I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 124

124. That Kiss Wasn’t a Dream

After the touching reunion with Acid, the Mirmord family, including me, were faced with countless ‘things to do.’

Cleaning up the corrupted temple after Saint Melodia’s death and recovering the wealth they had illicitly accumulated fell to Mirmord and Selbastian, who had just ascended to the position of Crown Prince.

I heard that Selbastian, now Crown Prince, was incredibly busy.

Well, frankly, whether that old man was busy or not had little to do with me.

I was preoccupied with trying to bring Acid and Dad together.

But still…

‘Why did this old man call Acid, Dad, and me to this place?’

We were inside the Mirmord family’s office.

Selbastian was looking at Acid and tilting his head again.

“Speak, Selbastian.”

“No… It’s just… strange.”

“I said, speak.”

“Ha, geez.”

This conversation had been repeated for the tenth time already.

‘Boring. What is it, old man?’

Instead of this conversation, I’d planned to go flower viewing with Acid and pick out a gift for Dad this afternoon.

Dad, clearly annoyed, didn’t even try to hide his fierce expression and raged.

“I don’t want to be in the same space as that *thing* that committed an outrageous act against my daughter. So say it quickly and let’s leave.”

Acid and I flinched simultaneously.

The outrageous act Dad was talking about was the kiss between Acid and me.

Dad was reducing the kiss (or hug) between Acid and me to an outrageous act, as if he didn’t even want to imagine it.

I shook my head and thought.

‘I was the one who hugged first. Only Acid became a rogue.’

It was then that Dad glared at Acid, and Acid smiled gently.

Selbastian, who had been thoughtfully stroking his chin, finally got to the point.

“Actually, you know, no matter how much I think about it, it’s strange.”

“What is it?”

“Well, it’s about Acid and me. We look so alike, don’t you think?”

‘Why is *this* story suddenly coming up?’

I frowned and tried to understand the context. Fortunately, Selbastian explained it well.

“To clean up Saint Melodia’s cottage, I called a fanatic who was hiding in Mer Village and interrogated him.”

“So?”

“It was strange that they called Acid ‘the Refined Sword.'”

“It *was* strange. It seemed like they had met some conditions…”

“Thinking about it carefully, I don’t know exactly how they found out, but it seems that Acid and Ted have some imperial blood mixed in. It’s just that no one knew because of various things.”

“So, the condition of the sword that the Pope and the Saint mentioned was that it had to be someone with noble imperial blood mixed in?”

“Well, that’s right. Thanks to you, I even found the lost imperial bloodline, so I’m grateful.”

Selbastian winked.

‘What is it? Why does he like it?’

In a normal situation, they wouldn’t like the emergence of a new imperial bloodline and would try to control it.

At that moment, a brief realization about the current state of the empire flashed through my mind.

After the former Crown Prince, stained with corruption, disappeared into the annals of history, Selbastian was acting independently.

In the midst of all this, the fact that his reliable ally, Mirmord, was protecting a collateral [related by blood but not in the direct line of descent] relative was quite an interesting story.

Although the two were very distantly related, they had been recognized for their abilities, and above all, they were allies of Mirmord, so there was little fear of them betraying Selbastian.

So, in his position, he would want to give Acid and Ted titles and have them act as his representatives.

As I expected, Selbastian smiled.

“Since I found the lost collateral relatives, I’m thinking of giving them a decent title.”

I inadvertently found the reason why Grand Duke Selbastian and Acid looked so alike.

I chuckled.

Even in the midst of all this, the thought that Acid’s bloodline problem wouldn’t prevent me from marrying him made me realize what I was really like.

I poked Acid next to me and asked.

“If you’re a collateral relative of the imperial family, you can receive a title. You’re a healer, so you can have the title restored.”

Selbastian added indifferently.

“If you don’t want a title, you can remain a commoner.”

Selbastian said it, but Acid was staring at me, like a big puppy waiting for its owner’s permission.

I raised my hand and tapped his hair, saying.

“Acid, do whatever you want. Whether you remain a commoner or get a title.”

“Yes.”

Acid politely said the following to Selbastian.

“There is someone I want to propose to, so I think I need to get a title. I would appreciate it if you could help me prove my bloodline.”

“Puh-!”

Dad, who was leisurely drinking coffee with an uninterested attitude as if it were someone else’s business, spat out his coffee.

He looked like a dragon spewing flames.

***

After Acid obtained a title, it became difficult for us to even go on dates.

Dad began to check on Acid even more, now that he had the legal requirements to marry me.

When Acid wasn’t visible, Dad would ask, ‘Where did that thief go, Ciel?’

Then I would say, ‘I don’t know. I haven’t met him today.’

I didn’t know that would become our daily greeting.

However, Acid, who had become aware of his love for me, was also quite a formidable opponent.

It was a dark night with no stars, when I couldn’t sleep and was knitting.

I heard someone knocking on the bedroom door, and when I opened it, thinking it was the sound of the wind, Acid was outside.

“…Acid, did you climb up the wall by any chance?”

“Yes. Is it a bit much?”

I scanned him up and down.

Perfect outfit, perfect appearance, perfect smile.

Acid was amazing, having climbed up the wall of the mansion without a single speck of dust on him.

I shook my head, looking at him, who was not hurt at all, with respectful eyes.

“No, it’s amazing.”

Acid smiled gently and said to me.

“I have something to tell you.”

I had a feeling that there was a reason why he had suddenly climbed into my bedroom tonight to see me.

“You’re being quite direct. What do you want to say?”

He moved his lips and said.

“Ciel.”

“Yes?”

A trembling breath escaped from his lips.

“Please dance with me at the debutante ball.”

Again, it was a simple and uncool confession.

But his eyes were full of sincerity and tension.

To his words, which seemed very nervous, I smiled softly and shut him down.

“No.”

Whether he was nervous but didn’t expect to be rejected, Acid’s face was stained with a deep sense of embarrassment.

“…Yes?”

I raised my chin as if I were arrogant and laughed.

“Ask a little more politely, like you would to a lady. Like a knight would to his lady.”

Acid sighed and carefully opened his mouth.

“…I have something I want to give you. Something I’ve wanted to give you for a long time…”

I observed Acid’s expression in detail. He seemed nervous before, but he seemed even more so now. Every muscle in his face, even his breath, seemed to tremble with tension.

In fact, I didn’t attach much meaning to the debutante [a formal presentation of young women to society], so I couldn’t even think of receiving a debutante partner application in the first place.

I didn’t expect anything and just said it as a joke, but Acid seemed to have taken it very seriously.

‘Should I say it was a joke now, that I’ll accept?’

As I was thinking about it, Acid took out his sword from his waist and handed it to me.

“Will you go to the debutante with me, Lady?”

Entrusting a sword to a knight was entrusting one’s life.

It was rare for a knight to entrust his sword to a lady.

Acid was not a knight but a healer, but he was able to use the sword at the same time. So it was fair to see him as a swordsman.

The fact that he entrusted his sword to me meant that he was dedicating his life to me.

‘You fool.’

He had never been anything but devoted to me since he met me.

Looking at Acid, who was kneeling quietly in front of me, I quietly spat out the following words.

“…I can’t turn away someone who has entrusted their life to me.”

It was a bonus to reach out to him with an arrogant expression.

If even his nervousness feels cute, I might already be in serious condition.

Of course, this romantic peace did not last long.

“Ciel, Matthias is coming. I don’t know why.”

Thanks to my timing-killing tyrant dad!

I said, watching Acid climb down the wall again.

“Go quickly. And later, let’s practice the debutante waltz, for sure!”

***

In fact, when I said I had chosen Acid as my debutante partner, I expected Dad to strongly oppose and put up a fight.

But my dad always ended up losing to my opinion.

‘He pretends to be a tyrant, but he backs down at crucial moments.’

That was my dad, and that’s why I loved him.

While preparing for the debutante ball with Dad’s permission, Acid and I often met in the hall to practice dancing.

‘There were Dad’s conditions, though…’

We were practicing dancing today as well, and to tell you the truth…

“Dad is in charge of the viola in the orchestra.”

I nodded sullenly, looking at the orchestra members filling the small hall, trembling, and the vicious Dad stuck in between.

“Uh-huh…”

Probably, I guessed he was just grabbing an excuse to monitor Acid and me.

I glanced at Dad’s expression, which looked like he was catching a demon, and smiled slightly.

Seeing that even that look was cute, I seemed to be quite lenient with Dad.

‘Where else is there a dad who learns an instrument to watch his daughter dance…’

Something was seriously wrong with the relationship between Dad and me, but I couldn’t seriously consider it right now.

Before I knew it, a cheerful melody began to ring from the viola Dad was holding.

It was , which would be played for the first time on the day of the debutante ball.

I held Acid’s hand and began to take the first step to dance.

As I dance, I feel that this song evokes subtle memories for me.

“When I listen to this song, I feel like I’m really starting anew.”

“When the debutante is over, you’ll really become an adult. It’s a new beginning.”

Is that so?

At the same time as that thought, a sweet melody rang in my ears.

Listening to the melody that made my heart swell, and matching steps with Acid, I whispered sentimentally and impulsively.

“You know, Acid. Then we changed fate?”

“Yes. You became an adult safely.”

“Then, because I’m an adult…”

I laughed and playfully provoked him.

“Can I kiss you?”

Acid didn’t answer. Before agreeing, he lightly and briefly stole my lips, then started stepping again.

I could see Dad clenching his fists in anger, but what could I do?

“You can do it again.”

“Yeah, I think something big will happen if you do it again?”

I looked at Acid, who was moving away from me, and then smiled at Dad.

I had a feeling that this hall might explode soon…

‘What can I do? That’s life.’

Strangely, I became carefree.

The world created by my mom and me, and the people I love, was rolling along fairly happily.

The story of me, my tyrant dad, and the people I love will continue in the future.

So I thought this world was unbearably lovely.

At that time, Acid’s face came closer to me again.

“I don’t think I care about big things.”

The sound of the viola stopped, and I could hear Dad’s scream from afar, but it was definitely a happy ending.

– Main story complete.