My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 227

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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
Episode 227
“…What on earth are you doing?!”
Lilis, aghast.
Both men’s eyes turned toward her as she appeared like Cheshire’s savior.
* * *
Four hours before the incident.
A morning no different from any other.
Yet for us, this day marked the start of a countdown unlike before.
Thirty days until the day of revolution!
The first rebellion since the Empire was founded!
And yet….
“James!”
“Hmm?”
On the eve of a momentous event with no precedent in history books, I alone felt the tremor of anticipation.
Father, meanwhile, had a ribbon between his teeth and was concentrating intently on braiding my hair.
“I can do my own hair. And I’ve already dismissed all the attendants—why are you here at this hour, anyway? Is there something you need to tell me?”
“Something to tell you? No, nothing at all. I just woke up early this morning, and I thought I’d braid my princess’s hair myself for the first time in ages.”
Father tied a ribbon around the end of my right braid and smiled.
This man, who came to braid his grown daughter’s hair before dawn, was the leader of the Rebel Forces.
No one would ever believe it.
“You’re really sure there’s nothing? I mean… is there nothing I should be doing on the day you conduct your business?”
“Nothing like that.”
Father checked my face in the mirror and broke into a smile.
“There we are, beautifully done, my princess.”
I spun around to face him directly.
“My ability—do you really not need it? Or is there something I should prepare between now and then?”
“I told you, nothing. Why are you so eager to help your father?”
“Because I am!”
“Hmm, in that case….”
“Come on!”
I watched him deliberate, my eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Just do exactly as you always have—act perfectly natural. Don’t let on that anything is happening. Go to work at the Magic Tower in the morning, come home and sleep, and spend your days off with your friends.”
“That’s it? That’s all?”
“That’s all. Now hurry, you’ll be late.”
“But then—”
I tried to recall the schedule of Lilis Rubinstein, an ordinary noble lady who knew nothing whatsoever about the rebellion, and asked:
“The regular outing at the Young Lady Salon the day after tomorrow—should I skip that, or just go as usual?”
“Skip it? Of course not. You always go—it’d be suspicious if you suddenly stopped.”
The Young Lady Salon.
A social gathering for noble ladies not yet of debutante age, restricted to those of Octava Class and below.
This salon, conceived by Joseph, the strategist, was part of the revolutionary preparations designed to blur the lines of lower rank.
Now, nearly three years into its operation, the salon was serving its purpose admirably.
“Where are we going this time?”
“Argonia.”
The salon conducted regular outings once every two months.
“Again? Why that backwater place of all choices?”
Father let out a long, heavy sigh.
The regular outings were, in simple terms, just half-day excursions outside the city proper.
Of course, this too was grounded firmly in the salon’s founding purpose.
While we spent time viewing the rural domain boasting a 99% population of non-ability users, we naturally became acquainted with and conversed with the minor lord and the commoner inhabitants of the territory.
It was, one might say, a form of early education in normalcy for young ladies raised their entire lives in an atmosphere that refused to acknowledge commoners as human beings.
“Anyway, you have to go. Acting any different than usual will only make someone suspicious and get us caught. My business—”
Father pressed his face close to mine.
“—relies on ordinary people living ordinary lives in an ordinary way, until suddenly—crack!”
“Eek!”
Father grinned with a slightly unsettling smile and added:
“We strike them all at once, you see.”
* * *
So that was it…….
With Father assuring me he’d succeed without my help, I’d come to work with a noticeably lighter heart.
After finishing the morning research with the gifted class, I’d simply come to Oscar’s office as usual to grab lunch with him.
“Master! What on earth is happening here?”
I rushed in to separate the tangled pair.
Whether Cheshire had truly been under threat of death from Oscar, he sprang up with the readiness of someone who’d been waiting for just this moment and hid behind me.
“I was administering punishment.”
“P-punishment? What do you mean all of a sudden? What did Cheshire do wrong?”
“That wretch’s crime is proceeding beyond his years in courtship. He dares to kiss a girl after a single day of dating?”
……
Wow.
Only then did I grasp exactly what had happened.
“Run.”
I half-turned to Cheshire behind me and spoke those words, and he left without hesitation.
Bang—the sound of the door closing.
I spread both arms wide to block Oscar’s path and keep him from following.
“Please spare him.”
“I wasn’t planning to kill him.”
“What are you saying! You just said you were administering punishment!”
“Not execution—just taking off his left arm, a maiming as a warning. Otherwise there’d be no one to stop him, and he’d go around doing all sorts of improper things, thinking it’s fine.”
“I-improper things….”
“You’re still a minor. Do you understand?”
“I know! But can minors not have boyfriends?”
“Did I say anything about dating? It’s how far you’re progressing physically—is this right? Kissing on the first day you meet? In a month there’ll be a child?”
I stood there with my mouth gaping at Oscar’s blunt observation.
“The i-improper one here is you, Master!”
I fanned my flushed face with my hand as I protested.
“We’re dating purely and innocently! Don’t misunderstand!”
“It’s not you—it’s that punk who’s not pure. Move. I’m going to finish administering that punishment.”
“W-wait, wait, wait! Calm down!”
I forced Oscar down into a seat and smoothly changed the subject.
“But wait—why is Cheshire here? Did he come to see you, Master?”
“What nonsense? Do you think I’d sit around chatting with that bastard?”
“Then why?”
Oscar, arms crossed in displeasure, turned his head sharply and answered.
“Word is war’s coming soon. The Emperor must have sent him to scout the atmosphere of the Magic Tower.”
Ah!
It had only been three days since I’d returned from the Subjugation.
The moment the Emperor learned of Cheshire’s capabilities, he’d fixed an expedition date and was moving quickly.
‘What’s with all this momentum?’
I clicked my tongue, then suddenly thought of Cheshire.
One month……
One month remained.
Cheshire needed to prepare for his business venture, and I had to act like a well-behaved noblewoman.
We had so much to discuss, yet we’d had no time or reason to meet.
Which meant… now was the only chance!
“Master.”
“What.”
“You know, couldn’t I just go see Cheshire’s face for a moment? If not now, there won’t be another chance to meet, and honestly, there are things I need to ask him….”
“Are you joking?!”
“Please…. I’ll be right back…. Actually, Cheshire’s probably already run off, so it’d be hard to catch him anyway….”
……
“Master.”
Oscar closed his eyes tight and took a breath with an irritated expression, then spoke in a low voice.
“…Ten minutes. Don’t do anything else—just say hello and come back.”
“Wow! Thank you! You’re the best, Master!”
I rushed out without looking back. And the moment I closed the office door—
‘Huh! He hasn’t left yet?’
—I spotted Cheshire standing alone in the quiet hallway, some distance away.
He hadn’t abandoned Oscar’s domain, where one’s life is threatened at every moment, and instead had waited for me, not knowing when I might emerge.
His behavior was truly brave!
“Ugh.”
Moved by emotion, I ran forward with abandon and jumped with all my strength. Cheshire caught me lightly in his arms.
“…I wanted to see you…”
“Me too.”
I rubbed my cheek against his neck for a while, then tapped his shoulder and asked him to put me down.
Time was running short.
“Cheshire, there’s so much to talk about, but I only have ten minutes. Are you free on my next day off? I’ll come to Uncle’s place then.”
“Ah.”
Cheshire shook his head.
“I can’t. I’m leaving Jedo starting tomorrow. I’ve been drafted to train the private soldiers from noble families conscripted into the Invasion Force—before the expedition.”
“…What?”
“There’s not enough space in Jedo to drill such numbers. I have to go down to the regional domains.”
I was taken aback.
“What? Are you saying the Emperor is openly gathering soldiers for combat training? Does His Majesty really intend to announce to everyone that war is coming soon?”
Cheshire blinked at my question.
“…There’s no need to hide it. Everyone already knows war is coming soon.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true.”
In truth, I’d thrown a little tantrum because I’d lost even our last chance to meet before everything wrapped up.
‘So if we part now, I won’t see Cheshire again until after the whole business is done?’
The realization struck like a blow.
“Where will you go?”
“I’m not sure yet, but most places suitable for large-scale training are in the broad Southern Domain. I’ll probably pick one of the southern domains and go there.”
“Wait!”
Really?
“What about Argonia?”
“Argonia?”
At my suggestion, Cheshire paused thoughtfully, then nodded.
“…That’s not a bad choice.”
“Go there! Go to Argonia!”
“Why?”
“I’m actually going there on an inspection trip from the Young Lady Salon tomorrow! If you go to train in the same area, we can naturally run into each other, can’t we?”
“……”
Cheshire’s eyes, which had faltered for a moment, soon gleamed as brightly as mine.
“You’re right. I’ll do it.”
“Yay!”
I spread my arms open. Cheshire pulled me into an embrace, smiling.
‘Ugh, I don’t want to say goodbye…’
Two months into dating.
Of all times, this sweetest of periods had to coincide with the busiest stretch of the business.
It felt unbearably unfair.
Cheshire seemed just as reluctant to part as I was—we held each other as if bound by unspoken promise, neither moving to let go.
But I had only ten minutes of grace, like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight.
I pushed Cheshire away first and spoke urgently.
“Hey, um. Should we kiss? Since time’s short, just quickly…”
“……”
At my words about the shortage of time, Cheshire showed no hesitation—he grasped my shoulders and brought his lips to mine.
‘Mm.’
Good. It’s good.
But then—a kiss.
Really… nothing but a kiss, literally.
Oscar suspected Cheshire’s intentions, but truth be told, the one who was not entirely pure-minded was me.
Cheshire never progressed beyond simply pressing his lips together—he never took it further.
Two months into dating, the progression should move from kissing to something more intimate, the kind of physical contact that went a little beyond a simple kiss.
‘Could it be that we’re going to spend our whole lives doing nothing but this?’
I understood the theory of kissing intellectually, but I’d never actually tried it—it was hard for me to take the initiative.
It felt too embarrassing.
‘Looks like that’s all for today too…’
That was the moment I felt the letdown.
‘What is this?’
A chill, creeping up my spine from behind.
At the same moment, I saw Cheshire falter, his lips parting as he pushed himself upright.
His face had gone deathly pale.
His gaze fixed on something behind me.
‘Oh no. We’re done for.’
I felt it in my bones.
I swallowed hard, my limbs stiff as I turned my head to look.
“I… this….”
Oscar was standing there.
His entire frame trembled with rage as he pointed at us, his arm shaking violently.
“You wretched… cockroaches… how dare you….”
I had to save Cheshire.
Acting on pure instinct, I ran straight at the charging Oscar.
“Master!”
“Out of my way!”
I wrapped my arms around his waist, gripping him as though to shield Cheshire from his wrath.
“Run! Now!!!”
I shouted without turning, and Cheshire stumbled backward in confusion.
“Run?! Are you insane?! I’m going to break that bastard’s jaw and tear one of his arms clean off right now!!!”
“Please, no! Spare him!”
“Oh, I’ll spare him! Since I need my sword hand, I’ll just take the left arm instead—that works fine, doesn’t it?”
“That won’t work either!”
Straining to hold Oscar back, I reached out my free hand toward Cheshire.
“I’ll be fine, Cheshire!”
I felt like the Weaver Maiden, watching the Cowherd disappear beyond the magpie bridge, tears streaming down my face.
“Master won’t kill me, I don’t think. So just you survive—live and get away. We’ll find each other again, I promise!”
Cheshire squeezed his eyes shut.
“Right…. First… I have to live….”
His hesitation was brief.
“…I’m sorry, Lilis.”
He whispered his apology and turned to flee.
“You bastard!!! Don’t you dare run!!!”
Oscar’s furious roar tore through the air.

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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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