My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 192

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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
192
“I’m afraid words won’t settle this.”
Nordic set down the staff he’d been holding onto the table, unfastened the cuff at his wrist, and rolled up his sleeve.
A powerful fist with veins standing out in stark blue.
A single punch would mean certain death.
……
Oscar’s mouth fell open as he stared at it in shock.
“What have you been doing to my granddaughter all this time……”
Just as Nordic’s hand reached toward Oscar’s collar—
“Grandfather!”
Lilis, sensing the dangerous turn the moment had taken, came running and wedged herself between them.
“Why—why are you so angry?”
Nordic looked quietly at his granddaughter, who stood protectively in front of Oscar.
“Why are you so furious? You’re not… you’re not actually thinking of hitting my teacher, are you?”
“You step outside. A beast like this deserves a beating.”
“What?”
“What, have I gone senile in my old age? Why would I be a beast?”
Oscar, who had finally gotten his frozen lips to move now that he’d found a shield, grabbed Lilis by the shoulders and crouched behind her. “When you first saw this child, she was barely seven years old!”
“That’s right. Seven! And now look at her—what’s she doing spending all day with you?”
“What?”
“I raised her well, and now you—!”
As Oscar fumbled through his words, Nordic’s forehead veins bulged and he ground his teeth.
“You revolting creature. Get your hands off her this instant!”
“I understand! I understand now!”
At Nordic’s aggressive posture, as though he might charge forward any second, Oscar leaped up and scrambled backward a few quick steps.
“Wait, wait. Just calm down.”
An enraged grandfather and a bewildered granddaughter.
Oscar glanced between them, then sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples.
“Oh no—a misunderstanding.”
* * *
An unexpected misunderstanding.
Oscar and I spent a full two hours explaining to my grandfather that we were innocent and proper.
Pure and honest!
That we were simply a teacher and student!
“I still don’t see how that works.”
“What—what else?”
As I walked him to the door, my grandfather stopped abruptly again, and I felt like I might lose my mind.
“Are you truly certain? You genuinely chose to spend all day studying here because you want to?”
……
Of course not. But I couldn’t tell him the truth.
Not my real identity, nor my involvement in Father’s affairs.
‘Grandfather, I’m sorry.’
Judging by how he’d come all the way to the Magic Tower prepared to devour Oscar, my grandfather could never know.
Not when his eyes went wild with worry for me like that.
“Magic isn’t exactly fun. But I do have ambition, Grandfather.”
I performed a look of greedy determination.
“I’m going to work hard and claim the Magic Tower for myself.”
Grandfather’s eyes widened, apparently startled by his eleven-year-old granddaughter’s ambition.
“Do you mean it?”
“Yes, Grandfather. If I learn here, I’ll be able to create magic that helps people. And besides—”
I spoke like Enoch Rubinstein, the righteous protagonist.
“By becoming Master of the Magic Tower, I’ll make sure all magic is used justly and rightly. I’ll guard it so evil never touches it!”
……
Grandfather watched me, my fists clenched with determination, and then smiled softly.
“I see. If that’s your resolve, then you must study harder still.”
“Yes, Grandfather. I’ll work hard!”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Come home at a decent hour when you’re done.”
“Yes!”
My grandfather patted my head and climbed into the carriage.
I waved until the carriage disappeared from sight, then let my hand fall limply as my shoulders sagged.
“Sigh….”
All the energy had drained right out of me.
* * *
When I returned, Oscar was draped across his chair like dried fish, looking as though his very soul had been wrung out.
“Master….”
“Mm, yes…. Your grandfather’s left, then…?”
“Yes.”
“Hm.”
Oscar lifted a hand and rubbed his face vigorously.
“I’m sorry.”
“Forget it. Who’s to blame for your grandfather’s zeal?”
“Well, still—maybe you could’ve been a bit clearer with your words so he wouldn’t misunderstand….”
I ventured this softly, and Oscar’s brow darkened as he glowered at me.
“My fault?”
“N-no, that’s not it. I mean, you were saying how much you liked me, how you wanted to whisk me away—so naturally he’d think you were trying to take me to the Magic Tower. How could he not misunderstand?”
“Listen, I was clearly discussing with your grandfather whether or not you’d come to the Magic Tower. Of course that meant I was trying to bring you there. So what exactly is there to misunderstand?”
Oscar clicked his tongue and continued muttering under his breath as he began fastening his outer robe.
“For heaven’s sake, he’d be suspicious of an ant on the road if it were male. Impressive, truly impressive.”
“Master, where are you going?”
“To the Imperial Palace.”
“Why? To see the Emperor?”
“Yes.”
Oscar glanced at the desk clock and chuckled.
“I submitted the Audience request myself, but I’m already an hour late.”
“……?”
My mouth fell open.
“Wait—what are you saying? Surely you’re not telling me you made an appointment first and have been keeping the Emperor waiting for an hour now?”
“Yes.”
What kind of audacity was this?
“If you had an appointment, you should’ve said so earlier! You should’ve told me you had to go!”
“Your grandfather hasn’t gotten over his misunderstanding yet—how could I leave?”
“That’s—that’s something I can explain myself, or sort out later!”
“Enough. The old man must be seething from his perspective. If there’s a misunderstanding, I need to clear it up quickly. He’s probably imagining all sorts of strange things about what I might have done to his innocent granddaughter by now, and it’ll drive him mad.”
Oscar spoke without concern as he opened a desk drawer and gathered several documents.
“Even so….”
Oscar really did seem to take on unnecessary hardship because of his entanglement with me.
Today, the whole commotion had sprung from his attempt to hide my situation from my grandfather….
“Why that expression?”
Oscar, finished with his preparations to leave, approached and tilted his head at me.
“You’re going to see the Emperor… because of me, aren’t you?”
“Should I say it’s because of you?”
Oscar scratched his head and waved the bundle of documents in his hand.
“I’m going to throw this at that Emperor bastard and sew his mouth shut so he doesn’t talk back.”
“So you’re going to make sure the Emperor keeps his promise to retire my uncle, right?”
“…….”
Oscar’s expression turned grave as he studied the darkness that had settled over my face.
“What is this?”
“I’m sorry, Master.”
“Sorry? Suddenly?”
“It’s just… all of a sudden I was thinking. I only ever receive from you, Master.”
I fidgeted with my toes for no reason.
“Honestly, you don’t have to suffer at all. But… even knowing the danger, you go with my father to hunt monsters, you help my uncle retire….”
“…….”
“And today with my grandfather… you spent two hours explaining things to ease his worries, and you even hid my situation for me….”
The debt I felt toward him would suddenly torment me like this, again and again.
Whenever he willingly became tangled in troublesome, bothersome affairs that had nothing to do with him, I’d remember that I’d already received so much from him, and I’d be struck with remorse.
He had saved my life, and he was bearing the cost of that salvation.
“But I… I don’t have anything I can give you right now, Master. Foolishly, I don’t even know what I should do….”
I had started speaking without order, and I didn’t know how to end it.
“If you hadn’t met me… Teacher, you wouldn’t have suffered this much….”
I’d turned away from acknowledging it, afraid of drowning in apologies, but it was a cruel truth nonetheless.
That I’d ruined his life.
“I, well, that is to say I….”
And yet I’d found no way to save him, only accepting his help while unable to offer any in return.
“Hey.”
“…Yes.”
“What’s so interesting about the ground? Why won’t you look up?”
“…….”
As I continued to keep my head down, Oscar bent his knees to meet my eyes level.
“Look at me.”
I lifted only my eyes tentatively, and he let out a soft laugh.
“You know it well enough. I really am going through hell because of you.”
“I’m sorry….”
“But you know, going through hell isn’t so bad. Because I think of it as saving your life.”
“…….”
“Nothing I’ve chosen up to now was forced on me because of you. Every choice was mine, and I don’t regret any of them. If I had regretted anything, I wouldn’t have gone searching for you four years ago.”
Oscar gripped my shoulders, his voice clear and steady.
“If I had to do it all over again, I’d make the same choice every time. Because I need to see you survive safely and grow up like everyone else.”
“Teacher….”
“Meeting you was the greatest fortune that ever befell me.”
…Ah.
“So from now on, don’t fret over every little thing I do or apologize to me endlessly. There’s nothing that makes me happier than all the hardship I endure for you.”
…I don’t know what to do.
Foolishly, tears pricked my eyes again, and I nestled into Oscar, rubbing my aching eyes against his shoulder.
“Me too, me too. Teacher, you are the greatest fortune of my entire life….”
“Ah, why are you crying again!”
“I can’t help it—the tears just come. Teacher, you know I love you so very much, don’t you…?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just words.”
Oscar pulled me into an embrace and quickly began grumbling with playful exasperation.
“Sniff. Unlike you, I don’t have much to offer….”
As I sniffled, a memory of my past life suddenly flickered through my mind.
How shamefully I’d refused to give Oscar—who raised me like a father—even a single kiss, acting insufferably difficult….
“Hehe.”
I swallowed back my runny nose and pressed a quick kiss to Oscar’s cheek.
“…….”
His eyes widened in surprise.
“Ha.”
Oscar broke into laughter, then gently touched my cheek.
“Well, that’s quite rare.”
* * *
Imperial Palace, Audience Chamber.
The Master of the Magic Tower, who had kept the Emperor waiting for a full hour, was remarkably brazen.
‘Arrogant bastard.’
He sat with his legs crossed in an indolent sprawl, examining his fingernails as he spoke.
“My congratulations, Your Majesty.”
The birth of a new Imperial Territory.
Outside, voices praising the Imperial Household echoed through the streets.
“Long live the Emperor! Long may he reign!”
“Hail to Axion, Duke of Libre, hero of conquest!”
Oscar smiled faintly as he heard the cheers.
“I must confess, I never imagined Your Majesty would dispatch Duke Libre to Moarthe.”
“What do you want.”
Oscar withdrew several sheets of paper from his coat and placed them on the table.
Magic Formulas.
The Emperor’s eyes widened.
As his expression turned frantic and he reached out urgently—
“Oh my.”
—Oscar snatched them back with a gentle smile playing at his lips.

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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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