Worst Father-Daughter Reunion (3)
“…Count Deha.”
A tall, elegant middle-aged man with streaks of gray in his red hair stepped forward, instantly calming the noisy crowd.
“Since the appointment will begin shortly, I suggest everyone compose themselves.”
“Cough… yes. We were just about to do that, Count Deha.”
The red-haired noble was a familiar figure in the novel.
He was Rapiell’s guardian—and her “godfather.”
‘He’s the type who becomes a daughter-con immediately faster than Grandel.’
He was also the grandfather of Kedia Deha, the red-haired boy who had previously flattened the nose of the fat noble boy, Patio.
Despite being nearly eighty, his aging was extremely slow due to his immense magical power. He still looked like he was in his forties.
But there was something even more astonishing.
“Under the reign of His Majesty Grandel de Skadi, year 89. We now welcome the 184th and 185th candidates for the throne.”
Eighty-nine years.
Since Grandel ascended the throne at around eighteen, that meant he was now over a hundred years old.
Even in ten centuries of recorded history, there had never been such a vast magical capacity. Blessed by the Staff, he had transcended human limits—practically incapable of dying.
His achievements alone had repeatedly saved the continent from annihilation, to the point where calling him a god was not an exaggeration.
But to Sanel, he was just an old man with a good face.
‘Thinking about it, he met Rapiell’s mother when he was already over ninety. What kind of shameless old man is that?’
While Sanel inwardly criticized Grandel, the group finally reached their designated position.
As they stopped before the throne, the hall fell completely silent.
Grandel flicked his hand, and light particles gathered in the air.
Swoooosh…
From the crystal ceiling that showed the bright sky, a beam of light descended, forming something between him and the children.
A translucent sheet.
A mysterious parchment-like object that shimmered like glass.
It was extremely long, and already contained 183 names.
‘So that’s the candidate list.’
The parchment then rolled itself up slightly, extending its lower section to reveal the 184th and 185th empty slots.
“Your names.”
Grandel’s gaze fell on Sanel and Rapiell.
As part of the ritual, each candidate had to announce their own name.
Rapiell spoke first.
“Ra… Rapiell…”
Her voice was barely audible, obediently following Sanel’s instruction to behave.
Grandel casually wrote the name on the parchment. Blue light shimmered along his handwriting.
“And you.”
Sanel stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, before I state my name, may I ask something?”
Murmurs erupted immediately.
“How insolent!”
“How dare she speak to His Majesty—!”
“Enough.”
Grandel stopped them.
“Speak.”
Sanel swallowed and continued calmly.
“As you know, I was born without mana.”
The nobles stirred.
“Is that Publico rumor true…?”
“Then why would His Majesty appoint her as a candidate?”
Grandel simply responded flatly.
“So?”
Sanel didn’t back down.
“May I ask why I’ve been chosen as a successor candidate? Without mana, I doubt I can be recognized by the Staff.”
Her composed tone, spoken by a child of four or five, made the nobles even more uneasy.
Grandel answered without hesitation.
“No particular reason.”
“…Pardon?”
“Just added you.”
“Just… added me?”
“Thought you might suffer a bit.”
He smiled slightly.
‘That bastard… he really just wanted to mess with me?!’
Being a candidate was a double-edged sword.
No performance meant losing support—and becoming a target in the succession struggle.
In other words, she had just been thrown into a shark tank.
“W-wait, Your Majesty, this is—”
Before she could continue—
“Your Majesty!”
A voice rang out.
“…Rapiell?”
“Don’t force my sister!”
“…?”
Rapiell suddenly shouted, raising her hand.
“Don’t make people do things they don’t want! If you don’t like being forced, then you wouldn’t like it either!”
Grandel’s eye twitched.
Sanel quickly covered Rapiell’s mouth.
“Rapiell! Shh!”
But Rapiell shoved her hand away again.
“Adults are so selfish! They send assassins, say mean things, and force us to do stuff! It’s not cool at all! I’m not going to be an adult! Sister, let’s stay children forever!”
Silence fell over the hall.
Sanel wanted to cry.
Then—
“Hahahaha!”
A booming laugh echoed.
“How adorable!”
Count Deha burst into laughter.
“One seems exceptionally brilliant, and the other appears to possess remarkable magical talent blessed even by His Majesty! The future of Skadi looks bright indeed! Don’t you agree? Hahaha!”
“Count Deha, in this situation—”
“And what? Is that not something to be happy about?”
“….”
No one dared respond.
‘He’s doing that on purpose.’
He was deliberately playing the fool to soften Rapiell’s outburst.
Sanel’s impression of him immediately rose.
Then—
“Brat.”
Grandel spoke to Sanel.
“…Me?”
“I don’t change my decisions.”
He wrote Sanel’s name onto the parchment anyway.
Rapiell flared up again, but Sanel quickly restrained her.
“And Count Deha.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“If you like them so much…”
“I do, yes.”
“Then you will become their guardian.”
“…Pardon?”
“You will raise them properly while I am away.”
Deha blinked in surprise, then bowed.
“As you command.”
Grandel continued.
“Especially the one who resembles that dead woman.”
A chill swept through the hall.
Everyone knew who he meant—but no one dared say it aloud.
“Rapiell candidate, I assume?”
Grandel summoned the Staff again.
The black blade materialized, shimmering faintly with white light.
The light moved—toward Rapiell.
Gasps erupted.
“The Staff is reacting!”
Rapiell frowned at the approaching light and waved her hands in irritation.
“Hmm… it’s responding. Not bad.”
“It reacts to her…? Impossible!”
Deha spoke carefully.
“Your Majesty, if you show this openly, other candidates may—”
Grandel dismissed the Staff.
“They can barely react at all. That’s all I need to know.”
He leaned back.
“Let them try. That girl already cleared the rest.”
The nobles stiffened.
Deha exhaled.
“And the other candidate?”
Grandel paused.
“…The other one?”
He thought for a moment, as if it were a difficult question.
“…You handle it.”
Then he stood.
“Tell the mages. Prepare for deployment to the continent.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“The Empire is useless. They cannot contain the corruption alone.”
With that, he left.
Wilbur finally spoke.
“…Is it over?”
Sanel didn’t answer immediately.
‘Rapiell became a candidate. Deha became her guardian. Five years earlier than planned.’
That part was good.
But everything else had gone completely sideways.
‘Still… I can fix this later.’
Grandel would return in five years.
That was the time needed to purify the continent.
Until then, everything had to be prepared.
Sanel clenched her fists.
‘Project Daughter-Obsessed Father, Phase 2… begins.’
