How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

‘At times Brantley can be too much!’

“No! I do have someone to go with!”

“I would suggest you stay in the dorms, don’t get yourself into trouble,” Brantley said, his silver eyes full of laughter.

‘I thought he had forgotten how to smile so brightly!’

I snapped, “I won’t listen to you, I’m going to the festival tonight.”

I snorted excitedly and trudged ahead. I could hear Brantley chuckling lightly as I followed.

 

***

 

But Brantley had underestimated me too much.

Katherine, Fritzka and…!

‘…….’

Yes, only Katherine and Fritzka. My friend circle wasn’t big. There were many people I would call friends, but few I would trust and take as a companion.

‘I was surprisingly cautious.’

And yet I still wanted to trust Brantley, who I hadn’t seen in years, so badly.

‘But he turned me down.’

Hmph!

I clenched my fist and walked down the corridor with determination.

“From now on, I’ll ask the first person I see to go with me.”

Was it a trick of fate? I found Fritzka leaning against the window sill in the hallway, reading a book.

Like Katherine, Fritzka needed a perfect score this term to graduate early.

‘I shouldn’t disturb him.’

My resolve broke that easily and I was brushing past him.

“Where are you going?”

But it was Fritzka who stopped me.

“Just a walk. Don’t mind me. You’ve been busy studying lately.”

I smiled and waved my hands.

Fritzka tilted his handsome face and asked, “Nothing to do?”

“Uh..?”

What’s with the sudden confrontation?

Fritzka had mellowed a lot since he was younger, but he still had a bit of a bossy side. He was probably annoyed that I had interrupted his studies.

I smiled awkwardly and tried to walk away.

But I couldn’t.

“If you have nothing better to do, come with me to the festival.”

“?”

Fritzka closed his book with a snap, “Let’s go to the festival together.”

And then, he leaped off the windowsill and stood in front of me. I felt like I shouldn’t say no.

“Well.. but aren’t you busy studying?”

“I am not.”

“But don’t you also need perfect scores to graduate early? You have to get perfect scores this semester.”

“That’s applicable for Katherine.”

Fritzka raised the corner of his lips, “As the student council president, I get extra credit. I just need to be in the top five this term.”

Fritka was implying that it would be achievable with minimum studies.

‘Which for them, were true.’

Katherine and Fritzka were both good at magic and intelligent students.

They just didn’t like attention much.

‘Well, in that case… I don’t see why I should say no!’

I smiled and nodded, “Great!”

Even without Brantley, I at least have a partner to go to the village festival with!

 

***

 

I was mistaken.

“How can you do this to me Fritzka….”

I muttered helplessly, crouching under the wall of my dormitory.

“Why aren’t you coming out…”

It was already over an hour past the appointment time.

‘He’s not usually late for appointments. What went wrong?’

I was leaning against the wall in frustration. I was trying to peek inside the dorm.

Just then, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Did you come, Fritzka?

I turned around with a wide grin on my face, “Fritzka, why are you so late… ah?”

“Hello, Hanelope!”

To my disappointment, standing there waiting for me was Thomas Purple, a boy with croissant-like hair.

“You’re going to the festival too?” I asked, not hiding my discomfort.

Thomas didn’t seem to notice and giggled.

“Yeah. I’m also going to the festival today. If you ask who I’m going with…”

“I see.”

I casually averted my gaze.

Thomas urgently shouted, “…You! I’m going to the festival with you!”

My eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.

“I’ve already decided to go with Fritzka.”

“But Fritzka won’t be able to make it.”

Thomas said without batting an eye.

“That’s impossible…”

As I was about to reply, I felt a sense of unease. Thomas was acting too confident.

“What did you do?”

“I paid the restaurant staff to put sleeping pills in Fritzka’s dinner.”

“What did you say?”

“Don’t worry. It’s a harmless pill. It will help him relieve all the fatigue from studying.”

Thomas said shamelessly. I took a step back with a look of disgust.

“If Fritzka can’t come, then I guess I’ll have to go back to my dorm, too.”

“What do you mean, I’m here!”

Thomas said in disbelief.

“I came all the way out here to accompany you!”

“I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“Hanelope, you really only think about yourself! In situations like this, you should consider the other person’s feelings and offer to go together. Honestly, if you weren’t His Highness’s daughter, I wouldn’t forgive you.”

I looked at Thomas with disdain.

“It can’t be helped, I’ll teach you manners step by step. Let’s talk about this tomorrow. Now as you’re alone…”

I leaned on the wall again. I was going to ignore Thomas and go back to my dorm.

“Hey!”

Thomas yanked my wrist roughly. Due to the tug, I lost my balance.

“Plop!”

I was about to fall into Thomas’s arms. The reality of it was so dreadful that I tightly shut my eyes.

“Thud!”

I was thrown into a warm embrace that didn’t match with Thomas’s appearance.

‘Ah? It feels hard. How can his muscles be so… huge!’

Was Thomas actually that buff?

Lifting my head I doubted my eyes. Black hair flowing in the moonlight, silver eyes gleaming coldly. The handsome man who was holding me was undoubtedly familiar.

“Brantley?!”

He smiled languidly as he picked me up and set me upright. It was the kind of smile that could make you feel enchanted.

“You weren’t lying when you said you had someone to go to the festival with after all..”

The next condescending comment snapped me out of the reverie.

“I- I really…!”

“Who are you?!”

Thomas, who had been lying on the floor, stood up. His forehead was bulging red. Brantley must have knocked him down when he tried to forcibly hug me.

“Who the f*ck do you think you are! Hanelope is with me… Ugh!”

Brantley punched Thomas in the nose without looking back. Thomas frothed at the mouth and fainted.

Seeing Thomas collapse, Bradley asked, “How is his condition?”

“He’ll probably wake up soon.”

“Then let’s go. To the festival.”

He extended his hand to me as if nothing had happened.

I placed my small hand on his big one and added, “I really did have someone to go with. Not him.”

“Alright. I’ll trust you.”

He said with a tone of distrust. But I couldn’t complain anymore.

“How do you know this path? I’ve been in Barbets for two years, and I didn’t know there was a road here.”

“When you’re a mercenary, wherever you go, you can find the rough roads that no one else knows.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! I want to be a mercenary!”

Brantley frowned, “Are you serious?”

“My dad’s in the borderlands right now, and he often writes to me about mercenaries. Being a mercenary is pretty cool.”

Brantley didn’t reply, but I could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t like my answer.

Anyway, thanks to Brantley, we reached the village quickly, despite spending so much time waiting for Fritzka.

The village was already bustling with colorful lights. People were dancing and singing. There were also many merchants selling various rare items.

But Brantley seemed reserved, keeping an eye on the surroundings.

Was this also a habit formed from mercenary work?

“Look at this!”

I tugged on Brantley’s wrist in frustration.

The big man followed my light gesture like a feather.

“What do you want me to see?”

He grumbled, pretending to be annoyed.

“This!”

I sat down in front of a hamster spinning on a wheel. I was intrigued by the shiny hamster. But up close, I realized it was a hamster-shaped toy.

When I showed interest, the vendor excitedly said,

“It’s a hamster controlled with magic. You won’t find anything like it even in the capital, it’s very rare…”

“Crude magic.”

Brantley said as he scooped up the hamster.

The hamster purred as if it were alive.

“Sir Knight!”

I quickly snatched the hamster away and put it back in its place. The hamster waved back at me as if it was grateful.

“Wow, he’s so cute!”

I exclaimed, cupping my hands around my cheeks, and seeing me Brantley laughed.

“Are you mocking me?”

I glanced at him sharply.

“What’s with that laugh?”

“I’ll buy it.”

“What?”

“How much for this shoddy toy?”

Before I knew it, I had a toy hamster in my hand.

“How can this be so expensive?”

“I’ll pay you back next time.”

“For what? The hamster?”

“Hmm.”

Brantley looked incredulous, “Do you know how much money a capable person like me can earn as a mercenary?”