I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 134

134. Side Story 2: Finding Dad’s True Happiness (7)

March 12, 2024

Sienne’s romance.

Matthias ran a hand over his tired face, lost in thought and confusion.

‘I don’t think I’m ready to let Sienne go yet, but…’

Still, he had to slowly acknowledge that Sienne had a world open to her that didn’t involve him being her father.

He suddenly felt strange.

Listening to Sienne’s voice with such mixed feelings, he nonchalantly shoved his hands into his pockets and opened the tent flap.

Sienne wasn’t right in front of the tent.

He had clearly heard her voice, so she must be somewhere nearby.

But it was then.

As he stepped out of the tent, he spotted the tent guard before he saw Sienne.

“Oh! Greetings, Grand Duke.”

He gestured for silence, waving his hand a couple of times as if to say, “Quiet.”

“Yes, I’ll go in.”

“Ah, yes!”

Just then, Sienne’s giggling voice could be heard in the distance.

She was probably trying to talk to Acid again.

Hearing that voice made him even more uncomfortable.

“Acid, that bastard…”

The tent guard asked with a trembling expression.

“Um… Your Excellency, my name is Acid.”

Matthias let out a hollow laugh as if he couldn’t believe it.

“What a coincidence. I wasn’t calling you. It’s nothing.”

At that moment, a quiet voice came from across the tent.

“Uh-huh, that’s right! Acid! Heehee, I guess the video device wasn’t turned off!”

“Th-then, I’ll be going.”

The tent guard seemed to have caught on to the situation and swallowed hard.

Matthias frowned at Acid’s voice and glared at the tent guard for no reason.

“Why? Can’t I be upset about my daughter’s romance? I’m her father.”

No one said anything.

But the tent guard, like a good subordinate, smiled affably and replied.

“…I wouldn’t dare compare, but I also have a daughter who is the apple of my eye. I worked hard to build up my wealth, and then my daughter brought home some guy. I was angry at first.”

“I certainly wouldn’t dare compare, but I’d be angry too. I felt the same way.”

“So, I came up with a plan.”

Matthias looked past the tent at Sienne, who was busy talking on the video device, and said,

“What plan did you come up with?”

“To make him a son-in-law who lives with us.”

Matthias stroked his chin and whispered.

He looked strangely interested.

“Oh, a son-in-law who lives with us…”

“Yes. Keep both your daughter and your son-in-law at home. Instead of sending your daughter off to get married, live with the mindset that you’ve gained a son, and the world will look different.”

Matthias frowned as he listened to the tent guard.

The tent guard, observing his expression, whispered softly.

“Well, actually… I don’t know much about the affairs of those above me, but… a son-in-law who lives with you, it’s surprisingly not a bad idea.”

Matthias stroked his chin and murmured.

“I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while now.”

“It’s been 3 seconds, though…” The tent guard firmly resisted the urge to say, and quietly said,

“Yes, please speak.”

“I still don’t like the idea of a son-in-law who lives with us.”

“Hmph, then, um… Why don’t you just keep him by your side? Without getting married… It might be good to keep testing him.”

“Is that so…”

Matthias’s eyes began to sparkle.

That’s right.

He could just keep both Sienne and Acid with him.

Because she was his daughter, whom he wanted to keep under his wing and only show good things.

‘Sienne said she would find me the joy of life… but I don’t care about that.’

In fact, he didn’t need the joy of life.

As long as he had Sienne.

But if Sienne wanted him to be happy, he was willing to play along.

***

Hoping against hope, I hurried closer to the tent, then stopped in surprise.

‘What, what? Dad was really eavesdropping?’

No, could you even call this eavesdropping?

Should I just say he heard it?

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, then decided to sort out my thoughts.

‘Um… he probably just heard it by chance. Dad has good senses.’

I tried to hide my flustered expression and said to Dad,

“Dad, you were here? Did you wash up all nice and clean?”

Dad glanced at the tent guard next to him, then looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Ah, Dad. All nice and clean. And, um… well, there were no problems.”

That was a very suspicious line.

Because…

‘I didn’t even ask if there were any problems yet.’

My eyes narrowed.

There was definitely something wrong. A very big problem that I shouldn’t know about.

I quickly began to interrogate Dad.

“Are you sure there were no problems?”

“…Uh-huh.”

I shrugged and said.

The way to train Dad in these situations is simple.

“No problems, huh? Okay, I understand.”

If I just ignore him, Dad will bring the answer himself.

As planned, I started to hum and tried to walk past Dad.

Right then.

Sure enough, Dad grabbed my arm with a desperate voice.

“S-Sienne? Are you really going like this?”

“Yeah. I’m going to wash the sand off my hands.”

I pretended to brush the dust off the robe I was wearing.

As if he couldn’t bear to hold me back, Dad squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again and confessed.

“Sienne, I heard you talking to A… on the video device.”

‘Not Acid, but A…’

Thinking that Dad must really hate Acid, I asked briefly,

“Yeah, you heard me talking to Acid?”

At those words, a slight discomfort flashed across Dad’s face. He clearly didn’t like that Acid and I were in contact.

‘Ah, that’s what it was.’

That’s why Dad’s expression looked so uncomfortable.

He waved his hands as if to desperately excuse himself to me.

“N-no, I definitely wasn’t eavesdropping.”

“I know you weren’t eavesdropping.”

“It’s just that you two looked so happy… Dad, um, so include Dad too. You came here for Dad’s joy of life, right?”

In an instant, Dad, who had been pushed back by my energy, shone his eyes as if he had gained the upper hand.

“I feel like I might find some joy in life if I’m with Acid too.”

“…Suddenly?”

That was an ominous story.

As I looked at Dad with a questioning expression, Dad cleared his throat and said,

“Yeah, and I have something to say to Acid too.”

I tilted my head in confusion at the story that Dad had something to say to Acid.

I was wondering what Dad could have to say to Acid.

As if to resolve my question, Dad said,

“Sienne, you’re thinking, ‘What could Dad have to say to Acid?’ right now, aren’t you?”

“…Dad, you’re like a ghost?”

“Dad originally has a bit of insight. Anyway, I was thinking about it while listening to the story by chance today.”

“Yeah? What were you thinking?”

“If, just if, Sienne were to meet Acid…”

“Uh-huh. I’m meeting him now.”

“…Not that. If you were to en… or mar…”

“Engaged or married. Yeah. If so.”

I felt strangely nervous.

I swallowed hard and looked at Dad.

“If you two mar…, Dad has one condition to set.”

This was a very strange thing to say.

I sparkled my eyes and asked Dad,

“Yeah? You only have one condition? What is it?”

Dad narrowed his eyes and corrected his previous statement.

“No, now that I think about it, it’s not one.”

“Um… then how many?”

“About ten thousand.”

I raised my eyebrows in shock.

“Eek. That’s weird!”

I didn’t intend to tell Dad that it was weird, but the word “weird” came out on its own.

I stomped my feet a few times in protest and said,

“You didn’t get married to Mom like that!”

“If ten years can change the landscape, of course, the marriage conditions have to change too.”

“…Dad, you’re good with words.”

When I gave him a blank stare, Dad began to set conditions that he could never compromise on.

“Yeah, Dad is good with words. So listen. First of all, he has to be a son-in-law who lives with us.”

“…Hmm, that might be okay? Acid said he wants to be a son-in-law who lives with us too.”

“Ah.”

Dad bit his lip.

It seemed like he didn’t like that a condition he had set was so easily accepted.

In other words, Dad had a seriously troubled expression.

“Sienne, Dad feels bad for some reason.”

“Tch, I knew it. Then what’s the next condition? Let’s hear it.”

I shrugged.

Dad will probably repeat this behavior countless times in the future. Presenting conditions, saying he doesn’t like it, and then presenting conditions again….

It was only natural. Because Dad wouldn’t want to let go of me, who is the only reason and happiness in his life.

‘Of course, he can do that. Because he’s Dad. And I’m learning how to slowly become independent from Dad while that happens.’

Still, Dad is holding back better than I expected.

I must still look like a child to Dad.

I thought he would be restless at the thought of me, still a baby, leaving his arms….

‘He’s more composed than I expected.’

Dad seemed embarrassed that he had changed his words.

He muttered, reddening the back of his neck.

“Dad still doesn’t really know what kind of kid Acid is.”

“…Liar. You’ve been together every day!”

“Yeah. But I’ve never been close to him.”

“That’s true…”

Perhaps the reason Dad opposes Acid is largely because Acid and Dad are on awkward terms.

They’ve lived together for a long time, so there may be some level of trust, but still.

‘It would be nice to make Dad and Acid get along?’

But, wouldn’t Acid be scared of Dad?

My head was getting complicated with such thoughts, right at that moment.

The video device I had put in my robe pocket rang.

“…Huh?”

I hurriedly rummaged through my robe pocket and took out the video device. The video device, which I thought was turned off, was sparkling.

It was a sign that the video device was connected.

“Why is this suddenly…”

“It looks like Acid is contacting you again.”

Listening to Dad’s displeased words, I tapped the surface of the video device.

Then, Acid’s appearance immediately came to mind in the video device.

I clutched the hot video device and gave a bewildered expression.

“Acid, what’s wrong?”

“I have something to say.”

“…Uh-huh? Suddenly?”

“Yes, until now, I thought it wasn’t something I should dare to interfere with, so I stayed still…”

“Uh-huh?”

Wait a minute, this atmosphere, could it be….

“…Actually, the video device wasn’t disconnected.”

“Heeek…”

“I was listening. To your conversation.”

My face turned red in an instant.