My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 48

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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’s Strength Hidden Away
Chapter 48
A moment of overwhelming joy.
My eyes burned with tears.
Unable to close my mouth, I caught Chesier watching my expression—and he broke into a grin.
“Zephyr, you say….”
Chesier fastened the Reins and checked the stirrups attached to the Saddle with meticulous care before leading Zephyr forward at a measured pace.
“Hold tight. Take it slow. Keep your back straight—don’t slouch.”
“I won’t fall, will I?”
“You’re fine. I’ll be right beside you.”
“Okay.”
Contrary to my worries, the ride was effortless.
Zephyr, evidently a noble steed, synchronized with my breathing and walked with such steadiness and patience that I felt utterly secure.
“Oh… I’m so moved.”
Overwhelmed, I sniffled and stroked Zephyr’s soft mane.
“Z-Zephyr… thank you, truly thank you so much for carrying me….”
Watching me cry, Chesier—who’d been walking slowly alongside us—laughed aloud.
“…Congratulations.”
“Yes!”
* * *
That day, Zephyr carried Lilis and wandered the Equestrian Grounds for about half the afternoon.
Lilis’s skill was abysmal.
Her frame was slight, and even a modest increase in pace made her lose her balance.
In the end, Zephyr couldn’t gallop with full power—he was too concerned she might tumble off.
[Finally swallowing your pride?]
Valter jeered from beside him.
[Going in a competition tomorrow?]
[…….]
[Come on, say something—horse to horse, at least! Don’t just ignore me, you bastard!]
Zephyr ignored Valter, who was fretting and complaining in exasperation.
A competition, then….
“Zephyr, do you think you could come with me tomorrow? I’m not saying we should compete against the other horses. I just… let’s go see the flowers together, take a walk, things like that. All right?”
Lilis smiled bashfully and lingered in the Stable a while longer before heading back.
Though Zephyr pretended otherwise, he couldn’t help but smile slightly, recalling how animated Lilis’s face had been.
[…What’s wrong with you? What’s that strange sound? Did you actually laugh?]
[Shut up.]
Night fell over the Stable.
* * *
The next day—the day of the Equestrian Competition.
Jart Hill on the outskirts of the Capital, where the events were held, was packed from early morning with competitors and spectators.
There were only seven participants, myself included.
Since everyone was hungry for medals, events where the victor was obvious drew fewer entrants.
‘I wonder what Daemon Martini is that everyone’s so afraid of him that only this many showed up.’
I surveyed the waiting area.
I could see young nobles inspecting their horses alongside professional Equestrians, and journalists huddled together with notepads, hunting for a scoop.
“Our girl is making me anxious….”
Dad knelt in front of me, fitting the Riding Helmet onto my head and fastening the chin strap snugly while fretting.
I glanced around discreetly and whispered.
“No, Dad—what’s there to worry about? With the Anti-Fall Magic, I’m practically glued to the saddle. I won’t fall off.”
“Still….”
“Everything that happens here ends up in the papers anyway. There are tons of journalists around, and they’re already groaning about how pushy the Rubinstein duke is. Just go already—please.”
Didn’t he feel the weight of all those stares?
Other children’s parents were waiting beyond the finish line, in the awards area. But Dad was here making a scene.
“You rode Zephyr for the first time yesterday.”
“Right, and I practiced for about five hours.”
“Exactly. Just five hours. So why isn’t your old man worried?”
“Dad, sorry, but I’m not planning to win anyway. I haven’t even practiced the Obstacle Course. I’m just going to take a slow ride around the hill with Zephyr and enjoy the scenery.”
I wrapped my arms around Zephyr, who stood with dignified composure, and pressed my cheek against his neck.
Zephyr was utterly gentle. Charmed by his docility, I even rubbed my lips against his neck playfully.
“You like him that much?”
“Yep, so pretty! Have you ever seen a horse as beautiful as our Zephyr, Dad?”
“Never seen one, never.”
Dad laughed as if he couldn’t help himself.
Then.
“Oh, Chesier…, wow?”
Chesier, now changed into his Riding Suit, was entering the waiting area.
“My, the boy’s handsome.”
“Y-yes, he is.”
Beneath the black Riding Helmet, his characteristic expressionless face was striking, and the well-proportioned legs clad in black Boots were equally immaculate.
The young Equestrian’s dazzling beauty, arriving alongside the commanding black horse Valter, captured every eye in the vicinity.
‘Stop, stop. I get it, you’re the protagonist. Just stop… leave the extras alone!’
I had to shield my eyes with my hand against what felt like a divine halo emanating from him.
Whether it was Dad or Chesier, whenever they had an entrance like this, they looked ready to shout, ‘See here, you lowly extras! I am the protagonist!’ at the top of their lungs.
“…Are you really sure you’re okay? You should at least practice on the Obstacle Course.”
Chesier expressed his concern the moment he arrived.
“No way. Even just five hours of fast-walking practice yesterday was exhausting. I promised Zephyr I wouldn’t compete. It’s already amazing that he’s practiced this much with me. When obstacles come up, I’ll just turn around and go back instead of jumping them, okay? You be the champion.”
I’d succeeded in mounting Zephyr, but my plan remained one of spectating and indulging myself.
Then.
“Oh, he’s here.”
“The likely favorite for the championship has finally arrived.”
The reporters buzzed excitedly, their eyes gleaming.
It was Daemon Martini.
He was dressed in top-quality Riding Suit and led a well-groomed brown horse.
Daemon, who had entered with an arrogant expression, startled when he spotted me.
More precisely, when he saw Zephyr standing beside me.
“Z-z-zephyr?”
The moment he also noticed Chesier, who emanated tremendous presence, and Valter, his face flushed and paled in rapid succession.
‘Right, the spotlight isn’t yours.’
What does a villain extra amount to in front of a protagonist who commands attention just by breathing?
I smirked.
“Good day to you, Your Grace the Duke of Rubinstein. It’s my first time meeting you. I’m Daemon Martini, third son of the Martini Count Family.”
Daemon, whose expression control was visibly failing, approached Dad first to greet him.
“Pleased to meet you, young Martini. Looking forward to a fine competition.”
“Y-yes….”
Daemon swallowed hard, then glanced sideways at me and Zephyr.
“I was surprised to see a young lady on the participant list…. Yes, you’ve brought a pretty horse?”
“Hello, young Martini. This one’s name is Zephyr.”
I deliberately spoke loudly.
At the same time, the reporters all drew out their notebooks in unison.
‘I’ve been waiting for this moment, you character who’s about to show your true colors.’
The reporters who had recognized Zephyr when I first entered the waiting area had all seemed puzzled.
They must have wondered why the horse of Daemon, the likely favorite for the championship, was in the hands of the Duke of Rubinstein’s daughter.
“Zephyr was an injured horse, and the situation was so pitiful that I wanted to take her in. I heard the previous owner sold her back to a stable because of an injury, you know?”
“Eek!”
“Oh, so that’s what happened….”
“My goodness.”
The reporters who had captured an exclusive story scribbled furiously across their notebooks.
I raised my voice as if delivering an oration and continued.
“I don’t know who the previous owner was, but isn’t that just terrible? I heard injured horses are sent to the slaughterhouse, and knowing that, they abandoned her anyway? How could someone do that to their friend….”
I pulled Zephyr into an embrace, pouting my lip as if I might cry at any moment.
The reporters clamped their mouths shut and scribbled frantically across their notepads.
“W-w-what are they writing?”
At that sight, Daemon went pale.
‘Phew.’
Though it had started half as an act, now that I held Zephyr, my heart genuinely ached.
Zephyr, seeming to recognize her previous owner, stared intently at Daemon.
“W-well then, let’s have a good competition!”
Soon after, Daemon fled from our presence like a hunted animal.
* * *
“My daughter really needs to be careful, okay? Zephyr, make sure our princess doesn’t get hurt. Understand? Take care, take care?”
Even though I begged him to stop, Father didn’t quit worrying until thirty minutes before the competition started, when he finally headed toward the awards ceremony.
Once the event ended, headlines were sure to flood in—something along the lines of “Rubinstein’s Duke, Father’s Fool or Father’s Idiot?!”
“Zephyr, let’s take it slow. We can enjoy the scenery around us. Oh! I heard there’s a lake once we enter Course C—if you get thirsty, maybe we can stop there for a drink?”
I took one last look at the map showing Courses A through E, then swung myself onto Zephyr’s back.
Of course, I’d only practiced light galloping at our family’s Equestrian Grounds, so there was no real need for me to memorize the competition course.
I’d already made Daemon’s rotten character widely known, and Chesier would take the victory—my job was essentially done.
“Participants, please line up at the starting line. Judges will be stationed at the beginning of each course, so if there are any issues such as withdrawal, please request assistance. When the starting gun fires, begin your run.”
Seven horses stood in a line at the starting gate.
I stole a glance at Chesier and Daemon’s faces. Unlike Daemon’s fierce expression, Chesier looked perfectly indifferent.
‘Heh heh, this should be interesting.’
Soon I’d hear the stock line that the villain extra always cries—”Ugh, how infuriating!”
Bang—!
The starting gun fired with a crack,
“……?”
and I—
“Eek, kyaaaaaaah!”
Zephyr bolted forward like a bullet, and I shrieked in surprise at the sheer speed.
“Waugh! Waaah!”
I was so startled that I lost hold of the reins.
If the Saddle hadn’t been equipped with Anti-Fall Magic, I would have tumbled right off at that velocity.
“Whoa, ah, aaaah!”
My eyes spun in their sockets—the wind made it almost impossible to keep them open.
I squeezed out every last ounce of strength left from my baby days, fumbling desperately until I finally managed to grab the reins I’d dropped.
‘What—what is this?! What’s happening?! What is going on?!’
Had I entered the wrong competition?
Wasn’t this supposed to be an Equestrian Competition where horse and rider work in harmony, progressing through the course step by step?
Was this a racetrack?
Who bet money on Zephyr and the Rubinstein Duke’s daughter?
‘What is really happening? Weren’t we supposed to take a leisurely ride, Zephyr?’
Apparently that was only my plan.
Regardless of my intentions, Zephyr was galloping at an incredible speed.
Whoosh—the landscape blurred past my vision in streaks.
Doing my best to ignore my churning stomach, I glanced back over my shoulder.
It felt like barely three minutes had passed since we started,
and I couldn’t see the other horses anymore….

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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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