Chapter 126: The Almost Desperate Fiona
The next morning…
In a generously spacious room, Fiona lay on a wide bed, her face serene and deeply content in sleep.
To her left, Iris slept and turned towards the wall, while to her right, Charlotte lay in peaceful slumber, her features tranquil and serene.
The trio rested soundly, as if enveloped in the embrace of a delightful dream.
Shortly thereafter, Fiona, still fast asleep, began to stir as a gentle beam of sunlight caressed her rounded cheeks, rousing her from her sleep.
“Hmmm~” Her small eyelids fluttered a few times before gradually opening.
With a face that still bore traces of sleepiness and consciousness not yet fully awakened, Fiona languidly sat up in bed, surveying her surroundings.
“Daddy?” she called lazily, rubbing her eyes that still felt heavy with sleep.
Just roused from sleep, her short white hair was slightly tousled, and her pink lolly nightgown bore subtle wrinkles, lending her the endearing appearance of a delicate doll.
“Hmm?” Fiona lifted her head, still feeling a bit heavy, when she didn’t hear Leon’s response after her call.
With a single rub of her eyes, she scanned her surroundings once again, only to realize that she was in her own room—a sudden awareness that jolted her fully awake.
“Hmm? I’m not in Daddy’s room, but in mine?” Fiona was slightly stunned, blinking her eyes in confusion.
She had expected to wake up in her daddy’s room, just as she always did in the morning.
After all, she distinctly remembered sneaking into her daddy’s room last night, as she usually did.
However, how could she end up staying in her room?
A string of questions filled her small mind, leaving her confused no matter how hard she tried to make sense of it.
“Strange… This doesn’t make any sense…” Fiona murmured, her lips tightly pursed, while a frown deepened the creases on her round face.
She felt immensely annoyed, waking up not in her daddy’s room but instead still in her own.
Moreover, recalling her daddy’s absence yesterday—how he didn’t invite her to play as he had promised in the dining room that morning—made her even more dissatisfied and annoyed.
“Whoa! Daddy doesn’t seem to love me anymore!” Fiona exclaimed, her cheeks puffing out in dismay at the thought.
With her cheeks still puffed up like pufferfish, Fiona slowly maneuvered her small body to the edge of the bed and carefully got off, steadying herself on her two small feet.
After stepping onto the floor carpet, she retrieved her teddy bear from near the end of the bed and made her way toward the bedroom door.
Just as she reached the door and stood on tiptoe to turn the knob, a sudden voice behind her startled her.
“Fiona, what are you doing?”
Startled by the familiar voice, Fiona turned around to see her older sister, Charlotte, sitting on the bed, arms folded, giving her an interrogating gaze.
“Sister? When did you wake up?” Fiona asked hesitantly, her round eyes blinking in confusion.
She remembered her sister was still fast asleep on her right side, showing no signs of waking up, which left her feeling curious and perplexed as to why she had suddenly woken up.
In response to Fiona’s question, Charlotte raised one eyebrow and replied lightly, “I just woke up because I felt movement from you getting out of bed.”
Continuing in a calm tone, she added, “By the way, you haven’t answered my previous question. Where do you want to go this early in the morning?” Her two round golden eyes narrowed slightly, and she fixed Fiona with a sharp look.
Upon hearing Charlotte’s question and feeling the sharp gaze directed at her, Fiona felt a little scared and uncomfortable.
She couldn’t grasp why her sister was giving her such a sharp look, and she seemed to be angry with her for some reason.
Had she inadvertently done something wrong or bad yesterday without realizing it?
However, she didn’t dare ask her sister, and she could only pucker her lips, wearing a sad expression on her round, chubby face.
“I want to go to Daddy’s room…” Fiona replied in a quiet tone, her head slightly bowed, feeling somewhat intimidated by her sister’s gaze.
Listening to Fiona’s answer, Charlotte raised both eyebrows and asked in a curious tone, “To Daddy’s room? This early in the morning?” She glanced at the clock on the wall, which showed 6 a.m.
“Um, I want to go to Daddy’s room now,” Fiona replied, summoning a bit of courage to lift her head and meet her sister’s gaze directly.
Despite not comprehending why her sister seemed to be giving her such a sharp look, as if she were angry with her, Fiona responded in a slightly firm tone.
After all, she was merely planning to visit her daddy’s room as she always did, even though it was earlier than her usual routine, and she harbored no ill intentions.
So, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?
Just as she assumed her sister would approve as usual, her further words unexpectedly caused Fiona’s eyes to widen in disbelief.
“Sorry, Fiona, I have to let you know that you won’t be able to go to Daddy’s room for the next few days,” Charlotte explained gently.
“What!? I can’t go to Daddy’s room for the next few days?” Fiona exclaimed, her disbelief palpable as she froze, causing the teddy bear in her hand to tumble to the carpet.
Charlotte nodded slightly, softening her gaze. “Yes, you can’t go to Daddy’s room for the next few days.”
Tears welled up in Fiona’s eyes as she dashed toward Charlotte, her chubby cheeks streaked with tear stains.
“Wuuu~ Why am I not allowed to go to Daddy’s room? Did I do something wrong, sister? Please tell me!” Fiona pleaded, and her voice choked with tears.
If there was anything that frightened her the most, it was undoubtedly the thought of being separated from her father.
Since his first arrival at the palace, they had never been apart from each other.
Therefore, how could she possibly endure it after hearing her sister’s words?
Charlotte could only release a small sigh as she gazed at Fiona’s tearful face.
It wasn’t that she was deliberately keeping Fiona away from their daddy; rather, it was her own father’s request made just last night.
***
“So, Daddy, you’re asking me to look after Fiona and Iris for the next few days while you work on creating an antidote for the poison within your body?” Charlotte tilted her head, curiosity evident in her expression.
“Yes, I need your help with this,” Leon replied calmly. “Since I’ll be confining myself to my room for a few days, Iris and especially Fiona will undoubtedly be concerned about me.”
“Moreover, your mother isn’t in the palace due to urgent matters in the outer palace. Therefore, as the eldest among the triplets and the elder sister to your two younger siblings, you must step into our roles and take care of your sisters.” Leon smiled, affectionately rubbing her little face.
With a gentle pinch on her right cheek, Leon continued, “Of course, I know you’re not much different in age, but your maturity and responsible demeanor, unlike other children your age, as well as your two younger sisters, make me trust you with this task. So, Charlotte, can you help me?”
Upon hearing his words and feeling the trust he placed in her, Charlotte’s expression instantly transformed into one of determination as she gazed confidently at Leon.
“Don’t worry, Daddy, you can count on me for everything!” Charlotte replied, her small hands clenched tightly, a display of her determination.
***
Snapping out of her reverie, Charlotte took a small breath and approached Fiona, who was crying at the end of the bed.
Extending her small hand, she gently wiped away the tears on Fiona’s cheeks and spoke softly, “Please don’t cry like this. Will you listen to my explanation first?”
Fiona’s tears gradually subsided upon hearing her words, and Charlotte smiled faintly at the sight.
“Well, actually, I’m preventing you from going to Daddy’s room neither because of my wishes nor because you’ve done anything wrong, but rather because this is Daddy’s own request,” Charlotte explained calmly.
“Daddy’s request?” Fiona widened her round eyes in disbelief.
“Yes. Daddy is currently busy taking care of something in his room and doesn’t want anyone to disturb him for the next few days. Therefore, he asked me to take care of you and Iris while he finishes his work,” Charlotte replied gently.
Fiona felt relieved after listening to Charlotte’s explanation.
She had initially believed she had made an unnoticed mistake, leading her sister to become upset and restrict her from visiting their daddy’s room as a form of punishment.
Fortunately, it turned out to be just a misunderstanding, not a reality.
However, realizing she wouldn’t see her daddy for the next few days left her feeling lonely. Did this mean she wouldn’t have a playmate?
With that thought, her expression instantly shifted back to sadness.
Noticing the shift in Fiona’s emotions, how could Charlotte have failed to realize it?
With a smile on her lips, she rubbed her head and said, “Don’t worry, because I’ll play with you.”
As soon as Fiona heard her words, her sad face instantly brightened.
“Really!? You’ll play with me?” Fiona asked excitedly.
“Of course, and not just me—I’ll have Iris join us too,” Charlotte said with a faint smile, playfully glancing at Iris, who had just awakened from her slumber.
Iris: “????”
…
Inside Leon’s room…
*Boom!*
A sizable explosion reverberated from inside, accompanied by a puff of black smoke that engulfed the entire room.
Fortunately, the open window facilitated the quick dissipation of the black smoke, allowing the fresh morning air to once again permeate the room.
Near the reading desk, Leon stood, his appearance disheveled and his face smudged with black from the billowing smoke. He gazed with indifference at the alchemy furnace before him, which continued to emit dark plumes.
“Still lacking, but almost succeeded…”
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