I'll Protect the Tyrant Daddy! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
The Maid Sisters, who had been watching me curiously as I abruptly stopped my wobbly, determined steps, quietly opened their mouths.
“What’s the matter, Lady Cien?”
I had clearly seen them fidgeting anxiously the moment I halted. Yet the voices whispering in my ears hadn’t ceased—in fact, those kids deliberately opened their mouths wide as if insisting I keep listening.
“They say you’ll be driven out soon anyway. Then your head’ll go rolling off, won’t it?”
“Exactly! Good riddance!”
“Our house doesn’t need weak, wicked brats like you!”
I bit my lip hard.
‘Why are they so hostile? Didn’t Father and I just get exiled? What does “descendant of a wicked woman” even mean?’
Doubts swirled wildly in my mind.
I couldn’t tell whether their words were truth or mere rumor, but one thing was absolutely certain here and now:
They had insulted both me and Father.
‘Should I endure this humiliation for Father’s sake?’
I hesitated briefly, then firmly shook my head inwardly.
‘No. If I stay quiet, precious Father will hear even worse things. I need to show them I’m the craziest person in this whole district—then they won’t dare make a peep!’
These brats were clearly the type who grovel before the strong and bully the weak.
If I quietly swallowed this meaningless insult, an even bigger one would surely follow. Even though I’m just a ten-year-old kid, they’d dare insult my own Father next.
‘Father cries buckets of tears just seeing me hurt my hand picking fruit—if he hears such cruel words, he’ll sob his heart out for sure.’
At that thought, my fists clenched tightly.
‘I have to shut them up—just enough so Father won’t suffer any harm.’
Though I couldn’t silence those nasty uncles right now, I could certainly clamp these children’s mouths shut.
I turned my head toward them. Their eyes, filled with malice and mockery, stared right back at me.
“Was that about me?”
“Yeah.”
I’d expected resistance, but they answered surprisingly readily. Probably because it was common knowledge how kind my Father was—and perhaps also because we lived in the North Spire.
‘They’ve already turned me into an enemy. If I hold back now, they’ll just think I’m even more of a pushover.’
I couldn’t cause a major uproar within the family.
‘Alright, I’ve thought of a clever, indirect way!’
Of course, I had no intention of bursting into clumsy tears or hurling curses.
I blinked my eyes and looked straight at them.
“Say it again. What you just said. What does ‘descendant of a wicked woman’ even mean?”
I asked the short-haired child who seemed like their ringleader. Like a bouncing ball, he instantly replied as if he’d been waiting for the question.
“It means exactly that—you’re the descendant of a wicked woman! Get rid of those cursed eyes! You look just like the Spire Witch!”
I crossed my arms and glared at them.
I didn’t fully understand what “descendant of a wicked woman” meant.
But fine—I’d try a little leading questioning.
The Spire Witch?
Descendant of a wicked woman?
Clearly, there was a huge problem with their words.
I tilted my head and said to them,
“Oh! Now I get it. You guys are really mean, aren’t you?”
“What’s so mean about us?”
“Well, you are mean—but hearing it from you just makes me feel awful!”
They puffed up proudly at being called “mean.”
‘That’s exactly what shouldn’t happen…’
I gave a soft “Huh!” and decided to twist the conversation.
“Hmph. The Spire is where our Harmony told me to live, you know?”
“That’s right—you were driven out!”
“But I wasn’t driven out! So you’re saying our Harmony is such a terrible person that she’d cast out her own granddaughter?”
At the word “Grandmother,” the children rolled their eyes.
No matter how you looked at it, even they must fear “Duchess Lukella.” Though she held no real power now, she’d once ruled from the very top of the tower.
Mentioning Grandmother instantly deflated them like punctured balloons. But I had no intention of stopping there.
“And you called me a descendant of a wicked woman?”
“Y-yeah! You wicked-blooded brat!”
“If you’re willing to speak ill of our Harmony, then by saying ‘wicked woman,’ you’re calling our Harmony wicked too, right?”
“W-what nonsense!”
I glanced around quickly.
Within this estate at least, the Duchess still held a measure of weak authority—precisely because, with no heir yet named, Duchess Lukella managed part of the household affairs.
This was especially true among the maids.
Perhaps that’s why the maids, who’d shown no interest in my humiliation before, now all watched this scene with smug satisfaction.
To exaggerate slightly, it meant the Duke’s attendants and maids in the garden were all observing this incident.
I deliberately shouted in a very loud voice,
“I think our Harmony is the best person in the whole world! You guys are truly the worst!”
Flattery, like seasoning, was essential for survival.
I stared pointedly at the child who seemed their leader. His pouting expression was quite something to see.
“You’re not talking about the Duchess, right? Not about her!”
Their faces flushed bright red.
After all, when you panic, you’ve already lost.
“Then—who are you talking about?”
It might have sounded like a question, but I wasn’t expecting an answer.
In the shrillest voice a child could muster, I cried out,
“I heard everything! Our Harmony is so pitiful—she’s incredibly kind! She doesn’t deserve to be insulted by bad people! Don’t you dare call Harmony a wicked woman! And don’t call me a descendant of a wicked woman! Babuya!”
If there’d been any adults nearby to rein these kids in, they’d have pointed out the flaw in my argument.
But the moment I mentioned “the Duchess,” not a single adult present could interfere in this conversation.
I decided to drive in the final nail.
“Hey. When I receive lessons, Grandmother oversees my whole schedule, right?”
I narrowed my eyes into triangles and looked at the maid beside me.
“Yes?”
“Huh?”
“Oh—yes.”
The maid, unable to grasp my meaning, tilted her head in confusion.
“So you’ll have to report this incident too, right?”
“Oh! Yes, of course.”
“No, you mustn’t tell.”
I shouted deliberately, very loudly—
so everyone in the garden could hear.
“What? Why not?”
“Because… I’m worried our Harmony might get hurt.”
The maids exchanged meaningful glances with one another.
I placed my index finger over my lips and made a soft “Shh!” sound.
“It’s our little secret, okay?”
“Yes, of course.”
I didn’t know whether the maids from the North Spire would report this to the Duchess—they were already slaves to the coconut I’d given them.
But the maids scattered throughout the garden were different.
As the Duchess’s eyes and ears, they’d surely give her a thorough report of this incident.
Perhaps believing they’d face no consequences now that I’d spoken, the children lifted their chins and brazenly shouted,
“Hmph! So you’re scared, huh? Slave of the Spire!”
“Well, if I’m a Spire slave, then you’re a hopeless fool who can’t see an inch ahead!”
I gave the little child a bright, cheerful smile and poked the maid again.
The startled maid carefully looked down at the top of my head.
“But… why would they say such things about you?”
“Yes?”
Still smiling brightly, I delivered a sharp parental jab.
“It’s all because their parents raised them wrong.”
But it was true—and they threw the first punch, after all!
‘May you be dragged before the Duchess for your loose tongues!’
Those kids would be fine. It would be their parents who’d incur Duchess Lukella’s wrath. The dice were already cast—I’d just sit back, watch the show, and enjoy some rice cakes.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of people you’ll grow up to be, you nasty brats. But remember—this is all a secret, got it?”
I glanced quickly at the surrounding maids and attendants.
If there’s one sure way to make news spread far and wide, it’s to declare, “It’s a secret!”
The moment it becomes a secret, that news flies off as if it grew wings.
I was certain.
All of this would be reported to the Duchess within five minutes.
Already, a noticeable blue-haired attendant had swiftly hurried off toward the garden’s west side.
She chuckled inwardly and stepped into the mansion.
Those who speak ill deserve punishment in equal measure.
I’ll never tolerate it.
There’s an old saying, isn’t there? “Three times ‘endure’ makes you a doormat!”
‘But seriously… what does “descendant of a wicked woman” actually mean?’
I felt I needed to properly investigate this matter.
[This is the timeline separator]At that moment, a single gaze watched Cien from afar.
That gaze quietly followed her receding footsteps until they vanished in the distance, then disappeared elsewhere.
Though the intense stare was gone, the person remained.
The owner of that subtle gaze was none other than Leonhardt Mirmod—the boy who, in just a few minutes, would attend heir lessons together with Cien.
Roughly several dozen minutes had passed since he’d seen Cien in the garden.
Finally, the masked boy Leonhardt stepped into the heir classroom.
Before his eyes lay a large room, two desks placed starkly in the center, and a tiny child no bigger than a chestnut.
To take lessons alone with such a minuscule child—
some might consider it an affront to their pride.
Especially since he’d already gained some recognition for his genius-like talents; he could easily have thrown a tantrum, accusing them of disrespecting him because he was an adopted heir.
But Leonhardt was different. The boy wasn’t concerned with age—older or younger. And having just witnessed Cien’s little performance, he was even slightly intrigued.
Even if others might see him as aloof and expressionless.
‘I expected it to be boring, but maybe it won’t be so bad after all.’
—that was the extent of his impression.
Leonhardt was naturally quiet by nature.
It would be more accurate to say he simply had no desire to converse with anyone.
After all, no one paid him much attention, and he cared little for others in return.
But Cien was different.
Even Leonhardt, who rarely paid attention to rumors, knew the stories about Cien and her father, Archduke Matthias.
‘So that chestnut is the famous one…’
As he approached the desk, he carefully observed the child’s wheat-field-like hair and the plump cheeks visible even from behind.
‘…the one destined to be killed by Archduke Matthias?’
Encountering a child several years younger than himself was quite novel—it had been a long time.
She was bold, as if living a second life.
And likely the daughter of Archduke Matthias.
Of course, Archduke Matthias was such a dangerously unpredictable man that, if he deemed even his own daughter worthless, he’d discard her without hesitation—that much was obvious.
Recall how it was when Archduke Matthias himself underwent heir training: those who stood against him, and those who betrayed him, were torn apart and killed.
Such things were commonplace within noble families. But Archduke Matthias had shown an extra measure of cruelty—he’d mercilessly slaughtered even his own seemingly weak allies.
And yet, somehow, this little child Cien had survived until now.
She seemed clever enough, but undeniably frail in every way.
‘It’d be a shame if Cien died too soon.’
But it was time to end his musings. With his usual stiff expression, Leonhardt took the seat beside the child.
‘Let’s test her a bit.’
He intended to prod the child like poking a persimmon. Resting his chin in his hand, he glanced at Cien and casually tossed out a question.
Might as well start with what he already knew.
“Chestnut. What’s your name?”
The child called “Chestnut” primly turned toward him and spoke.
“I’m not Chestnut—I’m Cien.”
As the little one spoke with surprising boldness, her twin braids—likely tied crookedly by those odd maids—swayed and jiggled.
“Cien. Cien Mirmod?”
“Yeah.”
Cien turned her head away again. She’d lost interest in him almost instantly.
Apparently, nothing about Leonhardt sparked her curiosity.
Finding that amusing, Leonhardt gave a small smile.
‘She doesn’t even wonder about my mask. Well, she is Lord Matthias’s daughter.’
He’d expected as much from “that” Archduke Matthias’s daughter.
She probably grew up never feeling curious about anything at all.
‘Archduke Matthias must have abused her.’
With that man, it was entirely plausible.
Since joining the Mirmod family, the boy had overheard a few of its secrets—including the reason “Archduke Matthias” had been exiled.
He was always described as “ruthless and vicious.” Naturally—such a man could never have raised his daughter properly.
Leonhardt quietly spoke.
“You’re the daughter of ‘that’ Lord Matthias.”
So this tiny child was the daughter of “that” infamous, terrifying demon, Matthias Mirmod.
He’d expected a monster—but she looked more like a sweet little bird…
…not that she was actually sweet.
Leonhardt made a slight effort to maintain his stoic expression as he looked at Cien.
“Yeah.”
Cien yawned again, clearly reluctant to talk further.
But Leonhardt was different. He wanted to know what kind of life Cien had lived—whether she, like him, had hidden in someone else’s shadow, suffering under Matthias’s cruelty…
“…Right. In the family’s entire history, there’s never been anyone like Archduke Matthias.”
When Cien saw the conversation might continue about Archduke Matthias, she stared straight at him. Her eyes finally sparkled with interest.
Her reaction was understandable—after all, Leonhardt himself would get that same glint in his eyes whenever recalling those who’d abused him.
‘Yes, you surely know well your father’s cruel and heartless nature, Cien Mirmod.’
Many people commit evil deeds without a second thought—but no one possessed Matthias’s overwhelming power, elegant beauty, and sheer brutality all at once.
Nor had anyone ever vanished as if dead, only to return later.
And no one else carried such an overpowering presence just by standing still.
Leonhardt was curious about Matthias—and even more curious about Cien’s answer.
“Yeah. Of course there wasn’t.”
Watching Cien nod, Leonhardt calmly observed her expression. A faint blush rose on her soft, rice-cake-like cheeks.
Emotionally inexperienced, Leonhardt knew only one reason why someone’s face would redden:
fear.
‘I suspected it—and sure enough. Cien fears Lord Matthias. Even his own child receives no mercy.’
He’d naturally expected Matthias to oppress Cien. But seeing the little one’s flushed, tearful face stirred an odd, unpleasant feeling in his chest.
No matter what, where was the sense in tormenting such a tiny, dumpling-like child?
Though himself still a child, Leonhardt spoke flatly,
“Then you must also know you could die at any moment.”
Archduke Matthias might kill Cien anytime. Given his usual temperament, her death was merely a matter of time.
Would Cien understand this obvious truth?
Surprisingly, Cien nodded.
But her expression wasn’t one of despair.
“Yeah. But I’ll never give up. I’m gonna live.”
Leonhardt froze briefly, reading astonishing determination for survival in the child’s face.
Defiance and strength even against “that” Archduke Matthias…
So that’s why this little one hadn’t been killed by Archduke Matthias and had even entered the ducal household.
Thinking of her as a marvelously odd chestnut, Leonhardt added,
“Right. Live.”
Cien nodded repeatedly.
Leonhardt looked down at the tiny chestnut and nodded once more.
That chestnut… is pretty cool.
Bathed in sunlight, Cien squeezed her eyes shut and let out a light sneeze.
“Achoo.”
Huh.
She’s even cute.
Cien glanced sideways at him and whispered,
“Phew… just stop looking at me already.”
Leonhardt tilted his head.
“Why?”
“I think someone’s coming.”
Sure enough, quick footsteps echoed from outside.
He gave a soft chuckle and looked down at the chestnut-sized little one.
Strangely, he kept wanting to look at that soft face. Maybe because those cheeks reminded him of the slime he used to play with a few years ago.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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Miioo
Our dear Sin walks around attracting bees; she is very cute.