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Chapter 3 - #1. The Mad Dog and Puppy of Valliot
Perhaps the most peaceful country on the current continent, the Warford Empire.
Warford was called the land of countless blood and bones as it fought countless wars, such as the Continental War and the Ancient Relic War, until the previous emperor settled down.
In the difficult-to-reach peace, the four dukes shared the most power after Celedor, the Sun of the Empire, and supported Warford like a pillar.
Valliot, Cardier, Deslin, Notium.
Among them, the Valliot, which is also my bloodline, was the youngest of the four families.
However, there were many honors and titles obtained compared to its short history.
This is because Grandpa was the creditor who put the previous emperor on the throne and allowed the current emperor to firmly take his place.
And it was also famous for the family that accumulated the most wealth in the shortest amount of time.
Excluding the family territories and the land owned by the Imperial Family, more than a third of the capital was owned by Valliot, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Also, there are two things that Valliot is famous for, one is Mom, who is the most talented one, and the other is Uncle.
…Mom is the best!
The story of Mom is precious, so I will do it a little later.
Uncle is the strongest swordsman in the Empire, and his swordsmanship skills are so good that he’s regarded as a weapon itself.
However, he’s evaluated as having more or less of his personality collapsed by pouring all his abilities into his appearance and swordsmanship.
He’s even more famous for rumors that even the current emperor is busy appeasing him because of his broken personality.
Perhaps it’s no exaggeration to say that the story of Uncle accounts for the largest share of all the Valliot’s rumors.
This is what Mom told me.
But if you ask me why I’m acting up in front of such an uncle…
***
“Uncleeee! No!”
“Let go.”
Oops, I heard this grinding sound again.
“I said no! Don’t gooo!”
I clung to his long legs like a cicada and hugged him with my arms and legs.
If I do this, he won’t be able to walk because it’s heavy, right?
Maybe one of his legs will be crushed.
I’m sorry for Uncle, who was in pain, but that was better.
Going there now is like going to die, you stupid uncle!
“Huh, huh?”
However, this monster started to walk casually even after carrying me, as if it wasn’t too heavy.
I felt like I was about to fall from the reaction, so I bit Uncle’s pants with my mouth.
“Dewn’t gew, cem en!” (Don’t go, come on!)
Then Uncle stood tall.
Before long, a low sigh was heard from above the top of my head.
Flinch.
That low sigh had the power to settle even the surrounding air.
The power to freeze my whole body.
‘I have a lot to say too.’
However, secrets were something that had to be kept with care, even if one was frustrated.
It was Mom’s teaching that was deeply engraved in my heart.
And above all, it was a precious secret with Mom.
Mom is no longer on this earth, but I didn’t want to break my promise.
Because now I can’t make secrets with Mom anymore.
Because this is my last secret appointment with Mom.
“Hey, Peanut.”
At Uncle’s call, I let go of his pants and raised my head.
My arms were tingling and my mouth was moist from saliva.
“It’s not ‘Peanut’!”
First of all, let’s correct my name.
“Come down.”
“No. If I come down, you’re going to leave.”
Try rebelling a little.
Still hanging on, I quietly wiped the saliva from my mouth on Uncle’s pants.
How about it, your pants are dirty, so you can’t go out, can you?
Uncle glanced at the saliva on his pants and frowned.
“Come down if you know that.”
“…Are you going to throw me if I don’t?”
And make a pitiful face once.
“Phew, I’m going crazy. Why the hell are you picking a fight over everything? I told you to stay out of sight.”
What does he mean picking a fight? This is all about trying to save Uncle.
I wouldn’t even care if Uncle wasn’t from Mom’s blood!
It was unfair, but I swallowed it again inside beause I wasn’t a great person to believe that I would say that.
“…”
His face, which had been terribly crumpled, straightened as if he had half given up.
“You’re wickedly stubborn like your mom.”
“My mom isn’t stubborn.”
“You won’t lose a word.”
“Uncle.”
“Why.”
That’s a good answer, though.
The eyes that looked as if they were going to eat me at any moment were still the same.
“Uncleee, I’ll give you all my snacks, don’t go. Hmm?”
Then Uncle put on a puzzled expression.
“Wow, that’s crazy. Were you inspired by the old man?”
“Inspired? What is that?”
“Come down before I throw you.”
I shrank my body involuntarily at the sight of him chewing and speaking word by word.
However, I must not give up here.
I gave more strength and held on to Uncle’s legs.
My fingers were so painful that it felt like they were getting hot.
If Uncle keeps doing this, I have no choice but to use that method.
If I fail to stop Uncle today, he will be confronted by a member of the Handel family, one of the Valliot’s hostile families.
“…”
“I told you to come down.”
No, to put it a little closer, the heir of the Handel family will quarrel with Uncle.
After that, my uncle will be in a very bad mood and will beat the heir of the Handel family…
Then?
Things will get bigger and bigger, him turning the Handel family into a sea of blood.
“Uncle, just once. Just once! Aika’s wish!”
“Come. Down.”
“…Hng.”
The Handel family was the family that was most displeased with the Prime Minister coming from the Valliot family.
In addition, they had a history of arguing for reasons that didn’t work at every regular meeting, which was even more eye-catching for Uncle.
After that, many territories in Valliot would be burned down due to family wars.
Even now, Uncle was dealing with the people who weren’t on good terms with Valliot one by one.
This is because Grandpa, who knew that the carriage accident wasn’t an accident but a raid, asked him to find the mastermind behind it.
Although Uncle thinks I don’t know, I overheard all of his conversations with Grandpa at the funeral home when I was just about to fall asleep.
I wanted to step in and figure it out, yet I couldn’t help because I hit my head in the carriage accident and I don’t remember most of it.
Anyway, if we continue like this, Uncle will eventually die.
A fire that I can stop.
‘In my dream, the Handel family weren’t the ones who killed Mom.’
So I had to stop Uncle somehow.
“Uncle, I want to see Mommm…”
I couldn’t stand it any longer and let go of my hands as I hung on to his legs.
Then I fell down and hit the floor with my buttocks.
When the sound of Mom came out of my mouth, Uncle really became quiet as if it was all a lie.
At that moment.
“Eh?”
Suddenly, the back of my head was caught.
To be precise, my clothes were grabbed violently.
Caught like a doll by Uncle, I had to come face to face with his fearsome golden eyes.
“Go and look in the mirror then.”
I shook my head, looking at his slightly angry eyes.
“I don’t look very much like Mom. Uncle looks more like her! It’s the same as Mom’s!”
I laughed bashfully.
And I’m not even red-haired like Mom and Uncle!
My golden eyes were said to be exactly like Mom’s, as if they were molded, but my hair, unlike hers, was very black.
That’s why she always told me I was as pretty as the night sky that my hair couldn’t reach.
“Ugh!”
Uncle, who was staring at me, suddenly roughly brushed off his hair with the other hand.
Then he picked me up and headed somewhere.
I was afraid that if I said more, he might really throw me through the window of the hallway, so I kept my mouth shut and dangled quietly.
Fortunately, Uncle arrived at my room with me.
Uncle, who almost threw me to the bed, sat down and glared at me as if he was going to kill me.
Ugh, he’s not cold without his clothes on.
Afraid that Uncle would run away, I quickly crawled across the bed and grabbed his pants.
“Hey, Peanut.”