Watching Her Journey

10

  'Huh? What's that?' Athanasia curiously looked at the blue beautiful flower. 'Whoa. What is that?'

  Ijekiel smiled fondly.

  'Is that a blue lotus?' Athanasia leaned  to the flower while Claude simply watched his daughter.

  "A blue lotus?" Ijekiel tilted his head. 'It looks like a transparent flower that grows in lakes, thus the lake is blue, making it look like a blue lotus.'

  'Ah! No, it's not.' Athanasia stared at the flower. 'It's because the lake is blue. The petals themselves are transparent.' 

  Ijekiel hummed in approval. 'That's exactly what I thought.'

  'So lotuses also blossom in lakes?' Athanasia continued.

  She didn't take her eyes off the flower as she continued to stare at it, she realised something– 

  'I want one.'

  Their eyes widened on her thoughts. 

  Claude watches Athanasia's move as she leaned further and stretched her arms to get the blue flower.

  'A little more...' Athanasia thought, her eyes not leaving the flower. 'Just a little more.'

  'Princess! Becareful, you'll fall!' Jennette exclaimed on her thought.

  All of the sudden, Athanasia fell onto the lake.

  "Princess!" Jennette shouted.'Where is his Majesty?' Some of them looked at the screen in worry.

  Athanasia struggled as she tried to swim back, her heavy dress wasn't helping.

  'I just hope his majesty will help the princess.' Ijekiel thought as he clenched his fist.

  Athanasia didn't give up as she tried to swim up until she reached the water's surface.

  "Puha!" 

  Athanasia opened her eyes. 'What?! What just happened…!?'

  The audience released a relief sigh. 'Now, help her!'

  "H-help…" Athanasia's eyes lingered for someone to help her. "Hel…"

  There, her eyes spotted a familiar man staring at her in bored eyes. Athanasia felt her entirely body froze as she looked at the man in front of her.

  'Why isn't his Majesty helping the princess…?' Jennette asked in her mind. Her eyes widened in realisation.

  But, Athanasia didn't give up as she tried to reach the boat with her small arms. While the princess was struggling, Claude didn't even move an inch to help his drowning daughter.

  Athanasia successfully reached the edge of the boat. 'He won't save me.'

  Jennette felt her tears running down to her cheeks.

  On the lake, something long like a tentacle came towards the princess. 

  'That man, he won't save me.'

  "Princess…!' Jennette exclaimed, her eyes widened when she saw the 'thing' were wrapped around the princess' feet.

  The 'thing' that was wrapped around the princess' feet pulled her back into the lake. 

  'He's going to watch me drown…' Athanasia thought, letting the thing pull her down.

  '... Like this…'

  '...quietly.'

  '...even so, isn't he being too much of…'

  "Please…" Lily almost teared up.

  '... a jerk?!'

  "Puha!" Claude finally pulled his daughter back to the land.

  "Even in this situation, your daughter still has guts to call you names." Anastacius chuckled.

  Athanasia coughed violently, trying to get the water out of her lungs.

  "Oh my word, Princess!" Lily came running down towards the Emperor and the princess, Felix and the other maids were following behind her.

  "... Finally." Felix said.

  Lily kneeled down, she patted Athanasia's back. "Princess are you alright?!"

  Claude only watched the scene, Felix came running towards the princess but Claude stopped him.

  "Felix." Claude called the attention of the red-haired knight. "Yes, your Majesty?"

  "Teach Athanasia how to swim. It would be a shame if the Emperor's daughter drowned to death in a mere lake." With that, Claude turned around and walked away.

  "What?!" Lily exclaimed, startling some of them. Felix tried to calm her down. "That's what you're gonna say after your daughter almost drowned to death? Teach her how to swim? You didn't even ask if the princess was okay!" 

  Claude didn't respond– well technically, the Nanny was right.

  "Please, calm down, Ms. York." Felix said, calming the Nanny.

  Felix stole a glance before hesitatingly walked away with the Emperor and the maids.

  Athanasia was now being carried by Lily, she rested her head on Lily's shoulder. Athanasia once again glanced at the Emperor, she shivered, her face full of her tears.

  "Uwaaa!" Athanasia cried, her tears covering her vision.

  Again, Lily felt her tears running down on her cheeks. She really hates seeing the princess crying, and looking at the princess right now makes her tear up.

  Later that day, the princess was coughing on her bed. 'You evil psychopath.'

  Claude only watched the scene, not moved by his daughter's name-calling.

  'How could he have such a look on his face…'

  '... when a five-year-old kid has fallen into the water?' Athanasia remembered how Claude looked at her while she was drowning.

  'I have to collect my gold and leave this place as soon as possible.' Athanasia coughed again. 'The hell with plan C…'

  "Your daughter just said 'Hell'." Anastacius said.

  'How on earth can I win the heart of someone that horrible?' Athanasia stared outside of the window, until she teared up.

  "... I want some chocolate."

  "Chocolate? That will worsen your state." Lucas said.

  Athanasia was seen in the kitchen. "Chocolate! I can't stop this unshakable desire for chocolate!" Athanasia said as she struggled to get the box of chocolates.

  They chuckled at he cuteness.

  'But in my previous life… I couldn't even afford chocolate.'

  'I barely got any of the expired rice rolls from the convenience store!'

  'She mentioned that she was an orphan, did they stop providing for her when she got older?' Duke Alpheus thought.

  'These sorts of sweets and treats were too much for me to even dream about!' Athanasia finally reached the box of chocolate.

  But before she could get the box, she heard from behind her and turned around.

  To Be Continued.