어느 날 공주 가 되어 버렸다 65

Chapter Text

  Fortunately for Ijekiel, he managed to catch up to the princess. His footsteps came to a halt when he caught sight of her in front of him, sitting on the floor. Judging by the lone kitten heel not far from her, she tripped and fell a few seconds ago.

  "Princess Athanasia."

  She didn't flinch, nor did she turn her head around to look at him.

  Ijekiel, ensuring her that he would not do any harm to her, slowly approached her. "Pardon me, princess," he said in the softest voice he could muster as he knelt down behind her. He picked up her shoe and held her right ankle.

  ...

  Ijekiel awkwardly cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He noticed the stares he was getting from both Jennette and Lucas. Perhaps the emperor was also looking at him with a cold glare but he didn't feel the usual chill he'd feel whenever the man actually did that. "I... was only doing the one thing I was able to do in that situation," he explained. "Besides slipping her shoe into her foot for her, I also helped her up and accompanied her for a short while until she told me to leave her alone in the palace garden."

  "What a nice person you are," Lucas said, sounding sarcastic in his remark. However, deep inside him, he was slightly glad that Ijekiel was one of the few people who were looking out for Athanasia while he was away.

  "I'm sure Athy is grateful for you helping her out, Ijekiel," Jennette said with a small smile. Ijekiel just smiled back at her before they all paid attention to the screen again.

  Athanasia did not say anything to him. She watched in silence as Ijekiel slid her shoe onto her foot. His hands were slender and delicate, as expected of someone of nobility who rarely had to do any hard labour. His hold on her ankle was gentle as if he didn't want to accidentally hurt her.

  What a gentle boy he is...

  Endless questions flooded Ijekiel's mind but he didn't dare to burden the princess with them. What exactly happened between her and her father? Did they get into a fight? Why did he call her all those horrible things just now? Did he lose his mind?! How could he be so cold to his own daughter when just a few months they were dancing together happily during the debutante party?

   After wearing the kitten heel on the princess' foot for her, he looked up. "Are... you alright-"

  He was caught off-guard and his heart dropped.

  Tears were falling from Athanasia's eyes.

  "Oh, no! My baby!" Diana cried out, freaking out like any good mother would whenever they see their child crying.

  "Oh, dear. Here comes the waterworks," Jennette said, her voice cracking at the last second. She was already wiping a single tear that was already falling down her cheek. Anastacius noticed this and offered her a handkerchief, to which she graciously accepted.

  Claude looked at his daughter with worry, with his eyebrows furrowed as he bit his bottom lip.

  "... Was that the first time she ever cried in front of anyone who did not reside on the imperial palace grounds?" Ijekiel asked Lucas who looked like he could snap at any moment.

  "... Yes, actually," Lucas admitted. "As far as I know, she never did cry in front of anyone unless she's faced with a bad situation. For example, the time the emperor woke up from his beauty coma as it comes to light that he's suffering from memory loss," he whispered into Ijekiel's ear. "The princess never did like showing weakness, which was why she often bottled up her emotions. And now all those emotions are pouring out of her."

  He didn't really need to mention the times Athanasia had teared up in front of him to Ijekiel since they only happened after his return.

  Athanasia wondered why her cheeks felt wet. And why her tears did not stop falling.

  'I'm not alright. Not one bit.'

  Her trembling hands rolled up into fists. She turned her head away from Ijekiel who didn't say anything about her sudden breakdown. "Please... don't look at me like that," she pleaded in a weak voice.

  'There hasn't been a single moment I've been alright since I found out that Claude forgot about me.'

  "... She called you by your name," Felix muttered, glancing at Claude with sympathy.

  "... Hm." The man sitting beside him could only look down at the floor. 'This is all my fault for hurting Athanasia like that...'

  "I'm not crying." Athanasia's continued in a quivering voice as more tears rolled down her cheeks until they dropped to the cold floor and her hands, wettening them. Her shoulders dropped and she felt her head spinning.

  "You are crying, princess," Lily said while trying to hold in her own tears. She was too busy comforting Diana that she pushed her own emotions towards the girl she helped raise for the time being.

  Anastacius looked at Jennette with alarm when he saw a few more tears rolling down her cheeks. She really was the type of person to cry when they see another person crying in front of them. "Jennette, please don't cry," he said in a soft voice as he wiped away her tears with the handkerchief he gave her earlier.

  "I'm... I'm sorry for crying so suddenly," Jennette apologised. "I just... I just don't like seeing Athy cry like that."

  "I know... I know..."

  Ijekiel placed his hand on his forehead. "... She doesn't deserve this," he muttered under his breath. When he saw her crying, he didn't know what to do. He wanted to comfort her at the very least. To tell her that he'll be there for her and that he would do anything in his power to help her. Unfortunately, he was only an acquaintance of hers. Someone she had met a few times.

  "Yeah..." Lucas folded his arms across his chest. 'The last thing I would ever want to see in my life is seeing her cry like this. This just makes me mad.'

  'At first, I was just trying to trick dad in order to survive.'

  Memories of her past life came flooding back in. From a very young age, she... Lee Ji-Hye had no one.

  'I used to always be alone.'

  She didn't even know who her biological parents were. The earliest memory she remembered was when she was left in an orphanage.

  'But now what?' Athanasia's lip quivered.

  'I always gave up.'

  She remembered her part-time job at a fast-food joint, throwing the large garbage bags into the dumpster behind her workplace. They were too heavy for her and yet non of her co-workers helped her.

  'What's the point of being greedy?'

  The night sky was aglow with bright city lights. Lee Ji-Hye strolled down the crowded streets. How strange. There were a lot of people who, like her, were walking around. And yet she felt like the loneliest person in this world. She shoved her hands in her pockets, wandering around the large city aimlessly. There was no one who'd greet her when she went him, anyway.

  'The chance of me getting that...'

  A small family on the sidewalk opposite her caught her attention. A man, a woman and a young child. Lee Ji-Hye only glanced at them for a split second before walking away. They all looked so happy...

  '... Is less than a chance of stealing a star from the sky.'

  "Athy...!" Jennette cried even louder. Anastacius looked at his daughter in pity and tried his best to comfort the girl by hugging her while shushing her softly.

  Diana, Lily and even Felix were on the verge of tears as they found out more about Athanasia's past life.

  This whole time, the girl they all loved had been alone. The Athanasia in the novel received no love from her father. This stranger was just a random woman who happened to be reincarnated as the princess and yet they still felt sorry for her. And now, in her current life, it was as if everything was being taken away from her so easily.

  Athanasia finally remembered running towards her father for a hug when she was still very little. She was only able to wrap her arms around his waist due to her small height. She remembered being engulfed by Claude's warmth as he bent down slightly to hug her back.

  Diana sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. "My precious darlings..."

  Claude looked at the screen and, for a brief moment, showed sadness. '... When we all return to Obelia after this is all over, I swear on my life that I will do my best to provide my daughter with love and happiness... even though it's hard for me to show them properly.'

  Ijekiel looked at the princess and without saying anything else to her, cast his gaze downwards. "Yes... I did not see anything."

  It would have been completely silent in the palace's courtyard if it weren't for the soft whimpers coming from the princess herself.

  'Ah...'

  Athanasia's vision had gotten blurry.

  'I wish everything would disappear, like mist on the sea.'

  "... What happened after that?" Lucas couldn't help but ask Ijekiel.

  "Well, after she calmed down a bit, I helped her get up on her feet and asked her if I should accompany her back to the Emerald Palace," Ijekiel answered. Then, he pursed his lips. "Of course, she declined my offer but she allowed me to walk with her until we reached the garden. That was all."

  "I see... Hm. It's so annoying," Lucas admitted in a low voice.

  "What's so annoying?"

  "That I wasn't there when this whole ordeal happened." Lucas smiled bitterly.

  There was a change of scene.

  Slam!

  Most of them jumped at the sudden loud sound.

  "Someone's pissed," Anastacius mumbled.

  The doors to the royal office were flung open by Claude. He stormed into his office, discarding his royal mantel roughly and throwing it to the floor. He slipped out of his fitted uniform and threw it across the room.

  His eyes which often sparkled like sapphires were blazing in fury. He gritted his teeth and his icy stare was enough to terrify anyone to death. He stopped walking once he reached his desk.

  In a fit of rage, he threw everything off the desk. Countless documents were scattered on the floor and the trinkets on his desk crashed to the floor with loud thuds.

  They had never seen Claude so enraged before and they held in their breaths.

  "Your... Majesty...," Felix muttered in a shaky voice. He was accustomed to dealing with him for years. However, to see his friend losing his mind like that made him tense.

  The emperor's breathing turned erratic as he stared down at the desk. His entire office was a total mess and it would take a while for him to clean it up on his own. His hands were on the desk, supporting himself.

  That damned stare...

  That cold gaze of hers...

  Claude cursed under his breath before pressing his hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. It was another headache. One worse than normal. "Ugh..."

  'Something...'

  'Something is...'

  How odd.

  Why was he suddenly remembering a little girl calling out "Papa?" to him?

  Eventually, he calmed down. He panted lightly, his body feeling heavier than usual as if he could sink to the floor at any moment.

  '... missing...'

  "Claude, get a hold of yourself," Diana muttered while placing her hand on her forehead. She shook her head. "This whole amnesia problem is getting on my nerves, I swear to god..."

  "It's getting on everyone's nerves, really," Claude said.

  "Indeed it has," Felix joined in on the conversation. "Even though you're not the one who's suffering from it since that will only happen in the future... for some reason we all can't help but be upset with you, Your Majesty."

  "Do you really have to say it out loud, Felix?" Claude asked.

  Another change of scene.

  "Ijekiel?" Roger called out his son's name. The birthday banquet was already over by the time the emperor had excused himself. The invited nobles walked out of the ballroom, Roger being one of them. Just moments ago, his son somehow managed to sneak out of the building without him noticing, worrying him greatly. He couldn't have followed the princess, could he?

  "Ijekiel!" Roger pushed through the crowd of nobles when he finally caught sight of his son who stood near the carriages' drop-off area. There were already people entering their respective carriages or coaches to return to their estates.

  "Oh... So they're actually showing this, hm?" Roger spoke up. He glanced at Ijekiel who looked back at him. Both of them never really did talk about their confrontation. 'I'm sure to be receiving tons of glares during this.'

  Jennette who had finally stopped crying the moment Claude appeared on screen, looked back and forth at both Roger and Ijekiel. "Did... Did something happen between you two on that night?" she asked.

  Ijekiel remained silent, rubbing the back of his neck.

  "... Well, you could say that we both got into a bit of a disagreement," Roger decided to answer the girl's question. 'Thinking about it now, it's actually understandable that Ijekiel would be on the princess' side.'

  "I see...," Jennette's words trailed off. She rubbed her chin. '... On that night, I did suspect that Uncle Roger and Ijekiel had gotten into a fight when I noticed how tense they were with each other,' she thought. 'It was weird to see them not talking to each other when they returned home but I didn't really ask them about it because I was worried that I was prying into something that I shouldn't know about.'

  "What were you thinking, chasing after the princess like that?" Roger placed a hand on Ijekiel's shoulder and squeezed it firmly. "I do not know the reason, but Princess Athanasia has certainly lost His Majesty's favour. So it's dangerous to be seen with her anymore."

  "How bold of you to jump to that conclusion, Mister... White."

  Roger stiffened when he heard the emperor's statement that was being directed at him. 'That name again?' he thought.

  "Well, I'm honestly not surprised that the old man would think that," Lucas said. "Considering the fact that you... you know... publicly humiliated your own daughter?"

  ...

  "It is true, Your Majesty -"

  "Please be quiet, Felix."

  Ijekiel stared at Lucas blankly. 'Did he really just call my father old?'

Ijekiel didn't say anything. His bangs covered his eyes so it was hard to know what his son was thinking.

  'No...,' Roger thought. 'It's not certain yet, seeing how he let her leave even after she shook off the guards. But...'

  There was no time for him to think about this.

  Their coach finally arrived and stopped in front of them.

  "Get in the coach," Roger said.

  "Father."

  Ijekiel finally spoke up.

  This piqued Lucas' interest. 'Oh? Is he about to stand up to his daddy?'

  "You told me to act rationally." Ijekiel looked up at his father. "But today, for the first time..."

  "I thought that all of that is pointless."

  'Oh, damn,' was what most of them thought.

  Roger sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 'Children really are unpredictable at times... especially when they're your own,' he thought.

  "... What do you mean by that?" Roger asked in a low voice, not wanting the other nobles to eavesdrop on their conversation.

  "Father, I do not have the courage to see her tears again," Ijekiel admitted without hesitation. "And I do not have it in me to forgive someone who makes her cry either."

  "Okay, now that's a really good line you just said," Lucas said after whistling. It was clear that he was impressed with Ijekiel. 'Perhaps I should steal that quote from him.'

  "That's honestly really honourable of you to say something like that to Uncle Roger, Ijekiel," Jennette told him while patting his back. She smiled brightly. "I'm sure Athy will be touched if she hears you saying that."

  Ijekiel stared at both Jennette and Lucas and cleared his throat while scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.

  Sensing the duke's silence, Anastacius snickered. 'He must have been completely stumped when his own son decided to rebel against him for the first time ever.'

  Roger found himself to be shocked by what Ijekiel just told him. "Ijekiel, you..."

  He took a step closer to him and he loomed over Ijekiel, their foreheads pressed against each other.

  "Don't tell me you really mean that." Roger's voice turned low.

  Anastacius snickered once more, earning a glare from Roger.

  "... Hm." Claude folded his arms across his chest. "I'm actually surprised by Alpehus' son," he said quietly so no one was able to hear him. 'I suppose he's not really like his own father.'

  As Roger and Ijekiel had their silent staring competitions. There were still noblemen and noblewomen walking around the area, hopping into their mode of transport or just chatting with each other. They were completely unaware of what was going on between the two.

  Roger stepped back and ran his fingers through his silver hair. For the first time in his life, he had no idea how he should deal with his own child.

  "You know well, I wasn't involved in what happened earlier," Ijekiel said.

  "I'm aware of that."

  "But that might now always be the case, father."

  Roger put his hand down and saw the determined expression on Ijekiel's face.

  "And if what you are preparing is a threat to her, then I won't be able to stand by," Ijekiel said as a subtle warning.

  ...

  "Did... Did you just... threaten your father, Ijekiel?" Jennette asked in pure shock.

  "Uh..." Ijekiel turned to look at his father for some assistance but the man just shrugged his shoulders while shaking his head. So... he didn't take that as a threat? Thank goodness. "... It's just a small warning. That's all."

  "Sir Ijekiel is clearly protective over your daughter, Your Majesty," Felix said in amusement. He looked down at the two boys who sat in the front row. 'As a matter of fact, both of them are really protective over her.'

  'That still doesn't mean I'll let that boy come close to her,' Claude thought while letting out a quiet "Hmph".

  Lucas rubbed his chin while smirking. 'Who would have thought this fella has some backbone in him to actually go against his daddy?'

  "... Is this what you intend?" Roger asked, taken aback by what Ijekiel said to him.

  Ijekiel didn't say anything to answer his question but cast his gaze downwards. It did pain him to go against his father like this but for the time being, ensuring the princess' safety was his top priority. "I'm sorry, father."

  ...

  "Hah." Roger couldn't believe this. 'They say children never grow up as their parents plan them to.'

  It was late. Most of the guests were already gone.

  "... Just get in the coach," Roger said. "We can talk about this again later."

  The screen turned black and the words 'To be continued' appeared.

  "We never talked about the matter after that," Roger pointed out, remembering how awkward their coach ride back home was. Ijekiel wasn't even willing to look at him and instead preferred looking out the window on that night.

  "Yeah... We didn't even talk to each other at all for a couple of days as well," Ijekiel added.

  "Hey, Claude didn't really do anything in this chapter which is nice, I suppose," Diana said while smiling warily. "Though, I am worried about how he's constantly having headaches. Hopefully, he won't do anything bad in the next chapter."

  Myra suddenly choked on the apple juice she drank from a bottle and quietly coughed into her hand, making sure no one else noticed it. The only people who did notice were Roger and Anastacius who sat beside her. They looked at her with concern. Anastacius even patted her back.

  The others didn't notice her small coughing fit since they were busy talking to each other.

  "I... really need to go to the restroom," Jennette said after Lucas pointed out the tear stains on her cheeks. She thought she had wiped them off with the handkerchief but perhaps it was best for her to just wash it off instead. "Miss Myra, may I go to the restroom?"

  "Hm? Oh, of course." Myra smiled slightly. "We are taking a short five-minute break, after all. Feel free to do your own business."

  Eventually, most of them went out of the screening room. The layout of the building they were in changed slightly and the restrooms were only a two-minute walk away from the screening room. Jennette, Diana and Lily went together. Felix accompanied Claude on a short walk around the building since the latter said that his legs would feel weak if he kept sitting for too long. Lucas and Ijekiel also went to the restroom.

  The only people in the screening room were Myra, Anastacius and Roger.

  "Why did you react like that all of a sudden?" Anastacius asked her. "Don't tell me Claude actually does something bad in the next chapter..."

  "... Well, this is Sir Claude we're talking about here," Myra said with a weak smile. 'I'm sure that they will all be shocked and enraged by his decision in... attempting to kill off his daughter,' she thought. She scratched her cheek lightly with her index finger. "Do you both not know the reason why the princess ran away from the palace in the first place?"

  "The actual details about it?" Roger shook his head. "No, not really. Most of us nobles simply assumed that she ran away because of what had happened on the emperor's birthday," he explained. "It's clear that the princess didn't have a reason to be stuck inside the palace anymore since the emperor despises her... But judging by the way you reacted just now, there is an entirely different reason why she ran off in the first place?"

  "It's... a complicated story, to be honest," Myra replied. "But let me just say that Sir Claude's resolve in solving his pain and misery while suffering from amnesia is... horrible."

  Anastacius sighed and ran his fingers through his blond hair. "Hmm... Judging by his hostility towards his daughter, I won't be shocked if he actually tried hurting her."

  'It seems that Miss Jennette and Sir Ijekiel have been made aware of what will happen soon since Sir Lucas hinted to them about it,' she thought, remembering how both of them and Lucas huddled around while whispering to each other. 'If that's the case, then those three will surely be hitting Sir Claude with toy hammers again.'

  Five minutes later, everyone was finally in the screening room. The three ladies looked like they had freshened themselves up a bit while they were in the restroom.

  "Let's continue on with chapter 53, shall we?" Myra pressed the remote button and the screen lit up again.

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Here's an old drawing of Jennette. The reason why she looks like this is because it's for an AU I'm still working on where Jennette ends up in the modern world that is loosely inspired by ORV. Originally, I want her to look more mature and as she grows up, she looks a lot like her father? From the way she styled her hair to some of her mannerisms? That's the basic premise of AU!Jennette.

I plan on re-designing her again where she's wearing a more formal-looking uniform? I just wanna draw Jennette in pants.