I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 33

Dad, Leonhardt, Ashid, and I returned to Duke Mirmod’s mansion.

But, as soon as we arrived, a strange shadow seemed to loom over the mansion gate!

The muscle-maid sisters were there to greet me with what I could only describe as a warm welcome.

They were already intimidating with their massive physiques, and now they were frowning, which somehow made them even more scary.

“What’s going on?”

I hoped nothing had happened at the mansion while I was away…!

As I tilted my head, the sisters said in trembling voices.

“Today’s protein was the best, Lady Cien!”

Deadly and Bench, the two maid sisters, reaffirmed their loyalty to me today.

“My heart is filled with tears of loyalty, but I’m holding back because I’ll lose muscle mass.”

I nodded at them with a blank expression. Then the maid sisters continued.

“Ah, and…”

“Hmm?”

“Two letters came for Lady Cien.”

I tilted my head.

“Um, from whom?”

Deadly hesitated a little. The two high-quality letters in her hand, presumably for me, trembled.

“One is from a holy knight of the temple. His name is written as Ted.”

“……Ah, Ted.”

I glanced at Ashid. Ashid was carefully lowering his head. I couldn’t see his expression well, but he seemed to be quite conflicted.

‘I should read it first and let Ashid know so he has time to think things over.’

“Okay, great! Let’s go inside and talk about it!”

Dad picked me up. I laughed in Dad’s arms. Ashid was looking at me with strange eyes.

***

I entered my room triumphantly with Dad and the muscle-maid sisters. My room, which the maid sisters had worked hard to decorate, was dazzling as always.

“Is there another crack in the wall?”

“I bought something with my salary and decorated it a little more,” Deadly said with an awkward smile.

She’s such a fool who only knows muscles. Hiding my pitiful heart, I sat face to face with Dad on the sofa in my room.

Maybe it’s because it’s a sofa for adults, but my legs were dangling in the middle.

I put strength into my round feet and pouted my lips. It was a trivial matter, but my tiny body caused discomfort even when sitting on the sofa.

Thinking that I should ask Grandma if there was an artifact that could make me grow in a short period of time, I quickly held out my hand to the maid sisters.

“Now, give me the letters!”

“Yes.”

“I’ll give them to you!”

Deadly bent one knee and handed me the letter reverently. I tried to receive the letter solemnly, but Dad was faster.

“That letter could be dangerous.”

I knew that too.

Dad said to me as if coaxing me.

“Cien, Dad wants to see the letter first.”

It was definitely in Deadly’s hand, but it was already in Dad’s hand.

I widened my eyes, but it was time to be calm.

I glanced at the letter in Dad’s hand and then logically continued.

“……Um, that’s right. It might be dangerous. It says ‘Delphia’ on the sender, you know. She’s a scary sister, right?”

I frowned and thought to myself.

‘I don’t know why Delphia sent a letter, though.’

Dad’s face softened slightly.

He must think I’m going to listen to him.

But that’s not the case.

Because it’s dangerous, I had to see it even more. Because I’m a smart and wicked child who knows the future and can protect Dad.

I reached out to the letter in Dad’s hand and said forcefully.

“So, I have to see it instead of Dad.”

But Dad didn’t budge like a rock.

“Cien.”

“Yeah?”

“Dad will read the dangerous stuff first and take care of it. Let’s do that. Okay?”

When I threw a tantrum, Dad spoke sternly. That’s Ms. Ashley’s educational philosophy.

‘But there’s Cien above Dad who runs!’

I know our Dad’s educational philosophy very well. Dad can never openly hide or deceive me.

“Dad.”

“Yeah?”

“Then…… are you lying to me?”

Dad was speechless for a moment.

“……Why is that?”

“Don’t you remember what Dad told Cien a long time ago?”

“……Yeah?”

Dad seemed bewildered, as if he couldn’t keep up with my way of thinking as a 5-year-old. But I decided to express my opinion very logically.

“You said you should never ignore even a child’s opinion.”

“U-uh…….”

“Dad has a duty to listen to Cien’s opinion.”

I smiled, then suddenly stopped.

‘Oh, wait. If I keep letting him lie like this, won’t Dad become a bad person?’

This is a bit of a concern.

Whether to let Dad lie or not.

As the saying goes, starting is half the battle, if he consistently commits minor misdeeds like lying, he might become a real villain. I looked at Dad with sparkling eyes, as if cheering him on in a good opportunity.

“So, Dad is…….”

Dad’s gaze trembled slightly. I glanced at Dad’s letter and gathered my trembling heart, bringing my hands together in front of my chest. I hoped he would turn into a villain.

But…….

Dad sighed deeply and put the letter in my hand.

I grabbed the letter and drooped like seaweed.

As expected, Dad didn’t seem to be able to give up his inherently good heart.

“……Delphia is a dangerous person. She can use illusions and is aggressive. If she wrote something in the letter…… Cien might be in danger. Is that okay?”

I know that very well too. But at Dad’s serious expression, I narrowed my eyes.

“I was so scared that Dad’s body was shaking, and I thought Cien shouldn’t meet her, so I told you not to read the letter.”

I also know very well that Dad is very worried about me. Worry is already dripping from his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Dad didn’t ignore Cien’s opinion.”

I heard that some adults never apologize to their children.

Our Dad is different.

He admits it honestly and tells me why he did it.

I nodded.

“Yeah…… Dad, Cien is sorry too.”

After we apologize, we hug each other.

I put down the letter, jumped off the sofa, and struggled to climb onto Dad’s lap. Dad reached out and hugged me tightly so I could sit comfortably.

“We made up, right?”

“Yeah! Now the letter!”

He hesitated a little, but Dad handed me the letter again. I took out the letter Delphia sent and pondered.

[Invite me to your tea party.

The date, well, I don’t know. I’m fine whenever you want.

I’ll keep the time open.

p.s. I won’t eat you, baby. I want to meet you. With love, Delphia Mirmod.]

She won’t eat me!

I clenched my fist tightly.

The letter in my hand crumpled with a snap.

But I will never be easily defeated. No, I can even repay her properly.

‘Delphia Mirmod is very vulnerable to divine power. Fortunately, I have Ted, who is a holy knight……!’

Dad spoke to me, probably after seeing the letter behind me.

“A tea party.”

Dad’s voice sounded a little eerie.

I tilted my head and said.

“Yeah. She wants me to invite her!”

I looked at Dad with a trembling heart, thinking of waging a full-scale war with Delphia.

“Cien wants to have a tea party!”

To be precise, it wasn’t a tea party, but I wanted to wage a full-scale war with Delphia, but Dad seemed to have understood it differently.

“Cien, a tea party…… you want to have one? Now that I think about it, my daughter hasn’t had many tea parties.”

Dad seemed to feel sorry for me for not having a proper tea party, but there was a saying that all roads lead to Rome, so I didn’t bother to correct his misunderstanding. I decided to play along.

“Yeah! Now Cien is a noble too!”

“Then……. Okay, Cien. Meet Delphia once…….”

Dad whispered kindly in my ear.

“Dad will help you so that Cien can be safe anywhere.”

I don’t know well because he’s behind me, but Dad must be smiling.

But strangely, the surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped by half.

But whatever, I was in a very passionate state.

I hummed and checked the letter Ted sent.

But the letter contained something I didn’t expect.

[Lady Gabrielle, the baby saintess of the Senoa Temple, has repeatedly requested protection.

As I am still a holy knight, I must take on the role of protecting Lady Gabrielle.

……I am sorry, but it seems difficult to become Lady Cien’s knight for the time being, so I am writing this letter.

Will I be able to visit you again after everything is settled?

At that time, I would like to be appointed as Lady Cien’s knight.]

Looking at the last line alone, it was definitely good news. It means he will become my knight someday.

But I didn’t have time.

Delphia is also aiming for me, and Axel will return in a month.

‘In order to stop them, I definitely need a holy knight with divine power……!’

I clenched my small hand tightly.

‘If Gabrielle is aiming for Ted, there is a high probability that my plan will be disrupted…….’

It takes time to enter the temple, so it takes some time for Ted to give up his position as a holy knight. It means that a deliberation period of about 7 days is required.

But if Gabrielle keeps calling Ted during that period, my plan will be disrupted.

In particular, if Gabrielle tries to make Ted her knight, an unexpected quarrel may ensue.

What should I do?

As I was pondering with the letter in my hand, someone knocked on my room door.

The person who bravely opened the door and entered was Ted’s younger brother, Ashid.

“Baby?”

A boy who is bigger than me, but whom I call baby.

Ashid, who was widening his eyes in front of the door, was looking at me with a determined expression.

“I, there’s something I want to say again!”

Ashid’s eyes became resolute.

***

At the same time, inside the Senoa Temple where the holy knight Ted stayed.

There was someone who acted as the highest authority in this temple and the owner of all the holy knights.

Gabrielle, a child who was famous for having the most divine power in the temple and was even coveted by the Pope.

Gabrielle was only a little over ten years old, but she was arrogant. She raised her chin and whispered softly.

“Ted, you will protect me on this outing as well, right?”

It was true that escorts were needed for the outings of prospective saintesses. But it wasn’t dangerous enough for a holy knight of Ted’s level to follow.

Ted was busy with other important schedules, but Gabrielle was saying it as if she was complaining, even though she knew that.

Because Ted had listened to everything Gabrielle had said so far.

“……It seems possible only on this outing. I have a prior engagement next time…….”

Ted bit his lip as he answered Gabrielle’s firm words.

He thought of Cien. I know it’s a sin to compare children. But Cien was…… a confident but gentle master. She was someone who respected his opinion without any benefit, someone he wanted to serve directly.

But Gabrielle is…….

“You will be my escort knight, so your prior engagement doesn’t matter.”

“…….”

“You will serve me.”

“Lady Gabrielle, I……. There is someone else I want to serve.”