How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

“How dare Brantley compare himself to our Jacob…!”

Duke Eisen stopped abruptly.

It was because of the Emperor’s presence.

It was precisely because Brantley had been officially recognized as the successor by the Emperor.

Although it was something that happened before Jacob was born, it couldn’t be undone now.

Treating Brantley as an illegitimate child, at this point, was a challenge to the Emperor’s authority.

Besides, everyone in the room already knew what the rest of his words were.

“Brantley and Jacob are the same, they’re both the Duke’s sons. And I’m not a filthy bastard. I’m my dad’s daughter!”

I choked up, feeling hurt by the insults I heard earlier.

I wanted to see Hart.

I wanted to be embraced by him, just like Jacob in his father’s arms.

It was then.

“Let go of the hands.”

The voice I had been waiting for, as if by magic, reached my ears.

Hart walked calmly but with a restrained anger on his face.

“Take your hands off Hanelope.”

Hart commanded the two boys who held my arms.

At the sound of the suppressing voice, the two boys cowered.

Without sparing a glance at them, Hart picked me up in his arms swiftly.

I heard Lady Moltke’s voice from the side.

“From the way Hanelope is talking, I’m guessing you’ve been teasing Brantley and Hanelope about being illegitimate.”

I jumped in surprise.

She, too, was at the Palace.

And it wasn’t just her.

Behind the Emperor were Asta and Prince Patrick.

Asta made eye contact with me and smiled wickedly.

A chill ran down my spine.

“Who was making fun of whom? Didn’t you see? Brantley was crushing Jacob. Those kids were bullying Jacob.”

“Duke Eisen, my daughter, had her arms pinned.”

Hart said coldly.

Duke Eisen was at a loss for words.

“That’s……! The children must have been fighting back against the bullies, Brantley and Hanelope. My Jacob is too good to kill a single insect!”

The Duke of Eisen forced Brantley, who had collapsed next to his feet.

“Tell me. You’ve been bullying Jacob, haven’t you?”

“I, I was…….”

“You’re in front of His Majesty! Speak clearly!”

Brantley looked at me in Hart’s arms.

Envy flashed briefly in his eyes.

“It’s not Hanelope. I was in the wrong.”

“Did you hear Brantley bullied him!”

The Duke of Eisen grew impatient.

It was incomprehensible how his eldest son had done wrong, and his youngest son had suffered in such a confident manner.

“Your Majesty,” she said, “I think it’s just a petty quarrel between the children.”

The speaker was Asta.

Asta approached the Emperor with a sullen expression.

The Emperor didn’t push her away.

In the original story, around this point, the Emperor needed Asta.

The reason why he had to keep the Saint close, despite her being an obstacle to imperial power.

It was because the Emperor was currently suffering from a mysterious illness.

And it could only be alleviated by Asta and her physician, Philen.

‘Asta travelled to Mount Paro, ostensibly to obtain medicine for the Emperor.

The Emperor’s condition was highly confidential.

Which is why only a few people know about it.

Knowing this, Asta did not hesitate to whisper to the Emperor.

“I don’t think you need to worry about it, Your Majesty. I’m sure the children will apologize and move on.”

“To worry or not is for me to decide.”

The Emperor said coldly.

Asta winced.

‘He sounds exactly like Duchess Moltke.’

Blood is blood.

If compared to these two, Hart’s way of speaking would be considered more considerate.

The Emperor said, “This is the Palace. We can’t simply overlook this as a matter of children.”

Everyone in the room tensed.

Asta glanced around and spoke up.

“Your Majesty, Hanelope, daughter of Prince Hart, is making her first formal appearance today. Please have mercy and forgive her mistake.”

“Are the words of the Saint meant to conclude matters without apology or punishment?”

“That’s not possible! My son was hurt like this, and both His Highness’ daughter and Brantley deserve severe punishment!”

Duke Eisen raised his voice, without any caution.

“Watch your tongue, Duke.”

Hart, who had been silent, spoke with a voice filled with anger.

“Hanelope was being held captive. Moreover, your son, Jacob, insulted my daughter and Brantley by calling them filthy bastards. The two children were subjected to one-sided humiliation. Who looks like the victim here?”

“H-His Highness’ daughter and Brantley bullied my son because he made a slip of tongue!”

“Duke, I told you once to watch your language. My daughter should be addressed as a ‘Princess’, not ‘daughter of His Highness the Prince’.”

The Duke of Eisen flinched.

I was as surprised as he was.

‘A Princess?!’

It was an unexpected title.

As the Prince, Hart, has the title of a Duke. It was natural that his daughter would be a Princess, but I hadn’t expected it to be my title.

‘Would the Emperor approve?’

The illegitimate daughter of a hated son.

He would probably be even less inclined to acknowledge her than someone else’s illegitimate child.

I glanced at the Emperor, but I couldn’t read his expression.

A sense of absolute power, as if he was looking down on everyone.

Those intimidating eyes immediately turned to me.

“!”

It felt as if my breath was being taken away.

But I didn’t avert my gaze.

Instead, without saying a word to the Emperor, I bowed my head in a gesture of respect.

It was an imperfect gesture, as I was still in Hart’s arms.

The Emperor looked at me for a moment, then turned his gaze away.

“No matter how wrong they were, severe punishment for the children is excessive.”

Asta interjected.

“Of course, the offence was committed in the Palace, so there’s no escaping discipline.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

Duchess of Moltke asked.

Asta smiled confidently and said:

“There is an academy affiliated with a monastery that provides etiquette education for young children. How about sending them there for a while to reflect and transform into respectable young masters and ladies?”

“Hanelope’s etiquette lessons were conducted by me.”

“Of course, as Duchess Moltke taught her manners, so she must have them perfectly memorized. What I’m talking about is not manners she memorized, but habits ingrained in the bones, and this academy can change that.”

Asta was speaking on the premise that Brantley and I had done something wrong.

Even the Duchess of Moltke, who was supposed to be on my side, was getting tangled..

Asta turned to me with a smirk.

“Hanelope, the Academy will be more familiar to you than the Palace, and there are many good teachers.”

“Father, what do you think about what Asta suggested?”

Patrick interrupted Asta.

He was being very polite, but I could see that he was swayed by Asta’s argument.

“Taking care of the children’s mistakes and providing appropriate solutions without going overboard, isn’t Asta commendable?”

“I think you’re mistaken. Hanelope hasn’t done anything wrong. She’s a victim. But where are you trying to send my daughter?”

Hart said to his brother.

Patrick turned to face Hart, and Asta sighed with a pained expression.

“It pains me to see you two fighting, Hanelope. The Academy is a place where you can make a lot of friends who are like you. What do you think?”

It was as if Hart and Patrick were fighting because of me.

I couldn’t stand this crude manoeuvre any longer.

I turned to Hart, hanging on for dear life.

“Are the kids here different from me?”

“What?”

“I’m my dad’s daughter, too. I’m not some weird monster.”

I looked as hurt as I could.

Duchess Moltke clicked her tongue.

“The Saint should know how to speak in front of a child.”

Asta’s face flushed red.

“I’m……!”

“Both the children and adults behave the same.”

The Emperor’s mutterings instantly froze the room.

“Among them, whom to discipline or not? You all are burdens.”

The Emperor looked at the children, including me.

“The truth must be hidden.”

His red eyes fixed on me.

I felt my body getting tensed.

“What happened?”

“…….”

“Answer me, Hanelope.”

My name came from the Emperor’s mouth.

As he pronounced my name, each letter weighed heavily on my heart.

I was overwhelmed by his presence.

‘Reply. I have to reply.’

Hart patted me gently on the back as I struggled to gather my words.

By now, he had become quite skilled, and I could confidently call it a ‘father’s touch’.

It was soothing, as if the situation unfolding was a lie.

“Dad, put me down.”

I whispered, making hand signals to him.

The Emperor’s eyes widened, but he must have heard me.

“Why?”

“I can’t show such an appearance in front of His Majesty.”

Reluctantly, Hart put me down.

I gave the Emperor the formal greeting, that I’d failed to give him earlier.

The Emperor could only stare down at me with ice-cold eyes.

Duchess Moltke looked pleased.

“Now answer me,” he said.

“Jacob and the boys were bullying Brantley, and they tried to beat me up for talking to him.”

“Are you saying those kids did it for no reason?”

“I think there is a reason, but I’m not sure.”

“How can that be?”

“Because they said that me and Brantley being ‘bastards’ was the reason. But I am my beloved father’s daughter and a proud granddaughter of my grandfather. So that cannot be a reason.”

Deliberately, I referred to him as ‘grandfather’, not as ‘Your Majesty.’

The Emperor’s eyebrows, which had remained unchanged the whole time, twitched for a moment.

“How will you prove that it’s true? You have caused trouble since the day you came to the Palace. Why should I believe you?”