AN IMPORTANT EXTRA | WMMAP

CHAPTER 11

NOVEL SPOILER!

"Doesn't these flowers look pretty?" Athy exclaimed as she pointed to the flowers.

"Ah, yes. Those look beautiful." Sage replied, smiling kindly.

'How did I get in this situation?'

Currently, both children had been sent on a bonding trip in the garden after everyone had finished eating.

Mikhael had suggested for the two to go on a walk with Felix to talk.

"You will be spending many days together after this so you should get to know each other." The black-haired male stated.

'Ah, yes. My father was the cause of this.'

"If Athy could, Athy wishes to plant many roses in the garden with papa, Lilian, Felix, and Sage too!" Felix smiled at the younger as Sage found himself lost in thought.

'How lonely you must be. Though I somehow ended up in a similar situation, you left each world without feeling the warmth of a family. My plan to avoid you has officially lost its path and crashed so I might as well try as much as you.'

With a small smile playing on his lips, Sage nodded. "I'd like to help, roses would look pretty in the garden."

Felix and Athanasia just stared at the boy in shock.

'Did he just smile?' They both looked at each other.

"Y-yes, I am sure it will be fun but we can just get the gardeners to do that, my princess and Prince." The knights' eyes darted between the two.

"No, it is fine. I usually like to fix up the garden every now and then back at our home." Felix stared at the younger once again as Athy did the same. It wasn't very often you hear a noble do housework such as gardening, much less a male noble. It was something that was deemed unusual.

'Did I give myself away too much?' The boys' eyes stayed locked onto the hedges as he could feel the stares of the two others.

Felix and Athy made eye contact before smiling widely.

Athy moved towards the boy and looped her arm through his own. "Athy wants to go back to papa now!"

Without giving him a chance to reply, she was set off in the direction they came from

"He certainly is a strange child." The red-haired knight shook his head before following after them.

AN IMPORTANT EXTRA.

CHAPTER 11, EAT ICE CREAM AND CRY AT 3 AM.

"This was a nice dinner. I was more surprised that you thought about doing this." Mikhael smiled as he hugged Claude who reluctantly patted his back in return as they were back at the front of the palace, awaiting their carriage.

"It was more of a passive-aggressive suggestion from a certain guard." His eyes drifted off to Felix who stood off on the side conversing with Sage and Athy.

"They seem to have gotten closer during the time they had gone off to play."

Claude said nothing as he stared at his daughter laughing at something his nephew said which resulted in his face turning a slight red.

Mikhael who noticed took his time to analyze his cousins' expression. Ever since Diana died, Mikhael found it hard to converse with him as he began to slowly lose himself. It was like he went back to how he was before he met her except more... distant.

When Diana died, Claude had slaughtered all the concubines that resided in the Ruby Palace as they had participated in Diana's death. Though she could have possibly lived after giving birth to Athanasia, that possibility became void as the concubines had fed her poison out of jealousy and envy. A chance, as they thought, to get rid of what they thought was the emperors' "favorite toy".

Though nobody knew the reason for their sudden execution, citizens were quick to label him as the tyrannical emperor. Mikhael who had come back from an expedition was shocked to hear it from Felix and tried to talk to Claude but was shut out before he could even see him. The only time he would see him was to give his regular update on his work before he was thrown out the door again.

It was a rather dark time to witness his savior, Claude, fall back into the depths of a dark void.

"You know, I think it would be a good idea to have them hang out more than just a few hours." Mikhael smiled when Claude turned to him with an eyebrow raised slightly.

On the corner of his eye, he noticed the kids walking over to them with Felix.

"Why don't they be each other's playdates!" Sage paused making Athy who was pulling his wrist, stagger backward slightly from the sudden pause.

Whipping her head to look at him, she noticed his eyes widen in shock once again.

"What's wrong?" Felix who was behind them shook his head in confusion.

'Why does this bastard keep making absurd requests without my permission? I just allowed myself to get along with her and now this? Slow down!' He bit his lip harshly as imaginary tears came pooling out of his eyes like a fountain.

Waving her hand in front of his face, Sage glanced at her before shaking his head. "Nothing, I just remembered something."

"Hm, that doesn't seem like a bad idea but she doesn't need a playdate." Claude folded his arms as he noticed the carriage coming closer.

'I take back every curse word I threw at you while reading this story Claude, you were always my favorite. Lucas is in second place now.' In his head, Sage was practically on his knees as he imagined himself praying to Claude who had a halo over his head and light shining from behind him.

"No! I really want Sage to be Athy's playdate! He can join my and Papa's tea parties in the morning too! Please! Athy doesn't want anything else!" She practically begged as she hugged the boy tightly.

'No, no! Stop it, child! You can't do that!' Sages' hands dangled to the side as he felt all his hope fly away.

"...Alright. I will see to it that one of my guards escort you safely to and back home." Claude turns away from the happy girl and watches the carriage stop in front of them.

'You just got pushed back down to second place now Claude, Lucas is forever first place for me.' Snobbishly, he turned his head the other was and pouted.

"Great! I will make sure to have him accompanied by his butler too. Sage never leaves without him." Mikhael smiled as he moved towards the carriage, motioning to Sage to follow.

"Alright now go home, I am tired of seeing your face twice in a row." Mikhael let out a loud laugh, helping his son into the carriage as Sage waved tiredly to Felix and Athy.

"See you soon Sage!" Athy smiled brightly as she watched him step into the carriage.

"Bye Athy... goodbye uncle." Sage bowed his head from inside the carriage as Claude nodded slightly.

Mikhael waved goodbye before the door shut and they were off.

"Well, that was fun."

'Don't act like you are innocent Mikhael. I will get you later, right now I am just waiting to get home and curl up in bed. This is a perfect time to be eating ice cream and crying at 3 am.' The boy sighed and leaned back in his seat as Mikhael chuckled.

A/N: Hello lovelies! The whole concubine thing is real, in the novel, the doctor did state that Diana did have a slight chance of living after giving birth to Athy but that chance was gone because the concubines saw this as an opening to kill her and take Claude for themselves but that obviously backfired as Claude found out and killed them all.

W in the chat for Claude.