How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

Still, Count Appel blamed Asta.

Even before her regression, he used to look down on Asta, who became no longer necessary when Saint Yenna appeared.

When Yenna caused her downfall, Asta’s family was the first to abandon her.

‘The plan was to gain the Emperor’s trust and then decapitate my father!’

Hanelope, that handful of a child ruined it all.

“What is the Duke of Eisen doing! Isn’t he my daughter’s guardian?”

“Oh, that’s…..”

The Duke of Eisen was currently distancing himself from Asta.

He had earned the Emperor’s displeasure for sending his men to escort Asta to Mount Paro.

Furthermore, Hart, who interrogated Lady Melanie, suspected Duke Eisen as the culprit who sent the spies.

‘If I hadn’t killed Mrs. Melanie in prison, my identity would have been revealed.’

Just then-

The door to the Archbishop’s office opened, revealing an old man with white hair and a stern look.

He was a tall man, but his hunched back made him look smaller.

“Calm down, gentlemen. This is not the time for arguing, is it?”

The old man said.

But no one was listening.

“Your Holiness, what brings you here?”

Archbishop Liang asked tremulously.

He had no intention of helping the Pope as he staggered towards them.

Neither did Asta nor Count Appel.

‘Why did the old man from the back room come all the way here?’

That was all they could think.

“I came to discuss a strategy. The situation is grave with the spread of bad rumors about the Saint.”

“Your Holiness, please don’t worry and take care of your health. You know how much we care about your well-being.”

Archbishop Liang said with a smile.

It was obvious that he couldn’t wait to get rid of the Pope.

‘The old man was the Pope. Since his health has deteriorated, Archbishop Liang is the de facto head of the Grand Temple.’

Archbishop Liang comes from a prestigious family that has produced Popes for generations.

This is why he was able to ascend to the archbishopric at such a young age.

The Pope, on the other hand, was an orphan with no connections.

If the oracle hadn’t been passed down to him, he would have been stuck guarding a mountain monastery.

“Saint, it was futile to frame the Duke of Moltke.”

The Pope said hoarsely.

Asta was dumbfounded.

‘Who is he to criticize me?’

Asta didn’t answer, ignoring the Pope.

The Pope continued, not even angry.

“You would have succeeded if it weren’t for His Highness Prince Hart’s daughter, wouldn’t you?”

“…….”

“It seems that everything that gets in the way of the Saint these days has to do with that child.”

Asta frowned.

‘I thought he was just lying there in the back room, oblivious. How did he find out?’

Asta finally raised her gaze to the Pope. The Pope smiled benevolently.

“Why don’t you invite Prince Hart’s daughter to the Great Temple?”

“What are you talking about? That would be a useless idea.”

Archbishop Liang retorted.

“Well, in my opinion, something interesting might happen.”

“I suppose if we invite her, we could offend His Majesty the Emperor.”

Asta said.

“Of course, we’ll have to be careful. His Majesty might take offense at the child’s proximity to the temple.”

The Pope said in a low voice.

He was suggesting a way to make the child lose favor.

‘Why is this old man doing this all of a sudden?’

Has he decided to regain the power of the temple?

‘If so, I’m glad, for I have both the Pope and the Archbishop in my hands. I am the one ultimately at advantage.’

Indeed, Archbishop Liang was looking at the Pope unhappily.

Asta smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

***

Dad held out a wooden box with a pleasant smell.

“What is this?”

He suddenly told me to come to the laboratory and now this gift?

“Is it a box of candy?”

I asked, giddy with excitement.

Dad narrowed his eyes.

“These are unripe morning glory berries.”

“?”

It’s not even the season for the fruits to appear.

These berries are a luxury item, and its distribution is strictly regulated by the palace.

They can only be brought in during the official import season.

‘You can’t get them unless you smuggle them in.’

No way….

Is he talking about a candy shaped like the morning glory berry?

With an anxious heart, I opened the lid of the box.

Instantly, a sweet and refreshing fragrance poured out.

It seemed to revitalize my body, which had been shriveled by my illness.

The source of the fragrance was the pure white berries lying in the box.

‘Morning glory berries!’

Morning Glory-

A flower with petals as blue as the light of dawn, spread out like butterfly wings, and stamens like antennae.

This flower only blooms for a short period of time in the eastern continents, and when it withers, it gives way to small, round berries.

The fruit ripens just as quickly as the flower, and decays similarly.

When the fruit is ripe, the color turns into a blue hue.

Before ripening, they’re smooth and white, like the inside of a banana.

I stuck my tongue out and licked one.

‘Sour!!’

When they’re fully ripe, they turn sweet. But when they’re unripe, they taste sour.

‘Undoubtedly these were unripe.’

“H-How did you get this?”

I looked up at Dad in disbelief.

He lowered his brow.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Just take the medicine and get well.”

“But….”

I wonder if he got the berries illegally because of me.

I was worried, but Maxim behind me smirked.

“Your Highness had to work very, very hard to get them. The lady will be surprised when she hears it…..”

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, shut up.”

Hart clamped his hand over Maxim’s mouth.

“It wasn’t just work but ‘very, very hard’ work? Did he struggle and suffer?!’

My heart sank.

‘I promised Dad I’d save him, that I wouldn’t make him suffer anymore, and now I was burdening him!’

I only wanted to open up a flower path for my Dad, who has been suffering because of Asta.

I ended up adding to his woes.

‘I’m a fool!’

I put down the wooden box and hugged his legs.

Hart tilted his head.

“Are you doing this because you’re grateful? That’s a bit of a strong reaction.”

“Dad, I’m sorry!”

“A-All of a sudden what…..”

“Dad, I made you suffer. I didn’t mean to… I’m a bad child!”

I cried out apologetically, rubbing my cheek against Dad’s leg.

In the original and in this life, Dad already went through many trials and tribulations.

And now I was added to it.

I hated myself.

As Dad looked down at me with a strange expression on his face, Maxim burst out laughing in an uncharacteristically boisterous manner.

“Hahaha! Look at the way Young Lady talks. As if she’s giving His Highness troubles, hahaha!”

What’s so funny? I’m serious.

I looked up with tears in my eyes, and Dad glared at Maxim.

“No, I’m just saying…..”

Realizing Maxim stopped.

Hart handed me the box again.

“You’re thinking too much. Just make the drug.”

He sat down on a couch off to one side of the lab.

‘It’s a perfect fit for him, isn’t it?’

I thought it was odd that this room had such a large, luxurious couch, but apparently it was reserved for my Dad.

Just like I have my own seat in Dad’s office.

I nervously lifted the lid back on the box.

A fresh scent evaded my nose.

The gloomy mood was lifted and I started feeling cheery.

‘Let’s make the medicine first, as Dad said.’

Grabbed the ingredients from the shelf, I began to brew the potion.

I’m used to making incomplete medicine.

I felt a chill at the back of my head.

I turned my head to see my Dad staring at me.

‘I-It’s pressurizing…’

As I stood there helpless, Maxim whispered to Dad.

“If His Highness keeps looking at her like that, she would feel pressured.”

“I’m just curious. Even watching that little thing move around is fascinating. And now she’s concocting medicine so resolutely….”

“Miss might overhear.”

…..Well, I can hear better because of you, Maxim.

I feigned ignorance and took the fruit out of the box.

Dad and Maxim held their breath as I took out the unripe morning glory berries.

I could feel their tension.

My hands trembled unnecessarily.

“Just adding this will complete the potion.”

It was my first time using unripe morning glory berries.

I felt my chest tighten with nervousness.

‘I have to succeed. No, I will succeed!’

After all, it’s my mum’s prescription!

I popped the berries into the unfinished drug.

Poof!

The bubbling potion engulfed the morning glory fruit.

Immediately, a cloud of white smoke began to rise.

As the cloud-like smoke grew thicker and thicker, I started becoming anxious.

‘What if it explodes again?’

Then it will be a failure.

Mom and Dad put so much effort for my sake, but ended up with a failure…

I was tense just thinking about it.

Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke.

‘…… is it going to explode?’

“Look out!”

My Dad rushed over and grabbed me in his arms.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

But nothing happened.

“Ah! Look at that!”

At Maxim’s words, Dad and I simultaneously looked at the glass vial with the medicine.

The white smoke had settled, and the pills had turned a nice yellow color.

“A bright yellow color!”

The unfinished medicine was orange. But this one was bright yellow, just like Mum said it would be.

‘Did I succeed? Was it a success?’

I cautiously put a drop of the medicine on my tongue.

It tasted so bitter. But in the end, the sweet taste lingered like an aftertaste, soothing my tongue.

“It tastes just like my mum told me it would!”

Excitedly, I took a small sip of the drug.

In an instant, I felt dizzy.

“Is it okay to drink that?”

A startled Hart asked, grabbing my wrist.

I stood still, frozen, unable to answer.

“Hanelope?”

Dad called to me in a frightened voice.

But I couldn’t answer.