached, their parents would drag them away, saying they couldn't be with "something like that."
Something like that.
I was human, but not treated like one.
Like an object instead of a person.
Called "this" or "that" instead of Ellis, pointed at and shunned.
So I hated Mom.
Mom was definitely a good person.
She always smiled and always apologized to me.
But the more she did, the more I hated her.
Because the more time I spent with her, the more blame and curses I got from the villagers.
That's why I always said harsh things to Mom.
Right up until she was about to die.
I think it was when I turned seven.
The village—no, the country I lived in—faced a massive famine.
One year of crop failure.
The damage was so immense it easily shattered even a peaceful village like ours.
First, food ran short.
With nothing to eat, we had no crops to trade with merchants.
Merchants don't visit villages with no profit.
A month passed, then two, then half a year. The village was no longer peaceful.
And the year I turned eight.
The kingdom faced a second massive famine.
One year of famine was bearable.
You could survive by eating less, even if hungry.
But two years made it impossible.
We didn't even have enough for the lord's taxes, and our stockpiles had been depleted by last year's famine.
But the lord didn't care.
He demanded taxes from our starving village and took what little food we had left.
I thought we'd all starve to death if we stayed.
The villagers were furious.
But their anger wasn't aimed at the lord.
He was too powerful.
Everyone knew how foolish it would be to挑戰 a place with countless soldiers and knights.
So their rage turned elsewhere.
To a target they could insult and blame freely without consequence.
One that even gave them a "justification" for their anger.
The arrows of fury flew straight at our mom.
"Run far, far away."
Those were Mom's last words as she forced a smile and sent me off.
I don't know what happened to her after that.
All I know is, while fleeing frantically, I looked back and saw black smoke rising from where we lived.
Smoke that kept billowing even as thunder crashed and rain poured.
I could only stare blankly.
That's why I don't like rain.
To a farmer, it's a precious blessing above all else, but to me, it just brings back memories of that day.
So rainy days always make me gloomy.
And if thunder and lightning strike, I cling to Dad's arms and won't let go.
I don't want those memories resurfacing anymore.
But.
"Ah..."
A flash outside jolted me awake.
Worst case.
The sound of rain and thunder through the window, and occasional lightning flashes bring back old thoughts.
"No..."
Even covering my face with the blanket or plugging my ears with the pillow couldn't block the lightning flashes or the thunder's rumble.
I wish I could sleep until this rain ends.
But on nights like this, I wake from nightmares.
So I need to go to Dad quick.
"Ah..."
Getting out of bed, I finally realized something crucial.
"I'm in a fight with Dad..."
I'd been locked in a fierce battle over chicken for months.
Running to him for comfort in this state?
That would be admitting defeat!
Rumble!
"Eek..."
But the thunder outside made me grimace.
"Mommy?"
"Kkoko~"
Did my fidgeting wake her?
Kkoko staggered over sleepily.
"What's wrong, Mommy?"
"I'm okay..."
Flash!
"Not!"
The lightning made me hug Kkoko tight on instinct.
"Nyaong?"
"Misha~"
I must have made too much noise.
Not just Kkoko, but Misha woke too, licking my cheek and tilting her head.
"What do I do?"
The rain outside showed no sign of letting up.
The flashing lightning and world-shaking thunder seemed endless too.
"In times like this..."
If not Dad, then Big Sis for help.
With her... not as good as Dad, but it'd calm me!
"No way..."
But Big Sis's door was open.
I checked just in case, but she wasn't there.
"What do I do, kids?"
Listening to the rain, I bit my lip.
Should I give up here?
Then what was the point of all my endurance, not talking to Dad?
But right now...
"I'm scared..."
Dark night makes the lightning flashes harsher.
Quiet night amplifies the thunder.
But in times like this, I need to steel myself...
Ruuuuumble!
"Daaaad!"
A thunderclap beyond compare.
No choice.
This is a tactical retreat!
It's fine! Really!
***
Ruuuuumble!
"Daaaad!"
"Heh heh heh."
"Wow, look at the master's character."
Urgent footsteps start from the second floor.
Everything as planned.
Judging by her actions so far, our daughter couldn't endure this rainy season.
"Come on, it's been a while since we all slept together! Hurry and get ready!"
She woke earlier than expected, so things got a bit busier.
I hand the blanket for the floor to Soeppata and add a bit of oil to the fireplace to make the fire catch quicker.
"Daaaad!"
"Yeah, yeah, my little girl!"
"Dad! Dad! Thunder! Lightning! Rain pouring, and!"
I scoop up my daughter as she rushes to me after tossing the kindling.
"Scary~ Sob."
"Yeah, yeah. It was scary, huh?"
"Yeah."
Seeing her trembling and crying in my arms is adorable.
Her cuteness packs such a punch, it feels like something I shouldn't witness might awaken.
-Loli-con.
-Shut up.
I curse at Soeppata, who's laying out the blanket with her mouth agape.
This isn't lolicon.
It's something too sublime for such a word.
Yes, paternal love.
This is the profoundly noble heart of a father!
-Waiting for your daughter's weakness—thunder and lightning—to strike just to win against her.
-Spoiling her too much will just make her spoiled.
No internet in this world was inconvenient, but raising a daughter made me grateful for it.
How pure this child is!
In my past life, thirteen was devil age, but our girl is still an angel.
An archangel at that!
"Sob... Dad, can we sleep together...?"
"Of course."
With reddened eyes looking up, how could I refuse?
I nod, scoop her up tight, and carry her to the blankets.
"Not scared anymore, right?"
"Yeah..."
I take her near the roaring fireplace—thanks to the oil—and whisper softly in her ear.
"You'll talk with Dad now too, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Good girl."
Hugging her after so long.
Petting her hair, she burrows closer, begging for more—adorable.
Everything she does is cute; I'm worried for her future.
What if the imperial crown prince falls for her and comes calling?
-Nice, then the princess sis comes looking for master too.
-Hey, stop interrupting the touching moments.
Soeppata glares jealously at our bonding time, but she can't ruin it.
Now, time for the finishing touch.
"Yeah, yeah. For our good Ellis... how about some tasty chicken?"
"R-Really?"
Her body's mostly recovered anyway.
At her age, she won't regress from one or two chickens, even if not at peak.
So why no chicken till now? One reason.
Waiting for her surrender.
Her clinging and crying means she gives up on chicken.
She hadn't spoken to me for so long, refusing what she wanted.
If I give it now?
"D-Dad... I love you!"
Exactly this.
Not won by her, but received through my mercy.
"You'll listen to Dad now, right?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Talk lots with Dad?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Aww, good girl."
"Yeah, Ellis good!"
And so, under the shared blanket, listening to the rain, she fell asleep with a relieved face.
"Ah, healing."
Nothing beats our daughter; I'd give up anything for her.
Where else is such a cute, lovable being!
"Sis is sleeping too, so tone it down and sleep, master?"
"Jealous much."
Grumbling at Soeppata's words, I hugged my tightly clinging daughter and drifted off.
And the next dawn.
"Hmm... Should I abandon her?"
"Wow, look at master's character..."
I seriously pondered cutting ties with my daughter.
