My Daddy Hides His Power - Chapter 95

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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 hides his strength
95
“Lilis….”
Cheshire raised his trembling arms and pulled her into an embrace.
Holding her as she wept so bitterly stirred something strange in him.
“D-don’t go…. Sniff. I don’t want to say goodbye. Without you, everything feels wrong….”
“…….”
I know. I feel it too.
Every day without you by my side is going to feel strange.
Cheshire wanted to say these words aloud, but he held back, afraid that opening his mouth would break his composure.
“I’ll come see you often.”
In all the days he had lived, the time spent with Lilis had been so few.
But in a life that had been nothing but grayscale and shadow, only those days with her had shone—
“I came to take you.”
Yes.
From that day onward, when you took my hand.
“Just trust me once….”
“Anywhere is better than this hell, at least.”
Cheshire could be certain of that.
“We’re not saying goodbye forever….”
The boy who feared being hurt had sworn to trust no one again—but he had failed once more.
“I’ll stay with you….”
But this time there was no regret.
And there would be none hereafter.
“I’ll live on with you….”
Whether Lilis heard the words he whispered so softly was uncertain.
Perhaps they were swallowed by the sound of her crying.
“Waaahhhhh.”
Finally, as tears threatened to spill, Cheshire raised his sleeve and roughly wiped his eyes.
“Goodness.”
Enoch, who had been watching the two of them, approached with a chuckle and a sigh.
“Stop crying now, little one.”
“D-daddy…. I-I just, j-just wanna st-stay at Uncle’s house for j-just a—hic—”
“Oh my, our dear child. You’ll run out of breath at this rate.”
Enoch, at a loss, gently set Lilis upright and faced her directly.
“All right then, little one. How about you go to your uncle’s house today, sleep there for just one night, and come back?”
“J-just one night?”
“Yes. We’ll go see if the house where Cheshire will live is nice, and check if there’s plenty of good food.”
“H-hic…. Sniff.”
“And once our little one feels better about it, you’ll stop crying and come back home bravely. Understood?”
“…….”
Lilis clearly wasn’t thrilled about spending only one night, but after sniffling and deliberating, she nodded her head.
“Okay….”
“You’re going to drive me crazy, I swear.”
Enoch stifled his laughter as he lifted Lilis into his arms and stood.
* * *
I settled into the carriage as Father and I set off together.
By the time we arrived at Axion’s house, my eyes were so swollen from crying that they looked like an angry pufferfish.
“S-sniff. But Uncle’s house is, like, right there….”
“I told you it was close.”
Axion laughed at my embarrassed remark.
Five minutes by carriage.
The distance made all that desperate wailing feel rather absurd in hindsight.
“Wow! Uncle’s house is huge and nice!”
Size-wise, it passed inspection. The surroundings were pleasant.
Though not quite as grand as our own house, the Liber Duke’s Residence had an impressively majestic air to it.
But the moment we stepped inside, I couldn’t help but be startled.
“Welcome!”
“My, I didn’t expect His Grace would be visiting as well?”
A single young butler.
A warm-hearted woman in her middle years.
Those two were the entire household staff of Axion’s residence….
‘Ah, so that’s why Lico said she couldn’t plant a spy here.’
I nodded to myself, recalling her words.
“There’s only one place where I haven’t been able to deploy Guild members, sir. Liber. For some reason, they don’t hire household staff there….”
Beyond that, the house was vast but eerily empty.
It didn’t smell like anyone actually lived here.
“Do visit us often, Duke. All right?”
“Masa, it’s been a while. I suppose we’ll be stopping by more often now, what with Cheshire and all.”
This woman named Masa seemed quite close with my father.
From what I’d heard before coming, she was the nursemaid who’d looked after Axion since childhood.
“Goodness! However do the both of you manage to look so perfectly doll-like?”
“Masa, please take good care of our Cheshire!”
I bowed respectfully to her and made my request with earnest courtesy.
“Please make lots of delicious things. Cheshire especially loves his meat stew—the kind you boil red with tomatoes.”
“My?”
Cheshire’s cheeks flushed crimson. It seemed he found my eager-parent routine rather embarrassing.
But Masa simply nodded readily, as if charmed by my fussing.
“Don’t you worry. Even if I say so myself, there’s no dish I can’t make. Our young master won’t so much as touch food prepared by anyone else, after all.”
What a relief!
Masa was clearly a master of the culinary arts.
“Ha ha, now the house will finally smell like a home again.”
It was then that a young butler, who’d been watching us with quiet satisfaction, spoke up.
“I’m Karon. Please call me by my name. And I suppose I should address you as ‘young master,’ yes?”
“…How do you do.”
Karon, who’d been gazing fondly at Cheshire, suddenly made a woeful face and added hastily,
“Young master, please hear me out. Do you know how much our master pestered me all week long? ‘Decorate the room,’ ‘Buy things the boys like’… Mmmph!”
“Pointless chatter, truly.”
Axion hurriedly clapped his hand over Karon’s mouth.
But quick-witted as I was, I’d caught every word.
‘Oh, oh my. Uncle was actually looking forward to Cheshire arriving, wasn’t he?’
I narrowed my eyes mischievously and smirked.
Looking at my father, I saw his expression mirrored mine perfectly—eyes narrowed to slits as he regarded Axion.
“You said to make yourself comfortable. What would you have done if Cheshire hadn’t come? Cried from loneliness?”
“What nonsense. The room is on the second floor.”
Ignoring my father’s teasing tone, Axion headed toward the staircase.
“Come now, let’s hurry along!”
My father, arms laden with Cheshire’s luggage, ushered us ahead of him.
I felt reassured following the reassuring silhouette of Axion’s broad back.
‘Yes, if Cheshire needs a father other than mine, honestly there’s no one quite like Uncle!’
Gruff on the surface yet secretly tender-hearted!
Born as the third son of a marquess house, a Holy Knight with a knighthood and countless military honors to his name!
The first patriarch of House Liber, who was granted the rank of Duke seven years ago and established a new domain with his own hands!
And most importantly,
Undoubtedly on the side of the protagonist!
With a heart considerably lighter, I entered the room behind Axion.
‘Huh.’
But the moment we stepped inside, I gasped.
The room was even more barren than the rest of the house.
What good was size alone? There was nothing but a single-person bed and a desk.
“Wow, what is this bachelor funk?”
My father, following behind, also exclaimed in dismay.
At that, Axion—who’d already half-stripped off his training clothes upon entering—quickly pulled them back down and scowled.
“What?! Why are you lot following me in here? This is my room. The boy’s room is next door.”
“Ah. You should have said so earlier. I was wondering why it reeked of solitary bachelorhood.”
“Aren’t you the bachelor yourself?!”
My father ignored the sputtering Axion and led us into the adjacent room instead.
“Oh, oh, oh wow!”
Heavens!
The moment I laid eyes on Cheshire’s room, my hands flew to my cheeks as I gasped with delight.
‘This is totally a prince’s room!’
It was nothing like Axion’s.
A bed so enormous that five grown men could roll around in it without cramping.
A spacious desk and bookshelves lined with volumes in neat rows.
Through the expansive glass window hung new blue curtains, fresh as the day they were bought.
“Mine, my room isn’t even this nice!”
On the sky-blue rug laid out to match the décor sat a large single-seat sofa and a table besides.
“Man, Cheshire, if you’d said you weren’t coming, our vice commander would’ve cried for real.”
Father shook his head in mock disapproval.
I was so delighted I bounced around, grabbing Cheshire’s hand and dragging him all over the room.
Then I spotted something sitting on the nightstand beside the bed.
“Huh?!”
It was… Warrior Louie’s Demon Sword!
Number one on the toy ranking list that all boys want!
“Wee-hee! Cheshire, look! Uncle must’ve bought this for you!”
Though I’d already given him one as a gift.
Cheshire’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as he gazed at Warrior Louie’s Demon Sword.
He seemed to feel Axion’s affection in it too.
“Hehe, it’s really cool. Right? Uncle’s the absolute best.”
“…Yeah.”
When I turned around, Axion was already standing in the doorway in fresh clothes, watching us.
I rushed over and threw my arms around his leg.
“Uncle! You’re the best! You’re the most amazing person in the whole world!”
“What? What about your father?”
“Father’s second! You’re the most amazing, the very best!”
“…Princess? That’s a terrible thing to say.”
“Hahahaha!”
“Wee-hee!”
You really are the best!
* * *
We spent the most wonderful day.
Masa’s cooking was sublime, and Karon’s wit put any comedian to shame.
They said the three of them usually ate together, but it felt just like a family.
Now Cheshire would join them every time, wouldn’t he?
‘Tee-hee.’
I’d eaten two bowls of stew and now rubbed my belly, which stuck out like a tadpole’s, as I picked up my pen.
‘Today’s diary entry!’
I had the honor of being the first to sit at Cheshire’s desk.
It was a diary I’d brought along intending to write in it over a few days….
‘Now I don’t have a single worry!’
It felt like my heart would be at ease even if I left after just one night.
“Yaaaawn. Princess, what are you doing?”
Father called out to me with a yawn.
“I’m writing my diary!”
“Your diary?”
“Yeah, I’m all done!”
I snapped the diary shut and turned around.
Father and Cheshire lay side by side on the bed in their pajamas.
The bed was very large.
“Come here then, if you’re finished. Time to sleep.”
“Just a moment!”
I dashed out and knocked on Axion’s door.
“Uncle, are you already asleep?”
“No.”
“Can I come in?”
“Go ahead.”
When I opened the door, Axion was resting against the headboard reading a book.
I scurried over to him.
“Uncle!”
“What is it?”
“Let’s go to Cheshire’s room and sleep together!”
“What? No.”
Axion shook his head.
“Aw. Won’t you?”
I clasped my hands together pleadingly, pouted, and unleashed my finishing move.
“Sigh.”
Success!
In the end, Axion blinked slowly at me for a long moment, then rose with a sigh, pillow in hand.
“Yay!”
“Tch. What am I even doing….”
I took Axion’s hand firmly and returned to Cheshire’s room.
Father, who had been chatting quietly with Cheshire, looked appalled the moment he saw Axion with the pillow.
“What? It’s cramped in here! What brings you in with that bulk?”
“It’s not crowded!”
“Your daughter asked me to come, didn’t she?”
I hurried over and lay down between Father and Cheshire. Axion settled in beside Cheshire.
“Yay!”
“I really don’t know what I’m doing….”
Axion muttered and closed his eyes at once.
I looked at Cheshire face to face.
“Today was really great, wasn’t it? And the stew Masa made was delicious too.”
“Yes.”
“Cheshire, are you happy?”
At my question, Cheshire gazed at me quietly for a moment, then smiled softly.
“Yes, I’m happy.”
“Hehe. I’m happy that you’re happy too.”
I heard Father laugh behind me.
Even with his eyes closed, I could see Axion smiling.
Hmm. A little embarrassing, really.
So I whispered the next words softly, into Cheshire’s ear alone.
“You know, let’s stay happy forever. I’m going to keep living with you.”
“I’ll keep living with you….”
The words Cheshire had said to me when I was crying, comforting me.
I said them back to him, exactly as they were.
Cheshire looked at me quietly, then smiled again and nodded.
“…Yes.”
“Hehe. Well then, Cheshire, sleep well! Uncle, sleep tight! Dad, have sweet dreams!”
“You got it.”
“You sleep well too, my princess.”
I closed my eyes, my heart full of happiness.
It really was the best day.
* * *
[July 28th — Lilis’s Diary
Weather: The sun is very strong.
Cheshire Liber.
Cheshire finally has a surname.
He has a house now, and a room like a prince’s.
Uncle Axion seems like he’ll make a very good father to Cheshire, so I feel at ease.
Masa and Karon are good people too, so I’m relieved.
Since the house is right nearby, I should visit Cheshire often.
Cheshire will be happy.
And Uncle will be happy too, right?
Because now Uncle has a son to dig graves for!
End of today’s diary!]

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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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