I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 73

73. Is Dad Really a Pushover?

August 11, 2023

Matthias leisurely walked over and picked up the paternity test kit.

“Explain exactly how this paternity test kit works, both of you.”

If a priest had certified it, it would have been established as a perfect ‘paternity test kit’ without any flaws. However, due to Matthias’s interference, the priest he had painstakingly brought in was unable to prove the validity of the paternity test kit.

Count Yoter, who knew nothing about it, bit his lip tightly.

“Th-that is.”

“Count Yoter, didn’t you boast that you directly participated in the manufacturing process?”

That’s right. It was part of a promotion to sell the kit better.

This trial was also created to gain the reputation of the Yoter Merchant Group for identifying the Mirmode family’s ‘fake daughter’.

But he…….

“I, well, that is…….”

Count Yoter’s face turned pale in an instant.

The jurors clicked their tongues and began to whisper when they saw that. It was practically over. Matthias continued, driving the point home.

“Even the person who claims to be the kit’s creator doesn’t know exactly what it is.”

“That’s, well, that is…….”

Soon after, he lifted the paternity test kit and smirked.

“Then, what about the others who claimed to be the ‘real’ creators?”

The people from the Sheraf Merchant Group quickly explained the manufacturing principle of the paternity test kit. They eagerly explained how long they had been making the kit and what the manufacturing principle was.

The crown prince massaged his forehead as if he had a headache, listening to their sincere and earnest voices.

“So, you’re saying that Count Yoter stole your rights.”

“Yes. At first, he acted like he was going to collaborate, but he only took the technology…….”

“Fortunately, it was incomplete technology, though.”

The crown prince’s lips tightened. Count Yoter flinched when he saw his expression turn cold.

And…….

The crown prince cast a chilly gaze towards Count Yoter. Count Yoter began to tremble convulsively, like someone who had received a death sentence.

‘He’s trying to cut his losses.’

Whether he did or not, it didn’t matter.

Because there was still work to be done.

Matthias, cleanly ignoring the exchange of glances between the crown prince and Count Yoter, gestured to the people from the Sheraf Merchant Group.

“I want to test that technology here.”

As if they had been waiting for those words, they said.

“Yes, we can proceed with the paternity test for Sienne and Matthias right away. If you just give us your hands for a moment, it’s possible!”

Sienne also trotted towards Matthias as if she had been waiting for it. No guard could stop Sienne’s movements.

Matthias looked at Sienne and smiled gently, then took Sienne’s hand and said.

“Kit, bring it here.”

They were momentarily taken aback by his completely different attitude when dealing with Sienne.

“Ye-yes!”

The merchant hurriedly handed over the kit. At the same time, Sienne’s and Matthias’s hands reached for the paternity test kit.

“It’s a method of reading each person’s energy. One line appeared, right? That means they are related.”

Sienne giggled softly.

“He’s my dad after all!”

However, the jurors’ expressions were puzzled.

That’s because there was no guarantee that their paternity test kit was genuine.

Of course, Matthias knew an effective way to prove that this paternity test kit was real.

That was…….

“Priest Eduard, ‘verify’ the validity of the kit.”

He put Sienne down on the floor for a moment, then tossed the kit to Priest Eduard, who was trembling.

Priest Eduard rolled his eyes as if trying to read the room, then shook his head.

‘He still seems to think I’m a joke.’

Well, he had been acting quite gentlemanly for Sienne so far.

It had been a long time since he had cleared away his past of acting like a unleashed dog, so it was only natural that they had forgotten the past.

After making sure that Sienne was far away, Matthias whispered something small into Priest Eduard’s ear so that only he could hear it.

“Do you think our family only has this relic that kills people?”

“H-heuk.”

Priest Eduard made a gasping sound in surprise, but Matthias simply stared at him.

“Swear it.”

The corners of his lips lifted in a sneer. In a very small voice, he whispered.

“If you don’t want to die.”

Priest Eduard made a crying face and nodded very weakly. Matthias smiled satisfactorily and brought the swan sculpture in front of his eyes.

“I, I swear to use the ability of discernment given by God properly.”

“What?”

The crown prince slammed the desk with a dumbfounded expression, but he couldn’t stop Priest Eduard from speaking.

The crown prince, seeing the jurors’ piercing gazes, roughly swept back his hair. Even the crown prince of the empire couldn’t forcibly silence public opinion unless he had completely gained the emperor’s trust.

At that moment, Matthias shook the swan sculpture and whispered briefly.

“……It has begun.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a pure white light flowed out from the swan sculpture. The light began to faintly illuminate the entire courtroom, and people’s hearts began to feel at peace.

To bring peace to everyone who was nervous about the power struggle between the crown prince and the Mirmode family, it was undoubtedly the power of God.

The jurors murmured and admired the sight.

“Th-th-this kit is…….”

Priest Eduard moved his lips and grabbed the kit.

“It’s real. It is a magical tool with the ability to genuinely identify relatives…….”

Perhaps judging that everything was finally over.

Count Yoter screamed and collapsed to the floor.

The girl who had been claiming to be ‘Matthias’s daughter’ was also biting her lip anxiously with an uneasy look.

But there were no eyes paying attention to them.

Instead, Sienne ran towards Matthias, who was standing near Eduard, as if to hug him, and shouted loudly.

“Matthias Mirmode is my dad!”

The voice that spoke as if to be heard by everyone was endlessly kind, and the smile was so warm…… It made you want to do anything if you could protect that little child.

It didn’t matter if I had to get my hands dirty.

He hugged Sienne, who was approaching his arms, and whispered.

“Yes, I am Sienne Mirmode’s dad.”

“Ung!”

He took his affectionate gaze away from Sienne and brought a cold gaze forward, whispering.

“Then, that’s all, for more details…….”

Matthias’s gaze turned towards the crown prince, who was wiping away cold sweat next to the courtroom. He continued the next words without giving the crown prince a chance to move his lips.

“……I will discuss it with His Majesty the Emperor.”

***

I came out of the courtroom, tightly hugged in Dad’s arms.

“Dad, you were like a complete villain today!”

“Was I?”

“Ung!”

“……Dad, you know.”

“Ung?”

Dad made a crying face and continued.

“I was really scared, my heart was as small as a pea. Dad survived thanks to Sienne protecting Dad.”

I carefully examined Dad’s face and tilted my head.

Unlike Dad, who is usually a pushover, he looked like a villain. He seemed to be a natural villain…….

“……I don’t think so.”

Dad noticeably flinched and slyly put me down on the floor of the Imperial Palace.

“Sienne, are you suspecting Dad right now?”

“Ung.”

I thought to myself.

‘I’m suspecting you.’

At those words, Dad drooped his shoulders like a clothes hanger and muttered.

“……Okay, Sienne. Stay in the drawing-room with the maids. This time, if you go out alone anywhere, Dad will get angry.”

“Dad will get angry?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I understand…….”

Perhaps Dad thought that I, who was full of curiosity, had secretly explored the Imperial Palace and got caught by a strange person and went wrong. Since I knew that feeling, I nodded my head with all my might and answered.

“Okay, Dad! Goodbye!”

I waved my hand gently and saw Dad off, then plopped down on the sofa in the drawing-room. There were snacks and cute dolls, so it seemed like I could kill some time here.

Contrary to Dad’s expectations, I had no intention of going outside this splendid drawing-room of the Imperial Palace.

I knew well enough that someone was scheduled to visit me beyond the small drawing-room that Dad had left.

And the person who would come to find me was neither the crown prince, who must have been in a hurry now, nor the priest who had been revealed to have stolen the paternity test kit…….

“Lady Mirmode, actually, I…… I want to apologize shamelessly.”

I knew very well that it was Ambassador Heinrich.

I quietly looked at the ambassador and gestured.

“Please sit here. I think we have a lot to talk about!”

***

“Does the ambassador know what a patent is?”

Heinrich was quite unfamiliar with what the word patent meant.

“What is a patent?”

“It means giving special permission! So, it’s like a law created to protect people with specific technologies.”

There was no patent in this world yet.

So even if they developed technology to the fullest, it was easily taken away by nobles or people from other empires.

Right now, we managed to stop it somehow with our family’s power, but it was unknown whether they, who were from the duchy, would have their technology stolen again in the future.

So, I just needed to create a legal system that would become a common standard throughout the empire.

“……Pardon? How does someone who is still young know such a concept…….”

I smiled slightly, revealing my small front teeth. And I grabbed Ambassador Heinrich’s hand tightly and said.

“Sienne knows everything because she is smart!”

It was actually a scam, but let’s gloss over it appropriately. I roughly wrapped up this situation with a cute and playful smile and took out a crumpled document from my pocket and unfolded it.

“Here, there is a paper explaining the concept of a patent!”

I had worked hard yesterday to write it in crooked handwriting. This should be enough to understand even in this world where there is no concept of intellectual property rights.

I handed him more than twelve sheets of paper and smiled brightly.

“If you use this method, there may be fewer people who are unfairly treated in the future!”

Of course, it was a patent right that could only be used in the duchy, but if Ambassador Heinrich and the Grand Duke worked harder in the future, wouldn’t the concept of patents spread widely throughout the continent?

Then I will also work hard to manage the merchant group and apply for a patent!

I winked at Ambassador Heinrich and stepped back.

And it was right then. He grabbed my sleeve urgently and said.

“……Is this really pure help?”

I smiled playfully at him.

“No, it isn’t?”

Then, I whispered softly to him.

“I’m helping because of the Mikel mine!”

‘Wait, was I too honest?’