I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 43

43. That Guy Is a Monster

My plan to create a bakery for a day at Cien Mirmod [orphanage name] continued.

The most important thing in that plan was this guy, the leader who ruins harmony.

I called him the leader, then held his hand tightly and smiled. Then the leader scratched the back of his neck.

“…Leader.”

A slightly innocent expression.

I stared at him for a moment, then tilted my head.

“You are the leader!”

“…Why did you call me?”

“Let’s make bread together.”

When I smiled brightly, the leader looked down at me as if he didn’t trust me. But seeing him still holding my hand, which his grip could easily break, it seemed like he wanted to make bread no matter what.

Besides, only the leader had such a stiff attitude; the gypsy children next to him were so lost in looking at the kitchen that they were completely mesmerized.

I smiled brightly and winked at the leader.

“Huh? Hurry.”

It was then.

An unexpected hidden card blocked my plan.

“I don’t like it!”

The brown-haired boy, who shouted loudly enough to make my ears ring, stared at me. Then he roughly pulled on my sleeve.

It was quite a violent action, and I almost fell to the floor with a thud, but barely regained my balance. Ted tried to draw his sword at the sight, but I shook my head.

Let’s hear what this boy has to say first.

I barely stood up straight, but the boy didn’t seem to care about that.

He spoke in a cold, commanding tone.

“I don’t like him. Get rid of him.”

As he was the victim of violence, I decided to respect his wishes.

“…Ah, okay.”

But even so, I was worried about excluding the leader and those children altogether.

So, the conclusion I came to was this.

“Then, the leader and his friends can use the left side of the kitchen, and we’ll use the right side.”

I would become friends with this brown-haired boy, and Acid, Ted, and the maid unnies [older sisters/female honorific] would take care of the leader and the gypsies.

I should ask this brown-haired boy first why the leader and he fought.

I tilted my eyes towards the leader.

The leader made a 허탈한 [hollow/empty] expression for a moment, then 까딱 [nodded] his head.

‘It’s definitely not just simple violence, there’s something more to it.’

The expression that was like 봄눈 [spring snow] that was about to melt away was gone, and an expression like 엄동설한 [midwinter] was back.

‘What’s with that expression that looks like he’s closed his heart?’

I rolled my eyes and looked at the brown-haired boy, the victim of violence.

First, I was going to properly grill the brown-haired boy to find out exactly what happened.

***

Unlike the children’s complicated relationships, it was time for the savory smell of bread to fill the air.

The round kitchen was divided into two areas, and the fun bread-making time continued.

I made bread alone with the brown-haired boy, leaving behind the maid unnies, Acid, and Ted, who were 움찔거리는 [flinching] because they wanted to come to my side.

Putting on sanitary gloves 탁탁! [sound of gloves snapping]

Pressing the fluffy flour with my bread-like hands, then rolling it into a long ball on the cutting board, gave me a thrilling sense of satisfaction.

I 주물주물 [kneaded] the dough and 히힛 [heehee], laughed.

I heard the chef next to me say, ‘As expected, our baby-nim [term of endearment], you handle the flour so well with your little hands.’

I was staring at the rising bread dough with a 흡족한 [satisfied] heart, when it happened.

The brown-haired boy next to me took my flour dough. Then, as if it were the flour dough he had made himself, he naturally brought it in front of him.

‘What is it……?’

I narrowed my eyes and stared at the boy.

Instead of making bread, he seemed to be looking at the dough I made with a 탐욕스러운 [greedy] gaze. He 주물럭거렸 [handled/fumbled] it as if he had made it, but when it didn’t work, he 패대기쳤 [slammed] the dough on the cutting board.

“What’s wrong?”

I 까치발 [stood on tiptoes] and 꾸욱 [firmly] grabbed the flour far away on the table, then made the dough again. He kept 치대면서 [kneading] the dough and 묻혔 [smearing] flour on his hands. Feeling a little strange, I carefully called him one more time.

“Hey, over there.”

“…Yes.”

The boy 움찔 [flinched] for a moment. Still, he seemed to be in a good mood from making bread.

“Um… what happened earlier?”

“……..”

퍼억-! [thud]

Without answering my question, the boy 쾅! [bam!] hit the bread with his fist!

I was so surprised that I 꾸욱 막았다 [firmly covered] my ears. It was the first time someone had directly 드러낸 [revealed] a violent tendency in front of my eyes. I felt like my 콩알만치 [pea-sized] small heart had 콕 [thump] fallen to the floor.

When Acid, Ted, and the maids hurriedly tried to approach this side, I waved my hand at them and gave them a warning.

I 꾸욱 pressed down on my 쿵쿵거리는 [thumping] heart and quietly stared at the boy.

“That guy is a monster.”

“Woong……?”

The word ‘monster’ was filled with 짙은 혐오감 [deep disgust]. I quietly stared at the boy and 데굴데굴굴렸다 [rolled] my eyes. Just how much is it that he’s calling him a monster……

“People like that guy. It’s because they don’t know his 더러운 꿍꿍이 [dirty intentions].”

섬뜩함 [chills] or 열등감 [inferiority complex] was clear.

I carefully opened my mouth.

“Woong? What does that mean……?”

Fortunately, maybe it’s because he’s still a young child and his head hasn’t fully matured, or maybe it’s because he wants to make me completely on his side. He stared at the leader who kept 응시하는 [gazing at] this side and said.

“That guy is a dirty guy. I’ve never 괴롭힌 [bullied] him, but just because I’m 장난치는 [playing pranks], he’s 몰아가고 [framing] me……!”

“Uh-huh?”

I 갸웃 [tilted] my head.

“What 장난 [prank] did you play?”

He 빤히 [stared] looked at me. And 빙글거리며 [smirking] smiled.

“I can’t tell you that.”

Strangely, seeing that smile made my stomach 느물거렸다 [queasy].

Really strangely.

“…If you come back later, I’ll tell you what 장난 [prank] it was.”

I 연신 치대면서 [constantly kneading] the flour dough and fell into 고민 [thought]. I remembered what I had carefully 조언했던 [advised] to the maid unnie when I sent the leader away earlier.

I told her to have fun with the leader and 은근히 떠보라고 [subtly probe] once. I also told her to get information about the 떠돌이 주술사 [wandering sorcerer/gypsy].

I was curious if the maid unnies had succeeded.

I 어색하게 주억거렸다 [awkwardly nodded] my head towards the brown-haired boy.

***

The fun bread-making time was over.

The boys on the opposite side were 신이 나서 깔깔대고 [excitedly giggling], with flour all over their faces.

The boy next to the leader 쪼르르 달려왔다 [ran quickly] towards me.

“Are you coming again tomorrow, too?”

“…Woong!”

I 끄덕였다 [nodded] my head 힘차게 [energetically].

My 양 갈래머리가 휘날렸다 [pigtails fluttered] 연신 따라 내 고갯짓을 [constantly following my nod].

The boy in front of me 찬탄 섞인 한숨을 내쉬었고 [sighed in admiration], the gypsies’ eyes 반짝거렸다 [sparkled].

Everyone was looking at me with 선망에 찬 [envious] eyes.

I didn’t know at first, but these gypsy boys were 어린애들 [children] with 순진한 구석이 있는 [an innocent side] than I thought.

Exactly two people.

Except for the leader and the brown-haired boy.

…These two seem to have 건넌 [crossed] an 돌이킬 수 없는 강 [irreversible river/point of no return].

Seeing 데드리 [Deadly] unnie standing 못 박힌 채로 [rooted to the spot] behind the leader’s back, it seemed like the leader had 살짝 말을 해 준 [said something] to unnie, and maybe the door to his heart was 열리는 조금씩 [opening little by little].

‘……You’ve really made me 궁금하게 [curious]……’

I 옅게 웃으며 흔들었다 [lightly smiled and waved] my hand 붕붕 [vigorously].

“Now, let’s go 나눠 주러 [distribute] the bread!”

I 한껏 품에 안아 든 [held in my arms] the bread and 쏘옥 넣었다 [placed] it into the tray.

Now, more than the children’s 기 싸움 [battle of wills], I have to go find a 멋진 주술사 [wonderful sorcerer]!

The moment I 꽈악 움켜쥔 [firmly clenched] my fist. The leader 말을 걸었다 [spoke] towards me.

“Hey.”

It was still a 투박하고 [rough], 조금 틱틱거리는 [slightly curt] tone, but he had a 옅은 미소를 머금고 [faint smile] towards me, who was 의아한 채 돌아보는 [turning back in wonder].

“…Cien Mirmod.”

I’ve never 소개한 [introduced] my name to the leader. How did he know?

“Woong……”

I 깜빡거리며 [blinking] my eyes and 끄덕거렸다 [nodded] my head.

He said 청명하게 웃으며 [clearly smiling].

“Now, let’s go 선물하러 [gift] bread to the people on the street. Everyone will like it.”

I 끄덕였다 [nodded] my head 힘껏 [forcefully].

The leader is also 슬슬 유해지는 분위기 [slowly softening]!

If he opens the door to his heart a little more, I should ask him what happened.

I was planning to 서서히 친해진 [gradually become friendly] with the gypsy children in the orphanage while 들으면서 [listening to] the background stories they had, and then 찾아낼 [find] the 주술사 [sorcerer].

And the first step in that plan.

Right, 스몰 토크 하기 [small talk]!

I 유지한 [maintained] a smile on my face and said, looking at the 곰보빵 [crater bread] in his hand.

“Woong! You made 곰보빵 [crater bread]……? It’s 기엽다 [cute]!”

But he looked at me with a 충격을 받은 [shocked] expression.

“This… it’s 카스텔라 [castella/sponge cake]……?”

……I also 굳어졌다 [froze] with a 충격을 받은 [shocked] expression.

I wondered how that 곰보빵 [crater bread] with so many holes could be called 카스텔라 [castella].

No matter how I thought about it, the distance between our hearts seemed to have 멀어진 [grown] a little more.

But, somehow that leader.

“…곰보빵이라니 [crater bread, you say].”

It looks like it would be fun to 놀리는 [tease].

I 빙긋 웃다가 [smiled] at him and 픽 돌렸다 [quickly turned] my head. Because it was time to really 나눠 줘야 [distribute] the bread now.

***

A 골목길 [alleyway] that is a little 더럽고 낙후되어 [dirty and run-down].

A 뽀송뽀송한 [fluffy] tray was placed.

On top of it were 맛도 좋고 폭신폭신한 [delicious and fluffy] breads 풍기며 [emitting] a 달콤한 냄새 [sweet smell]. Of course, there were also breads that were a little 이상한 [strange] in shape because the leader was 손재주 나쁜 [bad at crafts], but they were 따끈하고 [warm] and 맛은 있었다 [tasted good] because they were 갓 나온 [freshly baked].

“Get your bread!”

“It’s free, free!”

Free bread.

It was a natural 수순 [course of events] for the poor gypsies who were sitting 아무렇게나 [anywhere] in the alley and talking to 빛낸 [shining] their eyes.

“Oh, is that real?”

“Aren’t those the kids from the orphanage down the street?”

The gypsies 일제히 몸을 일으켜 [all stood up] and 탐욕스럽게 바라보았다 [greedily looked at] the bread. Thinking that if they 제압하면 [subdued] those young children, they could 죄다 [all] eat the bread.

“First, 들고 튀- [grab and run].”

“Hey. Look over there.”

The gypsy’s 손끝 [fingertips] 가 닿았다 [reached] towards the 우락부락한 [burly] maids.

“…Cha, 참자 [let’s be patient].”

대단히 다행스럽게도 [fortunately], their 못되어 먹은 망상은 [wicked fantasies] 빠르게 사라졌다 [quickly disappeared] by the 무장한 [armed] knights and 근육 [muscular] maids standing around the orphanage children.

“Okay…… Ha, let’s just 받자고 하나씩 [receive one each].”

This was 바로 강한 자에게는 약하고 약한 자에게는 강한 마인드 [the mindset of being weak to the strong and strong to the weak].

The gypsies stood in a 체계를 이루어 [organized] line and 받아갔다 [received] the bread 하나씩 [one by one].

In the meantime, Cien was 애썼 [trying] to find the characters 등장하는 [appearing] in the 원작 [original work] while 살피며 [examining] the faces of the gypsies 하나씩 [one by one].

‘But there’s really no 주술사 [sorcerer] here.’

They’re all 꼬질꼬질하고 [grimy], their hair color is 까맣고 [black]…… their skin is 까맣고 [black], and there’s no 점 [mole] on their lips.

I 내쉬었다 [let out] a 한숨 [sigh].

‘I guess I have to 친해져서 [become friendly] with the gypsy friends and 알아봐야 정보를 물밑으로 [find out information under the table].’

I’ve also thought about 통하는 [contacting] the information guild, but the other party is a 자유 영혼 [free spirit] gypsy. There’s no way such a person would 들어올 [enter] into the 그물망 [network] of the information guild.

I 열심히 나눠 주며 [diligently distributing] the bread and 굴렸다 [racked] my head.

Still, one 보람이 있다면 [rewarding thing] is that people are saying thank you.

“You’re doing a good thing, baby.”

“Yes.”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone with pink hair.”

“Woong?”

“It means you’re cute.”

The 푸근한 [warm] grandmothers 지나가 주었다 [passed by] while 바라보며 [looking at] me cutely once. I 열심히 나눠 주었다 [diligently distributed] the bread with 발그레해진 [flushed] cheeks.

So far, I haven’t 잡지 못했다 [caught] a 실마리 [clue] of anyone who looks like a 주술사 [sorcerer].

It meant that I hadn’t 찾지 못했다 [found] a 방책 [plan] to 잡을 [catch] 악셀 미르모드 [Axel Mirmod].

I could see 내 명줄이 타들어 가고 [my lifeline burning away], but I still felt 뿌듯 [proud] strangely. I 배시시 미소를 지으며 [smiled brightly] and 쓱 닦았다 [wiped] my forehead.

Just as the prepared bread was 착착 소진되어 [steadily being used up], the maid unnies went inside the orphanage 잠깐 [briefly] to get a little more bread.

Some gypsies who 등장한 뒤늦게 [appeared late] 왈칵 성을 냈다 [suddenly got angry].

“Are you a 귀족 [noble]? Are you 동정하는 [pitying] us?”

“This kind of bread, it doesn’t even 맛대가리 [taste good].”

The gypsies came towards me and 지껄였다 욕설 [spouted insults] while 턱짓을 [gesturing].

In the meantime, they 건드려서 [touched] the 커다란 쟁반 [large tray] I was holding, and 톡 [thud], the bread 굴러떨어졌다 [rolled] to the floor.

I 바라보았다 [looked at] them 의연하게 [calmly] without 충격받지 [being shocked].

But the other children were different. The orphanage children’s 시선이 [gaze] 심각하게 흔들렸다 [seriously wavered] when they saw the bread they had 열심히 오밀조밀하게 만든 [diligently and carefully made] 굴러떨어지는 [rolling] to the floor.

They were 상처받은 [hurt].

Ted, who was 지켜보던 [watching] the situation, 다가와 내 옆으로 [came to my side] and 위협했다 [threatened] the gypsy as if he would 빼어 들 칼을 [draw his sword].

” 물러나 [retreat] Leave now. I will not 좌시하지 [stand idly by] any longer.”

“Ha! You’re a 대단한 귀족 나으리 [great noble sir]. You even 대동하셨네 [brought along] a knight. 퉤 [ptoo]!”

I 깨물었다 my 입술 [bit my lip] while 보면서 [watching] him 뱉는 침을 퉤 [spitting] on the ground.

“We don’t need that kind of 동정 [pity], 알겠어 [understand]?”

I, who had been 가만히 [quiet], 말했다 [said] towards them.

“안니야 [no]!”

“…Then what is it?”

Their 표정이 [expressions] 험상궂게 일그러졌다 [fiercely distorted].

“주는 고야 시퍼서 [giving because I want to]. 그니까 바다 싶으면 받고 [so if you want to receive, receive]. 가튼 동정, 안니니까 [it’s not pity].”

The gypsies 씩씩거렸다 [huffed].

They didn’t 받지는 [receive] the bread I 내민 [offered], but they just 돌렸다 [turned] their heads.

“…Hey, let’s go.”

“Know that we’re 봐주는 [letting it slide] because of the knight.”

Even though the bread smelled good, not 받는다 [receiving] it meant they really 싫다는 [disliked] it.

The leader 다가왔다 조심스럽게 [carefully approached] to my side, who was a little 시무룩해진 [downcast].

With a 낯 [face] that looked a little 유순해 [gentle], unlike when he 노려봤다 [glared at] me 싸늘하게 [coldly] earlier and when he said ‘꺼져 [get lost]’ to me when we first 만났을 [met].

“…Cien Mirmod.”

“응 [yes]?”

“…You’re 좀 강단 있네 [quite strong-willed].”

Hearing that 이야 [story] was 떠올랐다 레온하르트 [reminiscent of Leonhardt].

I 갸웃했다 [tilted] my head while 보면서 [looking at] the leader 부르는 [calling] my name.

Then the leader 물었다 소리를 낮춰 [asked in a low voice].

“아직도 궁금해 [still curious]?”

“…으응 [yes]?”

“내가 팬 저 새끼를 이유 [the reason I hit that bastard].”

태도 [attitude] 여전히 격해 보이는 [still looking intense].

I 바라보았다 [looked at] the 갈색 머리 소년 [brown-haired boy] 들어가는 [entering] 보육원으로 [the orphanage].

“응 [yes], 궁금해 [curious].”