chapter 19
“Don’t come near me! Pig! Hippo! Ugly! Fat! You stink! Did you just pee? How long has it been since you last washed? Ugh, your breath smells! Gross! Eww! You’re so ugly! Even the fat one over there won’t like you!”
With each insult, the man’s face turned redder and redder.
“W-what… has this crazy kid lost it…? Do you even know who you’re talking to…!”
The rotund man, unable to control his anger, swung his foot wildly.
Celestine, not expecting such madness in such a crowded place, shut her eyes tightly.
Suddenly, her body was lifted.
Thud!
There was a heavy sound, but no pain at all. Not even the slightest wobble.
“Who… who are you?!”
“…How dare you put your foot on someone’s daughter?”
Wait… that voice…
“Dad?”
“My daughter. If you sneak out and don’t return until this late, you worry me, don’t you?”
“I-I’m sorry. Today just…”
Cough, cough.
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
‘It’s way past time for her medicine.’
Normally, she should have returned quickly, but she had lingered to ensure the previous winners were attended to, making her late.
“Let’s take your medicine first.”
“Who… who are you? You’re the father of this obnoxious—”
Her father stared at the man silently. The man immediately shut his mouth.
His usually expressionless face was now cold and rigid, harder than anything Celestine had ever seen.
Although he was always reserved and spoke little, now he was… even more intimidating.
“Trying to lay a hand on a child is utterly pathetic. Were you the second son of Baron Wibble?”
Flinch.
The man froze, staring at her father in shock.
“How… how do you know…?”
“With your level of decency, you can’t inherit anything properly and will only end up roaming gambling halls like a worthless trash.”
“That’s—!”
“How dare you…”
Her father’s face contorted like a fierce warrior as he gritted his teeth.
“How dare you touch this child without knowing who she is.”
“….”
At that single phrase, a warmth spread through Celestine’s chest. She felt comforted by his affection, her cheeks flushing automatically.
“We should formally file a complaint against the Wibble Baron family for this.”
“W-what… who are you… I mean, who…?”
Her father glared at the man silently, then turned sharply.
“My apologies for taking so long to return your daughter.”
A count standing nearby smiled and approached.
“The procedure took some time, that’s all. I intended to accompany her and explain the situation to her guardian anyway…”
His words trailed off slightly. He glanced at Celestine and her father alternately, then spoke.
“I never imagined this young lady would be the child of the youngest prince of the Tigreto Duke family…”
“T-Tigreto Duke family?!”
The rotund man’s mouth dropped open.
Her father, looking slightly displeased, addressed the count in a tone of mild fatigue.
“The child was quite forward. Since she’s been out for a long time, we should head back to ensure her health. You can see her later.”
Her father spoke politely to the count, then turned to glare at the frozen man, his tone icy.
“Ah… Dad!”
“Lady, let’s go. Stop being stubborn…”
“No, can’t we take him too? That man kept hitting me, so I… I beat him.”
Cough.
Her father patted her back, lowering his gaze carefully, his expression stern.
“…A wolf cub, huh.”
“Yes. But I was worried about him.”
His gaze, sharp and focused, scanned the wolf-like figure intently before he slowly nodded.
“She doesn’t seem like an ordinary child…”
He gently set her down, kneeling on one knee to place the wolf safely in her arms.
“She looks hurt, so hold her carefully. I’ll check on her once we return.”
“Ah… yes!”
As her father rose, the rotund noble shouted after him.
“This incident started because the child provoked me first with rude words! I didn’t do anything!”
“Even if the child annoyed you a bit, does it make sense to hit someone much smaller than you?”
“…She interfered while I was punishing my property! If it weren’t for that, none of this would have happened! I admit my fault, but the start of all this was that child’s—”
“Hmm.”
Her father cut him off casually.
“There’s someone here who’s letting this animal be humiliated in a public place. Not intervening is far more shameful. No one stepped in until this child did.”
His gaze swept the crowd of onlookers coldly. Those who met his eyes instinctively looked away.
Of course, there were people here with ranks higher than the baron.
‘Come to think of it, even that count didn’t stop it immediately.’
The man must have been suffering the whole time.
“I did not raise my daughter to be touched by someone so shameless.”
Isn’t my dad amazing?
‘Sometimes, servants secretly read novels where anyone who touches the child has their head chopped off first!’
Dad is still impressive, but…
‘But scary too.’
After all, he doesn’t display much brute strength.
‘I’ve never seen him draw a sword.’
He’s more of a scholar, so perhaps he isn’t physically strong.
“W-what…! If you hadn’t intervened, none of this would’ve happened…!”
“Protecting a child is a parent’s duty.”
Her father, standing in the way, spoke calmly, though clearly annoyed.
“You should consider yourself lucky that your filthy foot touched me, not my daughter.”
He rested his hand on the man’s shoulder.
“If my daughter had been even slightly hurt… you would have seen what a grieving parent is capable of.”
“U-uaaaah!!”
The fat noble screamed after just a tap on the shoulder.
Wow, what a drama queen.
As Celestine stared in disbelief, the man rolled on the ground holding his shoulder.
‘How strong can dad really be…’
Apparently, there are people who fake self-harm for extortion. Who knew it was true?
Even giving him 500 gold wasn’t enough.
“Ugh… Sir, fake self-harm? How pathetic.”
Her father’s shoulder twitched slightly at her words.
The count bit his lips, struggling to contain a laugh.
“Let’s go, Lady.”
“Yes!”
“Anyway, since we paid, she’s mine. Don’t come back!”
Celestine shouted.
Her father patted her back and strode confidently out.
She took a seat across from him in the carriage.
As the carriage moved off…
“So,” he said.
“……”
“Why exactly did you come all the way here alone?”
And so began her private conversation with her father.
