Chapter 116

“......Yes?”

Daisy’s thoughts froze.

She could feel the situation turning completely on its head: When she believed she was Cayden’s top priority, a major incident occurred where Cayden was attacked, and since she was unable to fulfill her role properly, she was rightfully… sidelined.

Her body wouldn’t move as if it had stiffened, and her expression remained unchanged, however, it was not because she was unaffected but due to the intense clash of thoughts inside her head.

She struggled to comprehend what Judy had said.

So, if Judy managed to save Cayden, she was promised marriage to him?

Was it that whoever saved him would have him?

While this revealed the extent of Prysters’ desperation, it was nothing but bad news for Daisy.

Yet, she couldn’t utter a word.

Because it should have been the Hexter family who saved him.

They were closest to Cayden and were supposed to be the family he would join.

If she had saved him, the promise made to Judy wouldn’t have come into effect.

Moreover, if Judy hadn’t saved him, Cayden would no longer be of this world.

Her mind understood, but her heart couldn’t accept it.

However, these selfish and shameless thoughts were hers alone.

“...Then....what about me.....?”

“Daisy, it’s not like that... Judy, if you put it that way-”

“-Am I... abandoned...?”

Daisy cautiously asked Cayden.

Perhaps no Pryster came to greet her because they too had dismissed her; just as the Hexter family had disregarded Cayden and shown no kindness, the Prysters were responding in kind.

As reality set in that she might lose him, Daisy began to feel a sudden and sharp sense of injustice.

With no room for leisure or anything else, she looked for someone to blame.

‘If only Father hadn’t stopped me.’

‘It wasn’t what I intended.’

‘I tried my best too.’

Though she didn’t voice these thoughts, she felt like she might cry.

Indeed, she once again found herself feeling sympathy for the twins.

She could understand what it felt like to be pulled away from Cayden.

Regrettably, Judy had been torn away from Cayden in the past... but now that she was to be united with him, Daisy couldn’t find it in herself to feel sympathy.

Daisy was still grateful to Judy for saving Cayden.

So, so grateful.

...But if the price of saving Cayden was Cayden himself.

She would have had to accept it... yet it was a steep price to pay.

“You haven’t been abandoned, Daisy,” Cayden said.

Daisy tried to understand the meaning of his words and responded.

“If you’re suggesting we go back to being just friends... I can’t... be satisfied with that.”

That was all she could manage.

Naturally, she couldn’t even be angry with Judy.

She just felt pathetic for herself... and that hurt even more.

“Daisy, that’s not what I meant...”

Cayden took hold of Daisy’s shoulders. Somehow, just that was enough to start calming Daisy’s anxious heart.

Cayden took a deep breath before carefully starting to speak.

“I’m sorry to say this before we’ve even held our engagement ceremony-”

Once again, Judy interrupted.

“I’ll say it, Cayden.”

“......”

Daisy’s gaze shifted. Her eyes swept over both Cayden and Judy simultaneously.

It was undeniable that they made a fitting pair.

...Though she couldn’t bring herself to feel happy for them.

“....Please... allow me to become Cayden’s concubine..”

“.....Yes?”

Daisy’s thoughts soared once again.

Into her sinking heart, a turbulent stream flowed, bringing a ray of light.

“....C-concubine?”

She asked.

Judy, flustered by Daisy’s stammering, added an explanation.

“...I won’t be in the way. I won’t interfere with your relationship with Cayden. I just want to be by Cayden’s side..”

As Daisy was redrawing her future with Cayden, he too spoke.

“....I’m sorry, Daisy. For making such a request so soon.”

“Oh, no..! It’s-”

Daisy, clutching at hope, was interrupted by Judy’s relentless plea.

“....If you truly appreciate that I saved Cayden...! Please, just this once. The Pryster family has given their permission, and I plan to persuade my own family... Now all we need is your consent. Even if I’m united with Cayden, I won’t ask for much. I’ll yield in any situation. Just... on my birthday or... anniversaries, if you could let me have Cayden...”

Judy continued to plead.

For Daisy, who couldn’t really object to giving everything to Judy, this was an inevitable situation.

She wasn’t foolish enough to spurn the chance before her.

If it meant she could keep her place, she was willing to accept anything.

“....Yes. I understand. I will grant permission.”

She quickly accepted Judy’s proposal, solidifying her future with Cayden.

“...Really?”

A bright smile began to spread across Judy’s face.

Daisy continued.

“Yes. Without you, Cayden wouldn’t be here... and I’m aware of the relationship you two had. But in exchange... Cayden. I have a request for you too...”

“Tell me, Daisy.”

“.......”

She hesitated, wondering whether to speak, then leaned towards Cayden.

Inwardly, Daisy felt she was already losing ground to Judy.

She may still be the principal wife, but that’s all meaningless. Being Cayden’s top priority in his heart is what truly matters.

Yet, in the current situation, it was clear who Cayden favored more, without even having to ask.

But that didn’t mean she intended to exploit the opportunity given to her.

She was merely preparing for an unwelcome future she didn’t want to imagine.

As Daisy leaned in to whisper, Cayden too leaned in, lending an ear.

Daisy whispered.

“......Just promise you won’t neglect me..”

Admitting defeat in any situation is detrimental.

It strips away one’s own strength while empowering the opponent.

Aware of this, Daisy didn’t want to verbalize the fact that she felt sidelined, but in her uncertain future, she envisioned scenarios where Cayden and Judy only had eyes for each other.

After all, they did seem like a perfect match to her.

However, Cayden’s surprised expression somewhat alleviated her anxiety.

“Of course.”

He said, managing his expression and speaking with conviction.

“I promise.”

Daisy nodded.

“Yes. That’s all... I have nothing more to say. You have my permission.”

Judy’s shallow breaths of excitement were audible.

She looked at Cayden with a bright smile, clenching her fists lightly and shaking them, savoring her joy with her whole being.

Cayden, in turn, smiled back at Judy and nodded.

Daisy, on the other hand, felt a sense of relief that things hadn’t turned out worse and rubbed her numb hands.

She remained silent for a while, allowing the two to bask in their happiness, then briefly lifted her head to look at Judy.

At that moment, Judy’s eyes were already on Daisy.

For a very brief moment, their gazes met.

Daisy could vaguely glimpse the desire hidden in Judy’s eyes.

Contrary to her words of conceding much, her gaze was that of a rival.

It seemed to declare an intention to monopolize Cayden’s love eventually.

Though it didn’t seem like a look Judy consciously sent, Daisy was instantly alert.

This was not the time to be relieved.

She had to firmly seize this second chance.

She had to take actions worthy of winning Cayden’s heart once more.

****

Daisy’s day was far from over. She poured all her efforts into meeting Lady Liana.

Despite Lady Liana’s reluctance to meet her, Daisy couldn’t rest on this land as a guest in the Pryster territory without paying her respects to Lady Liana.

With Cayden’s help, she managed to meet her, but their conversation was brief.

Lady Liana’s clear dissatisfaction left Daisy with no choice but to withdraw, deciding to talk another time.

Daisy also understood why Lady Liana might harbor resentment towards the Hexters.

There was a promise between her father and Lady Liana.

Her father and Lady Liana had sworn that even if Cayden fell to commoner status, Lady Liana would still cherish him like her own child, and their alliance with the Prysters would remain unbroken as long as she lived.

But the moment Cayden actually became a commoner, it was essentially a betrayal by her father.

Lady Liana, while not showing vehement anger, seemed to understand her father’s anxieties about the peculiar situation, but Daisy thought it natural for Lady Liana to express her discomfort to this extent.

After the eventful meeting with Lady Liana, only one task remained.

The head of the Pryster family…

The most... daunting challenge…

Cayden’s sibling and rival in love, despite being family…

Asena Pryster remained.

As if they were a couple, Daisy was closely accompanying Cayden, making rounds to greet his family members.

“....Cayden. So, the last apology we need to make is to Asena-”

“-Ah, Daisy.”

Cayden interrupted Daisy’s suggestion to meet Asena.

“.....I’m sorry. It seems we won’t be able to meet Asena right now.”

Daisy quickly accepted his words.

She was aware of the complicated relationship between Asena and Cayden.

As Daisy nodded, Cayden spoke.

“...Let’s call it a day, take some rest. It’s evening, but I have an issue that needs to be addressed. Just rest for a bit, and I’ll come to you.”

“....Understood.”

Daisy couldn’t say anything else.

It had been a long day for her as well.

She hadn’t felt at ease even once, being in the domain of the person she loved, as if she was paying for her sins.

****

Enough time had passed since the twins had woken up from the coma.

It was time to reveal some hidden truths.

Their bodies were no longer too frail to accept uncomfortable realities, and hiding the unsettled atmosphere caused by Daisy’s arrival was becoming a burden.

Soon, the entire domain would be preparing for war, making it impossible to conceal the turmoil.

Instead of having separate dinners as usual, I summoned the somewhat stronger Keirsey to my room.

As Asena and I waited for Keirsey, she burst into the room, gasping for breath.

“..Haah..! Haah..!”

But upon seeing Asena with me, a look of disappointment flickered across her face.

...What she had hoped for, I couldn’t tell.

Given Keirsey’s continued aphasia, understanding her was out of the question.

“Come and sit, Keirsey.”

As I spoke, she stiffened in the tense atmosphere and approached with a look of unease.

She then sat beside Asena, who was lying on the bed, and looked at me.

“....There’s something we need to discuss.”

I spoke with a seriousness that couldn’t be ignored.

Keirsey blinked anxiously as she looked at me, and Asena waited patiently for my words.

“....It’s about when Oppa was attacked.”

The twins shuddered in unison.

The incident had traumatized them, to the extent that even the resilient Asena seemed afraid to hear more, averting her gaze.

“.....You wouldn’t know since I haven’t spoken of it. The truth is... I wasn’t attacked by a band of thieves.”

The trembling twins widened their eyes in shock at me.

“.....What do you mean?”

Even Asena asked with her mouth agape, confused by the disparity between the grave incident she had heard of and what was now being revealed.

Contemplating how to gently convey the shocking truth they were about to hear, I ultimately decided to reveal the unadulterated fact.

“....Sharon Payne. I was attacked by Sharon Payne.”

Keirsey blinked and swallowed her breath... then let out a rough sigh, beginning to utter incomprehensible words.

“Ah....uh....”

She seemed on the verge of tears for a while, grieving, feeling wronged and hurt, recalling the terrifying possibility of my demise.

Then, slowly... she changed her breathing, exhaling harshly.

“.....Uh...!! Huh....! Aaah...!!”

Gradually, the gloomy and cold emotions turned into fierce and hot irritation and anger.

Her eyes began to fill with deep resentment. They reddened, her body shook uncontrollably, and she bit her lip, holding back the anger that was difficult to express at the moment with all her patience.

Surprised that the once innocent Keirsey could exhibit such a change, I also felt it was the right decision to have shared this with her now that she was relatively healthier.

And Asena, who was beside her.....

Asena was rigid in her place.

I knew.

In fact, the conversation was delayed more out of concern for Asena than Keirsey.

It would have been a significant shock to her.

After all, I had heard directly from Sharon that Asena had ordered her execution.

Asena must have immediately understood where Sharon’s intensely sharpened resentment stemmed from.

Unlike the enraged Keirsey, Asena’s head began to slowly droop.

She clenched her fists tightly and then, in a moment, released all tension from her body as if surrendering to her fate, and muttered.

“....I... I always end up...”

“........”

“.......All my actions... they just end up hurting Oppa..”

Hearing her voice laden with self-reproach made my own heart ache.

Knowing that no words of mine could offer solace for the truth that had unfolded, I shared something even more crucial.

“.....That’s why, now that I’ve returned alive, war has been decided.”

“What....?”

“.......”

The twins looked at me in unison.

Though they had been displaying contrasting emotions, the mention of war unified their expressions.

I was taken aback by their reactions.

Contrary to my expectation of hearing commands to utterly destroy the enemy, to capture Sharon alive at all costs, or to mobilize all our family’s resources...

Both of their faces showed a mix of perplexity and fear.

“..........War...?”

Asena, in particular, was significantly disturbed by the word.

Despite the dangers of war, and even though we were facing the Payne family, a house hardly comparable to the Prysters, their alarm was palpable.

“....Yes, war.”

“I... I didn’t even consent... How... how can there be a war...?”

Asena’s response puzzled me.

I continued explaining, slowly conveying to her.

“....While you were incapacitated, I had to make decisions in your stead. Keirsey was also unable to speak due to her aphasia.”

Even though I had been opposed to war, the clear dismay on the twins’ faces was enough to unsettle me.

As if I had been in favor of the war from the beginning, I began to defend this decision.

“....Sharon fled without accepting any punishment we decreed. We thought it was over, but the Payne family was protecting her. The entire house defied and deceived us. Besides, it wasn’t just that Sharon attacked me, she also harbors deep resentment towards you. It’s as if she’s waiting for a chance to strike at you. We can’t just let a house that behaves like this go unchecked.”

“......”

“.....We must demonstrate, as our family motto dictates, that no one can mess with us without consequences.”

“......”

“No matter how aggrieved she felt, she should have known we’re not to be trifled with.”

Faced with Asena’s unyielding expression, I eventually stopped beating around the bush and asked directly.

“Asena, should we have just let the Payne family be?”

There was only one reason I had opposed the war.

I was concerned for the lives of our family members.

I had considered that perhaps Asena felt the same... but in the story, she was not particularly bothered by such concerns.

Of course, the Asena from the story and the one before me were completely different entities, but I couldn’t comprehend this fear-stricken version of her.

She was never like this.

She finally spoke.

“......No. I want to tear them apart.”

Contrary to her frightened demeanor, her words were filled with lethal intent.

“I know I’m the cause of it all... but still. I still want them dead. I want to inflict every possible suffering upon them.”

She swallowed hard once.

“But... but Oppa....”

Asena trembled.

It felt as though time slowed for a moment.

My gaze swept over Asena as she shook in front of me.

And I saw so much.

It wasn’t just her body that had weakened.

Her heart, too, was frail.

A truth I had failed to see until now became clear.

“.........You’re going to war too, aren’t you?”

“.......I have to.”

“.....No.”

“What?”

“No... there can’t be a war.”

“What do you mean-”

“Ah.. then stay out of the war. We have Lawrence... right? Then.....”

Asena quickly grasped my hand.

She looked up at me.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“.....If you promise not to go, I’ll agree to the war. I can’t... I can’t bear to lose you… even if I die.”

.....Her trembling hands conveyed her emotions.

It was too easy to see that she wouldn’t take the slightest risk of losing me.

---  End Of The Chapter ---

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