My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 28

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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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Dad Hiding His Strength
Chapter 28
“No, what are you talking about? That’s not why I brought you out here….”
“Sigh.”
Enoch floundered in bewilderment, and Lirlis let out a long breath.
“Fine, do it.”
“Lirlis?”
“I’ve been asking you to be my friend this whole time, and you keep refusing. Well, there’s nothing for it then. Forget being a servant—be the toy I mentioned earlier instead.”
“Okay, I will.”
Lirlis tapped Cheshire’s shoulder patronizingly, and he nodded readily in agreement.
Enoch’s eyes went wide.
“Princess, what are you saying? A toy? Calling a person a toy?”
“I’m going to make you do very difficult and tedious things. You’ll do them all, won’t you? Since you’re a toy?”
Watching his daughter grin like a villain while ignoring his protests, Enoch’s jaw dropped.
“Yeah. As long as you feed me and let me sleep.”
“Good. I’m going to give you some serious work the moment we get home. You’ll be okay with that?”
“Yeah. Go ahead.”
“Princess!”
“We’re going to draw a terrifying jellyfish.”
“A jellyfish?”
“Yeah. You can’t sleep until we finish drawing ten jellyfish pictures together. Can you do that?”
“Sure, I can.”
Cheshire nodded obediently, and Enoch, who’d been about to interject, stumbled backward.
‘What’s the kid suddenly talking about?’
Lirlis had apparently recognized that Cheshire was wary of kindness without reason.
So she was using wordplay to keep him from feeling burdened.
“And eat all of this—don’t leave a single bite. Understand?”
“Got it.”
Satisfied, Lirlis smirked, her lips twitching slightly.
‘…This is killing me. Whose daughter is this, really.’
Enoch laughed despite himself, shaking his head at the sight of her face.
* * *
When we crept back home.
Unexpected visitors were waiting in my room.
Leon and Theo.
“Who’s this?”
Leon asked curtly, watching me holding Cheshire’s hand firmly.
“Brothers, say hello. His name is Cheshire.”
“Cheshire?”
“Yes, your highnesses.”
Dad stepped in.
“He’s Lirlis’s friend who’ll be staying here from now on. His name is Cheshire.”
“Pardon? Staying here? What house is he from?”
At Theo’s question, Dad fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“Well, um. He’s a Commoner. For now.”
…….
…….
Leon and Theo startled simultaneously, their eyes snapping to Cheshire.
Uncomfortable under their gaze, Cheshire turned his head away.
“Your uncle will tell grandfather that Lirlis’s friend has arrived a little later. So until then, don’t tell anyone, and you two just stay quiet and play. Can you do that?”
If I said we’d brought home someone else’s illegitimate child, grandfather would clutch his chest and collapse.
Worried about grandfather’s blood pressure, I made sure to warn them not to say anything careless, and the twins nodded in agreement.
“Hey, squirt.”
“What?”
Leon stared intensely at the hand I was holding tightly with Cheshire.
“…You promised to catch spiders with me when you got back today.”
“Oh, did I? Yeah!”
Then, abruptly, he yanked my hand away from Cheshire’s.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay. Should Cheshire come too?”
“…….”
My words fell into silence.
Leon’s face darkened with displeasure as he said nothing.
“Why, why? Can’t we just catch it together?”
“Wasn’t it supposed to be just the two of us?”
“But… Cheshire’s here now, so we should all go together.”
“…….”
Leon’s grip on my hand tightened suddenly.
‘This is strange. Why is Leon acting like this?’
I was bewildered.
As I’ve said before, the twins in the original work were extremely close with Cheshire.
Theo had been nothing but kind to Cheshire, and Leon, despite his complaints, had always looked after him—
even knowing full well where Cheshire came from.
So I’d thought they’d naturally grow close on their own without me having to intervene, but….
‘Why is he being so hostile?’
I studied Leon’s expression—the way he was practically glaring at Cheshire—confused.
Theo cut into the frozen atmosphere.
“Should we introduce ourselves? You’re Cheshire, right? I’m Theo Antrace. Twelve—”
Theo moved toward Cheshire to shake his hand, but he hesitated.
His nose twitched as he sniffed the air.
“What’s wrong, brother?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
At my question, Theo laughed awkwardly.
Leon abruptly blurted out:
“He reeks. That guy.”
“Huh?”
I hadn’t noticed, but when I sniffed, sure enough—a faint, stale smell of the Basement clung to Cheshire.
Cheshire’s face flushed at being the center of attention. He looked down and shuffled backward, embarrassed.
“Well, Cheshire should go wash up with his uncle. You two play with Lirlis for now, alright?”
Father quickly intervened, taking Cheshire’s hand and leading him out of the room.
I turned to Leon at once.
“Brother, why are you doing this to Cheshire?”
“What do you mean?”
“You keep glaring at him and speaking harshly. And saying he smells—how embarrassing is that?”
“I said it because he does smell.”
“Even so, you can’t just say it outright like that!”
“…….”
“Don’t tell me it’s because Cheshire’s a Commoner?”
“What does that have to do with it? I just said what I noticed.”
“No, stop it.”
Theo, stepping between us, laughed awkwardly as he looked at me.
“That’s right, Lirlis. It has nothing to do with that. Leon just talks this way to everyone.”
“That’s a bad habit. Don’t do it to Cheshire.”
At my words, Leon’s brow twitched and he snapped:
“Hey!”
“What—”
“Are you taking his side?”
“Taking sides? What are you talking about?”
“You went out saying you were going to see artwork, and suddenly you show up with some random friend? Does he really live here?”
“Yeah. Cheshire has nowhere else to go….”
“Tch.”
“So what’s bothering you so much? Just tell me. Come on, speak.”
“…….”
“Brother?”
“I don’t know!”
Leon shouted irritably, then stormed out of the room with heavy, angry footsteps.
I could only blink in shock.
‘What on earth is going on with him?’
* * *
“Well then, shall we wash up?”
The moment the bathhouse was ready, Enoch stripped his clothes off without ceremony.
Standing before Cheshire with nothing but a towel slung low around his waist, regarding himself with evident satisfaction, he caught the look of bewilderment on the boy’s face.
Surely he wasn’t suggesting they bathe together?
“I can wash myself, sir.”
“Hard to reach every corner though. Let me scrub your back for you.”
It was difficult to believe.
A highborn noble of such rank—someone who’d never lifted a hand to wash his own body—was offering to personally scrub clean a stinking commoner.
“Don’t you want to?”
……
Yet Cheshire found himself unable to refuse when he saw the genuine disappointment in Enoch’s eyes.
The man had fed him, given him shelter—what choice did he have? Finally, with a small nod, Enoch broke into a grin.
“All right then!”
The moment Enoch removed Cheshire’s threadbare, filthy clothes, he went still.
Bruises of every shade blanketed the boy’s gaunt frame entirely.
……
……
After a long silence, Enoch smiled bitterly and led Cheshire into the bathhouse.
“Ah, it’s been ages. My daughter, she hates bathing with me now—says she’s grown up. Started washing herself alone a year ago, and she’s barely taller than your knee.”
“…Before that, you bathed together?”
“We did, yes.”
There’s something odd about these two, Cheshire thought, watching Enoch’s skilled hands work across his skin.
The boy ventured carefully to speak, his suspicion gnawing at him.
“Sir.”
“Hmm?”
“Didn’t your father tell you to kill me?”
“…What?”
Seeing Enoch’s shock, Cheshire smiled dryly.
“I understand. You’re alive right now because of your daughter. I’ve seen plenty of commoners who swagger about because they’ve caught the eye of some noble.”
……
“Though most of them got tired of and cast out—or killed.”
Watching Cheshire speak so flatly, Enoch swallowed back a sigh.
“I have a request, sir.”
“What is it?”
“If your daughter tires of me—please don’t kill me. Could I work for you as a servant instead?”
……
“I’ll take only a small wage. When I’m old enough to find work outside, I’ll leave right away and live quietly, out of everyone’s sight.”
Cheshire spoke as though he’d rehearsed every word.
An eleven-year-old who’d spent considerable time preparing to say this.
“Cheshire.”
“Yes?”
“Children don’t have to work.”
……
“I didn’t bring you here to buy your labor or to have you humor my daughter. If you’d had somewhere else to go, I would have sent you there.”
Cheshire looked up at Enoch steadily. He didn’t sound like he was lying.
“Why are you being so kind to me?”
“Well, even if it had been someone else, I wouldn’t have just looked the other way. Neither would my daughter.”
……
“But if your heart is still restless and you doubt me, then… let me ask you something in return.”
Enoch paused, pressing his lips together as though considering, then spoke.
“My daughter is an Ability User—she’ll be heading to the Training Academy soon. I was worried about sending her alone, but if you’d go with her, my mind would be at ease.”
Cheshire was startled.
Though he himself was an Ability User, he’d never imagined the Training Academy would accept him.
“…I don’t have a Social Status. I can’t attend.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll become your guardian. Then you’ll be able to enroll.”
“Pardon?”
For the first time, Cheshire’s expressionless face flickered with surprise.
It was couched as a request, but it was a gift—a genuine gift to him.
With an Ability Badge, he could live with dignity, even if he left this house someday.
‘Why?’
This excessive kindness from someone of such high rank—someone said to be a noble among nobles….
‘It must be because of her. Father really does love her.’
Cheshire felt a pang of melancholy as he spoke.
“…Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Enoch ruffled Cheshire’s soapy hair, teasing him. A pair of horns sprouted above both sides of his head.
“Damn you.”
Enoch chuckled softly.
“Even like that, you’re still handsome.”

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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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