My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 42

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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 Conceals His Strength
42
Seeing my shock, Father stepped in.
“Princess, there’s nothing this man can do about it. There’s no profit in maintaining a horse that won’t sell.”
“But… but still…”
Did Daemon not understand what happened to an injured racehorse resold to a stable?
‘He must know.’
I let out a hollow laugh.
Horseback Riding, where rapport with one’s mount is crucial—Zephyr was a horse that had even won competitions in it.
Surely his previous owner, flawed as he was, had given his back to ride, galloped with him, trusted and followed him.
‘And now they’re reselling him to die just because his leg is injured?’
“Father, I want to take Zephyr with us. He’s so pitiful.”
I clutched at Father’s trouser leg and spoke.
“We don’t have to compete in tournaments, right? We don’t?”
“Of course not.”
Father laughed.
“Let’s just take this horse. Our daughter only needs to learn how to ride—there’s no need for him to be useful as a racehorse.”
“Ah, well… Your Grace. That is to say…”
The Stable Owner’s face fell.
“Zephyr isn’t merely injured. He’s so deeply bonded to his former master that he simply won’t obey anyone else.”
“Won’t obey?”
“As you can see, he’s handsome enough that several people have tried to take him, but he refuses to offer his back and grows aggressive. It would be dangerous for the young lady to ride him. Let me show you another fine horse instead.”
“I see.”
At the word “dangerous,” Father hesitated.
“Father! I like Zephyr. Please? The Children’s Horseback Riding Competition has Anti-Fall Magic anyway. And you can help me practice.”
“It does, that’s true. Do you really like this horse that much?”
“Yes, I like him. And if I don’t take him, he’ll die anyway… Please? Please?”
With both hands clasped together in appeal, Father couldn’t resist—he laughed and stroked my head.
“Oh, my little angel. All right then. Let’s take this one.”
* * *
Just as the Stable Owner said, Zephyr was extremely aggressive and wary.
What a harrowing journey it had been to bring him to our Duchy’s Stable.
“The most important thing about riding is your posture. Head to waist to heels—all in one straight line with the ground. And don’t use too much force.”
“Yes.”
I crouched miserably and watched Cecier receive private instruction from Father.
Cecier had brought a handsome black horse and, true to form, had mounted successfully on her first try. Her posture looked quite good.
“You’re doing well.”
Father, smiling with satisfaction, suddenly stiffened and turned around.
He must have felt my burning gaze.
“Um, Princess. At first she needs someone to hold her, so Father will just take one lap with Cecier and come back, all right?”
“Yes, yes. Don’t worry about me—go ahead. Be careful.”
Father led Cecier by the reins as she sat mounted and left the Stable.
“Hmm.”
Left alone, I looked at Zephyr in the pen.
He was so wary I could barely pet him, let alone mount him.
“Zephyr, don’t worry. I don’t want to ride you. You don’t have to let me. I didn’t bring you here to compete. Cecier’s going to win anyway.”
Zephyr merely looked down at me with indifferent eyes.
“Do you miss your former master?”
That must be it.
Of course Zephyr wouldn’t want anyone but his master on his back.
A bitter feeling welled up in me as I sighed deeply.
* * *
Zephyr seemed to have lost the will to live. He wouldn’t eat his fodder, merely picking at the bare minimum to stay alive.
Crunch. Crunch-crunch.
“Good heavens, miss!”
“Hello, Rick! I’m back again!”
Rick, the Duchy’s Stable Master, rushed over flustered and took the heavy basket of carrots from my hands.
“Why would you carry something like this? You should have called for me or asked the servants.”
“I came straight from the kitchen and didn’t think. The head chef said these carrots just arrived from the Southern Region yesterday—they’re pesticide-free, premium grade, and super fresh!”
Whinnying, whinnying!
The horses in the Stable caught the scent of the finest delicacy and whinnied in excitement, all of them at once.
“No, no! That’s Zephyr’s!”
“Well, he probably won’t eat it today anyway….”
I plucked a carrot from the basket and held it out through Zephyr’s stall door.
“Come on, Zephyr. Let’s eat.”
Zephyr merely glanced down at me with his blue eyes, nothing more.
“What if he doesn’t eat anything….”
It broke my heart.
“Just one bite, all right?”
When my arm began to ache from holding the carrot out, I finally gave up and sighed.
Rick, who had been scratching his brown beard, approached with a look of sympathy.
“He won’t eat, will he?”
“No. He must be hungry, though….”
“I think Zephyr needs time to heal his emotional trauma.”
“Do you think he understands that he was abandoned? I wish he didn’t know.”
“He probably does. He’s a horse and can’t speak, but he has feelings nonetheless. Especially if he was a champion at the Riding Competition—his bond with his previous master must have been very deep.”
“Daemon Martini is such a jerk.”
“That brown-haired count, right? Honestly, I think so too. When he visited before, he just showed up at the Stable and started criticizing our horses like he owned the place.”
Rick got angry, but then he leaned closer to me and whispered.
“Please keep it secret that I spoke ill of the young nobleman, Miss.”
“You can curse him more. He’s a genuinely bad person.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Rick and I stood together, looking at Zephyr, and both of us let out a long, weary sigh at the same time.
“How can I make Zephyr open his heart to me? I’d love to at least pet him once.”
“Well… we’ll have to wait a bit longer. But sincerity always reaches in the end, so don’t be too discouraged.”
“All right.”
I gazed into Zephyr’s empty eyes.
It weighed on my heart.
* * *
Ever since Zephyr arrived, the Rubinstein Duchy Stable had been bustling every single day.
“Zephyr, come on, let’s eat!”
“Rick, what’s Zephyr doing?”
It was all because of a little girl who came by without fail every day to see her horse.
“Hello, Walter. You look handsome today too, just like your master.”
“Zephyr, the weather is amazing today!”
Yet the indifferent horse showed no interest in his owner who visited every day….
“Hey, you didn’t steal Zephyr’s carrot again, did you? You’ll get in trouble! I gave you your own!”
“Zephyr, what did you do today?”
Thanks to her persistent visits to the Stable and the constant fuss she made, the other horses had actually begun to look forward to seeing the little girl more than anything.
Neigh, neigh!
Eleven days had passed.
Even today, standing silently in his corner of the noisy Stable, Zephyr stole a glance toward the outside.
It was about time for her to arrive….
Neigh.
Walter, Cecier’s black stallion in the stall right next to Zephyr’s, let out a mocking whinny.
He seemed to have figured out that Zephyr was waiting for Lilis.
Zephyr pretended he wasn’t and tucked his head back into his stall.
“Zephyr! Sorry I’m late!”
…She had come again.
“I tried to get here faster, but the Tower Master—well, the Tower Master made the lesson run long!”
Chatter, chatter.
“Want to hear? I was so exasperated, honestly. I’m only seven, and here he is trying to teach me linear equations. Can you believe that?”
Chatter, chatter.
When had he started waiting for a voice he once thought was nothing but noise?
Now that he found himself waiting for this small child every day, Zephyr still pretended he wasn’t.
* * *
Ten days of showing up at the Stable without fail the moment I woke.
“Wow, Cecier’s doing so well….”
After leaving my mark for the day with Zephyr, I turned my attention to Walter and Cecier.
Cecier was moving smoothly around the riding grounds.
“What are you doing out here, Princess?”
I turned at the familiar voice, still crouched with my chin resting dejectively in my palm.
“Oh? Father, is that you? You look amazing.”
It was Father—gleaming in Full Plate Armor and draped with a Blue Holy Knights Cape.
I was startled by his unfamiliar attire, but understanding dawned quickly.
‘…So today’s the knights’ reinstatement ceremony.’
It must be the day he was heading to the Imperial Palace.
A reinstatement he couldn’t escape no matter what….
“Was your reinstatement ceremony today?”
“Yes. I told you days ago—you’ve already forgotten?”
“I see. Safe travels.”
“What, that’s all? Father has to spend two nights at the Imperial Palace, you know? Father thinks he’ll miss his Princess for two whole days, and it makes him so terribly sad?”
“I’m sad too.”
“…At least try to look sad when you say it.”
Father pouted and flopped down beside me with a thud.
“What was my Princess doing?”
“Looking at Cecier.”
“Ah.”
Noticing my gloom, Father reached over and gave my cheek a gentle tap.
“Zephyr still doesn’t want to carry my Princess?”
“Zephyr says he still needs time to heal his Emotional Trauma. I won’t force him to let me ride.”
“Ha, listen to our little angel talk. Don’t worry—Zephyr will understand your feelings soon enough.”
“Father.”
“Yes?”
“If you go today, you’ll see His Imperial Majesty?”
…….
He didn’t answer. I shifted my gaze from Cecier toward Father, watching him quietly.
“Well, I suppose I will.”
Father seemed nervous that I’d suddenly brought up the Emperor.
“Is it true that back in the day, whenever His Imperial Majesty ordered you to the battlefield, you wouldn’t listen?”
“What? Who told you that?”
“The Tower Master.”
“Ha, ha, ha.”
Father laughed awkwardly and muttered, “He told you all sorts of things, didn’t he.”
“What if His Imperial Majesty orders you to the battlefield again?”
“Then I’d go. You know Father’s incredibly strong, right? If scary monsters attack, my Princess would be in danger, so Father would just go ahead and clear everythi—”
“I don’t mean monster hunts.”
“Hmm?”
I pretended to fidget with dirt as I continued.
“I mean wars against other nations. Where they steal lands from people living peacefully, kill them, and things like that.”
…….
“Father wouldn’t do something like that, right?”

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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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