Survive n' Avenge

Unknown Woman in the Paddy field

It's been a month since Athanasia came back, it's already August. The hot days are no more, the relaxing, slight cold days have come to the Obelia Empire. Athanasia is still getting headaches over the problems has occured in weeks from that tea party. Claude has been giving Athanasia gifts and attention lately, too much that people might think that she's the Emperor precious child. "Ugh what on earth? He has been ignoring me for all of my life, why sudden care now? Such an assh*le...." Athanasia sucks on her candy while thinking all sorts of bad things about her father, Claude. 

Knock knock. A voice behind the wooden door started talking, "May I come in?" A deep and cold voice politely and respectfully asked for permission to come in. Athanasia quickly hide the candies and and get into her bed and put on the blanket as fast as she can.

Then, with a weak voice she answer, "C,come in..." and cough non-stop while the person come inside. It was a knight, an Emperor knight came to the poor territory of the Princess. Why? The reason is simple, to pick up the Princess and escort her to his Majesty. 

It's the reason why Athanasia sudden changes of act, she had to pretend to be sick to avoid the 'sicken' Emperor.

"Pardon my rudeness, but his Majesty has ordered me to send the Princess his regards words, he hopes that the Princess will recover soon."

'Recover soon', it's a sweet word from the outside but Athanasia was afraid, if she 'recover', she will has to face that man once again. Meeting him was the last thing she'll do if she dies.

"....Please send my thanks to his Majesty." The knight bows respectfully and then left the room, leaving Athanasia alone. After making sure that he already left far, Athanasia ran out of the bedroom, take a bag of jewelries and a toy shovel, she was in a hurry and couldn't put on her shoes. 

She ran as fast as she can, to a flower-field, such pleasant view can make any worries gone in just a glance. But in the middle of the endless flower-field, there was a pair of old trees and grew together, she ran there and quickly dig the ground to check if her jewelries bags was still there. There were 2 bags of jewelries in the ground, but they were opened and lose 4/5 of the jewelries. "What?!?? Not my bags of jewelries... Which asshole did this?!" Athanasia started to use vulgar words from the very beginning when she saw Claude again in this life.

"...Hm? There's footstep...." Athanasia carefully looks at the footsteps and stopped for a while and have this unbelievable expression, "....Is the thief some kind of dumbass? Leaving such clear footsteps behind, they must be super greedy and dumb yeah?" She then hide the bag of jewelry under her dress and run towards where the footsteps are headed. She then encounters a dark and gloomy forest, it was one inch apart from this beautiful flower-field. She never knew the existence of this forest until now. "Should I...go in and just leave it be?" Athanasia hesitate for a second but then decided to enter it to check what's up with it. 

The dark and gloomy forest makes Athanasia shivers so much that it feels like winter already. "This place is so dark and gloomy.... Dark and gloomy?" Athanasia suddenly stops walking and mumble, "Dark and gloomy... Like Princess Athanasia position, opposite of her is...." Athanasia suddenly runs across the forest with her fastest speed, not caring about what could harm her bare foots and panted so much that it seems like she was going to faint. But she managed to keep it up and run. There were no signs of a living beings, just fogs and old trees, but Athanasia couldn't notice it all and she ran for 10 minutes straight to get across this spooky forest. 

A beautiful view of sunset shows infront of Athanasia eyes, it was a beautiful paddy field, colored by the sunset there was someone standing in the middle. They let their long hair flow in the wind, they're posture and body was so pretty that people might found them being a fairy. "Huff huff... L,long hair? Is it...." Athanasia focus on that person hair and she say, in a relieved voice, "I,it's not brown, it's platinum blonde..!!" She then fall on her knees due to her lack in energy, she used too much strength in running, in result she feel extreme tired. "But....why platinum blonde? Who is she...?" Athanasia then raise her head to look at the person and she sure that was a woman. They still turns their back to Athanasia, no move, no words, just...silence between them both. 

Athanasia then gain her courage and asked loudly with a left of her strength, "Who are you?!? How dare you represent the Princesses of the Empire so carelessly? Do you wish for a death sentence?!" Poured out a threat for the first time ever, Athanasia feels both nervous and proud, proud because she had the courage to threat someone, nervous because she don't know how the person will react. She gulped and wait patiently for the person answer. The first reaction of the woman was...strange? She laughed, quietly but she seemed to enjoy it.

Athanasia couldn't get what's so funny? A 6 years old kid threaten her? Or is it because of Athanasia pathetic look and even dare to threat someone that's surely older than her? Is there a third option? The woman did not turn her back but slowly talk, "Princesses? I thought there was only one Princess? Is there another one in hiding?" The woman words made Athanasia realized her mistake, Jeanette hasn't made her debutane yet, even now, Claude doesn't know about her existence. ".....But her voice? I heard it somewhere!!" Athanasia tries to get up and stood there, ask the woman one more question, "Did we met before? If we did, who are you?" 

The woman reaction is different from the first one, it was silence. Is she hesitating? Or is she trying to find a way to answer? Athanasia couldn't think of any valid thoughts at the moment. All she's concerned right now is why this woman appear in such situation? "...If I tell you, would you believe or will you doubt me? Give me an answer right now, only then, I'll be able to give you an answer." 

Silence wraps the atmosphere, the sunlight no longer gives out the warm feeling, the coldness and nervous has it around Athanasia. She hesitated. What will be the answer if she say she believes her? What will she do if Athanasia doubts her? She couldn't make a decision, what if it affects her new life? What if that woman has some sort of relationship with the Emperor? She couldn't act carelessly, but she needed information, to survive.

"I be-" 

"Oh my, Yuki? You eavesdroped on our conversation? That's a bad girl." Cut off Athanasia words, a white dog-like small creature pops out of nowhere and jumped on the woman hands. "Seems like you were hesitating to answer me.....right. It's still too early for me to meet you anyways, my excitement couldn't be held. But it's our goodbye for now." The woman figure and the white dog-like animal is fading away, is it teleportation? Athanasia quickly run to the woman, but it was slow due to her lack in energy and her harmed bare foots. 

"Wait! W,who exactly are you?!" Knowing she couldn't reach the woman in time, Athanasia screams out as loud as she can, hoping the woman will be able to hear it.

The woman answered her, "It's a bit early for you to know." The woman definitely turned her face back then, Athanasia saw the woman eyes and the woman finally disappeared, and freezed.

"T,this can't be possible?!?"

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Author's note:

Aaaa, chapter 6 is finally here!! I'm so so sorry for not updating for a week >< School has started for me (for a week now) and my class is... yk, a whole ass mess. But I had my fun anyways. School assignments has been presurring me hicc.

But who do you think that woman is? Why her voice is so familiar with our Athy? She had the same color as Athanasia hair, who is she? Comment your guesses down belong :D