Chapter 60: Fiona’s Low Self-Esteem, and the Solution
“Daddy~”
Leon gasped in shock when he felt a hug from behind and heard that sweet voice.
Slowly, he turned his head back and saw that it was Fiona, his beloved little girl, embracing him.
“Huh? Fiona?” Leon’s face displayed a hint of surprise as he caught sight of her.
“Hehehe~ Is Daddy surprised?” Fiona pressed her little chin against Leon’s waist and raised her head slightly, her sweetly smiling lips brimming with happiness as she looked up at him.
Leon’s expression softened swiftly, and he slowly adjusted his sitting position.
“Of course, I was a bit surprised. I didn’t expect you to come to my room,” Leon said softly and affectionately as he picked her up and placed her on his thigh, hugging her tightly.
As Leon’s embrace and his scent enveloped her small body, Fiona felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. Her little head swayed from side to side, and her eyelids narrowed into crescent moons.
Leon chuckled at her behavior and gently stroked her short, silky white hair.
“By the way, why did you come here? Shouldn’t you be with your sister, Charlotte?” Leon asked curiously, glancing briefly to the right and left but noticing no sign of Charlotte’s presence, indicating that this little girl was alone.
Fiona shook her head and replied, “Sister Charlotte was speaking with Sister Iris, and I was instructed to come to Daddy’s place first.”
After speaking, her round face displayed a slight pout, adding to her already exceedingly cute and adorable appearance.
Leon raised one eyebrow, his curiosity piqued about the conversation between the two.
However, observing Fiona’s expression, it seemed unlikely that she knew the details, so he decided there was no need to inquire further.
Leon smiled and gently stroked her little head, reassuring her, “It’s okay; I’ll keep you company today, alright?”
Despite his initial plan to spend the day reading the numerous poison books on his desk, he couldn’t resist the charm of spending time with Fiona.
After all, if he sent this little girl away, she might become sad and start crying, something Leon certainly didn’t want.
“Hehehe~ thank you, Daddy~” Fiona beamed happily at Leon’s words.
With neither her sister, Charlotte, nor Iris available to play with her, Fiona had no one else but her daddy, Leon, to keep her company.
Suddenly, Fiona’s gaze was drawn to the stack of books on the table, and her round eyes blinked a few times.
“Daddy, why are there so many books on the table?” Fiona turned to Leon, her voice filled with curiosity.
“Well, actually, I was reading a book earlier, and these books are the ones I’m planning to read next,” Leon answered honestly.
“Wow, all of these? Isn’t that a lot?” Fiona’s round eyes widened as she looked back at the stack of books on the table in amazement.
“Pfft! Of course it’s a lot, but for me to finish all these books, it won’t take much time,” Leon said casually, a hint of arrogance in his tone evident as the corners of his lips tilted slightly ✔.
As a book lover who enjoys reading, finishing this entire stack of books wouldn’t actually take long.
Back when he was still in the Holy Empire of Elysium, he often stayed up late in the library to read the numerous books he had marked.
However, since the purpose of reading all these books on poison was to find specific information about the poison coursing through his body, he needed to delve deeper than mere reading.
“Wow, Daddy, you’re so great! If it were me, I would have fallen asleep after reading just one book,” Fiona giggled, looking at Leon with admiration shining in her golden eyes.
As an innocent little girl who adores Leon deeply, Fiona naturally believes everything he says.
Even if Leon were to claim he was the hero of mankind, Fiona would unquestionably believe him without hesitation.
Observing her fangirl-like behavior, Leon smiled gently and pinched her chubby, bun-like cheeks affectionately.
“Do you like reading books?” Leon asked gently.
Fiona shook her head, her lips pursing slightly.
“It’s not that I don’t like it, but I can’t read or write,” she admitted, her words leaving Leon surprised.
“Can’t read or write?” Leon asked once more, his doubt evident.
“Um, while sister Charlotte and sister Iris can read and write, I can’t do that at all,” Fiona replied, her tone heavy with sadness.
Then, she lifted her tiny head, gazing up at Leon with her round, slightly watery eyes, and asked, “Daddy, am I a dumb little girl?”
Leon fell silent at this question, his gaze towards Fiona carrying a hint of puzzlement.
Was Fiona stupid? The unequivocal answer was no!
As a father, how could he possibly label his own daughter as stupid?
Furthermore, far from being dumb, Fiona was a remarkably bright little girl; some might even say she was a genius.
Despite being only three years old, Fiona displayed the demeanor, emotions, and abilities of a five-year-old girl.
Leon had noticed this from the moment he first saw her, and at the time, he wondered if she was growing up too quickly.
Regarding reading and writing, Leon was confident that Fiona was not incapable; perhaps she simply lacked guidance in this area.
Quickly snapping out of his reverie, Leon looked at Fiona gently.
“There’s no way my sweet Fiona is a dumb little girl. On the contrary, you’re a very smart girl,” Leon smiled, complimenting her as he pinched her little nose.
Fiona naturally felt happy hearing Leon’s praise, but after a moment of thought, her expression turned frown once more.
“However, I can’t be as good as sisters Charlotte and Iris,” she said sadly, her dissatisfaction with herself evident.
Leon let out a small sigh upon seeing her like this, feeling a pang of sadness.
To be honest, compared to Charlotte and Iris, Fiona’s development could be considered slower.
However, this didn’t mean Fiona was weak; rather, it was a testament to Charlotte and Iris’s exceptional abilities.
Take, for example, Charlotte, whose personality and attitude are remarkably mature compared to other children her age.
Moreover, Charlotte possesses other strengths such as reading emotions and situations, keen observation skills, and various other abilities that are typically beyond the capabilities of children her age.
On the other hand, despite only meeting Iris once, there was something impressive about that girl.
The way she consistently avoided meeting him and feigned tears in the hallway yesterday displayed a level of emotional intelligence and complexity beyond her years.
Rubbing his chin, Leon pondered deeply about this solution until suddenly, an idea popped into his head.
With a glint in his eyes, he looked up at Fiona and gently caressed her small face.
“Fiona, how about I teach you how to read and write?”
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