How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

Duke Eisen held his breath as he looked up at the man before him. Despite the veil covering his face, he somehow seemed to be smiling.

“I needed to have a word with you, Your Grace.”
“You have something to discuss with me?”
“Yes. Come in.”

At Mut’s command, one of his subordinates, who had been waiting outside, entered carrying a box.

“I have something to show Your Grace.”

Mut opened the box himself. Duke Eisen’s jaw dropped when he saw what was inside. It was a Morning Glory flower with an intricate and elaborate pattern.

“Thi- This is…”
“This is a new variant we created.”
“I’ve never seen such a complex pattern. It must have been difficult to create…”

Duke Eisen, entranced, picked up the flower.

“Even in a bad market, this should fetch a good price.”
“Indeed, it’s truly beautiful.”
“So, I would like to propose an exclusive pre-order to Your Grace.”

“What did you say?”

Duke Eisen looked at Mut in surprise. Mut had never engaged in exclusive sales. Unlike other traders who often accommodated Duke Eisen.

‘Why is he doing this all of a sudden?’

Duke Eisen’s first reaction was suspicion. No matter how greedy he was, he was not naive.

“Why are you proposing an exclusive pre-order to me? Even with just a pre-order, people would flock with money.”
“As you know, the market is not in good shape these days. So, I want to collaborate with someone trustworthy to ‘set’ the price.”
“Set the price?”

Duke Eisen smirked and put the flower back down.

“To set the price, you’d need my substantial capital,” Duke Eisen grinned.

‘The advantage is mine.’

In truth, Duke Eisen’s financial situation was not what it used to be.

He still had a lot of money, but compared to the peak, it was a fraction of what it was.

‘I must use Mut well.’

Moreover, this new variant, though beautiful, seemed similar to existing variants.

It looked like a combination of popular variants.

‘It’s pretty, but not fresh. Given the current market, the price would initially be high, but it would soon drop.’

“Thank you for the good offer. I’ll think it over and give you an answer,” Duke Eisen spoke with an air of superiority and left the room.

‘That mere trader is trying to stand above me, not a chance.’

Duke Eisen walked back toward the auction house with an arrogant attitude.

 

***

 

Just then, a new auction was beginning.

“The next item is from a new seller who has never auctioned here before!”

The auctioneer presented a long glass dome.

Inside it bloomed a vibrant Morning Glory, reminiscent of the early morning air. It looked as if morning dew would soon sparkle on it.

The freshness was matched by a sweet, delicate fragrance.

It was the purebred flower that once captivated the hearts of the people of Berg.

“What is this? It’s just a plain old purebred flower.”
“Who would buy that these days? Even with many patterned variants, prices are falling.”

People scoffed and ignored the auction item.

Duke Eisen was no different.

“Is the auction house so desperate? They’ve hit rock bottom, accepting such trash. Let’s go.”

Just as he was about to leave with his guards, the lights in the auction house suddenly went out.

“What is happening? Who turned off the lights!”
“Turn them back on! Light some lamps!”

The startled crowd began to panic.

Duke Eisen clung to his guards, unsure of what to do.

Amid the confusion, a strange murmuring arose.

“What is that blue light?”
“It’s so beautiful. Is someone auctioning a decorative lamp?”
“That’s not a lamp. That is… no, it can’t be…!”

Inside the transparent glass dome, the once unimpressive purebred flower was now emitting a mesmerizing blue light.

Duke Eisen was spellbound by the flower which glowed softly like a moon at dawn.

Its beauty was so overwhelming it made his heart tremble.

Even someone like him, who saw the Morning Glories merely as a means to make money, was captivated by the glowing flower’s beauty.

Flash!

Just as everyone held their breath, staring at the flower, the lights came back on.

People began to protest.

“Turn the lights off again!”
“We want to see it a bit longer!”

The auctioneer smiled awkwardly and said, “I think we’ve already demonstrated the value of this variant.”

He was right. Everyone present had seen every possible variant. But they were all captivated by the luminous Morning Glory.

“This luminous Morning Glory is a variant like no other you’ve seen. The seller has put up a contract to sell one bulb of this variant in three months.”

People groaned in disappointment. They wouldn’t be able to obtain the flower immediately even if they won the auction!

Despite this, their desire to own it was palpable.

“Let’s start the bidding. The price is…”

The auctioneer smiled at the crowd, who were swallowing their dry throats in anticipation.

“5,000 Defars.”

The auction house fell silent.

5,000 Defars!

At the height of the Glory market, popular variants had exceeded that price. But now, prices are falling. Moreover, this variant came from a new seller.

Trust was hard to secure.

While everyone hesitated, someone called out.

“10,000 Defars!”

Someone doubled the starting price, raising their paddle.

The auctioneer smiled as if expecting this.

“Duke Eisen has bid 10,000 Defars. Any higher bids?”
“11,000 Defars!”

Once Duke Eisen broke the ice, others quickly followed suit, raising their hands.

The auction house heated up as if the market never saw a decline. The price soared, finally settling at over ten times the starting price.

The auctioneer handed the contract to the winning bidder.

“Congratulations, Duke Eisen.”
“Can you arrange a meeting with the seller?”

Duke Eisen requested.

The auctioneer looked hesitant.

“The seller values privacy. We received the item through an intermediary.”
“How can I spend this much money and not meet the seller!” Duke Eisen snapped.

The auctioneer hesitated before speaking, “Let me ask the intermediary.”
“Tell them to meet me immediately!”

The auctioneer hurried off and soon returned with a bright expression.

“The seller agreed to meet immediately upon hearing the winning bidder is Duke Eisen.”
“I knew it. Lead the way,” Duke Eisen felt proud.

‘They always change their tune when they hear my name.’

It was odd that Mut, despite knowing his identity, maintained an arrogant attitude.

‘That irritating fellow can’t be my benefactor. It must be a misunderstanding. Compared to the glowing variant, Mut’s variant is boring.’

As they entered the room, a masked seller was waiting.

‘Again a mask!’

Duke Eisen recalled the fortune teller’s words.

“Pay attention to someone who seems suspicious and secretive. They may not reveal their face, but they are more trustworthy than anyone. This special person will bring you an unexpected, shining treasure. Do not miss this person.”

‘A shining treasure!’

It was undoubtedly referring to the luminous flower.

‘So it wasn’t Mut but this person who is my benefactor!’

Duke Eisen looked down at the seller with a joyful expression. Suddenly, he noticed the seller’s small frame and long hair.

‘What? Is it a woman?’

She was wearing riding pants for convenience, suggesting she was a young woman, as older people wouldn’t dress like that. Her face behind the mask was likely youthful.

‘That makes things even easier.’

Duke Eisen smiled slyly and took a seat.

“Hello, I am Hellas, the seller of the luminous Morning Glory. You wished to meet me?”

“Yes. I’ll get straight to the point. I want exclusive rights to pre-order your luminous variant.”
“Exclusive rights?”

Exclusive pre-order sales were what Mut had proposed to Duke Eisen.

‘If I’m going for an exclusive purchase, this one is better.’

Up until now, variants differed only in color and pattern.

Variants were created through a virus. Morning Glory bulbs infected by the virus mutated to produce different colors and patterns. But there had never been a variant that glowed in the dark.

‘I don’t know how she did it, but this seller has a unique technique. It won’t be easy for others to replicate.’

In that case, even in this declining market, the luminous variant’s price wouldn’t drop.

Moreover, if the luminous variant’s price skyrocketed, it would positively impact the prices of other variants.

‘The luminous variant is the only way to maintain the craze.’

Fortunately, while Hellas seemed skilled at creating good variants, she appeared inexperienced in financial dealings.

“Why should I give you exclusive rights? I can make a lot of money selling at auction.”
“You only know half the story. If you sell such a precious variant to just anyone, the price will drop. I’ll buy it at a high price and drive the price even higher.”
“……”
“From what I see, you got lucky creating a good variant, but this seems to be your first time doing such a thing. Why not partner with me?”
“Partner with you, Your Grace?”
“Yes. It would be much easier for you to work under me. As my person, you could rise from a mere merchant to the upper class. I wouldn’t spare any support for you.”
“……”
“The contract terms will be generous, and the profit share won’t disappoint. I’ll even give you a house in the capital as a token of appreciation.”

Hellas pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Thank you for the generous offer.”
“I’ll take that as an acceptance…”
“I’ll give you my answer after some more thought.”

 

 

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Hello everyone! I had to take some time off due to my personal issues. I’m finally back with a mass release. If things go as planned, I’m hoping to wrap up HPMSMLD within this week. I’m currently speedrunning chapters, so if you find any mistakes please let me know. You can comment on chapters, specify the issue on our Discord or DM me. Thanks for reading & have a good day!!