My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 147

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Father Hides His Strength
147
Oscar chuckled softly as he stepped toward me, my mind clearly elsewhere.
‘What on earth is happening?’
I cast a quick glance sideways at Clara. Her mouth hung open in shock.
“…Is he your father, James?”
“Well, he looks so young—wouldn’t he be your older brother, Clara?”
Juliet gently corrected her.
I couldn’t find words to answer, so I took a moment to survey my surroundings carefully.
Small mercies—it seemed none of the women gathered here recognized the Mage Tower Master’s face.
Oscar was the reclusive type, always shutting himself away in the Mage Tower, and anyone who knew his face would have to be a high-ranking noble.
‘All right! So if I can’t say older brother or uncle, and I definitely can’t say Mage Tower Master, what on earth do I say?’
I scrambled to think fast, but—
“No, Mother! James told me about his father earlier, said he was really young and impressive. That’s your father, isn’t it? So… this must be James?”
An excited Clara’s question left my mind reeling.
“Ah, y-yes. My father… well, he’s like my father, sort of like my father….”
Idiot! That was the best I could manage—a completely stupid answer.
Then I pouted and glared at Oscar, the architect of this disaster.
“You didn’t even contact me….”
“Hmm? What did you say?”
Oscar immediately bent down and leaned in to listen to me.
“Oh my.”
“Wow.”
At the sight of him—so gentle and attentive, like a doting father listening to his daughter—another wave of delighted murmurs rippled through the crowd.
When would these garish lights finally dim?
I felt tears welling up, so I leaned close to Oscar’s ear and whispered urgently.
“What is all this? Why is this salon called the Anonymous Salon, Master?”
“You know how it is. Besides, all these ladies came to pick up their daughters anyway. What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?”
“They could have called me a carriage home?”
“So you’re upset that I came?”
“…No. That’s not it.”
Truth be told, this shouldn’t be the case.
Watching everyone else hold their mothers’ hands while I stood alone had stirred something peculiar in me—a warmth, however slight.
“Ahem. Thank you for coming to pick me up, Master.”
I answered shyly, and Oscar chuckled again, ruffling my hair before standing up.
“Let’s go get something good to eat.”
That was when it happened.
The crowd began to stir once more.
Had another dignitary arrived?
I almost wished it were some overbearing noblewoman who’d draw all the attention away from Oscar and me.
“Good heavens.”
…It was indeed someone of consequence.
Someone every noblewoman present recognized on sight.
“Isn’t that the Duchess of Antrace?”
“My goodness! What could she be doing here?”
My aunt.
Yes, it was my aunt….
‘Why is Aunt here? There’s the twin Inauguration Ceremony banquet today…’
In the midst of these cascading shocks arriving at one-second intervals, my fragile mind was barely holding up.
“What? Was your aunt supposed to pick you up?”
Oscar, bewildered, spoke as he watched my aunt descend from the carriage.
He spoke very quietly.
Very quietly indeed, but….
“……?”
“……!”
Was it a trick of fate?
Somehow, for all the noise and commotion around us, the moment his mouth opened, everything fell silent.
His voice rang out crystalline and clear.
Your aunt was supposed to pick you up?
Your aunt was supposed to….
Aunt….
And so everyone heard it.
Every person in the room stared at me, their eyes wide as saucers.
‘Oh no. I’ve really done it now.’
Oscar can be smoothed over somehow, but not Aunt.
The most celebrated noblewoman in Jedo at present, the very center of high society!
The number-one object of desire among ladies of standing, celebrated for her beauty and grace!
“I, I, James… I mean, if the Duchess of Anthrax is your aunt, then that means….”
Clara pointed at me with a trembling forefinger.
Family connections among the high nobility and famous figures of Jedo are practically public knowledge—there’s no way she wouldn’t know.
“Eeeeeek!”
Clara clapped both hands over her mouth.
“Rubinstein princess!”
That’s right!
So now you all know. Just know it!
I’ve lost all will to hide it!

“My goodness?”
Aunt had come over to find me, but stopped when she spotted Oscar beside me.
For a moment, Aunt’s mind seemed to stall as well.
“Hmm.”
…….
Watching Oscar shift uncomfortably and glance away with an awkward cough, my aunt’s blue eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Both of them had gone blank!
“…You’ve come to visit, then?”
Aunt was the first to recover from the shock, speaking smoothly.
It was a quick decision to protect Oscar’s image.
Better than tomorrow’s headline reading ‘Mage Tower Master—what brings him suddenly to the ladies’ salon?!’
“Ha, I didn’t expect the Anonymous Salon to have such an impressive gathering of ladies. Delighted to see everyone.”
Aunt swiftly drew all eyes toward herself.
Several noblewomen seized the moment and approached her, soon surrounding her with warm smiles.
Well, that’s a relief.
Then.
While everyone’s attention was fixed on Aunt, I noticed one noblewoman staring at Oscar with a look of shock.
‘What is that expression…!’
That was unmistakably the face of someone who had recognized him!
“M, Master. I don’t think that lady over there might have recognized you?”
Alarmed, I grabbed Oscar’s hand—he’d clearly noticed her too.
Oscar’s face turned grim as he made a throat-slitting gesture, then mouthed—
‘Acknowledge me and you’re dead.’
—as a threat.
Unbelievable! Not a shred of decorum in his expression or manner!
Even at a glance, that noblewoman was practically Oscar’s senior in age!
“Master! Mind your language!”
“Ah, a work colleague.”
Seeing my expression of dismay, Oscar muttered grumpily.
A work colleague—so a researcher at the Mage Tower, then.
Even so, she’s an elderly noblewoman of standing….
‘No, there’s nothing new about it.’
Isn’t this the same Oscar who keeps his neck stiff even before the Emperor?
What’s strange is that he’s kind to me—that’s probably why that noblewoman’s jaw dropped.
“See you around, hehehehe.”
“Lilis, let’s go now!”
The noblewomen gathered around Aunt beamed broadly, took their daughters’ hands, and climbed into their carriages.
“J, James! Or rather, Princess of Rubinstein! See you later!”
“Oh, yes!”
Clara bowed to me and left with her mother, the lady Juliet.
For some reason, their steps were quick—almost eager.
Aunt, having somehow handled the crowd in a flash, approached me.
“Phew. Lilis.”
“Aunt!”
I rushed over and threw my arms around her waist.
“How did you get here? Didn’t you go to the Inauguration Ceremony with the uncles today?”
“All the noblewomen are going to fetch their daughters from the salon. I thought you might feel lonely coming back alone.”
“Oh, I would’ve been fine, though.”
How touching.
“We all decided to get better acquainted over dinner. I need to go too—otherwise opening the salon wouldn’t make much sense.”
“Ah, I see.”
Aunt was trying her best to salvage the Anonymous Salon, which had all but collapsed.
True to form for the protagonist’s siblings—they waste nothing.
“By the way…”
Aunt glanced over at Oscar.
We knew each other’s faces, but she’d never seen Oscar quite like this before.
Then again, neither had I!
“You must be terribly busy. Thank you for looking after Lilis.”
“Not at all.”
Aunt watched him stand there all stiff and flustered, and her lips twitched.
She was clearly biting back laughter.
“Our young teacher is quite… thoughtful, isn’t he? Oh, then that carriage over there—”
Aunt turned to look back.
In the distance stood a magnificent four-horse carriage with a lavishly dressed coachman.
‘What on earth is that?’
I rubbed my eyes in astonishment.
“…It must be the carriage he arrived in. I was wondering whose it was.”
A carriage practically screaming, ‘I’ve come to claim this territory!’ with its ostentatious display.
I’d never seen anything so flamboyant.
“Since your teacher has gone to such lengths, you’d hurt his feelings if you didn’t ride in it.”
“No, really, it’s fine. Now that Aunt’s here, I could just go with you—”
Oscar’s ears turned red under Aunt’s playful teasing.
“Hehe, no, no. Lilis, I’m leaving right now, actually. We all agreed to meet again at the restaurant next door.”
As she began to walk ahead, Aunt added:
“Since your teacher has taken the trouble to come, you should ride home with him.”
“Ugh, I’m sorry, Aunt. I feel bad putting you out like this…”
“Nonsense. The noblewomen are already my responsibility.”
It was business.
Over four years, Jedo had changed greatly, and the Revolutionary Forces were each busy at their posts.
“If anything, I should apologize for leaving the salon entirely in your hands today.”
Aunt—Ordia—had the task of organizing the noblewomen who managed the family’s inner affairs.
Using the high society she’d already cultivated, she was recruiting the mistresses of prominent houses.
“It was a salon we’d prepared quite carefully, and it nearly fell apart. Fortunately, I can manage things from here. And I didn’t have an excuse to set up a separate gathering with the noblewomen who came today, so this has worked out perfectly. Don’t worry yourself.”
Aunt smiled gently, reassuring me, and took my hand.
“Hehe.”
Something felt so good about this. With Aunt saying such things, my heart eased, and besides—
‘It’s like going out to play with Dad and Mom!’
I was walking along swinging Aunt’s hand in my right and Oscar’s in my left when—
“Hmm?”
Someone suddenly blocked our path.
A very tall man.
He wore a navy robe pulled over his head, so all that was visible was his sharp jawline.
“What is this?”
Aunt’s expression darkened.
“Who are you?”
Oscar muttered menacingly.
Both of them looked displeased at his rude behavior in blocking our way.
‘Wow, incredible…’
It seemed neither of them recognized this man.
Everyone but me.
“Hah, oh no…”
The robed man’s shoulders shook with silent laughter at the absurdity of the situation.
I’m not going to make it through this.
The man thrust the bouquet into my hands without warning, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it.
“What are you doing here…?”
At my half-recognizing murmur, my aunt tilted her head in confusion.
I was about to laugh and accept the flowers when—
“……?”
Oscar snatched them away in one swift motion.
His face darkened into a scowl as he turned to me and spoke.
“Who do you think you are! You’re dating him and didn’t even tell me?!”
“……?”

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