How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

The moment we saw the paper, both my father and I turned to ice.

《 Application for Admission to the Imperial Academy 》

Beneath the crisp lettering, there was a jumbled signature.

《 Honolope vom Bairheardt》

I was so embarrassed.

‘The Emperor deserved to laugh at me….’

I covered my face with my hands.

Dad’s face twisted as the Emperor sneered again.

“What did you say that made her cry and force herself to sign?”

“It was a voluntary act.”

“That’s not possible, Hanelope would never sign something like that… What did you threaten my daughter with?”

“Threaten? I was merely praising your paternalism for procuring the Morning Glory before it was officially imported.”

I opened my eyes in surprise. My reddened, tearful eyes must have looked like those of a rabbit.

‘But that’s not what he told me.’

Seeing the look on my face, Dad sighed in understanding.

“You’ve been teasing her, haven’t you? Did His Majesty say I did something wrong to get the fruits?”

‘No way?!’

I looked at the Emperor with a sense of betrayal.

“I merely asked how you obtained it, and whether she knew.”

“You already know everything, so why did you ask this child? To scare her, I suppose.”

“Then, do you think it’s justified to sweep away everyone else’s contracts and monopolize the import?”

I was stunned.

‘You were the one who canceled the contracts?’

“It’s not illegal.”

“If it’s not illegal, why did you conduct the transaction using an anonymous proxy? Probably because you didn’t want to get caught by me.”

“It’s only because I didn’t want to get summoned by His Majesty and come here. It wasn’t like I was trying to make money anyway.”

“Of course you weren’t. You’re not going to make a profit on the foolish down payment you put down!  Why on earth would you do that? It’s not like your daughter is going to be able to keep all those Morning Glory Berries to herself…”

“I intend to give them all to my daughter.”

My father cut in decisively.

I looked at him, suspecting my ears.

He looked so dignified that my astonishment seemed odd.

‘But all I needed was a few unripe Morning Glory berries.’

Moreover, how did he manage to get it before the official import period?

“Forget it. What can I talk to you about? Hope your daughter has a good time at the academy.”

“If you have any complaints about me, punish me instead. I’ll accept any punishment. Leave my daughter alone.”

“If you didn’t commit any illegal acts, why should I punish you? Your daughter signed the application form herself. I can’t overlook that.”

“Even if she signed it, it’s only valid with her guardian’s permission.”

“As her grandfather, I am her guardian.”

“My rights override yours.”

“Your parental rights can be taken away for this arrogant behavior.”

The Emperor said coldly.

I looked at the Emperor with hurt eyes.

‘What a tyrant!’

How much did my father suffer because of his heartless pursuit of his goals?

“Does His Majesty intend to become a full-fledged tyrant?”

Dad asked in a chilling voice.

“In your eyes, wasn’t I always like that?”

The Emperor said as if it were no big deal, then added.

“I am fond of your daughter. I will not have her do anything that will harm her.”

His voice was tyrannical, but he was sincere.

But Dad didn’t answer, and he led me out.

His breathing was ragged as he walked quickly out of the palace.

He was angry.

“Dad, I’m sorry, I was stupid and signed my name….”

I whispered, poking my fingers into his chest.

He paused and looked down at me with a sympathetic expression.

“It’s not your fault. It’s the fault of an adult who deceived a child. And it’s my fault for not being able to protect you.”

He bit his lip hard as anger rose again.

“If you say no, I’ll take action right away.”

Action?

Are you going to rebel against the Emperor’s orders? Are you going to revolt?

No way…

‘He was really going to do it….’

The look in his eyes frightened me.

I forced a smile.

“I’m fine! I think school will be fun!”

“If you’re deliberately pretending to be fine, you don’t have to.”

“I’m serious! I think it’ll be easier than my lessons with Duchess Moltke!”

Without realizing it, half of my sincerity slipped out.

My father paused. He must have found some truth in my words.

I spoke in a deliberately cheerful voice.

“It would be great if I can lessen Duchess Moltke’s lessons! Don’t you think so?”

My father, who had been watching me with a mix of emotions, nodded his head.

“Then you can go for a while. If you don’t like the academy, just tell me.”

“Yeah, I will!”

I nodded vigorously, and he patted me on the back.

“But why were you so scared? Did you really think I got the fruits in the wrong way?”

I blushed.

“N-no. That’s not it…..”

“You still don’t trust me.”

Dad muttered, unable to hide his disappointment.

“No! You did nothing wrong, Dad. I’m just a bad kid. Dad, I’m sorry I didn’t trust you…”

“To be honest, I did consider smuggling for a moment.”

Surprised, I opened my mouth.

My father continued with a composed expression,

“But then I thought of another way. When you trade in bulk, the other party usually gives you a specimen. Since the berries are imported from a faraway land, and there are so many people who want to buy them without a sample, it became a custom to not accept it. So, I decided to receive the sample of the berries by offering several times the amount as a condition for the large contract.”

‘Wow…’

I still couldn’t close my mouth.

I was once again amazed by my dad’s strategy (?) and wealth.

‘This way, we can get the berries legally before the official import season!’

My dad is really cool!

However, my father seemed to misunderstand my reaction and reassured me.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything bad anymore.”

“I know. I will trust you from now on! My dad is a good person.”

I said, clinging tightly to my father’s neck.

He seemed startled by my words, but soon smiled gently.

 

***

 

I kept looking out the window as I sat in the carriage.

‘How far have we come?’

I stomped my foot to try and relax, but it didn’t work.

The nervousness of the first day at school- I thought I already graduated from that feeling in my previous life.

I didn’t know I would end up enrolling in a new school like this.

Today was the day I entered the Imperial Academy.

The Imperial Academy was a place where education in various fields was provided, and it trained students to become mages.

At the same time, it was an institution that cultivated imperialism to fight against the temple.

That’s why the Emperor paid special attention to it.

If I was found to be incompetent, I’ll be thrown out.

My plan to reconcile the Emperor and my father would be thwarted.

‘Can I do it?’

I barely manage to swallow a small sigh.

It was because my father and Sherry were in the carriage.

“If I sigh, they’ll worry.”

In front of them, I had bravely said, “I’m fine!”

Because my father, until this morning, kept saying, “If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”

“Miss, would you like some candy?”

Sherry asked, opening a small bag.

The cute little bag that was mine. I could hang it on my shoulder.

My stationery was put in the bag. I would carry them for the lessons, since neither Sherry nor dad could enter the classroom.

The bag wasn’t the only thing I had prepared.

Today I was dressed a little differently than usual.

It was a suspender dress with plenty of room for movement.

‘I asked for pockets too!’

When you’re studying, you have to be comfortable with your body as well as your mind.

I had prepared everything.

“Eating something sweet will help you relax.”

Even so, it seemed like I was showing signs of tension.

I laughed awkwardly and accepted the candy Sherry offered.

My dad, who was observing the scene, asked, “Sherry, did you prepare all the stationery in the bag?”

“Yes, the master asked me to make sure Miss would not be comfortable using new stationery, so I prepared everything last night.”

“How about handkerchief and scented pouch?”

“I washed and dried them properly, and put them in neatly.”

“Everything seems fine, but we may need to add more snacks.”

“The master has already added more chocolates in the morning. If Young Miss eats more than that, it will ruin her teeth.”

Sherry protested to my father.

My father closed his mouth with a dissatisfied expression.

‘You worry more than you look, Dad.’

For the past week, Dad had been fussing over things.

He was worried about his seven-year-old daughter’s entrance to school.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t pack a communication device.”

“Master, it is prohibited to bring any magical tools other than those allowed by the Academy.”

Even after arriving at the academy, the conversation between the two of them continued.

Thanks to them, I wasn’t bothered by the vast and imposing appearance of the academy or the curious and wary eyes looking at me as a newcomer.

Sherry stayed in the waiting room, and only my father and I entered the interview room.

‘This was as far as Dad could get in.’

In the interview room, Vice Chancellor Frank was waiting.

‘The Chancellor is nominally the Emperor, so the Vice Chancellor is the highest ranking member of the faculty.’

Otto Frank came from a family of mages. He had worked as a mage for a noble family before becoming a professor at the Academy.

“Welcome, Your Highness. I’m Otto Frank, the man who will oversee the Princess’s education from now on.”

“A pleasure..”

Frank clasped his dad’s outstretched hand with both hands and bowed deeply.

He was overly kind. Maybe a bit obsequious?

Frank briefly explained to his father how the lecture would work.

“I will leave her in your care.”

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

It was time for Dad to leave. But he seemed reluctant to leave. Then he made up his mind, bent down, and met my eyes at the same level.

“With the education you’ve received so far, you’ll be able to keep up with the lectures just fine. There’s no need to be too nervous.”

“Okay!”

“You don’t need to worry about magic classes either. You’ve already learned the basics in advance. And if anyone bothers you, don’t make a fuss and….”

Dad lowered his voice.

“…take care of it quietly.”