I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 49

49. The Secret Only Dad Doesn’t Know

I clenched my fist.

And what would come next…….

“The item up for auction this time is the Rosewood Arboretum.”

My target was immediately bid on!

As soon as the host finished speaking, people let out a sigh-like noise. Everyone seemed to imply, ‘Why are we even auctioning off such a useless arboretum?’

‘You fools.’

There’s gold buried deep beneath the arboretum. A tremendous amount of gold. Selling it could create enough funds to start a small to medium-sized merchant guild.

I stared straight at the host’s mouth, tensing my body with all my might.

Even so, I didn’t think I needed to bid too earnestly.

I raised my paddle, wondering how much I should bid, when it happened.

“Participant number 13, 10 gold!”

Someone already bid?

It was even a girl’s voice. Definitely not an adult.

‘It’s not Melodia, so who’s trying to buy this arboretum?’

I subtly turned my head.

Formidably, like a small hedgehog raising its prickly spines.

***

The person who bid on the arboretum was, surprisingly, Priestess Gabriele.

She had already heard many stories from Melodia and came to this place.

‘I had such a hard time getting in as participant number 13. And of all people, that kid is number 1.’

Gabriele suffered from a subtle sense of inferiority. Besides, that child next to her was definitely Acid. Ted abandoned her, and that healer also stuck by Ciel.

What are her good points, anyway?

Recalling the letter Melodia sent, Gabriele gritted her teeth.

[To think you’d lose both the holy knight and the healer, Gabriele.

I’m very disappointed in your behavior.

You should visit the first.

Buy everything you like there. A budget of around 100 gold would be good. I’ll be watching your taste in items.

We’ll decide what to do next afterward.

In a week. I will leave the Eastern Continent and enter the Papal States.

That means I will be appointed as a saintess on that day.

I plan to enter the Imperial Palace that day, so don’t disappoint me.]

Gabriele really wanted to buy the arboretum. Lady Melodia liked plants.

But she also thought it would be okay if she couldn’t buy it. It didn’t seem that great.

However, the opponent is Ciel Mirmod.

‘I absolutely won’t lose this time.’

Gabriele recalled her budget, 100 gold. Even if she had to use it all, she would definitely buy it. Would Ciel Mirmod really pay more than 100 gold for that useless-looking arboretum?

The host, glancing at Gabriele, opened his mouth.

“Are there any more bids?”

But…… Ciel Mirmod glanced at her and opened her mouth as if she didn’t care.

“Number 1! 101 gold.”

Of all things, she immediately bid 101 gold……!

Caught off guard, Gabriele trembled with anger.

She knew that nothing much would happen just because she couldn’t buy a mere arboretum.

And she also knew that Ciel was foolish to buy that arboretum for that much money!

‘Stupid. To buy that arboretum for 101 gold!’

She tried to think that way, but…….

To be pushed back by Ciel Mirmod and unable to buy the arboretum due to a lack of budget.

She bit her lip tightly. This in itself was infuriating.

“Any more bids?”

The host looked down at Gabriele. But she had no more money. If she spent more money here, she might be scolded by Lady Melodia.

How could this happen?

She lost again.

To that stupid brat, Ciel Mirmod!

‘Damn bitch! I’ll definitely kill you.’

Soon, when Lady Melodia comes, when she becomes a saintess, Ciel Mirmod and the like can be easily trampled like ants on the ground.

She had heard the warning that Matthias Mirmod was dangerous.

But when Lady Melodia becomes a saintess, they’re finished too.

According to Lady Melodia, the Mirmod family is destined to perish according to the prophecy.

Soon, Ciel and herself will have a status as different as heaven and earth.

Gabriele’s blue rage, from this defeat, reached Ciel.

***

With a total of 101 gold, I came to possess the arboretum.

I didn’t originally intend to bid 101 gold.

‘Fortunately, there’s a week’s grace period from receiving the item to paying the amount.’

I had to frantically dig up the ground for a week to secure the gold.

My shoulders felt a bit heavy, but I was still glad I bought the arboretum.

Just then, Acid said to me in a small voice.

“That participant number 13 is Priestess Gabriele.”

“Huh?”

I widened my eyes.

‘Gabriele, we’ve been running into each other a lot lately?’

I didn’t know she was someone who could make such a venomous expression.

Seeing how she separated Ted and Acid, it seems her personality isn’t that great.

‘Like the relationship between Mirmod and the temple, it seems she and I have become enemies.’

But more important than that is this.

‘Gabriele suddenly appearing at this auction is different from the original story. It means the original story has definitely changed because of my actions.’

From now on, instead of relying solely on the original story, I thought it was time for me to create a timeline.

I smiled brightly, straightened my head, and enjoyed bidding on the arboretum.

Only then did I hear people’s laughter in my ears. It was mostly ridicule.

“Is it because she’s a young noble lady?”

“She doesn’t know the value of land at all.”

They kept gossiping, completely unaware that there was gold buried in that land.

“Does that arboretum look pretty?”

“To spend 101 gold bidding on something so insignificant.”

In particular, an old man who put down his pipe stared at me with a profound gaze. I looked back at him with a profound gaze and thought to myself.

‘No, really, how foolish. If the permanent number 1 participant buys that with money, shouldn’t you think there’s some meaning to it?’

I was wondering if the people who came all the way to the dark auction house weren’t very bright.

Several stories flowed from the old man’s mouth.

“There have been those among the participants who obtained permanent numbers in the past who abused unlimited bidding for show like that.”

“Anyway, there were more than one or two of those guys. Eventually, they had their numbers taken away and were banned from entering the auction house.”

“It’ll be like that this time too.”

I nodded inwardly.

Well, if there was someone in the past who tried to show off their privileges and ended up buying a lot of useless things, it’s not an incomprehensible reaction to ignore me.

‘Just because there was someone like that in the past, is it fair to assume that I’ll be like that too?’

Of course, they will soon know.

That I am Midas’s hand [someone who turns everything they touch into gold].

‘Just wait a week. After that, I’ll make your stomachs ache a lot.’

But I didn’t show that fact, and only smiled with my small front teeth.

Just like a noble brat who really doesn’t know the ways of the world.

As they watched my mischievous expression, they burst into laughter as if mocking me. They also boasted that they would hit the jackpot at this auction, unlike me.

But it didn’t matter.

In the end, I will be the winner of this auction.

I will advertise that gold is buried in the arboretum I bought for generations, and create a merchant guild that will become my source of money based on that.

I leaned back on the backrest, ignoring the mocking gazes.

I heard the captain next to me say something between his teeth. I looked at the captain with a puzzled expression.

“It’s a curse that gathers misfortune.”

“……Huh?”

“This is an auction house with magic, and I’m not a powerful sorcerer, so I can’t do it well, but I can cause very minor misfortunes.”

“What do you mean by minor misfortunes?”

I tilted my head.

Then the captain replied in a satisfied voice.

“I don’t know. I don’t know why, but it’s annoying that they’re saying things to you, kid. So I’m going to cast a misfortune curse.”

I opened my mouth wide.

I was starting to worry a little about that child’s future.

“What? Exactly, what kind of misfortune……?”

When I looked at the captain with a bewildered expression, the captain just shrugged.

“You’ll find out soon.”

The captain narrowed his brows slightly, looking at them, and muttered to himself again. I followed the captain’s gaze, bewildered.

It was at that moment.

The old man who was smoking a pipe suddenly grabbed his stomach.

“Ugh.”

Even letting out a groan.

“Hehe.”

The captain glanced at me with a sly smile.

I clenched my hands and stared at the old man.

The old man hurriedly looked around and quickly got up. He seemed to be in pain, getting up quickly, and his face was almost jaundice.

……I can roughly guess.

‘He got diarrhea.’

But the problem wasn’t just that old man.

People drinking water around the old man suddenly started coughing as if they had choked, or suddenly grabbed the back of their necks.

‘That side suddenly got turtle neck [stiff neck].’

Gabriele was also twisting her body with difficulty. It seemed like hives had risen all over her neck.

‘Gabriele has allergies.’

It was visible that everyone was embarrassed by the sudden attack of the misfortune curse.

In the midst of a slight commotion that briefly stopped the auction, I quietly called out to the captain.

“Captain?”

“……I just took revenge for you. You have to pay the price for talking out of turn.”

The captain was quite defensive, as if he thought I would blame him.

I patted the captain’s head and said.

“……Anniya [No]. Good job.”

“……Well, yeah.”

I could see the captain trying hard not to smile, forcing the corners of his mouth down.

At this point, I quickly turned my eyes away from the captain.

Because a gaze that made my cheeks tingle had been reaching me since earlier.

An eye that seemed to be asking me to look at him.

The owner of that gaze was Acid.

‘Acid, why are you staring at me?’

It was a question, but the moment our eyes met, Acid’s cheeks turned as red as peaches, so I couldn’t ask.

I leaned back on the backrest again, pretending nothing had happened.

Then Deadry unnie [older sister] grabbed my shoulder tightly and asked.

“Baby, are you uncomfortable because your feet aren’t touching the ground?”

……She must have seen my short, chubby legs dangling because they couldn’t reach the floor.

I shook my head, trying to be solemn.

“It’s okay. I’ll bid again.”

My dignity was slightly damaged because my legs were dangling without touching the ground!

I solemnly subdued the surrounding commotion and watched the resumed auction broadcast.

Now that I had purchased the arboretum, it was time to give carrots [rewards] to my close aides. Originally, using carrots appropriately is also a step in the art of mercenary tactics.

After passing by a few items that were really junk, I was able to see a mysterious auction item called the Pink Necklace.

“It is rumored that the pink bead weakly amplifies divine power.”

“Number 1.”

“Oh, again, Baby?”

At the host’s mischievous words, I arrogantly nodded my head.

“10 gold.”

……Since no one else bid, the bead also came into my possession at a bargain price.

Even if it were someone else, Gabriele would have coveted that bead, but she seemed to be out of her mind due to the captain’s curse.

I smiled at Acid and said.

“I’ll give it to Acid!”

But it’s strange.

It was similar to when our eyes met earlier.