Married to The Ice King: Pampered Princess' Survival Guide-Chapter 191: Her Hidden Emotions

Theo stood by the wall, quietly watching Daisy as she watered the flowers in the back garden. The morning light filtered through the trees, soft and golden, touching everything except the heaviness in his chest.

It had been two weeks since Jasmine’s death, and Daisy hadn’t shed a tear since that night. She smiled, she spoke when spoken to, and she went about her day as if the world hadn’t collapsed around her.

But Theo knew better. He could sense it, the way she smiled, the way her eyes sometimes drifted to nothing, unfocused and far away. She was hiding it, burying it deep like the roots of the flowers she tended.

He took a slow breath and then walked straight towards her. The gentle hum she made while watering the plants was calm.

"Daisy," he called softly.

"Oh gosh! Theo! You should give me a hint!" She almost splashed the water towards him.

Theo chuckled softly at her startled reaction, lifting his hands in guilt.

"Didn’t mean to scare you," he said, his tone gentle but teasing.

Daisy pressed a hand to her chest, exhaling dramatically. "You nearly gave me a heart attack," she muttered, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "I didn’t hear you coming at all."

He grinned faintly, stepping closer until he was beside her. "Maybe you were just too lost in your garden. What are you thinking about?"

Gently wrapped his arms around her waist, he gave her a light kiss on the lips.

Daisy smiled faintly against his lips before pulling back just enough to meet his eyes. "Just... thinking about how peaceful it is here," she said softly. "Are you going to the office?"

She looked at his clothes, "Why didn’t you wear the one I prepared?"

"Oh... dad said, we are going for a lunch party aka business things and the theme is dark blue, that’s why I wear this suit..." he leaned and cupped her cheeks, "I will wear the one you prepared tomorrow... hmm?"

"Okay..." She pursed her lips, "Good luck hubby and happy first day on going back to work..."

Theo smiled, his thumb brushing her cheek affectionately. "Thanks, wifey," he teased lightly, his tone warm. "Don’t miss me too much."

Daisy rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the soft laugh that escaped her. "Please, I’ll be too busy taking care of your neglected garden."

He chuckled, stealing another quick kiss before straightening his tie. "I’ll be back before dinner. Don’t overdo it, okay?"

"I won’t," she said, watching as he turned.

"Oh!" Theo suddenly stopped and turned back, making Daisy’s eyes slightly widened, "About dad... I mean, your dad... Are you sure you want to bring him home? I just feel like him staying there would be better and easy to monitor by staying here with us..."

Daisy gazed at him in silence. A few seconds passed before she spoke, "Then... I will listen to you..." she smiled, "I can visit him often right?"

Theo blinked and nodded lightly. He was actually taken aback by Daisy’s reply but chose to not highlight them, "Then... I will go now..." He rubbed her shoulder gently, "I love you..." he mouthed the words and turned, walking away from the garden.

Her hand lingered in the air for a moment after he left, the smile slowly fading from her face.

As soon as the sound of the engine disappeared down the road, Daisy exhaled deeply, her shoulders slumping. She looked down at the flowers, the water still pouring steadily from the can before she suddenly stopped and slumping down.

The watering can slipped from her grasp, landing softly on the grass as water spilled across her knees. Daisy buried her face in her hands, her breaths coming unevenly.

The quiet of the garden pressed around her. The weight of her emotions were burdening her at this moment that she couldn’t think she could hide anymore.

Her fingers curled into the damp grass as a sob escaped her lips, raw and broken. The walls she had built all week... her smiles, her calm voice, her steady hands, crumbled in an instant.

"I told you to make things right..." she whispered, her voice shaking. "But not like that, Mom... not like that."

The breeze brushed through the garden, carrying the faint scent of wet soil and flowers, a cruel reminder of how peaceful everything looked—so different from the chaos inside her chest.

"I thought I was strong," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I thought letting out my anger would make me feel better... that you’d finally understand how much you’d hurt me." Her breath hitched, and she pressed a hand against her mouth to muffle the sob that followed. "But all I did was send you to your death."

Her tears fell faster now, splattering on her jeans, mixing with the spilled water on the grass. She shook her head, gasping between words. "I just wanted you to see... to regret what you did... not to—" Her voice broke completely, the rest lost in the sound of her own sobs.

A few meters away, three maids who had been quietly asked to keep an eye on her stood by the back doorway, frozen in place. Their eyes glistened with sympathy, their hands twisting nervously in front of them. What could they do at that moment?

They exchanged helpless glances, each knowing that no words, no gesture could ease the kind of pain Daisy was drowning in. Lily took a hesitant step forward, but the head, Dally, gently caught her wrist and shook her head.

"Let her be," she whispered softly. "Sometimes... people need to break before they can breathe again."

The others nodded silently, their gazes returning to Daisy, small and fragile against the sea of flowers that had once brought her peace.

Daisy stayed there for a long moment, her breathing uneven, the ache in her chest refusing to fade. Slowly, she lifted her head, her eyes red and swollen, lashes clinging together from tears. The sky above was a soft blue, streaked with clouds that drifted lazily, as if mocking how time moved on regardless of her grief.

She drew in a shaky breath and used the back of her hand to wipe her face, smearing away the tears that had been messing up her cheeks. "Get it together, Daisy..." she whispered to herself, her voice hoarse. "You still need to take care of dad... he needs you..."

Her words trembled in the air, almost breaking apart with the wind. She pressed her palm to her chest, trying to steady the sharp ache that wouldn’t go away. "You can’t fall apart now," she whispered again, as if saying it enough times would make it true.

After a long pause, Daisy inhaled deeply, letting the cool air fill her lungs. She picked up the watering can, straightened her posture, and glanced one last time at the flowers swaying gently in the breeze. "Everything’s okay," she told them softly, as though convincing herself. "It has to be."

With that, she turned toward the mansion, her steps unsteady but determined. The three maids followed a short distance behind, their eyes still filled with worry. As Daisy reached the doorway, she suddenly paused and turned to them, her voice unexpectedly calm.

"Do we still have vanilla ice cream?" she asked quietly.

Dally, the head maid, straightened immediately, relief flickering across her face at the familiar question. "Of course, madam," she replied with a soft smile. "Sir made sure we always keep enough stocked for you."

Daisy nodded faintly, her lips curving into the smallest, wistful smile. "Good..." she murmured. "Then maybe... I’ll have some... now?"

The maids immediately brightened, grateful for the glimpse of normalcy. Dally nodded eagerly, her tone light and warm. "Of course, madam! Would you like a vanilla milkshake too? We just received fresh milk this morning."

Lily, the youngest maid, chimed in quickly, "And we also prepared your favorite dessert, madam... the custard tarts with caramel drizzle and of course the egg tarts too. The chef said he made them just the way you like."

For the first time in days, Daisy’s expression softened genuinely. "That sounds... perfect," she said quietly. "Let’s have them together."

The maids exchanged gentle smiles, following her toward the kitchen, the faintest spark of life flickering back into the mansion that had, until now, been filled only with grief.

The sound of their footsteps echoed softly through the hallway, the maids trailing behind her with quiet relief that Daisy seemed calmer now. When they reached the dining area, the maids instantly rushed to the kitchen to get everything ready.

Meanwhile Daisy had been sitting quietly at the table.

The quietness suddenly broke when Daisy heard the footsteps coming from the living room.

"Mom...!" She stood up happily, rushing towards Evelyn who was smiling, holding up a paper bag that looked like dessert.

"I brought you your favourite dessert...I heard you haven’t been eating much lately," Evelyn said gently. She stepped closer, placing the paper bag on the table. "You need to keep your strength up, dear. Theo told me you’ve been spending too much time in the garden."

Daisy froze for a moment, her smile faltering just slightly. "I... I just needed some air," she murmured.

Evelyn’s lips curved a little higher, tender and warm. "I understand... let’s eat this first then how about breathing the air of a shopping mall next?"