I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 128

128. Side Story 2: Helping Dad Find His True Happiness (1)

2024.02.20.

Life as the Duchess of Mirmod, with its modest title, was leisurely. I was enjoying my usual tea time when a thought struck me.

“Isn’t this teacup for toddlers?”

At that moment, Deadri, my maid, smiled contentedly and said,

“Of course! It has a cute baby rabbit picture that suits Lady Cienne so well!”

Her smile was so bright, it seemed her mouth might split open.

Usually, Deadri’s happiness made me happy too.

But this time, it was different. Her smile sent a strange chill down my spine.

“Baby rabbit…”
Muttering to myself, as if savoring the words, I looked around.

Then I noticed something I hadn’t before.

Everything around me was designed for toddlers!

The toddler teacup with a rabbit on it that I was holding, the potted plants chosen for children’s health and development, even the rug on the floor, designed to protect little knees.

“W-what is all this?”

“What could be troubling our baby rabbit, Lady Cienne?”

“Huh? I’m not a baby rabbit. I’m an adult now!”

…Looking back, I realized it way too late.

“His Grace the Duke [referring to her father] picked them all out himself. If you don’t like rabbits, should we bring foxes or turtles instead?”

Rabbits, foxes, turtles.

Deadri seemed to have different feelings about each, but they shared a clear commonality.

‘Dad is treating me like a child!’

Narrowing my eyes, I looked around, and even the maids and servants were regarding me as if I were a child.

‘This is a problem.’

I jumped up, deciding to take a walk around the mansion.

As I walked down the hallway of the Mirmod mansion, I discovered an even more shocking truth.

The Mirmod mansion hallway was filled with portraits of me, showcasing my achievements, busts of me, etc….

It was all just me.

“Why is it only me in our mansion?”

“It’s Master Matthias’s order.”

“Just me?”

“Yes, because Lady Cienne is the reason for everyone’s life in our mansion. All the staff agreed enthusiastically.”

“Um, so, to Dad…”

“Lady Cienne is the only reason for His Grace the Duke’s life.”

My face paled slightly at the words that I was the only reason for Dad’s life. I asked quietly.

“Then, if I get hurt even a little…”

“It’ll probably be a disaster.”

“If I die…”

Deadri waved her hand as if she didn’t even want to imagine it.

“A mass funeral will happen, oh my, I’m sorry. As a servant, I shouldn’t be saying such things…”

Of course, it was Deadri’s mistake and slip of the tongue to dare utter the words ‘mass funeral.’ But I couldn’t focus on her slip of the tongue.

‘I can’t be by Dad’s side for ten thousand years.’

Dad was placing too much importance on me.

Of course, as a daughter, it was a happy thing to feel that Dad loved me.

But….

‘Dad should have his own life too.’

Pondering, I tried to think of a way for Dad to find his own life.

‘If I approach it simply and plainly, he’ll just say, ‘Okay, daughter.’ So… I have to use shock therapy.’

Standing still and thinking about shock therapy, I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them.

‘Yes, that’s the only way.’

As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot, I decided to go see Dad as soon as I had the idea.

***

I went to Dad’s office and took a short, deep breath.

Today was the day I would make a declaration of war, or rather, a declaration of war, to Dad.

“Cienne, what’s wrong? You should sit on Dad’s lap and talk.”

Dad, treating me like a child, patted his lap and smiled kindly.

I shook my head firmly and replied.

“Dad, I’m not a child anymore!”

“Huh? If our Cienne isn’t a child, then what is she?”

Sitting across from Dad, I said boldly.

“You won’t be able to treat me like a child when you hear this.”

“Huh? What is our daughter trying to say?”

“Dad, I’m going to get engaged to Acid first. And then, I’m going to get married.”

“…….”

“Dad?”

Dad seemed to be in great shock.

His body, frozen like a stone statue, was proof of that fact.

I waved my finger in front of Dad and said softly.

“Dad, answer.”

“…….”

I shook my head at Dad’s dazed appearance and whispered softly.

“Dad, I’ll come back later then.”

As I said that, Dad grabbed my sleeve with a hurried expression.

“You know, Dad misheard you.”

“You heard me fine.”

“Dad’s ears aren’t good. I’m getting old these days. I’m going to die soon.”

It’s a ridiculous sophistry.

I burst into laughter and retorted.

“What is that? Dad, you’re good at swordsmanship!”

I was laughing so hard because Dad was desperately trying to ignore my words that I was almost sobbing.

Dad frowned slightly as if he was annoyed that I was just laughing.

“Dad’s going home now.”

I grabbed Dad’s sleeve as he hurriedly tried to get up.

Dad flinched as if he had received an electric shock.

“Don’t go. Listen to me.”

“……You’re going to say the same thing as before, right?”

“That’s…”

‘…That’s right, yeah.’

Dad rubbed his face and muttered in a small voice.

“Cienne. Dad can’t talk anymore now.”

“Huh?”

With those words, Dad didn’t say anything more.

“…….”

Is it because he feels like the sky is falling when he thinks about his beloved daughter, whom he has raised so preciously, getting married?

When I was young, I was oblivious, but now I could understand Dad’s feelings at least halfway.

Dad must be very upset right now.

“Dad.”

“……Dad’s sleeping.”

“No, I don’t think you’re sleeping…”

Dad’s eyebrows twitched.

“Snore.”

Dad pretended to sleep, making a ‘snoring’ sound on purpose.

I shook my head, looking at Dad’s turned back.

Somehow, Dad’s turned back looked very lonely.

Come to think of it, if I get married, our dad might be alone….

‘Will he be okay, our dad?’

I glared at Dad’s shabby, no, not shabby, but very broad back.

I couldn’t even imagine our dad being alone.

“Dad, if I get married…”

“That won’t happen.”

“If.”

Dad looked at me.

“……Dad can’t imagine a life without Cienne yet.”

Looking at Dad saying that, I suddenly had a thought.

Just as Dad was the only dad to me, I was the only daughter in Dad’s life.

But there was something different about us.

I formed relationships with many people other than Dad and sprouted the seeds of relationships.

But Dad was different.

Dad only looked at me and raised me since Mom died.

So, Dad only had me.

“Why can’t you imagine it?”

“Um…”

Dad moved his lips.

Could it be that he doesn’t know what to say, or is he unable to articulate the words themselves?

I quietly looked at Dad and said.

“Then, Dad.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll help you so you can think about a life without me too.”

“I don’t want to.”

I widened my eyes.

“Huh? You don’t want to?”

It was the first time Dad had directly said ‘I don’t want to’ to me.

I was flustered and moved my lips towards Dad.

“Dad doesn’t want to imagine a life without Cienne.”

“……Dad.”

“Cienne, Dad’s really tired. Go out. Let’s see you tomorrow morning.”

Dad looked really lonely saying that.

I quietly looked at Dad.

Dad closed his mouth and lowered his gaze as if he didn’t want to talk anymore.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything more and closed the door tightly and came out.

***

More than I expected, Dad’s heart seemed to be firmly closed.

From now on, it wasn’t a problem I could worry about on my own.

I needed ‘big data’ [a large collection of opinions] that gathered the opinions of many people.

Fortunately, I had quite a few people who could give me big data.

For example, Acid, Leonhardt, Captain, Martin, and even Burger.

I gathered my childhood friends in the drawing room of my mansion and spoke frankly.

“……That’s what happened. Did I do something wrong?”

As I finished the story about Dad, the people gathered in the room shone their eyes.

“But, Honey Bread.”

“Ah, I told you I’m not Honey Bread.”

“Tch. Anyway, Cienne. Why are you trying to get married so quickly?”

I quietly bit my lip at the question.

As I didn’t answer, the impatient Leonhardt stomped his feet and asked.

“Is it real? Or is it a joke?”

“Well, it’s not a joke.”

“Are you really going to get married right away?”

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on me.

I tucked my hair behind my ear and said as if it was nothing.

“Ah, that’s what you were curious about.”

“Yeah, it’s too sudden!”

It hadn’t been long since Acid and I had confirmed our feelings.

Certainly, as they said, the topic of marriage felt sudden.

Leonhardt grinned and asked playfully.

“Is it because you like Acid so much?”

Acid’s cheeks turned red in an instant at those words.

I couldn’t answer because I was chuckling as I looked at Acid.

It was that moment.

Burger, who was still single, clicked the table with a sulky expression.

“Hey, there’s no way a rational kid like Cienne would do that, right?”

Acid’s cheeks, which had been dyed pink, quickly cooled down.

His gaze glared at Burger as if he was being mischievous. I looked back and forth between Burger and Acid and burst into a clear smile.

“Ah… Ahahahaha!”

“Why are you laughing, Cienne?”

“No, it’s not because I like Acid so much that I’m getting married right away.”

Burger, Captain, and Martin nodded as if they knew it would be like that.

“I knew it. There’s no way a rational Cienne would do that.”

“Cienne is a mastermind, so she must have other intentions.”

‘This is a bit unfair.’

I scratched my head and thought again.

‘Do I feel like such a rational mastermind?’

Feeling a little wronged, I looked around.

Martin and Burger were confidently nodding their heads as if their reasoning was correct, but Leonhardt’s expression, who had known me for a long time, was a little different.

He stroked his chin and asked playfully.

“So, it’s true that you like Acid a lot.”

I lightly rubbed my face after hearing that question.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on me.

Especially Acid’s burning gaze.

‘I feel kind of embarrassed.’

I tried to avoid Acid’s gaze and quietly bit my lip.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Awesome.”

“Oh my god.”

“…….”

“Wow.”

No one said anything after Leonhardt’s exclamation.

Martin had his mouth wide open with a bewildered expression, and Captain and Burger’s reactions were no different.

Acid’s face was red and he was fanning himself like crazy.

I quietly covered my mouth with my hand and chuckled.

As if my laughter was a signal for freeze tag, Burger made a fuss and said.

“Wow, it’s so cheesy!”

“I know, I can’t believe Cienne would do this…”

I shrugged my shoulders at them as if it was nothing.

‘I already guessed my friends’ reactions.’

The important thing is Acid’s reaction to this strange confession.

I glanced at Acid.