My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 198

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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 198
Leon pointed at the Earl’s daughter with a bewildered expression.
“How old is your daughter?”
“Eleven years old, sir.”
“And the Duke Libre—you know his age, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir. Isn’t he turning thirty-one this year?”
“…You do know.”
Leon mumbled vacantly and turned to look beside him. Cheshire swallowed a sigh and averted his gaze.
“Say, Earl. My uncle is the same age as Duke Libre. You know that, don’t you?”
“You mean Duke Axion? Yes, I’m aware of it.”
Whether or not the Earl noticed Leon’s hint was unclear.
Jenkins Earl simply wore a pleased expression at being in conversation with a young man of power.
“Huh. So my uncle’s daughter—that is, my cousin Lilis—is, well, the same age as your daughter right now, eleven years old…?”
Leon struggled to rephrase the point about the age gap between the two being like father and daughter.
“Ah, I understand what you’re saying. My daughter is quite young, isn’t she?”
Jenkins Earl added with a tender look at his daughter.
“But she grows quickly. At this rate, she’ll develop into one of Jedo’s most celebrated beauties. You young gentlemen are still so inexperienced at this age, of course.”
The Earl smiled thinly.
“Duke Libre will understand. As they say, the younger a woman is, the better. Once she matures a bit….”
“Aaaagh!”
Repulsed by the words of a father hawking his eleven-year-old daughter, Leon openly rubbed his own arm and cried out.
“H-house steward.”
Theo, listening from above, turned to Caron with a dumbfounded expression and asked quietly.
“Is it because of the distinguished service the vice-commander established this time? But even so, doesn’t our house have Cheshire? And the age match works better with the son?”
“Jenkins Earl is Octava. By both rank and standing, he has no position to bring a betrothal proposal to our house.”
Caron whispered.
“The families that propose betrothals to Lord Cheshire are all high-ranking houses with considerable influence in Jedo.”
Ah, I understood.
So there wasn’t enough competitive standing to propose to Cheshire.
“While the master is doing well, he’s still missed his window for marriage, after all.”
That’s why they aimed for Axion instead, leveraging their daughter’s relative youth.
‘Wow, I just want to die. I deserve it.’
I felt like I might vomit as I looked down at the Earl.
Indeed, a villain who had accumulated such unspeakable karma and met a miserable end even in the Original Story—a character whose nature was entirely cemented.
His depravity was unwavering.
* * *
On the way out after sending off Jenkins Earl.
“How can a person be like that? Theo, do you understand that crazy-mustached man?”
“No, not at all. I think he’s just insane too.”
The twins exchanged words in disgust as I followed behind them, and Cheshire asked.
“Did you misunderstand?”
“Huh? What? Yeah, I did for a moment. I never dreamed the other party would be Uncle. I naturally thought it was you.”
I laughed and gave Cheshire a playful jab to the ribs.
“That’s why I was shocked when you said you’d marry as long as Uncle approves.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Huh?”
Cheshire frowned as if he couldn’t understand my misunderstanding.
“Well, it’s possible, isn’t it? Is it strange that I misunderstood? You’re popular, and even if not marriage, you’re at an age to consider engagement.”
“…….”
“If someone you like appears, you could marry even now, couldn’t you?”
Cheshire started to say something back but closed his mouth. His expression wasn’t great.
“Well, of course….”
I hesitated and made an excuse.
“Since you’ve never told me about liking someone, I didn’t think you had anything with that girl back then. I just… wondered if maybe it had to do with Father’s business, you know?”
“Business?”
“I mean, you could use marriage in a business operation. So I figured maybe you weren’t deciding on your own, but wanted Uncle’s approval for that reason. That’s what I thought.”
“…….”
Cheshire narrowed his brow as if trying to understand my words, remaining silent for a while.
‘Maybe this kind of talk is still too difficult for Cheshire?’
I recalled a moment from the Original Story where Enoch Rubinstein, the protagonist, had clashed with Joseph Lütmann, the strategist, over their differing opinions.
Joseph had wanted to use “marriage” as a useful card while gathering the rebel forces one by one.
‘If there’s a family you want to secure on your side, nothing works quite as well as a contract marriage.’
Joseph had worried that if Enoch, as the family head, married into a powerful house, the Emperor’s vigilance would intensify.
‘So instead of him, he tried to use Cheshire, the adopted son, as a pawn in the marriage business.’
Enoch knew Cheshire well — that he would comply without complaint — and so he rejected Joseph’s proposal outright, standing firm on his principles.
‘Honestly, when marriage came up in the Original Story, I did get a little excited about that romance-blooming-from-contract-marriage trope… but only for a moment.’
Unfortunately, the romance I’d hoped for in the Original Story never materialized.
But what could I do about it?
If Enoch, who cherished and loved Cheshire like a true son despite him being adopted, had used him as nothing more than a card to play…
That would be a complete character collapse!
‘No character collapse could be worse than that.’
I was nodding in agreement when Cheshire spoke.
“Do I really have to do something like that?”
“Hm?”
“I mean, in the future… if…”
For some reason, Cheshire continued with an anxious look in his eyes.
“…what if I ended up marrying someone I don’t love just because it would help the business?”
“No! No, of course not. That’s not going to happen.”
“Then why did you say that? What did Joseph say to you? Tell me too. Did he ask you to marry someone if it became necessary for the business?”
Cheshire, uncharacteristically agitated, fired questions at me like rapid gunshots.
“Wait, Cheshire. Why are you so worked up? Slow down, one thing at a time…”
“I don’t understand. Do you really need to make that kind of sacrifice just for business?”
“What?”
“Marriage is something that changes my entire life. I don’t think it’s necessary to go that far just for business. I don’t want to do that.”
“Oh, I… I see.”
Cheshire seemed to have far more attachment to his own life than I’d realized.
That was actually a relief.
“Nothing is more important than each person’s own life. Don’t sacrifice yourself or prioritize the business over that.”
“Yeah, but… you’re the one who keeps meeting with the Earl just for the business, so it’s a bit strange hearing you say that…”
“Meeting that man and acting? I can do that a hundred times over. It’s not like I’m losing anything by doing it.”
“Really? So you won’t sacrifice yourself for business? Then what about when you broke into His Majesty the Emperor’s chamber? Is your life something you’re willing to sacrifice?”
“That wasn’t for business.”
“The final goal of the business is… the Emperor, isn’t it?”
If the endpoint of the business was killing the Emperor, then successfully killing him at that moment would have meant the business was complete—
“It was because of you.”
“What?”
“Your life was on the line back then. I thought something might happen to you.”
Cheshire spoke while avoiding my gaze.
“When you hear something like this… you might be disappointed in me.”
“……….”
“My priority is making you safe by killing the Emperor, not succeeding in the business.”
Cheshire looked at me again.
“Killing the Emperor—what I’m trying to do for you—it just happens to align with the final objective of the business, that’s all.”
“Um, I appreciate that, but can you lower your voice a bit? There’s no one around, but…”
I pressed my index finger to my lips and glanced nervously around.
If you’re going to talk so openly about killing the Emperor, why did you even use the word “business” instead of “rebellion” in the first place!
“I’m not righteous like your father, and I don’t understand grand causes. I’ve never felt the desire to willingly sacrifice myself to build a better nation.”
“Cheshire…”
“If you’re disappointed, I’m sorry. But my thinking probably won’t change. I am what I am.”
“……….”
“I’m living for you.”
“…Wow.”
“As long as you’re safe, the business means nothing to me.”
“Ch-Ches…”
“Hey! Why aren’t you two coming? What are you doing over there? Cheshire, didn’t you say you had an appointment?”
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
As Leon’s voice called out from the distance, Cheshire glanced at me and left first.
Without giving me a chance to respond.
I stood there for a moment, frozen in place.
“I’m living for you.”
What a thing to hear….
* * *
At that very moment.
“…There is a matter concerning an individual with a long history of transgressions, Your Majesty. Might I request that you exercise your authority to impose a Stripping of Title?”
Axion studied the Emperor’s expression, tension coiled in his chest.
‘What’s this about?’
The Emperor granted Axion’s request without hesitation.
He promised the highest punishment, one only the Emperor could impose, with no deliberation whatsoever.
[Jenkins Earl]
The documents laid before the Emperor contained a detailed account of the vile atrocities that Jenkins Earl had committed over thirteen years.
The Emperor picked up the papers and spoke.
“There’s no need to drag this out when it’s straightforward. We’ll have it resolved at once.”
“…Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.”
Axion felt utterly bewildered.
‘It’s that simple?’
Lilis had made a request—that the Emperor use his authority to punish this vile nobleman for tormenting her friend—but….
‘There’s something bigger at work here.’
Jenkins Earl had committed acts so unspeakable that non-Ability Users could scarcely speak of them.
Yet these were not crimes.
There was no law punishing a nobleman for assaulting or murdering a commoner.
But if the Emperor’s decree punished Jenkins Earl for it?
‘This is behavior entirely unlike the Emperor of old. If the Emperor punishes Jenkins Earl on the charge of mistreating non-Ability Users without restraint….’
Then no nobleman would dare treat commoners carelessly any longer, fearful of the consequences.
Even Enoch had said that if this transaction proceeded smoothly, it would create a ripple of positive change.
‘But why is this happening so easily? True, the conquest of Moarte was a great achievement, but….’
Why would the Emperor make such a disadvantageous decision for a scholar so readily?
‘I can’t fathom his real intention. Has the Emperor truly had a sudden change of heart? Or is this someone wearing the Emperor’s skin?’
Axion’s mind was on the verge of rupturing as he tried to decipher the Emperor’s inner thoughts.
Then.
“Your Majesty, the Eighth Princess has arrived.”
“Good. Show her in at once.”
The Emperor welcomed her warmly.
‘Now? While I’m here?’
Axion stiffened.
Why would the Emperor not excuse a visitor and instead invite his daughter in while they were in private audience?
“Come here and pay your respects, Ivonne.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Waves of blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders.
Eyes of emerald green.
The Eighth Princess, Ivonne, bore a resemblance to her father the Emperor so striking it was almost unsettling—and by Axion’s reckoning, she was seventeen years old.
“Lord Axion, I have come to express my sincere admiration for your exploits in conquering Moarte and elevating the Empire’s standing.”
The princess had arrived as though choreographed.
“You honor me too much with such praise, Your Highness. My achievements are modest.”
As Axion brought the back of Ivonne’s extended hand to his lips, the realization struck him all at once.
The game had been fixed from the start.
The Emperor was not a man to make a bad bargain.
He was eager to complete the picture he was now drawing.
Joseph’s words echoed in Axion’s mind: “The talent the Emperor most wants to acquire for continental unification is none other than Cheshire, the adopted son of Duke Libre.”
The strategist’s assessment came back to him.
The Emperor seated his daughter beside him and asked with an affable smile.
“Tell me, what is your son’s age this year? Fifteen, was it?”
The Emperor’s intention in bringing his daughter and broaching the subject of Cheshire was transparent.
He was pressing for a marriage proposal.
‘Damn. So that’s how it is.’
Axion forced a smile.
‘No wonder everything’s fallen into place so easily.’

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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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