I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 29

Tyrant Dad, I’ll Protect You! Chapter 29. A Slight Sense of Possessiveness Was Felt (29/140)

Chapter 29. A Slight Sense of Possessiveness Was Felt

2023.03.10.

After a short while, the little boy clenched his fist tightly and scurried back to Matthias.

“Dad!”

“Yes, Cien?”

“That mister is pitiful… Sweet potatoes are usually 1 silver for 10… He’s a complete pushover.”

The aide flinched.

As Matthias remembered, the watch the man was wearing alone was worth thousands of gold. Of course, he had no intention of revealing that fact to Cien.

“…So, because he’s not even making a profit, he’s kneeling and begging people to buy a lot. He’s so kind… Just like Dad’s friend.”

“I guess so.”

“Hmph…”

Cien nodded and glanced at the aide.

Matthias could tell just by that look from Cien. She was looking at the man with pity, thinking, ‘He’s in the same situation as my dad.’

“Then, let’s buy 10 sweet potatoes. For 1 silver. But Dad!”

“Yes?”

“Why do you need sweet potatoes?”

He was speechless at the innocent question.

Matthias had never been outdone by anyone when it came to eloquence.

But when he looked into Cien’s sparkling, bright eyes… he was momentarily at a loss for words.

He wanted to protect his beloved daughter’s innocent appearance for a long, long time. He chose his words carefully, and then, even more carefully.

While Matthias was still choosing his next words, Cien seemed to have made a decision in her heart.

His little daughter shouted loudly without hesitation.

“Is Dad building muscles too? The maids eat sweet potatoes and chicken breasts!”

‘…Those maids are helpful at times like this.’

Things were going smoothly.

Matthias, recalling the burly maids, nodded and picked up Cien.

“Yes, I’m trying to get healthier. Dad is too weak.”

“Cough, cough, cough. Kehk.”

The aide coughed, seemingly choking on Matthias’s shameless words.

But Cien was different. She made a serious face and said,

“That’s right! What if Dad is too weak and dies young? You have to live to be a hundred! Eat lots of sweet potatoes!”

Not stopping there, Cien examined Matthias’s body here and there. Her loving and innocent words made him laugh.

The aide seemed to be hiccuping as he glanced at Matthias’s sinister smile… but he was already out of Matthias’s mind.

He gently pinched Cien’s cheek and said,

“Okay. I understand. Now, let’s change out of your wet clothes and eat something delicious with Dad?”

“Okay! I want to eat something delicious with Daddy!”

Matthias chuckled and gently brushed Cien’s hair back.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve had such peace.’

His expression changed to one of ease.

The quick-witted aide went outside, and Matthias pulled the cord next to his desk to call a servant.

The quick-witted and skilled servants quickly brought a tea tray. Meanwhile, Cien changed out of her wet clothes and quickly sat on Matthias’s lap, staring at the documents Matthias was looking at.

She was concentrating so hard that it felt like he could hear the sound of Cien’s eyes rolling around.

“Daddy, what’s this?”

Cien trailed off and smiled brightly.

Matthias looked down at the document Cien was holding.

It was a document related to Delphia Mirmode.

Of course, it was encrypted so that Cien couldn’t read it, so she wouldn’t be able to confirm it…

Matthias smiled kindly and said,

“It’s a document about renovating the mansion. This mansion is a very nice place.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. So, Dad is going to do some renovations. I’m going to re-wallpaper it too. I’ll make it like the old country house. Won’t that be great?”

He expected her to be overjoyed, but Cien sighed deeply and drooped her shoulders.

“D-don’t. Don’t do scary things?”

“…Huh?”

“Threatening others! Bullying them!”

Of course, that was Matthias’s specialty.

But Cien shouldn’t know that he was a terrifying existence to many. He decided to deny it excessively.

“I would never do such a thing. Dad will only spend good times with good people.”

He stroked Cien’s hair as he uttered a sentence that would make his close aides faint.

Cien had a cute, expressionless face, but strangely, her body was stiff.

Matthias gently wrapped his arms around Cien’s shoulders, feeling sorry for her rigid little shoulders.

“Ah, Cien.”

“Yes?”

“If a woman named Delphia ever comes looking for you…”

“Ooh?”

Cien’s eyes widened.

“…Don’t meet that person, Cien. You have to run away as soon as you hear that name.”

“Why? Why do I have to run away?”

Cien’s innocent eyes looked up at Matthias.

“Because she’s a dangerous person.”

“Okay!”

Cien clenched her fist and nodded vigorously.

“I’ll kill her!”

“…What?”

“It was a slip of the tongue! Cien will avoid her! Like a good Dad!”

Matthias chuckled and stroked Cien’s little head. If there was a dangerous person for Cien, he would grind them to dust first, so there was no need for this little one to move busily.

For a few minutes, a peaceful and special time flowed by leisurely.

But it was then, while Matthias was feeling healed, that a loud noise began to be heard from outside the window that had been opened for ventilation.

“You… what… danger…”

“No… !”

“Get… away…”

It was the youthful voices of boys.

Instantly, Matthias’s brow furrowed as his rest was disturbed.

However, Cien was in front of him. He had to provide proper family education.

He whispered gently to Cien,

“…It seems like there are some bad thugs outside, should we close the window?”

However, Cien’s reaction was unexpected.

Unlike Matthias, who was trying to close the window and ignore them, Cien was perking up her ears.

“Uh-oh! No way!”

“Huh?”

And…

Cien landed on the floor with a soft thud, like a little chickadee. Then, she scurried to the window and peeked down.

He felt momentarily empty as the warmth of her lap disappeared.

Cien looked out the window and…

“Gasp, gasp!”

She dangled her legs and made a worried expression.

“What’s wrong, Cien?”

“I have to go quickly!”

“Huh?”

“I’ll play with Daddy next time! Wait for me!”

After letting out a scream, Cien opened the door and left like a shot.

Matthias was left in that spot.

…Very pathetically.

The warmth that remained on his lap hadn’t even faded yet…

He gritted his teeth.

He was trying to enjoy a peaceful tea time with Cien for the first time in a while. Just who were these guys who were disturbing him?

Matthias looked down below the window.

He saw two friends that Cien had made after returning to the Duke’s residence.

So, their names were… Acid and Leonhardt.

***

I ran, panting, to the promenade where Acid and Leonhardt were.

Every time I passed through the hallway, I heard voices saying, ‘Little Miss! You’ll get hurt!’, ‘Oh my, how can she run on those tiny legs!’…!

But the maids’ worries weren’t important at this time.

The most important thing was that Acid and Leonhardt were fighting!

And the next most important thing was…

As I ran, waving my arms and legs, I thought of my foolish dad’s hurt expression.

Our dad valued his time with me very much. He said that he was most excited to see me wiggling around.

But today, my happy time with Dad was unfortunately cut short.

‘Foolish Dad, he might be sulking!’

Since he was timid and innocent, he might be brooding for a long time.

But it couldn’t be helped. I’ll soothe Dad’s pure heart later! I had no choice but to check what had happened between Leonhardt and Acid.

‘Leonhardt and Acid, both of them are kids I can’t afford to lose in order to survive.’

I moved my feet quickly.

Finally, I saw the promenade where they were raising their voices at each other.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem too late yet.

I ran hard with feet the size of an adult’s palm, and I approached the promenade where they were confronting each other, gasping for breath.

“Hah, what, hah, is going on!”

Acid and Leonhardt were glaring at each other. But my voice seemed to break the atmosphere. As soon as I arrived, Acid quickly hid behind me.

“L-Lady Cien.”

“Baby!”

I held Acid’s baby-like hand tightly. Acid’s cheeks, which had been flushed, turned even redder.

Leonhardt, who had been watching the scene with a malicious smirk, called out to me.

“Chestnut!”

“Yeah!”

Leonhardt pointed at Acid and said,

“What’s ‘that’?”

Leonhardt was the adopted son of a villain. The only kind of speech he could learn would be rough.

But Acid didn’t know that yet. So, Acid hid behind me and clutched my clothes tightly.

Well, I’m the only person Acid can rely on here.

Leonhardt was wearing a mask, so he looked scary at first glance.

‘It would be nice if they became friends.’

I rolled my eyes and pondered, then clapped my hands.

“Yeah, Leonhardt! This is my friend Acid, no, Baby! Let’s go play at our house together!”

Leonhardt’s expression twisted momentarily. Even the mask that covered the boy’s face completely seemed to tremble.

“Is that the Chestnut genius, your friend?”

“Yeah!”

‘Why does he seem angry?’

I was very nervous about what Leonhardt would say.

Since he was a little villain and was going to become the best villain when he grew up, I didn’t know where he would bounce.

‘Leonhardt, what is he going to say?’

And, as if recognizing my state of tension, he also had a serious expression. The corners of his lips were raised coldly.

‘Is he going to tell you to go away because you’re a ragtag group?’

I calmed my pounding heart and looked at Leonhardt.

Looking intently into my eyes, Leonhardt asked quietly.

“Then…”

Gulp.

The moment my saliva passed over my throat.

“…What am I… to you?”

…Huh?

“…Huh?”

I widened my eyes and asked back. When I didn’t answer right away, Leonhardt surprisingly became silent. Instead of him, who had become quiet, Acid grabbed my sleeve tightly. Leonhardt’s sharp gaze reached Acid.

There seemed to be a subtle war of nerves between the two…

“Leonhardt is definitely my friend too!”

I smiled and looked at them both. Leonhardt and Acid didn’t smile. Leonhardt, who glanced at Acid still holding my sleeve, said to me as if declaring.

“Chestnut.”

“Yeah?”

“I will try to become your first precious friend.”

“Huh…?”

Leonhardt said in a strangely thickened voice.

“I will become a better existence to you than that guy behind you, who lives with you…”

A slight sense of possessiveness was felt in the boy’s eyes.

It was a bit unsettling, but anyway, it was very good for me that a being who would become a future villain was declaring that he would become my friend.

I nodded vigorously.

“Okay. Work hard!”

Leonhardt smiled with a satisfied expression at my answer.

“Okay.”

From behind, Acid grabbed my sleeve tightly and whispered.

“Me too…”

“Huh? Baby, why?”

Acid whispered very quietly so that only I could hear.

“I’ll work hard too!”

My friends are starting to appear! I smiled brightly and said to them kindly.

“Then, shall we go eat something delicious together?”

Because I liked this little kid and Leonhardt even more.