CHAPTER 57……………………………………..
“How do you even use this thing?!”
“I guess it really bothered you, just sitting there listening quietly.”
Kyle-dad patted my head once before starting his explanation.
“You put the device in here, then turn this dial to the time you want to listen to.”
“Here?”
“Yeah, right there. A full turn is 24 hours, so calculate carefully.”
“Uh-huh. But something’s showing up on the dial?”
It looked kind of like… waves.
“That means there’s audio recorded during that time.”
“Wow.”
I didn’t know Kyle-dad could be this detail-oriented.
Impressed all over again, I began turning the dial.
‘This should be where it starts.’
It seemed like I’d already heard up to this point.
‘I’ll skip the work part.’
Slowly, I turned the dial and listened carefully to the sounds that played back.
How long had I been listening?
When I’d gone through the whole range until the dial couldn’t turn anymore—
“……”
I slowly turned my head to look at my two dads.
Something seemed… off.
“There’s nothing really there, huh?”
“Agreed.”
“Knew it.”
The device was unanimously voted out, three strikes.
I slumped my shoulders dejectedly.
He really talked about nothing but work the whole time until he got back to the bedroom.
So cold. So ruthless.
“Indoor shoes.”
This time, Derrick-dad handed me the other listening device.
Still pouting, I inserted it into the machine and turned the dial again.
The part where Berthold looked like he changed shoes should be about here.
‘I really hope there’s something this time.’
And so another long listening session began.
“…Huh?”
As I focused, a faint sound made me frown.
“Wait.”
I thought I heard something.
“Can’t we turn up the volume?”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t put that feature in.”
Kyle-dad shook his head slowly.
I pressed my ear against the machine, replaying the same section over and over.
It sounded like someone murmuring—so quietly even they probably didn’t realize it.
“I could add that feature, but it’ll take a while… why? What did you hear?”
Kyle-dad leaned in awkwardly to listen as well when—
“…The focal point.”
Derrick-dad muttered in a low, slow voice.
“If we get rid of the focal point, it’s over.”
“The focal point?”
Kyle-dad frowned immediately.
“What’s that?”
Oh, right. He wasn’t in the hallway when the original event played out.
I quickly spoke up.
“Harzen-dad said that to that guy once.”
“What did he say?”
“‘As long as she wishes it, I’ll always remain part of our family! And so will everyone else, for the same reason!’”
Something like that, anyway.
(Note: the details might not be exact.)
Anyway—
“Ugh…”
As soon as I finished, Kyle-dad grimaced.
“He really said that? Gross, seriously.”
Yeah, I see you were deeply moved too, Dad.
It’s okay. I understand everything.
“Anyway.”
I smiled a little and continued.
“So, getting rid of the focal point probably means…”
I stopped there, unable to finish the thought.
‘Is it okay to say this?’
Since no “spoiler warning” window had popped up yet, it seemed safe.
But saying “Mom’s going to die” out loud again was kind of scary after last time—
“They’re trying to kill Yuria, huh?”
At that moment, Kyle-dad said it outright.
“Gasp.”
I stared at him and then at the scrolling display.
‘Is he okay? Is Dad okay?’
He didn’t seem to be having trouble breathing. Still alive, still breathing.
No spoiler window popped up either.
‘So it’s fine because it’s deduction, not a spoiler?’
Unlike before, when I mentioned it first or when the culprit said it,
this time he’d reasoned it out himself.
‘So maybe the restrictions depend on whether it’s intentional as a spoiler?’
Or maybe they just can’t kill off a main character like Dad?
Either way—
‘He finally got it.’
Someone else—not me, but Dad—finally realized that Mom was in danger!
“You little—”
As I was silently overwhelmed, Kyle-dad growled again.
“That bastard thinks he can lay a hand on Yuria? That son of—!”
I instinctively flinched.
Uh-oh, wait a minute.
“I’ll kill that piece of trash right now!”
This… this might be a problem.
“No, Dad!”
I quickly snapped out of it and hugged his waist tightly.
First things first—calm Dad down!
“He’s a prince! If you kill him, we’re in big trouble!”
Sure, if Dad killed him, everything would get solved quickly.
Way too easily, even.
But the guy’s the Imperial Prince!
“It’s fine. I’ll make sure no one ever finds out.”
He gritted his teeth as he said it, already moving toward the door—with me still clinging to him.
Dragged along, I dug my heels in and fought back with all my strength.
“At least Harzen-dad would notice!”
After all the years they’ve spent together, no matter how cleanly he does it, they’d know.
“…Damn it.”
Finally, Kyle-dad ran a frustrated hand through his hair, then knelt down to meet my eyes.
“Listen, Cece.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Like you said, the only reason we all came together was because of your mom—Yuria.
That bastard was right about one thing: Yuria is our focal point.”
“Uh-huh…”
Of course. I know that better than anyone.
“You and Yuria are our reason for living—our drive, our everything.”
I took a deep breath, meeting his silver eyes.
To think he even included me in this grand emotional narrative… I’m touched—
“So if I kill that bastard, Harzen will just have to understand.”
“……”
“He can die with him if he doesn’t.”
…and there goes the touching part.
I pouted, my earlier warmth fading.
Of course, I understood how he felt. A thousand times over.
I knew this was a natural reaction.
And yeah, it was probably the quickest and surest way.
But still…
“Even if we know he’s talking about Mom, others don’t.”
I slowly began speaking again.
“If people find out you killed that man—and you get punished for it…”
If that happens, and our family gets torn apart forever—
“I don’t want to be separated from you, Dad.”
Saving Mom was important, but so was keeping my dads with me.
Even if we saved her, if one of my dads was gone, the “family” I wished for would be broken.
‘I don’t want that.’
What I want is for all of us to live happily together.
That’s why Kyle-dad’s way didn’t fit my goal.
“Agreed.”
Derrick-dad, who’d been quiet all this time, placed a hand on Kyle-dad’s shoulder and spoke slowly.
“Someone will notice.”
“……”
“Unique method.”
In other words: Kyle-dad’s method was so unique, someone was bound to figure it out.
“Damn it.”
Kyle-dad ran a hand roughly through his hair and sighed.
“So what, we just leave things as they are?”
