I'll Protect the Tyrant Daddy! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
It was just as they had expected.
Duchess Lukella was feeling pleased as she recalled Cien’s bright, unflinching eyes.
Yes, she had been quite adorable.
Just as she shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of rooibos tea, a young, particularly tactless lady—who had earlier brought up an awkward topic—suddenly cut in.
“Our family’s children lack familial affection, aren’t they rather distant?”
The Mirmod children had to cultivate their abilities from a young age.
After all, one never knew who might kill them—or how.
Naturally, they rarely displayed childish cuteness or coquettishness.
“Hmm, quite right.”
“But Lady Honeybun… ah, I mean, Lady Cien must be very affectionate toward Lord Matthias or his wife, wouldn’t she?”
Duchess Lukella cleared her throat with a soft “Khm khm.”
“Merely breathing is affection enough, isn’t it?”
“I-Is that so?”
It was precisely at that moment—when the ladies had tensed up—that the door slid open, and the Chief Maid of Duchess Lukella appeared.
“M-My lady.”
“What is it?”
Duchess Lukella looked at the maid with a sharp expression.
Something seemed to be moving behind her, and the Duchess narrowed her eyes.
“I told you not to disturb us.”
The ladies’ tea time was sacrosanct—no one was permitted to interrupt.
Except for one sole exception: visits from very young children.
Of course, no child had ever dared knock on the Duchess’s private study door until now.
“Oh, well…”
From behind the Chief Maid’s calm dress, a tiny head of chestnut-brown hair peeked out.
“Lady Cien has requested a private audience.”
“…What?”
The moment the Duchess echoed the question, Cien’s smiling face appeared inside the tea room.
Pressing her plump cheeks firmly with both hands, Cien shouted loudly:
“Harmony! It’s meee!”
“…Honeybun?”
“Yesss!”
At Cien’s utterly endearing display, Duchess Lukella’s lips curled upward toward the heavens.
Cien quickly dashed over to the table and bowed deeply from the waist.
“Hellooo!”
She was as small as the teacups the ladies held.
At the little one’s cheerful greeting, the expressions of the three ladies—excluding the Duchess—melted like butter.
[This is the timeline separator]The ladies’ tea time was hastily wrapped up.
Yet the Duchess remained so aloof and cold that one might think she was displeased at having her rest disturbed.
Then why did she accept my request for a private audience?
‘But still—I finally get to speak privately with Grandmother!’
Duchess Lukella was, after all, the best-informed person I knew.
‘I can’t meet the Information Guild separately yet… Right now, the information the Duchess can give me is the most crucial!’
Having resolved to extract that information, something felt odd.
“Sit on my lap at once.”
“Yes?”
The Duchess gave a firm nod and issued the command with a stern expression.
‘Why on her lap…?’
Daring not to defy the Duchess, I quickly sat down—but something felt strange.
It was hard to have a proper conversation.
‘Why does she want me to sit on her lap?’
Since we were both looking in the same direction, I couldn’t see her expression.
‘This is awkward.’
Yet Duchess Lukella maintained her usual dry tone.
After asking a few casual questions about daily life, she finally revealed an important piece of information.
“There will be a major family event soon—perhaps in about three months.”
An event? I’d need to dig deeper.
“Umm… the maids say lots of really scary uncles come during the event…”
“Ah, yes. Since anyone—whether direct heir, collateral branch, or even an adopted child—can become our family’s successor, outsiders will come to challenge for the position. Though most of them are just trifles.”
“Trifles?”
“Yes. Aside from about three people in our family, everyone else is just a trifle.”
The Duchess was speaking casually about the family’s power structure.
I cautiously opened my mouth to ask.
“Then… those three are the scary uncles?”
“The three? Obvious, isn’t it. Axel, Delphia, and… Ma—no. Ahem. Among them, the particularly dangerous one—Axel—says he’ll return after ending the war. How irritating.”
Axel wasn’t just “particularly” dangerous—he was the most dangerous of all.
I froze and let out a low, catlike groan.
“Oooh…”
“A demon war, and he claims he’ll finish it in a month? That’s not just arrogance—it’s outright madness.”
Members of the Mirmod family often went to hunt demons to temper their aggression. They politely referred to this as the “Demon War.”
‘Demons love shiny things and collect all sorts of magical artifacts, so treasures often appear on demon warfields.’
Thus, Mirmods—including Axel—joined the Demon War to claim items held by demons. But once they stirred up the demons, retreat was never easy. Such wars usually took at least a year.
Yet now, Axel Mirmod had declared he would end the war in just one month.
Could I pacify this family within a month?
At this sweat-inducing news, my body began to tremble.
“…I-I see.”
“That scoundrel Axel is trash.”
Noticing how stiff I’d gone, Grandmother added curtly.
“Oh, sorry. You’re just a child—you must find my words frightening.”
‘But Axel won’t seriously move to dominate the family until after he returns from war. There’s still hope—still a chance!’
Perhaps sensing my anxiety, Grandmother frowned.
“Don’t worry. Matthias will handle everything. If you die, it’ll be your father’s fault anyway.”
I stared at Grandmother with a blank look—she spoke of death so casually.
‘I don’t want to die!’
Remembering my father’s endlessly harmless, trembling eyes made my heart ache.
If my father handles things alone, the ending will surely be total annihilation. I can’t trust my naive father—only myself!
‘What should I do now?’
The only effective ways to stop Axel were to crush him by force or eliminate him politically.
‘Axel… uses dark magic. Should I use white magic or holy power instead?’
I clenched my fist seriously.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, Grandmother murmured calmly into my ear.
“By the way, you’ll be bored for a while—the Academy Director’s position is vacant.”
My eyes widened. No lessons for now? That meant free time!
“R-Really?!”
“…Why? You’re not acting very childlike.”
“Because I’ll keep coming to visit Harmony!”
“Oh?”
Since I was nestled in Grandmother’s arms, facing the same direction, I couldn’t see her expression—but her icy tone sounded as if she were saying, ‘You, of all people, want to visit me?’
So I bit my lip like I was placing a gamble.
This was the only way to make the Duchess my ally and inherit her strength.
I carefully broached the main topic.
“Yes! I… I told the maids about Harmony…”
‘Sorry, Maid Sisters.’
It was a lie.
“…You talked about me?”
“Yes.”
“What… what… what did you say?”
“Hey, guys! I have a Harmony I like more than anyone else in the whole world…”
Throb.
At some point, the veins on Grandmother’s hand—gripping the table—began bulging.
Veins like those only seen on the Muscular Maid Sisters.
Still, I swallowed my fear, subtly twisted my body, and shyly continued.
“…I do.”
“I want to become strong like Harmony because Harmony is so cool…”
It was true—I really did want to become as strong as the Duchess.
Axel would return in a month, and if I remained weak, my father would be helplessly devoured. I had to grow stronger before then.
Unaware of my thoughts, Grandmother murmured in a choked voice.
“…Me?”
“Yes.”
Grandmother stammered unexpectedly, her voice trembling.
“C-Cool… you said?”
She was surely staring at me as if trying to dissect my tiny head.
Perched atop Grandmother’s rigid thigh muscles, I struggled to continue.
“…Yes! To become someone as incredibly cool as Harmony…”
“To… to become…”
“How do I do it? They say there are artifacts that make you super strong… and there’s also white magic, which is the opposite of dark magic…”
Duchess Lukella clenched her fist tightly.
I lifted my trembling face slightly upward and gave a little wink.
But Grandmother’s face was horribly contorted…
Just as I wondered if I’d failed and began stealing glances at her, Grandmother opened her quivering lips.
“I once had a time like yours—a time when I yearned to become strong. You remind me of my younger self.”
She clearly meant it positively, yet it felt strangely unsettling.
Grandmother punctuated her words firmly.
“This won’t do.”
A negative remark—this was bad.
Unpleasant thoughts of failure began creeping in.
Of course it wouldn’t be this easy to win over the Duchess—defeated thoughts started clouding my mind.
Just as I was frantically wondering how to deal with her from now on,
a voice full of vigor rang in my disappointed ears.
“Shall I tell you how to become like me, Honeybun?”
My eyes sparkled as I looked up at Grandmother.
How—how exactly do I become like Grandmother?
‘But… Honeybun?’
Calling me Honeybun in such a serious moment felt odd. Still, I perked up my ears to listen.
“I’ll teach you myself.”
“…Yes?”
“Don’t get too excited. It’s not because of your request.”
Grandmother continued coldly.
“It’s simply because the Academy Director died under mysterious circumstances, leaving no one to teach you for now. And since there’s no successor, the instructors are all in chaos… It’s best that I teach you, don’t you agree?”
It truly seemed unavoidable.
But because I’d forced this unavoidable situation on her, there was a chance the Duchess might grow to dislike me.
Worried about the future, I cautiously added,
“Well, even if not, it’s okay—”
“Hmph.”
“…?”
“Only I can educate you.”
She was firm. And listening closely to her tone, she didn’t seem to hate me that much after all.
That actually worked in my favor.
‘The Duchess was once at her peak. Though she’s declined now, she still holds some standing in high society—and might even have enough power to somewhat restrain Axel.’
Hope for survival appeared.
Duchess Lukella was knowledgeable in many fields, but especially skilled as a high-ranking mage—she could freely use magical potions and poisons.
Decades ago, the growth potion she created for children, Kids Tenten, spread throughout the empire and became officially recognized.
And that wasn’t all.
Rumors claimed she possessed an abundance of offensive artifacts. Of course, others argued: if the Duchess truly owned so many offensive artifacts, would she have surrendered the family’s real power so easily?
Still, compared to a child like me who had nothing, the Duchess was far stronger.
Feeling my chances of survival rise, I grinned brightly and said,
“Wow, thank you so much!”
Grandmother, peering down at my round eyes, brought a hand to her mouth, cleared her throat, and muttered,
“Khm, khm. Yes, Bbang-ah.”
Not knowing what “Bbang-ah” meant, I blinked and tilted my head.
‘Who on earth are Honeybun and Bbang-ah?’
When I looked at her with puzzled eyes, the Duchess averted her gaze and replied coldly,
“Go now. Come again tomorrow.”
“Yes! I like Harmony!”
I kissed the back of Grandmother’s hand resting on the table, then dashed out cheerfully.
‘Now I can become strong too!’
Standing by the door, I looked down at my hands, clenching and unclenching my fists.
I already felt stronger.
‘Heh, exciting.’
As I jumped for joy inside, I suddenly remembered I’d forgotten something before leaving, so I turned slightly.
“Oh, by the way, Harmony…”
When I turned, Duchess Lukella’s face was bright red.
Like a runaway steam engine.
She was even gently stroking the back of her hand—but when I turned, she startled visibly.
She put on a cold expression again and asked,
“What is it?”
Despite her cold expression, her face remained flushed. It was a little puzzling, but since I needed something from her, I pretended not to notice and spoke up.
“If you teach my friend too, would that be okay?”
I stretched my lips wide to show both upper and lower teeth.
It looked terribly awkward—but Grandmother gave a curt nod.
Since she agreed to teach me, I decided to be satisfied with that for today.
I bowed deeply, lowering my head enough for my round skull to be visible.
“On the day lessons begin, I’ll send you word again.”
Thinking it shouldn’t be delayed too long, I smiled brightly and narrowed my eyes.
“Yes! I want to see Harmony as soon as possible!”
Grandmother frowned as she looked at me.
“As soon as possible? Then today—no, today would be too much.”
‘Of course! Maybe in a week or so…’
“Let’s start tomorrow.”
‘…Huh?’
“Be ready.”
Grandmother spoke solemnly and coldly.
I found myself nodding absentmindedly.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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