Chapter 476 Gifting A Castle
His family members gave him countless suggestions on ways to celebrate Wrenna’s birthday. But, he knew that those ideas wouldn’t be able to catch her off guard, for she definitely knew a celebration was impending.
Hence, Damian ditched all of Clarissa’s recommendations and opted to celebrate in a straightforward manner. First, he woke up at the crack of dawn to use the hotel’s kitchen and prepared a simple plate of breakfast for her.
When Wrenna woke up, the plate of breakfast greeted her by her bedside. She had yet to wash up, but the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was a dashing Damian with the plate of breakfast in his hands.
An affectionate smile was plastered on Damian’s face as he eagerly awaited her reaction. However, she didn’t know what to say to him. She dared not imagine the unkempt state she was in having just woken up from bed.
All she could do was repeatedly tell herself that it was alright. “Happy birthday, Wren.” She forced a smile and muttered, “Thank you, Damian. You made this yourself?”
“Yeah. Have it while it’s still warm.” She smiled sheepishly. “Can I go to the washroom first?”
“Huh? Oh. I- I’m sorry, Wren.” Damian was in a state of nerves. It was his first time preparing breakfast for someone, so it was normal for there to be hiccups.
Earlier, he already messed up multiple times in the kitchen. Out of desperation, he hurriedly brought his best endeavor to Wrenna just in case the food was no longer fresh. In a moment of frenzy, he totally forgot that Wrenna had just woken up and hadn’t had time to wash up.
After Wrenna went to the washroom, Damian anxiously stared at the plate of food.
Luckily, Wrenna speedily exited the bathroom looking all invigorated. Her hair was tucked behind her ears, revealing her gorgeous face that glowed with the morning sun.
Damian’s heart skipped a beat when she flashed him an alluring smile.
“Thank you, Damian.”
Wrenna took the plate of food from his hands and finished it all right in front of him.
“Hmm, tastes good.”
Relief washed over Damian.
The corners of his lips curled upwards at her compliment. Then, he reached out to set the plate aside.
“Go and get ready for the day. We’re going out later.”
Wrenna tilted her head to look at him. With a smirk on her face, she teased, “Did you plan everything? Don’t tell me we’re going to your campus again.”
Damian laughed at her remarks.
Is that disdain in her tone? I mean, we didn’t exactly do anything interesting the past few days.
He raised his hand and reached out to fondle her head. “No, we’re never doing that again. Is that okay with you?”
“Hehe… I didn’t say I don’t like it. I’m just kidding.”
While Wrenna went to get ready, Damian went to make necessary arrangements for the upcoming surprises.
The weather outside was rather clear, as though it was to complement what Damian had scheduled for the day. Even though it wasn’t bright and sunny, white, fluffy clouds drifted across the sky, putting the couple in a good mood.
Instead of an ordinary sedan, a prince’s carriage was waiting for them the instant they stepped out of the hotel.
There was even a man donning a palace guard uniform at the front of the carriage driving.
A glint of delight flashed across Wrenna’s eyes. That came as a pleasant surprise.
Damian further amused her by depicting the role of a gentleman. “My Princess, your carriage awaits.”
Wrenna was secretly glad she chose to wear a skirt.
With a sweet smile, she bobbed a curtsy to him and boarded the carriage.
Inside the carriage, her eyes met Damian’s.
Suddenly, Damian’s face broke into a grin.
“Damian, this is Mommy’s suggestion, isn’t it?”
He gave her a questioning gaze. “Why can’t it be mine?”
“Is it really you?”
“Fine. It wasn’t me. You seem to love this. I guess Mommy’s still the best at figuring out what girls are fond of. I initially thought this was bizarre, but thankfully I didn’t do away with it.”
“Tsk. Damian, you’re way too honest.”
Damian gave her a toothy grin, adoration was evident in his eyes.
“As long as you’re happy, Wren.”
She delightfully nodded. “I am! I’m very happy. Where are we going next?”
Damian shook his head. “I’m going to keep mum to maintain the element of surprise. Just wait and see. We’ll be arriving soon.”
Unfortunately, a horse-drawn carriage like theirs was certainly no match for cars, so the journey took longer than expected. Nonetheless, Wrenna was all fired up and consistently badgered him with questions.
“Are horse carriages even allowed in the city?”
“Where are they from?”
“Have you ever made the breakfast I had before?”
Damian candidly answered all of Wrenna’s queries. He even told her about his several failed attempts that morning.
No details were spared in all his responses. That was how honest they were with each other.
There was no need for any secrets in their relationship.
A long while later, the carriage finally came to a stop.
Damian hopped off the carriage first before he carefully helped her off the carriage.
Wrenna looked up to see a vast castle standing before her.
Wow. What a historical monument…
Wrenna chuckled and said, “So, Damian. Do you plan to act out a scene as a prince?”
“Why not? My Princess.”
As she continued to giggle, she gazed at the chiseled features that adorned his attractive countenance. He truly did resemble a prince. In her life, he played the role of a prince who she spent her whole life pining for.
That moment was symbolic of a happy ending after years and years of yearning.
Her heart thumped wildly against her chest. It brought her back to the moment she realized she was deeply in love with Damian.
As her heartbeat accelerated, Wrenna shyly turned away to avoid looking at Damian. She was well aware of how she looked as her cheeks began to redden.
She tore away from his scrutiny and turned to look at the castle.
“Damian, where is this?” Wrenna attempted to change the topic.
“It’s a castle I bought for you. There’s no name yet. I just bought it not too long ago. It’s also newly restored, so there are still some flaws in the furnishing. Wren, if you have any suggestions, feel free to name them. As long as you like it, we can revamp the place according to your preferences. Maybe you can also give her a name.”
A castle?
Wrenna was reminded of the time her mother told her about Matthew giving Clarissa an island.
Are the men in their family accustomed to bestowing others with properties?
However, she shook her head.
“Damian, I can’t accept this. It’s too expensive and…”
She certainly could not accept the gift.
However, she found herself unable to complete her sentence.
Damian shot her a look of confusion. Then, he held her hand and said with a smile, “There’s no need to be cordial. We’re married now. What’s mine is also yours. Come, let’s go in and take a look. The place is a little dilapidated, but we’ll certainly furnish it soon. We’ll stay here for the night. Whenever we come to Erihal in the future, we can stay in the castle. When you were younger, I remember you saying that every girl dreams of becoming a princess. So, I hope you like the gift.”
Wrenna went in with Damian. Upon arriving, she noticed that there were already a butler and a few housemaids in the castle.
The butler led them on a tour around the castle.
The interior was not as sophisticated as expected, but there was an air of elegance it exuded. Many of the original designs and their intricate details were kept intact. Moreover, the castle was truly massive.
Wrenna felt like she was on an excursion in a manor. From the inside of the castle, she couldn’t even see the perimeters of the humongous garden. In the garden, there was a small lake, a good deal of trees in various shapes and sizes, as well as an abundance of flora species.
When she entered the master bedroom, she instantly felt like she was royalty.
She strolled over to the bed and sat down, doing a once-over of the room. Then, she got up and walked to the window, taking in the magnificent view of the yard from her room.
It was the season where flowers came into full blossom. Whoever stayed there would be sure to live a blissful life.
Damian hugged her from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head. His deep voice was warm as he asked, “Do you like it?”
Wrenna replied, “Yes. I love it.”
With her assurance, Damian felt that everything he had done was all worth it.
A moment of silence ensued. Just then, Wrenna opened her mouth to speak. “Damian, I-”
“Mr. and Mrs. Quigley…”
Just as she was about to say something, a few knocks on the door interrupted the moment.
Damian released her and turned to open the door. Their conversation was not heard, but Damian stepped out after that. He looked as though he was intentionally avoiding Wrenna.
Her heart sank. She walked to the side and sat down, still deep in thought.
Soon after, Damian returned and brought Wrenna for a walk. He wanted to seek her opinion on how they should design the place. Everything could be built according to Wrenna’s liking.
After a sumptuous lunch, Wrenna took a quick nap before Damian whisked her off again.
They set off to purchase some souvenirs for the family. It seemed as though those were the only plans they had for the day.
Wrenna thought that the day had mostly concluded. With such a lavish gift, she dare not ask for more.
As dusk approached, they drove back to the castle. In the darkness, the brightly-lit castle emanated a sense of comfort.
Damian hurriedly rushed Wrenna upstairs to take a bath.
After she was done, she came out to a room with no one. All there was beside the bed was a box with delicate wrapping and a card sandwiched in between.
Please put this on.
It was Damian’s handwriting.
Wrenna raised a brow and opened the box. Inside was a wine-red evening dress that looked exquisite.
She lifted the dress and put it on. Next to it was a pair of high heels in the exact same shade of red.
Then, she put on some light makeup and transformed into a ravishing beauty. After she was done, she opened the door and headed out.
She followed the path towards the flight of stairs. When she reached the top of the stairs, she could see the entire ballroom beneath her, gleaming with lights and looking like a real prince’s ball.
However, there was no one else at this ball. Just her, and Damian the prince anticipating her arrival patiently.
His head was angled upwards to her while he beamed at her. His hand was extended, an invitation for her to join him.
