I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 58

58. Dad Only Needs Siene

After meeting Siene, Matthias headed back to his mansion. Riding his horse, he mused that raising a child seemed quite challenging.

He turned to the aide who silently stood by his side.

“You mentioned you’re raising children as well.”

“Ah, yes.”

“In your opinion, is our Siene somewhat mature for her age?”

Having assisted Matthias through many trials, the aide was slightly taken aback, especially by the inexplicable deep affection Matthias showed towards Siene.

Pondering how to respond, the aide cautiously began, “Well… she seems like a normal child. And lovely, of course.”

“What.”

Matthias’s expression turned cold.

The aide looked at him, bewildered.

“My daughter is special. The most special in the world.”

“…Yes?”

Receiving Matthias’s gaze, the aide tilted his head, confused.

“Warm as sunlight, and far from ordinary in every way.”

After uttering such doting words with a frigid expression, Matthias abruptly leaped off his horse.

He noticed the Princess’s carriage arriving in front of his western mansion in Mirmod.

“Follow slowly.”

With that, he strode into the mansion.

He wondered what business the Princess had that interrupted his precious time with his daughter.

Thus, he found himself face-to-face with the Princess.

The Princess, who had been sitting in the drawing-room waiting, watching the steaming tea cool, flashed a beautiful smile as soon as she saw Matthias.

It was a smile that could melt any man, but Matthias remained as stoic as ever.

“What brings Princess Serena to Mirmod?”

“Ah… are we getting straight to the point?”

The Princess didn’t seem fazed by Matthias’s directness.

She probably knew something about Matthias Mirmod’s personality before coming.

She set down her cooled teacup and declared neatly, “I intend to propose a marriage.”

“To whom?”

“To you, of course. I wish to request our union.”

Matthias’s face showed no curiosity or interest whatsoever.

He scrutinized the Princess with a sharp gaze, as if dissecting her.

“Sudden, isn’t it?”

“I will formally propose marriage soon. Officially.”

“This is very good for me. I’ll have the Emperor’s backing, but…”

The Princess smiled knowingly.

The only princess of the empire, outwardly beloved by the Emperor.

With the image of a social butterfly… in many ways, her reputation was top-notch.

However, Matthias continued with a weary look, “It doesn’t seem to add up that you, perhaps the most beautiful and noble woman in the empire, are proposing to me.”

“What do you mean by ‘doesn’t add up’?”

“I have a child. Besides, my past is far from bright. And I don’t think I can cherish you as much as you deserve… Due to the hostile relationship between the Imperial Family and Mirmod, you’ll have quite a hard time if we marry.”

“…”

“To request such a marriage first, anyone would assume you have ulterior motives.”

He now knew Matthias Mirmod very well.

That there might be a trap in a seemingly sweet treat.

Besides, he had a daughter to protect.

Since it also concerned the potential mother of his daughter, he needed to investigate further.

“I think you need to convince me why you want to marry me. What do you say?”

Even the fact that the Princess might try to seize control of him.

So, was there any need to say anything?

“His Highness the Crown Prince desires the union between the Imperial Family and Mirmod.”

Despite Matthias’s piercing gaze, the Princess continued smoothly.

“Besides, the only marriage partners I can choose are you, Matthias, or an old man ten years older than me, or princes from outside the empire. I don’t want any of those.”

Matthias stared at the Princess. Her eyes, meeting his gaze, were quite elegant and composed.

She didn’t stir any particular emotion in him, but she was objectively the most beautiful woman in the empire.

Enough to marry someone else who proposed marriage, not Matthias Mirmod.

“If you’re trying to put a leash on a beast like me through marriage.”

“Ah, it’s rude to say such things to a lady.”

Ignoring her words lightly, Matthias said,

“This could be quite interesting.”

The Princess smiled quietly, bowed her head slightly, and then raised it again.

“Then, I will formally request a marriage from your family.”

Axel Mirmod cannot come out of the Demon World for the time being.

Now, Matthias’s enemy will be the Imperial Family.

“Go ahead and try.”

He glared at the Princess with a cold face.

What were the Imperial Family’s intentions?

Matthias, too, would gradually find out.

***

Even while reviewing resumes after sending Dad off, I couldn’t concentrate at all.

‘What on earth is the Princess’s motive!’

My mental strength was already prone to wavering because of my child’s body, but with this worrying matter, it was doubly difficult to focus.

As a result, I couldn’t pick out any exceptional talent today, but after conducting their interviews with sincerity, I decided to return home.

On the way home, cradled in the arms of the maids, I was whisked back in an instant. The maids kept praising how admirable and wonderful I was, not letting my feet touch the ground. When I asked if they weren’t tired, they smiled happily, saying I was lighter than a dumbbell.

‘My weight is less than a dumbbell…’

Feeling a bit forlorn, I returned home. I happened to receive surprising news from Leonhardt, who had come to visit our mansion.

The reason why the Princess had come to our Dad.

There was a rumor that she came to propose marriage, and he asked if it was true.

Leonhardt asked cheerfully, “Chestnut, do you know?” but… I was in a state of slight mental shock.

‘So, the Princess might become my stepmother?’

The marriage proposal that had been directed at Axel Mirmod had come to Dad.

No one knew whether this would be a green light or a red light.

‘This is… closer to a red light.’

Come to think of it, I had never heard Dad talk about a stepmother.

I had never heard him talk about Mom either.

If the Emperor himself proposed the marriage, even Mirmod wouldn’t be able to refuse unilaterally.

Marriage with the Imperial Family, especially the direct line princess, was an ideal situation in anyone’s eyes.

Especially a union with the Imperial Palace, which had been acting like it would devour Mirmod.

If this happened, Mirmod could truly possess unmatched power.

In this situation, what if Dad refused unilaterally?

The elders and vassals of the dukedom might rise up all at once.

But for me, Dad’s situation was more important than such political considerations.

Come to think of it, I had never thought about it.

To me, Dad was just a loving, rural farmer Dad.

‘Can our Dad live alone forever?’

Unlike me, Dad might want to have a wife.

I had never considered that Dad might need a wife too, and I blinked.

“I should go see Dad!”

***

Princess Anessa was a close friend of the saintess Melodia and was famous as an angel. But since I was possessed by a villain, it remained to be seen whether Princess Anessa would be an ‘angel’ to me too.

Besides, I didn’t know what butterfly effect caused it, but unlike the original story, she was proposing marriage to Dad instead of Axel.

I slammed open Dad’s bedroom door and strode towards Dad, who was sitting in a chair, and snuggled into his arms. Instead of a soft, squishy body, hard muscles bumped against my face.

“What’s wrong?”

Dad, unaware of my head throbbing, asked sweetly in a happy voice.

“Let’s be happy together for a very, very long time.”

“Huh? Did something happen?”

“Nothing much…”

I looked up at Dad and asked directly.

“Dad. Are you going to get married?”

As I walked towards Dad, I had been organizing my thoughts step by step.

I was no longer a baby but a proper ten-year-old. I was old enough to recognize that Dad might need a partner.

‘If she’s a good person, she can become my stepmother.’

With that one sentence, Dad seemed to realize that I had heard about the marriage proposal with the Princess that was going around.

Dad said quietly, as if it were obvious.

“I don’t know. I’m not interested. Dad only needs Siene?”

I lifted my head sharply and stared intently at Dad.

Like the saying that you can’t lie to children, I could see through most adults lying in front of me.

But.

In the eyes that Dad showed me, there wasn’t a single lie.

Strangely enough.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Siene is Dad’s top priority. There’s only Siene, for Dad.”

Dad’s eyes looked desperate. It felt like my whole life was Dad’s, that kind of feeling.

But that shouldn’t be. Dad should have something he likes besides me, whether it’s a stepmother or something else. That way, even if something bad happens to me, Dad can live happily.

But Dad whispered gently, seemingly not even thinking about a future without me.

“Siene is the reason for Dad’s life.”

Those words were sweet to hear.

But the meaning of those words also meant that if something bad happened to me later, Dad wouldn’t be able to live.

I bit my small baby teeth tightly and said seriously. My front teeth were wobbly and hurt, but I still had to speak sternly.

“That’s not okay.”

“Huh?”

“Siene will find something that Dad likes as much as Siene!”

It was also worrying that the reason for the life of the person I loved was only me.

Unaware of my feelings, Dad asked cautiously.

“Then how about Siene? Would Siene like to have a mom?”

At those words, I blinked. Hmm, if I wanted to have a mom….

“I haven’t thought about a stepmother.”

I had never thought about wanting a stepmother.

It was because I had never really thought much about Mom in the first place.

I had been thinking, ‘I only need Dad!’

Dad hadn’t left a void either. He had always been so good to me that I didn’t feel any emptiness.

‘…And actually, I’m also scared of having a new family.’

In my memories from before reincarnation, Mom was a scary being. When she glared at me with fierce eyes, I had to curl up quietly.

So, I only needed Dad too. If Dad was okay with it.

“Siene likes it best when she only has Dad!”

The moment I said that, I had a vague thought that accepting a stepmother seemed like a distant story for us… if Dad is okay.