Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: I Have Someone Else I Want to Serve
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Dad and I, Leonhardt and Acid, returned to the Mirmod ducal residence.
But then, a strange shadow fell over the mansion entrance!
The muscle maid sisters had come out to greet me and were giving me a warm welcome.
They were already imposingly built, but now they were even frowning.
“What's going on?”
Surely nothing had happened to the mansion while I was away...!
I tilted my head, and the sisters spoke in trembling voices.
“Today was the finest protein yet, Lady Sien!”
Deadri and Bench, the two maid sisters, reaffirmed their loyalty to me once more today.
“My heart is overflowing with loyalty tears, but I hold them back to avoid muscle loss.”
I nodded coolly toward them. Then the maid sisters continued.
“Ah, and...”
“Ung?”
“There are two letters for you, Lady Sien.”
I tilted my head.
“Um, from who?”
Deadri Sister hesitated a bit. The two fancy envelopes she held, presumably for me, were shaking in her grasp.
“One is from a holy knight of the temple. The name Ted is written on it.”
“...Ah, Ted.”
I glanced at Acid. He was carefully lowering his head. I couldn't see his expression well, but he looked like his feelings were quite complicated.
‘I should read it first and let Acid know so he has time to think.’
“Ung, got it! Let's talk inside!”
Dad scooped me up and dangled me around. I giggled in his arms. Acid watched me with a strange gaze.
***
I made a grand entrance into my room with Dad and the muscle maid sisters. My room, which the maid sisters had diligently decorated, was dazzling as ever today.
“Another crack in the wall?”
“I bought some with my salary and added a bit more decoration.”
Deadri Sister smiled sheepishly as she said it.
As expected of muscle-brained fool sisters. Hiding my pity, I boldly sat facing Dad on the sofa in my room.
Maybe because it was an adult sofa, my legs dangled in the middle.
I put strength into my round feet, then pouted my lips. It was a small thing, but my tiny body caused even sitting on the sofa to be uncomfortable.
While thinking I should ask Grandma if there's an artifact that lets me grow quickly, I quickly held out my hand to the maid sisters.
“Now, letters!”
“Yes.”
“Here they are!”
Deadri knelt on one knee and reverently handed over the letters. I tried to receive them solemnly, but Dad was faster.
“That letter might be dangerous.”
I knew that too.
Dad spoke to me soothingly.
“Sien. Dad wants to read the letter first.”
It had clearly been in Deadri's hand, but now it was heading toward Dad.
I widened my eyes, but it was time to stay calm.
I glanced at the letter in Dad's hand, then continued logically.
“...Um, Dada. It might be dangerous. See, the sender's Delphia. Scary sister, right?”
I furrowed my brow and thought inwardly.
‘I don't know why Delphia sent a letter, though.’
Dad's face relaxed a little.
He probably thought I'd listen to him.
But no.
Because it was dangerous, I had to see it even more. As the smart, wicked child who knew the future and could protect Dad.
I reached toward the letter in Dad's hand and said vigorously.
“So I'll read it instead of Dada.”
But Dad didn't budge like a rock.
“Sien.”
“Ung?”
“Dangerous things, Dad will read and handle. Let's do it that way, okay?”
When I threw a tantrum, Dad spoke sternly. That was Dr. Asili's educational philosophy or something.
‘But above a running Dad is me, Sien!’
I knew Dad's educational philosophy very well. Dad could never outright hide or lie to me.
“Daddy.”
“Yeah?”
“Then... you lied to me?”
For a moment, Dad was at a loss for words.
“...Why?”
“Daddy's words to Sien before, don't you remember?”
“...Yeah?”
Dad seemed dumbfounded, unable to keep up with the thought process of me, a five-year-old toddler. But I decided to assert my opinion quite logically in my own way.
“You said never ignore even a little kid's opinion.”
“Uh, uhhh...”
“Daddy has to hear Sien's opinion.”
I giggled, then suddenly paused.
‘Gasp, wait. If I keep making him lie like this, won't Daddy become a bad person?’
This was a bit troubling.
Whether to let Dad lie or not.
As they say, a beginning is half the battle; if he steadily commits light evils like lying, he might become a real villain. Taking this as a good opportunity, I sparkled my eyes and looked at Dad supportively.
“So, Daddy...”
Dad's gaze trembled slightly. I glanced at his letter, gathered my hands in front of my chest with my pounding heart, and spoke. Hoping he'd turn villainous.
But...
Dad sighed deeply and firmly placed the letter in my hand.
I clutched the letter and slumped like seaweed.
As expected, Dad couldn't abandon his innate goodness from the beginning.
“...Delphia's a dangerous person. She uses illusion magic and is aggressive. If she wrote something in that letter... it could put you in danger. Is that okay?”
I knew that very well too. But at Dad's serious expression, I narrowed my eyes.
“You said not to read the letter because it's someone so scary your body shakes, and I shouldn't meet her.”
I knew Dad's feelings well, worrying so much about me. Worry was already dripping from his eyes.
“Sorry, Dad didn't ignore your opinion.”
I'd heard some adults never apologize to their kids.
But my Dad was different.
He honestly admitted it and explained why.
I nodded.
“Ung... Dada, Sien sorry too.”
After we apologized, we always hugged each other.
I set the letter down, hopped off the sofa, and clambered onto Dad's lap with grunts. Dad extended his hand to help me sit properly and hugged me tightly.
“We're good now, right?”
“Ung! Now letters!”
He hesitated a little, but Dad handed me the letters again. I pulled out Delphia's letter first, read it, and pondered deeply.
[Invite me to your tea party.
As for the date, well, I don't know. Whenever you want is fine for me.
I'll clear my schedule.
P.S. I won't eat you, baby. I just want to see you. With love, Delphia Mirmod.]
Won't eat me!
I clenched my fist tightly.
The letter in my hand crumpled with a crunch.
But I wouldn't give in easily. No, I could even pay her back properly.
‘Delphia Mirmod is extremely vulnerable to holy power. Fortunately, I have Ted, the holy knight...!’
Dad, who had peeked at the letter from behind me, spoke up.
“Tea party, huh.”
Dad's voice sounded a bit ominous.
I tilted my head and said.
“Ung. She wants an invite!”
With the intent to go into full battle with Delphia, I looked at Dad with my trembling heart.
“Sien wants a tea party!”
To be precise, it was a full-on battle with Delphia, not a tea party, but Dad seemed to interpret it differently.
“Sien, you want a tea party...? Come to think of it, our daughter hasn't had many proper ones.”
Dad seemed to pity me for not having proper tea parties, but as they say, all roads lead to Rome if you end up there, so I had no intention of correcting his misunderstanding. I decided to play along demurely.
“Ung! Sien's a noble now too!”
“Then... yeah, Sien. Let's have you meet Delphia once...”
Dad whispered affectionately in my ear.
“Wherever it is, Dad will make sure you're safe.”
I couldn't see behind me well, but Dad was surely smiling.
Yet strangely, the temperature around us seemed to drop by half.
But regardless, I was burning with passion.
Humming a tune, I checked Ted's letter too.
But it contained something I hadn't expected.
[Her Infant Saintess of the Sinoa Temple, Lady Gabrielle, has repeatedly requested your escort.
As I am still a holy knight, I must take on the role of escorting Lady Gabrielle.
...I am ashamed, but it seems I cannot become Lady Sien's knight for the time being, so I send this letter.
Once everything is sorted, may I visit again?
At that time, I wish to be appointed as Lady Sien's knight.]
The last line was definitely good news. It meant he'd become my knight someday.
But I didn't have time.
Delphia was eyeing me greedily, and Axel would return in just a month.
‘To stop them, I absolutely need a holy knight with holy power...!’
I clenched my tiny hand tightly.
‘If Gabrielle is after Ted, it could disrupt my plans badly...’
It takes time to enter the temple, just as it takes time for Ted to abandon his holy knight position. Roughly, it means a contemplation period of about seven days is needed.
But if Gabrielle keeps summoning Ted during that time, my plans will go awry.
Especially if she's trying to make him her knight, an unexpected struggle might ensue.
What to do.
As I clutched the letter and pondered deeply, someone knocked on my room door, knock knock.
The one who bravely opened the door and entered was Ted's younger brother, Acid.
“Baby?”
The boy who was bigger than me but whom I called baby.
Acid, who had been standing at the door with wide eyes, now looked at me with a resolved expression.
“I, I have something I want to say again!”
Acid's eyes burned with determination.
***
At the same time, inside the Sinoa Temple where Holy Knight Ted was staying.
There was someone in this temple who acted like the highest authority and lord over all holy knights.
It was Gabrielle, the child famous for having the most holy power in the temple, whom even the Pope had his eye on.
Gabrielle was just a little over ten years old, but she had an arrogant air. She lifted her chin and whispered lowly.
“Ted, you'll protect me on this outing too, right?”
It was true that escort was needed for the trainee saintesses' outings. But it wasn't dangerous enough to require a holy knight of Ted's caliber.
Ted was busy with other important schedules, but knowing that, Gabrielle was still whining.
Until now, Ted had always done everything she asked.
“...Only for this outing, it seems. Next time, I have a prior engagement...”
In response to the insistent Gabrielle, Ted answered and bit his lip.
He thought of Sien. He knew comparing children was a sin. But Sien was... dignified yet gentle as a master. Someone who respected his opinion without gain, someone he wanted to serve directly.
But Gabrielle was...
“You're going to be my escort knight, and prior engagement?”
“...”
“You'll serve me.”
“Lady Gabrielle. I... have someone else I want to serve.”