Try Crying Prettier - Chapter 85
āThatā no, father. Sir Akkard is just a friend,ā
Damia hurriedly denied. Owen, who was staring at Damia, asked again, not believing her:
āReally?ā
Damia smiled quietly.
Akkardās magical charm didnāt seem to work on her parentsā generation.
Owenās tone considered Akkard was nothing more than āa fly flirting with my pretty daughter.ā
āDonāt worry, father. Lord Akkard isā¦ā¦. just friendly to all the ladies. Itās not something important or anything like that.ā
As this was true Damia didnāt have a shred of guilt. Owen let out aĀ sigh of relief.
āI see. I guess I was worried for nothing.ā
Damia laughed to reassure her father.
Still, deep down inside a cool anger towards Cesare simmered.
Owen was ignorant about high society news because he was so often away from home. He probably knew about Akkard because Cesare whispered about it next to him.
āOh, by the way, I almost forgot. I have something to deliver to you.ā
Owen, who hit his forehead, took a letter out of his arms and handed it over.
Since it is an envelope engraved with the pattern of the High Temple, Damia received it with a puzzled look.
āWhat is this?ā
āKael asked me to give it to him. I heard that he became a paladin? I was surprised when I bumped into him in the High Temple.ā
āĀ·Ā·Ā·Ā·Ā·Ā·Ā·Ah.ā
Kael Roysten.
Damia looked down at the letter in her hand as if it were poison.
As if she touched the thorny splinter under her fingernail that she had forgotten, the pungent pain spread.
She wondered when it would be okay to hear his name.
Her remaining fragments of her unrequited love was not an emotion that she would show in front of her father. So Damia hurriedly folded the letter and covered her feelings.
āThank you. Iāll read it later.ā
Owen looked at his daughter smiling brightly at him. Her red rose-like hair and beautiful features that did not suit the barren north.
The smile on her thick lips reminded him of her dead wife.
āYouāve grown up so well. Even under an ugly father like me, you grew up so pretty and nice.ā
Owen muttered with a sad look on his face, forgetting himself.
Damia quickly comforted him with an encouraging tone:
āDonāt say that. Thanks to my fatherās presence, Iāve always felt comfortable and safe.ā
Owen smiled a little, but his expression itself didnāt get any brighter. So Damia decided to quickly change the subject of the conversation.
āMore than that, my father.ā How long will you stay home this time?ā
āI wonāt be able to stay very long. Why?ā
āIf you donāt mindā¦ā¦ Iād like to take a succession class soon. Iād like to help you with my fatherās business in earnest.ā
Damia spoke in a soft tone.
She was nervous because Cesare kept attacking her but she was sincere in her desire to help out her father.
Her fatherās face, which she saw briefly between months-long absentances, looked older and more tired every time he returned.
Even though it was summer in the north his cravat and buttons were completely closed up to his neck and looked particularly suffocating.
For this reason, whenever Owen bowed his head, more wrinkles were caught under his chin than necessary.
Damia felt heartbroken about that. Nothing hurt more than seeing the rapid aging of her beloved parent. Therefore, she wanted to take over her fatherās business properly as soon as possible.
āI want to lessen my fatherās burden.ā
In addition, if she participated in the business in earnest, she would find out more about the High Temple.
Itās been a while since Damia became an adult anyway. There was nothing wrong with taking succession education courses. Rather, it felt a little late compared to other families.
Ordinary parents would be very happy to accept their childrenās growth. However, upon listening to Damiaās words Owenās complexion darkened.
āThank you so much for saying that. However, DamiaĀ·Ā·Ā·I may not have the right to say this, but this father wants you to always live a comfortable care-free life. Iām being serious about this.ā [t1v: NOooooooo]
Owenās lips seemed to become heavier. Damia looked at him with a strange look. The sight of her father frowning and taking a deep breath was as if he was gathering courage to bring up a difficult thing.
āIāve been watching over Cesare these past few years, and although he is my adopted sonā¦.heās quite smart and sincere. If he was my biological son, I would have made Cesare my successor. [t1v: Nooooox2]
āFatherĀ·Ā·Ā·Ā·Ā·Ā·? What are you saying?ā
āOf course, it is not impossible. Because he is the official son of the Primula family, who officially entered the country. Iām no saint, but Iām not narrow-minded enough to be prejudiced against a promising stepson.ā [t1v: ughhh.. iām ded.]
Owen continued to speak as if he had memorized a prayer with a hazy look.
As if they were words that he had prepared long before he came home.
āSo Damiaā¦ā¦Iām sorry to askĀ·Ā·Ā·Ā·Ā·Ā·, but do you have any thoughts of getting married?ā [t1v: ded x2]
āWhat?ā
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