Pride (2)

Lord Tasar opened the front door to his daughter's home expecting to hear and see chaos, but instead, he saw the order. Everything in Lixiss' house was in its place, with not an ounce of mess anywhere.

Perplex, Lord Tasar called out to the maids he sent to take care of Lixiss.

"Is anyone here?..." Getting no answer, he wondered where the maids were as he walked further into the house.

Room by room, Tasar checked for people until finally moving towards Lixiss's bedroom. Seeing the locks still on the door, Tasar reached into his pocket pulling out a ring of keys.

Only himself and the maids had the keys to these locks.

Turning the last key into its lock, Tasar opened the door and entered the room.

Sitting down reading a prayer book, Lixiss didn't notice someone step into the room.

Viewing his daughter composed and very different behavior from how he last saw her, Tasar was aroused by this change.

"Lixiss...?"

"Father, you've finally come...I've been waiting for you." Hearing the pleading tone in her voice, Tasar felt guilt plague his conscience.

"I'm sorry, Lixiss. I didn't mean to fail you, but you needed time to recover." Tasar didn't let his guilt override his judgment. Lixiss had broken the clan's law by bringing and using drugs. There was no way he could not be upset over this.

"I know, father. I was wrong. That's why I've made use of this time to focus on cleansing my body and mind of all impurities. I even took up reading prayer books." Lixiss lifted up the book in her hand for Tasar to see.

"En...that's good to hear. Has the healer been back to give you a checkup."

Lixiss could see her father was being cautious around her, not being too familiar and not being too estranged.

If her mother didn't warn her ahead of time about watching her behavior and drug usage since she been locked up, she might have thrown a tantrum and used the hidden drugs in her bathroom.

However to last this long without drugs in her system was difficult, but it will all be worth it if her father lets her out early.

"No, not yet..."

"Mmm...Why don't we call for a healer then." Just as Tasar finish speaking, a maid walked in carrying a tray full of food.

"Lord Tasar...!" The maid was in the backyard kitchen preparing dinner for everyone.

Guessing where the maids were, Tasar doesn't bring up the issue of leaving the house empty. Instead, he told her to quickly call for a healer to come and give Lixiss a check-up.

With the maid off to call the healer, Lixiss and Tasar were once again alone. Lixiss could see her father's attention was elsewhere.

"Father, is something wrong?" Tasar hearing his daughter concerned, answered with a shake of the head.

Heeding her father didn't want to talk, Lixiss complained in her head at his lack of care but outwards remained composed.

Tasar stared at his daughter's face as he remembered the guards' words. He didn't think that others in the clan knew about Lady Vanya's deceit.

Well more like her family's deception, sending an already pregnant woman to be his wife.

If it wasn't for his grandfather's agreement with Vanya's maiden family, he would have never married her. The least her family could have done was send her to her soon-to-be husband's family free of another man's child.

He would have been hoodwinked if he slept with Vanya on the night of their wedding.

But his was so aggravated at his father for forcing him to marry someone he didn't like, he spent the night at his first wife's bed instead.

After some time passed, and his anger was alleviated, Tasar felt bad for treating Vanya so badly.

Going to her residence to seek forgiveness, Tasar happened upon a healer exiting her house. Before he could inquire about who was hurt, the healer bent down and congratulated Tasar on conceiving a child.

Livid at Vanya, but could do nothing in front of so many people, Tasar just accepted everyone well wishes.

When they were finally alone, Tasar could not contain his anger and slapped Vanya. Expecting her to cry and seek forgiveness, she laughed. When he said he wouldn't claim the child, she laughed even more.

Vanya stood staring him at him right in the eyes, and ask if he was going to tell everyone that he was wearing a green hat for his newly wedded wife.

Loving his reaction, Vanya laughed even more than before.

Letting his pride get the best of him, Tasar turned a blinded eye and claimed Lixiss as his own.

Sighing to himself, Tasar knew he could have avoided all this if he didn't let his pride become his weakness.

Looking at Lixiss again, Tasar reminded himself that she was innocent in the whole matter.

Besides she was his baby girl for so many years, he shouldn't let her one mistake break their relationship.

Clearing the words of the guards from his mind, Tasar converse with Lixiss like usually until the healer showed up.