I bit my lip and surveyed my surroundings as if searching again.

But Dad was clearly looking at me with a worried expression. I murmured hesitantly.

“Dad’s gift… um, well…”
I flicked my fingers towards Dad. He tilted his head in puzzlement, but, of course, being the kind-hearted dad he was, he immediately approached me.
“What is it?”

I contorted my body like a pretzel, whispering ever so softly to Dad.

“A kiss…”

Dad’s eyes widened.

“You want to give me a kiss?”
I’m sorry, but it seems like you haven’t provided the passage you’d like me to translate into English. Please provide the text you’d like me to translate, and I’ll be happy to assist you with the translation.
It seems that my previous response was cut off. Here’s the translation of the passage into English:

As if to convey a great sense of pride, my father even wore an expression that suggested so. It seemed that my strategy of turning the conversation had indeed worked.

Even Acid and the Captain, along with the muscular maids, had their eyes wide open.

“Phew, it seems that even the wicked Captain Gaou is melting a bit!”

Unbeknownst to me, my father embraced me tightly with the smile of a victor.

“You’re only doing this for Dad, right?”

“Nod!”

Smack!

I planted a kiss on my father’s cheek.
My father embraced me tightly with a satisfied smile.

“Our daughter.”

He looked really happy.

Indeed, our father… he was the type who would easily forgive everything with just a kiss.

“But… you went out in the middle of the night. Did you go to a gift shop? Are there any gift shops open at night?”

I pouted and shook my head.

“Secret…”

…Dad would find out anyway in a week, but I couldn’t confess with my own mouth that I had gone to the Auction House of Darkness.
Then, if not, my tender-hearted dad might cry for three whole days and nights until he faints.

At times like that, this is the only way.

“Euren’s secret, right?”

When my dad was young, he said to me, “I can understand if secrets come up for you. I hope I can become everything to our daughter.” He made a very mature statement like that.
So, I told him like that!

“Everyone knows it, but Dad doesn’t… the secret…?”

Dad seemed to be even more shocked.

I looked at Dad quietly and said sternly.

“Dad.”

“Yes.”

“Sieni is also an adult now. After all, there could be a secret, right?”

Then Dad whispered with a somewhat unfair tone.

“But… Sieni knows too. Even the Captain, who has only known our daughter for a few days, knows the secret.”
“Phew.”

“Dad, you’re sad…”

Seeing Dad’s sulking, I started to shake my head.

“Well, anyway, with a heart like this, how can you face villains like Axel!”

I stretched out Dad’s cheek and whispered.

“Dad, let’s eat!”

I heard the maids muttering nearby. It was a very gloomy and dim voice.

“Heh, yeah.”

“I can’t stand to see it…”

“…Aah, I can’t adapt to this situation.”

“Me neither…”
In fact, I had lowered my voice so much that I couldn’t hear what they were saying very well.

And more importantly than hearing their words was my kind-hearted dad’s eyes.

It was a mountain to climb.

After dealing with that scoundrel Axel Mirmod, I would have to face Melodia as well. So, I couldn’t help but think that I should hold onto Dad more firmly from now on and give him some mental education.
“In the past, indirect mental education didn’t work well, so I almost gave up on it, but just in case.”

With a small glimmer of hope, I looked at Dad and asked, “Dad, are you free tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Dad questioned.

“Yes! Let’s do something with me and Jaemin. How about a tour of the alleys?”

By “fun,” of course, I meant getting rid of the neighborhood bullies and troublemakers.
As I thought about it, there were a few small-time villains who used to harass Melodia in that back alley. I wondered if I should take on the role of getting rid of them.

However, as soon as I had that thought, Dad’s expression darkened.

“What should I do, Siyeon? It looks like Dad will be going on a short vacation.”

I firmly held onto Dad’s hand and tilted my head up.

“…Where to?”

Dad spoke, as if he didn’t know that I could hold on.

“Dad… to receive etiquette training.”
“Gasp. Take care.”

I quickly released the hand that was holding onto Dad’s arm.

When I nibbled on my lip, a joyful smile appeared at the corner of Dad’s mouth.

“I’ll be back soon, so our daughter will have fun with the maid sisters. And…”

“Hmm?”

“When Dad is here, he’ll protect you, but when he’s not, you shouldn’t engage in risky behavior. Understand? Promise.”
I spoke boldly to Dad.

“But last time, I also smashed that Pat and Mat!”

I puffed out my stomach as if to emphasize how big it had grown. Seeing my stomach, which had grown so large that it resembled a teddy bear’s, Dad burst into laughter.

“Yeah, Pat and Mat…”

“Uh-huh! Remember?”

“I remember… remember.”

As they talked, Dad’s expression turned slightly less cheerful.
With the determination to scold them if they had bothered our kind Dad, I clenched my fist tightly.

“Come to think of it, Dad, did you hit those guys?”

Honestly, I didn’t believe it even when I asked.

“…Yeah.”

Dad avoided eye contact.

I let out a sigh.

“Show me later.”

When I shook my fist, Dad’s face turned fearful.

“I… I got it.”
After concluding the conversation, I proudly spoke to Dad.

“How long will your vacation last?”

“I’ll be going for a volunteer house-building project in the Mercy region after the training… Probably about a week.”

A week wouldn’t be long before that wicked Axel Mirmord guy returned.

Our small and petite Dad… Perhaps it might be better if he wasn’t around.

“All right. Have a safe trip. I’ll be the head of our household during that time.”

‘Actually, I’ve always been the head of the household…’
I kept those words to myself.

No matter how much I acted like an adult, I didn’t want to shatter Dad’s pure faith.

I gave his shoulder a reassuring pat as if cheering him on and whispered discreetly,

“In a week, something surprising will happen.”

I clenched both fists and looked at Dad.

Dad held my hand and affectionately asked,

“Is that so?”

I nodded, and as he ruffled my hair, Dad said meaningfully,
“Dad, when you come back, I’ll buy a gift for our daughter. It will be a surprise.”

I grinned and nodded vigorously.

Until the pink cotton candy-like hair fluttered in the wind.

For a long time!