CH 13

Young Girls’ Failure and Father’s Persistence

“Good morning, Dad.”

“Good morning, Vera, Nona, Liu Yue, Daisy.”

With a smile, Troy gave all of his daughters a kiss. He had to kiss every one of them each and every morning to avoid them getting grouchy. His four daughters winsomely hugged their dad around his neck and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Initially, Nona dared to kiss her dad on his lips, but she was met with her mom’s revenge afterward. She was left to starve until she ended up admitting that it was wrong of her to do that. The four girls who had yet to come of age, therefore, decided to reserve their true strength for the better when faced with their moms’ anger.

Freya always came to breakfast with a document folder in hand to report the day’s news. That was when the four sisters were most inattentive.

Daisy would eat as fast as she could to leave earlier, where she then pretended to bump into her dad so that she could walk with him to his office. However, Daisy yawned. She almost fell forward and dipped her head into her bowl. Noticing her daughter’s condition, Nier frowned: “Daisy, why do you look so sleepy today? I remember you went to bed early yesterday. Did you sneak out yesterday?”

“Erm….” Daisy had no response. She lowered her head and didn’t respond.

Just as Nier was about to reprimand her daughter, Troy wrapped it up with a smile: “It’s all right. Daisy must’ve been eager for our trip today. That must’ve been why she didn’t sleep so well last night. Just sleep on the train later.”

Daisy signalled a “thank you” with her eyes. While Nier was displeased with her daughter, she didn’t complain since she deeply loved her husband. Once Daisy’s issue was sorted out, Troy indicated for his sister to go on. Freya picked up the folder next to her again and continued reading out the day’s global news.

Breakfast was tasty, but the four sisters didn’t have an appetite. They were occupied with how to bring up their idea with their dad. They, at the very least, needed him to mention it. It would be for the best if Freya brought it up. Therefore, the four closely listened in to her report.

“Empress Elizabeth’s news. Empress Elizabeth has arrived at Troy City. She seems to be in a very good mood. Queen Vyvyan has also arrived at Troy City. The envoy teams from both nations are ready. The agenda for this conference has been placed in your bag for you. With regards to the Dragons, Miss Irina has not provided us with any further information. It would seem that they are content with their life at present.”

Their dad didn’t seem interested in the news, whereas their grandmas treated the news importantly. The four sisters were all aware that their four grandmas loved their father. Their two grandmas, who usually couldn’t be with their dad, cherished their time together.

When she heard the sound of Freya turned the page without mentioning the youngster’s issue, Nona started to feel anxious. Thus, she raised her hand up high and called out, “Sister Freya.”

Freya paused. Not everybody froze since solely Freya and Troy partook in the news reports. Lucia and Nier never involved themselves with politics, while the kids never paid it any attention. It was the first time Nona took the initiative to interject during Freya’s report.

Luna awkwardly stopped Nona, but Troy wasn’t bothered. As a matter of fact, he was happy. Beaming, he said, “It’s fine. Nona, did you want to hear something in particular? Sister Freya’s news is usually national affairs, though. If you want to know news about celebrity dating gossip, she won’t know. Didn’t you say you wanted to know if that what’s his name, an actor or something was dating that actress? Dad mentioned it last time. The actor will visit the Imperial Palace next month. You can ask him in person.”

Nona was different to her sister’s, in that she loved dating news in the entertainment world as well as all sorts of gossip. However, there wasn’t that much news in the Imperial Palace, so Troy specifically subscribed to a few magazines for her.

“Really?! Really?!” Nona enthused and clapped her hands.

Freya laughed quietly. She thought Nona wanted to ask for something, but that seemed to be it. Reassured, Freya picked up the document folder again.

Content, Nona placed down her breakfast that she intended to continue eating. Vera could tell her sister had forgotten what she wanted to talk about from her reaction. Vera quickly gave her sister hard nudges on her back, Nona finally realised she wasn’t after celebrity dating news, so she raised her hand again: “Sister Freya, I want to know about Queen Vera!”

“Queen Vera… Are you talking about Galaluocia?”

Freya froze as did Troy. All four sisters instantly held their breaths and tuned in. Freya flipped through her folder and then looked at her brother with a complicated look. Troy glanced back at her and then gently cleared his throat: “Nona, tell me what it is that you want to know. Is it about the boy? Although I don’t know what happened between him and you girls, I’m surprised you care so much about him? What exactly do you four want to know?”

“Dad, we want to go there,” Liu Yue forthrightly answered.

Liu Yue forthright response almost made Vera spit her milk out. Vera looked at her sister and dad with a dumbfounded look. She wanted to know her dad’s reaction. Troy touched his chin and leaned back into his chair in a somewhat irritable manner. Instead, he looked at the four as if he expected them to say that.

“Tell me your reason. Why do you want to go there? Don’t tell me it’s because of him. Think about it carefully, girls. He’s only trying so hard to protect his Queen. You’ve always lived in the Imperial Palace. You don’t know the outside world. The situation over there is complicated. If you want to go there for fun, it’s not an ideal location. It’s dangerous.”

“Dad… We don’t want to go there for fun. We want to save that nation.”

“Huh?”

Baffled beyond words, Troy explained, “Why do you want to go there? That Vera has nothing to do with you. Why do you want to help her? Even if you do help her, there’s nothing for you to gain from doing so. Don’t tell me you sympathise with him. He has nothing to do with you. Your pointless sympathy will only bring you trouble. Politics are complicated. You’re my kids. If you act thoughtlessly, you’ll only hurt Dad, so Dad won’t agree for your sakes and Dad’s sake.”

“Dad…”

“No ifs or buts,” Lucia resolutely cut Vera off, irate. “Mommy doesn’t know what you girls want to do, but the boy is unrelated to you, and you’ve never heard of that nation. Why do you want to go there and get involved? Your Dad doesn’t have any people there, either. If you go there, you’ll find yourself in trouble. What exactly are you trying to do?  What use is your sympathy? Your overwhelming sympathy will only bring grief to you and your dad.”

“But we want to go on an adventure! Mom! You were protecting Dad as the leader of the Shadow Squad at our age. In fact, you were engaged to Dad by our age. We’re stuck in the Imperial Palace and unable to do anything. We want to do something to prove ourselves!”

“That was because we were forced into that situation. I couldn’t have been with your dad if I wasn’t part of the Shadow Squad, whereas there’s no need for you to!”

Liu Yue disputed, “We, too, want to do something as you did! We want to prove ourselves to Dad!! We want to show you that we are no longer children! We can do what you can do! Please! We can do these things, too! My mom could revive her tribe, so we can save a nation!”

Nier indifferently chimed in: “You girls are going overboard. Your Mom had to revive her tribe at the time. She had to come with your dad to the North. I have to protect Her Majesty and your dad. What about you, though? There’s clearly no need for you to take the risk of your own volition. Taking the dive for your loved ones or the greater good is called courageous. What you’re doing is called stupid!”

“Dad…” Nona couldn’t persuade her Mom; therefore, she resorted to giving her dad the puppy-eyes look.

Everybody focused their gazes on Troy for the decision lay with him. He placed his spoon down then wiped his mouth with a napkin. Without turning his head around, he said to Freya, who was behind him, “Have Tanya and Ying go there. Do as you said. Start digging for information to prepare to get into this.”

Troy stood up. Luna picked up his cloak and briskly walked over to him. The girls stood up. They wanted to say something, while he gave them his back. He asserted, “Prepare to head out. We’re going to see your grandmas, so we can’t be late. Dad won’t approve of your request. Your Mom is right. Pointless chivalry is stupidity. Dad won’t let you do that. Prepare to head to Troy City. Dad has already shown the greatest lenience possible. Once things there settle, you can go there for a holiday if you still want.”

“Dad!”

“Be good, girls.”

Troy draped on his cloak and left them with that last response. Their moms quickly followed suit. They told Freya to watch their daughters before chasing after their husband.

“So, give up, girls,” jeered Freya, as she looked at the disappointed Princesses with a faint smile. She then made a small invitational hand gesture: “Now then, please do not make things hard for me. Let’s go, Princesses. Prepare to head to Troy City!”