I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 31

31. What is Honey Bread?

Delphia went straight to Duchess Lucella’s mansion.

However, the atmosphere of the mansion was quite strange. Throughout the walk down the hallway, the maids greeted her with flushed faces.

‘Why does everyone look so happy?’

The maids in this mansion are veterans who have served Duchess Lucella for roughly twenty years or more.

In other words, they had been serving Duchess Lucella even before Delphia left for soldier training and border patrol…

‘Originally, they were supposed to maintain a cold expression according to Duchess Lucella’s wishes, right?’

Cool reason, noble attitude, and elegant atmosphere.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that these three were the motto of the Duchess’s mansion maids.

The atmosphere of the Duchess’s mansion had become quite strange in the few months she had been away.

And not long after walking down the hallway of the mansion, Delphia was able to hear about something unknown called Honey Bread.

“Haa… I wonder if Honey Bread-nim [term of respect] will come today?”

“We made a tart with fruit today, so I really hope they come…!”

“I wish I could just touch Honey Bread-nim’s cheeks once before I die.”

Delphia had sharp ears, as expected of a Mirmod family ability user.

She could hear the maids constantly talking about someone named ‘Honey Bread.’

‘What is Honey Bread anyway?’

Why on earth have the maids changed so much?

With a lingering question, Delphia was led to the place where Duchess Lucella was.

She was easily able to enter the private room where Duchess Lucella was.

The Duchess was sitting at a round table, arranging flowers, and her appearance was noble and dignified.

But Delphia could see it. That flower was full of poison, a poisonous flower that killed those around it.

‘She’s as eccentric and dangerous as ever.’

Treating that person like a backroom old woman is something only idiots would do. Delphia twitched her eyebrows and sat down across the table.

“I hope you’ve been well?”

“More or less.”

“Living in this moldy place… you have a good stomach.”

“It’s more peaceful than killing monsters in the borderlands.”

Duchess Lucella skillfully parried Delphia’s sarcasm. She possessed the ability to skillfully deflect childish youth.

Delphia, whose inner strength was not yet up to par, muttered to herself.

“Haa… Killing monsters is better than wasting time catching mold.”

Duchess Lucella did not fall for the petty provocation. She stared intently at Delphia’s rough silver hair and said,

“The point.”

“Cien Mirmod.”

Duchess Lucella did not answer. Instead, she snapped off the stem of the poisonous flower she had been touching and threw it towards Delphia.

Delphia, who unexpectedly received the poisoned flower, wore a puzzled expression.

“Oh, suddenly? Is this a duel request?”

Usually, throwing poisonous plants was a duel request unique to high society.

Just as knights threw their swords, ladies threw flowers. But so suddenly?

“Don’t touch Cien Mirmod.”

With an expression that seemed to be holding back anger, Delphia questioned inwardly.

‘No way. There’s no way someone as icy as Duchess Lucella would be holding back anger.’

As Delphia fell into confusion, Duchess Lucella’s words struck her ears.

“You can’t.”

With a firm set to her mouth, it seemed like she really shouldn’t touch Cien Mirmod.

She, who hated children and would stiffen up just being near them.

A being once feared by all the children of the family.

For such a duchess to make such an expression.

The hypothesis that Cien Mirmod had won over the duchess was gradually gaining weight.

But there’s no way a child could do that. It would be normal for them to wet their pants if the duchess glared at them.

“No… why are you doing this?”

In a moment of panic, Delphia unconsciously became polite.

Regardless, the duchess lightly tapped the table and issued an order to leave.

Delphia twitched her eyebrows and muttered to herself.

“What, like she cherishes her so much that she even gave her a nickname…”

The children of the Mirmod family die easily.

So, for someone outside the family to give a child a nickname or alias, it meant that they loved that child more than anyone else… and it was full of implications of protecting that child.

At Delphia’s provocative words, Duchess Lucella tilted her chin and opened her mouth.

“I don’t say things three times. Leave.”

Delphia knew only one thing about Cien Mirmod.

A fact that everyone probably knew except for Cien Mirmod herself.

She threw out a topic as if to provoke Duchess Lucella one last time.

“That child might not be Matthias’s real daughter, you know?”

“…What?”

“Is it okay to protect a child who might not be the family’s real daughter?”

At those words, the poisonous flower that had been in Duchess Lucella’s hand withered rapidly. And a bitter scent began to linger at the tip of Delphia’s nose.

Facing the duchess’s terrifying gaze, Delphia instinctively realized.

It was poison.

That woman had filled this private room with the scent of poison.

***

Delphia coughed and coughed as she left the duchess’s residence.

“For someone who’s not young, her spirit is…”

She had quickly escaped with her illusion magic, but if she had been even a little late, she couldn’t have guaranteed her survival.

‘She probably wasn’t really trying to kill me, but it was a clear warning.’

She was still short of breath.

Delphia frowned and headed to Matthias’s west mansion.

The problem was… even this mansion didn’t welcome Delphia.

“He’s properly defended it.”

It was plastered with divine power.

And in the returned mansion, she immediately encountered assassins sent by Matthias Mirmod.

Delphia’s brow furrowed after dealing with all the assassins.

Whether it’s Duchess Lucella or Matthias Mirmod, they’re working hard to protect Cien.

That means Cien Mirmod has become their weakness…

‘Matthias is one thing, but how did she win over Duchess Lucella?’

Delphia narrowed her brow slightly before raising the corners of her lips.

That little brat, Cien Mirmod, was starting to become more and more appealing.

She had never liked a brat in her life, but…

Seeing her drag all sorts of people into her arms, she must be someone special.

Was it because she had met an interesting opponent after a long time? Her heart was pounding. She tended to act like she had mania whenever she encountered interesting work that stimulated her…

“This is exciting, after a long time?”

Her ability was so out of control due to excitement. In an instant, her snow-white hair fluttered, and a subtle smile bloomed on Delphia’s red lips.

She glanced at the maid who came rushing to her side and said,

“Cien Mirmod doesn’t seem to be in the family. Where is she?”

Clearly, she had only intended to exploit Matthias’s weakness at first.

But as she learned more and more about Cien Mirmod, she kept getting concerned.

It felt like the means were becoming more important than the end, perhaps?

But whatever, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s fun.

She also wanted to torment her properly.

She said to the maid once more.

“Answer me. Where did she go?”

“Th-that is. From what I’ve gathered, I heard she’s in the Happiness Class at the Melloang Infant Academy… but. I’m not sure. The traces have been erased.”

“Then let’s go.”

Delphia chuckled.

“To see something interesting.”

The ‘interesting thing’ is, of course, Cien Mirmod.

She didn’t know what kind of child Cien Mirmod was, but she knew that she was quite cunning, so now it was her turn to go and check it out in person.

***

I was eventually dragged into the Melloang Academy by Dad’s hand, barely wiping the sleep from my eyes.

‘Cien, shall we go eat pork cutlet with Dad?’

‘Yeah! I wuv [love] pork cutlet!’

Clearly… he said we were going to eat pork cutlet.

I couldn’t understand why we had come to this academy full of sunshine and cute animals.

‘Ugh, what is this!’

I pouted with a dissatisfied expression and looked around the academy.

The place I was in was a tea room.

A peaceful space where neat adults and children gathered to enjoy tea ceremonies.

People smiled warmly as they looked at me blinking.

Dad was smiling kindly as well.

Finally, a time of meditation to purify the mind began.

“Everyone is beautiful.”

“Learn to love people here.”

I sighed inwardly.

‘I should just ignore it. Humans are evil! I’m the strongest!’

…I will never be tainted by absolute good.

But sadly, there was a fatal obstacle, namely…

“The people of the world must be beautiful, right?”

Dad, who was meditating with me, said kindly to me.

Even his eyes were quite kind and warm.

It was as if my already kind dad was becoming even kinder.

“The teacher said that we should reach out to our neighbors in need.”

“…”

“Cien?”

“Yeah… right.”

“Meet friends, share your things, take care of the injured, and love them. Warmly.”

Dad became the successor of the villainous Mirmod family.

So he had to be tainted by evil and become a figure who reigned over the villains, and he couldn’t just look at the world with happiness.

But Dad’s condition right now was too kind. It was a disturbing situation in many ways.

‘Even I’m trying to become kind again…’

I sighed deeply and looked at Dad.

“Huu…”

“Our Cien will grow up so kindly, right? Dad is happy.”

Dad smiled gently, his eyes curving softly.

Seeing that, all that came out of my mouth was a sigh.

“Absolootly [Absolutely] not.”

I shook my head firmly and looked forward again.

If there was a fortunate thing, it would be that Acid and Leonhardt were by my side because I insisted they come.

Of course… their presence was almost non-existent.

I glanced at them, who were slumped over and dozing off, and clenched my small teeth.

No matter how I looked at it, Acid and Leonhardt were almost half-dead.

I wondered why they were dozing off so much.

‘Did they do something last night?’

I sighed deeply and clasped my hands together as if praying like Dad.

Let’s put those two aside. That wasn’t the important thing.

‘It’s going to be a problem if Sunshine Dad becomes even more of a sunshine character.’

It was time for special measures.

***

Without knowing what Cien was thinking, Acid was nodding off. It was because he kept recalling what Leonhardt had said during dessert time last night.

While having dessert together that day, Leonhardt raised his chin arrogantly and said.

‘You’re too weak.’

‘…Th-that’s.’

He couldn’t argue because it was true. Leonhardt smirked as he looked at Acid.

‘I’m the only one who can protect Chestnut [Cien’s nickname].’

He couldn’t argue with that either.

‘I’m also too weak compared to ‘that person.’ But I’m planning to gain strength soon.’

‘That person?’

‘As I said earlier, Matthias Mirmod-nim [term of respect]. It seems that he is targeting Chestnut, no, Cien’s life.’

Listening to Leonhardt’s arrogant yet dry voice, Acid was frustrated.

As he said, he was just a young boy from the slums.

He was only saved by Cien-nim’s [term of respect] grace, and if it weren’t for her, he would still be begging… just a young boy.