Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

Translator and Editor: Effe and Elnie

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 81

He seemed to firmly believe that without Aedis in the picture, I would have become his ‘property’ without any hindrance.

“I said that you’d definitely regret it. My father has told you again and again that he isn’t what you think he is.”

“You think I don’t know Aedis? How well do you know that?”

Gilbert’s red eyes fluttered with intense emotions that he couldn’t hide.

Anger. Dismay. And the disgusting, raw possessiveness.

His pale blue lips quivered, and he spit the words out.

“In the desert.”

“……”

At the word ‘desert’, I stopped trying to push Gilbert away.

Gilbert’s lips twisted.

“Did you know? Father found Regen and I while we were dying in the desert. It wasn’t just the two of us. There was one more.”

“…”

“My father left my other brother and saved only me and Regen. He had no powers, no use. Father knew he was just baggage.”

As he lowered his head, I saw my image in his red eyes. Reflected in his red orbs, my eyes were shining coldly.

“So you killed him.”

You.

“He didn’t have any abilities or anything.”

His own brother.

I was convinced that Gilbert was trying to blame Aedis for his own crimes. It wasn’t even worth questioning.

Gilbert looked at my cold face and relaxed his grip with satisfaction. The wrist that held me was limp.

“In my eyes, you are destined to be like that, Maevia Morgana.”

“Maevia Kallakis.”

Gilbert clenched his teeth.

“Will Father stay by your side even if you are unable to demonstrate the power that blocked my attack again? Are you sure you are not my father’s toy?”

Jerk 1 and Jerk 2

Why are they so confident that their words will hurt me?

Aedis was rather distrustful of the power that had stopped Gilbert.

Even though it seemed to strengthen my body right now, it was bound to put a burden on my body somehow.

“Aedis thinks of me as a toy? What of it? At least he’s not as far-fetched as you are to kill me.”

I pushed Gilbert out of the space that he had locked me in between him and the wall.

I thought it wasn’t worth talking to him anymore, but Gilbert hurriedly grabbed me.

“I didn’t mean to say that either.”

What… Did this bastard take some medicine?

“If you had obeyed me from the beginning, I would have been able to persuade you to marry me.”

Oh, he didn’t. The amount of nonsense he spouts is the same as usual.

“Wake up, Maevia. You don’t belong with him. You’re arrogant since you’re his woman now and you won’t even listen to my warning. I was mad at you for a while because of your arrogance, but now I understand. Looking back, I was like that too. Back then, I thought that everything in the family would be in my hands, but my father chose Regen.”

“Why did Aedis choose Regen? Do you know? I think I do.”

Despite the chilling ridicule, Gilbert did not react as he usually did and suppressed his anger.

A desperate madness was casted over his shadowed face, as if he was determined to change my mind this time.

“Regen knows nothing about Father. Unlike me, he is not qualified to know how great Father is.”

“…”

“As I promised in the past, I will obtain perfect immortality in the not-too-distant future. Then, you will be the first to come to me. Come.”

“Are you saying you’re going to take me?”

“Before that, I’ll kill someone. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time. If you don’t want to be killed at that time, you better decide wisely.”

Uh-oh. I can’t stand it any longer.

“Unlike your XXXX real father, he’s been XXXX training you for 12 years-”

“Your Grace, what are you doing here?”

Suddenly, Shaula appeared. Behind her, Sarah was holding her breath.

“For a weak person like Your Grace, it’s time to take medicine and sleep. If you don’t replenish your stamina, you won’t be able to survive tomorrow.”

I was completely out of Gilbert’s gaze thanks to Shaula wrapping her arms around my shoulders and pulling me towards her.

She giggled as she led me up the stairs, ignoring Gilbert as if she couldn’t see him.

“It’s not past midnight yet, so the daily escort knight will take you to the bedroom. If it’s hard to walk, would you like a princess carry?”

“…Did you just offer a princess carry?”

“Uh. Don’t you like that? Would you like to ride on my shoulders?”

It’s annoying, but please don’t say it like you’re particularly kind-hearted….

Rather than that, it was a little surprising that Sarah summoned Shaula. Was Shaula nearby?

At first glance, I could vaguely see Gilbert raising his hand.

He seemed to be debating whether or not to hold on to me.

But he eventually put his hand down, and I left with Shaula.

***

Shaula didn’t ask anything and she really ‘just’ took me back.

I made sure that Shaula went back, calmed Sarah, and then went into the bedroom.

Strangely, Aedis had his eyes closed.

Ah, it’s the first time for me to see Aedis sleeping…

It was amazing for me to see my husband’s defenseless figure for the first time, even though it had been a while since we married.

He was probably a light sleeper though, so I sat down next to him, being careful to not wake him up.

I couldn’t afford to blow my chance of observing Aedis.

The disgust and displeasure that had risen because of Gilbert disappeared like melted snow the moment I saw Aedis.

Anyway, whose husband is this? He was brilliantly handsome.

His eyelashes were pretty, his nose was nice, and his lips looked as sweet as honey.

If his lips touched mine… Ack.

Come to think of it, I’ve never done anything more than cuddling with Aedis.

To be fair, I did get a kiss on the back of my hand on the day the imperial ball was held?

…I think it’s a bit too much.

It’s not like we’re roommates.

No matter how hard it is for Aedis, can’t he give me a kiss on the cheek?

He could even do it in the name of friendship. Was he feeling embarrassed?

I looked at Aedis more tenaciously.

His face, overflowing with decadent beauty, had no resemblance to Gilbert or Regen.

Perhaps I would think the same if his black hair returned to the silvery colored hair he had when he was young.

[-The hand holding you, the eyes looking at you, and even this voice may not be mine.]

Aedis tried to kill his brother.

To make sure what he did doesn’t happen again. He spent eight years on his plan.

Eight years may be a long time in an ordinary person’s life, but for Aedis and his brother, it may not be.

Thereafter, Gilbert had made a decision and announced that he would follow his biological father.

Even Aedis knew what Gilbert had chosen.

“Hmmm. Hmmm.”

I reached out and gently stroked Aedis’s hair.

It seemed like I was stroking a part of the thinly cut night sky.

My husband has both power and strength, but he doesn’t like to solve problems with murder.

Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to become someone like his brother.

But even if they learn all these truths, Gilbert and Regen may feel that Aedis, who was trying to kill their biological father anyway, was no different from his brother.

Of course, Aedis would know this fact better than I do.

But he was willing to accept it.

Regardless of his efforts, even if he was eventually brought down to the same level as his brother, he would not be able to give up on killing that man.

The hatred and revenge he had towards that man was the only thing Aedis had continued to keep from the time when he was an ordinary boy.

It could never be replaced by something else. He couldn’t even forget it.

For that reason, no matter how much Regen called Aedis his biological father and followed him, Aedis was exhausted from getting hurt and in the end, pushed Regen away.

That hurt a little.

“…I wish I could kill him for you instead.”

For the sake of eternal life, how can one have endured for more than 500 years, using his family as test subjects and robbing other people’s bodies?

Ah, really.

I fell into anguish.

Unless there was a miracle where Gilbert suddenly changes his mind, Aedis would have to deal with him and his biological father.

No, maybe even more than that.

It was hard to even believe Shaula.

After she was banished, she disappeared for several months at the very least before she appeared in the quarry.

Even though Aedis was strong enough to throw the two troublemakers into the stable, it was unknown what other variables would change if the man who would have been Gilbert’s father tried his best.

So before that time comes, what should I do to prepare?

The answer came to me quickly.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Advanced Chapters!

Rate the novel on Novel Updates.

Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible!