How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

“Jacob, is everything Hanelope said true?”

“Your Majesty, how can you believe the words of a child!”

“Duke Eisen, I asked Jacob, not you.”

The Emperor looked at Jacob. His whole body seemed to tremble.

Knowing that his son wouldn’t be able to answer, Duke Eisen spoke, ignoring the Emperor’s anger.

“Your Majesty, I suggest you summon some of Jacob’s friends…!”

“Ugh….”

Duke Eisen was about to call the bribed children as witnesses.

Jacob crossed his legs and let out a grunt.

A chill ran down the spine of everyone in the room.

‘No way…!’

‘Jacob again…!’

‘It can’t be…!’

The Emperor’s mind raced with horrible memories, and he shouted,

“Duke Eisen, admit your mistake and get out of here!”

“Yes? Y-Your Majesty, I’m sorry, I was wrong!”

The Duke of Eisen blushed and hastily admitted his error. He looked so desperate that he didn’t even seem to know what he was saying.

“Take him away! Not a single drop this time!”

“Ye-yes.. I’ll be on my way!”

Duke Eisen rushed out of the chamber, carrying Jacob, who was on the verge of exploding.

Despite his departure without adhering to the proper etiquette, the Emperor felt a sense of relief.

Hanelope also took a deep breath, as if she avoided a precarious situation. Brantley was comforting her with an air of dignity.

Only Professor Munich remained motionless. He wondered what was wrong with them, as he wasn’t aware that Jacob had wet his pants in front of the Emperor previously.

After the dust settled, the Emperor granted Brantley’s admission to the Academy.

And to calm the two surprised children, he sent them to a nearby room where snacks were prepared.

The sight of them walking away holding hands was adorable.

‘But it’s also strangely annoying.’

Was it because Hanelope took Brantley’s hand first?

‘Even with that little hand, how she confidently held the hand of a boy larger than herself, but… Hanelope took time holding mine.’

The Emperor didn’t know whether it was the fact that ‘Hanelope taking Brantley’s hand volunteeringly’ or ‘Hanelope and Brantley holding hands’ bothered him more.

It was a trivial worry, the first of its kind in his life.

The only things he had ever worried about were large-scale things like, like how to lead an empire and how to eliminate threats.

‘No, Hanelope prefers me. She must be worried that I would be upset if she held my hand first.’

The Emperor smiled secretly as he recalled the events of a little while ago.

“Your Majesty, what do you intend to do with Brantley?”, Professor Munich asked.

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened as he came out of his thoughts.

“He’s a great talent, and we should make the most of him. From the report you submitted, it was clear that he had exceptional qualities. It would be good to train him and have him join the Imperial Knights.”

“Isn’t there already a lot of talent in the Imperial Knights? I heard that a child of the same age as Master Brantley was recently admitted.”

“The more talent we have, the better.”

“Do you have other intentions, Your Majesty? Master Brantley is the son of Duke Eisen.”

The Duke of Eisen, he was the head of one of the most influential families in the empire, and the center of the Temple faction.

To the Emperor, Brantley was the heir apparent.

“What do you intend to do by giving power to the successor of Duke Eisen?”

“He’s a son despised by his father.”

“Even so, bloodlines can’t be denied. If he’s pushed away as Duke Eisen intends, he’ll become useless, and even if he becomes a duke, he’ll align himself with the Temple, just like his father.”

“Well, there are many possibilities in life, and as the Emperor, shouldn’t I consider all of them?”

“…….”

“Creating a thorn in Eisen Duke’s side through Jacob alone would be advantageous. Magnus is so obsessed with pulling Brantley out of the successor position, it will divert his energy away from other matters. After all, ‘Day of the Blessing’ is coming soon.”

Day of the Blessing.

It was a day to express gratitude to the God Prache for his blessings on humans.

According to legend, the early humans were short-lived. The cause was divine poisoning.

The world was filled with divine power, the energy of the gods. But the weak bodies of humans could not withstand the divine. Of the five gods who ruled the world, only Prache was concerned about humans.

The other four, who were evil, wanted humans to fear their power. Eventually, Prache waged war and sealed the demons away. He then blessed humans, ensuring that they would no longer be harmed by the divine.

The Blessing Day was a day of thanksgiving, and a day for the Temple of Prache to show off their power.

Duke Eisen was the High Priest’s backer and financier.

If he was distracted, preparations for the Blessed Day would be neglected.

“And what will you do if Duke Eisen and Duke Brantley get along?”

Hearing the Emperor snorted.

“That will not happen. The rift between them will only deepen as time goes on. Do you think I’ve appointed Brantley, an adopted son, the heir, for no reason?”

“So that the Young Master receives hatred from the Duke of Eisen?”

“Yes. If the tables are turned and the Duke of Eisen falls in love with his illegitimate son, so be it. It’s all over once I remove him.”

“!”

“Jacob would be a fool as the successor and destroy the Duke Eisen’s family. I’m fine with either outcome.”

Professor Munich swallowed hard.

He knew how ruthless the Emperor was, but his words felt particularly frightening.

Wrapping up the matter, the Emperor smiled. It was because the image of his granddaughter, who had cried with a flushed face, suddenly came to mind.

And when they left, holding hands with Brantley, she was smiling brightly.

‘That child..why does she care about what others will say…’

He was known as a monster without blood and tears. It can’t be denied that Hanelope’s involvement influenced his decision.

‘I wouldn’t have recognized Brantley’s abilities.’

Then and now.

When Brantley was with Hanelope, he expressed himself more than usual. Before meeting Hanelope, he was always shy and never made eye contact. Brantley didn’t just become more confident, he gained courage.

‘Where does that courage come from?’

The Emperor recalled the way the little boy had looked at Hanelope.

Joy, favor, and desire..

The Emperor was overcome by an unsettling feeling again.

“I am in favor of enrolling Young Master Brantley. I had no idea he was such an outstanding student,” Professor Munich said.

The Emperor nodded.

“Perhaps Duke Eisen will try to sabotage him. Keep a close eye on Brantley’s actions and quietly support him without drawing attention.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

Professor Munich added discreetly, “I heard from Professor Richter that Princess Hanelope advised admitting Young Master Brantley to the academy.”

“Is that so?”

The Emperor repeated, frowning.

“Yes, it seems that it was not simply because the Princess wanted to play with her friend, but because she saw something in Master Brantley.”

The Emperor nodded.

“My grand-daughter is truly an interesting child. I don’t know about other things, but Hart did a great job raising his child. His daughter is immaculate, just like him.”

Professor Munich’s ears perked up.

The Emperor was speaking in approval of Hart. It was something Munich hadn’t heard in recent years.

‘It’s all thanks to the admirable grand-daughter, the Emperor regained feelings toward his son, whom he had forgotten until now.’

Now was the chance.

“His Highness has raised her well. She’s even fond of you. Would you like to take this opportunity to get closer to His High…..”

“That’s the problem.”

The emperor sighed.

“A problem?

Professor Munich was puzzled. His next words baffled him even more.

“I’m clueless about Hanelope. Should I just take her away?”

If the person in front of him wasn’t the Emperor, Professor Munich would have cursed him.

Everything else was fine, but the Emperor’s attitude toward his son was truly beyond help.

“What a shame! I would have loved to have her by my side.”

“Your Majesty!”

Professor Munich summoned up all his patience and addressed the Emperor.

The Emperor looked at him with a dazed expression.

“Rather than thinking about taking her away, you should persuade His Highness.”

“Persuade? Me? He hates the idea of even talking to me.”

“Won’t you regret it, Your Majesty?”

“Once I get an opportunity, I’ll send Hart to….”

Professor Munich shuddered.

“Then… Princess Hanelope will cry!”

“Cry? Why?”

“She’s a weak girl who was worried about her grandfather’s academy being ruined. If she is separated from her beloved father, she’ll probably wail continuously. Isn’t that only natural?”

“…….”

“She might cry so much that the palace turns into a sea of tears, or she might melt like a cotton candy in her grief.”

“What nonsense…”

The Emperor tried to deny it, but the image of a sobbing Hanelope in his head left him at a loss for words.

It felt like his chest was throbbing.

“Well, if she keeps crying, her health might deteriorate, and she won’t be of any use to me. I guess I have no choice but to convince Hart.”

“Yes. Think of it that way…”

“Sending someone to deliver the invitation should suffice. After all, it’s been a long time since I met him.”

“If you get along with her father, Princess Hanelope will like her grandfather even more.”

“…Invite Prince Hart to the palace and host a grand banquet.”