Excuse Of An Uncle's Son..? [TCF X WMMAP]

VI

~Need to sped the plan~

Felix stood enthusiastically behind Athanasia, who lay on the ground, happily sketching on a piece of paper with her feet playfully dangling in the air. Curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned in slightly, asking, "What are you drawing, Princess?"

Athanasia, still focused on her drawing, chimed with a cheerful tone, "Silly Felix, it's Lily! The prettiest person in the world!"

Felix glanced sideways at Lily, inwardly nodding in agreement. 'My princess, you're absolutely right. Lady Lily truly is the most beautiful!' he thought.

Gathering his courage, Felix smiled and venture a guess, "Ah, I can tell this time. That's His Majesty, right?" However, his confidence was quickly shattered by Athanasia's enthusiastic correction, "Nope! Wrong!"

Felix felt a pang of disappointment at being wrong but quickly masked it with a polite smile. He blinked in surprise as Athanasia handed the drawing to him.

"I'll give this to you, Felix," she declared with a bright smile.

Felix accepted the drawing with a sense of astonishment, studying it closely. "...Is it...me?" he asked, his voice tinged with both surprise and gratitude.

Felix's eyes widened with pure adoration and gratitude as he beamed, "Thank you... thank you so much, Princess. I shall keep this as a family heirloom."

Athanasia, however, simply shrugged it off, moving on to Lily with a bright smile, thinking to herself, No need to go that far.

"Here, this is for you, Lily," Athanasia said, handing over another drawing.

Lily accepted it with a warm smile, looking at the sketch. "My, am I really this pretty in your eyes?"

Athanasia's smile widened as she replied, "As pretty as the sky and stars!"

Felix chuckled at the heartwarming exchange and joined them as they sat together. He watched as the princess began drawing another picture-this time of Claude, with a small version of herself kicking him. Felix couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction at the thought of doing just that in reality.

Suddenly, Athanasia's innocent voice cut through the playful atmosphere, freezing both Felix and Lily in place. "Lily, Lily, what does Mommy look like?"

A heavy silence fell over the room as Felix exchanged a tense glance with Lily, both of them unsure how to respond to the sudden, poignant question.

Unaware of the tense atmosphere, Athanasia continued her drawing, her focus intent. "Athy wants to draw Mommy, but Athy doesn't know what she looks like," she said thoughtfully.

She turned to Lily, asking, "Is Mommy's hair straight like Lily's or wavy?"

Lily's eyes softened as she responded, "She had shimmering platinum blonde hair, just like the princess's."

"Hmmm, was it this long?" Athanasia inquired, sketching.

"A bit shorter than that," Lily replied.

"And what about the shape of her face?"

Lily hesitated, searching for the right words. "It was..."

As they conversed, Felix sat silently, observing the princess with a hint of sadness. He fought to keep his emotions in check; he couldn't afford to show pity. His expression was contemplative, reflecting on the complexity of the situation. He had known his own mother, so he found it difficult to fathom how the princess could ask so casually about someone she had never met. Did this child truly understand the concept of death?