CHAPTER 100…………………………
Adèle, who had been holding Balrok in the greenhouse, slipped the letter she’d been reading into her bosom the moment she heard someone at the doorway.
This was a room attached to the count’s mansion that her mother had set up and lived in, so she was effectively the one in charge here.
There was only one person who could fling open the door to a private space like this without permission.
“…You’re here, Father.”
Although Adèle had been on awkward terms with the Count for a while, she couldn’t drive him out now that he had come all the way to bow before her.
No — in fact, she didn’t have that right.
After all, he was the head of the household. It was the stiff-necked one who should bend.
When Adèle set Balrok down and made a polite bow, the Count frowned in displeasure.
“I thought you’d be driven to the brink and near death, but you look surprisingly alright.”
“…Is that how you greet someone?”
Why did he always have to pick a fight?
Adèle snorted but kept her mouth shut. The Count looked her over as if he had something to say, but if pride was hereditary, the two of them were alike.
Except for the son-in-law he had recently accepted, the Count had rarely bent to anyone. Yet he thundered at his own daughter.
“Are you still raising that as a pet? You’ve got strange taste.”
“Well, Father, I wonder how refined your taste must be, to have met Noella’s real mother.”
A sharp exchange of looks crackled between the two who had no intention of backing down.
The Count sat first, removing his top hat and crossing his legs. Balrok, flustered on the floor, tried to hide, and the Count watched that posture with interest.
“That thing… I didn’t notice at first, but seeing it now, it really—”
“What are you trying to say now? Animals have ears too!”
“No, not an animal…”
“It’s not a monster! Stop it. Balrok, go on over there quick. Your sister brought in a whole sheep, so eat that. Don’t eat the squirrel.”
Squeak.
Seizing the opportunity, Balrok darted into the grasses in the greenhouse.
Soon the sound of bones crunching echoed, so it seemed he’d found his prey.
Good, good — how clever.
As Adèle clasped her hands together with a proud smile for the first time in a while, the Count’s expression turned odd.
Admittedly, she was better compared to the second and third, but when he thought about it, she didn’t seem entirely normal either.
Before his son-in-law’s infatuation wore off, the father found himself growing anxious.
“Adèle, you must never let the leader get away. Whether you cajole him or cling to him, you must stay by his side like glue until you have at least three children from him.”
“…Why are you bringing that up now?”
Was he trying to pick a fight?
Adèle was exasperated but sat down beside her father.
She had thought of sitting across from him, but changed her mind — it still felt strange to face him directly.
After all, it was the first time she had raised her voice with him like that, and it was also the first time she had disappointed him so badly.
‘Would it have been better if our family were more ordinary?’
The thought weighed heavily on her, though she knew better than anyone how much she resembled her father.
“Anyway, don’t say such nonsense. Why are you dragging in the leader as if he were even here?”
“Because you were probably with him until dawn yesterday.”
Ah — how sharp his instincts were.
Adèle covered her eyes with her hand to stifle a sigh.
As expected, avoiding her father’s gaze was futile. How much would he scold her now for wasting time at such a crucial moment?
“Don’t worry. I have no interest in your ring or whatever.”
“That’s enough then.”
“Such shamelessness.”
“You take after Father.”
The Count, eyeing his daughter sideways, gave a short laugh and Adèle puckered her lips.
Holding back the tickle at the corner of her mouth was painful.
‘He must be disappointed.’
She had thought many times about what expression to wear when looking at her father.
Whether things went well or badly, an awkward silence with him would never be comfortable for her.
“Don’t worry. Even if you don’t say it, now that the leader is within my reach, I have no intention of letting him go.”
“That’s a relief. Don’t change your mind.”
“The blood of the Sergio family isn’t weak.”
When the eldest daughter removed her hand from her eyes and lifted her chin with renewed confidence, a quiet satisfaction brushed the Count’s mouth.
She seemed to have recovered her spirit more quickly than he expected.
Not being the kind of father and daughter to embrace and console, he stood up then.
“People’s eyes won’t be kind yet. In high society, in the city, in the south — everywhere, it’s still only your story.”
“…Father, you’re receiving those looks because of me.”
“No, I’ve experienced far worse than that, so it’s nothing compared to what I’ve seen.”
“Father?”
Adèle looked at the Count in disbelief.
She hadn’t wanted to see him upset, but hearing that made it impossible to simply let him go.
“When were you ever… Father, you’ve never failed even once!”
The only person who could insult her father was herself. Adèle’s breath, subdued for days, grew ragged.
“But who dared look down on Father like that? When was it?”
“When I picked you out as my heir the moment you were born.”
“…”
“Most people said I was mad. Compared to back then, this is nothing — so you can handle this much yourself.”
It was a scolding, but his smile carried a trace of regret.
The Count, hat in hand again, exuded innate authority and dignity.
Adèle, standing there with a foolish expression, found herself taking a few steps after him without realizing.
“I’m sorry.”
“…”
“I’m truly sorry, Father. I should have been more careful from the start.”
“A Sergio heir should not apologize lightly, didn’t you know that?”
You still have much to learn.
As Adèle clutched at her collar, the Count who had been smiling shrugged and put on a stern face.
He gestured with his chin, and Adèle looked up at him. Their perfectly matching eyes reflected each other entirely.
“…If necessary, I will step in from now on.”
“No. You can’t do that.”
Adèle shook her head vehemently.
If her father intervened, he could achieve the desired result, but that would be the end of it. She no longer needed a flawless caravan—or whatever perfect organization —that made an heir unnecessary.
“I’ll do it. There’s still time.”
“I don’t give second chances.”
“Then why say things you don’t mean? You should’ve just said, ‘Fail, and you’re out.’”
He knew perfectly well she wouldn’t accept it — what was that for?
When Adèle finally smiled, the Count pressed his hat down with one hand. A shadow fell over his reddened eyes, making him feel even more unapproachable. The chill applied to his daughter as well.
“So, Adèle, do you think you can handle this?”
“Of course.”
“It won’t be as easy as you think. Public opinion is against you, and the land has already been handed over to someone else. To turn the situation around, I need to know what your circumstances are.”
“My most difficult problem just got solved a moment ago.”
What else could frighten her now?
Adèle extended a hand first, and the Count gave a disdainful laugh as he shook it.
Reconciled with her father.
Having shed the heaviest burden on her heart, her eyes softened.
“Smiling won’t change things. It’s the same with Caden.”
“It’s the same with Noella.”
The Count frowned and squeezed her hand. It was no wonder he never lost — and she was his daughter after all.
“Wait and see. I’m only just getting started.”
“Will you help me?”
“If you insist I help…”
Adèle pulled the xeroxed letter she had just received from her bosom and waved it.
From the bushes behind her, the sound of Balrok snapping at a sheep bone echoed.
“Whatever I do from now on, just don’t call me crazy.”
