Imperial Affairs (Levi X Reader) AU

79. Die As A Prince Or An Emperor

Reader's POV

The clock was ticking. Time wouldn't stop for me. The world wouldn't stop for me.

I rushed around and nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard ruffling on my bed sheets. I looked at my bed to find Ath sprawled in it, looking at me through sleepy eyes. He maintained eye contact with me for a minute before being visibly shocked and jumping up on me with a soft bark.

I slammed into the wall, unable to hold the weight of a wolf in my condition but hugged him back nonetheless before he backed away and jumped around my chambers in happiness and excitement.

"Ath," I whispered, "Can you help me?"

Aether rushed toward me and looked up at me curiously, titling his head and wagging his tail.

"I need you to go outside and make sure that Niccolo, Marlowe and Erwin don't come in, okay? If they come close to the door then drag them away. Can you do that for me?" I requested.

The snow wolf processed my words for a moment, seeming to understand them before turning to the door.

"No, no," I shook my head, "That's locked."

Aether nodded as he headed out my balcony and jumped off it. I knew he would be safe because that was a habit of his. He rarely ever used the door.

I got up and stumbled to the water closet. I knew that I couldn't show up to the party without bathing for a week but I also knew that I didn't have enough time for a proper one.

I looked at my bath filled with foamy water. It smelled like soap. Not one for people. The bath was being washed. My mind raced for ideas on what I could do before a good one snapped into my head.

I didn't quite like the idea. It stripped me of my honour as prince but I didn't have another option. It was either being disgraced while no one was there to see or being disgraced in public. I despised the choice of the prior.

I took off my clothes and slipped into the bath with soapy water meant for washing the tub and not me. But I didn't have enough time to drain that water, wash the tub of soap and refill it. And neither did I know how to do any of those tasks.

The water was freezing but I tolerated it. I had no other option. I took a quick dip and slipped out of the tub, quickly washing the soap off of me with my shower that I just learned how to actually use. I didn't have enough time to dry off so I just paced around my chambers, soaking them. I entered my wardrobe, not the one with everyday clothes but ones that were meant for special occasions like this one. My wardrobe was a room in itself and it could've been quite a challenge to find my clothes hadn't tonight's outfit been the most exceptional one I had ever worn.

I wheeled my outfit back into my room and quickly wiped off the water on me that hadn't fallen off already with my towel. I looked at the clock. Two minutes left. It wasn't enough time.

I, shivering because of the cold, pulled out my underwear from my smaller closet and put it on. Next was my chest binder. I had no problem wearing either except for breathing but I could handle it. The real issue was the corset. I couldn't...wear it by myself. I put it on and tried to tighten it but corsets really weren't a one man job and even if there was a way they were, I wasn't used to such tasks. I had never done them. And even after my corset, the entire outfit was left to wear and it was a heavy one, which meant that no matter what, that I couldn't wear it by myself.

The door clicked open and I flinched, ready for a scolding and a waste of all my efforts. But I still wasn't ready to accept that I couldn't go to the party. I turned around and looked at the door. It wasn't...Erwin.