Chapter 206 Valuable Gift

Chapter 206: Chapter 206 Valuable Gift

James admired Alessio’s gift for another moment before carefully placing it beside the others.

"His gift is very nice," he said with genuine appreciation. His fingers stayed on the wooden box for a moment before he pulled his hand away. "I love it."

Then his eyes shifted toward Daisy.

"But I am still looking forward to a certain someone’s gift."

Daisy immediately understood what he meant. Her lips curved into a shy smile and she silently laughed, lowering her eyes. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

James pointed at her playfully. "Yes, you."

Daisy shook her head innocently, her eyes wide with feigned confusion.

"Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. I’ve been waiting all evening!"

She laughed again, her shoulders moving slightly. Her eyes crinkled at the corners.

James chuckled. "You made me search for your gift, and now you’re sitting there acting completely innocent."

Daisy only smiled, her expression sweet and unreadable.

"Fine. I’ll wait."

He picked up another present and continued opening the remaining gifts.

One after another, the beautifully wrapped presents were opened. James reacted to each one with his usual warmth, sometimes laughing, sometimes teasing the person who had given it to him, and occasionally asking the maids to place the gifts somewhere safe. The room was filled with the soft sounds of paper tearing and the occasional burst of laughter.

Daisy remained beside him, watching. But every now and then, James would glance at her with an expectant expression. Daisy would simply smile and pretend not to notice.

Finally, after opening several more gifts, James reached the last beautifully wrapped package sitting near Daisy. He stopped. His eyes immediately recognized the handwriting on the small card attached to it. His expression softened.

"Ah..." He slowly picked it up. "This one is yours."

Daisy nodded.

James looked at her with a delighted smile. "Finally."

Daisy laughed silently.

"I’ve been waiting for this one all evening."

He carefully placed the package on his lap. Unlike the other gifts, this one wasn’t wrapped with an expensive ribbon or elaborate decorations. The wrapping was simple, neat, and slightly uneven in a way that made it obvious it had been done by hand. The paper was a soft cream color, and the small card attached to it was handwritten in Daisy’s neat, careful script.

James noticed. His smile became even warmer. "You wrapped this yourself too?"

Daisy nodded.

"Hmm." He gently ran his fingers over the wrapping. "You made the gift yourself as well, didn’t you?"

Daisy’s eyes brightened. She nodded again.

James’s expression immediately became emotional. "You made something for me..."

Daisy nodded shyly, her fingers fidgeting slightly in her lap.

He carefully began removing the wrapping paper, taking his time because he didn’t want to damage anything. His old hands moved slowly, deliberately, peeling back the paper with care.

Daisy watched him closely. She had spent so much time preparing it. She had thought about what he liked, what would make him smile, and what might become something he could keep for a long time. She had worked on it late at night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, using the small desk lamp in her room to see what she was doing.

Finally, James opened the box.

He froze.

Inside was a beautifully handmade leather journal. The cover was made of soft, dark brown leather that had been carefully stitched by hand. Along the spine, Daisy had embroidered delicate golden flowers and leaves, each stitch placed with precision. The corners of the cover were reinforced with small brass clasps that she had polished until they shone.

On the front, in the center, she had embossed a small tree with deep roots, a symbol she had chosen because it reminded her of him, of the strength and stability he had always given her.

But it wasn’t just the cover that made it special. Inside, the pages were filled with handwritten notes. Daisy had carefully copied down his favorite recipes, the ones he had told her about over the months they had spent together. She had written them in her neat, careful script, adding little illustrations in the margins, small drawings of flowers, leaves and the dishes themselves.

There were also pages dedicated to memories: the stories he had told her about his late wife, the jokes he had made, the advice he had given her. She had captured them all, preserving them in the pages of the journal.

On the last page, she had written a single sentence in her careful handwriting.

Thank you for being my family when I had none.

James stared at the journal. His fingers gently touched the handmade gift, tracing the embroidered flowers, the embossed tree, the brass clasps. He opened the cover and flipped through the pages slowly, his eyes moving over the handwritten notes and the delicate illustrations.

For a few seconds, he simply stared at it.

Then he looked up at Daisy.

"You made this?"

Daisy smiled and nodded.

James’s eyes immediately became moist.

"All alone?"

Daisy nodded her head.

"You actually sat down and made this yourself?"

She nodded again.

James let out a soft laugh, his eyes becoming emotional.

"My dear..." He looked back at the journal. "Do you know how much I love this?"

Daisy’s eyes softened.

James carefully pulled her closer and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. His grip was gentle but firm, and she could feel the warmth of his body against hers.

"This is my favorite gift."

Daisy’s eyes widened slightly.

James smiled, his eyes still glistening. "I mean it. I have received plenty of expensive gifts tonight, but this one..."

He gently touched the handmade piece again. His fingers traced the tree on the cover, following the lines of the roots.

"This one has your time in it."

Daisy’s eyes became glassy.

James smiled at her warmly. "And that makes it more valuable to me than anything else on this table."

Daisy leaned against him with a small smile, quietly happy that he loved it.

James looked at the gift once more and chuckled. "Now I understand why you didn’t want me to find it myself."

Daisy looked at him curiously.

"You wanted to see my face when I opened it, didn’t you?"

Daisy’s cheeks lifted with a shy smile.

James laughed. "Ah, my little girl..."

He hugged her a little closer, his old arms wrapping around her with a strength that surprised her.

"You really know how to make an old man emotional on his birthday."

Daisy closed her eyes and leaned into the hug, feeling safe and loved.