My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 115

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Father hiding his strength
Chapter 115
After weeping over Father’s diary for a long time, I added one more line to the letter I’d been meaning to hide away.
Even knowing it was selfish of me….
Father, I love you.
I hope you’ll continue to live happily, even in a world where I’m gone.
I’m asking this as my final wish—that you, who’d do anything for me, will grant it without fail.
* * *
The next day.
The Emperor Nicholas’s study.
“Tomorrow, I’d like to see your daughter’s face again—it’s been too long.”
Nicholas, who had summoned Enoch for some reason, spoke first.
“…What is this about?”
Enoch flinched, but he asked the question with as composed a face as he could manage.
“You know Franz, don’t you?”
Franz von Pavillion.
Six years old this year. The name of the thirteenth prince.
“Yes.”
“I opened his Core the other day, and from the way he uses his ability, it appears Primera has emerged.”
At those words, Enoch’s eyes widened.
And he recalled a conversation he’d had with the strategist Joseph just days before.
“Primera may appear in the Imperial Household soon.”
“What?”
“Ah, don’t be alarmed. It’s unlikely to suddenly appear after all this time, so I suspect they might present a counterfeit.”
The absence of Primera, Divine Revelation, the Holy Water Incident….
To lift the Imperial Household’s authority back up from the depths it had fallen to in the wake of these events, all at once.
Joseph saw only one method available to the Emperor.
Namely, the appearance of the next generation’s Primera from the Imperial Household.
“Unfortunately, we have no way to tell whether it’s genuine or false.”
“Damn it. Then things will become complicated.”
“Well, I never expected it would be easy and quick dealing with Primera. But looking at the bigger picture, it benefits us.”
Joseph said it was actually fortunate.
“To keep the counterfeit Primera’s identity from being exposed, the Emperor will have to endlessly use his ability in the counterfeit’s stead.”
A counterfeit Primera has the same lifespan as an ordinary person, so it grows just the same.
So to avoid being exposed as false, they would have to continuously demonstrate the use of ability accordingly.
“The thirteenth prince, being six years old now, would be ideal for putting forward as a counterfeit.”
An age where the visible growth rate still makes it impossible to distinguish genuine from false.
Having raised Lilis, Enoch knew the growth rate of a true Primera.
Immediately after birth, it’s difficult to tell the difference.
They grow similar to ordinary people at first….
But around three years of age, the growth rate begins to slow.
“The ability he’ll use anyway for the counterfeit, the Emperor will deploy to gather the people’s hearts. Then the Imperial Household’s authority will rise again. But….”
“Yes. It might whittle away at his lifespan a bit.”
“Precisely. If my theory proves correct, then the Emperor has made his final gambit, I’d say.”
Joseph laughed.
“Even if it costs him his own flesh, he’ll want to complete continental unification as quickly as possible, before death takes him.”
‘Joseph…. You see right to the very top of the Emperor’s head.’
Enoch clicked his tongue mentally.
“How would you feel about introducing Franz and your daughter to each other?”
“Pardon?”
Enoch’s brow furrowed at once.
The intention behind the words was transparent.
“Ha, come now. You needn’t make such a frightened face. Do you really think I’d try to bring your daughter into the Imperial Household on a whim, knowing what kind of man you are?”
…….
“After all, your daughter’s love for her father truly deserves recognition.”
Nicholas added, as if he wouldn’t be dissuaded.
“If the Crown Prince appears, every other fellow will be desperate to push his own daughter into that position beside him.”
“I….”
“Ah! I know, I know.”
Nicholas raised both palms in surrender, laughing.
“Let’s simply have the children greet one another, shall we? I’m well aware that your daughter’s opinion matters most to you.”
“…….”
“Then we’ll see each other tomorrow.”
Enoch lowered his trembling hand and hid it, clenching his fist hard.
He shouldn’t concern himself with the Emperor’s sordid intentions.
Only one thing terrified him: having to present Lilis to that man.
Only that.
* * *
“…Say, wouldn’t you say you’re feeling a bit under the weather tomorrow?”
Under the weather? What’s that supposed to mean?
I lay in bed, turning over Father’s words, and scratched my cheek.
The Emperor was going to introduce me to the Thirteenth Prince, apparently.
‘So he’s already thinking of setting up a fake Primera.’
I pressed my index finger to my temple and squeezed my head tight.
The Thirteenth Prince—soon to be Crown Prince—was known as Primera in the original work as well.
He brought rain to drought-stricken territories, and with a single gesture, subdued the rampaging beasts that ran amok across the land….
A man whose lifespan should have been twice as long, yet who grew at exactly the same rate as ordinary people.
He was a benevolent ruler who spent his life force so generously and won the love of the Empire’s people.
Of course!
It wasn’t revealed until the final chapter that all of it was the ability of Enoch Rubinstein’s daughter—me.
‘To rebuild the Imperial Household’s authority, which is crumbling now, the next Primera simply had to emerge.’
So it was an unavoidable choice for the Emperor.
But unlike the original, this time there’s no one here to drain life force in his place.
So to keep the Crown Prince propped up as a fake Primera….
‘The Emperor would have to spend his own life force, which is basically a total win, isn’t it?’
I covered my mouth and giggled.
“Lilis?”
“Huh? Yeah!”
“Why don’t we say you’re sick tomorrow?”
“But I’m not sick….”
“Sick or not, let’s say you are!”
The reason the Emperor wanted to see me.
‘Obvious enough. He’s trying to match me with the Crown Prince.’
If it worked out that way, the Emperor might dance naked in Jedo for all I knew.
The moment I became part of the Imperial Household, he’d have both a hostage and a leash around the protagonist’s neck.
“Ugh.”
Thinking of the scheming Emperor, I sighed.
If only villains would act like villains—sit there stupidly, do nothing, then storm off muttering “Blast! How infuriating!” It’d be so much better.
The Holy Water Incident and everything else—they keep using their brains, and it’s so annoying.
‘The author clearly doesn’t know current genre fiction trends.’
Isn’t satisfying payoff the whole trend in genre novels these days?
If the villain keeps scheming pointlessly and dragging things out like this, readers are going to hate it.
“…Father.”
“Hmm?”
Father, lost in thought, suddenly shot up.
“We have to go. His Majesty called for us—if we don’t show, what are we supposed to do? If you suddenly say you’re sick, everyone will know we’re dodging him….”
“Yeah, you’re right. I know, but.”
Father exhaled sharply and gripped his head.
“Still, maybe if we just say you’re feeling terribly unwell….”
“No. Let’s go.”
If the Emperor decided to match me with the Thirteenth Prince, he’d keep summoning me whether it was now or later.
What if I avoided him every time?
‘Obviously he’d get suspicious. How odd would it look if I refused to see his face every time he called?’
If my identity were exposed—it’d all be over.
I didn’t want to leave even the slightest room for suspicion….
“Sigh.”
Father sighed again.
He looked very worried.
‘I know what he’s thinking.’
If I suddenly fell head over heels for the Thirteenth Prince and started making a fuss about marrying him, it would be a complete disaster.
But that won’t happen.
That bastard who ruled through Primera, pretending to be a virtuous ruler with my life force.
And he’s only six years old now.
Just thinking about it makes me furious.
If I don’t slap him at least once, I’ll count myself lucky.
* * *
At that same moment, in the Magic Tower.
“Good grief.”
Robel, the Advisor, clicked his tongue at the sight of Oscar sleeping uncomfortably, slumped over his desk in the laboratory—as he did every day without fail.
‘Another nightmare, it seems.’
Oscar was drenched in cold sweat.
Robel felt a pang of pity for him.
Was this the price of being born a genius?
Oscar managed only three or four hours of sleep a day, and even in those precious hours, he never found true rest.
Robel wondered.
What nightmare could torment him so relentlessly?
* * *
Oscar Manuel, seventeen years old.
In time now past, he had been a far more arrogant man than he was now.
Arrogant enough to swagger even before the Emperor himself.
“I’ve told you this countless times, Your Majesty—you’re remarkably stubborn. There are already hundreds, thousands of Magic Formulas that have been unlocked. Use those and wage whatever war you wish.”
Oscar spoke with brazen insolence, one leg crossed over the other.
At that time, the Emperor wanted to launch wars of conquest against two kingdoms.
To achieve victory without difficulty, he needed high-level offensive Magic Formulas, and Oscar was the only one who could provide them.
“Magic Tower Master—how much longer do you intend to be so uncooperative?”
“I grant you, I’m a man who does as he pleases. But even so, I know my principles. I’m not locked away in the Magic Tower all day, losing my hair, crafting Magic Formulas just to help you butcher humans.”
Without Oscar’s assistance, victory in war would be difficult. Yet the Emperor could not force him through sheer power.
The Emperor valued his own life dearly, and Oscar possessed an ability rating that made him too burdensome to subjugate.
Knowing this, Oscar was extraordinarily arrogant.
“May I take my leave?”
“The war will proceed as planned even without your aid.”
“Yes, yes. As you wish.”
“Enoch Rubinstein will return soon.”
…….
Oscar faltered.
Enoch Rubinstein….
A name he’d heard in childhood.
He’d never seen the man’s face, but the name was famous enough.
‘The man who deserted with his daughter, wasn’t it?’
Everyone called him mad, but Oscar understood him.
He’d even thought the man rather remarkable.
Who would want their own child to become a puppet soldier of this wretched ruler?
‘But why is he so certain Enoch will return?’
Oscar was puzzled.
The Emperor might have used his ability to discover Enoch’s whereabouts, but he hadn’t done so until now.
Primera consumed life force in proportion to the ability rating of those being searched for.
If Enoch Rubinstein had deliberately hidden himself?
The Emperor would have had to expend considerable life force to find him.
And if, once found, he disappeared again, all that effort would be wasted….
‘His complexion still looks decent, so he hasn’t used his ability. But then how did he find Enoch Rubinstein?’
That was when it happened.
Someone summoned the Emperor, and two figures entered his chambers.
A woman with a pallid complexion.
Her name was Selena Ludendorff.
And clutching her hand tightly, trembling, was a small girl.
“So you’ve come.”
The Emperor smiled and spoke to the bewildered Oscar.
“That child is Enoch’s daughter.”
Oscar barely swallowed the curse that nearly spilled from his lips.
‘Taking his daughter as a hostage?’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————