Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Everyone Knows, But Only Dad Doesn't Know the Secret
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The gypsy lowered her eyes and muttered.
“……Even if she tried to peek into the future and save countless people, what could a mother who abandoned her own child possibly have to say…….”
She let out a hollow laugh and rubbed her dry face.
“It’ll be enough to just see her once later. You’ll be happy with that.”
“We’ll see.”
The old Matthias Mirmod would have simply brushed it off with a curt, “I see.”
But now, he had someone precious in his life: Sien.
His small, fragile, lovable daughter.
So he understood all too well what the woman meant.
The gypsy glanced around quietly before bowing her head.
“The knights are on the move, so head back now. I’ve tampered with their memories.”
The subordinate he’d brought along was a memory manipulator, after all.
The gypsy woman lifted her head calmly and said,
“You’re thorough. Well then.”
Matthias stared at her retreating figure.
Capturing the gypsy sorceress had gone more smoothly than expected.
Now it was time to unravel the greatest puzzle in Matthias’s life: Sien Mirmod.
There was something that had been nagging at him all this time.
To put it precisely:
Had Sien really brought home that kid called “Captain” without knowing a single thing about him?
Matthias thought.
Our daughter might just be…… incredibly gifted, or a genius.
If so, perhaps he should test her abilities, just as he tested others?
***
At the same time, in the early dawn.
I’d happily bought tons of stuff at the auction house and come back.
Then I sneaked into the mansion and peeked into Daddy’s room.
‘Huh? Daddy’s not here?’
With the emergency alert out because of Axel Mirmod, Daddy not being home was a bad sign.
I called an emergency council meeting.
The maid sisters, me, Acid, Captain, and Ted. That made our six-member emergency committee.
Sadly, Delphia sis, Grandmother Lukella, and Leonhardt couldn’t make it due to distance issues.
“Daddy’s gone missing.”
“Hm, maybe he went to the Mercy District?”
“Why……?”
I asked back, a bad feeling in my gut. I had a hunch.
As if confirming my suspicion, one of the maid sisters said matter-of-factly,
“Maybe he went to deal with Lord Axel?”
That’s when quick-witted Ted spoke up.
“It could just be a short walk, so don’t worry too much.”
“……He didn’t get kidnapped, did he?”
“No way. Absolutely not. Not even if he died.”
The worry over Daddy crashed over me like waves.
I grabbed Captain and Acid’s hands, one in each of mine, and made a worried face.
‘If something happens to my daddy, what’ll I do? I’ll kill Axel!’
I shot to my feet.
“Let’s go save our idiot—no, Daddy!”
As I tried to head straight to the Mercy District, Dedri sis and Bench sis grabbed my arms tight.
“You can’t go there.”
That night, even in my tiny baby body, I stayed up all night.
I dozed off a bit, nodding, but powered through with sheer willpower.
Until Daddy came back.
Until my eyes turned into bunny eyes.
With Axel strutting around, I was so, so worried that my idiot daddy wouldn’t come home.
And maybe my worries reached the heavens.
As I clutched the sugar milk Dedri sis had warmed for me, Captain said,
“Hey, isn’t that your dad coming?”
“My dad?”
“Yeah, he’s your dad, so he’s my dad too.”
I didn’t get why our daddy was Captain’s dad, but…… seeing his friendly face, I nodded roughly.
That wasn’t the point—the point was Daddy was back!
I toddled as fast as I could to the mansion’s entrance.
Daddy looked surprised I’d come out, wearing a kind smile.
“Daddy, did you go to the Mercy District?”
“Who told you that?”
“The maid sis.”
“Oh, yeah. I went to do some charity work, sweetie.”
I glared at Daddy with axe eyes.
Then Daddy scooped me up in a hug and scolded me gently.
“Our little girl…… did you stay up all night?”
“……Huh?”
“What were you doing?”
……How should I say this? I can’t tell him I went to the dark auction house, hee hee! If I did, I might get sent to etiquette academy for three years. That’d be a disaster worse than Axel Mirmod.
I rolled my eyes a bit, then opened my mouth wide and said,
“Earlier at dawn, I went to the gift shop. With the maid sisses, Leon, Captain, baby Acid, and Ted’s gifts!”
……But something felt off.
I thought he’d say good job, such a good girl. So why the sulky face?
“So……?”
“Huh?”
“What about Daddy’s gift……?”
I frantically rolled my eyes.
‘How do I fix this? Big trouble!’
Daddy’s eyes looked a little teary— he might even cry.
If he shed tears, his heir dignity would crumble, so I had to prevent that at all costs.
But the only things left from handing out gifts everywhere were……
‘The cute yo-yo I bought on a whim. Can’t give him that.’
Giving Daddy that would send him back to childhood innocence and make him even softer.
So the only gift I could give was one thing.
I quickly looked around.
‘There are people here, but…….’
I bit my lip hard and scanned around like scouting.
But Daddy was looking at me with those teary, pitiful eyes. In my panic, I whimpered softly.
“Daddy’s gift is……. Um, y’know…….”
I beckoned Daddy with my finger. He tilted his head curiously but, true to his kind daddy nature, came right over.
“What is it?”
I twisted my body like a wrung towel and whispered so only Daddy could hear.
“Kiss…….”
Daddy’s eyes went wide.
“You’ll give me a kiss?”
Seeing that super proud face, my deflection tactic worked.
I saw Acid, Captain, and the muscle maids with huge eyes too.
‘Phew, my evil boss dignity took a little hit!’
Oblivious to my thoughts, Daddy grinned like a victor and hugged me tight.
“It’s just for Daddy, right? Yeah?”
“Uh-huh!”
Mwah!
I smooshed my lips on Daddy’s cheek.
Daddy smiled contentedly and hugged me close.
“Our little girl.”
He looked so beaming.
As expected of my daddy…… total pushover for a kiss.
“But…… you went out at dawn, huh? To a gift shop? Do gift shops even open at dawn?”
I puffed my cheeks and shook my head.
“Nuh-uh…….”
……Daddy would find out in a week anyway, but I couldn’t tell him myself that I went to the dark auction house.
My already soft-hearted daddy might cry for three days straight and faint.
Only one way in times like this.
“It’s a grown-up secret.”
When I was little, Daddy had said so maturely, ‘I get it if you have secrets from me. I won’t think I should be your whole world.’
So I said that!
“Everyone knows, but only Daddy doesn’t…… secret……?”
Daddy looked even more shocked.
I stared at him seriously and said sternly,
“Daddy.”
“Yeah.”
“Sien’s a grown-up now too. ‘Cause I’m big, so I can have secrets, right?”
Then Daddy whispered in a slightly aggrieved tone.
“But…… even the maids know. Heck, even Captain, who’s only known our girl for a few days, knows the secret.”
“Sigh.”
“Daddy’s sad…….”
Seeing Daddy’s whining made me shake my head.
‘Seriously, with a heart this weak. How’s he gonna face villains like Axel with that softness!’
I stretched Daddy’s cheek and whispered,
“Daddy’s the best!”
From the side, I heard the maid sisters murmuring. Their voices were all eerie and gloomy.
“Eek.”
“I can’t watch…….”
“……Aah, I can’t get used to this.”
“Me neither…….”
My voice was too low, so I couldn’t catch what they said.
But listening to them mattered less than this big-eyed, kind daddy.
It was mountains beyond mountains.
After dealing with that Axel Mirmod jerk, I’d have to face Melodia too, so I had no choice but to start toughening up Daddy with mental training now.
‘I pretty much gave up on indirect training before since it didn’t work, but who knows.’
Hugging a tiny spark of hope, I looked at Daddy and asked,
“Daddy. Whatcha doing tomorrow?”
“Hm? Tomorrow?”
“Uh-huh! Play with me! Alley tour!”
Fun stuff meaning, of course, beating up alley thugs.
Thinking about it, there were those small-time villains who bullied Melodia in the back alleys. Maybe have Daddy handle them?
But the moment I thought that, Daddy’s face fell.
“What should I do, Sien. Daddy might have to go on a short trip.”
I grabbed Daddy’s hand tight and shook my head hard.
“……Where?”
Looking surprised I’d caught on, Daddy tilted his head and said,
“Daddy’s…… going to etiquette training.”
“Gasp. Have fun.”
I quickly let go of Daddy’s arm.
As I bit my lip, a happy smile crept onto Daddy’s lips.
“I’ll be back safe, so play fun with the maid sisses. And…….”
“Uh-huh?”
“When Daddy’s here, he’ll protect you. But when he’s gone, no dangerous stuff. Got it? Promise.”
I declared boldly to Daddy.
“But last time, I smashed that Pat and Matt too!”
I stuck out my belly huge like I was rubbing it. Seeing my bear-like tummy from pushing so hard, Daddy let out a hollow laugh.
“Uh, Pat and Matt…….”
“Uh-huh! Remember?”
“Re……member.”
Talking about them soured Daddy’s face a bit.
If they’d bullied my good daddy, I’d punish them, so I clenched my fist.
“Oh yeah, Daddy, did you beat those guys good?”
Deep down, I didn’t quite believe it.
“……Uh-huh.”
Daddy averted his eyes.
I let out a big sigh.
“I’ll show you later.”
As I shook my fist, Daddy looked terrified.
“G……ot it.”
Wrapping up the topic, I said proudly to Daddy,
“How long’s the trip?”
“After training, I’m doing house-building volunteer work in the Mercy District…… probably a week.”
A week, and that evil Axel Mirmod wouldn’t be far from returning.
For my small, squishy daddy…… maybe better if he wasn’t around.
“Got it. Have fun. I’ll be the head of the house while you’re gone.”
‘Truth is, I already am…….’
I swallowed that thought.
Even if I was an adult, I didn’t want to shatter Daddy’s pure faith.
I patted Daddy’s shoulder encouragingly and whispered secretly.
“In a week, something’ll surprise you big time.”
I clenched both fists and stared at Daddy.
Daddy took my hands gently and asked warmly,
“Really?”
“Uh-huh!”
As he stroked my head, Daddy said meaningfully,
“Daddy’ll bring back a surprise gift for our girl too. You’ll be shocked.”
I grinned ear to ear and nodded hard.
Until my pink cotton-candy hair fluttered wildly in the wind.
For a good long while!