TDS 24

Chapter – 24

“This is a problem. You can’t attend without your parents. Did your father not come with you?”

“…Yes.”

“It seems I’ve made you come for nothing. Even your father should come along. You see, this is a gathering for the children’s enrollment, but the main participants are really the mothers. In fact, there isn’t a single father attending…”

The lady trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed. I hastily spoke up, sensing she was already preparing to turn me away.

“Would Hara-buddy (grandfather) work?”

“Even your grandfather won’t do. It has to be your parents.”

“Then, instead, Ersha Sansening?”

“Teachers won’t do either, child. This is for adults only.”

“….”

“Though it’s unfortunate, there seems to be no other way. Bring your mother along, then.”

The noblewoman smiled warmly, yet firmly, as she concluded.

“I suppose that was a polite rejection.”

“Seems so.”

I returned home, feeling defeated. They wanted my mother to come. My grandfather wouldn’t work, and since there was no mention of fathers attending, only my mother would do.

But I didn’t have a mother.

“Ersha, where did you suddenly get a mother from?”

“Hmm… I can’t ask the Marquis either…”

“That’s true…”

I had a father who could be brought along, but there was no way he’d come with me. He was my biological father, who always told me not to come near him. Would he even consider my request?

“If I go with Papa Guri and Gati, they’ll 100% reject it. Everyone knows our papa is a rogue.”

“That’s probably true…?”

Who would want to make connections with the child of a rogue noble?

I had no expectations, yet I didn’t want to give up.

“There’s no other way. But still, we’ll try.”

“Huh?”

I went to Léo’s room with Limerick. He was having a very late lunch in the dining hall, so I decided to wait until he returned.

I waited by the door for about thirty minutes. When Léo and Krovi came up the stairs, I dashed to them.

“Abudi!”

“!”

“Ersha!”

Léo froze, and Krovi lit up immediately upon seeing me.

“What are you doing here? Waiting for the Marquis?”

“Yes! Abudi, I have a request.”

Léo frowned at my words. He clearly wasn’t pleased to see me. But I wasn’t here because I wanted to see him—I had a request.

“It’s a really important request. Ersha has somewhere to go.”

“Go alone. Bring a maid or something.”

Léo replied indifferently, turning as if to go back inside. I stretched out my arm to block him.

“I really want to ask Abah! But I have no choice. They said to bring Abah with me!”

“Who said that?”

Finally, Léo seemed interested in my words. I quickly pulled Limerick closer.

“Sansening, explain it for me.”

“….”

Limerick’s presence drew a sharp glare from Léo, who seemed to ask, Why is he here? Limerick avoided his gaze and finally spoke.

“It… it’s the Arte Castle gathering.”

“Arte Castle?”

“Yes. It’s a study group formed by parents hoping to enroll their children in the So Genius Academy. It’s very secretive and difficult to join. Actually, Miss Ersha went alone before, but they said she must bring her parents…”

“Ha… So Genius Academy, huh?”

Léo muttered in disbelief. Even I had to admit it was absurd.

I wasn’t a genius, nor had I received proper education. I was more like an ugly duckling. And now I was supposed to enter the empire’s premier academy? Anyone would laugh.

Léo turned threateningly toward Limerick.

“Not slacking off, but sending a kid to such a harsh place?”

“Th-that’s not it—.”

“I want to go there! I asked Sansening to bring me!”

“You? You want to go?”

“Yes! I want to go because I want to be smart.”

“….”

Léo stared at me silently. Time seemed to freeze. His eyes conveyed silent criticism: Where is the genius here?

“Absurd. No. Don’t bother with unnecessary things. Absolutely not.”

“I need Abah. They said to bring parents. If Abah refuses, I need a new Abah, a new mother!”

I stared at him intensely, like a rebellious child. Léo chuckled incredulously.

Krovi, who had been quietly observing, confidently jumped in.

“How about me, Ersha! I’ll go instead of you, Marquis!”

“Please, Papa… I beg you!”

“I also beg you, Marquis! Let me go in her place!”

“These two…”

Léo frowned, glancing between me and Krovi. Limerick, meanwhile, hunched and bowed, avoiding Léo’s intimidating stare.

Krovi’s reasons were unclear, but he seemed just as desperate as I was.

Léo looked at the sight of these pathetic gestures, then finally turned.

“There’s no choice. I’ll have to go.”

“Really?”

I asked again, unable to believe it. Léo’s frown deepened, and Krovi mirrored my disbelief.

“Marquis, are you saying this because you don’t want to go instead?”

“You didn’t suddenly change your mind, did you? Did you oversleep? Are you drunk? Are you planning to pick a fight instead?”

“What?”

Did I just say that out loud? I quickly covered my mouth. Even though I was worried, it was such a relief that he agreed to go with me.

After lowering my hands, I hesitated a bit, wondering if showing gratitude would prevent him from backing out. I glanced at him and nervously fidgeted with my fingers.

“…Thank you, Papa. You’re really going, right?”

“….”

“Ugh… my heart!”

Krovi acted as if he were about to faint, but I felt a chill of embarrassment myself. It was like I was flattering Léo, and he seemed to feel the same, furrowing his brows strangely.

Finally, the long-awaited day arrived.

I left the mansion, dressed more formally and elegantly than usual. In front of the entrance, Léo’s carriage awaited, drawn by four white horses.

The carriage, fit for the horses, had gold trimmings and was lavishly decorated with colorful jewels.

It screamed extravagant wealth—the kind only a rogue noble could display. I squinted at the rainbow-like reflection of the gems in the sunlight.

‘Léo really goes all out even for a parent meeting,’ I thought.

As I turned, I saw Léo stepping out, leaving the servants behind. My jaw dropped at his appearance.

‘Is he really going to a parent meeting like that?’

Even compared to other noblewomen, he was more dazzling.

His silver hair flowed freely, earrings glittered faintly, rings of all kinds adorned his fingers, and his robes were intricately embroidered with gold and silver threads.

Even without decoration, he would be dazzling. But dressed like this, it was the pinnacle of extravagance. No wonder he intimidated anyone, anywhere.

“Abudi… it hurts my eyes.”

I covered my eyes with both hands.

Papa strode past me, seemingly ignoring my presence. Léo’s signature intoxicating scent wafted past me as he brushed by.

Shaking my head, I followed him up to the carriage.

Riding with a rogue father in such style, could we really gain entry to Arte Castle?

But as they say, if you have no expectations, you cannot be disappointed. There was nothing to lose. The challenge itself was meaningful, and having Léo accompany me was already something.

Thinking that, I glanced at him across from me. At that moment, he looked toward me, so I quickly turned to the window.

“….”

A tense silence filled the carriage. Krovi and Limerick were there too, but being cramped together with Léo made me strangely uncomfortable.

In my previous life, my father was a figure of lifelong revenge and resentment.

Now, even though that role was replaced by Marquis Léo, a completely different person, the awkward feeling lingered.