The Solitude of an Emperor [TO BE UNPUBLISHED]

31 : Clouded in Fear

Just like in her previous life, Ejila had an adorable son that resembled Alluka. Darya watched Alluka cry while holding the child in his arms. He kisses Ejila who's now asleep after labour. However, she could not come close. No, she could not move her feet even though she wanted to.

Her eyes were watery and her heart was bleeding inside as she was struck by the fact that she almost became a mother with an adorable son like that. Her tongue was tied and her hands were shaking. She suddenly realized that she had lost a precious being inside her womb.

Noticing her current state, Captain Theobarlt ran his hand to Darya's waist and gently pulled her closer to him. So then Darya found herself turning to him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she silently cried in his arms. Later, Captain Theobarlt is carrying her.

"It seems like I have to take the Crown Princess back to her chambers." He announced, making the clueless Alluka and Silla look towards him.

Their eyes widened upon seeing the Crown Princess being carried by him.

"What happened to Her Highness?" Silla stood up from her seat.

"Her Highness must have been exhausted after a long day of working."

Alluka and Silla could only look at each other and believe what Captain Theobarlt said.

"Alright. Please take care of Her Highness, Sir Theobarlt." Alluka

"Yes. I send my regards to your wife and I pray for your child's wellness in health." Captain Theobalrt lastly said before going out of the room. Silla accompanied them out of the house.

Once again, Captain Theobarlt passed the main gate while carrying the Crown Princess in his arms, making his subordinates cry in bitterness.

"Ackkh, I can't take this anymore." Leon watched them walk away.

"Look at the Captain, holding Her Highness, preciously."

"We need to get married before the Captain, comrades. At least he would not tamper with our pride as men of living."

"Go get a woman first, Honi."

"You know it is not easy."

"That's it, how can you get married first when you have no woman?"

So they started debating and rambling because of Captain Theobarlt's life again.

Meanwhile, Darya was sleeping soundly in his arms again. Worried that she might have a nightmare, he decided to stay the night with the Crown Princess. He started taking off the hairpin they got from the market a while ago. He then took off her hair tie so her head would not hurt the next day.

He left Darya on the bed for a while to get a comb. He comes back to her side after getting a small chair. He then started combing her hair, gently and carefully like a precious object he does not want to break. While doing it, he started thinking about why the Crown Princess suddenly acted after seeing Ejila's child.

Why does she look wounded? Why did her eyes contain pain? Why... would she feel so melancholic on such a happy occasion?

He took some strands of her hair and kissed it.

'How I wish your heart to be filled with happiness, Lysandra.'

He gently put down those strands of hair. He then looked at her closed eyes as he found himself touching her cheeks.

'If I could give you the happiness filling me when I look at you... I would gladly give them to you... just so you could be happy even if your sadness comes to live within my soul...'