My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 45

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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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A Father Conceals His Strength
Chapter 45
Yes. Unlike seven years ago, Enoch had become a father, and with that came something he had to protect.
Something more important than conviction: a daughter.
……
The Emperor, who had patted Enoch’s shoulder a few times, looked back down at the map and spoke.
“Winter would be fitting. When all life holds its breath, wouldn’t it? The scent of blood will be buried beneath the snow.”
No further words were needed.
Before the year was out—winter. He was being told to erase the names of nations still clinging to the edge of the continent.
……
After a long silence, Enoch walked past the Emperor.
He paused for a moment.
“I shall prepare.”
A smile played across the Emperor’s lips.
* * *
Axion was waiting when Enoch left the Emperor’s chamber.
“What did you discuss with His Majesty?”
“The usual.”
……
No more words passed between them, yet the conversation was complete.
“Someone wants to see your face for a moment. Go meet them and come back.”
“Who?”
“Selena.”
……
Enoch, who had been crossing the corridor quickly to escape the suffocating palace, came to an abrupt halt.
Selena.
A comrade who had walked battlefields with him seven years ago, and a great mage.
She was Lirith’s biological mother.
“Why me?”
“How should I know?”
Axion’s blunt reply came with a sigh, then added:
“She probably wants to talk about her daughter. The child isn’t yours alone, after all. Being a mother, she might assert her right to see her.”
“I see.”
Enoch fell into thought.
It would be a lie to say he hadn’t thought of the child’s mother when he resolved to return to Jedo.
If Lirith wanted to know her mother, he naturally wished to grant that.
Yet Enoch had taken his daughter away on his own authority, and Selena had already built a new family, so…
‘If Lirith wants to meet her, I should make it happen.’
A mother with a different family. The unconventional shape of their household might confuse his daughter, but that was Enoch’s burden to bear.
As he walked on, turning these thoughts over, his steps halted once more.
It was Selena.
Their gazes caught and tangled in the quiet of the corridor.
“See you later.”
Axion stepped aside, and Selena approached.
“It’s been a long time. How have you been?”
“Fine. What’s this about?”
Selena, sweeping her blonde hair back slightly, smiled faintly.
“Still the same. Always just the necessary words.”
……
“First, I’m sorry. You know, I was the one who told His Majesty about you.”
“It’s fine.”
Enoch spoke matter-of-factly.
Revealing his whereabouts, not relocating out of respect for Lirith’s biological mother—it had all been his choice.
“Even if you hadn’t told him, His Majesty would have found me regardless. If that’s weighing on you, there’s no need.”
“Is that so? In exchange for talking about you, I got quite a bit from His Majesty. I retired, and my son was exempted from conscription.”
“I know.”
Selena’s eyes narrowed. She’d prepared herself for criticism, but Enoch’s response was far more composed than expected.
“Why did you come back? I thought you’d have run far away, knowing you.”
“My daughter wanted to come to Jedo.”
“I see. How is the child? Have you raised her well?”
“Yes. Her name is Lirith. She’s kind and bright. Beautiful. A bit shorter than children her age, but she’ll grow. She’s a picky eater, though.”
Selena watched Enoch’s face as he rattled on about his daughter, smiling—and was startled by what she saw there.
“I thought nothing had changed about you. I was wrong.”
“You came to talk about the child, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll show you. But I haven’t brought myself to tell her about her mother yet….”
“No, Enoch.”
“……?”
“I came to ask you not to tell her anything about me. It’s a relief you haven’t.”
Enoch’s eyes widened. This wasn’t what he’d expected to hear.
“She’ll be admitted soon, won’t she? I work at the Training Academy. We’ll probably cross paths at some point.”
“You don’t want to see the child?”
“The child will be confused too, I think. I’ve built a new family, I have a son. I can’t be a mother to her.”
…….
“My son is five. He’s already at the Academy. So if Lirith—if that child saw me and said something careless, it wouldn’t be good for his emotional state. Can you understand that?”
Selena watched Enoch’s face, which had gone slack, and spoke.
“I’m sorry. When you have children, your heart really does change. You know this better than anyone, but for the sake of your child, there’s nothing you won’t do.”
Then she turned away.
“I’m sorry again. Take care of yourself.”
Enoch watched Selena’s retreating figure in a daze.
If Lirith had heard that conversation, it would have been terrible. He didn’t know how to ever tell the child about the existence of a mother she would inevitably become curious about, in whatever way and time.
“Sigh.”
Enoch tilted his head back into empty air and murmured.
“I’m exhausted….”
* * *
Father slept through two nights and didn’t return until late evening of the third day.
He’d said even this was a compressed schedule—the Emperor’s original Return Ceremony was supposed to last a full week.
“Oof. Princess.”
Dad shuffled into bed in his nightclothes and pulled me into his arms.
“Your face is only half there, Dad….”
I could tell how exhausted he was without even asking, so I settled against him quietly.
“Is it? Did I get ugly?”
“No, no. You’re still handsome, but you look tired. You’ve worked hard.”
I spoke matter-of-factly and opened the storybook resting on my knees.
“Hmm. Aren’t you going to ask? How the Return Ceremony went, what’s in the Imperial Palace….”
“Not particularly curious?”
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“…Princess.”
“Yes?”
Dad sprawled out and looked up at me where I sat. He had something on his mind.
“So, listen.”
“Yes?”
“Listen….”
“What is it? Don’t drag it out—just tell me.”
“Don’t you want to see your mother?”
…….
The unexpected question made me pause.
‘…He must have gone and met her.’
My mind raced. Based on Father’s hesitant expression and what the Tower Master had told me, I could guess easily enough what Mother had said.
“Mother? All of a sudden?”
“Yes. You’ve come to Jedo, so it would make sense for you to be curious, but you haven’t said anything about it until now.”
Father’s trailing voice made him look like a child waiting to be punished.
If I said I wanted to see Mother here, he’d be at a loss for how to explain himself.
‘At least I heard about Mother from the Tower Master beforehand.’
Otherwise I’d have carelessly asked if Mother existed and whether I could see her.
“Hmm, well…. Did you happen to meet Mother at the Imperial Palace? She said I should see her? I’m a little… reluctant about it.”
“Reluctant? Why?”
Father sat up abruptly.
I flipped the page of my book casually, pretending to have no interest.
“I thought there’d be someone—my mother—somewhere on Jedo, but honestly, it’s not like I’m desperate to see her. I’d probably feel awkward meeting her anyway. Do I really need a mother?”
“You don’t care? You used to ask Father where Mother was.”
“That was different. I thought everyone was like me—had only a father. Then my friends said their homes had mothers too, so I got curious and asked. I wasn’t asking because I missed her. I was just curious.”
“I… see?”
“Yeah. And I’ve only ever had Father until now. If he suddenly says I have a mother, it’ll feel strange. If I don’t have to meet her, I’d rather not. I don’t want to know about it.”
…….
“…Do I have to meet her?”
I lifted my eyes from my pretense of reading when Father, who had been standing there slack-jawed, quickly shook his head.
“No? It’s not like that. No, if that’s what you think, then that’s fine. You don’t have to see your mother. You don’t even need to know who she is. Yes, that’s right.”
“Understood. Let’s sleep now.”
I closed the book, lay down, and shut my eyes. I could feel Father’s gaze on me.
Soon he blew out a few candles that had been lighting the room and lay down beside me.
“Hmm.”
Father couldn’t fall asleep right away and tossed restlessly for a long time.
‘That must have been a terrible Return Ceremony.’
I thought about it.
He must have seen that disagreeable Emperor’s face, and the Emperor surely used me as leverage to threaten Father.
Maybe he told him to prepare for war. That’s probably it. Father had no choice but to nod and come out—and there he encountered my mother.
‘Did she say they should stay complete strangers since she has a new husband and a son? Or did Father bring me up first, and she said she didn’t want to meet me?’
I ran through the scenarios in my head, but all I felt was a sigh.
I felt sorry for Father. It all seemed to be because of me.
‘Well, it is because of me, isn’t it.’
I nestled into Father’s arms as he kept shifting restlessly. He laughed and pulled me closer.
“Father.”
“Yes, dear?”
“I love you most in the world.”
“Ha, so do I.”
“I only need you.”
…….
Father realized that this sudden affection was because of the mention of my mother, and he fell silent for a moment.
I burrowed deeper into his arms and spoke.
“Let’s just be happy together, the two of us.”

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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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