64 – My Disapproving Father – Part 3 –
– Bbaekkom.
Olivia, lying on the bed, cradled her teddy bear and glanced outside.
Ricardo, on a mission to catch a thief.
A tall man standing confidently in front of the door, despite being a thief.
– Go.
– …
– I said, leave!
The atmosphere between the two was uneasy.
Seemingly engaged in a serious conversation, Olivia on the second floor could only hear shouts.
Ricardo, fists clenched, shouted at the thief, exhaling deeply in frustration, while the thief stood silently, watching Ricardo.
‘It looks interesting…’
Seemingly sharing an amusing story. Disappointed that she wasn’t included, Olivia, cuddling her teddy bear tightly, murmured.
‘Hug me too…’
Ricardo gestured for the thief to leave. The thief stood still, silently holding his ground.
Pushing and resisting, the two continued their struggle.
Olivia, who could only watch the interesting events unfold, felt restless.
‘I can’t see the benefits…’
Olivia peeked out the window with curiosity.
‘I feel like I’ve seen that somewhere before.’
Brown hair.
Insisting on conquering the black.
The sword with a golden hilt.
It was a familiar sight from the social scene.
Seemed like someone constantly by the Emperor’s side…
Who could it be?
Olivia pondered deeply.
“I have no idea…”
Ricardo and the man were engrossed in conversation.
The stranger, looking at Ricardo with a stern expression, while Ricardo let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair.
“Do you expect me to do that?”
“…”
“Is that what a father figure does?”
“It’s not for you to judge.”
“…sigh.”
Ricardo tilted his head back, exhaling a deep sigh.
A familiar expression.
It reminded Olivia of when she mentioned liking Mikhail at the academy and faced a similar reaction from herself.
Please, don’t do this.
“Why won’t you listen to me…”
“Why are you stopping me? I can like him too!”
“To prevent the lady from getting hurt. That’s why.”
“Shut up. Just shut up… You’re just like everyone else. Not supporting while pretending…”
“Please… Couldn’t you just listen to me this time?”
“Just shut up!”
Running a hand through his hair while sighing deeply was a habit of Ricardo’s when he was angry.
He couldn’t say mean things.
Frustration turned to anger.
Ricardo, unable to do this or that, found solace only in this habit.
Olivia, who often made Ricardo angry at the academy, knew more about his habits than anyone else.
Looks like the conversation wasn’t going well.
Ricardo glared at the man.
The man made a fierce expression towards Ricardo.
A jagged energy began to flow from the two of them.
Olivia clenched her fist at the sight.
‘Ah… This isn’t good.’
Ricardo said that his arm was hurting.
Olivia was still concerned about Ricardo.
A moment passed.
-Swosh…
The two drew their swords.
Olivia looked out the window and shouted.
“Gomtang, attack!”
-Groar…
Gomtang hid deeply in Olivia’s arms.
“Eeek…”
Gomtang’s life was precious.
***
A massive mountain appears before my eyes.
Histania Rowen.
The strongest man in the empire stood before me.
[Histania Rowen Lv. 100]
[Occupation: Royal Knight Captain]
[Favorability: -61]
[Preferred conversation topics: Histania’s honor/ skilled swordsmen/ praises for children/ safety of children]
[Disliked conversation topics: Incompetent father/ untalented swordsman/ self-evaluation/ arrogant person/ one-sided disregard]
Just standing there, Histania Rowen exuded a strong sense of intimidation. I couldn’t imagine being able to defeat him.
Rowen awkwardly spoke to me.
“Long time no see.”
A deep voice resonated in my ears.
The voice of a swordsman who had surpassed countless adversaries.
Sweat cooled in my hands due to the tension.
I was overwhelmed by the force emanating from him, though not a word had been exchanged.
“Why have you come?”
I said to Rowan with a serious expression.
“We don’t entertain peddlers.”
From Noble mtl dot com
It was a sort of survival instinct.
The essence of the steward’s experience in shooing away countless peddlers who mistook the mansion for an empty house and beggars who intended to squat.
When a crisis arises, efficiently repelling is a steward’s virtue. So, I looked straight at Rowan, who seemed ousted from home, and spoke.
“No electric mats, no germanium bracelets, no loans. Please leave.”
Desperately, I feigned ignorance of the man before me.
Feigning familiarity might disrupt my blissful unemployed life. Even if a world-ending force stood before me, anything interfering with my carefree existence, wanting to live ignorantly, must be treated as less than a bowl of soup.
This was the survival instinct of a possessing entity.
Rowan appeared taken aback.
It was a rare sight to see the commander of the Imperial Knights flustered by a mere word, but I restrained the rising laughter and firmly reiterated,
“Leave.”
“Do you not know who I am?”
“It’s going to be a cold winter, so just go.”
“…”
At my adamant words, Rowan clenched his twitching forehead.
Internally, I screamed,
“Please leave.”
“Please leave.”
“Go home and polish your shoes.”
How dismal the world must be to end up in such a dreary place. Though I spoke to Rowan with the thought of ‘Just go back,’ he sighed deeply and said to me,
“It’s my first time being treated as a peddler.”
This treatment amused Rowan.
In the original work, Rowan disliked introducing himself. His face was his business card, his sword the symbol of the Empire.
To him, someone who didn’t know himself was deemed unworthy of conversation, a lofty knight.
When Rowan first met Uria in the novel.
“Who are you?”
“I am Histania…”
– It looks like a mere illusion no matter how you look at it.
-…
There was a description of Rowen being snubbed by Yuriya, leaving without looking back. Later, when Mikhail introduced himself as his mentor, it could have clarified the misunderstanding, but Rowen knew he was sensitive to being disregarded for his reputation.
His own name.
The influence of Histania.
Rowen’s reputation was so great that in the empire, there was hardly anyone who didn’t know of him. That might be why he could have this kind of confidence.
‘If you don’t know me, come and study.’ It feels something like that.
So, I am utilizing the knowledge from the original work as much as possible, hoping for Rowen to turn around.
Rowen let out a deep sigh.
“I am Histania Rowen.”
It seems my strategy hasn’t worked, after all.
“I am the commander of the Imperial Knights. The man known as the Empire’s Blade.”
“…”
“I have come to speak to you.”
Rowen said to me.
He spoke with a firm face, as if there was an answer I must hear, and I felt there was no escape.
I reluctantly bowed my head politely and showed courtesy.
“I am Lady Deathmont’s attendant. Ricardo.”
Bowing slowly and making my greetings, I looked straight at Rowen’s face.
“It is an honor to meet the Empire’s Blade. Could you forgive my earlier rudeness?”
I displayed awkward manners to Rowen.
It implied the mistake of not contacting and coming as ordered. I said,
“If I had contacted and come, I wouldn’t have shown such disgraceful behavior. I apologize.”
“Enough.”
Rowen waved his hand, forgiving my mistake.
To lead Rowen to the mansion, I politely said, ‘It’s humble, but please come in.’ Rowen lightly declined by gesturing with his hand, ‘I’ll only discuss the matter and leave. It’s alright,’ refusing to enter the house.
It was fortunate.
The mansion was a mess because I hadn’t cleaned it. Furthermore, if the young lady saw Rowen, she would surely comment, ‘Nothing in his head but a sword.’ So, silently, I thanked Rowen for making a wise decision to protect the young lady’s reputation.
-Thud.
Rowen glanced at me.
God starts from the shoes.
Black sword at the waist.
Even to the red hair.
After scrutinizing meticulously, he spoke to me.
“Do you know Histania Hanna?”
“Yes, she’s a friend I recently made.”
“Friend…”
“Yes.”
Rowen nodded slightly and began to talk about the main topic.
“I heard about you from Malic. He said you’re a brave and talented inspector.”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
It’s a grateful compliment.
He dropped such flattery.
It came from the mouth of an unwelcome person, but it didn’t feel bad.
After all, it was praise from the Empire’s inspector.
The last time Malic came to the mansion, he made a request to me.
– Hey, Ricardo.
– Yes.
– Can I ask you one thing…?
A request to help reconcile Father and Hanna.
He had carefully asked me, hoping that just as he was able to reconcile thanks to my help, Hanna would also open her heart to her father with my help.
– No, I won’t.
I had firmly refused Malic’s request.
Personally, I think outsiders interfering in someone else’s family affairs is not right.
I didn’t want to get involved in that matter, especially since I knew about Hanna’s future death due to my indifference.
And I didn’t want to say the cruel words telling Hanna to open her heart to the father who had tormented her all her life.
To put it bluntly, I didn’t think that just because I told Hanna to get along with her father, she would actually do it.
Above all, the most important thing was that it wasn’t Hanna’s will.
So I rejected Malic’s request.
I didn’t want to meddle in someone else’s family affairs.
I thought the worst thing in the world was meddling in someone else’s family affairs.
I waited for the words to come out of Rowan’s mouth with a cold, piercing gaze.
“I came with a favor to ask.”
“I thought if it was you who handed the sword to Hanna, you could do it.”
A ominous premonition washed over me.
“The way to make Hanna let go of the sword… No, make Hanna put down the sword.”
I clenched my fist.
“Is that what Father wants?”
“Changing the subject, I see.”
“I can’t understand the subject because I’m an orphan.”
A blue aura explosively flowed from Rowan’s body.
An intense aura that stung the skin.
In contrast, I began to emit a faint aura. I couldn’t win, but I moved maliciously, hoping to be able to tear at the throat. I gathered the aura at my fingertips.
Even a bear would feel pain if stung.
Rowan drew his sword.
I, too, drew my sword.
Our auras converged at the tip of the swords.
A loud noise echoed from the second floor.
“Guards! You tax thieves who are playing around! Thieves are here!!!”
The young lady was holding a bowl of bear stew and hiding her face.
“D-don’t… don’t fight!”
She tightly closed her eyes and trembled.
It seemed like I was more worried than necessary.
“Pff… Alright, understood.”
I chuckled and sheathed my sword. Then, facing Rowan, who wore an expression of incomprehension, I spoke.
“Go. It seems the captain of the knights shouldn’t be getting close to Miss Hanna.”
Although I heard a muttered “arrogant bastard” from behind, I casually ignored it and went up to the mansion.
So all of the characters here is either very stubborn or very naive.
Where is the just shut up part though?