บท 26: Accompanying
Irene rushed down the stairs, completely forgetting about her etiquette and dignified behavior. All she wanted was to greet her father and warmly welcome him back home, which his daughter, Sylvaine, had never done. Though she was yet to develop compassion towards the man, she had more or less accepted him as a father figure. To her, until her time in Rothnia, he was her father, and she wanted to treasure this beautiful moment.
Reyna followed her, begging her to slow down and mind her manners. Her heart had almost leaped out of her chest when she saw her mistress lift her dress to her knees before she took off. It was utterly unladylike, and she was sure her mistress would get a good hearing from the governess if she found out about it. And not only her mistress but she would also be reprimanded for not reminding her of manners.
"Milady, please slow down and lower your dress." She pleaded from behind, only to fall on deaf. Her mistress had been quick on her feet, and Reyna had a hard time keeping up with her. She had almost tumbled on her dress when she stepped down the stairs hurriedly to catch up with her.
Irene was too excited to heed any of Reyna's words. She only cared about seeing her father and knowing if he was alright. She was worried about him, for he too had been out in the rain, and unlike her, who had had a comfortable hot bath to warm herself, he had been outside all this time, bearing the harsh weather.
Irene was gasping as she reached the end of the staircase. 'Why didn't I realize before that this mansion has a lot of steps?' She wondered with a frown and looked behind her to see the stairs she had covered. But before she could even take a good look at the large number of steps, her father's surprised voice fell on her ears, making her look in the direction from where she had heard him.
"Sylvaine, why are you awake at this time, dear?" Seymour was pleasantly surprised to see his daughter standing in front of the staircase, and he turned towards the grandfather clock placed near the wall to see the time. It was somewhere close to one.
His surprise eventually turned to fear when his gaze fell on his daughter again. "Is something wrong, dear? Are you in pain? Do you feel uncomfortable somewhere?"
Seymour's mind started to conjure the worst possible scenario. Why else would his daughter be awake at this time of the night?
"Father," Irene stopped him before he could go on with his concern filled questions. She walked towards him until she stood just a step away. "I am fine, Father. I wanted to welcome you back home. So, I asked Reyna to wake me when you returned home."
As soon as Seymour heard his daughter's intentions, his heart was filled with warmth. All the coldness and fear he had felt due to the harsh weather and in the King's presence vanished just by listening to his daughter's sweet words, and unknowingly, his lips arched up in happiness.
But the next moment, his smile slipped and he glared at Reyna, making the girl lower her head in guilt. She was now apprehensive about what she had done and clutched her dress tight in worry.
"Father, don't blame Reyna. I was the one who ordered her to inform me. It is not her fault." Irene tried to soothe and coax the old man, and it worked brilliantly on him. His anger vanished and he smiled at her again.
"Why did you get up at this time of the night, dear? You are still weak and you need lots of rest." Though it seemed as though the man was scolding her, one could see the joy radiating off his face. He was very jubilant to find his daughter waking up to welcome him back. He had never felt this happy before, and his eyes teared up a little, which he managed to stop. He forced his tears from escaping his eyes, lest his daughter should notice it.
But Irene had not missed it. Yet, she did not point it out or ask about it, for she knew why the old Duke was crying. She realized he was being emotional.
"It is fine, Father. I wanted to do it for you." Irene said, keeping her following words to herself. 'I don't know how long I will stay here. Let me cherish the moments and experience a father's love before I become fatherless again.'
Some of the servants had come out of their rooms to welcome the Duke when they heard their mistress's words. They too were touched and immensely happy. How long had it been since their Grace returned to a lively and happy home? How long had it been when their mistress had welcomed him this warmly?
Irene noticed her father's slightly wet robes and wanted to smack her head for completely ignoring his condition. "You must be cold, Father. Take a good bath and come down. I will accompany you while you eat."
"But..."
Irene tilted her head, giving her father a stern gaze with an eyebrow raised, and the old man instantly closed his mouth, swallowing all his protests. "Did you eat your food?"
"Yes, I did."
"Did you take your medicine?"
Irene nodded again, and Seymour turned to Reyna for confirmation. It was only when she too confirmed that he sighed in relief.
"Good. Please wait for me, dear. I will come down soon." Seymour enthused. His face could not conceal his emotions, his joy radiating off clearly. He rushed to finish his bath quickly and found his daughter waiting for him at the dining table, just as she had promised.
That night, Seymour had the best dinner of his life. Even though it was the same kind of food prepared by the same cook every day, it tasted extraordinarily delicious that night. He even ate more than usual as he watched his daughter accompany him. He had never felt this blissful before, and just as the King had advised him, he wished for his daughter never to regain her memories again. He wanted his daughter to be like this forever.
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