Empress of Obelian Empire: His Star Empress (Claude x OC)

Chapter 18

Oh My...

"She's asking you to pick her up, Your Majesty." says Felix.

"Pick her up?"

"Yes, she does that a lot to me too when her legs hurt from walking," Felix added.

I nods in understanding before I heard Athy squeal and my eyes widen as I saw Claude pick Athy up by her bow at the back. He was dangling her as Athy flailing and struggle around. My poor baby!

"Hold still. You're heavy enough as it is," Claude said while exhaling.

"Claude!" I called out his name in shocked.

"Your Majesty, if you gra... Carry her that way, it may cause the princess discomfort," said Felix.

"She just needs to sit there and hold still. What part of that's uncomfortable?" Claude asked.

"Claude de Alger Obelia! That is not how you pick a child. She couldn't breathe!" I protest as I heard Athy struggling to breathe and try to take off his hold from Athy's dress.

"I, I can't breathe..." she said.

I able to take Athy from his hold and Felix take Athy, "Rather than that, you should carry her like this, Your Majesty." Felix said while showing Claude how to properly carry a child. This makes me anxious of how he will carry our upcoming baby.

"Here, please try holding her like I did just now."

"I just want Felix to carry me," Athy said as she tightens her hold on Felix.

I sweatdrop and feels like chills on my side because I know Claude does not like that...

"Ahem. If that is what the Princess wishes, I suppose I don't have a choice. Shall we, Your Majesty? We will follow behind you," says Felix.

"I'll carry her," Claude said before offering his hand, "You were so strict about it so I thought there might be some complicated way to carry a child, but it looks easy enough. Besides, later another child will be coming and I thought it will be good enough for practicing," he said.

I look at Claude and giggle, "It seems so, you really need extra practice my dear husband." He slightly glares at me, his jeweled blue eyes shines but it doesn't hold any annoyance, just amusement and I feigned innocence and wink.

"Athy just..."

"So, you don't want to be carried by me?"

I smile as Athy chuckle and immediately go towards Claude's arm. He takes Athy and fix her position on his arm. I help him settle on Athy and I smile, kissing Athy and Claude on the cheeks. Claude then takes my hand, "Move, you're in the way." Claude said to Felix before we walk ahead together.

We walk in comfortable silence through the hall heading to the garden. I hummed some tune and Claude give me a light smile before I look at Athy and smile too.

"Does Felix always carry you like this?" Claude asked.

"When I come to see Daddy and Mommy?" She asked.

"Other times too."

"Athy can walk by herself! If Daddy and Mommy holds Athy's hands, I can walk right now too," Athy answer.

I give a light chuckle and smile, "Yes Athy have grown so big. Mommy so proud of you," I kiss her cheeks and her eyes sparkle as she smiles.

"Hmm... Are you saying that you want to get down because Felix carries you better than I do?" Claude asks and then soon continues, "Except for when I summon you, don't let Felix carry you too much. You'll create a bad habit."

I then pick and smell some flowers as we walk through the palace's garden while still humming a tune. Claude keeps walking and matching my pace.

"Um, Your Majesties, May I perhaps walk a bit closer?" called Felix from his spot, a bit far at the back.

"I told you, you're in the way. Take another ten steps back," says Claude.

I look at Felix and Claude and shook my head. Poor Felix, my husband being a bully. I pick irises and roses and wreath it together before wiggling the flower in front of Claude's face and he look at me with stoic face and a raise eyebrow.

"What are you doing Mimi?" He asks.

"You shouldn't be that mean to Felix you know. He has been there for you for a long time. It's not nice to bullying him like that," I tsked at him.

"I do not do such things..." He answers.

"Eh...." I look at him completely not believing at all before turn around and decide to take smell another flower.

Then Felix added, "If Your Majesty is tired, I can carry the princess myself."

"You're being..."

Then I heard a loud 'slap' which startled me and I turn around and my eyes went wide seeing Athy's hand smacking Claude's cheek.

"What exactly... do you think you're doing?" Claude says stoically.

"B, B, B... Bug. A Bug! I was just smushing a bug!" Athy explain completely in shock.

"Now you're calling me a bug?"

I immediately approach and decided to save my daughter from Claude's wrath. I hold onto Claude's chest and smile gently at him, "Now Claude... That's not what Athy meant. She saw a bug on your face and was just trying to caught it for you..."

Claude's eyes glow bright which mean he is annoyed and angry, I hold his chest and smile in assurance and telling him with my eyes that he does not need to get angry because of this.

"I see, if the Princess blows on His Majesty's cheek, wouldn't that make it all better?" Felix said and then Athy plant a kiss on Claude's slightly reddish cheek.

We finally arrive at the mini outdoor table, where tea has been prepared on the table. Athy seems to be in gloomy mood and just drink her milk in silence. I sit down near Claude with sweat drop on my head as I enjoy my chamomile tea.

"I guess next time I should carry the Princess after all?" Felix said with smile which earn a glare from Claude.

Felix really needs to stop making Claude wants to kill him sometimes.

"Perhaps she needs to learn how to handle her own body. She brandishes her hand so carelessly just trying to catch a bug, maybe she should learn how to avoid such mistakes in the future," Claude say as he stares at Athy.

"Claude, you need to let this go. It was just an accident and Athy is still a child. Children tends to be over excited or not easily give up when faced a challenge. Just think that Athy looking at the bug as the challenge that she needs to beat. You don't need to be that harsh," I said.

"She is a princess, she should have been mindful towards her actions," he argued.

"She will learn from her mistake, Claude, you don't need to be so hard and should have just let things go. She is seven after all," I chastised him.

"Aren't you babying her too much, Mimi?" He said and slightly glance at me daring if I could talk back and I glare back at him then he continued, "Not to mention how weak that hit was. How will she do anything in the future? At this rate the bug will end up catching the person instead."

"Yes, however just like Her Majesty said the Princess is only seven..." Felix said.

"Not to mention, you're useless if all you've ever doing as her guard is carrying her around."

As I take a look at Athy, my eyes went wide as seeing blood spilled out from her mouth.

Blood?

"Athanasia!!" I shriek and hurriedly hold her as she was about to fell down with Felix.