He, who made you a princess

Chapter XXVIII

~ in those years you were gone, he stayed ~

Four years had passed, and the expansion of the Obelian territory has come to a complete halt. Though the empire remained at the top of the world, stagnancy enveloped every corner, and this time around, the people were left in the dark.

Without a clue to what was happening to their monarch, the idea from another world that the demise of the Obelian princess would also be the fall of the greatest emperor, Claude de Alger Obelia, has finally come to past.

'Twas but the sheer power of the emperor, and the undying fidelity of his retainers that kept the might of the empire.

The chancellor, the First Knight , the chief of the Black Tower, and all the nobles who renewed their oath to their lord, and those kings and commoners alike, saved by the mercy of their new emperor who conquered not only their land, but their troubles...

Perhaps it would be the greatest tale that would be told to generations to come.

But to the emperor himself, none of it mattered at all.

Because unless his daughter was awake to see it for herself, everything was meaningless. Because he would only take the world to give to her.

Claude wanted nothing but for her to wake up and live as happy as she's been up until she closed her eyes that day. Because if he can't make her any happier than that, then at the very least, he wanted to protect that happiness.

Otherwise, both his daughters would leave him, trapped in a nightmare that was because of him.

Regret. Regret. Regret...

Why was it easier to split life rather than turn back time? He couldn't even find any more bitterness in himself to try and blame the wizard. Because after all, Lucas did everything and beyond his powers to try and change fate.

While all he could do was run away from it.

What would happen if he left her here to see his daughter in his world? No. That would be giving up.

He would trust in the man who loves his daughter equally and remain here to do his part.

Claude remembered her words before she collapsed. That it must be hard for him. And he denied it.

But now that's true more than any other time in his life, however; things were not hard because Diana wasn't around. It was hard because no matter how powerful he's become, for some reason, fate just would not allow him to be the one to save his daughter. And there was nothing he could do again but be there.

Day by day Claude would make sure that she was comfortable. The same way he did when she was just born. From when he first heard her cry, to when she first opened her eyes. From when she first turned her head to when she first turned her body. From the time when she first crawled to the time when she took her first step.

The same way he took care of her from when she was just crying to the time when she would endlessly call for him.

He would wipe her down, change her clothes, turn her body from side to side. Massage her arms and legs, brush her hair and hold her tight at nights when she would tremble and cry in fear.

At the very least, he thanked heavens that time was not the same in his world. Because he couldn't be there do to the same for his bigger daughter.

Every day Claude would recall his memories with Athanasia. One of his favorites was that time when he found her inspecting the little golden angels in his palace.

Why'd she bite the butt of all places? He still wonders about that.

And then he would retell his own memories to himself, ones in particular the memories in which Athanasia was evidently choosing him over anyone. Over that Alpheus brat, over that obnoxious wizard. Over Lily, Felix, and even her own mother.