Lost || Claude De Alger Obelia

Five

Seeing your breaking form was something the blonde emperor didn't expect.

You were miserable, dying, frustrated.

The way you fell down the floor in agony already blew your emotions away, you didn't feel proud when you were sent here, you didn't feel any happiness about it, even a single bit. You didn't feel any positive energy the moment you stepped on his palace, it only reminded how weak and stupid you must be in the eyes of your parents for them to strip you off the line and pair you up with some tyrant who you don't know if you'll be even safe under his wings.

"Your highness," Felix started. The red head could sense his master's bad mood, "You do know that the princess is passionate about being in line for the throne."

Claude gave him a side glance before looking straight again, "I do."

"Then you didn't have to be that harsh for her to burst in tears."

Felix was right, he shouldn't have been so harsh to a woman whose pride was hurt at the moment.

"The princess has suffered too your highness," he continued, "I'm not saying that you didn't suffer too, but you know about her background more than she knows about it. Wasn't that your reason for taking her here in Obelia?"

Claude halted in his tracks, his stare was still looking ahead. Felix was right once again, he took you in Obelia because of that. But other than wanting to investigate about you more, he wanted to know if you're really suitable just like what your parents described you to be.

As you can see, as an emperor who's going to be dead any second if not careful. Claude needs a heir, the reason he picked you was because your parents sugarcoated almost everything about you and that's why he decided to bring you in Obelia. To investigate.

He doesn't trust your parents.

Because even though they have raised someone who is passionate in ruling a country, they stripped that person off the line and changed it to a scrawny kid who's definitely innocent at the moment. They were stupid enough to trade you for some teenage kid, so he couldn't be just trusting whatever words come out from your parents' mouth.

"Even if it was, I still don't have plans in warming up to her."

Felix watched as Claude walk again without looking back, a worried look plastered on his face knowing very well the reason of his master's cold demeanor.

"How foolish of me to think that he'll be able to open his heart for her at least."

....

You slowly stood up from the floor when tears stopped spilling out of your tired eyes, collecting yourself right now was hard. Especially after that enormous breakdown, you didn't expected to be so dramatic with just the blonde emperor's words. But he wasn't so kind either, so it was kind of your right to breakdown in the middle of a hall that maids will be passing by if not careful.

As if Claude and Felix didn't see you earlier, not that you knew they were there.

Rushing away from the area, you walked to the opposite path in hopes that no one will notice how disheveled you look. It wasn't really a good image for some princess.

And you care for your image, so you're escaping the place as if nothing happened.

"I heard the princess left after slapping his highness," a hushed voice muttered from a distance.

You halted between your tracks.

"She could pack a good slap on the face," another voice replied.

A chuckle could be heard from another different voice, "So much for a princess."

The other two laughed along as their voices faded, indicating that they were already out from the area.

You couldn't help but bite your lower lip, you were anxious. Hearing those maids talking about what happened earlier was one of the things you didn't want to hear at the moment, yet here you are standing in an awkward position. Frozen after listening to those three maids who may have been right about judging you.

"So much for a princess."

What was she supposed to do when she feel insulted? Laugh and kiss Claude? Of course she was going to slap him, wouldn't that make sense at all than being all happy and lovely about it?

Maybe that isn't how things work in this place, maybe it's different here.

This isn't your home, and this will never be your home.

Without thinking much further, you ran out of the area before the maids could even utter notice your presence.

You knew you caused some noises while you ran, but you didn't care anymore. Nothing was important at the moment but to get away from everything.

...

"Did you see her highness? She seems to be missing," Felix asked the other maids as he searched the area.

The maids stared at each other with a confused look before shaking their head in unison.

"Did something happen?" one of them asked.

With a smile. The read headed knight shook his head in politeness, "His majesty is looking for her."

Though it wasn't really true, he was only looking out to you after witnessing what happened earlier. Believing that you need some moral support after everything.

Felix knew a lot about you as a child until you became who you are right now, he knew something you didn't. There was a lot going on, he knew that.

He also knew one of the few reasons why your parents decided to throw you away like that.

"I should get going now," Felix said as he left without letting the maids reply a single word.

If you weren't around the palace roaming around, where could you be?

He immediately stopped in his tracks as his mouth opened in thought, "Could she be lost?"

"His highness would be boiling like hot water if he knew!"