Chapter 202 (1/2)

Chapter 202: Chapter 202

When I was taking a break after I was done with all the preparations, I heard from the butler that my father arrived home. Shortly afterwards, I saw a silver-haired knight coming into the house.

“Welcome back, Daddy. You must be exhausted after such a long journey.”

“Oh, I’m not that tired. So, how have you been?”

“Well…”

When I smiled bitterly, my father quietly put his right hand on my shoulder and patted it.

Although I felt a bit upset towards him before he came, I felt better again at his warm touch.

Is it because we are a family?

After eating together after a long time, I mixed mint with chamomile and brewed it strong for my father who must be exhausted after a long journey. When I was enjoying the peculiar flavor of mint, he put down the silver cup and said, “I heard what happened during my absence. You asked for the breakup of your engagement with the emperor? ”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“I see…It ended up like that.”

With his head down, he fidgeted with the teacup. When I heard his deep sigh, I was jammed up inside. If I had been a little more careful, I would not have ended up like this.

“You did the right thing.”

“… Pardon?”

While rebuking myself who was like a fool, I was surprised by his unexpected remarks and raised my head. He held my cold hands in his hands tightly and said, “You hated that position so much, and you are finally freed from it. Well done. ”

“… Are you sure?”

“And don’t be the successor of our family, either. You don’t have to swear to be freed from the empress’s position now.”

“Daddy…”

“I was sad whenever I forced you to do what you didn’t like. Now you don’t have to bend over backwards trying to escape from the fate you didn’t want. That’s better for you. Just do whatever you want to do from now on.”

Suddenly I was moved to tears because I knew that’s what he had wanted to say to me for a long time, but couldn’t.

Didn’t he think that the oath of blood was a curse? Although he said he supported my decision, he didn’t want to bequeath his hereditary title, which was something like divine punishment, to me. He didn’t want his only daughter to live in bloody political strife, taken hostage to his house as the successor of the Monique family.

“I gave up the idea of family succession when I decided to accept your mother. Despite that, you were born to my family with the blessings of Vita, our God. I’m more than satisfied with you alone.”

“Daddy…”

“So, you don’t have to struggle to succeed the Monique family. From now on, just lead a life that you want happily without suffering much.”

I could clearly read his agony in his warm touch and his small voice mixed with sighs. My heart ached sorely when I thought he went through a lot of distress because of me for a long time.

“Daddy, I’m determined to be the successor of our family.”

Although I was shuddering with guilt, I could not give up my first decision because that’s the only thing I have now.

I was always deprived of my guaranteed right to decide since my return. My wounded pride forced me to say that it would be a waste if I could not be the successor of my family.

Pride, self-esteem and honor.

What the heck is this that makes me continue to take the path of successor? I felt pathetic about myself because I could not give up when I knew I was hurting my precious people by being preoccupied with useless things.

My father was looking at me with sad eyes.

Tears kept coming down from my swollen eyes.

**

“Excuse me, my lady.”

The next morning Lina spoke to me hesitantly when I got up and changed into a training suit.

After I coldly scolded her recently, she was checking my countenance more often.

“What’s the matter? Tell me.”

“Well, it looks like your father heard about it last night.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t get it.”

“I mean what happened on the day the emperor visited you recently.”

Was she referring to the day when I burned all the dresses?

When I turned to her after looking at the dressing room, she nodded her head as if my guesswork was right.

“Yes, it seems that your father was hurt a lot because of that.”