Translator: Nox

Chapter 16

I Will Save My Father

17

While Father’s reputation within the Travel estate was poor, he was actually quite popular once he stepped outside.

A profligate who ruined every family business he touched, yet the undisputed number one in swordsmanship. He had a child but remained unmarried, possessed a magnificent appearance, and had vanished for six years.

Because he remained quiet behind the high, thick walls surrounding the Travel estate, the illusions born of his mysteriousness had grown as large as they could possibly be.

‘Oho. Is she trying to get Dad’s signature on his own wanted poster?’

The situation was interesting now that I could guess the manager’s intention. I watched the scene unfold while sipping my orange juice.

‘It would create an image for the shop as “the tailor shop visited by Raytan Quartz Travel.” It’s not a bad marketing tactic. Though I don’t know if Dad will actually sign a wanted poster!’

From Dad’s perspective, he would only be seeing the top of the tray. Following the manager’s index finger, the wanted poster slid up the side of the tray and revealed itself in front of him.

The Dad in the wanted poster and the Dad sitting on the sofa locked eyes.

“Ahem. Lord Raytan, there is something I simply must tell you…”

“……”

Dad silently lifted his head slightly.

As their gazes met, I drank my juice passionately. I couldn’t take my eyes off them due to the tension.

‘Dad might be a former Grand Master, but his opponent is a veteran merchant!’

I wondered how the manager, who must have climbed to her position after weathering all sorts of hardships, would manage to get Dad’s signature.

“I’m a fan.”

Cough.

“Berry, here’s a tissue.”

I choked at the unexpectedly one-dimensional approach. Theon took my juice glass and pressed a tissue into my hand.

Did she really think she could get Dad’s signature with just that? Really?

Dad remained silent, seemingly feeling no need to respond. Just as I was starting to feel a bit disappointed, the manager’s following words were unusual.

“Twenty-one years ago. You were eight years old. That day you visited Hisport Town using a wine-colored tie as a belt. I doubted my own eyes. Until then, who had ever committed such an act of breaking common sense? A hat must be worn as a hat. Pants must be worn as pants! That kind of prejudice! The idea that an object’s purpose is fixed to only one thing! When my closed-off perceptions were struck by that wine-colored tie and shattered to pieces! My path was decided from that moment. Fashion! Though I didn’t have enough sense to become a designer, I entered this industry! Lord Raytan, you changed my life—”

“……”

Theon and I couldn’t close our gaping mouths as we stared at the manager. After passionately professing her decades-long fandom, the manager finally grew embarrassed at Dad’s question of what her business was and requested a signature on the wanted poster.

Dad’s hand obediently picked up a pen. It seemed he did it just so the manager would stop talking.

“I love—”

“Be quiet, Manager.”

“Yes.”

The manager picked up the receipt and the signed wanted poster, then made a calm but swift exit. Dad let out a short, subtle sigh and turned his head toward us.

“Shall we go now?”

“Yeah!”

“Yes.”

However, Dad’s ordeal did not end there.

Just as we were about to head out to the carriage under the uncomfortably polite send-off from the tailor shop staff, someone called out.

“L-Lord Raytan—!”

It was the head designer of the tailor shop, whom I had seen when my measurements were being taken. The designer’s curly hair bounced like cotton candy as she ran toward Dad in a hurry.

“Are you leaving already? Could you please take a look at these before you go?”

“……”

When Dad stopped walking, the designer tried to regain her dignified composure. However, several symptoms she couldn’t quite hide caught my eye: flushed cheeks, heavy breathing, and a hurried tone as if she couldn’t let Dad get away.

I had a hunch.

‘That person is also a fan of my dad…!’

The more allies Dad had for the future, the better. I checked the name of the tailor shop once more.

Trang Tailor Shop.

I’ll keep it in mind, just in case.

“These are buttons with new designs, and I really wanted to ask Lord Raytan to choose. This button can be embroidered, and the detail on the side of this one is fantastic.”

“Do I only need to decide on the design of the buttons?”

“I would be grateful if you could just pick two from here. They will be used for Lady Berry’s dress.”

Dad carefully examined the buttons in the wooden box the designer held out, even picking them up. This meant they were to his liking, but the decision would take time.

“Theon, shall we head out first?”

“It seems the Master still has business.”

“Dad~ Can we wait outside? I’ll stay with the knights!”

“Okay.”

Dad carefully checked the button designs near the counter and added a word to me as I stood by the door.

“Hold the hand of the biggest knight tightly. I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay. Theon, he says we can go.”

I gave Theon a grin and we headed outside together.

The six knights waiting in front of the shop immediately moved to flank us.

“Dad told me to hold the hand of the biggest knight.”

When I relayed Dad’s words, five large palms were thrust toward me in an instant. Then, they began a brief scuffle to measure their strength against one another.

The knight whose hand remained at the end spoke proudly.

“I am the biggest.”

It was just as I took the knight’s hand.

“Do not come closer.”

Another knight standing on the outer edge spoke in a sharp voice, blocking someone’s path.

Who was it? I couldn’t see because the knight was blocking the view.

“Oh my, the knight is working hard. But I have business with the boy over there.”

Was it someone Theon knew? I turned my head.

Theon was staring blankly ahead, as if he had no idea who the owner of that boisterous voice was.

Then, the owner of the voice managed to peek her face out from beside the knight’s arm.

It was a commoner woman with a warm impression. Upon spotting Theon, she hurriedly spoke to him.

“Theon, you remember me, right? Hmm?”

“The innkeeper?”

Theon’s eyes went wide. I asked him.

“Is it someone you know?”

“She’s the owner of the inn I stayed at before coming to Count Travel’s estate.”

She’s kind, Theon added.

“Yes, yes! You remember? I have something to ask you, could you spare a moment?”

“Yes.”

Isn’t he following her too easily? I hurriedly whispered to Theon.

“Don’t go too far, talk nearby, Theon.”

Theon nodded and took a spot by the wall of the tailor shop building to talk with the woman.

If anything happened, I could just ask the knights for help.

‘By the way, the information about the innkeeper feels like it’s right on the tip of my tongue. I can remember all the famous innkeepers in town.’

I pricked up my ears while playing with the knights, pretending not to be interested in Theon’s conversation.

Theon’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, and the innkeeper was speaking in a low tone, so I couldn’t hear well.

“Lord Raytan is coming out.”

It seemed he had finally chosen the buttons. I was waving to Dad as he stepped out the door when the innkeeper shouted in a voice full of indignation.

“They kicked that young thing out! That sick child!”

“What are you talking about?”

Dad intervened in the conversation.

---

To avoid a scene, we moved to a side alley.

The innkeeper was startled by Dad’s intervention, but she opened her mouth as if she had to say this much at least.

“Even if you were to strike my head, my Lord, I must say what needs to be said.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m looking after a child in my inn who might die tomorrow. He’s a child who was kicked off Count Travel’s land yesterday evening.”

“He must be a child who lived on the ‘Outside.’”

The ‘Outside’ referred to the living space between the walls of Count Travel’s estate. At Dad’s words, the innkeeper continued to explain the situation in a distressed tone.

“That’s right. He’s only six years old, and they say he’s been suffering from an illness. If you saw him yourself, my Lord, you’d understand why I’m doing this. Even if his sister might have stolen something from the Countess…”

It’s Anne…!

The innkeeper’s words flashed through my mind.

Is Aunt Marian blackmailing Anne using her sick younger brother as leverage?

I couldn’t hide my internal shock. To think the altered future was providing a clue.

‘It’s thanks to Theon.’

If only Dad and I had come out, we wouldn’t have met the innkeeper. The link to this incident was Theon.

My heart began to pound for no reason.

“Still, for now…”

The woman grew increasingly emotional, but she seemed to be suppressing her anger because Dad was in front of her. Then, she appealed in a voice filled with resentment.

“His sister, who works as a maid, is still at the Travel estate. Does it make sense to throw a child shivering with chills onto the dirt ground and kick him out?”

“Throw?”

“Yes…! The knights dragged that little thing out and threw him onto the ground with all their might…! I saw it clearly with my own two eyes!”

At those words, Dad, Theon, and I all looked at the knights who were listening to the story together.

“……”

I slowly let go of the knight’s hand I was holding, and Theon muttered with trembling eyes.

“Six years old…”

“It wasn’t us!”

“That area is the responsibility of the 4th Knights. They’re real scoundrels, those guys.”

“If it were me, I would have taken him to a doctor even if it meant using my own money.”

“You too? Me too.”

The knights quickly distanced themselves from the 4th Knights, waving their hands in denial. The knights who came out as guards today belonged to the 2nd Knights.

Dad said to the innkeeper.

“So they say. It seems this has nothing to do with us, so what can be done?”

“My Lord, please help. The doctor in this town says the child’s illness is just a cold, and the medicine he prescribed is useless, so the symptoms are only getting worse. Besides, that child’s sister is a maid who worked in your annex. So—”

“Which is why I can’t just help recklessly. The Countess might have ordered Anne’s family to be kicked out. The treatment of maids isn’t under my jurisdiction. The people around here are quite sensitive about anyone infringing on their authority because of the position of the next Family Head.”

“……”

Dad was an aristocrat as well. Since he refused while explaining circumstances he didn’t even need to tell a commoner, she wouldn’t be able to ask him to help the child any further. The innkeeper let out a sigh and bit her lip.

Using Theon as an excuse to somehow get Dad’s help must have been the only way the woman could save Anne’s younger brother.

“That poor little thing… What will happen to him…”

A small murmur echoed from the woman’s mouth as she hung her head. it was a mixture of resignation and resentment.

Judging by the story I just heard, it didn’t seem like they even knew each other originally.

‘There are people who would step forward in front of a noble to help a child they’ve met for the first time. If she had done that to my aunt or uncle, she wouldn’t have met a good end.’

My dad might look fierce, but he’s the kindest.

But really, that face, I almost remember it…

Dad asked the woman.

“Which inn do you run?”

“…It’s the Moonflower Inn. It’s a small three-story inn at the edge of the center of Hisport Town.”

Ah! I remembered.