The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 44

#44.

Some elders remained in the detached palace, observing the situation in the main castle. Balzac was among them.

Balzac stared at Ivan, who stood before him. His son, who hadn’t contacted him once, seemed even more elusive than before. His brow furrowed, and Ivan protested with a sulky expression.

“How long are you going to stay cooped up here? Jerarkiel is scolding me even more because of you, Father!”

“If you just kept your mouth shut, half the scolding would disappear.”

“Just tell me to die, then.”

He seemed determined to keep chattering no matter what. Balzac sighed involuntarily.

“What joy was I hoping for in my old age, having a child so late in life?”

“You can ask me, the one who was born, but you won’t get an answer.”

“I was hoping for a daughter this time…!”

“I can be a son *like* a daughter, though? Daddy?”

Ivan tried to act cute, shamelessly spouting words that made Balzac’s skin crawl. Covered in goosebumps, Balzac shouted.

“Don’t say such creepy things!”

Ivan grumbled, then tucked his hair behind his ear, making a sulky face. Balzac watched the bizarre sight and sighed deeply.

“So, what do you think of that child, Chersia?”

“What do you mean?”

“Wouldn’t it be absurd to bring in someone of unclear origin as the mistress of the house?”

“In other words, you’re saying you’ve already done a background check.”

“Did you think I’d just sit idly by?”

Balzac scoffed. As soon as he received the letter from the main castle, he tracked down Chersia’s origins. But he found nothing.

“It’s as clean as if she suddenly fell from the sky.”

“That probably means she was abandoned without even a birth certificate. Fortunately, that gives us plenty of grounds to refute any future claims of ownership.”

“You worry about everything. In the first place, there’s no reason to take that child while antagonizing Jabishi.”

He meant that if there was something special about her, she wouldn’t have been abandoned. But that was before he knew Chersia well. Ivan muttered coldly.

“Well, we’ll see about that.”

Ivan already knew that Chersia had two pheromones, both unique. Therefore, it was right to prepare for a situation where ownership claims might arise in the future.

“See about that? Are you saying she has some hidden power?”

“She is very, very impressive.”

“…What is it?”

At Balzac’s hushed question, Ivan glanced around, then gestured for him to come closer. Balzac leaned forward.

“I’m telling you this especially because you’re my father.”

Gulp.

Balzac swallowed involuntarily, and Ivan whispered in his ear.

“Actually, Jerarkiel is unilaterally clinging to Chersia.”

“What?”

“Yesterday, Jerarkiel, dissatisfied with sleeping in separate rooms, secretly entered Chersia’s room late at night and got kicked out. I mean, how long had they been apart that he couldn’t stand it?”

“……”

“So, you need to pick your side carefully, Father.”

Ivan even winked, and Balzac made a disgusted face. His damned son was getting stranger and stranger, staying next to that damned direct descendant.

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, get lost.”

“Are you telling me to leave now that you have no more questions? How heartless, Daddy?”

“Get out!”

Balzac was pushing Ivan out of the room with a tired face when—

“Oops.”

A clear voice cut in from behind Ivan. Ivan stepped aside, and familiar silver hair caught his eye.

“Hello?”

Chersia peeked out from behind Ivan, greeting him. Her hesitant appearance was suspicious. Why on earth did she visit the detached palace?

Balzac was flustered and didn’t say anything, and Ayla, standing behind Chersia, put her hand on her sword hilt. He felt a murderous aura. Balzac, belatedly recognizing her, asked sharply.

“Why are you here?”

She was a warrior belonging to the elite of Jabishi’s forces [Jabishi is likely a clan or military organization].

Originally, she should have been rotated to the front lines, where territorial disputes were raging.

But she was left here as a mere attendant to a white ferret?

There was only one reason why Ayla, who enjoyed fighting, would remain in this boring castle.

Jerarkiel must have forcibly kept her here. Balzac opened his mouth to resolve this mess as an elder of the Lion Clan.

“To waste a warrior like this, I’ll tell Jerarkiel right away…”

But that was just Balzac’s thought.

“There’s no need for that.”

Ayla cut off Balzac’s words. But he didn’t understand and opened his mouth again.

“No. I’ll go right now…”

Eventually, Ayla, unable to bear it, shouted.

“Stop it! I was fairly selected by lottery!”

“No, you…”

Balzac couldn’t continue speaking at the unexpected reaction and hesitated. Meanwhile, Ayla said with blazing eyes.

“Could it be that Balzac is also coveting my position?”

“N-No, I’m just…”

“In that case, I won’t show any mercy, even if it’s Balzac!”

Ayla glared and tried to pull her sword halfway out of its sheath. She seemed serious.

‘No, when did I say I coveted that position?’

Balzac felt wronged. He was just trying to help Ayla, who seemed to be receiving unfair treatment as a warrior…

Instead, she was making him out to be a shameless person stealing someone else’s position! Besides, he didn’t know what was so great about that ferret’s side that she was making such a fuss.

Then Ivan, who was next to him, added.

“Actually, I also applied and got rejected spectacularly.”

“Aren’t you Jerarkiel’s direct aide? What’s so lacking that you’d leave a good position…”

“You don’t know anything, Father. The best position in Jabishi Castle is next to Chersia.”

“?”

“How much joy do I get every time I see Jerarkiel getting beaten up? It’s thrilling, always new!”

“……”

“Besides, Chersia is like light and salt in a castle full of lions. Isn’t that right, Ayla?”

“Of course!”

Ayla clenched her fist and agreed. Ivan smiled and winked, and Balzac was dumbfounded.

He completely retracted his thought that the white ferret might be threatened by the Black Lions. This was clearly the opposite situation.

It seemed that Jabishi Castle had been completely occupied by some ferret.

He didn’t know what had happened in the main castle while he was away.

Then Chersia, who had been quiet all along, handed something to Balzac.

“This is…”

“The flowers bloomed beautifully, so I picked them.”

“?”

“It’s a gift.”

“……”

“It smells very nice.”

Chersia smiled harmlessly and held the flower closer.

Was that why she was hesitant?

Balzac couldn’t react properly to the unexpected situation and froze, and Ayla glared from behind.

‘Please accept it! How dare you ignore our Chichi’s sincerity?’

If her eyes had mouths, they would have said that for sure.

“Hmph…”

Balzac sighed lowly. He had never received such a gift while working in Jabishi Castle.

As Balzac, who only had sons and no daughters, this situation itself was unfamiliar. Come to think of it, it seemed like it was the first time he had ever received a flower from someone.

“Thank you…”

Balzac accepted the flower with a dazed face and smelled it. As Chersia said, it seemed to have a fragrant smell like the spring sun.

“You’re welcome.”

Chersia smiled brightly. She seemed happy that he had accepted her gift.

Ivan spoke to Chersia.

“Don’t you have anything for me?”