I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 138

138. Side Story 3: Sien and Acid’s Chaotic Engagement Ceremony (1)

March 26, 2024

Matthias’s jaw dropped.

That was definitely not a joke.

Acid was seriously raising the stakes.

‘……Not an easy opponent.’

Indeed, it wasn’t easy.

He narrowed his eyes, gazing at Acid.

‘But still…….’

It wasn’t bad.

A husband who was even more of a pushover than himself wouldn’t dare to go against Sien’s wishes.

Just like Matthias himself, willing to give in when it came to his daughter, Sien.

‘Maybe it might be a little bit okay.’

This son-in-law test was a pass.

Matthias averted his gaze from Acid, who was smiling lightly as if he hadn’t said anything important.

Really, it wasn’t bad.

Matthias, who had been staring blankly into space, fixed his gaze back on Acid, who was smiling brightly among the village women.

“How’s the potato soup, Acid?”

Acid replied with a radiant smile.

“It’s delicious.”

Even that, he quite liked.

‘There’s no need to become too soft, though.’

He had told Sien that he felt awkward with Acid, but he couldn’t ignore the bond they had built over 15 years.

Just spending a little time together like this was enough to ease his heart.

***

The trip to the rural village didn’t end with eating potato soup at the village hall.

Matthias had one more thing planned.

It was to show Acid the country house where Sien and Matthias had lived together.

After they had finished all the potato soup at the village hall, they headed to the small mud-walled house where Sien had originally lived.

“I wonder how the mud-walled house where I lived with Sien has changed.”

At Matthias’s words, the village women exchanged glances and smiled.

“Hoho, curious, aren’t you? But you’ll be surprised when you actually go there!”

Matthias didn’t expect to be surprised by anything, but he didn’t think it was necessary to say anything bad to the people he had met after a long time.

“Is that so.”

“Of course! Oh, did you know? Some knights have been coming and going from this house occasionally to take care of it! Repairing the mud walls and pulling weeds.”

“So I wondered if the ownership of the house had been transferred to someone else, but no one had come in for 15 years. So I was wondering what was going on.”

“Oh, it’s nothing much.”

They chattered on, seemingly unaware that Matthias was the owner of the house, and that the knights who had been taking care of the house were also under Matthias’s command.

“Haha, I guess since the last time was 15 years ago when he was taken away by the knight……. I even had some absurd thoughts that the lord was tormenting him or something.”

“We secretly cut some of the vines that had grown on the house!”

One of the village women winked playfully.

“Now that you’re doing well, it would be nice if you could give us some compensation, huh?”

At her words, Matthias smiled brightly.

The people of the rural village were so kind.

It seemed they had been secretly taking care of the house since he had been taken away.

“Thank you.”

Before he could finish speaking, the mud-walled house came into view.

Perhaps thanks to the knights’ care and the villagers’ efforts.

The mud-walled house didn’t look like an abandoned house that no one had lived in for 15 years.

Seeing the bright yellow wildflowers sparsely growing on the mud walls and the neatly trimmed grass under the fence, Matthias was briefly filled with nostalgia.

“How is it, nice, isn’t it?”

“Well, we’ll be going now! Tell that young man next to you to show you around the house well.”

“Come visit the village often next time!”

The village women, seeing Matthias’s moist eyes, made a timely exit.

Before he knew it, he was alone with Acid at the house.

Acid, who hadn’t said a word until now, looked at the gate of the mud-walled house and asked briefly.

“Is this the house where Sien used to live?”

“Yes.”

Matthias replied to Acid, glancing at him.

Seeing Acid blinking as if he had come to a sacred place, he felt somewhat proud.

But now was the time to hide those feelings.

He looked at Acid and smiled contentedly.

“How is it.”

Acid only moved his lips.

Matthias stared intently at Acid, raising his eyebrows.

If he didn’t answer, he could just ask again.

“Do you like it?”

And surprisingly, Acid…….

After taking a little time, he gave an answer that pleased him very much.

“How dare I evaluate whether I like it or not?”

“What do you mean?”

“If this is where Sien spent her childhood, then to me, it’s like a temple.”

“…….”

“No human can comment on the craftsmanship of a temple.”

At those words, Matthias unknowingly raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.

“Oh, not bad. Kid.”

But the word ‘kid’ that he offered as a compliment seemed to touch a nerve with Acid.

Acid twitched his eyebrows for a moment and said quietly.

“I am not a kid.”

“Then what are you, kid?”

Acid straightened his shoulders and said.

“……I have grown enough to stand next to Sien.”

He liked Acid more and more.

Of course, this didn’t mean that he recognized Acid as Sien’s husband.

Matthias shrugged, trying to maintain a cynical expression.

“Well, come on in for now. There’s something I want to show you, and something I want to say.”

***

The door of the mud-walled house was modestly open.

They looked at the kitchen and living room, which were visible at a glance. On the old sofa in the living room, there was a doll that Sien used to like.

“Cute.”

“Very cute.”

Matthias and Acid looked at each other and cleared their throats at the words that popped out at the same time.

“Shall I show you something even cuter?”

Matthias leisurely opened the curtain between the living room and the kitchen.

And there…….

“Gasp.”

There was something so cute that Acid gasped.

It was the small baby bed where Sien had slept as a child.

In the small bed, which was, to exaggerate, the size of a palm, Matthias unknowingly exclaimed to himself.

“Indeed, this bed is still here.”

The small gauze towel used to wipe Sien’s mouth and the tools used to make baby food were also in the same place as the bed.

Matthias lightly rubbed his face and whispered.

“She was so small and tiny that she could fit entirely in this bed, huh.”

At that moment, Acid, who had been quietly looking at the baby bed, opened his mouth.

“She was truly a small and precious baby.”

“Yes, that’s right. She was such a small and precious baby.”

Acid bit his lip tightly and suddenly looked at Matthias.

“Today, I realized once again that Sien grew up being more precious than anyone else.”

“Yes, do you understand now?”

“I believe it must be difficult to marry Sien, who you raised so diligently, to a rogue you don’t know well.”

Matthias cleared his throat, looking at Acid’s serious face.

“What’s with all the ‘I believes’? And Acid. You’re not exactly a rogue…….”

“Still, I would appreciate it if you could give me the opportunity to be happy with Sien for a long time.”

“……What?”

Matthias frowned, looking at Acid, the kid who was suddenly coming on strong.

But Acid said calmly.

“I don’t mean to ask you to allow the marriage right now. Please just see it as a pledge that I will work hard while fulfilling all the conditions.”

“…….”

For a moment, Matthias was speechless.

Right now, Acid even seemed to have the spirit of a pure prosecutor.

It was clear that everything he was saying was sincere.

When Matthias didn’t speak, Acid calmly continued.

“Don’t worry. I will do as you wish.”

“……A slave.”

Acid looked worried and asked.

“Are you perhaps not pleased that I volunteer to be Sien’s slave?”

Right now, it seemed that marrying Sien was more important to Acid than being treated like a slave.

“No, I like it very much.”

Acid nodded and looked around the interior again.

But it was at that moment.

The sound of the mud-walled house door creaking open was heard.

Usually, they would think that the village women had come in, but Acid and Matthias felt a subtle emotion.

“Dad, Acid!”

It was Sien.

***

I looked at the two people inside the house with a surprised expression.

Dad and Acid said they were going on a trip, so I was thinking of going on a trip without any particular thought.

What came to mind in the meantime was the rural village.

‘I was thinking of going to the rural village for a stroll after a long time.’

I didn’t know that Dad and Acid would come to this rural village for a trip.

Besides, this house wasn’t soundproof, so I ended up hearing all their conversations from outside.

‘Seriously, their conversation was so weird!’

I poked Acid in the side and asked seriously.

“Acid, is it really good to be my slave?”

Acid’s face was slightly red, as if he was embarrassed that his innermost thoughts had been revealed.

But he opened his mouth seriously.

“……Yes, it is.”

The corners of Dad’s mouth were also slightly raised.

‘Even Dad secretly likes it?’

No, why do they both look happy when it’s not a husband but a slave?

“Wow! I really don’t understand. Why are you both satisfied?”

“Sien, there are things you don’t know yet.”

I shook my head inwardly.

‘I want to never know…….’

But now that I’ve met Acid and Dad, it’s time to fulfill my goal of traveling to this rural village.

I held Dad’s hand tightly and said.

“Dad! Did you see the village women?”

“Yes.”

“I want to go see the rural village women, no, the grandmothers again!”

***

My words were immediately fulfilled.

Dad said he had already seen the village women and that they would be at the village hall.

At those words, I immediately opened the door of the village hall…….

“Sien is here!”

The village women, who were gathered at the village hall and finishing cooking the potato soup, jumped up like springs as soon as I entered.

“Oh my goodness! Our little Sien!”

“To think she’s grown up so much, time is fleeting.”

Seeing the fine wrinkles on the faces of the village women, I could feel the passage of time.

Feeling strangely emotional, I ran towards them and hugged them without a word.

When I was young, they would put me on their laps and comfort me kindly…….

Now, perhaps because I’m taller, when I hug the village women tightly, it feels like I’m hugging them.

The village women seemed to feel that way too, whispering as if they were amazed.

“To think that our tiny baby has already grown up like this!”

Some of the village women already had tears in their eyes.

“It’s so amazing, really…….”

It was a touching reunion.