How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

When I returned to my room, the sun was setting.

‘I have to cure myself of my disease and survive like a weed.’

To do that, I had to be diligent.

One: To know where Hart was and what he was doing, and to rescue him before he was in trouble.

Two: Get along with him so well that he would play with me even if Asta called.

Three: Find a cure for hereditary diseases from the unripe Morning Glory berries.

And make a backup plan to last until midsummer, till the berries are imported.

‘Once I’ve laid the groundwork, I’ll save Brantley.’

A child with nothing can’t save another child.

‘Hang on. I’ll be right there.’

Folding my tiny fingers together, my eyes sparkled as I considered my tasks.

‘If I’m going to save Hart, Brantley, and also find the herbs for the cure I need to get close to the employees first!’

I slipped on my new shoes, pulled on a blanket over my soft pyjamas, and stomped out of the room.

In the hallway, a maid was watering a vase.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Morning, Young Lady.”

I’d seen her once before.

She smiled broadly at me.

‘When did I become a lady?’

Yesterday, Hart must have told the servants that I was his daughter.

‘I thought he was too ashamed to tell anyone.’

I couldn’t believe he told them this quick.

Maybe I was wrong about Hart.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. Is your wrist still sore?”

“It’s better now that I’ve applied the medicine you gave me. But Lady you can’t talk to us politely anymore?”

I rolled my eyes in confusion, then nodded.

“……Yes.”

“Then go back to your room and wait, the maids will be with you shortly to change your clothes.”

“I can change both my clothes by myself.”

The maid smiled sweetly and patted me on the head.

But she soon realized that this was not the way to behave with a young lady and swiftly retracted her hand.

“Hanelope has someone to say good morning to, can I go?”

“Of course, please go.”

“Okay!”

I trotted off.

I heard a laugh behind me like, “She must be going to say hello to her father”. But I wasn’t.

‘Would Hart like that?’

He recognized me as his daughter, but that was it.

There was no tearful reunion, no talks through the night.

He just threw me in my room and left as soon as Asta called.

‘The genre of this novel is not parenting, of course.’

I don’t call Hart ‘dad’ either.

‘It’s still awkward. I’m more comfortable calling him the Prince.’

Should I call him ‘dad’ when we get to know each other better?

‘Should I force myself to call him ‘dad’ and be cutesy, even if it’s awkward?’

But if it was Hart, it would backfire on him.

‘It’s not in my trait to act in a cutesy manner.’

I shook my head.

‘I’ll just do what I’m supposed to be doing!’

I walked around diligently, greeting the mansion’s servants.

“Hello, old man!”

“Goodness, I’ve missed you. Young Lady. Oh my!”

“Hello, brother! Did you have a good dream?”

“Ahh, How nice of you to say hello to me first, Lady! Sniff!”

The employees who knew me were very happy to see me, and the ones who didn’t were puzzled at first, but then they thought it was cute and smiled pleasantly.

‘Staying close to them will help me find out where Hart is and what he is doing.’

After taking my meal, I wandered around the mansion for the rest of the day.

Hart was gone the whole time, so no one said anything to me.

‘I can’t believe I can run around like this and not get in trouble.’

After lunch and a snack, I headed to the greenhouse, where the caretaker dozed off and was surprised to find me.

“Can I play here?”

“Sure. But don’t pluck them. His Highness can be scary.”

With permission, I went around the greenhouse to collect ingredients for the potion.

I already got a few ingredients from the kitchen, so there wasn’t much to find here.

‘I was going to make my cure, and some other medicines for later.’

Sooner or later, Hart would face another crisis.

I have to prepare the medicine in advance.

‘It would have been better if Asta didn’t get to call him in the first place. But as it’s impossible, I’ll prepare for it. I stuffed the ingredients into my pockets and headed to my lab.

”My research lab! It cracks me up. Hehe!”

I opened the door to the lab and saw the familiar tools laid out on the table.

This was the room where I made Asta’s nutritional pills. For some reason, all the tools were still here.

‘Was it bothersome to clean? No. That’s not possible. Did he forget?’

I don’t think so, but maybe….

‘Did he leave them here for me to make drugs?’

If that’s the case, I’ll be an useful child and make it up to Hart.

***

‘Did Hart still not come?’

After dinner, I searched for Hart’s room.

As expected, the room was empty.

He was not in his study, nor in his office.

‘Has he gone to Asta again?’

I climbed onto the couch in his office and sighed.

After that I fell asleep.

But I woke up in my room.

‘The servants must have carried me to my room.’

The next day, I wandered around the mansion.

And again the next day, also the day after tomorrow…

Even after I had mastered the mansion’s geography and scrutinize the staffs faces. I couldn’t find Hart even though the finished medicines were piled up in my drawer.

It’s truly too much!

Even if you not caring, how could you leave me like this?

When I asked the butler, he only said, “He went to see Asta,” but he didn’t know more of the details.

I didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, let alone getting close to Hart.

I didn’t want to be a nuisance, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. But still, this is too much. How many days has it been?

‘You’re crazy about Asta.’

I sighed as I walked out of the empty office.

“Ah, who is this, isn’t this the new Lady?”

Someone said from the corridor.

I looked up and saw a man I didn’t recognize coming with the butler.

He had a nicely trimmed brown moustache and was dressed in clothes that looked as classy.

He glanced at the door to Hart’s office.

“I suppose, you came to meet your father?”

“She comes in and out every day these days.”

The butler’s words surprised the gentleman.

“Still, blood is blood, isn’t it? Children are too busy crying themselves to sleep in fear whenever they see the prince.”

“Even when you were staying at the mansion the other day, she couldn’t stay away from His Highness the Prince.”

“Haha. That’s really amazing!”

He leaned down and poked my plump cheeks.

I jerked away, covering my cheek with my hand, and he chuckled.

“You take after your father’s temper, Young Lady. Excuse me, Lady. I’ll see you next time.”

Next time?

I tugged at the man’s pants as he was about to walk away.

He stopped and looked back at me.

“Anything you want to say?”

“Sir, who are you?”

I asked with some dignity, trying not to sound condescending.

Both he and the butler looked like they were holding back laughter.

“I am Baron Matthew. I’m here to see His Highness the Prince, but I’m afraid I’ve wasted my time like the Young Lady, so farewell.”

Baron Matthew?

‘I’ve never heard that name before. He must be an extra.’

I felt an odd sense of familiarity with the brown moustached man.

After another full day of trotting, I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed.

But how long did I sleep? My eyes of their own accord.

‘It’s dawn. Should Hart be back by now?’

Feeling strangely alert, I strode briskly across the darkened manor.

The servants guarding the corridors were dozing as well, so I was able to enter Hart’s room without being stopped.

‘Huh?’

I gasped.

There he was, asleep on the large ebony bed.

‘He’s really there!’

I couldn’t believe it. I had been looking for him every day, and now he was finally here.

I cautiously approached the bed and heard ragged breathing.

I got on a nearby footstool, and saw that Hart’s face was covered with cold sweat.

He seemed to be running a fever.

‘Is he sick?’

A sick Hart, it felt so out of place.

But I felt sorry for him, a grown man, whimpering to himself like this.

‘Is it a cold? Or something else?’

Is his condition serious?

‘No!’

Both Mum and Dad fell sick.

Doesn’t that mean that Hart could leave my side just like Mum?

When I realized that, my heart was about to burst.

I looked up and down to see what was wrong with him, but I couldn’t figure it out.

‘I need to get the fever down!’

I grabbed the smallest handkerchief I could find and soaked it in cold water.

But I couldn’t reach Hart’s forehead.

‘Why are my arms so short?’

No, it’s not my arms, but the bed is too big.

I crawled onto Hart’s bed and placed the handkerchief on his forehead.

The handkerchief quickly turned lukewarm. Then I repeated the process, soaking the handkerchief in cold water and bringing it back to him.

‘I should have made a fever reducer.’

I regretted it, but I had to do what I could do for now. I was confident in my care giving skills.

***

“Please, Your Highness, you are the only one who can help me.”

It was always dangerous to be around Asta.

But he couldn’t refuse.

Even when he was abandoned by the woman he loved.

Even when his father shunned him away.

Even when everyone in the world hated him.

Asta stood by him side.

“I will always be by your side”, she said, “and I will never leave you”.

She was the only saving grace in Hart’s life.

Although Asta had no romantic feelings for him, he felt comfortable with her.

It was like taking painkillers for a gaping wound, a brief respite from the agony.

Still, what Asta asked of him today was daunting.

‘”Your Highness, are you injured again?”

“I’m fine. More importantly, did you get the holy relic you were looking for?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, Your Highness, for fending off the guards.

Asta smiled broadly.

She looked so sweet when she smiled like that, despite her ferocity.

The wound from the poisoned sword was not examined untilI was back at the manor.

It wasn’t life-threatening, but I was going to suffer for a few days.

‘Ugh, it’s hot…’

It was dawn. My whole body was feverish.

It was painful to say the least.

But I couldn’t get any help from anyone.

‘If they find out that I’m sick, they’ll start suspecting what happened while I was with Asta.’

He had to fight alone again. Just like the day he was abandoned by his father.

He winced.

‘My forehead is cold.’

He shivered again.

‘My chest feels tight, too. What is happening to me?’