My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 161

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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 hiding his strength
Chapter 161
* * *
Walking out after the Calling Conference.
Oscar was startled by the shadow that suddenly blocked his path.
“Damn! You scared me half to death!”
It was Cheshire.
He bowed ninety degrees at the waist.
“Thank you for helping us.”
“…What are you going on about? The audacity on you, isn’t it?”
Oscar sneered at him immediately.
The very one who’d dragged Lilis into the thick of a warzone. He deserved far worse than a tongue-lashing.
“What’s there for me to be proud of? I didn’t help you.”
“No. I understand you helped Lilis. I’m thanking you for keeping her safe.”
“……?”
Which irritated him all the more, frankly.
The normally expressionless face had softened with relief and happiness, and Oscar found it deeply unsettling.
“This is absurd.”
Oscar furrowed his brow and thrust his face close to Cheshire’s.
“Why should you thank me for helping my own student? Who do you think you are? What are you to her? Hm? Don’t tell me…”
Oscar’s eyes flashed.
“You two aren’t courting, are you? You’ve grown, sure, but she’s still barely more than a toddler, you bastard? That’s despicable!”
“Ah…”
As Oscar pressed close, exhaling Killing Intent, Cheshire’s eyes shifted sideways just slightly.
“…That’s not it at all. I’m nothing to Lilis. If my words offended you, I apologize.”
“Damn it.”
He used to charge at me like that, back in the day—eager to fight to the death.
But watching Cheshire simply bow and accept, Oscar’s will to fight evaporated.
“Fine, then. Get out of here. If anything like this happens again, let whoever it is die. Call the girl into danger one more time, and I’ll kill you first.”
“I’ll escort you on your way home.”
Cheshire spoke as he followed Oscar down the corridor.
“What did you just say?”
Oscar spun around, utterly bewildered.
Enoch did it too, and now Cheshire as well…
Did they all think the Tower Master was as fragile as a thirty-six-month-old infant?
“I’m not walking straight through the middle of a warzone. What escort? What protection!”
Then.
Cheshire’s gaze shifted past Oscar’s shoulder.
“Cheshire!”
Someone called out to him.
Cheshire immediately broke into a bright smile, teeth bared. Even his sharp red eyes—which had appeared rigid and guarded until that moment—softened without any trace of wariness.
Oscar’s eyes went wide.
This bastard could make that kind of expression?
Who on earth was it?
Curiosity seized Oscar, and he whirled around.
* * *
“Ugh! My head feels like it’s about to explode!”
Click.
I set down the pen.
Before me lay two days’ worth of careful analysis and thought.
1. The ‘timing’ is crucial to how ‘Destiny’ unfolds.
(I must prevent death at the ‘moment when death should occur’.)
2. Not just anyone can change another person’s Destiny.
(But if I possess the Sacred Object called the Apostle Heart, I can—probably. I consumed one four years ago.)
3. Among the people around me, those whose death dates have been firmly set.
Leon: During the large-scale Magical Beast Subjugation in the Original Story’s second volume.
Oscar: Six years from now, September 4th.
I lacked certainty about my first assumption.
Even if I helped someone safely pass their date of death, what if the curse of their Destiny meant they could be endangered again at any time?
‘―But I had been worried over nothing!’
The Apostle Heart.
If the Sacred Object truly possessed the power to rewrite fate itself, then saving those destined to die should be entirely within reach.
The question was how to properly harness it.
‘I have to intervene directly—there’s no way around it. The heart is inside me now.’
That was the conclusion I’d reached after turning it over in my mind.
When someone marked for death approaches the threshold, if I pull them back in time, they live.
“Hmm.”
I stared at the calendar, lost in thought.
I had the perfect episode to test this theory, and it was happening next week.
People would die.
Many of them.
But I could save them all.
I knew exactly what would kill them, and even if my power was needed, thirty minutes of Life Force would barely be necessary.
So why was I hesitating?
‘This is… well. If I save these people, I’m basically handing the Emperor a victory.’
That was the problem.
Next week, the Holy Pilgrimage mentioned in the latter half of the Original Story would begin.
About fifty people—the High Priest leading the way, believers from across the realm, and nobility of deep faith—were preparing to make a pilgrimage to the sacred site called Moleck.
‘And naturally, right after the pilgrimage group passes through, a plague will sweep through Moleck village and wipe them all out.’
It was almost certainly coincidence.
But what terrible timing.
A small, quiet village. A pilgrimage group visits. Suddenly an epidemic breaks out?
And total annihilation?
The incident would deal considerable damage to both the Divine Temple and the Imperial Household—however unfairly.
The Holy Pilgrimage was, after all, a crucial annual ceremony sponsored by the Imperial Household.
‘And at the same time—’
for Enoch, the protagonist, it would be his window of opportunity.
In a theocracy like this nation, whenever the Divine Temple’s influence weakens and faith falters, the revolutionary forces gain ground.
‘But can I really call it a gain when so many people die?’
Father wouldn’t want to ignore all those deaths just to strike at the Emperor.
“I should go talk to Father first.”
I needed his permission anyway.
* * *
“Duke.”
I’d prepared everything carefully before entering James Brown’s office.
“…Duke?”
Father looked startled.
“Father.”
“…Now it’s Father?”
It was no wonder—I rarely visited his office during work hours because I didn’t want to interrupt him.
I spoke with the formality of a proper young lady.
“I’ve found something I truly wish to do. You once told me that if ever I had something I wanted to accomplish with my power, I need only ask.
Father blinked.
Then he quietly looked away.
“Ah, did I? I don’t quite recall….”
“Don’t pretend you don’t remember!”
“Right, right, I think I did say something like that.”
Father laughed nervously.
“Why, why? What does our princess want to do?”
I placed a three-page report I’d written using my old thesis-writing experience on his desk.
“Duke, please read this approval document and sign off on it.”
…….
Father’s blue eyes wavered as if caught in an earthquake.
* * *
“…Master? You’re listening, aren’t you?”
“Mm-hmm.”
It was a lesson day.
Oscar nodded blankly, not absorbing a word Lilis was saying.
“So Father and I argued for over three hours, but we made up. Since there’s no real danger, and Cheshire will be with me, and we can actually save people—Father thought it over and finally agreed.”
“Right, right….”
“But Father said you’d worry too, and that I should ask for your permission. Um, is it all right if I go? You won’t have anything to worry about. There are lots of people going, and we won’t encounter any magical beasts.”
“Yes, all right….”
What occupied Oscar’s mind now was none other than Cheshire.
“Really? That easily?”
“Yes, that’s right….”
It was because of the ‘unfamiliar’ side of him that Oscar had glimpsed on the day of the Calling Conference.
“Hooray! Thank you so much, Master! So we’ll resume lessons in three weeks, right? Even though I’ll miss you, I’ll wait patiently!”
“Yes, yes….”
“If I really did become someone special through that Apostle Heart Sacred Object… then I’ll save as many people as I can with whatever strength I have, and also…. I’ll live a long, long life, and I’ll help you live a long, long life too.”
“Yes, yes.”
He couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, but he could see Lilis’s face, flushed shyly across her cheeks.
Oscar imagined for a moment Lilis squirming with that expression in front of Cheshire, and his brow furrowed.
“Hey.”
“Yes!”
“Don’t fall in love.”
“…What do you mean all of a sudden?”
Lilis tilted her head in confusion.
If he, of all people—not her father or anyone else—started telling her not to fall in love, she’d only grow more stubborn about it.
Having thought this through, Oscar added:
“I don’t mean you should never do it, just… ah, right. Don’t do it until dust falls into my eyes.”
In other words, until he died and was buried in his grave, until dust settled in his eyes!
Usually such words meant quite a long time….
‘I’ve got six years left, so I’m fine!’
After he vanished, there was nothing he could do to stop Lilis from doing as she pleased, but right now, he wanted to prevent it.
Why?
Because this newfound ‘unexpected’ side of Cheshire that he’d just discovered didn’t sit well with him at all!
If Lilis were to fall in love, the odds were quite high that the other person would be Cheshire….
‘She already said she’d had a crush on him long ago, after all.’
But then, why was it?
Lilis wore a dissatisfied expression.
“Are you displeased?”
“…When exactly will dust fall into your eyes, Master?”
……?
What, this unfilial question?
Her round eyes narrowed with considerable force, glaring at him in a way that was quite defiant.
“Dust falls quickly, doesn’t it? So you’re planning to just say ‘oh well, I don’t care anymore~’ and get buried in your grave? You don’t even want to live any longer?”
“Hey!”
Listen to her. Is she upset because he told her not to fall in love until he died?
With only six years left anyway.
Of course, he couldn’t possibly say that, so he merely deflected.
“Listen, dust will fall into my eyes soon. I never see the sun, just work myself to death all day—how long do you think I’ll live? Hmm?”
“…….”
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
She doesn’t answer.
Lilis clamped her mouth shut firmly and merely glared at Oscar.
“Open your eyes properly.”
“Master, what’s really wrong with you? Why do you speak without even thinking about the person listening? I, I this time too because of you, because of you….”
Lilis averted her gaze, gripping her pen as her words trailed off.
“Because of me, what? Finish what you were saying!”
“…….”
Her voice caught, as if she might cry.
Her tightly closed lips trembled faintly, and tears welled up in eyes she’d forced open wide.
Oscar faltered and quickly added:
“No, what I meant was… it’s just too soon. Just wait a little longer. Is waiting such a painful thing? Enough to cry like this?”
Pretending to read her book, Lilis’s hand holding the pen trembled slightly.
“Say something!”
Sniffling as she stifled a sob, Lilis wiped away the tears pooling in her eyes with quick swipes and spun around to face Oscar.
“Don’t worry! I’m not going to fall in love!”
“Really?”
“Yes! I’d feel sorry toward my boyfriend, wouldn’t I? If I live holding his hand, he’ll just end up dying in a few years anyway!”
“What?!”
Oscar lurched to his feet, startled.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Is what I said nonsense?”
“Yes!”
“Then you’re nonsense too!”
“What?!”
Lilis, tears already glistening at the corners of her eyes, threw down her pen with a huff, scribbling furiously across the desk.
Oscar’s eyes went wide.
“You, you….”
“I’m not studying!”
“Hey! Have you lost your mind?”
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
Before Oscar could catch her, Lilis stormed out of the study room, her footsteps deliberately loud and heavy.
Good heavens—was the girl going through puberty?
Oscar stood frozen, mouth hanging open.
* * *
A week later.
The day the Holy Pilgrimage was to begin.
It had been ten minutes since Lilis, packed and ready with methodical precision, had headed toward Pavil Temple—the assembly point.
“Sigh….”
Eleven years into separation anxiety, single father Enoch Rubinstein.
He stood before the mirror, examining himself, and let out a long breath.
He’d never won an argument with his daughter before….
But this time, he’d suffered a truly complete defeat.
‘Just who does our princess take after, to be this sharp?’
Those “approval documents” she’d drawn up left absolutely no room for rebuttal.
Refusing them would have been pure stubbornness.
In the end, he’d lost.
According to clause thirteen of the approval documents, Enoch had no choice but to let his daughter go alone.
13. While it is not unusual for nobles to participate in a Holy Pilgrimage, it would be suspicious if Enoch Rubinstein suddenly went along with his daughter.
The core of everything we must do is avoiding the Emperor’s suspicion!
And yet.
‘I’m sorry, my princess. Please forgive your incompetent father.’
Enoch held a fake mustache he’d procured from somewhere under his nose and apologized to his daughter.
How long could he keep his child sheltered in his arms?
Independence, self-reliance….
Of course, they had to be cultivated.
All well and good.
But this might be a word that never appeared in Enoch’s dictionary in his entire life.
Back when he lived hidden away in Jenon.
The day he’d sent his daughter on her first errand, on the advice of neighbors around him.
‘You wouldn’t understand….’
That day too, truth be told, Enoch had nervously gnawed his fingernails to shreds and secretly tailed her!
“Ah, those were the days….”
Then.
Bang-bang, bang-bang.
Piercing footsteps made Enoch flinch.
The next instant, the door burst open without so much as a knock.
“……Are you insane?!!!”
Clang, clang.
A voice that shattered the very air of the mansion sent Enoch staggering.
‘The Tower Master?’
It was Oscar who had appeared so suddenly.
“Why are you here? Lilis doesn’t have a lesson today―”
“Are you out of your mind?! Are you?!!!”
Clang, clang.
Staggering again, Enoch quickly felt both sides of his head and spoke.
“…I, I’m not bleeding from my ears, am I?”

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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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