Chapter 99: Iris’ Inner Turmoil and the Decision
Seated on the garden bench, Iris wiggled her little feet, her expression cold, depressed, and slightly sullen.
“Why hasn’t he come yet? Didn’t Charlotte mention she’d call him to the garden?” Iris inquired, her typically cold expression now tinged with an uncommon blend of discontent and sadness.
The person she referred to as ‘hasn’t come yet’ was, of course, Leon, her father, whom she deliberately avoided and harbored hatred towards.
He was a man who had never shown up since she and her two sisters were born, and he was also irresponsible for neglecting his duties as a father.
The accumulation of hatred and resentment in her heart led her to deliberately avoid him and keep her distance.
However, upon seeing him in person for the first time at the garden, where he was playing with Fiona, Iris realized that her hatred for her father was no longer as intense but rather had transformed into jealousy.
Furthermore, following their initial encounter in the palace hallway, Iris felt a sense of confusion and struggled to think clearly.
‘Do I truly hate him, or am I simply yearning for the presence of the father figure I’ve always longed for?’
The question reverberated relentlessly within her young mind, disturbing her peaceful sleep for several nights as she grappled with the internal turmoil it stirred.
Regrettably, despite her repeated attempts to find the answer, her young age and immature mind rendered her unable to grasp it, no matter how hard she searched.
The sleepless nights persisted until one day, her older sister Charlotte persuaded her to reconcile with their father and forgive his mistakes.
Although she initially refused and was reluctant, being persuaded every day gradually led her to consider that perhaps what her sister, Charlotte, said held some truth.
‘Could it be that by forgiving him and opening my heart, I might find answers to these troubling emotions?’
With this thought in mind, Iris ultimately relented to Charlotte’s persuasion and asked her to call their father to the garden.
Now, she awaited Leon with a mixture of confusion and anxiety.
“When will he arrive?” Iris scanned her surroundings with a worried expression but found no sign of Leon, deepening her feelings of sadness and disappointment.
‘Doesn’t he want to see me?’ Just as Iris pondered this, a voice unexpectedly spoke from behind her.
“Hey there, little girl. Why are you all by yourself in the garden? Is something troubling you?”
At the sound of the voice, Iris gasped in surprise and swiftly turned her head to the side.
There stood a strikingly handsome man, his golden eyes shimmering in the morning sun and his jet-black hair reminiscent of the night sky.
As Iris gazed at the man, realizing it was none other than Leon, happiness flooded her expression.
However, she swiftly masked her emotions, adopting an indifferent facade and turning her gaze aside, as if sulking.
Observing her demeanor and the subtle shift in her expression, Leon was taken aback.
‘Hmm? Did this little girl just smile?’ Leon muttered to himself, perplexed.
He approached Iris on the garden bench, a small smile gracing his own lips.
“You haven’t answered my question yet,” he said, slowly squatting in front of Iris. “Why are you here alone? Are you in trouble?”
The sight of Leon so near and his gentle inquiry caused the emotions that had been tormenting Iris for the past few days to instantly dissipate, replaced by a newfound sweetness she had never experienced before.
In that moment, she realized that all the answers she sought seemed to be tied to the man before her, her father.
Iris bit her lower lip and responded, “No, I’m not in trouble. I just felt like sitting here and relaxing.”
As soon as the words left her lips, an immediate wave of regret washed over her.
She longed to express her true feelings, but her mouth refused to cooperate, leaving her feeling deeply frustrated.
Leon raised one curious eyebrow, sensing that the cold reply she gave now sounded somewhat softer than the one she had given when they first met in the hallway.
‘Could the present Charlotte mentioned be Iris herself, waiting on the garden bench?’ Leon pondered.
He was no fool, and the realization struck him instantly.
On the garden bench, there were no present boxes or any other items besides Iris.
Furthermore, the coincidence of Iris’s presence on this bench only served to heighten his suspicion.
Inevitably, he felt compelled to test his conjecture and slowly stood up.
With his gaze still fixed on Iris before him, Leon offered a gentle smile.
“Well then, I won’t disturb your free time any longer. Goodbye.”
As he spoke, he turned around and began to walk away at a leisurely pace, silently counting to himself.
One.
Two.
Three…
“Wait! Don’t go!” Iris’s anxious voice suddenly echoed from behind him, causing Leon to pause in his steps, a small smile gracing his lips.
‘Sure enough, my conjecture is actually right! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Charlotte, you truly are the little girl I love the most!’ Leon chuckled deeply, silently praising Charlotte in his thoughts.
He never anticipated that the present Charlotte had referred to would be a private meeting with Iris!
‘Could it be that Charlotte wants Iris and me to reconcile and mend our relationship?’ Leon speculated, growing increasingly confident in his assessment.
Combined with Iris’s anxious voice, it seemed evident that she had been eagerly anticipating his arrival.
Snapping out of his reverie, Leon swiftly shifted into acting mode, feigning surprise as he turned around.
“Hmm? Do you need something from me?” Leon blinked his eyes with a puzzled expression, which didn’t betray any sense of lack.
Upon his inquiry, Iris, still wearing a worried expression, promptly nodded and responded, “Yes. Please don’t leave, because I have something important to discuss with you.”
Leon pretended to ponder for a moment, then, with hesitant steps, he returned to Iris and took a seat beside her, his expression curious.
“What is it that you wanted to talk about, Iris?” Leon inquired, addressing her directly by name, a departure from his usual term of endearment, “little girl.”
Iris felt a surge of happiness upon hearing him call her name directly.
This newfound connection fortified her resolve to be honest with Leon.
Taking a slow breath, Iris cast aside her arrogance and indifferent demeanor, meeting Leon’s gaze directly.
With her round, determined golden eyes locked onto his, Iris spoke, “Daddy, I’m sorry.”
pronovels.com
