He, who made you a princess

Chapter XI

~ love is the folly of the wise ~

"Ijekiel, you are here."

"...No I'm a ghost..." "Yes father."

"Is Jennette ready?"

"Yes father."

     Roger Alpheus heaved a long sigh.

"There was an explosion at the Garnet Palace yesterday, however, we are still expected at the Imperial Palace today. Make sure this chance is not wasted. Watch your manners with the married princess."

     Ijekiel simply looked at this father with a vacant face.

"Yes father."

.

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...that night, at the emperor's chambers

Upon hearing that Claude had allowed a visit from the chime-- Jennette, Lucas entered the emperor's chambers and without hesitation, flicked Claude's forehead.

"It seems you are ready to die"

Claude stood.

"A gift. Memories of another you with that chimera you're allowing to crawl back in here."

"What--!"

Before Claude could protest, a forced induction of sleep pushed him back on the couch.

"Reflect on your actions will you?"

     Claude glared at Lucas, furious of his choice of words, before succumbing to sleep.

     The next morning Claude woke up annoyed as fuuu-- As he sat up abruptly form the couch, he recalled the very vivid memories that played before him in his dreams.

     Memories explicitly deciphering his relation with Jennette in the Lovely Princess book. Claude has never, in this life, felt more disgusted than he did this morning. He wanted to gag and throw up with just the thought that he favored that girl to the point he killed his own daughter.

     He knew what had happened. He knew the plot of the book, because Lucas told him in detail after all. But to actually see it in memories as if they're his own...

     Claude felt so repulsed he wanted to rip his skin off of his body.

"...that fucking wench..."

     Having nowhere to place his revulsion, Claude's ferocious mana leaked uncontrollably from his body, causing an eruption of his entire surrounding.

     Remembering a specific memory with Jennette, Claude could feel her neck on his hand just imagining her choking before him.

"Father, why don't you just get rid of the cause of your headache? Wouldn't it be better then?"

     Claude couldn't think of himself in that world as anything other than a complete imbecile. He knew what the words from that wench meant.

     Unforgivable.

     Now that same girl is coming to the palace. Even if she's not the same Jennette who uttered such farce, Claude felt like he could kill just about any Jennette that crosses his line of sight.

.

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...at the Emperor's Palace, outside the audience room