How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

“How can Asta be saved?”

The man, smiling like a predatory animal, asked. However, his slender eyes were full of life.

My heart, which was already small, turned into the size of a pea.

‘How can a man with such a handsome face have eyes that look like they could kill someone at a blink?’

Brilliant golden hair shimmering in the sunlight. Red eyes that sometimes shone like rubies, sometimes resembled a small pool of blood. A high-bridged nose and sharp chin. And even a strong impression that has a tint of sensitiveness.

This fearsome, yet beautiful man is Hart von Reinhardt.

He was the first prince hated by the Emperor and a follower of Saint Asta Appel.

‘And a man who has no mercy for all living things except Asta.’

Hart was out of his mind right now.

A few days ago, Asta had collapsed after eating a cookie given to her by the Duke of Eisen.

It must have been an attempted poisoning, but no one knew what kind of poison was used or what the antidote was. The prime suspect, Duke Eisen, kept his mouth shut saying that he did not do it, and there was no evidence refuting his claim. Asta’s followers were furious and on the verge of going berserk. Hart was the most ardent follower among them. He could barely contain his desire to slaughter the Duke of Eisen.

So here he was, the first prince of the Empire, scouring the back alleys of the slums to find a way to save Asta.

Hart has already met all kinds of braggarts and swindlers, and is in a state where he’s naturally ticked off.

I jumped in front of Hart saying, “I know how to save the Saint!”

‘Actually, my appearance was unplanned.’

I’m admitting it. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. But for me, this was the only way I could meet Hart von Reinhardt.

“If there’s a lie in your words, you have to give up your life.”

Hart warned coldly. But it wasn’t a threat.

Had it not been for the special circumstances of Asta who was wandering between life and death, I would have died the moment I dared to jump in front of the imperial Prince.

‘I must seize this opportunity, as this won’t come again.’

I replied with a determined face, “Yes!”

“…haa.”

Hart looked down at my two clenched fists like chestnuts and sneered. The crowd of onlookers also let out a sigh. It was clear that they thought that this little girl would soon die.

“What are you guys doing to let a child who can’t tell the difference between heaven and Earth appear before me?”

Hart scolded his subordinates fiercely.

‘I guess it wasn’t enough…’

I swallowed the tears of sorrow in my heart.

‘But, I thought the way I answered was quite dignified!’

I had straightened my back and answered clearly with a grown-up expression. Of course, I knew that I didn’t appear trustworthy.

I was small even for a seven-year-old. 

Round and puffy cheeks that look like they’re full of glutinous rice cakes.  A slight flush covering baby fat.

No matter how hard I try, the pink eyes keep ‘glittering’.

‘I can’t deny that I look like a baby among babies.’

Still, even though I was a toddler who seemed to be just good at rolling around, I really knew how to cure Asta.

‘Because this was an event in the novel < The Returned Villainess Dreams of a Happy Ending >, and I was a reader of that novel.’

The novel was a classic villainess’s regression story.

The protagonist, Asta Appel, gets everything stolen from her by a trans-dimensional Saint, Yenna, and then returns to get revenge.

Hart von Reinhardt is a supporting character that dies before the ending. But he was the one who brought tears to the readers, who poured their heart in the comment section. The pure love Hart had for Asta moved them.

Usually Reinhardt lived as if he had three sets of words etched, ① Don’t hesitate to act dangerously,  ② Don’t mind being cursed at,  ③ Don’t hesitate to die. In front of Asta, he’s a naive man who wouldn’t mind putting himself in danger even if it results in fatality.

His devotion was so insane that readers were divided on whether it was love, loyalty or illness. He was committed to Asta but there wasn’t any emotional entanglement. His devotion felt more like he was serving Asta than liking her.

I, too, was enthusiastic about Hart’s purity, but didn’t feel the chemistry between the two.

‘Anyway, I remember every single episode where Hart was mentioned!’

How could I forget? The parts that were emotional and explosive, that’s where Hart was! So it was only natural me who was even nicknamed a ‘slave for angst’, to have Hart von Reinhardt as my favourite character.

Of course, it’s unlikely that Hart would say, “Oh, I see, you’re a possessor, then please go ahead and kindly rescue Asta.”

I needed a trick to make him believe in this little guy.

“Clean this up right now!”

As soon as Hart commanded harshly, his men started approaching me.

I darted away like a flying squirrel, clinging to Hart’s waistband.

“What is it?”

Hart’s well-drawn lips twitched in displeasure.

“My mother, she was a brilliant physician! I learned everything from my mum! I really know how to wake up the Saint!”

No matter how desperately I tried to speak, the words kept fumbling out of my lips.

Disbelieving, Hart laughed coldly at her infantile behaviour.

“I don’t care what kind of quack your mother was. I’ve already searched through the Empire. They were all idiots.”

“My mum is different! My mum said that she even fixed the headache of the prince!”

Suddenly he flinched.

“Your mother couldn’t possibly be…”

“Yes! My mum’s name is Laura Ko…!”

 

***

 

It was then-

“We found the child’s guardian!”

Hart’s subordinates dragged a couple out of the crowd.

“They were looking for a child with blonde hair and pink eyes. They said the child they were with went missing a few minutes ago.”

It horrified the couple to see me grabbing the hem of Hart’s shirt.

‘Uncle Sandy and Aunt Judy!’

They were the landlord couple who had been taking care of me since my mum died. When Mum was alive, I thought they were good people, but they were actually bad people who were after her money. They were the ones who brought me here.

‘Are you shaking like a drowning mouse right now? While you always act like a tyrant before me!’

You’re scared that you’re going to get in trouble for me, aren’t you?

I laughed and felt my nerves relax.

Their face cracked seeing me wave and smile.

“Oh, no, that’s not our child!”

“Well, I’ve never seen a girl like her before! Please spare us!”

‘How shameless of you! You had me clean the stable just yesterday.’

I snorted and looked up at Hart.

“They’re not my mom and dad! Aunt Judy and Uncle Sandy said they brought me here to sell as a slave!”

The surroundings became quiet as if someone had poured cold water on them.

Imperial law forbade the slave trade. Trading in child slaves, in particular, was a crime punishable by death.

Hart angled his well-chiseled face and stared at Aunt Judy and Uncle Sandy.

“Is there any truth in what this child says?”

“N-No! Being sold as a slave? That’s a misunderstanding! When her parent died and we’ve been feeding and raising something that’s not even ours!”

“She’s just an overly imaginative child and a good liar. We are being wronged!”

Hearing the couple’s plea, Hart smirked.

“At least it’s true that are this child’s guardians. How dare you lie in front of me!”

Only then did the couple realize their mistake and thought twice.

“Drag them away.”

Aunt Judy and Uncle Sandy were dragged away crying & bawling.

I stuck my tongue out at them.

‘The only reason I followed them this far was because I knew that Hart was coming around here from the original development. Now go say ‘hi’ to prison!’

Thump

“….…”

I woke up with a bump, the top of my head started stinging.

I looked up to see Hart glaring at my tongue sticking out.

Hart looked annoyed.

I put my tongue in quickly, and smiled at him.

“Go away, little guy. If you leave at this point, I’ll spare your life.”

Hart said as if he had cleaned up a mess.

‘No! When did he reach there?’

I’ve already risked my life! Clinging to his leg, I prepared myself to be kicked. But he didn’t shake me off, just slightly frowned his brows.

“I’ll take you to the Imperial orphanage.”

“You’re letting me go? I could really save Lady Asta’s life.”

I crooked my head and rolled my pink eyes that resembled strawberry candies.

“I’m not stupid enough to listen to a kid like you, no matter how desperate I am.”

“It’s said that one would even catch a cat’s tail if they drowned in water…”

“It’s a dragon tail.”

“Hmph.. It’s the same thing.”

“It’s quite different, kid.”

Hart said without hiding a hint of pity.

‘It was a straw in Korea! Don’t you just need to hold onto a thing?’

I could hear a sigh above my head, as if someone had read my rude thoughts.

“I really want to split up your body.”

“What?”

I gasped and clutched my precious belly.

“I wonder how big of a heart you have to act with such recklessness. Do you know what it is to die young?”

Hart said with a cold face.

A normal child would be frightened and bawl, but I knew. Even though he was talking like this, Hart was surprisingly generous to a child.

I stared at Hart with a ‘who do you think I am?’ look on my face.

“Do you think I’m a baby? When I die, I’ll be like my mum.”

At the thought of my mum’s death, my mood suddenly sank. Hart’s eyes drooped, and he asked me nonchalantly.

“Oh, right. You said your mother was dead. You said your mom’s name was ‘Laura’..…”

For a moment, Hart’s face hardened.

I quickly added, “Uh, yes. Laura! Laura Koch! My mum, she was a really smart physician, and I’m smart like her!”

I tried to sound unaffected, but my voice trembled. I was so sad, I thought my heart would break at any moment.

“…Laura, Koch.”

Hart’s eyes trembled like facing an earthquake as he muttered my mum’s name.

I stared at him. Displaying the similar pink eyes like mum.

This was my trick.

‘Come on, try to remember. Remember Mum, and recognize me!’

As if reliving an indelible scar of the past, Hart asked in a deep voice.

“What is your name?”

“My name, it’s Hanelope.”

It was a name that I barely uttered while swallowing tears.

The very name you and mum had promised to give, if you ever had children, Hanelope.

“That’s my name.”

Hart asked urgently, as if he’d forgotten what I just said.

“Where is your mum now?”

My heart sank at his seemingly loss of composure.

“I told you, my mum, she got sick and went to heaven…”

The voice that escaped her tiny lips was filled with tears. My mother’s death was not dull in my memories at all. The shock spread over Hart’s face, which was as sharp as a well-decorated sword and as arrogant as a victory statue.

But the handsome face became more and more blurred.

The tears that had been pooling in my eyes finally began to fall.

“My mom went to heaven, ungh, I know what it means to die now. Hanelope and mum can never meet again. Ungh…”

Eventually, I burst into tears.

The expression of my favourite, my biological dad was twisted strangely.