Chapter 40

Ares has recognized me as a competitor fighting for the next Duke Paeraton since he first saw me.

That means that I am recognized as a member of the family.

‘But why can’t the quest be completed?’

I was lost in thought.

How many more times did the sound of her pecking cookies sound?

“Oh, I see.”

For Ares, I am not a member of the family, but I have to be removed from the family to get more chances.

When Ares becomes Duke Paeraton, there is no place in the family.

In the future he draws, I’m not part of the family.

“….”

You hate me as much as -444, so I can’t tell.

Still-.

At that time, a warm and soft feeling brushed my palm.

Hermes tweet was rubbing his small hair on the palm of my hand.

“Hermes?”

“If we meet three more times, I’ll tell you my nickname, tweet!”

Are you comforting me?

“tweet, it’s not that I don’t allow you because I don’t like you, tweet! It’s just too early!”

“You want to wait a little.”

“They said I shouldn’t look too easy!”

What did they teach the bird?

But thanks to that, I laughed.

‘…….Ares doesn’t have a real family.’

Having no family at all.

Even if you do, you close the door and refuse.

Either side is sad.

Then, the door suddenly opened.

“What are you doing?”

“Ixion!”

I jumped up and ran to Ixion and held his hand.

“Family is a good thing, right?”

“Suddenly what·····.”

“Right, it’s good, right? It’s good for Ixion, right?”

Ixion looked down at me.

He turned his eyes and said,

“Oh man, really. Why would I….”

He muttered, but eventually nodded.

“·····Go, good.”

“Ixion, your ears are red.”

“It’s not red!”

“Are you ashamed?”

“You’re not cute.” “

“You’re really!”

Ixion shouted loudly but did not let go of the hand I held.

Hehe.

It’s so much fun to tease him.

“More than that, you said you have a favorite bread.”

“…”

The corner of my mouth, which had risen to the fullest, went down at once.

“Why is veryone’s going crazy about that.”

“······.”

“No matter how much I asked, you didn’t tell me what bread it was.”

I can’t tell you!

I don’t think so.

“What is it? Tell me.”

“I, I don’t know.”

“What? Am I the only one who you don’t want to tell about it?”

Ixion frowned.

He looked angry and yelling, but I know.

That’s actually a hurt expression.

“Ugh,·······”

Is this a punishment for teasing Ixion?

“A······.”

“Ah?”

“Ap…”

“Ap?”

I don’t know!

It’s hard to do it once or twice.

“Appang!”

I want to die.

It was a moment when I was thinking about ending my second life like this.

(tl: I’m not entirely sure, okay? I think this Appang is a rice pancake because that was what I researched. but if I’m wrong, feel free to correct me)

Boom!

There was a hole in the wall of my room with a roar.

It’s also a big hole for the people to pass by.

“Damn! You’re so cute!”

“…”

Whi-ing.

The cold winter wind blew through the hole into the room. Will I really die?

Chapter 9. My brother is crying.

Knock knock.

I heard a light knock on the door.

I hid the novel I was reading, “The Wicked Woman Does Not Want Love,” between the cushions.

I was rereading what was summoned to Akitus.

‘It was the climax.’

It was a scene where male-lead, sub male-lead, the original female lead, Prince, Tower lord, Dad, Big brother, Younger Brother, Grandfather, Aunt, Uncle, and even the dog that she raised began to regret after the Female lead collapsed.

It’s interesting even if I read it again.

Pit-a-pat! Pit-a-pat!

When I raised my head to hide my regret, a boy with such dazzling beauty was entering the room that even made me forget the regret.

“Are you here, Ares?”

“You said you’d cooperate. It’s temporary.”

Yes.

Today is the day we decided to meet with Ares to find out the traitor.

I waited for Ares to sit on the sofa and asked.

“So who was the traitor who communicated with Tarenka?”

Ares looked at me with an absurd look and smiled.

“I didn’t know my brother had that side.”

Of course.

“You’ve already figured out who the traitor is. So, it’s easy if you tell me, right?”

“I’m totally sure I found out.”

“Ares, you’re smart. No?”

Ares smiled instead of answering.

It was a beautiful smile with slightly slanted eyes.

“I’m just a collaborator.”

As expected, I was right.

You already figured it out.

Well, I didn’t expect him to tell me right away because he had a -444 favorability.

It’s real. ····I was very excited, but I said,

“Yes, this is my job, so I’ll do it.”

At that moment, Ares’ favorability changed.

[-439]

We escaped from -444!

It only went up a little, but it was good to escape -444, which was like a dead flag anyway.

“So what is my brother going to do?”

“It’s very simple.”

Ehem!

I put both hands on my waist and stretched out my belly.

“If Ares brings me a work journal, I can do it!”

“Everything is solved!”

Ares’ smile deepened on his face.

“I need an explanation.”

It was a face that needed no explanation at all.

Still, I started explaining one by one.

What Ares is curious about is not “why do you need a work journal,” but “how did I come to that conclusion?”

“Paeraton left me to Tarenka and spent a huge amount of child support every quarter.”

I’ve never seen it before.

“Is it over after sending money?”

“It’s definitely not. Of course, it would have been reported to see if I was doing well and if child support was being spent properly.”

“Yeah.”

“But seeing that Paeraton didn’t do anything, it means Nicolas Tarenka made a good double book. At least the documents alone make me think they’re being used well.”

“Tarenka’s documents, who actually came to Paeraton, were perfect. He compared your purchase history in case it was false that you’re buying yours.”

What do you mean by random purchases?

He worked much more meticulously than we thought.

“I can’t believe you didn’t get caught…”

“Maybe he recorded that he spent the money he spent on his daughter on you. Both are girls and similar in age.”

Ares’ eyes became thinner with a dark light.

He leaned his head obliquely, holding his chin drowsy.

“Tsk, both the daughter and the subject, dared to take away Princess Paeraton’s.”

Ares was still smiling, but somehow it was full of tension.

I rushed the story to proceed, wondering if there would be any trouble.

“If the report was perfect, the workers there would be traitors. You can exclude the work journal that I was going to ask Ares for.”

“Then what do you think?”

“The flower of gratitude is due diligence, right? I’m sure the auditor came to the Marquis Tarrenka to audit the situation. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“…I see.”

A real auditor has been dispatched.

My family didn’t forget to watch me.

It’s just that the eyes are rotten.

A sense of relief came to the point where the strength was drained from the body.

“What’s wrong?”

he asked when he peeked up at me.

“You were the one who reasonably thought and affirmed that the due diligence would have been carried out, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

“But why is that reaction?”

I thought the due diligence would have been carried out, but deep inside my heart, there was a faint suspicion.

While I was in Marquis Tarenka, I thought I was completely abandoned.

They don’t even give child support, so when they weren’t on my side, then it must be.

I am really abandoned.

So please come and see me just once.

I’ll work hard as my uncle tells me to, and I’ll make money for my food, so please show your face.

Please tell me my name.

You don’t have to take me back, so tell me that you didn’t forget me and that you didn’t abandon me.

I prayed every night with my hands together.

And at some point, I even beg for it.

“I know. What’s wrong with me? Now I know enough that I have not been abandoned.”

“·········Did the dog say such nonsense to you?”

“Huh?”

“What kind of punk?”

Surprised, I looked at Ares, but he was still smiling gracefully.

“You thought you’ve been abandoned.”

“…… Yeah.”

I was a little embarrassed, so I nodded in a pathetic way.

“Raise your head, Luatisha Paeraton.”

When I raised my head still, Ares came near and made eye contact.

“There is no one in the world who can abandon you.”

Ares’ red eyes were like fire.

So fiery that it can’t be denied.

“No one?”

“Yes, except for me.”

“…”

No, I was almost touched.

Why are you excluded?

Usually in this situation, shouldn’t you say, “I’m the only one who never abandons you?”

“When I become Paeraton’s master, I can abandon you.”

“…”

“But no one but me, no one else, can abandon you.”

I looked at Ares still.

His face was infinitely serious.

So I realized.

“Ares, you really like me.”

Although his favorability is still negative.

But-.

“Ares definitely started to love me.”

[-444]

The likeability went down again and became -444, but I didn’t lose my confidence.

‘4 is not a death, but a love number’

“What?”

“Right?”

Ares did not take his eyes off me smiling brightly.

The long-stretched boy’s eyelashes trembled.

Ares’ lips moved, but his voice was so small that I couldn’t hear what he meant.

Ares bowed his head with one hand wrapped around his face.

“Ares?”

“…Keep talking about what you’ve been talking about. We just met to do that.”

It was a calm voice, but I felt something strange.

You’re trying to push me away again.

It stings, my heart aches.

But he’s definitely trying to push me away because I’m getting closer to Ares’ heart.

That must be true.

I clenched my fist and spoke in a bright voice.

“The auditor who came to Marquis Tarenka must have known that my child support expenses were only adding oil to my uncle’s belly fat!”

Of course, Nicolas Tarenka was not just useful with money.

“Not only that, but you knew that I was working all day without getting a proper meal.”

“You didn’t get a meal?”

Ares raised his head.

“Did he starve you? A person who eats well like you?”

“No, I didn’t eat that much…”

…. Well, I ate a lot, but I was still embarrassed.

But babies should eat a lot.

No matter what anyone says, I’m four years old!

I quickly regained my confidence and continued to talk.

“Uncle would have suggested it to the auditor. If you tell me the results of the audit well, I’ll give you a percent from the child support.”

It’s a very definite deal.

“I don’t want to say…. just because of money, but a lot of evil things happen only because of money.”

“Yes, and Nicholas must have made fun of the bottom.”

“That girl is not the Duke’s biological daughter. Isn’t there no magic?”

“What?”

“It’s evidence that the duke’s wife had an affair, so Duke Paeraton would rather hate that girl.”

(tl: lulu was talking from the marquis point of view)

It’s a word that can’t hurt me anymore.

Because I’m dad’s daughter.

My name is Luatisha Paeraton.

I’m fine.

So I can talk calmly and casually.

“Even if she is a biological daughter, he won’t care much for a daughter with a defect in Duchy Paeraton. Isn’t Paeraton unfriendly to his family?”

With a plausible word and a golden money in front of him.

The flashing light, caught in his gaze, can be easily taken by reaching out, would have paralyzed his reasoning very sweetly.

Or maybe he was just a thoughtless person from the beginning.

“······ Now I know.”

Ares’ voice, which opened its mouth after a long silence, was strange.

A machine-like voice.

“Why you asked me if the reason I hated you is because you’re an illegitimate child.”

The moment I raised my head and faced Ares, my jaw stiffened.

There was no expression on his face.