Claude de Alger Obelia looked like someone who didn't enjoy parties — and he truly didn't ( if he was alone, anyway ). His subjects could always note his blank expression, and he was not one to engage in pleasantries either.
And yet for the past ten years, Obelia has seen more parties hosted by the Imperial Palace than ever. Claude was always of attendance, of course.
It started with the Grand Feast. And then the National Holiday celebrating the day you returned to the Imperial Palace. Then the engagement party, then the wedding, and after that was the—
Claude remained silent as he watched the crowd. Athanasia was participating in a group dance with other debutantes, Brayden was playing with other boys, and you were socializing not too far away from him.
He didn't want to get roped in the conversation so he made sure to keep distance. But he also didn't want to be considerably far away from you, so he also stuck pretty close by.
The casual conversation you were supposed to be having with the other parents of debutantes turned into a stiff one as they could feel the heavy gaze of the Emperor on their backs — as if Claude was sending them a message. 'Ruin my wife's mood, and you die,' or something along those lines.
The dance meant for the parents wasn't until late at night, so he didn't have a valid reason to go up to you and whisk you away, much to his annoyance.
He looked over at the group playing the music. Perhaps they took notice of the intense stare he was sending them that the music wavered slightly.
He thought about approaching them and telling them to play the song for couples immediately afterward.
"Claude."
When he heard your voice call out his name, he erased the thought. He looked over to you in an instant, as if he wasn't just thinking about threatening the group of musicians.
"Your conversation with them is over already?" he asked, eyes momentarily leaving your form to search for the group you were just conversing with.
They were now scattered around the room in different groups. A small smile of satisfaction went up his face, and a weird feeling of triumph swelled in his chest.
"Yeah, well, someone didn't look all that happy during the entire conversation," you sent him a narrowed stare, "You could have just joined."
YOU ARE READING
𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ( wmmap )
Romance[ 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄. ] ❝ 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗜 𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘, ❞ [ who made me a princess ; claude de alger obelia ] in which a girl gets sucked into another world as the daughter of a count that was to enter the palace as a maid...
