Why Are You So Obsessed With Rejecting Affection? - Chapter 56

A wizard whose mental power had collapsed is easier to use than ten thousand people.

It is already difficult to break a person’s mental spirit, but it is also hard to restore it once it has been broken.

That’s why even when the Grand Duke only came down and went up again, the wizard kept trembling.

When he ascended the stairs, the Grand Duke commanded the guards to keep a close eye on him, then went to find the Division Commander to discuss Shuelina.

“You called for me, Your Grace.”

The knight commander, who rushed to him at his call, bowed in front of the Grand Duke who looked unhappy.

Once a day, the Grand Duke would go to see the wizard, and every time, he would leave in a foul mood. At times like this, they needed to be extra careful.

“Have you checked out the equipment that my daughter made while you were at the entrance to the monster forest?”

“Ah yes, we checked.”

“She was really awesome. Her ability itself was already amazing but I didn’t expect her to be able to use it that way.” The Grand Duke said gently, forgetting his earlier rough expression.

As the general in charge of escorting the Grand Duke and his children, the Knights Commander also witnessed Shuelina using her powers.

It was a situation where Shuelina couldn’t hide where the newly made trapping device came from, so she had no choice but to reveal it to the knights. The Grand Duke wanted to brag about his daughter in many ways so he held onto the Knights Commander and started to show off.

Despite hearing the Grand Duke showing off his daughter with pride many times already, the Knights Commander managed to listen with a straight face, immediately agreeing.

“That’s right, the Young Lady is a wonderful and incredible person.”

On their picnic day, Shuelina used her powers in order for the Grand Duke’s subjugation to continue on without hitch – by creating a place where you lure monsters to one side.

After all, monsters are beings who commit slaughters after smelling fresh human blood and flesh.

With that in mind, Shuelina installed a huge pinwheel right at the entrance of the monster forest.

“After the wizard finishes contacting the Magic Tower, hang him in front of the device.”

“Can I just hang him?”

“The smell of blood oozing will be scattered in the wind, and then, of course, the demons will flock towards that direction.”

The difficulty of hunting during the time of its opening was that monsters were everywhere.

Blind monsters will randomly attack anywhere in the surrounding villages since they aren’t as distracted as easily, so they basically had to attack and defend at the same time and Shuelina was the one who made it possible.

“I will take care of what you have ordered.”

“Shushu has helped me this much, so shouldn’t I do this much with the subjugation?”

“That’s…… right.”

The knight commander stiffened for a moment at his question, then agreed.

Subjugating monsters was the first duty that the head of the Grand Duke family had to fulfill.

Due to that reason, only the Grand Duke has the right to not participate in the New Year’s celebrations held in the Imperial Capital.

Just before New Year’s Day is the annual subjugation, and if there’s a problem, the Grand Duke, the most distinguished knight of the Empire, has always participated in the subjugation to fix it.

But for the first time in his life he said that he would not attend the subjugation.

“If you can’t even contain the monsters that are heading to one entrance only, then you better take off all the amethyst on your shoulders. I don’t need such weak knights in my Order of Knights.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Regardless of the Grand Duke’s sarcastic way of speaking, the knight leader bowed his head deeply.

“Our Shushu’s birthday is on January 1 and I decided to spend her first birthday with all of us together.”

Of course, it would be the same for her second or her twentieth birthday since joining their family.

He was wondering how to carry out the subjugation properly but just before returning from the forest, Shuelina had given him a solution.

Isn’t she a really nice and smart kid?

“We will work harder so that you can spend her birthday with the Young Lady.”

The knight commander exclaimed with a determined face.

The Grand Duke sent the knight commander out of the drawing room with a satisfied face.

‘Let’s go to Shushu now.’

He promised to have tea time with Shuelina.

Entering the sunroom he especially made for Shuelina who likes the warm sunlight, he saw the children together.

“Because it has white fur, let’s call it White.”

“White? Let’s see, White! Do you like it White?”

“Meoow!”

“Big brother Del, I guess it doesn’t like the name White.”

“Don’t listen to this idiot, it’s too straightforward.”

Sitting on the center of the children was the cat they brought from the forest, its fluffy white tail was flicking gracefully with one hind leg up lifted in the air as it licked it.

‘It shouldn’t be dangerous, right?’

The Grand Duke intended to leave the cat alone in the forest.

It was a forest born cat anyway so it wouldn’t matter if he left it alone in the forest.

However, he had no choice but to bring that cat home since Shuelina wanted to take it home, but he was still uncomfortable with the cat.

Through the wizard, he already heard about the plan using the cat and though it was now a destroyed plan, he already knew where it would lead to.

It was a cat caught up in a vicious conspiracy. It was said that the cat was able to maintain its current state thanks to Shuelina, but from the father’s point of view, he was very anxious. (T/N: Oh the author just referred to him as Shushu’s father!)

“Wyndy, Del, Shushu.”

“Oh, Dad!”

The Grand Duke went straight to the children.

As he patted Wyndert’s back and sat down next to Shuelina, he saw the cat staring at him – mysterious golden eyes peering at him.

“It seems like the cat doesn’t like Dad.” Shuelina looked up at the Grand Duke with a slightly sullen face and said.

“You can’t do that cat. You should be nice to my father.”

“Meoow.”

The cat looked up at Shuelina with sad eyes, as if it was wronged.

“You have reflected well! Come on!”

Opening her arms while smiling widely, the cat jumped into Shuelina’s arms immediately and of all things, the cat daringly used the Grand Duke’s legs and chest as a launchpad – on purpose.

“Meooow~.”

The Grand Duke patted the part of his chest that the cheeky cat jumped on using its hind legs, glaring at it.

Anyone could tell that it was an unusual angle, there was no reason for the cat to make the Grand Duke a jump point because it was just on the table. Shuelina was in an easy to access spot if the cat wanted to be hugged.

Whether the Grand Duke glared at it or not, the cat purred with a smile on its face.

“Oh my God, Dad, are you okay?”

Surprised, Shuelina looked at the cat and the Grand Duke alternately in bewilderment, and then smiled clumsily when she saw the cat crying quietly, ‘Meoo-‘.

“It’s a cat so there’s no way it would have impure intentions.”

“It seemed like a malicious cat to me.”

“Is it a demon cat?”

Next to Shuelina who was making excuses for the cat, Wyndert and Deleign were chatting.

By all accounts, the cat had an intention. He didn’t know if it was a spirit creature or a beast, but the Grand Duke still didn’t like it.

“Oh, I see! What if Daddy names the cat?”

“Hmm?”

Shuelina patted the cat with an awkward face and clapped her hands. Puzzled by her sudden request to name the cat, the Grand Duke tilted his head towards Shuelina who was blushing and muttering something.

“I think I started to love Dad ever since you gave me a name so I think the cat will also like you if you give it a name.”

“…….”

Shuelina whispered in a slightly quivering voice.

It was so lovely that the Grand Duke covered his eyes; his heart was pounding.

‘You liked me since the first time you saw me?’

Of course, it was the same with the Grand Duke.

A young child who wasn’t afraid of him at all – he had no choice but to take a liking towards her. Moreover, asking her to be his daughter was probably the best decision he has made ever in his life.

“Then…… Miya. Its crying sound was like ‘miya-mii’ so let’s call it Miya.”

“It’s better than White.” Wyndert muttered at the Grand Duke’s suggestion.

“Miya. Do you like it, Miya?”

This time, Miya did not refuse, but gently waved her tail.

“Without Dad’s permission, you can’t grow up so please give more love to Dad.” Shuelina whispered while touching Miya’s nose.

It was very cute to see the adorable Shuelina talking to the pearl-white cat while hugging it.

As everyone smiled softly, Miya jumped up on the table.

“Gasp, what is that thing doing?”

Miya then turned to the Grand Duke and showed its belly.

Seeing how it was showing off its aegyo without giving time to the people around to be devastated, Deleign gasped.

At this sight, Shuelina burst into laughter.

“Wher…… yah!”

“Oh my, brother!”

“What a wicked cat!”

Deleign was about to touch the cat seeing it become obedient to the Grand Duke, but the cat scratched his hand so he screamed.

“Ackk!”

Miya shook its head at Deleign who was busy rubbing the back of his hand with the light scratch marks on it.

“Why only to me! What kind of cat…… are you sure it is a cat?” Deleign exclaimed.

But the cat only stared at the Grand Duke with the same look it gave Shuelina as if she had been wronged.

“Meooow~”

And next to him, Shuelina looked at the Grand Duke with the same expression.

“Daddy, it’s okay if you also raised Miya right? I want to live with Miya, please?” (T/N: I can’t with this cuteness~)

“…”

“Ahem, Miya. I will protect you until the end, so will you be my cat?”

The Grand Duke, who hadn’t answered for a moment because he’s hesitating, burst out laughing when he saw Shuelina copying him. (T/N: It was the scene where the Grand Duke asked Shuelina to be his adopted daughter.)

* * * 

Upon returning from the nominal inspection, the Emperor immediately went to see his son and then called upon the priest of the temple.

The high priest that has been called for, was very surprised at the words of the Emperor.

“You want to test your spiritual power, but what could be…… Have you discovered a new member of the Imperial Family?”

“Yes.”

“A new royal family that suddenly appeared, heh heh….”

“She is my daughter.”

The high priest’s face lit up at the emperor’s words.

It is a well known fact that the Emperor has lived separately from any female companions for a long time. He has never let anyone enter his room for many years. He spends his time painting and reminiscing over portraits of the late empress instead.

Under the pretext that he already had a prince that had already grown up to a certain degree, He never responded to the requests from high-ranking officials asking him to bear another heir.

But there was a hidden illegitimate child.

The Emperor frowned when the high priest couldn’t control his expression.

“What are you thinking now? She’s my daughter with the (late) Empress – my direct Imperial Princess.”

“Then….”

Not anticipating that the dead Empress would suddenly appear (in their conversation), the high priest looked at the Emperor with his mouth wide open.

Then he took deep breaths as thoughts flashed through his mind.

The baby prince who tragically died six years ago.

The only children the Empress gave birth to were the Crown Prince Lucas and the Baby Prince.

So if the Emperor’s words were true, the only remaining one was the baby prince who had already died and was buried, which would lead him to the conclusion that… the baby prince was actually stolen and taken away.

“Is this really… is this really a member of the Imperial Family?”

“Spiritual powers don’t lie.”

The Emperor eventually finished his private verification process then notified the temple to make a public announcement.