Bathe in that Bright Light

The Beginning

"Milady, it's time to wake up"

"Uhhh, I'm up, I'm up, Morning Lily!" said Athanasia cheerfully whilst Lillian takes her blanket. The said girl gets up from her Queen Sized bed and takes one glass of water while her maid, Lillian, makes up her bed.

"Milady, you should hurry and freshen up, or else you're going to be late to school. Your dad is already downstairs waiting for you to eat your breakfast" said Lillian after finishing Athanasia's bed and starts to take out her school clothes.

"Do you want me to bathe you? Or do you want to take it yourself?"

"I'll do it myself today, thank you for making my bed Lily!" answers Athanasia. After she's done bathing, Lily helps her put on her school clothes and comb her hair. Taking her pink backpack which her Father gave her yesterday since she acquired first place on the entrance test to A elementary school. Athanasia knows that Claude doesn't really matter if she's scored well or not but she enjoys being praised by him when she's good at her studies.

Athanasia opens her door and finds her father leaning on the wall. This happens very often and she finds it really cute that her father always waits for her to eat together. Athanasia cheerfully greets her father with a hug and beaming smile,

"Morning Papa! You look pretty today!"

"Cheesy as usual hmph, come on, the food will get cold" answers Claude and carries her daughter to the dining room. Athanasia knows he actually didn't mind when she said that, but she knows that Claude is a tsundere so she just let it be.

"I'll drive you to school today since today is your first day at school" said Claude with usual straight face. Athanasia smiles happily, hearing that Claude will accompany her on today's acceptance ceremony sets aside his busy schedule. She knew that he wanted to hear her speech today because she's the new student representative. Even though he's the CEO, she knows that Claude is very busy of course but he always sets time for her even when she didn't ask for it"

"Thank you daddy! I love you!" said Athanasia kissing Claude's cheek.

Arriving at the dining room, Claude sits her daughter down on the chair in front of him. They began to eat breakfast together as they usually do during the past years.

Felix, Claude's secretary, parks the car when the golden duo gets out and goes into the assembly room, where the ceremony will be held.

"Are you nervous?" asks Claude, without asking in full sentence, he knows that Athanasia knows what he meant.

"A little bit, it's my first time speaking in front of many people after all"

"It's okay, I know you'd do well," said Claude giving her daughter reassurance, tightening his grip on Athanasia's small hand but not too tight that would hurt her. "If anyone dares to laugh at you, I'll make their lives miserable" he continued.

"Ah no no, thank you Daddy for believing in me!" said Athanasia quickly. Claude is always like this, though she thinks it's sweet but sometimes it's scary. But that's how her Father is and she couldn't be more grateful that her Father is Claude.

"Lucas!"

Being called upon, Lucas looks back knowing her childhood friend called his name. Even without looking he already knows whose voice it is.

"Lucas! Where's your parents?" asks Athanasia.

"They're here, they already seated down"

"Okay, Daddy you should find a seat, okay? I'll see you later" said Athanasia. Claude nods to his displeasure seeing Lucas being too close to his daughter. Even though they have been friends for a few years now, Athanasia knows that Claude is still overprotective. Claude releases his hand grip and patting her lovely daughter's head before going away, finding a seat for himself.

With that Athanasia and Lucas find a seat before the ceremony starts.

"H--Hello everyone! My name is Athanasia de Alger Obelia, and I am the student representative for class 1..."

"Thus, I hope our school days will be filled with nothing but happiness and joy. Thank you!"

After finishing her speech, Athanasia walks to her seat and sits down.

"What an ugly speech" mocks Lucas, he grins at the fact Athanasia stutters her Greetings as he said she would earlier.

"Shh!" Athanasia shuts Lucas and blushes, recalling she did stutter her Greeting earlier. 

"Anyway, what class are you in?" asks Lucas without looking at Athanasia, still looking in front.  He pretends to pay attention to the ceremony but to be honest, he would rather chit-chat with her than listening to the others speech or talking to others even though Lucas would never say it out loud.

"I'm in class 1-A, you?" asks Athanasia.

"Same. Now I want to change class, why do I have to be in the same class as you" answers Lucas with his so-called annoyed face.

Lucas always does this, even though sometimes he would tell her to stop reading books and play with him instead.

"I know you actually don't mind though"  thinks Athanasia. They had not been friends for 2 years but they considered each other's presence as a normal thing to have.

At the age of 5, Athanasia found Lucas in her secret hiding place. Living in a mansion and being the only child, Athanasia spends a lot of her time in her secret place in the garden. Though she doesn't know how Lucas managed to be there, ever since then they became friends.Turns out Lucas is her neighbor.

Later, she met Lucas formally on the benefit that was held by Claude's company; they were inseparable ever since. Even though sometimes their closeness irks Claude, but Claude knows that Lucas is actually worthy to become his daughter's friend so he stays quiet. But Claude is Claude, every now and then he still releases an angry aura whenever Lucas gets too close.

"It's better like this, I know Papa just worried about me. Because of me--, mom..."

"...thy, Athy!"

Athanasia suddenly raises her head when Lucas's voice snaps her out of her own thoughts, didn't even realizing she's looking at her feet the whole time.

"Did you hear me? What are you spacing out for?" questioned Lucas. Athanasia shakes her head. Lucas didn't want to pry any further since he actually knows what she's thinking when she's like this. Lucas gets up from his seat, grabbing his bag,

"Anyways, let's go, the ceremony is over, now it's time for school tour"

"Yes, okay" said Athanasia, grabbing her bag and starting to follow other students, with Lucas by his side.