I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 41

41. A Cute, Scruffy Maltese

When Sien, who seemed about to fall asleep, announced he was going to the back alleys, the maids, paladins, and even that little kid trailed after him.

Of course, Pat and Mat, under Matthias’s orders, also secretly followed Sien.

I thought he was just going to *a* back alley, but Sien specified the alleys quite precisely.

Ant Street, Pinea Street, Charlotte Street. These three places.

What was peculiar was that all three were gypsy settlements, places where they held sway.

‘Since gypsies are rampant in the back alleys anyway… it must be a coincidence.’

The villain’s intuition pricked at my heart, but no matter how I looked at it, Sien was only making cute expressions, as if he knew nothing.

Faced with the kid’s innocent expression, Ted cautiously asked.

“Why do you insist on going to the dirty streets of the capital, Sien? The security isn’t good.”

Pat and Mat glared uncomfortably at the stiff paladin.

He seemed to have never learned the meaning of ‘loyalty’.

Right now, Pat and Mat were acting as babysitters behind the child, following Matthias’s orders. How could he lack the loyalty to even go to the gypsy back alleys?

If Sien Mirmod were to become evil, Ted would have to kneel right now.

However, contrary to the villains’ expectations, Sien tilted his chubby cheeks and said nonchalantly.

“Umm, jus’ because.”

“There are many gypsies there… it’s dangerous.”

“It’s okay. Ted and Acid will protect me!”

There was no distrust or negativity in his beaming face. Anyone would fall for that pure smile.

In fact, the boy named Acid and the paladin seemed to have already fallen for Sien long ago, wearing proud, fatherly smiles.

“Th, then, le, let’s go!”

…Especially that kid named Acid showed loyalty to the point of being possessed by a ghost.

Pat and Mat stared at them with stern and serious expressions.

‘He is cute, though.’

‘But we are different from them. We won’t fall for a child’s charm.’

There must be a reason why Sien is going to the gypsies’ world.

Perhaps it’s related to Matthias’s order, ‘If there’s anyone who has tainted Sien with evil, bring them back.’

In that moment, a flash of realization struck Pat and Mat’s minds.

‘The ones who tainted him with evil might be the gypsies.’

Everyone in the world denounces them as ‘dirty gypsies,’ but at least Pat and Mat knew: gypsies had something special.

They probably show children sleight of hand tricks that are easy to be captivated by.

In fact, even ordinary gang leader kids can’t even *think* of entering a gypsy village.

‘Anyway, he told us to leave him alone.’

They faithfully followed Matthias’s orders, trailing behind Sien to the gypsy village.

***

I picked up a paladin with divine power to threaten Axel Mirmod.

With this divine power, I could inflict physical attacks on Axel.

But this is not enough.

The most vulnerable part of a person is their psychological state. In the original story, Melodia effectively attacked that part, leading Axel to defeat.

I need to grasp his psychology firmly to gain an advantage, and the shaman was the one who could fill that part.

‘I need to find a gypsy who is good at talking and loyal to me so that he can bewitch Axel.’

After sleeping well and playing all day, I remembered the original story information that I couldn’t recall because I was sleepy on the day I ate pine needles.

The first shaman Melodia found was in the imperial gypsy village.

That shaman was said to be ‘truly’ spiritual and ‘truly’ great, reading people’s minds as if drawing them.

Even though she was such a virtuous Melodia, the shaman turned her away. She visited the shaman three times but couldn’t win his heart. So, she barely managed to bring the shaman from the East.

Melodia regrets not being able to bring the gypsy shaman.

So, if I get the gypsy shaman, I will have a little more advantage when dealing with Axel.

‘I’m only five years old, so I can’t go to the Eastern Continent. I have to follow the route that Melodia already failed, but I have to succeed.’

As Melodia visited three times, there was a brief description of the shaman’s whereabouts and appearance in the novel.

A gypsy living in a gypsy settlement.

A person with or without a black dot next to their lips, and brown hair.

Approximately between 10 and 50 years old.

A person with a somewhat rough and honest tone.

I don’t even know the gender.

It was a very brief description.

‘Whether there is a black dot next to the lips or not, what does it mean to have it or not? If the age is between 10 and 50, it’s almost all ages!’

Finding the shaman with this hint was like finding Kim Seo-bang [a common Korean surname] in Seoul, or finding a needle in a haystack.

But I couldn’t do nothing at all.

I renewed my determination, thinking about the people under my care.

‘I feel like I’ve become the head of a poor family…’

Still, thinking about that helped me to come to my senses as if cold water had been poured on me.

I clenched my fist and pondered about Axel again.

‘To catch Axel Mirmod, who is crazy about magic and jinxes, I have to study magic myself.’

I saw an orphanage in front of me.

It seemed to be a place dedicated to caring for gypsies.

‘Okay, let’s search from there!’

I knocked on the door of the orphanage forcefully.

“Hello! I just wanted to ask for direct-.”

“Oh my…”

The director’s eyes widened.

I tilted my head in confusion.

“I’ve never seen such a scruffy baby in my life!”

“Wh, whimper…?”

The maids deliberately dressed me scruffily because I was going to the gypsy village… I looked down at my stained underwear and mottled coat and sighed gloomily.

“Goodness, like a Maltese with tear stains. Must have been abandoned, come here!”

I was misunderstood by this gypsy grandmother as a foolish scruffy kid.

Moreover, I was suddenly picked up and taken into the orphanage.

I quickly gestured to Ted and Acid that I was okay, then sighed deeply as I was carried out without dignity.

Still, I’ve entered the orphanage, so I should think of it as a good thing.

***

“So… you’re looking for someone.”

Thanks to Ted and Acid, who hurriedly followed me, and the muscular maid *unnies* [term of endearment for older sisters or female friends], I seemed to have cleared up the misunderstanding that I was a scruffy Maltese.

This orphanage director… doesn’t seem to want to let me go.

“Well, first… sniff! We have to do it.”

“Sniff!”

Still, this orphanage director seemed to have experience.

She sat me on her lap, helped me blow my nose, and washed my face. She was definitely a pro at childcare.

Under her touch, I almost nodded off like a Maltese, but I came to my senses.

If I were an ordinary five-year-old, I would have fallen asleep from exhaustion, but fortunately, I wasn’t an ordinary five-year-old.

“Whimper…”

“The person you’re looking for is a gypsy?”

“Yes. Umm… I want to get my fortune told. It’s important.”

I made the same excuse that Melodia made in the original story.

“Fortune telling…”

The orphanage director hardened her once-friendly expression and looked down at me. She didn’t look like a middle-aged woman with a frizzy perm and red eyes, but mysterious.

“Yes, the old people say that gypsies were born under the star of prophecy.”

This director already seems spiritual.

I blinked at her, gazing with trustworthy eyes.

“People who can tell fortunes are actually rare. No, almost none.”

“…”

“It won’t be easy to find.”

Seeing a gypsy say ‘it’s hard to find’ means it’s really hard to find.

“Still, if there’s a hint, I, if there is…”

I sparkled my eyes to look like a pitiful scruffy Maltese.

Sure enough, the orphanage director wiped the soot off my face and gave me a hint.

“Yes… hmm, they are also ordinary gypsies, so they will be where gypsies gather.”

I nodded silently.

Well, if it’s a place where gypsies gather…

***

I thought it would be easier to inquire within the orphanage than to search for gypsies in the alleys and get information.

I told the orphanage director, who was stroking me like a scruffy Maltese, that I wanted to do volunteer work since I came to the orphanage.

I also wanted to play with the children because I was originally from the back alleys!

The orphanage director wiped the scruffy black substance off my chubby cheeks and nodded.

‘If you volunteer, our Maltese… no, the baby will play with the children, the knight will cut grass outside, and the maids will carry the teaching materials.’

According to the orphanage director’s excellent distribution, we were scattered into pieces.

When Ted said he couldn’t leave me alone, the muscular Deadri *unnie* stepped forward.

‘It’s good to have extra hands.’

I headed to room 201 of the orphanage, which she told me about, listening to the orphanage director’s proud voice.

The orphanage was two stories high, and children aged 10 to 15 were said to be staying in room 201. At the same time, the orphanage director added not to be too surprised no matter what I saw in room 201. Gypsy children are originally violent.

I tiptoed down the hallway and ran with Deadri *unnie*. It was fun, like playing hide-and-seek. I giggled and tried to enter room 201.

If they are gypsy children, they will listen to me well…

“Hey, is what I’m saying funny?”

Stop.

I couldn’t open the door and stopped.

“Huh? I’m asking if it’s funny.”

But as I got closer to room 201, I heard fighting sounds along with crashes.

The atmosphere inside the orphanage was strange.

“Baby? Why-.”

“Shh. Stay away.”

I warned Deadri *unnie* and pushed her away from the door. The *unnie* was easily pushed away by my small hand.

After seeing her a little further away, I carefully peeked through the gap. There were about 7 children in room 201.

The children were collectively surrounding a child in the center whose face was not clearly visible.

“Say it again, huh?”

“…”

“Ah, say it again with that pierced mouth.”

It was a gangster-like voice. He was even holding his fist threateningly.

“L, leader. Calm down. The director might come-.”

“Ah, damn it. I don’t care. Whether that bastard dies or I die, I have to see the end today.”

I widened my eyes. The boy called the leader was putting strength into his toes.

‘That stance, it’s right before a flying kick!’

The foot of the boy called ‘leader’ was already in a state of kicking.

I stared at the leader’s pointed foot and couldn’t stand it, so I burst open the door.

Then, a gypsy child with good hearing saw me.

“L, leader. There’s a girl outside!”

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

The child in the center who was about to be beaten also seemed to be looking at me.

I clenched my fist confidently and looked at them.

“Violence is bad!”

The boy who seemed to be the leader, swaggered towards me.

“What is this fluffy little girl?”

Blue hair and golden eyes.

His dark blue eyebrows already had scratches, and his cheeks were scarred.

He looked like a gangster no matter who looked at him.

But even that appearance looked dreamily beautiful.

“Hey, if it’s not your business, get lost.”

I clenched my fist. I was about to correct that guy’s way of speaking.

But then, a very angry and sinister voice echoed in the air from behind me.

“What did you just say to our little one…”

The mountain-like Deadri *unnie* appeared.

She was grinding her teeth with a very eerie expression, even using the Pute dialect.

With everyone’s attention on her, Deadri *unnie* cracked her knuckles and said.

“What did you say to our baby?”

Crack, crack.

The sound of cracking joints echoed in the quiet room.