I'll Protect the Tyrant Daddy! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
The warmth of Father’s tender voice, brimming with affection, and the feeling that his strong arms were gently supporting me were peaceful and comforting—but this wouldn’t do.
I shook my head back and forth and said,
“I’ll protect you!”
Listening to Father’s voice, I thought it was truly strange.
Our pure and kind Father, whom I was supposed to protect, was quite remarkable—he had blue veins on his hands despite not being a swordsman.
Maybe it was from farming for so long? Or perhaps he’d inherited the Mirmod family’s exceptional physical constitution.
I poked the vein on Father’s hand and grinned cheerfully.
Until then, Father had remained silent, but now he spoke again, emphasizing his words.
“Our daughter. You can’t even speak properly yet.”
The reason I couldn’t speak properly was simply that my physical development lagged behind other children my age.
But I couldn’t possibly say that to Father. I sighed deeply inside and shook my head.
Just then—
“Hmm, Cien? Isn’t that right?”
Father’s voice carried a hint of amusement. He seemed to be enjoying the situation.
It was utterly frustrating. Clenching my tiny fists, I tapped my small chest and cried out,
“That’s… that’s because other kids are all like that too! Anyway, I’ll protect you!”
I shook my head back and forth in reply. Each shake made my soft, round cheeks—like little potatoes—wobble gently.
Squeeze.
Father, standing behind me, pressed my cheeks firmly and said,
“Our daughter should just live happily like any ordinary child.”
I leaned my head firmly against Father’s solid back and let out another soft sigh. Watching my breath scatter, I felt as if I could already see our sad and pitiful future.
‘No! This is a villainous noble house—kind Father won’t be able to protect me!’
Our naive Father—how would he ever survive in this harsh world? I looked up at him with eyes full of worry. But Father still looked serious.
“Understood?”
“Whew…”
I could only nod in response to Father’s warm, earnest voice.
Whenever I didn’t act like a child, Father never showed it openly, but he always looked a little downcast—perhaps because he found it painful to see me losing my innocence.
For example, once I refused to eat carrots and was being picky. Father was deeply saddened and gave each carrot a name. Then, in a trembling voice, he made me say goodbye to those “friends” being thrown away.
‘Goodbye, carrots! Say hi!’
‘…Do I really have to?’
‘Yes. If you don’t greet the carrots, they’ll get hurt.’
‘Ugh… This is hard. Carrots, bye-bye.’
Remembering that embarrassing moment when I, as an adult, greeted carrots just to preserve Father’s childlike heart, I reluctantly opened my mouth.
“Ugh…”
“How pretty, our daughter.”
It was precisely at that moment, as we exchanged words—
The door, draped like a dark curtain, slowly opened, letting in a sliver of light. I blinked and looked toward the opposite side of the door.
‘Who is it?’
The person who entered was a middle-aged woman of exquisite beauty, as if carved by a master artisan. Scattered strands of white hair adorned her head, and even those looked as if placed there by the gods themselves.
Without a word, she sat stiffly in the chair across from us.
Then, in a voice as cold as eternal snow, she whispered,
“So you’ve come.”
“It’s been a long time, Mother.”
Father replied politely. I rolled my eyes. Wondering if “Mother” meant Father’s birth mother, she suddenly spoke.
“So you think of me as your real mother.”
“Shall I address you as Duchess Lukella, then?”
My small body trembled uncontrollably from some inexplicable, chilling aura—but only briefly. Watching their back-and-forth exchange, I gaped in astonishment.
Judging from the context, she really was his birth mother. But if she was Duchess Lukella…!
I shivered.
‘According to the original story, she’s treated like a backroom elder now. But she was once the undisputed head of this villainous ducal house… If she really is Father’s birth mother—and thus my grandmother—it’d be best to make a good impression… and maybe even get her help…’
While I was lost in my thoughts, their conversation continued relentlessly.
“Now that you’ve returned to the family, you surely understand you can’t leave by your own power.”
“…Huh?!”
“Cien.”
I let out a loud cry before I could stop myself. Thankfully, Father gently soothed me, but my mind was already in utter chaos.
Of course, I’d planned to charm this tiger-like grandmother so we could leave the manor—but now…
“I understand. I must either become the heir, be exiled and become a fugitive, or die. One of those three, I suppose.”
The shock of my shattered plan nearly made me faint, but I barely managed to regain my composure.
‘They say even if you’re dragged into a tiger’s den, you’ll survive as long as you keep your wits.’
I deliberately clenched my tiny teeth, grinding them audibly, and stared intensely.
Duchess Lukella’s cold voice reached my ears.
“I’m glad you understand.”
Even at this simple remark, Father merely lowered his eyes, tightening his grip on my hand.
‘So cold.’
For a reunion between mother and son after so long, their exchange was far too icy—the very atmosphere felt like a frozen lake.
Only when Father warmly wrapped his arms around my shoulders could I finally look ahead.
Duchess Lukella’s piercing blue eyes met my round, glassy ones in midair.
“What is that?”
“Hm?”
The moment our eyes locked, she scowled deeply and spoke.
With an expression of clear distaste, she opened her mouth.
“What on earth is that honey jar wrapped in cloth?”
A honey jar wrapped in cloth…?
‘I’m not a honey jar! And it’s not cloth—it’s something Father sewed beautifully for me.’
I quietly recalled memories with Father.
‘Father sewed such a pretty outfit for our Cien—what do you think?’
‘So pretty!’
‘Next time, I’ll learn to use a sewing machine too. Lady Isabel said she’d teach me.’
‘Yeah! Promise!’
Remembering those soft, sweet moments with Father, I felt a little wronged and stared back fiercely. Duchess Lukella glared at me with icy severity.
“It’s not cloth! Father made it for me!”
The Duchess, who had been watching my earnest appeal coldly, soon turned her gaze toward Father.
Wasn’t he afraid of those tiger-like eyes? His hands seemed to tremble slightly. Yet, unlike his shaking hands, Father spoke calmly and bravely.
“This is my daughter. Cien, greet her.”
I should at least be polite! Without a word, I blinked and bowed respectfully.
“Pleased to meet you!”
Meanwhile, my mind raced furiously with information about Duchess Lukella.
Three seconds—that’s how long it took me to finish thinking.
I bit my lip tightly.
Though it was despairing that we couldn’t leave on our own, one thing was fortunate:
The first person we met in this villainous ducal house was Duchess Lukella herself.
Because she was Father’s birth mother—and my real grandmother…
‘I’ve read about how to win over Duchess Lukella in the original novel, “The Life of Melodia”!’
If I could earn her favor, life in the ducal house might become a little easier.
In this dark and dangerous den of villainy, Duchess Lukella was once called the “Empress of Darkness.”
Even this extremely dangerous woman had one—and only one—vulnerability.
‘And that is…’
While I was deep in thought,
Duchess Lukella stared coldly at Father and me. Her gaze alone carried enough pressure to silence any ordinary person.
Anxiously, I instinctively swung my legs back and forth.
She glanced at me and bluntly asked,
“Why did you bring that along?”
“I wanted Mother to meet Cien.”
Father’s voice was as clear and composed as a polished bead.
“Send her out first. I have something to discuss regarding the succession. First, about the trial concerning the Demon of Gudo that you caused—”
“—That discussion would be better held later.”
At the mention of the “Demon of Gudo incident,” my ears perked up.
But before I could satisfy my curiosity, Father sharply cut off the Duchess’s words. Naturally, Duchess Lukella’s expression turned grim.
She, who had remained expressionless until now, clearly looked furious.
Since Duchess Lukella was the first person Father met upon entering the manor, I suspected—though it was only a guess—that she had lifted his banishment and allowed him to return to the family.
Yet he’d interrupted her mid-sentence! Even I would be angry if I were the Duchess.
‘Father just cut off Grandmother mid-sentence! We should be trying to impress her, not make things worse!’
Just as I stomped my feet in worry, Duchess Lukella lowered her gaze slightly and muttered,
“Your arrogant attitude hasn’t changed at all.”
It almost sounded like I heard a phantom whisper: ‘I could kill you right now.’
I tightly clenched my soft little hands.
Dangerous.
It felt like a death flag had already been raised!
Duchess Lukella was dependable to her allies but mercilessly eliminated anyone who displeased her. To provoke her like this was unthinkable.
‘At this rate, won’t Father and I be killed the moment we step into the ducal house?’
Yet Father remained perfectly calm.
Ignoring Duchess Lukella’s words, he gently stroked my head and said kindly,
“Cien, shall we go see the Maid Sisters?”
Father affectionately patted my head. I nodded, but I knew special measures were needed.
This grandmother clearly despised both Father and me—her icy stare alone was enough to freeze warm water solid.
I made a serious decision.
Alright, I’ll use the Duchess Lukella charm strategy!
“Okay, Father! Cien will be right back!”
Watching Father and Grandmother talk, I squeezed and released the twin braids Father had carefully done for me, steeling my resolve.
‘Father is clearly too pure and clueless. So I have to take action myself.’
I hopped off Father’s lap.
“I’ll call a maid. Leave.”
Grandmother haughtily scanned me and spoke. At that moment, I hurried over to her side with my tiny feet.
“Cien?”
“What are you doing?”
Father’s and Grandmother’s voices echoed in my ears, but I ignored them and stood right beside Grandmother’s chair. Since I was slightly shorter than the desk, only the top of my round head would be visible to Father.
‘I must exploit Duchess Lukella’s weakness!’
To protect Father—the only family I had—I stood before this villainous grandmother.
It was a little… no, very scary, but I had no choice. I pressed my plump, rice-cake-like arms against my sides and glared up at her.
Duchess Lukella looked down at me impatiently and asked,
“What is it?”
“Harmony!”
Sparkling eyes activated!
With the determination of unleashing my ultimate move, I gazed at her with starry, shimmering eyes. Clasping my soft, dumpling-like hands in front was just a bonus.
Grandmother frowned and said,
“What did you say?”
Her gaze had visibly hardened into ice.
But I widened my eyes even more, shot out my sparkling eye beams, and spoke,
“Cien is Harmony, right? I missed you so much!”
I deliberately stretched my words in an extra-cute, innocent-child manner!
There was a reason I acted this way.
During the Thieves’ Guild massacre in the novel, Duchess Lukella had risked danger to release all the children.
Because, surprisingly, she didn’t dislike children—in fact, she adored cuteness.
Of course, all children feared Duchess Lukella. Even the kids from villainous families ran away from her, calling her an evil sorceress.
That hadn’t changed much, even now that she’d fallen to the status of a backroom elder.
‘After all, the image of the tiger who once ruled the world still lingers.’
So I’m targeting an untapped niche! I bet Duchess Lukella has never seen a cute, affectionate little kid like me! I kept my eyes wide open, closely watching her expression.
“Does Harmony not like seeing me?”
I puffed my cheeks like a plump seasonal shrimp and gave her an adorable smile.
‘Scary Grandmother, please! Don’t kill our pure Father!’—that was the look I gave her.
Meeting my sparkling eyes, Grandmother wore an unreadable, peculiar expression.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (3)
The duchess doesn’t look that scary; I think she’ll become a Sin follower.
What is this? My baby Celine is so beautiful and sweet. I hope Celine doesn’t get hurt.
Our dear Sin walks around attracting bees; she is very cute.
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Miioo
It’s cute to see her trying to protect her dad 😂💗