Survive n' Avenge

A Cruel and Poor man

....

When Athanasia tried her best to get back to the Ruby Palace on her own, she found herself fainted in mid-way and afterwards found herself in her bedroom. Her legs have bandages in them both, surely it were the maids or it was Lily. Athanasia got out of her bed and try to walk to the mirror, but she failed. Her legs are still hurted and she can barely stand. Hurt from the pain, Athanasia try to grab something nearby to stand up, but eventually made a glass that was half-full with water right beside her fall down and break. 

The glass was shatter into small but sharp pieces, luckily, it did not reach Athanasia legs nor hands. Athanasia flinched but quickly calm herself to this high-pitched noise. She was wondering who brought her back here? Lily? Couldn't be, Lily was busy because of her family business from the begin of the week and have yet to return. 

It could be one of the guards or maybe Felix, the training place was only a bit far from where she was. But she doubt that it was one of them, maybe the woman? Or a third person? Athanasia stands up with the help of her bed and sat down on it. Trying her best to remember what happened, "Surely, I went to the trees to check if my jewelries bags was still there or not, then I went into a forest....Ah! The woman!!! That's right, I met the woman....But what did she look like?" 

Athanasia memory sure has descreased a lots, it must have been a side effects when she returned to the past with her magic. "Damn, this thing is troublesome." Struggling to remember how the woman look like, she looked at her beautiful platinum blonde hair and it finally reminds her how the woman look like, "...Platinum blonde hair! She had platinum blonde hair!! Slight tall body, slim and her skin was a bit pale... her face... looks like my adult look but a bit older than that... her eyes.... were jewelry blue? Or is it just blue?" 

Describing the woman that she saw as if she saw her past self, but unsure what she might have seen. "No way, I returned from the future, it would make no sense if there was another 'me'". Refusing her eyes and memories, Athanasia believed that was just a person who look oddly similar to her. But know that overthinking about it wouldn't help, she took the bell beside her and rang it, waiting for a servant to come.

....

It's been quite a time, a there's no sign of anyone coming, Athanasia wonder if anyone was even here. It will quite a pain to just move around and look for someone, especially when she's injured. All she could do now is wait for someone to come, even Claude. Because hunger has raised in her stomatch, for sure she did not have her evening desserts nor dinner. She looked at the clock and it's past her lunch time. 

She just hopping someone could come right now, she could die of hunger any moment now. But she decided to sleep to swift it all away. Closing her eyes slowly as she counts the sheep....

--

It's mid-night now, Athanasia is deep asleep due to her tiredness, the Palace is still empty when Athanasia was awake, perhaps everyone have been called to another Palace to work, but still, leaving a young child, despite she's being the only princess, how could they possibly let Athanasia stays alone in this Palace? A deep voice broke out the silence, "Was this Palace in such situation before? It was better when I came last time."

A kinder and softer voice answer the cold man voice, "I'll make sure to look at this situation more careful." Their footsteps become closer and closer, to Athanasia's bedroom. The cold man opens the door, not being mindful that it was too loud, but Athanasia was still deep asleep. The cold man was Claude, the kinder man was Felix. 

Claude approach Athanasia carefully as if he was scared that she would woke up, unlike when he opens the door. He touched Athanasia face with his big and thin hand, he flinched at the cold of Athanasia face, "..?!" He stepped back, shocking Felix. "Your Majesty!" 

He said in a shaking voice..."Her...face....it's cold.." Felix hurried to the princess even before Claude was able to finish his sentence. Felix checked Athanasia overall body tempature and can see that she's alive, it's just that the room was too cold. "Her Highness is still alive, it's just the room condition is too cold, it's not fit to even stay..." Aware that his words may affects the employers lives, Felix lower his voice as much as possible. Claude finally regain his senses and goes back to his normal face.

"...Who's in charge of the Ruby Palace?" Claude asked Felix with an angry voice.

"..Lilian York, but she has signed to have her break for a while. Baron Aldus Armstrongs is now responsible for the Ruby Palace for the time being." Felix answered without hesitation, as if he predicted that Claude would ask him this. Claude immidiately order Felix, "Felix Robane." Felix put Athanasia put back to her bed and kneel with one leg down, "Yes, your Majesty." 

"Prepare a place for princess Athanasia to stay at the Emerald Palace as soon as possible." Claude sudden care is very questionable and not at the same time. Questionable because he has been baring hatred for her because she's the reason why his love one died. Unquestionable because he's her father after all, and she's that person child and she splash the image of her. There's no reason to left her in this terrible-condition Palace when she's the Imperial Princess.

Felix was surprised of Claude order and decision, but kept it calm, "Yes, I shall do it right away." Sprinting away to do the order, leaving Claude and Athanasia behind. Claude once again approach Athanasia carefully, he boldly took the blanket and cover Athanasia. He kept mumbling about Diana and it may seems like he's talking to her... A cruel and poor man. 

Athanasia moved from her position and mumbling something while sleeping, curious, Claude lent his ear to her mouth to hear what she's saying, "....Claude you damned bastard... die....".... That's definitely the worse thing she can say at this moment, breaking this fluffy warm moment by her muttering. Claude did felt offended, but he can do nothing about it. It's not like he's so dirty that he would kill a child who's sleeping and what's more that's the child is his. 

"You definitely don't have her cheeky side huh... I guess it's no use to treat you like how I treated her. You need protection because that mouth of yours." Then Claude applies a strong protection spell on Athanasia, to ensure her own safety. The spell would kill or harm anyone who approach her with bloodlust or a will to kill her. Applying this spell on her is the strongest proof to prove that Claude truly cared for Athanasia, his daughter, the future Crown Princess.

...

"Hah...such a positive answer, I suppose? So unlike he before, cold and cruel. I guess my presence did affected a lots... Alright, let's move forward to the ------!!" 

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Author's note:

I definitely wasn't in my best state when I wrote this, I messed up, A LOTS. Honestly, I did want to write Claude as a cruel villain dude here, but recently I read a fanfict and I got mixed feelings about him. So let's make this story a bitttttttt sad =)))

But why was there no one in the Ruby Palace? Where did they all go? How come Claude came? How did that mysterious woman presence affects everything so much? Time-skip is very near!!