Chapter 141

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 141

Chapter Title: Confession to Father

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The more I spoke, the colder my body felt, as if my temperature was dropping with every word. Rubbing my stiff, clenched palms together, I barely managed to open my mouth again.

"In my previous life, when I ran off to the streets, I starved to death. So this time... in this life, I was trying to save up money to defect."

"So that's why you chose me."

"Yes..."

Daddy let out a long sigh.

"You've been enduring here all this time just to escape?"

"No!"

I jerked my head up.

Realizing my plea not to misunderstand was showing in my twisted expression, I hurriedly bit my lip.

"Only at first, just when I was four. After summoning the demon and opening up to the High Priest, after he pointed out worries I hadn't even realized I had...!"

"Summoning a demon?"

"This life has been full of special events. In my past life, I was confirmed as a fake because I had almost no divine power. But after touching the Nyuite that Daddy was going to give to the Emperor, my divine power awakened."

I poured out the story about my powers in a rambling stream.

The gist was that after my divine power awakened and I obtained Etwal, I gained the 'ability to summon demons through gateways'.

And I told him about my people: the High Priest, Ceria the vice-leader of the Hope Merchant Guild, Zachary, Trigon.

Daddy narrowed his eyes, as if weighing something, and nodded.

"What was the worry he pointed out?"

"...That as time passed, it wasn't my fate I wanted to escape from, but my family."

"..."

"I was afraid I'd end up hated by Duke Amities or Duke Ballua. If Daddy and my brothers, if the Duvered people hated me, I wouldn't be able to endure it like in my past life, so it terrified me..."

Daddy quietly watched me mumbling through my tears.

My voice was thick with sobs, barely intelligible, my words a jumbled mess, but Daddy listened patiently.

By the time I finished, he reached out to the frightened, helpless me and wiped my wet face with his palm.

"D-don't hate me. Don't hate..."

"If I could hate you for hiding things from me, I would have sent you away from the start. Leblain, I've suspected for longer than you think that there's something special about you. And that something is..."

"That I'm hiding something?"

Daddy smiled wryly, troubled, and scooped me up into his arms.

"No, that one day, this child would offer even her heart to me."

The tears I'd barely stopped welled up again. Daddy pressed his forehead to mine and whispered.

"Even though I knew you faked the poisoning, what made me angry was that I'm your father."

His usual low voice felt warmer than spring sunlight today.

I scrunched up my face completely and clung tightly to Daddy's neck.

"Ugly."

Daddy teased playfully, lightly pinching my cheek.

I know. Today's words were the greatest expression of affection from a man who'd spent his life suppressing his emotions.

[You're ugly.]

A phrase from long ago suddenly resurfaced.

I've loved you since then.

Realizing that from the moment I'd grumbled about the Duke Duvered saying mean things, he'd loved me, I burst into loud sobs.

I no longer needed gold or jewels, luxurious mansions or delicious meals.

"D-Daddy... I just want you safe."

"Yes."

"I-I hope you never face danger for my sake."

"...Yes."

"I want to be Daddy's daughter forever!"

Daddy, holding me tight, whispered in a choked voice, "Yes."

Theodor stared at Leblain, who had collapsed into sleep like she'd fainted, for a long while.

[Don't have it.]

[Don't have our child? Theodor!]

[I don't have confidence I can love our child. Being born as my child would just mean a path of thorns at my feet. Just like I lived as Duke Duvered's son.]

[My god, Theodor. Now I see you're a coward.]

[I...!]

[You're scared you won't be able to protect it. You're worried it'll have to live a life like yours.]

[You always twist my words.]

[Or is it, like you did to your father, that you're afraid this child will scheme against you? Bound by the name of family, yet always watching for chances to kill each other?]

[That might be closer. Let's go with that. So the child won't need a parent like me.]

He recalled his past self, spouting harsh words to Reset when she was pregnant with Yohan.

The strong woman who had stood defiantly with arms crossed laughed helplessly and placed his hand on her swollen belly, whispering.

[Parents don't just raise children. Children raise parents too. I'll teach you very tender feelings.]

[...]

[Someday, the child will make you grow into a father.]

Her words were always right, and this time was no different.

He hadn't raised Leblain. Leblain had raised him. She taught him very tender feelings.

The foolishness of not weighing gains and losses.

The desperation that left no choice but to pretend to be fooled even knowing the truth.

The heartache from a single tear.

[Become my abbi.]

As he stroked the child's head, her soft hair slipped through his fingers.

Just then, a tap sounded on the wall. His three sons stood watching him from the open door.

Ishak, who approached the sofa first, looked at the sleeping Leblain.

"She wouldn't even notice if someone carried her away."

"After crying that hard."

The brothers had never seen their usually mature little sister cry so pitifully.

Smiling faintly at the child deep asleep like she'd passed out, the brothers settled on the opposite sofa.

Yohan asked.

"What will you do now?"

"You're asking how we'll deal with those targeting this child."

Henri shrugged with a laugh.

"Hardly. They aren't foolish enough not to know they're already on Father's hit list. What we're curious about is the independence Leblain mentioned."

Ishak propped his head with interlaced hands.

"Let's do it. Why not? It's good for us too. When the real Child of Destiny or whatever shows up, the little one will be in danger. How do we handle that?"

Henri frowned, draped a blanket over Leblain, and spoke.

"If it were easy, we'd have done it already. Independence for Duvered has been the dream of those rooted in the territory for generations, but it hasn't happened in our lifetime."

Theodor, who had quietly listened to his sons, said.

"Yes. It can't be done in the short term."

"Indeed. At least twenty years-"

"Ten years."

In the dim light, Theodor's eyes gleamed sharply.

"We become independent before the new Child of Destiny begins the 'ritual'."

"To avoid imperial interference, a grand duchy is out of the question."

"That's what parents do—accomplish the impossible for their child."

"See? I told you. Father goes soft on the little one-"

"Aren't you my children too?"

The wide-eyed brothers stared at the nonchalant Theodor.

"Pardon?"

"You're my children too."

He knew the agonies his sons hid as well.

Yohan's looks were a miniature of his own, but his temperament took after Reset more.

He wasn't the type to ruthlessly drive the territory and surroundings like past Duvered heads. That's why he'd been so desperate as the eldest son.

He couldn't show pain even when hurt, and exhausted himself to do things against his nature as if nothing.

Conversely, Henri and Ishak had lost their way because they weren't the eldest.

In pure talent, they outshone anyone, but in an empire prizing primogeniture, there were no chances to shine. To the family head, outstanding siblings were rivals, not family.

For example, Javelin, equal in talent to the three young masters, led a branch house but couldn't enter politics, living off main house subsidies.

If not for filling the lady's vacancy, he'd be stuck at the territory's edge, living like a doll forever.

Duvered's second and third sons were too capable to step forward.

"If Duvered becomes independent, you'll have royal duties."

"..."

"..."

Henri and Ishak clenched their fists.

Henri, with the strongest ambitions among the brothers yet best understanding his place, bowed his head deeply.

Ishak, nose tip reddened, chuckled.

"Ah, no more freeloading like now!"

"..."

"Right, little bro? Huh? What, are you crying, bro?"

"You idiot... Who's crying."

Yohan smiled faintly at his bickering brothers.

[Father... is different from other fathers.]

[How are other fathers?]

[Other fathers love their children.]

[Yohan, becoming a parent the moment a child is born is actually very hard.]

[But...]

[Children make parents grow. Someday, he'll grow into your father too.]

Does Father know?

Does Leblain, exhausted from crying and asleep, know?

That this child made Theodor grow into a father.

That this little one raised the world's most selfish, ferocious villains into family.

Yohan smiled throughout the warm scene.