I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 85

Tyrant Dad, I’ll Protect You! Episode 85. Acid’s True Feelings (85/140)

85. Acid’s True Feelings

2023.09.22.

I was dozing off under the zelkova tree when I felt someone’s gaze and looked up. Maybe it was a survival instinct, but I’m keenly aware when someone is staring at me.

As soon as I opened my eyes, Acid was standing in front of me, looking down as if observing me.

“Acid!”

I asked, wondering why he didn’t just call out to me instead of staring.

“…Yes, Lady Sienna.”

Acid’s gaze was fixed on me with unusual intensity. Watching him, I asked directly,

“Are you upset that I haven’t been paying attention to you lately?”

“N-no way! Lady Sienna is a p-person who will achieve great things.”

Acid shook his head and jumped back. I tilted my head, puzzled, and poked his cheek.

For the past five years, Acid had been by my side, unfailingly loyal. I understand his expressions better than anyone.

Right now, he was…

“Is something wrong?”

Yes, he definitely looked troubled.

Acid’s lips twitched as he looked down at my tightly closed mouth.

“Ah…”

Acid’s cheeks flushed red. I stared at him, tilting my head.

‘Something’s strange.’

I stepped closer and stared intently into his eyes.

Normally, when I stared at him like this, he would smile brightly and say, “Yes!” But this time, he quickly averted his gaze.

‘Is something really wrong…?’

Seeing him like that, I couldn’t help but worry.

Could it be that Acid had developed another secret while I wasn’t paying attention?

Just as I unknowingly moved my face closer to his, his eyes widened, and he slightly opened his mouth.

“…Ah, ah!”

Acid quickly took a step back. He was blushing and seemed to be avoiding me, as if he would flinch away if I even lightly touched him.

I felt awkward and turned away.

‘Acid, he’s acting strange…’

He wasn’t the Acid who was usually obedient and kind.

‘Why has he changed like this?’

I even entertained absurd ideas, wondering if some bullies at the academy were picking on him.

I blinked and then grabbed Acid’s arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“That…”

Acid couldn’t shake off my arm, nor could he hold onto it, and he just fluttered his eyelids.

“It’s nothing…”

I smiled gently and nodded.

“Okay, sure!”

“…Yes.”

Acid and I looked at each other. The moment I met his eyes, I felt a strange sweetness.

Even though there were many academy students around, it felt as if only Acid and I were alone under this huge zelkova tree.

It was quite a long time, or perhaps a very short time, that I was making eye contact with Acid.

“…Sien. Sienna?”

A familiar voice calling my name broke me out of our world.

“Huh? Leonhardt?”

Before I knew it, Leonhardt, wearing his mask, was running towards us from afar, waving his hand wildly. He smiled brightly and said,

“What are you doing, Sienna? I found that guy!”

“That guy?”

“You know, the one you like!”

“Who? Martin?”

The moment I said that, the color drained from Acid’s face.

But I didn’t have time to notice Acid’s change in expression.

Because Leonhardt immediately pounded his chest and shouted,

“Yeah, and that hamburger guy is with him too!”

“Burger too?”

“Yeah! They’re both acting weird!”

This wasn’t written in the original [referring to the novel the protagonist transmigrated into], so I had no idea what was going on.

But judging from Leonhardt’s expression, it seemed like something big had happened.

I widened my eyes and urged Leonhardt.

“Then where are they now?”

“That…”

“Huh?”

“Can I come with you too?”

Acid’s expression looked strangely determined.

I blinked and then nodded.

“Yeah, sure!”

I simply thought that it would be nice if Acid came along, of course.

The moment I said that, Acid’s expression softened.

Seeing that smile, I quickly averted my gaze.

It felt like I had glimpsed an emotion that I shouldn’t have seen.

***

Leonhardt, Acid, and I walked side by side, holding hands. I could feel the tension and dampness in the hand I was holding with Acid, but I tried to ignore it.

Our pace quickened, and before we knew it, we were standing in front of the classroom door.

We could hear the children shouting inside the classroom.

“Martin, Martin, please be patient!”

“Liena!”

“Someone call a teacher!”

There were sounds of people trying to stop them, chairs scraping, and the loud clatter of something like a glass breaking.

I frowned and flung open the front door of the classroom.

“A teac… It’s not a teacher.”

“Yeah, a teac… It’s not a teacher.”

I slightly narrowed my eyes at the chaos unfolding inside the academy classroom.

‘Surely, even if it’s the Imperial Academy and they’re all at least from impoverished noble families, do they really fight like this…’

Martin was staring at the air with a slight frown, and in his line of sight was a girl.

‘Huh? Isn’t that Liena, or whatever her name was?’

I quietly watched Liena and Martin arguing back and forth. Liena’s face was flushed red, and her eyes were bloodshot. Anyone could tell that she had just been crying.

I took a step forward, trying to gauge the situation, but Leonhardt blocked my arm and said,

“Sienna, don’t get involved.”

“…Huh?”

“They’re not in their right minds right now. It’s dangerous.”

I had survived Russian roulette with a dealer, so I doubted it would be dangerous, but this time, I decided to listen to Leonhardt.

I also figured that if I stepped in right now, the atmosphere would become even more intense.

As I remained silent, Liena and Martin refocused on each other.

“Martin, I don’t know why you’re suspecting me-!”

“You put a dirty poisonous herb in here.”

Only then did I look at the book Martin was holding in his hand. There was a small bookmark inside the book. At first glance, it just looked like an ordinary bookmark.

But I focused on something else. Martin wasn’t actually holding the bookmark.

He was just holding it with Burger’s book, shaking it threateningly at Liena.

‘Isn’t that book Burger’s? Is Liena putting poisonous herbs in Burger’s bookmark?’

…I turned my gaze to the side. I had only looked over there because I thought it was Burger’s, but Burger was smiling brightly.

I shook my head inwardly.

I probably wouldn’t be able to get any sense out of Burger, so I decided to just listen to Liena and Martin’s argument.

“I didn’t put any poisonous herbs in there! I’ve never even seen anything like that before!”

“…If it’s ordinary, then take it out. With your own hands. You said you’ve never seen it before, right?”

Liena hesitated, then shouted sharply as if she was angry.

“Martin!”

Martin sneered at Liena.

“Why don’t you brew some tea [a sarcastic challenge, implying she should prove her innocence by handling the poison]?”

“…Are you really suspecting me? Really accusing an innocent person without any evidence-!”

“Is there anyone here who doesn’t know that you touched that bookmark?”

Liena’s face turned pale. I quietly watched them.

“I didn’t put it in!”

Liena glared at Burger and walked towards him. Burger was still eating his burger and checking his math book, but his hands were covered in bumpy rashes. He had a terrible allergic reaction.

“Burger!”

“…”

“You tell them.”

“…”

Liena, staring at Burger’s rash-covered hand as if it were dirty, shouted,

“He’s always been a dirty kid anyway. That’s probably why he has a rash!”

Martin glared at Liena with an angry expression and then tried to grab the bookmark in his hand.

“Ha, Liena.”

At that moment, Martin’s scarred hand also began to develop bumpy blisters and red rashes.

“Are you still going to deny it?”

“Ma, Martin! Wh, what are you doing touching that.”

Liena’s gaze towards Martin was full of worry. Watching that, I raised the corners of my lips.

‘I guess Liena likes Martin, roughly?’

I hummed and crossed my arms.

Anyone would admire a boy like Martin, but…

‘But why is Liena bullying Burger?’

As I pondered, the teacher began to run over from afar.

Like a model student, I quickly sat down as soon as the teacher entered. Burger, who was in a different class, took his book and slipped out like a ghost.

Making it seem as if all this commotion was nothing.

***

Classes had started, but my head was filled with curiosity about the mysterious relationship between Liena and Burger.

Hamburger, cheeseburger, and an even greater presence stirring in my head.

The math genius Burger.

And Liena.

Unable to find a connection between them, I became distressed and mumbled, messing up my hair.

“Burger…”

“Why, do you want to eat a burger, Sienna?”

I shook my head at Leonhardt, whose dog-like expression behind the mask was clear to me.

“No. You know, Leonhardt.”

“Yeah?”

“We have swordsmanship class tomorrow, right?”

Leonhardt, who lived ignoring timetables, frowned.

Then Acid, who had been quietly beside me, said,

“Yes, we have swordsmanship class.”

I nodded, resting my chin on my hand.

“Yeah, that’s right…”

I tapped Acid’s arm and said,

“You know, Acid.”

“Yes?”

“Could you become friends with the boys and spread a rumor?”

“A rumor…?”

Looking at Acid’s bewildered expression, I lowered my voice and whispered,

“Yeah, a rumor.”