I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 2

The warmth of Dad’s affectionate voice and the feeling of being securely supported by his strong arms were comforting, but I couldn’t let myself be lulled into complacency.

I shook my head vigorously and declared, “I’m going to protect you, I said!”

Listening to Dad’s voice, I found it peculiar. My pure and kind Dad, whom I needed to protect, was a truly fascinating person. Even though he wasn’t a prosecutor, he had prominent blue veins in his hands.

Maybe it was from farming for so long? Or perhaps it was because the Mirmod family possessed such great physical abilities, and he had inherited that constitution.

I poked at the veins in Dad’s hand and smiled brightly.

Dad, who had been silent until then, spoke again, emphasizing his words. “My daughter, you can’t even talk properly.”

The reason I couldn’t speak properly was simply because my physical abilities were lower than those of other children my age.

But I couldn’t say such a thing to Dad. I sighed deeply inwardly and shook my head.

Just then.

“Yeah, Sien? Isn’t that right?” Dad’s voice was tinged with laughter. He seemed to be enjoying this situation.

It was frustrating. I clenched my small fist and poked my little chest, shouting, “Th, that’s how other kids talk! Anyway, I’m gonna pwotect you!”

I shook my head firmly. Each time I did, my plump, potato-like cheeks trembled.

Dad, standing behind me, gently pressed my cheek and said, “Our daughter should just live happily like a normal child.”

I leaned my head against Dad’s sturdy back and let out another soft sigh. Watching the sigh dissipate, it felt like I was seeing a glimpse of our sad and bleak future.

‘No. This is a villainous family, so a kind Dad can’t protect me.’

My innocent Dad, how will he survive in this harsh world? I looked up at him with a gaze full of worry. But Dad still seemed serious.

“Understood?”

“Hoo.”

I could only agree to Dad’s passionate voice.

If I didn’t act like a child, my dad would look a little gloomy, though he wouldn’t show it outright. He probably found it hard to see me losing my childlike innocence.

For example, there was a time when I didn’t eat carrots and was picky. At that time, Dad was very upset and gave each of the carrot sticks a name. And he told me to say goodbye to those friends who were being thrown away, in a tearful voice.

‘Hello, carrots! Say it!’

‘……Do I have to?’

‘Yes. If you don’t say hello to the carrots, they’ll get hurt.’

‘Hoo…… This is hard. Helwo, cawwots.’

I reluctantly opened my mouth, recalling the dark history of greeting carrots to protect my dad’s childlike innocence.

“Oooong.”

“So pretty, my daughter.”

It was at that very moment when the two of us were talking that the door, which had been draped like a dark curtain, slowly opened, and a sliver of light seeped in. I blinked and looked towards the opposite door.

‘Who is it?’

The person who opened the door and came in was a middle-aged woman with strikingly beautiful features, as if sculpted by a master craftsman. There were sparse strands of white hair, but even that was as beautiful as if God had personally sprinkled snow.

She sat down on the opposite chair with a stern expression, without saying a word, and whispered in a voice as cold as perpetual snow, “You’ve come.”

“It’s been a while, Mother,” Dad replied politely. I rolled my eyes around. ‘If she’s Mother, is she Dad’s biological mother?’ Just as I was wondering, she opened her mouth.

“So you do think of me as your real mother.”

“Shall I call you Duchess Lucella?”

I felt a slight tremor in my small body due to some unknown murderous intent, but that was only for a moment. I widened my eyes at the conversation that continued like a ping-pong match between the two.

Judging from the context, it seemed like she was his biological mother. But if she’s Duchess Lucella……!

I shuddered.

‘According to the original story, she’s treated like an old woman in the backyard now [a figurehead with little power]. But still, she was once the leader of the villainous ducal family… If she’s Dad’s biological mother, it would be good to be on good terms with her, right? And get help…….’

While I was focused on my own thoughts, the conversation continued.

“Now that you’ve returned to the family, you know you can’t leave on your own strength.”

“……Huh?!”

“Sien.”

I suddenly made a loud noise. Fortunately, Dad gently coaxed me, but my mind was in complete chaos.

I was naturally planning to get on this tiger-like grandmother’s good side and leave this castle. But…….

“I know. Becoming the successor, or being exiled and becoming a fugitive, or dying. It’ll be one of the three.”

I was shocked by the broken plan and was on the verge of fainting, but I barely managed to regain my senses.

‘Even if you’re caught in a tiger’s den, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.’

I deliberately clenched my tiny teeth, grinding them, and put strength into my eyes.

Duchess Lucella’s cold voice reached my ears. “It’s fortunate that you know.”

Even with a simple reprimand, Dad simply lowered his eyes, giving strength to the hand holding me.

‘Too cold.’

The conversation between the mother and son who had met after a long time was excessively cold, and even the atmosphere was icy.

I could finally see ahead when Dad warmly wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

The Duchess’s chillingly blue eyes and my round, glass-like eyes met in the air.

“What is that?”

“Yes?”

As our eyes met, she frowned as much as she could and said, with an expression that seemed to despise me quite a bit, “What is that honey jar wrapped in cloth?”

A honey jar wrapped in cloth…….

‘I’m not such a honey jar! And it’s not cloth, Dad sewed this beautifully for me.’

I quietly recalled my memories with Dad.

‘Dad sewed Sien’s clothes beautifully, how is it?’

‘Exshiting [Exciting]!’

‘I’ll learn how to use a sewing machine next time. Mrs. Isabel said she’ll teach me.’

‘Oong [Yes]! Pwease [Please]!’

Because of the fluffy memories I had with Dad, I felt a little wronged and glared at her. Then, Duchess Lucella glared at me with a ruthless face.

“This is not cwoth [cloth]. Daddy made it for me.”

The Duchess, who had been coldly looking at me as I earnestly appealed, soon turned her gaze towards Dad.

Isn’t Dad afraid of those tiger-like eyes? His hand seems to be trembling slightly. However, unlike his slightly trembling hand, Dad continued to speak in a fairly calm and courageous manner. “This is my daughter. Sien, say hello.”

Still, I have to be polite! I blinked without saying anything and bowed politely. “Hello!”

However, in my head, the information about Duchess Lucella was spinning rapidly.

The time it takes to finish thinking: three seconds.

I bit my lip tightly.

It was frustrating that I couldn’t leave on my own, but still, one thing was fortunate.

The first person we met in the villainous ducal family was Duchess Lucella.

Because she was Dad’s biological mother and my grandmother…….

‘I read about Duchess Lucella’s攻略법 [strategy guide] in the original 『Melodia’s Life』!’

If I get on her good side, life in the ducal family would likely become a little easier.

In this dark and dangerous black-hearted villainous family, a woman who once had the modifier of the King of Darkness, Duchess Lucella.

There was a weakness, not really a weakness, of hers who was an extremely dangerous person.

‘That is…….’

While I was thinking hard, Duchess Lucella coldly looked at me and Dad. It was a sense of intimidation that would silence even ordinary people with just one glance.

Growing anxious, I swung my legs back and forth, as was my habit.

She looked at me and said, as if spitting it out, “Why did you bring that along?”

“I wanted to show Sien to Mother.”

Dad’s voice was as neat as a marble.

“Let that out and let’s talk. I have something to say about the successor structure issue. First of all, the trial for the Gu’s Devil incident that you committed-”

“-It would be better to talk about that later.”

I perked up my ears at the mention of the Gu’s Devil incident.

However, before I could satisfy my curiosity, Dad cut off the Duchess’s words in one stroke. It was only natural, but Duchess Lucella’s expression became quite fierce.

She, who had been expressionless all along, seemed quite angry.

Since the first person Dad encountered after entering the castle was Duchess Lucella, it was just my guess, but it seemed that the Duchess had lifted Dad’s expulsion order and allowed him to return to the family.

But to cut her off in the middle of her words… I would have been angry even if I were the Duchess.

‘Dad cut off Grandma’s words in the middle. He should be trying to get on her good side!’

Just as I was fidgeting with worry, Duchess Lucella lowered her gaze diagonally and muttered, “Your arrogant attitude is still the same.”

It felt like I was hearing the hallucination of ‘I want to kill you.’

I clenched my fluffy little hands tightly.

Dangerous.

It seems like a death flag has already been raised!

Duchess Lucella was reliable to her allies, but she was ruthless in killing those who bothered her. To displease such a person was impossible.

‘Are Dad and I going to die at the same time as entering the ducal family?’

However, Dad was still carefree.

Dad ignored Duchess Lucella’s words and stroked my head, saying affectionately, “Sien, shall we go out and see the maid unnies [older sisters]?”

Dad stroked my head gently and kindly. I nodded, but felt that special measures were needed.

No matter how I looked at it, this grandmother hated both my dad and me very much.

That was evident just from the cold gaze that seemed to freeze even warm water as she scanned us.

I made a serious decision.

Okay, I’ll use the Duchess Lucella攻略법 [strategy guide]!

“Oong [Yes], Daddy. Sien, just a moment!”

I had been watching Dad and Grandma talking, and I had made up my mind while holding and unfolding the pigtails that Dad had diligently braided for me.

‘After all, Dad is pure and clearly doesn’t know anything. So, I have no choice but to step in.’

I jumped off Dad’s lap with a plop.

“I’ll call a maid, so get out,” Grandma said, sweeping me arrogantly. At that moment, I went to Grandma’s side diligently with my small toddler feet.

“Sien?”

“What are you doing.”

Dad and Grandma’s voices rang in my ears, but I ignored them and stood right next to Grandma’s chair. Because my height was a little shorter than the desk, Dad would only be able to see the top of my round head.

‘I have to target Duchess Lucella’s weakness!’

I stood in front of the villainous grandmother to protect my only family, Dad.

It’s a little, no, very scary, but I couldn’t help it. I put my round, rice cake-like arms on my sides and glared at Grandma.

Duchess Lucella looked down at me as if I were annoying and asked, “What is it?”

“Hammony [Grandma]!”

Sparkling eyes emission!

I looked at Grandma with eyes shining like stars, with the feeling of taking out my ultimate move. Gathering my dumpling-like, plump hands in front of me was a bonus.

Grandma frowned and said, “What did you say?”

I can see that her gaze has hardened coldly.

However, I opened my eyes even wider and shot a sparkling beam of light while opening my mouth. “Sien, is this Hammony [Grandma]? I missed you!”

I deliberately stretched out the end of my words very loooong. Like a cute and harmless child!

There’s a reason why I’m doing this.

Duchess Lucella had taken the risk and released all the children during the Thieves’ Guild massacre in the novel.

Because, surprisingly, she doesn’t hate children, and she likes cute things.

Of course, all the children were afraid of Duchess Lucella. Even the children of the villainous family regarded her as an evil wizard and ran away with their tails between their legs.

That was similar even now, when she had already fallen into the status of an old woman in the backyard.

‘Anyway, the image of the tiger who once ruled the world is still there.’

So I’m aiming for a niche market! I guarantee that Duchess Lucella has never seen a kid acting cute and charming, right? I opened my eyes wide and constantly examined the expression of Duchess Lucella in front of me.

“Didn’t Hammony [Grandma] miss me?”

I smiled cutely, blowing air into the inside of my plump cheeks like seasonal shrimp.

Scary Grandma, please! Please don’t kill our pure Dad. With that expression.

Grandma, who was facing my sparkling eyes, had a strange expression that I couldn’t understand.