𝑴𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆: 𝑭𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒔

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 3

Enjoy!

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~~~~[Athanasia's pov]~~~~

"No...", I stammered, but I'm not in my right state of mind; darkness is all I see before getting a glimpse of light in a place that is foreign to me yet provides a sense of familiarity.

I've never seen anything like this before, yet it makes me nostalgic. It's crowded and people are talking to one another, but two toddlers attracted my attention.

One was blonde and the other was hazy. They were laughing over something I couldn't make out, but one thing was certain: the blonde child was me.

Even so, I have no knowledge of where I am or who I am with. I also appear to be enthusiastic, with a genuine smile that reveals that the blonde youngster I am seeing right now has not yet witnessed the harsh reality she is living.

That's sad; seeing how enthusiastic I was makes me want to be a child forever, but the nobility's judgmental eyes have forced me to act more maturely than people my age would; I'm not obligated to do anything despite the palace's heightened security; they let me do whatever I wanted without any hassle, but I'm pressured by my surroundings.

Regardless if you have done everything you can to assist them in the past, they will simply turn a blind eye to you after you have done something that cannot fulfill their demands. 

That occurred to me once; I woke up to find a scar on my forehead that could not be removed after several consultations. My father and others did not regard it as a hindrance to who I was, since they said, "That's just a scar, you're beautiful as you are."

Yet the other side said that I had grown hideous and that they could no longer perceive me as a decent lady behind our backs, which was the reason why my entire life had switched, but here I am.

The child I'm seeing right now doesn't have the scar I worked so hard to conceal; her entire face is still like a porcelain doll, flawless in every way.

Adding that to the fact that I have no memory of this park I am seeing, it's all suspicious, and the other is definitely not my distant cousin. I first met him when I was 7 years old and I looked more younger here, since Felix had suggested that I needed a friend to help me forget what occurred when I was 6 years old.

It was odd at the time, but I still accepted it because I had no memory of what occurred in the situation they were investigating. I didn't bother asking because it seemed like a sensitive topic, but I do know one thing:

Red eyes 

They claimed that the last person I was with had red eyes because it was something unique about that person, and no detailed information was revealed since something seemed to hinder their investigation, and the topic was buried and was never brought up again as we grew up.

But

"Remember me"

A phrase that has always disturbed me as the image of two young children begins to fade as they run from where they had been earlier.

The phrase kept ringing in my head, making me sick, but before the image I was looking at faded completely, the other child turned around and the ringing silenced, I saw him smile, and before I woke up, I saw his red eyes. 

~~~~[Lilian's pov]~~~~

"Princess!" I yelled as the princess eventually opened her eyes. She appeared to be having a nightmare because when I entered the princess' chamber when no one answered, I saw her tossing in her sleep with tears in her eyes.

I couldn't ask about it since every time I do, the princess refuses to answer and begins to shift the topic, but I go along with it because it at least makes her smile.

For a variety of reasons, she hardly displays her own thoughts but acts according to her mood, which I believe is a result of what occurred in the past.

I can't carry on watching our lovely princess like this. Everyone was aware of it but didn't dare bring it up in order to prevent causing her distress, as it might be ridiculous. Her eyes always express what she's feeling.

"Lilian," the princess murmured as she sat up on her bed, perplexed as to why I looked worried. I answered.

"Don't worry, princess, it appears you simply had some beautiful sleep that got me wondering if I should really wake you up," I assured her, but the doubt in her eyes when I mentioned her sleep answered all of my worries.

It must be one of her visions from when she was a toddler, but I keep my mouth sealed about it. If the princess is prepared, she will be the one to open it up.

I don't want to interfere in anything that the princess hasn't completely discovered, even if it means breaching a rule the emperor imposed on the princess' maids.

My devotion is to the princess herself. If the princess decides to fight against the emperor or the nobility, I will remain by her side until my last breath to guarantee her safety.

If she lives, I will live or die, but if she dies, I will die with her since if it's about the princess, I don't care what happens to the others.

I would follow her wherever she goes, so

"Should we get you dressed, princess?"

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~~~[Third person's pov]~~~

"Daddy!" exclaimed the princess as she ran towards her father, who had just concluded his imperial duties for the day. The princess was clothed in a V-neck white and blue dress with two blue ribbons that tied her hair into two perfect buns.

As a demonstration of respect for their tradition, everyone visiting the palace was required to wear long dresses or formal apparel. 

It wasn't proper for a lady to run towards her parents, but no one inside the palace would dare say that to the princess, not because of her status but because she was the only one that made the palace shine so beautifully with her sweet personality that could even make the emperor and the other two men that are known for their cold demeanor go soft when it's about her

She was the ray of light that the imperial family had long needed to make the palace less intimidating, even though her existence was unknown.

"Athanasia," the emperor smiled, welcoming her with open arms as she hugged him. All the servants who were with them were happy. It was a pleasant sight to behold, even though this was a regular phenomenon inside the palace.

They resumed their walk after a short break as the princess was the one who was leading the conversation about what had happened to her studies and personal materials, which the emperor had gladly listened to.

Her stories were never dull or concerning political matters since the emperor didn't allow her to participate in those things until she was ready, as he was still competent enough to withstand all imperial affairs on his own without the assistance of anyone.

It was simply a normal day, with a normal routine and happy faces pleased with what they had without anyone intruding on their calm lives.

Or, at the very least, they want it to stay that way.