By Antoinette Vanessa December 24, 2022

“—Thus, Ryan, the Duke of Somerset, and Daisy, the Marquess of Astor, shall be engaged with each other.”

About two months after Daisy awoken, the king summoned the two of us to the royal palace.

In the past, when we discussed her engagement to Prince Freddie, or when said engagement was dissolved, Daisy wasn’t allowed to be present.

…But this time, he requested for Daisy’s presence.

Even in the carriage that was bringing us to the royal palace, Daisy was reading a book. She was completely acting as if I didn’t exist.

…Nevertheless, my pride disallowed me from talking to her. Still, it was painful to be treated in such a way by my own daughter.

Although, if I feel like this, then how difficult must it have been for the young daisy? Back when she lost her mother, she only had me. Yet, when she desperately tried to initiate a conversation with me, all I gave her was a cold shoulder.

…For the first time, I was made aware of that.

At that time, I shouldn’t have prioritized my preconceived notion of what constituted as happiness and instead reached out to her.

For so many years, Daisy had been pining for me. Now, her affection was slipping through my fingers…

“The Duke of Somerset, do you have any objections?”

“I have none.”

“How about you, Marquis of Astor?”

However, when the king asked me that, I became painfully aware that I wasn’t ready to give up on my wife’s final wish—

—and that I was clinging to what could’ve been Daisy’s happiness.

“Daisy wishes to be Prince Freddie’s concubine!”

Then, the king turned to Daisy.

“Daisy, do you wish to become Freddie’s concubine?”

“No, I do not. I’m afraid that I’ve never wished for such a thing in the first place.”

“…Never, from the beginning. I see.”

The king’s gaze pierced me.

…Once, I had declared to the king and the queen that Daisy’s fervent wish was to be Prince Freddie’s concubine. After all, I truly believed such was Daisy’s happiness and obligation.

But now…

…Sweat dripped down my back.

“Daisy, regarding your engagement to Ryan, do you have any objections?”

“I don’t.”

After firmly answering the king’s question, Daisy turned to Ryan who sat beside the Duke of Somerset.

…I had never seen her make that kind of expression before. It was the same expression my late wife made when she looked at me.

In turn, Ryan reciprocated it with a loving gaze of his own.

“Are you truly satisfied with being engaged to Ryan?”

On the way back from the royal palace, in the carriage, I asked Daisy. In response, she looked straight at me and spoke:

“Indeed. If possible, please let me get married as soon as possible.”

“…What, why?”

“I want to leave the Marquis Astor household as soon as I can.”

…Do you, disdain me that much—?

“Are you aware of the repercussions of marrying into the Duke of Somerset family?”

I said, half-threateningly.

Come to think of it, all this time, Daisy had given her best efforts for the sake of the Marquis Astor family…

As if she had seen through my worst through, Daisy reproachfully stared at me—

“—But weren’t you the one who said that I shouldn’t think about unnecessary things?”

Certainly, those were the words I said to her.

“Father, you don’t need to change. You don’t have to participate in the wedding ceremony, either.”

“What are you talking about!? It’d be preposterous for the bride’s father to not attend the wedding!”

“Prioritize your work, just like you did at the saint’s unveiling party.”

In the past, that was what I did.

To me, who was stupefied, Daisy asked me—

—it was her final question.

“Father, what is happiness to you?”

As I thought of the answer to that question, the carriage reached the mansion. Afterwards, Daisy didn’t ask me any more questions.

My wife was everything to me.

I didn’t care about my status, all that mattered to me was her smile—

—Then, why did I decide that Daisy had to become a queen in order to be happy?

…Instead, I should’ve asked her, just once—

‘—What makes you happy?’

Had I asked her that, surely before I lost her, before she fell into that coma, she’d have answered with a smile.

‘Just being with you already made me happy!’

…Surely, she’d have said that.

I couldn’t turn back time.

That one, precious, moment that I could have otherwise had was lost forever.

Realizing that, I began to indulge in alcohol.

Married to Ryan, Daisy would be the happiest in the country.

But I didn’t think that my late wife would ever forgive me for what I unconsciously did to Daisy.

What did my wife think when Daisy abandoned all expectations for her parent while moving forward?

Not only did I lose Daisy, I also couldn’t fulfil my wife’s last wish—which was to make my daughter happy.

As of the present, my past actions filled me with nothing but nausea and regret.

***T/N: Clarification about my last chapter’s T/N: I caught a whiff of whatever it was that Freddie was smoking, and as expected, I got high.

I think the words “The happiest in the country” will leave me a permanent scar after this story now, guys…