CRIMSON LILY [To Be Published Under PAPERINK]

SPECIAL CHAPTER

SPECIAL CHAPTER JUST FOR FATHER'S DAY.

The Duke of Eveningstar has spent the remainder of his life in his room, reading randomly chosen books and staring at his daughter's picture. His new daily routine. It was funny how he, the great knight of their empire, was now locked in his own room.

He was not forcefully locked, but he has been hiding in his room ever since Elisse died. She was a great loss for him that he surely regretted. Eilisha was still there, and so were his sons, but none of them could fill the void that his youngest daughter had left.

Despite his stubborn behavior, the Duke still does his job as the head of the family. And thrice a month, the whole family still gathers in the dining hall to eat together. It was a routine that he created to keep his family in check and to make sure that their needs are still being met.

But if he had had a choice, the Duke might have gone away. Just far away with no real destination. It was his escape to reality. Or a way to atone for his sins.

"I'm going mad missing you, my child."

The Duke chuckled inwardly as he realized how far his thoughts had sailed. He was starting to feel his head aching when he came back to his senses. He sighed and placed the papers down on his desk, thinking that he should take a brief rest to calm his mind.

His gaze darted outside his window as he stood from his seat. The orange-like hue of the sky was giving him a melancholic feeling. It was already getting dark. The duke could not help but scoff at himself for being too unaware of his surroundings.

As he was walking to his bed, a cold gush of wind invaded his room. The Duke stared at the center of his room with his eyebrow creasing together. He was on his guard, but somehow, he could not sense any danger from the weird presence encircling his room. Then a dark, silky thread swirled in the middle part of his room.

The Duke's eyes widened, and he almost fell on his feet when the person who appeared in front of him was the sole person he had been thinking off. His youngest child.

"E-Elisse..?" He was sure that the dark-haired lady in front of him was his daughter, yet he could not recognize her properly because of how much she had grown.

Dark silky dress decorated with red flower embroidery. A choker-like necklace around her neck and her face looked a little mature because of her make up. It was like a previous version of his daughter.

He was unsure if he had fallen asleep again on his desk, like what happens to him after thinking too much. He was unsure if what was happening right now was a dream or not. But whatever it is, he was feeling genuinely happy meeting her for the first time after her death a couple of years ago.

The dark-haired lady held out her skirt and made a subtle bow in front of him. "It is I, father."

And before the lady could speak again, the Duke rushed to her. His arms wrapped tightly around his daughter's body, embracing her closely. Elisse was expecting this kind of reaction from him, so she smiled and hugged the latter back instead of pushing him away.

"Yes. I missed you too," she whispered as she patted his back soothingly, trying to calm him down.

The Duke burst out in a fit of sobs. He could not believe it, but even if it were not real, he was still sure that his heart would triumph. It was the first time that he had dreamt of her.

And surely, he will not waste this chance to talk to her. Not to ask for forgiveness, but only to apologize for all the mistakes he made.