I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 35

35. It Must Be Poison. Am I Going to Die Now?

The next morning, I slung my carrot-shaped bag over my shoulder and held Dad’s hand tightly in mine.

Dad insisted we go together because the Temple of Senoa might be dangerous.

‘Dangerous? What’s dangerous about the temple? I’m here!’ I thought…

But Dad spoke logically.

‘The temple and the Mirmod family are at odds, Cien. There might be people after your life. I’ll somehow co-, no, persuade them to get an entry permit in advance, so let’s go together.’

I was persuaded by Dad’s seriousness and had no choice but to come with him.

And, when I thought about it, it might be better to have a guardian today. Of course, I’m practically Dad’s guardian, but still.

However, as soon as Dad, Acid, and I arrived at the Temple of Senoa, I was faced with a huge problem.

‘Why are those scary-looking men here!’

Troubles keep coming, inside and out.

The scary-looking men were wearing cute pins and surrounding the temple like guards.

It would be strange enough if just scary men were walking around, but they were all wearing floral-patterned clothes, with flowers in their hair and awkward smiles on their faces, pretending to be innocent…

…It was creating an enormous sense of incongruity.

I heard from the maids last time that the temple was hostile to the Mirmod family, so we couldn’t stay long. Is this okay?

“Those mister…….”

“Yeah.”

The men, who were at least 2 meters tall [~6’7″], were densely surrounding the walls of the temple. Their ferocious looks and clumsy smiles were impressive.

I whispered to Dad.

“What’s with the pins in their hair? Sigh…….”

“……Is it weird?”

“No…….”

“It is weird.”

“No, it’s not weird…….”

Strangely, Dad’s expression hardened when he heard me, and the men’s awkward smiles deepened.

Fortunately, those men couldn’t come inside the temple.

‘Before those men pick a fight and expose that I’m a pushover, I need to get the test done as quickly as possible and take Ted out of here.’

I followed Dad into the Temple of Senoa.

The atmosphere felt quite different since the maids were kicked out of the temple the other day.

As soon as we entered the temple, I saw people coming out to greet us. Their expressions were generally solemn and serious.

But…….

‘Why isn’t Ted here? I was sure he would be here.’

I carefully parted my lips.

“Um, where is Sir Ted?”

When I asked, blinking my eyes, the priest swallowed a sigh as if he felt sorry for me.

“Sir Ted has gone to the priestesses’ tea party. He will be out all day, so I don’t think you will be able to meet him.”

Something was definitely wrong. Ted was the kind of person who would drop any schedule if Acid was coming.

I tilted my head questioningly.

“Why is he at the tea party?”

“He is in charge of guarding the priestess.”

I was certain that there was no one more important to Ted than Acid.

Suddenly, I remembered the contents of the letter Ted had sent. The part about Gabrielle continuing to entrust him with guarding duties.

“……Um, is it Priestess Gabrielle?”

The priest’s eyes widened.

If my guess is correct, that would be a way of saying, ‘How did you know that?’

“Yes, he went to guard Gabrielle. He will be out all day today, so I’m sorry, but you will have to meet him next time.”

The situation fits.

Gabrielle is also aiming for Ted as her knight, and she seems to be hostile to me.

‘Gabrielle must have noticed Ted’s talent too.’

I tucked my hair behind my ears and pondered.

But right then.

Acid, who was standing on my left, carefully opened his mouth.

“Um……. Cien.”

“Yeah?”

I looked at Acid. Acid carefully muttered to me.

“Didn’t you want to me-, meet Hyung [older brother/term of endearment] ?”

“Yeah, I did.”

But if he’s not here today, I can come tomorrow, and if he’s not here tomorrow, I can come the day after tomorrow.

I can just stay here every day.

‘I’m very persistent!’

But Acid, who didn’t know my heart, looked a little dejected. He carefully asked me.

“Then what should we do……. If I co-, come again tomorrow.”

“What about Baby?”

“……Yes?”

“Baby doesn’t have to meet Hyung?”

“I, I……. I’ll get the divine power test first. Hyung…… I can meet him next time.”

I was glad that Acid’s will was not broken.

I patted Acid and said.

“Then it’s okay. Because you’re here.”

He’s right.

Today is not only the day to have Ted and Acid meet, but also the day for Acid’s divine power test.

‘Maybe Acid has divine power too……!’

Since divine power is hereditary, Acid’s divine power might be more abundant than Ted’s.

After finishing my thoughts, I smiled brightly.

But Acid’s face, who seemed to be weak to praise, turned red like yesterday. So that look was like……. A burning sweet potato.

***

In Acid’s head, Cien’s voice floated around like a ringing bell.

“Then it’s okay. Because you’re here.”

“Then it’s okay. Because you’re…….”

“Then it’s okay. Because…….”

Cien…… definitely said that.

For a moment, he was speechless. Acid felt a beeping sound in his ear.

Whether it was tinnitus or something else…….

……It was certain that his heart sank at that moment.

It felt like a spring breeze was blowing in his heart. Acid’s mouth slightly opened and a sigh escaped at the wave of sensations he was feeling for the first time.

“Baby?”

Acid was so flustered that he couldn’t even hear the words properly until Cien called him, looking puzzled.

“Baby!”

It was only when Cien blinked and brought her face close to his that he finally found the words to answer.

“……Yes, yes!”

It’s strange.

When he looked into Cien’s green eyes,

all the worries he had about whether he would be able to take the divine power test all night, and the worries he had about Hyung, all felt futile.

“Now we have to go get the divine power test. Are you nervous?”

The nervousness he had about the divine power test also melted away like eggs whisked with chopsticks.

Acid blankly nodded his head.

“Yes, le-, let’s go……. I’m, I’m nervous.”

“Really? I’ll give you strength!”

Acid didn’t realize what she meant by giving him strength for a moment. Then Cien held out her left hand to Acid.

“Here, take my hand!”

He wondered if he could really hold Cien’s hand.

He was a commoner who used to beg, and Cien was a noble aristocrat.

The thought that it might be blasphemy to dare to hold her hand made his hand hesitate and try to fall to the floor.

“Ah, my hand hurts.”

Cien held out her hand to him without a care. She didn’t even give him time to think.

So the boy carefully took the precious little hand that was held out in front of him.

Cien intertwined their fingers as if it were nothing.

“Hehe, let’s go get tested now!”

“Yes.”

Every time he walked with Cien, he smelled a good baby scent at the tip of his nose.

‘I really want to protect her…….’

Acid, who was absorbed in his thoughts, didn’t even notice that Matthias, who was standing quietly by his side as if observing the situation, had narrowed his eyes.

He was just looking forward to the upcoming divine power test.

I hope it will be helpful to Cien…….

The ornate door inside the temple came into view.

Acid tensed his body and walked forward firmly.

He had to straighten his back and be confident.

Because he has Cien to protect.

***

The morning after Acid took the divine power test. A small sketchbook letter was delivered in front of Delphia’s mansion.

[I’m inviting you to a tea party at 2 PM today.

-Cien-]

The crooked handwriting clearly showed that Cien had written it herself.

This was the first time she had been invited to a tea party like this, so Delphia was a little embarrassed for the first time in her life.

Besides, it was a very docile and sudden letter. She thought she would only peek out her face a month later.

‘Cien Mirmod, Matthias doesn’t cherish her that much.’

If she were a daughter he really loved and cherished, he would not have allowed her to have a tea party with her. As much as Delphia knew about Matthias, Matthias also knew about Delphia. He would have tried to avoid meeting her as much as possible.

“It could be a trap by Matthias Mirmod. That guy is ferocious, he might even kill you…….”

“What’s so bad about being killed by Matthias?”

The maid’s face turned pale.

“It’s fun.”

Delphia grinned.

A smile that didn’t know her future at all.

***

That afternoon at 2 PM, inside Matthias’ mansion. Delphia, who had entered alone, was led to the drawing room by unusual maids.

The drawing room was decorated as brightly as a formal tea party venue.

‘It’s quite well decorated.’

Inside the pink tea party venue for girls. A little kid, only half her size, stood in front of her.

“Hello, Onni [older sister/term of endearment]!”

Delphia was slightly embarrassed for the first time in her life.

Looking at Cien, she realized that she had never met a little kid of that age so directly and closely.

‘What, she’s so small.’

……She looked so small that she looked like she would die if she poked her.

Besides, no one told her that Cien Mirmod was so cute.

She had seen her fleetingly through the welcome orb, but the cuteness was on a different level from seeing her in person.

First of all, her chubby cheeks.

They looked so plump that she wanted to put them in her mouth and blow on them.

“Sit here……. Ung? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Next, the way the end of her words trailed off slightly…… It was like a steamed bun was talking. But her expression was very chic.

“Ah, I want to touch them…….”

“Ung?”

“I want to touch your cheeks once. Can I?”

Cien shook her head.

“No.”

Every time she shook her head, her plump cheeks and the pretty pigtails fluttered from side to side. Delphia was the kind of person who could survive well without the law in a bad way, but for some reason, she didn’t want to be hated by Cien…….

So, Delphia just stopped.

And she decided to sit on the sofa opposite Cien and enjoy this tea party prepared by this cheeky little kid.

She didn’t know exactly what she had prepared for today’s tea party.

Half of her thought, ‘What could this little kid have done?’, and the other half of her wanted her to create a new event.

“Here, I put fresh lemons in this tea.”

The little thing was guiding her properly, as if she were a lady who had finished her debutante and was hosting a tea party.

“Really?”

Cien pointed to the table and said solemnly.

“Yes. Drink it!”

Delphia took a sip of lemon tea without thinking much.

Watching her, Cien raised the corners of her mouth and smiled brightly. It was a smile that captivated her again.

She took another sip of tea without thinking much, and Cien showed her small front teeth and said.

“Um, that tea, Grandma told me to give it to Onni when she came…….”

She thought that Grandma was Duchess Lucella, but Cien tilted her head and said brightly.

“The silver spoon changed color. It must be poison!”

The fact that the silver spoon had changed color meant that there was poison in the tea.

Delphia, who had been helplessly defeated, put down her teacup and smiled.

“Yeah, it must be poison. Am I going to die now then?”

She was talking about poison from her first tea party without any care, without even being surprised. She didn’t look like a four- or five-year-old who was good at whining at all.

She really seemed to suit the villainous Mirmod family, so she even looked a little cute.

Now Delphia was starting to like this cute little kid.

Maybe it was the effect of the poison.

Did Cien not know that there was poison in the tea? If she just found out, how would she react?

She felt a thrilling sensation as blood flowed through her body again.

Until now, she had only seen boring human beings. The stereotypical humans had brought human hatred to Delphia.

But Cien was different.

This little girl showed a lovely appearance and made her careless, then poisoned her tea like a devil and even gave her a death sentence.

All of these series of actions were perfect, as if she were watching a well-choreographed performance art.

“Ah…….”

Delphia looked at Cien with a blissful expression. Delphia’s eyes met Cien’s firmly.