I Should Let Go

Bonus 3/3: Growing Up

The year Catia turned eleven, she was pretty much caught up with her family's predicament. No one except her father was trying to keep it from her.

In fact, perhaps the entire capital knew, that the Countess of Alridge was cheating on her husband. Her father.

Her poor father.

"How are your lessons, sweetheart? Bit boring aren't they?" the count asked her, sipping on his coffee.

Catia vigorously nodded. "Make it stop, papa. I wanna go play with my friends." she pleaded with her eyes.

"You'll get to play with them next year at the academy, Tia. I'll let you stay at the dormitories with Evie."

She hung her head low. If she leave for the academy next year, her father would be left alone.

"I don't want to leave Papa. Who will you have breakfast with?" she asked in a queit voice.

"With your mama, of course." the count said, laughing. "Don't you worry about me, sweet."

She might've been eleven, but it was clear to her that her father was lying.

They haven't dined together since forever. It was always the count and her. Never her mother, she was always out and about.

Catia didn't have the heart to let her father know, that she knew everything. And so, she played along with his lies, for the sake of her beloved father.

She grew up accompanying her father everywhere, while pretending her mother didn't exist.

Not like she had ever been a good mother to her.

Years passed and when it was Catia's seventeenth birthday, the countess suddenly joined them on breakfast.

It ruined her entire week.

She resented the way her mother's presence there made her father appear overjoyed. Acting normally as if she hadn't been hurting him the entire time.

She was so angry that she wanted to scream and yell at her own mother. Beg her to leave them and stop giving her father a speck of hope.

"I heard it's your last year at the academy, Tia."

Catia shuddered when she addressed her by nickname.

"I don't like this, pa." she ignored her mother, holding back her tears. "Am I supposed to play along to whatever the hell this is?"

"Sweetheart..."

"I know everything, papa. She even used to bring me to see him, you're the only one trying to hide it from me." Catia finally broke out crying.

The count looked puzzled, processing what his daughter had just confessed. "Helena, you. You took Catia with you, to meet him?" he asked, squinting his eyes at the teary-eyed countess.

Her mother sniffled. "It was a long time ago, I didn't know she'd remember. I'm sorry Ed, I really am." she reached out for his arm.

Her father recoiled, hatred burning in his eyes. "You really are the worst, Helena."

Catia didn't know what to describe her seventeenth birthday was like. It was not that terrible - sure the birthday breakfast was a disaster but her father finally received his wake up call, the countess stopped bothering her ever since, and they went on a fun vacation with her father's sisters - she loved her aunts.

But a heart was broken.

All she hoped was that her father would recover. Perhaps she should play some matchmaking in the future.

***

(Present Day)

"I thought you had forgotten the way home, Catia." the count adjusted his spectacles rim. "Almost gave your room to Cecile. She was excited to decorate it, pity."

She noticed her father's increasing wrinkles.

"Papa!" Catia stomped her feet. "How could you give it to her, I wrote to you that I'd return after Christmas."

"Really? You didn't mention what year." said her father monotonely, still sulking perhaps.

"Are you still very angry I broke the engagement?"

"Huh? Why ever would I be?" the count denied, frowning. "I'm upset that I had to spend Christmas without my daughter. Young lady, you should be counting how many Christmases left you have with me."

She ran to hug her father, laughing in relief. "But the red inks- hmph, don't say that, papa. You'll outlive me right?"

"I'd rather not. Who will even take care of me if I outlive you?"

Her smile grew wider. "What if I say there is someone, he-he. I'll introduce you to her next week."

"What is this brat planning... Hey, fetch my cane, papa wants to show you the new greenhouse."

Seems like she'd finally set her matchmaking plans in motion.

-The End-

A/N: With this brief chapter of Catia's past, I'm glad to say that this short story is finally completed! Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

Please look forward to my future projects! Have a good day~