My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 190

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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.
Chapter 190
‘How on earth…?’
Moarte.
A land that every emperor in history had coveted, yet none could seize.
Even the previous Primera, who had attempted to conquer it directly, had turned back—a cursed place whose infamy was well-earned.
‘This makes no sense.’
Was Axion truly such a powerful ability user?
He couldn’t believe it.
And yet he couldn’t help but believe it.
There was no doubt that Axion had been alone on that island for five days.
“By ‘conquest,’ you mean… what exactly? You subjugated all the Demon Beasts in Moarte?”
“We were fortunate. The numbers were far fewer than anticipated, which made it possible.”
“Is this truth?”
Nicholas asked in bewilderment, and Enoch nodded.
“Yes. If you command it, I shall assemble a survey team to reconfirm the conquered territory after nightfall.”
If he spoke with such certainty, then it was certain.
Axion truly had conquered that forsaken land.
And alone, at that.
‘What in the world is happening?’
Nicholas pressed his forehead with his hand, silent.
This was a blessing for the Empire, and as emperor, Nicholas could not help but commend Axion’s achievement.
Should he smile?
Or should he weep?
It was joyful to claim at last, in his own reign, the land he had long desired.
“I offer my felicitations on the birth of new imperial territory, Your Majesty.”
But the very man he had meant to eliminate—Axion—
‘I sent him there to die….’
had returned as a hero of conquest. The shock of it was profound.
* * *
On the day of Axion’s retirement celebration.
I had come to the Bakery to pick up the cake I’d ordered.
As always, Cheshire had come to meet me on the way back from the Magic Tower.
“Please wait just a moment, miss.”
“Of course!”
With a bright, professional smile, the familiar staff member disappeared into the kitchen—Lico.
She still maintained her cover job as a pastry chef at the Bakery.
“Go on with what you were saying.”
Cheshire spoke from beside me.
“Oh! What was I talking about?”
“How the Tower Master lifted you with one arm.”
“Right, right.”
I laughed, thinking of Oscar.
“Not exactly effortlessly, but I was worried he might not be able to lift me, so I was relieved when he did. He must be working out.”
“…I see. But don’t you study at the Magic Tower?”
“Huh?”
“Whenever you come back, you only talk about playing with the Tower Master. Are you two together all day?”
Wait—was he implying I wasn’t studying and just loafing around all the time?
I felt guilty and bristled.
“I d-do study, you know? But study talk is boring. It’s not exactly thrilling stuff, so I don’t mention it.”
Cheshire nodded and asked.
“How long did the Tower Master manage to hold you up?”
“Huh? Master? Um, about 3….”
“Three minutes?”
“…seconds.”
“I see.”
Silence fell.
After a long pause, Cheshire spoke.
“Should I try?”
“Try what?”
Cheshire silently beckoned with his arm.
“…You want to carry me?”
“Yes.”
“Now? Here? Really?”
I tilted my head in confusion, and Cheshire averted his gaze awkwardly.
“Never mind if you don’t want to.”
“Oh! No, no, I do.”
It was the first time Cheshire had asked for anything, so I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.
Hesitantly, I gripped his right forearm and bent my knees―
“Eek!”
―and suddenly the world lifted away.
“Wow.”
It felt as secure as riding an amusement park attraction.
Cheshire stared at me without a trace of strain.
“Am I not heavy?”
“Not at all.”
A subtle hint of pride flickered across his typically expressionless face.
I felt a swell of pride myself.
When we first met, he’d been so gaunt and pitiful he couldn’t even get a single bowl of gruel, and now he was like this….
“That was well over three seconds.”
Saying that, Cheshire dropped his eyes and let a small smile escape.
“Ha! So you were trying to show up your teacher just now?”
Childish and adorable….
But three seconds? At this rate, I could carry him for thirty minutes straight.
“Excuse me, the cake you ordered has arrived.”
“Oh! Yes!”
Dangling from Cheshire’s arm, I scrambled down at Lico’s voice and hurried toward the counter.
“It does look lovely.”
“Hehe!”
“But this is a shop, after all.”
Lico handed me the cake, and with a knowing smile, she pressed her hands together in a playful bow.
“Keep the romance for outside, miss.”
“That’s not what this is!”
* * *
Early evening.
The first floor of the Libr Duke’s Residence was in an uproar with party preparations.
Enoch, about to take the evening’s guest of honor, Axion, downstairs, spotted a woman hurrying from his room.
“Masa?”
Masa—the nursemaid who had cared for Axion like a mother since the days when he was the third son of the Marquis Schneider Household.
Her face was streaked with tears.
“What’s happened?”
“Y-young master. Our young master. Sob. This can’t be!”
“Wait, Masa. Compose yourself. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Our young master is thinking terrible thoughts!”
“…Axion? What do you mean?”
Masa thrust forward a crumpled stack of letters.
It seemed she’d found them by chance while tidying Axion’s room….
[To Enoch.]
Enoch hurriedly opened the letter bearing his name.
[My dear friend, Enoch.
More than twenty years have passed since we first met at the Training Institute, and all that time we’ve spent together.
You are my greatest friend, my strongest companion, and my most trusted comrade.
Now that death approaches, I am filled only with regrets and apologies.
If I had not brought you back to Jedo four years ago, what would have become of you?
Perhaps you would still be living happily with your daughter.
You had every right to resent me, yet watching you grow even stronger without a hint of it filled me with pride.
I wished to stand beside you as your beloved daughter grew into her beauty.
That I cannot do so grieves me on every night that remains.
I pray that the path ahead of you is smooth and untroubled.
I pray from heaven that you will find happiness at last with those you love.
I love you, friend.]
“Pfft.”
Enoch burst out laughing.
Axion’s last will and testament, written in self-pity as though he were certain to die.
“Bwahahaha!”
“Why are you laughing?”
Masa spoke in exasperation.
“Don’t worry, Masa. The fool must have written his will thinking he’d die, but he’s come back alive and well.”
Enoch read Axion’s last will once more in a mocking tone, and this time he grabbed his belly and tears streamed down his face.
“Ahaha! Oh, I’m dying of laughter.”
He pretended the tears were from laughter.
But in truth, they sprang from a genuine tightness in his chest.
* * *
“Congratulations on your retirement, Uncle!”
I sat on Axion’s lap and placed the party hat I’d made on his head.
“Wait, this is…?”
Axion, who had promised the Emperor a temporary retirement instead of entering the Magic Tower.
“Is this really true?!”
He’d only learned the truth today. I’d kept it secret to surprise him at the party.
“Lilis!”
“Yes!”
“I’m truly fine. There’s no need for you to suffer at the Magic Tower. Sure, it’s called studying, but how could a child sit in a chair all day? It’s unreasonable.”
“I don’t even live there—I just commute. The Magic Tower benefits are the best. The studies are easy and the food is delicious. Besides, for you, I could solve five hundred math problems a day without complaint.”
“…….”
Axion blinked at me with a dazed expression before letting out a hollow laugh.
“You’re driving me crazy, really.”
“Hehe.”
Retirement had to make him happy, no matter what he said.
As long as I remained at the Magic Tower, the Emperor would find it difficult to touch Axion through mere cowardly military expeditions.
Of course, the Emperor would hardly be so easily deterred and would devise other schemes, but….
“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”
“No! You worked even harder catching all those demon beasts!”
“…….”
A sudden silence fell over the room.
Everyone here knew that it wasn’t Axion who had caught the demon beasts, but….
“Ahem.”
“Ahahah!”
Axion laughed and ruffled my hair roughly.
“Well then! The cake has arrived!”
“Yay!”
Just then, the butler Caron brought the cake to the table.
A cute drawing of Axion adorned the whipped cream, with the words “Congratulations on Your Retirement!”
Lico’s handiwork was exquisite.
“Uncle, thank you for your hard work!”
“Father, thank you for your service.”
“Your Grace, my congratulations!”
At Cheshire’s, Caron’s, and my words of celebration, Axion covered his eyes with his hands and smiled bashfully.
“Let’s light the candles and sing. Congratulations on your retirement~! You know the song, Cheshire?”
“Your Grace hasn’t arrived yet.”
“What’s Dad doing?”
I called up to Father, who was sleeping in on the second floor.
“Dad! What are you doing! Hurry up! We’re about to sing!”
“Coming, coming!”
Father came thundering down the stairs and spoke with an air of solemnity.
“Before we light the candles on the cake, there shall be a letter presentation ceremony.”
“Huh?”
Father held three neatly folded sheets of paper in his hand.
“First, let the princess come forward.”
I rose from Axion’s lap and took the letter Father offered, opening it immediately.
“What?”
Wow, this is….
“Next, Cheshire.”
Cheshire looked at Axion in confusion. Axion himself seemed just as puzzled, merely shrugging his shoulders.
“Ah.”
Soon after receiving a letter from Father and opening it, bewilderment flashed across Cheshire’s face.
“The last one is mine. I’ll read this one aloud myself.”
“Father, that’s—”
I tried to stop him, but Father paid me no mind and raised his voice to begin reading the letter.
“My dear friend, Enoch.”
Yes, this was a Last Will and Testament that Axion had likely written before departing with the resolve to die!
“The time we’ve spent together since we first met at the Training Institute has already….”
“Hey!!!”
Only now catching on to Father’s reckless deed, Axion sprang from his seat with his face flushed crimson.
“…surpassed twenty years. You are my greatest friend and the strongest….”
“You madman! Stop! Give it back! Don’t read it!”
“Ugh!”
Axion lunged forward and thrashed about trying to snatch the letter from Father. The two of them grappled in a chaotic struggle.
“Lilis, Lilis! Don’t read it either! Give it here!”
Axion, still wrestling Father to the ground, stretched his hand toward me desperately.
“Sigh.”
I shook my head slowly, watching the commotion unfold.
“You damn bastard!”
“Argh! Ahahaha!”
Male friendship really was rather childish….

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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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