The Tragedy of the Lovely Princess

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/24548968.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Major Character Death
Category: Gen
Fandom: 가 | Who Made Me A Princess (Webcomic)
Relationship: Athanasia de Alger Obelia & Claude de Alger Obelia, Athanasia de
Alger Obelia/Lucas, Claude de Alger Obelia/Diana, Felix Robain/Lilian
York
Character: Athanasia de Alger Obelia, Claude de Alger Obelia, Felix Robain, Lilian
York, Lucas (Who Made Me A Princess), Diana (Who Made Me A
Princess), Jennette Margarita, Roger Alpheus
Additional Tags: Angst and Tragedy, Sad, Hurt, why am i making myself sad with this,
alternative scenario i thought of while reading the webcomic, athy
deserves the world, please enjoy, my first work omg
Stats: Published: 2020-06-05 Completed: 2020-06-11 Chapters: 10/10 Words:
11297

The Tragedy of the Lovely Princess

by RiaRomal

Summary

Claude loses his memories of his beloved daughter. What happens when he recovers them
too late?

Notes

Thank you for giving this work a chance! I thought of this scenario when I was reading the
part in the webcomic when Claude was trying to kill Athy. It's a sad scenario and I don't
even know why I did it aaaaaah! But I still hope you'll enjoy it! Gonna post the next
chapters in a while!
 Diana's Warning

“Goodbye, Papa,” the girl who everyone claimed was his beloved daughter said with a sorrowful
smile before disappearing completely.

The emperor heard two sets of footsteps rushing behind him. Felix Robain and Lilian York.

“Find her. Whatever it takes.” With that, he left the two to assume what had happened.

Felix could only respond to the emperor with a grim nod. Beside the knight, Lily’s knees gave out.
“Oh, princess,” The maid began to sob, tears freely flowing. Felix knelt down and placed an arm
around Lily’s shoulder, comforting her just as much as he, himself, needed.

‘Wherever the princess is,’ thought the knight to himself, ‘I hope she’s safe.’

~~~

Weeks after the princess had teleported away from the palace, there hadn’t been a single night
wherein the emperor slept for more than a few hours. From time to time, he’d find himself staring
at the lake or a few pink roses as if he was supposed to remember something. When he would try
to force himself to remember, he was rewarded with nothing but another pounding headache.

One night, exhaustion took over and the emperor found himself taking a much-needed sleep. The
moment he opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of the only woman he had loved.
Standing right before him, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing so vividly. Here she was, as
beautiful as ever with her golden curls entwined with flowers, ruby eyes gazing at him with
warmth as if he wasn’t the cold-blooded killer that he was. For a moment, he allowed himself to
believe that she was real and very much alive, yet he couldn’t bring himself to run to her. She gave
him a sad smile, as if she knew something he didn’t.

There was something in her gaze that looked like a warning. “Claude,” she whispered with that
melodic voice he had always loved. How he longed to hear her call out his name again after so
long.

“Don’t be fooled,” she looked at him worriedly, starting to fade. The emperor got up, reaching out
to the beautiful woman. Uncharacteristically, his normally stoic expression morphed to one of
desperation.

“Don’t go!” He pleaded, holding her in his arms in an attempt to keep her with him. “Protect our
daughter.” She said, almost completely gone now. Giving him one last loving gaze, she whispered,
“Quickly, Claude,” before vanishing at last.

He woke up, disoriented to find out it was already morning, heart pounding from seeing Diana. He
was filled with sorrow, once again remembering the grief he had felt from her death. The sorrow
was then replaced with anger at how the world was cruel enough to take her away from him,
leaving him nothing but a reminder of his beloved.

The child even had his damned eyes that he hated.

He thought about the dream again, vaguely remembering Diana’s warning. The urge to kill the girl
hasn’t disappeared, but he’d rather detain her in the palace for the meantime rather than having her
roam around the kingdom. He snapped out of his thoughts once he heard a knock from the entrance
of his chambers.
Felix stepped in, kneeling respectfully before making his way to the emperor. Claude looked at
him expectantly. “Well?”

The knight could only lower his gaze. “Nothing to report, Your Majesty.” The emperor sighed
impatiently, ready to berate him for doing such a poor job when a lowly guard rushed in with a look
of panic, out of breath from wherever he had sprinted from. He should execute him for his
insolence. Just as he was about to issue the order, he stopped dead in his tracks from what the
guard blurted out.

“Your Majesty, please, it’s the princess!”

 Goodbye, Papa.
Chapter Summary

In which, he remembers too late.

There was no time for an explanation.

Bringing along Felix and a few other guards, he let them lead him to a busy marketplace. He
expected to see the girl waiting for him with a few guards. Instead, he saw a crowd forming, the
guards that were doing rounds forming a protective circle on a small figure on the floor, some
guards crouching down to shield something he couldn’t see from his view.

When the first guard saw the emperor, he had a look of pure dread. He cried out, “It’s the
emperor!” The crowd, in fear of his wrath, knelt with their heads on the ground, the only exception
being the guards who had looked at Claude with horror and something akin to sadness.

Instantly, everyone paved a path for him. Once he finally came close to the small huddle of guards
protectively surrounding the small figure, he felt numb.

The small figure was the girl he wanted, no, wants to kill, except it looks like someone beat him to
it. Her normally radiant golden curls were a mess, tainted by dirt and mud. Her simple dress had
blood everywhere, except it looked like the fatal wound was coming directly from where a knight
was applying pressure, right in the area where her stomach is.

The life on her sapphire-jeweled eyes were on the brink of extinguishing. The sight of those soon-
to-be lifeless jeweled eyes triggered something in the emperor. He clutched his head, clenching his
eyes shut, feeling like it was being split apart. In that single moment, Claude’s memories slammed
into him in an unexpected wave.

‘Good morning, Daddy!’

‘Look, Papa, I drew this for you!’

‘I want Daddy to be my partner in the debutante ball.’

‘Athanasia.’

‘Protect our daughter. Quickly, Claude.’

‘Who are you?’

‘You are not my daughter.’

Felix, in the same moment that Claude faltered, was the first to finally react, not even asking for
permission from Claude to kneel beside the princess he was tasked to protect.

The knight had tears in his eyes. “Princess, please,” he cried. “Your father and I are here now.
Everything is going to be okay,” he went on to say shakily. “Stay awake, Princess, please!” Felix
clutched at the Princess’ hands that were beginning to lose their warmth.
With a groan, Claude finally opened his eyes to see a sight that he never wanted to see. He looked
at his daughter with pure horror. “Athanasia.” He said in disbelief.

For the first time, the Princess finally spoke. Weakly, she whispered, “Daddy, you—“ she coughed
out some blood. “You remembered?” The emperor abandoned all dignity and knelt right by her
side.

Felix shakily stood up, bellowing at the guards. “What are you all doing? Get a healer!” One guard
responded grimly. “We already did, Duke, but the princess was attacked with a lethal weapon that
targets magic users. The wound can’t even be closed with magic.”

“Athanasia, please,” the emperor, for the first time since the death of Diana, allowed himself to
shed tears. “I’m begging you, Athanasia. Please don’t leave me.”

“Papa, can—“ she began to say. He thought there would be nothing but hatred in her eyes, and
Claude wanted to apologize. For being too weak to fall under the curse of forgetting her. And to
beg. Beg for her forgiveness, and ask the gods to punish him, give away anything and everything
that he had if it meant that his daughter could survive. Quietly, the princess asked, reaching for her
father’s hands.

“Can you hold me?”

If that was all it took to make her stay with him, he would never let her go. If he could turn back
the clock, he would hug her every single day. He cradled her in his arms, thinking that if he held
onto her tight enough, she wouldn’t have to leave.

“I’m so scared.” The light in the princess’ eyes was fading fast now. “I don’t wanna go, Daddy.”
Claude held her even more tightly. “Please don’t let me go.” And with one last shaky breath, the
princess was finally reunited with her mother.

‘Goodbye, Papa.’

With a cry that sent the ground trembling, the emperor wept.
 Lucas Returns
Chapter Summary

Lucas is back from his journey in search of the World Tree. He can't wait to tell the
princess all about it, except...

The funeral passed by in a blur.

Claude was silent and frozen through it all. The nobles in attendance thought the emperor’s state
was not unusual. Although there were rumors of how he had wept when he found the princess, it
was hard to believe it.

He was a cold-blooded killer. He wouldn’t spare a glance at the people he would brutally torture.
There was no way he’d mourn even the death of his own child, nor would he have room in his cold
heart for such emotions. Unbeknownst to them, every night, the emperor would seal himself away
in his chambers, weeping for the precious life that he had failed to cherish.

One night, a young magician clad in black appeared in the palace, trying to contain his excitement
in finally returning, searching for the princess.

‘Strange,’ he thought. ‘What’s with this atmosphere?’

He was on his way to the princess’ chambers, but couldn’t seem to sense her presence. ‘That’s
unusual. Her room is definitely this way.’ He caught a glimpse of the red-haired knight sauntering
in one of the hallways, eyes blood-shot.

“Hey, knight!” He called out, appearing before Felix. “Where’s the princess?” If it was possible for
the atmosphere to grow even tenser, it just did with his question.

Felix stiffened.

“Young magician,” the knight paused, at a loss for words. Lucas could have sworn the knight’s
grey eyes looked glassy with tears. “You don’t know?”

Lucas sighed, growing exasperated. “Know what? Obviously, I don’t.” The young magician was in
a hurry to meet with the princess after finally returning. He didn’t want to waste any more time
before their reunion. He took a deep breath, mustering up the patience to wait for the knight’s
answer.

“Please, knight. Now tell me where the princess is.”

Felix, with silent tears, finally told him where the princess was- or more like wasn’t.

~~~

Lucas stormed into the emperor’s chambers, slamming the door wide open. To hell with whatever
punishment there may be. What a joke. No one could touch him, after all. Not even the emperor
himself.
“What have you done, you bastard?!”

The young magician was trembling with rage, eyes burning with angry tears. The emperor sat, stiff
on one of the couches. His sapphire-jeweled eyes, identical to the princess’, were blank, appearing
lifeless with dark circles under his eyes. Quietly, the emperor muttered, “Kill me.”

Lucas, amidst his tears, chuckled darkly. “Oh, I should.” He smirked cruelly, sarcastically adding,
“Your Majesty,” making the title sound like the greatest insult.

The powerful magician raised his hand, accumulating a dark, electric orb filled with the most vile,
painful and horrible magic that couldn’t even be compared to the sickest form of torture.
The emperor sat still, not resisting.

Just when Lucas was about to slam the treacherous orb onto the royal, he stopped, allowing the orb
to vanish.

“No,” the magician smiled sadistically. “Even torture would be a waste on you. After all, once it’s
over, you’d die. And death is way too kind, too easy.”

Lucas dropped his cruel smile, replacing it with a deadly glare. “No, you deserve to live a long life,
never forgetting what you’ve done—no, what you’ve failed to do for her.”

And with that, the young magician disappeared.

 The Search
Chapter Summary

What was the princess thinking in her final moments?

Felix Robain, ever since the death of their beloved princess, was tasked to lead the search for her
murderer.

They had discovered that her murder involved a small group of wayward magicians that had
planned to steal the throne.
It made sense. The princess, although self-taught, was talented in wielding her tremendous amount
of mana. If anyone could harm her, it would take more than just a single person to do it.

~~~

Her murder had been carefully planned out by that group from a very long time.

The magicians had initially given up on their plan when they themselves witnessed how much the
emperor treasured the princess at her debutante ball. It would be difficult to even touch a single
golden strand of the young royal’s hair with the complex protection that the emperor without a
doubt bestowed on her.

Just as they were about to abandon that plan, they saw how the emperor made his daughter kneel
humiliatingly in front of countless of nobles. The magicians figured that if there was an
appropriate time to act on their plan, it would be now.

When they saw the wanted posters everywhere, they knew that the princess would finally be within
their grasp. They knew the cruel emperor. He definitely withdrew the protective magic he casted
on the princess.

Although they were a group of skilled magicians, they had to admit that if it weren’t for the
number of them, there would have been no hope in killing the princess.

She was clever.

She would use counterfeit money to transfer from one inn to another. Not only that, she would
disguise herself, creating an illusion that she was an ordinary commoner. Still, her efforts had
been for naught.

Her mistake was trusting the meals and drinks that she would purchase.

No, the ones that would poison it weren’t the commoners. It was the magicians’ work. Each time
they saw her take a drink or eat a meal, they would enchant it with a poison that they had been
working on for a long time. One vial, their only vial, took them years to complete. They could not
afford to waste it. The princess would not be able to notice it at all.

It was a silent poison aimed to weaken the mana in a person. By having her slowly take the doses,
they would have the chance to attack her with a weapon coated in the same poison, just in case
help would arrive. She wouldn’t be able to do anything.
They took turns in monitoring her, ensuring that she would finish the poison. Once she
unknowingly took the last dose, one magician alerted the rest, signaling for one of them.

And then they saw her.

She was walking slowly in the marketplace, legs unsteady. She had to lean against a nearby wall.
‘I don’t feel so good,’ the princess had thought to herself with a groan. Her disguise was faltering,
once in a while flickering to her original appearance.

“That- isn’t that the princess?”

“No, you must be mistaken.”

“Everyone, look! It’s the princess!”

“Are you alright, miss?”

The princess, now completely losing the illusion, made eye contact with a royal guard nearby. But
it was too late.

It all happened too fast.

One moment she was leaning against the wall, the next thing she knew, she felt a cold blade pierce
deeply into her stomach. With wide eyes, the princess could only stare up at the cold eyes of a
brown-haired magician before he teleported away.

She could only slump to the ground. At the back of her mind, she could hear a woman’s panicked
voice. ‘Athanasia, my baby, you have to stay awake. Please.’ The princess could vaguely register
the voice as the beautiful fairy in her dreams.

“Mama.” Athanasia found herself weakly muttering before guards were running to her, one of
them alerting the palace. The princess was scared. She wanted the pain to stop, but when she saw
her dad, all she could feel was relief in knowing that he finally remembered her.

‘Dying in my father’s arms isn’t such a bad way to go,’ Athanasia thought to herself.

But she wanted to live.

God, she wanted to live. There were a lot of things she had wanted to see. A lot of time she had
wanted to spend with her dad and the others. She wanted to stroll around the marketplace with
Lucas. She wanted to have tea with her dad, just like the old times.

The tugging feeling in her gut made her sure that she wasn’t gonna make it. She remembered
herself saying, “Please don’t let me go,” before she took the outstretched hand of the crying fairy
in her dreams.

~~~

The knights stormed the hidden tunnel where they had discovered the magicians to be hiding.
Leading them was a red-haired knight. At that moment, his normally warm and kind gaze was no
longer to be found. He had the look of a predator catching its prey.

The knight’s lips curled in an uncharacteristic sneer, “Found you. Now you’ll wish you’d never
been born.”
 His Promise
Chapter Summary

The magicians responsible for the princess' death have been found, now imprisoned in
the dungeons.

Chapter Notes

"Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give but cannot. All
of that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and
in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go." -unknown (via
asleepytaem)

Ever since that day, no one has spotted the emperor leave his chambers. His office had mountains
of paperwork to be accomplished, all of them remaining untouched. On his table were countless
empty bottles of liquor, broken glass littered everywhere.

The emperor felt numb, his remaining driving force being vengeance on whoever was responsible
for his daughter’s death. He could vaguely hear a knock on his door, before it opened to reveal
Felix. Upon entering, the knight respectfully kneeled before walking towards the emperor.

Claude made no move to acknowledge the knight’s presence, blank eyes staring straight ahead.

Grimly, Felix reported, “We found them. They’re in the dungeons.”

The royal’s clenched fists were the only indication that he had heard him.

~~~

The wayward magicians, comprised of six grown men, were bound and chained to the dungeon
walls. They were all badly beat up, bruises anywhere that their skin could be seen, blood smearing
their mouths and swollen, discolored faces, evidence that the knights had treated them like their
personal sandbags for what they had done to the princess.

Normally, the emperor would not tolerate mere knights for being the first to torment his prey.
However, looking at their bedraggled state made him think that the mess the knights had made was
a good starter to what he was about to do to them.

His killing intent could be felt from a mile away.

With a lethal calm, he asked, “Where’s your leader?”

The oldest one of them-the most foolish one among them- grinned, his yellow rotten teeth tainted
with blood. Despite his shackles, he managed to lower his head in a mocking bow. In a hoarse
voice, he proudly replied, “That would be me, Your Majesty.”
The emperor, clenching a single fist, broke the magician’s leg.

The dungeons were filled with his pained howl. Despite his groans, the magician continued to
taunt, “The deed is done.” He spat out the blood in his mouth. “She’s dead. In the end, even her all-
powerful father couldn’t save her.”

If the emperor’s aura was enough to kill, the magician would have withered to ashes. With a swift,
slashing motion of his hand, the emperor took out the magician’s left eye. His taunts were cut off
halfway with another tormented howl.

Surveying the other five who were obviously trying -and failing- to pull off a brave front, Claude
turned to them. In a tight voice, he asked, “And which one of you,” he took a deep, measured
breath, “did it.”

He was met with silence.

Claude started off by slowly breaking the bones of their hands. Then, the foot. Next, was the
opposite foot. Slowly, the-

“It was him! He did it! Him!”

One of them, the one in the middle, panted and screamed while desperately motioning with his
head at the brown-haired magician to Claude’s left.

Despite the answer, the emperor pushed through with dislocating their shoulders, filling the
dungeons with their agonized cries.

He turned to the trembling, brown-haired magician. With his mana, an invisible force lifted the
magician’s chin to face him. “Scum like you,” Claude murmured, lifting his hand as if to clutch
something in front of him –the prisoners terrifyingly realized it was the brown-haired magician’s
heart- “deserve the worst possible death.”

The magician was choking, feeling as if there was a phantom hand grasping his heart. The emperor
tightened his hold and the magician felt as if he was about to die right then. But the emperor let go.

“You see, I had an idea from one of your kind.” The emperor stiffened at the word. “Death would
be too easy.” Claude, clenching his fists, broke some of their ribs. “For as long as I am alive, you
will suffer. And when you’re at death’s door, we’ll heal you. Not completely. Just enough for you
to be at the brink of death, but never really dying.”

The magicians begged and begged. Their efforts were wasted.

“You will pay. I promise you that.” The emperor declared, as if telling himself the same thing.
 He Dreams
Chapter Summary

She appears before him in a dream.

Claude, for the first time since that day, finally gave in to exhaustion.

He didn’t want to sleep, of course. How could he? He would only be plagued by nightmares,
memories of his past and the deaths of the only two people he had cared about. That night was no
different.

The dream started happy. After all, the saddest stories have happy beginnings.

He was a bystander, separated from his body, as if he was a stranger viewing his own memories.
He saw himself, as stone-faced as ever, having tea with Diana. “It feels like flowers are blooming
in my mouth.” She laughed, a sound like silver bells, and he wished he could bottle that sound
forever.

But then they found out that her body could not withstand the mana of the unborn child.

He saw the desperation in his eyes as he had pleaded with her to pick him. To stay with him. He
saw her cry. He felt the anger and grief when he found her lifeless body. He heard the deafening
cries of the infant she had left behind as he massacred the people living in that wretched palace.

And then he saw the infant turn into a child.

Saw her run into him as she had tried to nibble on a golden statue. He watched himself have tea
with her and help her sit on a boat by the lake. He stood, frozen and unable to do anything, as he
watched himself let her drown for a while as she screamed for help that he did not give fast
enough.

Then the dream shifted again to the mornings she’d come running to greet him, sapphire-jeweled
eyes sparkling as she showed him a drawing of them that she worked so hard to make. He watched
himself wait for her to leave before carefully picking up the drawings, as if made of the most
fragile glass, and preserved them with magic to display in his room. He dreamed of the peaceful
days.

But things had gone terribly wrong when she coughed up blood.

He relived every moment. He stared at her hurt expression as he had coldly asked who she was. He
watched his own mouth move as he commanded her, his own daughter, to kneel in front of mere
nobles. He could see himself attempt to kill her in the very same rose garden that he had gifted for
her, removing the protection magic he casted on her before she managed to teleport away. Away
from him.

The dream shifted once again to a scene he dreaded seeing the most.

Except, this time, he was there as she was leaning against a wall by the marketplace. Heard her
groan while her illusion wore off. He knew how this part would end, yet it didn’t stop him from
trying to yell at her to run. To find a palace guard and run away. He tried to reach for her but his
hand merely went through as if he was a ghost. He shielded her, in a vain attempt to stop the blade
from piercing her stomach.

But he still couldn’t stop it.

He watched, for the second time, as she lay on the ground, fighting hard to stay awake. Heard her
mutter, “Mama,” as if seeing something that no one else could. He saw himself and Felix as they
arrived too late, kneeling by her side as the life in her eyes faded.

Suddenly, he could hear the shouts and screams of both Diana and Athanasia; hear them cry as they
begged for help that he couldn’t give. The noise of his dream was too much. Claude clenched his
eyes shut, clutching his head, screaming, “Make it stop! Please! I can’t! I can’t do it!”

And then he heard a single, kind voice that reduced everything else into background noise.

“I’ll make the bad dreams go away, Daddy.”

He slowly opened his eyes to see his daughter peering up at him with a smile. She cupped his face
with her warm hands, and the background of Claude’s dream morphed and transformed to a
curtained large mattress with soft pillows scattered around it.

It was the resting area behind the throne.

The curtains were slightly drawn to reveal two sleeping figures. Claude and little Athanasia.

“It’s one of my fondest memories with you, Daddy.” Athanasia murmured, gazing longingly at the
sight. She chuckled. “So peaceful too.” Little Athanasia, as adorable as ever, was all curled up, her
head propped up by a soft pillow. Beside her was Claude, his usual stern expression was gone,
replaced with a look of content as he rested next to his daughter.
Claude finally managed to snap out of his shock. “Athanasia,” he whispered softly, desperately
pulling her in for a warm embrace. He breathed in her familiar scent of roses.

“I’m right here, Daddy,” his daughter soothed, hugging Claude even tighter. After he was sure she
wouldn’t fade any time soon, Claude hesitantly, but slowly pulled back. Reading her father’s
expression, the princess frowned. “It wasn’t your fault.”

The emperor’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

“Mama and I are worried, Daddy,” Athanasia said. “You’re still haunted by what happened.”

“Of course I am!” Claude was crying silently now, trembling. “I hurt you! I let you die!” He
slumped to the ground. He whispered dejectedly, “I failed you.”

Athanasia knelt beside her father, wiping his tears away. She shook her head. “No, Daddy. You
weren’t yourself then. It’s unfair for you to torment yourself for it.”

Claude looked at his daughter and took her hands in his. He pleaded, “Can’t you take me with
you?” He gazed exhaustedly at her Obelian eyes, identical to his. “I’m so tired.”

The princess shed tears of her own at the sight of her father suffering. “I can’t, Daddy. It’s not your
time yet. You have to be a good emperor.”

“I don’t care about the kingdom! Not when I don’t have you both by my side.” Claude exclaimed,
beyond exhausted with having to be alone once again. “To hell with the others.”
“But Mama and I care, Daddy.” The emperor looked up at her sad smile. “I promise you, Daddy.
We’ll finally be together. When the time comes. But for now, you have to live.” Athanasia hugged
her father. “Please, Daddy. For us.”

Claude couldn’t find the voice to respond.

They hugged for a while longer before the princess went on to say, “Daddy, I have something for
you to find.” The emperor looked at her, waiting. “Everything I wanted to say,” the princess
paused, “There’s more of it in detail. I left behind a message stone for you.” Athanasia held back a
choked sob. “For Lily, Felix and,” she paused before continuing shakily, “Lucas as well.”

The princess explained to Claude how she had wanted to give it to them, but didn’t have enough
time to do so. The stones were in the drawer of her room. She made the emperor promise he’d get
them.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” Claude whispered sadly at Athanasia. The princess let out a soft
chuckle. “You’re silly, Daddy. Of course not.” She held his hand tightly. “We’ll always be
watching over you.”

They watched in comfortable silence as little Athy stretched, peering sleepily at her father before
snuggling closer to him. Claude sighed at the sight.

“Remember when you carried me before? I was trying to swat a fly away but ended up slapping
you.” The princess laughed at the memory.

“I wondered where you got your boldness from.” The emperor, for the first time in a long while,
showed a small, genuine smile at the thought. “Why?”

She looked at him, eyes curious. “I don’t know. Just wondering.” Athanasia grinned at Claude,
before leaning her head on his shoulder. “I love you and you love me. That’s more than I could
have asked for.”

And that was the last thing he heard before he woke up, dried tears on his face. He could have
sworn he could smell the faint scent of roses.
 Her Memories
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“Athanasia de Alger Obelia is and was my only daughter and heir. You vultures can stop with the
talks of concubines and future heirs for the throne. If any of you utter a single word about it again,
I will have your heads.”

The throne room was filled with murmurs and gasps from the nobles.

“Is that why His Majesty called for us to gather?”

“Then who’ll be Obelia’s next ruler should anything happen?”

“Quiet! If we value our lives, we should just leave it to the emperor.”

Amidst the confusion, a single, high-pitched voice foolishly cried out, “I’m also your daughter!”
The nobles could only look on and turn to the source, glancing among themselves in horror,
wondering who had the insolence to proclaim such an idea right in front of His Majesty.

“Jenette!” Duke Alpheus reprimanded, eyes widening at her unexpected outburst. This was not part
of their plan.

The girl turned towards the duke. “I can’t wait any longer, Uncle!” She quickly took off what
looked to be a ring. “See?” Jenette exclaimed, revealing her jeweled eyes. “My eyes are proof of
the royal lineage!”

The nobles turned towards each other, confused. ‘Is she really who she is claiming to be? She has
the Obelian eyes. Does that mean she’s the rightful heir to the throne?’All of the nobles shared the
same question.

The emperor, at the girl’s outburst, stood up from his throne, effectively silencing the nobles. He
glided down the steps, everyone instantly creating a path for him, until he stood directly in front of
the girl. His own jeweled eyes gleaming as he coldly stared down at her.

She was overwhelmed by his presence. The girl got on her knees, sobbing. This was not how she
expected their reunion to be. “I’m your daughter! I know that I haven’t been with you as long as
Athanasia had been,” The nobles noted how the emperor stiffened at the mention of hername. “But
I’m here now! You still have me.” She went on, her voice the only thing that could be heard in the
tense silence.

“Please, Father,” she begged, tears in her eyes as she looked up at him from where she had knelt on
the ground. “What will it take for you to love me?”

The emperor smiled, except there was no warmth in his eyes. “I see it now.”

Everyone in the room was shocked. ‘So it is true?’

“You look just like that whore for a mother you had.”

The girl flinched as if someone had slapped her.

“I had nothing to do with that foul wench. You must be a product of her and Anastacius. That
explains those damned eyes.” Claude coldly stated without a single care for the girl.

Jenette could only cry as she felt like her whole world was torn apart. Everything she was told to
believe was a lie. All her life, she wanted to have a real family. But the girl that could have been
her sister was dead. And she was just an eye sore to the man she thought was her father.

“And if you aren’t as foolish as you look, you’d be wise to stop angering me even further with your
nonsense. That goes for all of you here.” The emperor threatened, before leaving.

The sound of the grand doors slamming, indicating the emperor’s exit, was what finally snapped
the nobles out of their reverie.

~~~

“Haven’t you heard?”

“What is it?”

“Apparently, Duke Alpheus and his niece had something to do with the death of the princess!”

“Are you certain of that?”

“Yes! They weren’t directly involved with her murder. But they did something that caused the
princess to be driven away from the castle. They were the ones that made it easier for the
magicians to finally attack.”

“How horrible!”

“What of them now?”

“I heard that the dukedom has been passed down to Duke Alpheus’ son. I have no clue as to what
His Highness has done or plans to do to Alpheus and his niece.”

“They may have been banished, or even worse, executed.”

“May the gods have mercy on them, then.”

~~~

Felix Robain was looking for a certain turquoise-eyed head maid.

“Felix.” The emperor had called for him. In light of what happened, the emperor’s face was as
hard to read as ever. Claude took a deep breath before continuing. “Athanasia,” he paused, the
name painful for him to mention, “wanted to give this to you, Lilian York and the palace
magician.”

Felix, with trembling hands, accepted the three pouches, which were labeled with their names, and
realized it had stones inside. “These are-“

“Message stones.” The emperor finished, staring at his own. “You can assume what it is for.”
With a simple wave of his hand, Felix got the message to take his leave.

It had been a few hours since he had given it to her, keeping his own and the young magician’s -
who was nowhere to be seen- for the meantime. The red-haired knight wasn’t ready to see what
was in it. Just as he was about to search in another area, he found her.
“Miss Lily!” He called out, walking towards her at a brisk pace. The young head maid slowly
faced him, her eyes still red from crying. Felix gulped, unsure of how to talk to her.

“Have you…,”the knight hesitated, “seen her message yet?”

Felix’s grey eyes met her gaze.

“No, I haven’t.” She sighed. Voice shaky, she said, “I’m not strong enough.”

Felix could only look at her, not knowing how to give her comfort. Suddenly, he had an idea. “In
that case, would you like to view them together?” Only after he asked the question did he realize
how intrusive he sounded. His ears turned red from embarrassment.

“I didn’t mean to- I mean if you want to! Of course, I’d understand if you’d want to have your
privacy! I mean- it’s okay! We could just view mine, if you want, or-“ His rambling was
interrupted by Lily’s soft smile, a sight that he had not seen in a long time.

“I’d like that,” Lily said, quickly adding, “Sir Robain.

~~~

The two of them decided to view the messages in the princess’ room.

‘To feel closer to her,’ Felix sadly thought. Everything had been where it originally was. As if she
was still here. The knight almost let himself believe that the princess would come bursting in her
room soon, complaining about how bored she was.

'Almost.'

With a determined nod from Lily, they both sat on one of the couches, shoulders slightly touching.
Felix blushed at the contact. ‘Now’s not the time!’ He thought to himself as Lily took out two
stones from the pouch.

Confused, she looked at the knight. “Are there supposed to be two?” Felix only nodded,
remembering how his pouch had two as well.

Lily held the larger one, seeing a label on the stone that said, “Open me first.” The young maid
smiled at the knight. Hesitantly, she said, “I’ll go first, then.” Felix flashed a smile of his own in
response.

Lily set the first stone on the table. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, “Open.”

At first, nothing happened. But then, the stone started vibrating until a magical screen opened.

”Hello? Hello? Is this working?” The princess’ voice was so clear as if she was sitting right in
front of them. She looked to be around 12 in the message, Lily recognizing the dress she had gifted
to her at that time. The princess let out a triumphant laugh, excited that she got to make a message
stone to work without any help.

“Just wait ‘till Lucas hears about this!” As if remembering that she was making a message, the
princess coughed, blushing. She composed herself, before grinning.

“Lily!” She waved as if she could see the young maid when she made the message.

“Oh, princess.” Lily was crying now, yet smiling at the image of the girl she loved as if she was
her own child.
The princess waved some more before stopping, jeweled eyes suddenly turning sad.”If you’re
watching this, something must have happened to me.”

Felix let out tears of his own, saddened by how the princess anticipated the worst-case scenario. It
reminded him of how he failed to protect her. ’She was so young. Too young.’ The knight thought,
sniffling.

”Maybe I ran away or got chased away. Don’t get me wrong, Lily! I love how things are, but who
knows for sure what will happen. I just want to survive,” the princess said with a look of
determination.

”Maybe you won’t have to see this message. With the way things are going, I might not have to give
this to you in the end. You, Felix and Daddy take such good care of me, after all. You know, Lily, at
first I was really scared of him, but I really think that he sees me as his daughter!” The princess’
eyes brightened as she mentioned her father.

”I just want to be prepared, in case something does happen.Princess Athanasia, in the message,
straightened.”I may not have grown up with my mother to take care of me, but I want to let you
know that you were the best mother I was lucky enough to have.”The young royal let out a full-
blown smile that got the young maid to choke back a sob.

”You were the first person to genuinely love me. I must have been a saint in a past life to deserve
such a loyal person like you by my side! You were never just a nanny to me, Lily. Never. If my
mother was alive, I bet she would have been just like you.”

Felix smiled at that, glancing at Lily who was wiping her tears. He didn’t know where the courage
came from all of a sudden, but he found himself tucking her hair behind her ears. Lily’s eyes
widened, shocked. The knight blushed, about to apologize profusely before Lily giggled and said,
“Thank you.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. He was dreading an awkward silence when they
were-thankfully-interrupted by the princess’ message.

”I love you so, very much, Lily! I want you to find happiness. You deserve to be happy. So smile!
Please. For me.” Princess Athanasia reached out a hand, her palm facing towards them as if she
was trying to touch Lily. The young maid did the same, reaching out, only for her hand to pass
through. Lily's face fell a bit at that, a reminder that she could no longer hug the princess.”Before I
go, the second stone is a memory stone. Open it!.” The princess grinned one last time before her
image faded, and finally disappeared.

Lily cried for a bit more, but felt like she had the closure she needed after seeing the princess’
beaming face once again.

And so, Lilian York wiped her tears away. With a determined gleam in her eyes, she thought to
herself, ’I must be strong.’

~~~

It took a few more moments for Lily to completely calm down. When she finally did, it looked like
a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Felix had been busy gazing distractedly at her
when she interrupted his train of thought.

“I was thinking, since we know the second stone is a memory stone, maybe we can view your
message first and save the memory stones for last?”
Felix blinked, before snapping out of his daze. “Yes, I think that’s a good idea.” Lily smiled at him
reassuringly before he set up his stone. With conviction, he said, “Open.”

The princess had been in the same spot and dress. ‘She must have made my message after Miss
Lily’s,’ the knight thought to himself.

”Felix! The princess beamed, waving her hands again. The knight couldn’t help but smile fondly at
the image, missing the princess already.

Her message started off a bit similar to Lily’s, explaining why she made it, her wish to give him a
message should anything happen to her.

”Please don’t blame yourself, Felix.” Princess Athanasia frowned. “I know that you’re my
personal guard, but there are some things that we can’t control. There are just some things in this
world that even you can’t protect me from.” Their beloved princess stated, her too-wise eyes
shining with certainty.

Felix let out a cry at that. If it weren’t for his current state, he would have been flustered by Lily’s
arm that reached for his shoulder. Instead, he was thankful for her comfort.

”And if you think that you have failed me, I’ll come back from wherever I am and haunt you!” She
joked, sticking her tongue out at the knight.

He smiled weakly. She knew him too well.

”On a more serious note, I wanted to say that I love you, Felix! I was really scared when I first met
Daddy, but I always calmed down whenever you were around. I will always be grateful for you,
Felix. And I don’t know exactly what has happened by the time that you see this message, but can I
ask you for a favor?”

Felix nodded vigorously as if the princess could see him.

“Please,” she smiled sadly as if remembering something, “take care of Daddy for me. You’re the
closest one to him. I know that he can be quite mean and that he loves to bully you, but you and I
know that’s just how he is. He’s a really nice Daddy and I know he’ll listen to you. So take care of
Daddy for me, okay, Felix?” The princess raised her right hand, making the gesture of a pinky
promise.

”Promise?”

The knight smiled amidst his tears. He copied the gesture. “Promise.”

”Lastly, Felix!” He braced himself for what the princess was about to say, determined and ready to
grant her last wishes.

”When are you finally going to ask Lily out?” The princess exclaimed with a teasing smile,
unaware that the maid would be present when Felix would open his message.

~~~

They went on to view each of their memory stones, laughing all throughout. The two were glad to
save the memory stones for last.

It was as if the princess knew that they would need cheering up, showing them the happiest
memories that she had with them. They viewed the memories from little Athanasia's eyes, seeing
 how bright and beautiful they looked from her perspective. It was as if they were running with her
each time she hid and played with them. Through her eyes, they could see her small hands
clutching at crayons to draw a picture of them. See how she'd hold on to Felix whenever he carried
her. Felt as if they themselves were peering up at the beautiful turquoise colored eyes of Lily
whenever she sang the princess a lullaby.

By the end of the viewing, instead of sad tears from the start, they only had happy tears to show,
cheeks hurting from smiling too much.

After a while, they sat in comfortable silence, content with each other’s presence.

“So is what the princess said true?” Lily asked. Before the knight could ask what she meant, she
continued with a shy smile, “You wanted to ask me out?”

Felix Robain, the dauntless right-hand man of the emperor and Obelia's Red Blood Knight, let out
an embarrassing squeak.

“Yes.”

Chapter End Notes

Ooh boy I think that was the longest chapter I've written. I left the fate of Jenette and
the duke as open-ended. I don't exactly hate Jenette but I can't bring myself to like her
either. Personally, I just want her to have her own family and leave Claude and Athy
alone hehehe. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I just had to add some small
moments between Felix and Lily cuz they're just adorable. Stay tuned for the next
chapter! THAAANKS!
 A Message for Papa
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Claude stared intently at the dark pouch with the message stones.

They were hidden in her drawer, just like how she had told him in his dream. But he hesitated to
hear the message. This was the last thing he had of his daughter and Claude felt as if she would
truly be gone once he opened them.

But he wanted to see her.

He needed to hear her voice. Needed to hear what she had to say to him. Find out what she
desperately wanted him to know and see her smile at him once again as if he wasn’t the sinner that
he was.

With a wordless command, he opened her message.

“Hi, Daddy!” She beamed.

Beamed innocently as if she wouldn’t suffer in her future final moments.

Claude clenched his fists at the thought but busied himself by watching his daughter closely,
taking every detail in and committing it to memory.

Slowly, her smile faded, remembering what it was that she needed to say. The princess took a deep
breath and began. “I need to tell you about some dreams that I had before. They were so clear, as
if they were actually happening.” The princess, fearing how absurd her story was about her past
life and the novel she read, decided to explain it to her father as a dream.

“In those dreams, you never loved me.” She smiled sadly at that. “I remember searching your eyes
for something you felt whenever you looked at me. I don’t know, maybe affection that you were
trying to hide or some guilt or even hatred.” Athanasia’s lips tembled, tears starting to form.

“But there was nothing in there, Daddy. Nothing. You were completely indifferent to me. Worse
than hatred itself.”

The emperor tensed.

One of the most painful sounds, he had come to learn, was the sound of his daughter’ voice trying
so hard not to cry.

“In my dreams, you loved Jenette and claimed her as your daughter.”

‘How could that wench be my daughter?’

“I was just a forgotten princess, someone who was always in the shadows. But then, someone had
poisoned Jenette and everyone believed that I had something to do with it.” Athanasia could no
longer keep the tears at bay, remembering the story and reliving the fear she had for her life.

“I didn’t do it, Daddy. But the version of you in my dreams didn’t think so.” The princess’ eyes
glazed, reminiscing.
“Even if I was your daughter, you ordered to have me executed. I was eighteen then. Seeing such a
nightmare at a young age, I believed that it was real. That it would all come true.” Athanasia
chuckled darkly at the thought.

But then, she nodded determinedly. She wiped away her tears, jeweled eyes gleaming with her
resolve. “So I told myself that I would do anything to survive. I saved up some gold, preparing
myself to leave quietly and not have you notice me at all.”

The princess, as she was making the message, was slowly smiling now. ”But then you found me.
Nibbling on a golden statue I was interested in stealing. And let me tell you, Daddy, I had never
been so scared for my life at that moment.” Athanasia, despite remembering her fear at that time,
only had it in her to laugh at the memory as she looked back.

“I was even more scared when you brought me as a guest to have tea with you! That’s why I would
talk to you like I was walking on eggshells. I felt like one wrong move would make me lose my
chance of freedom.” She looked straight ahead, imagining that her father was right in front of her.
She wanted him to understand.

“I used to be scared of our tea times, but I slowly grew to look forward to them.” The young
princess grinned, remembering how she would try her best to act cute in front of her father to get
away with anything.

“I don’t know if my dream will come true, but the time I spend with you now makes me think,” she
shook her head, eyes serious, “-no, makes me absolutely certain, with my whole heart that you love
me. That the “you” now will never decide to kill me, much less harm me.” She said it with the
utmost conviction and faith in her father.

“I didn’t want to care for you, but I did.” Athanasia laughed. “I couldn’t help it. By the end of the
day, you are my father.” She said the word affectionately, smiling softly. “My family in this
world.”

She smiled brightly now, feeling so safe and loved. “I know that you will open this message as the
Papa that I know, and not the version I saw in my dreams.”

Athanasia, despite how happy she was, still wanted to be prepared for the worse. Just in case.
“This message is meant for you if ever I can’t tell you myself. You have to live on, Daddy.”

‘But I don’t know how to do this without you.’

As if she heard his thoughts, she said, “You’ve done it before, and you’ll continue to do so now.”

‘Stay.’

“I’m not truly gone, Daddy. There are things everywhere around you where I still exist in. You’ll
remember me when you drink the tea that reminded me of flowers. You’ll think of me whenever you
see a rose or the lake. You’ll even remember how annoying I was when you see the sweets that you
hate!” She laughed when she thought of the look in her father’s face at the cake on the table each
time they had tea.

“I just hope you can express yourself more, Daddy. It’s okay to cry. It doesn’t make you weak. You
could never be weak. You’re alive and that’s the hardest thing to be. I’m so proud of you. Always.
And if you still think of yourself as a monster who doesn’t deserve to live, go and open my memory
stone. And after you’re done seeing it for the first time, open it whenever you feel horrible about
yourself. You’ll see why, Daddy.”
She checked the clock she had in her room. Her eyes brightened. “I have to go now! It’s time for
tea with you. I can’t have you waiting any longer.”

‘Don’t leave.’

Before she was about to go, she stopped. “One last thing, Daddy! Let me tell you a secret.” The
princess put a finger to her lips.

“So far, you might not have told me that you love me, but I know. If you regret that you never got
to say it, don’t be. Each time you tell me to go to sleep, eat what I want, do whatever makes me
happy, what you’re really saying is ‘I love you.’ You love me so much that it’s starting to steal
other words’ meaning.”

With one last grin, she vanished.

Before the emperor could do something that would disappoint Athanasia and end his misery, he
subconsciously opened the memory stone.

“Do you know who I am?” He saw himself sitting on a couch –wearing his usual blank expression-
through the eyes of his little daughter.

“My father! Papa!” The slight widening of his eyes in the memory was the only indication that she
had taken him by surprise.

He saw, in Athanasia’s point of view, as she was being carried by Felix, her small arms trying to
reach out to her father who was walking ahead of them.

He watched, through his daughter’s sleepy eyes, as he tenderly placed his fingers on her head as
she slept. He thought she was asleep then.

The memories flashed to parts he never knew meant that much to her. He saw himself in a hurry to
catch her as she ran to him and stumbled. He watched, through his daughter’s eyes, as he gently
reattached a hairpin to her head. He saw her hands hold onto him tightly as he carried her during
their walks. Saw her tiny feet running to him as she tiptoed to kiss him on his cheek.

And he saw a memory similar to the one his daughter took him to in his dream. Except, this was
new to him.

He was asleep, resting in the area behind the throne room. Athanasia was beside him, singing that
lullaby she said would chase the bad dreams away. Her small hands were playing with his hair
absent-mindedly. She suddenly stopped. In a whisper she hoped nobody would hear, she said, “I
love you, Daddy.”

He suddenly understood what his daughter was trying to tell him. This was how she saw him, eyes
softening whenever she was around. His hands, so used to death and destruction, were always
gentle on her. Never hurtful.

In her eyes, he was never a monster.

The memory stone was a reminder of how Athanasia thought of him.

A small light flickered within him amidst the darkness. And he decided.

Every day will be a battle. It will be difficult. But if it meant that he could see the two of them in
the end, without the shame of giving up, he will try.
 He can’t promise that he’ll want to live every single day. Or allow himself to feel. But he can
promise that he’ll try. For today, he decided to live. Tomorrow, he’ll see. Day by day. Step by step.
One foot in front of the other. And that was good enough for now.

‘I’ll make the bad dreams go away, Daddy.’

That night, he dreamt of both Diana and Athanasia dancing in a field of flowers, and their laughter
was the most beautiful sound in the world.

Chapter End Notes

So sorry this took a while! It took me time to think about what Athy would say to
Claude and I hope this chapter does it justice GAAAAAH! I'm going to post Lucas'
chapter as soon as I finish revising it. :D Thank you for reading and waiting!
 For Lucas

It took the young magician a while to get rid of the urge to destroy the palace. And everything in it.

But then, he remembered something.

They were having tea.

The princess, as usual, was complaining about her lessons when she suddenly perked up,
remembering something.

“Ha! Look, Lucas! I made some message stones. Not only that, I got memory stones to work too!
All by myself!” The princess made a grand gesture to the pouches on the table, feeling proud. She
raised her chin triumphantly, smug about her achievement.

Lucas scoffed, finishing off a biscuit. “What’s the use? You’re right here. Just tell them whatever
you want.” He glanced at the pouches, noticing that one of them had his name on it. He brushed
the crumbs off from his hands and smirked.

“Oh? One of them’s for me? Let’s see it then.” Just as he was about to grab it, the princess
snatched the pouches away.

“Hey!” She reddened. It made Lucas all the more curious as to what she said in it. His curiosity
only got him a painful smack on the head, courtesy of the princess.

“Ow!” He rubbed his head, glaring at Athanasia.

The princess flashed him a glare of her own. After a moment, in a soft voice, she said, “Not yet.”

The look in her eyes was enough for Lucas to drop the subject.

And suddenly, he was desperate to get his.

Having no other thought but the stones, he teleported to the palace. If the others have received
theirs, one of them would know where his was. Among them, he decided to look for the knight. He
might end up doing something to the emperor that would make the princess hate him.

Before he could begin his search, luckily, the knight found him instead.

“Young magician!”

Lucas wasted no time. “Where is it?” He held a hand out, waiting impatiently to receive the pouch.

Felix took the cue, reaching into his pocket before procuring the pouch with the young magician’s
name on it. He carefully placed it on Lucas’ hand.

Lucas held it gently, as if fearing it would vanish. He took a step, ready to teleport. Before he did,
in a tight voice as if it pained him, he said to the knight, “Thank you.”

And that was the last thing Felix heard before the young magician disappeared once again.

~~~

“Lucas.” The princess playfully glared at him, jeweled eyes as bright as ever. The young magician
prepared himself for what she was about to say.

“You’re probably the most annoying, arrogant and conceited person that I know.”

He scowled. ‘This was what she wanted to tell me?’

A smile slowly began to form on the princess’ lips. “But you’re also the only one I feel the most
comfortable with. One of the people I know who see me as myself and not just a title that I have.”
She grinned. “Oh, and it also helps that I don’t have to act so proper in front of you. If I could
smack you in the head through this message, I would.”

The young magician could only stare at her. He never knew he’d miss a painful smack to the head.
He could almost feel the same spot throbbing. Almost.

“I know that I also get on your nerves, but I wanted to thank you.” She smiled. “Without you, I
would have been long dead by now.”

And there was that word. That damned word.

‘Don’t thank me.’ His shoulders slumped as if he carried the weight of the universe. ‘It wasn’t
enough. I didn’t do enough.’

Still smiling, she sighed. “I didn’t want to say this in front of you because it would only inflate your
ego, but you’re also the smartest person I know. And if there was anyone who would understand
me and not call me crazy, it would be you.”

Athanasia continued. “I’m about to tell you something I haven’t shared completely with anyone.”
She took a deep breath, bracing herself.

“I trust you, Lucas.”

And so she explained. Explained to him how she was reincarnated. That in her past life, she read a
book that told the story of her life in this world. How she wasn’t the main character of the story.
How her character in the story died by the hands of her father. And how everything just ended up
confusing her and allowed her to believe that there may be other worlds, this being one of them.

“I just wanted you to know.”

Except, he already knew all of that. Or at least had an idea.

In the many years he has lived, she was the first person he met who just seemed so otherworldly.
Literally. One glimpse into her soul and it wasn’t quite like the others that he had seen. Like it
belonged here at the same time didn’t.

He first stayed because he was bored and he had found her interesting.

‘One more day. One more day before I’ll leave and recover my mana,’ he’d think. And when the
next day would come, he found himself thinking the same thing again. ‘Another day won’t hurt. I
have all the time in the world.’

But as more time passed, he found that his reason to search for the World Tree had changed. For
the first time, he didn’t want to obtain power for himself.

His main motive to get to the World Tree now was to get stronger. For her . To be able to stay by
her side longer and protect her if anything happened. To take her hand and flee if ever something
went wrong.

He never anticipated that the worst would come once he left.

‘How ironic,’ he thought. Time was one thing he had in abundance. But that didn’t seem to be the
case when it came to her.

“So what do you think, Lucas? You probably understand why I have to give this to you. If there
was one time that I never had to hide anything about how I felt, it was whenever I was with you.
And I wanted it to stay that way. Even in the end.” And suddenly her eyes looked so sad. So tired.

“I’ve put on a brave face for Felix, Lily and Daddy, but-“ she took a shaky breath, “-I’m honestly
so scared, Lucas. I’m happy right now. Truly. But a part of me can’t help but feel that this
happiness will be snatched away soon. That this is too good to be true and that there won’t be
anything I can do about it.” Tears were starting to fall, yet Lucas could only watch helplessly.

He hated feeling that way.

She tried to stop crying, but failed. The princess groaned in frustration. “This was supposed to be a
happy message I wanted to leave behind for you, but I just can’t seem to do it.” Athanasia sniffled.
“I’m so sorry, Lucas.”

The young magician gritted his teeth. ‘Please don’t.’

The princess laughed in disbelief, exasperated with herself. “I’m doing such a bad job at this.” But
she tried to muster up a smile again, hoping to lighten things up. “I hope my memory stone can
make you feel better now. It would make me happy if it did.”

The teasing glint in her eyes was returning. “You better not cry on me now.”

She waved at him and he didn’t know if she forgot that her message was supposed to be a goodbye
or if she had meant to see him again, but she grinned and said, “I’ll see you later, Lucas!”

Then she vanished.

In his anger at himself, he threw whatever was nearby, one of them being the pouch that still
contained the memory stone. With a clank, the stone got out of the pouch and hit the nearby wall.

The memory stone played.

“Am I this pretty?” The princess tried to trick him into saying it after he created a replica of her
while they snuck out.

“Of cour-“ He paused, eyes widening. He caught himself before admitting it.

He heard her laughter before the next memory came to sight.

She was behind him when he suddenly teleported them outside of the palace. He was walking in
front of her, holding her hand.

They were about to stroll around the marketplace.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?”

He remembered this. Since he couldn’t see her face, he imagined her glaring at him from the
sudden feeling of being teleported away.
From her perspective, he glanced at her and mischievously replied, “Yeah. And you’re seriously
dumb.”

The memory went on, replaying that day through the princess’ eyes.

Having no money, she would bug him to buy her this and that. He watched as his face contorted in
an irritated expression, yet he can see how his lips would fight back a smile, secretly loving it.

This time, they were in the palace, out on a stroll as he saw himself bend down in front of her. He
sighed. “You’re not a kid anymore. Do it properly,” he said as he began to tie her shoelaces,
double-knotting them for good measure.

The memories played out randomly now to the times they had leisurely spent together. Him
scowling as she would hit his head. Him telling her to ask for more cookies to eat. Him flicking her
head as he would brush away the mana that threatened to overpower her.

‘Idiot,’ Lucas thought.

Her memories were showing him the times she had with him. But it was showing himself through
her own eyes.

‘I don’t want to see me. I want to see you.’

The memory flashed to them having tea and she was telling him about her day. He was staring
intently at her back then.

‘Just you.’
 The Magician's Determination
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

A certain ruby-eyed magician arrived at a particular destination he needed to visit.

He was in a large green field, the ground covered in lush grass that has never failed to be trimmed
daily. Straight ahead was an immense lake fashioned to look similar to the one within the palace,
its water calm and perfectly transparent with beautiful lotus flowers peeking through its surface.

On the opposite end was a picturesque and fragrant rose garden, even more grandiose than its
palace counterpart. Not a single rose had a thorn to be found.

At the center of it all was a magnificent marble mausoleum. Grand pillars supported it along with
two angel statues standing at attention by its intricate doors, looking as if they were protecting
what was inside. At the top was a massive golden plaque.

Written in beautiful script was the name, Athanasia de Alger Obelia.

The well-maintained state of the cemetery was no surprise. The emperor himself saw to it that
everything was in order. If a single flaw arose, the person responsible was immediately executed.
And so, the gardeners religiously tended to it. Or else the emperor would have their lives.

With one last glance at his surroundings, the young magician took a deep breath and entered.

Found in the center of the huge chamber was a single tomb. Behind it, as if watching over the the
tomb, was a beautiful golden sculpture of the princess situated atop a block of marble.

The sight never failed to take the magician’s breath away.

The sculpture was carved to perfection, managing to capture the princess’ beauty in precise detail.
Her lips formed her familiar smile, and her kind, warm gaze seemed to be directed at whoever
would come to visit. She was clad in a formal Obelian gown with a luxurious cape to match, her
hands holding the royal scepter. Perched on her head was the Obelian crown and she looked like
the ultimate picture of royalty.

This was what she would have looked like at her coronation.

The young magician’s eyes glazed over, appreciating the art. As if finally finding the strength, he
began.

“You know, when they told me you were gone, I screamed.” He gazed at the golden sculpture, as
if talking to the princess herself.

“I cried and screamed. As loud as I possibly could. I hoped that,“ he paused, voice shaky, “that if I
screamed hard enough you would hear me on your way to heaven and come back.”

Lucas sighed. “You told me you’d wait for me, remember? I’m here. I’m back now and I’m
stronger. But you’re gone.” He tried-and failed- to hold back his tears. His cold exterior broke as he
looked at her warm gaze.

“I wasn’t fast enough in coming back,” he murmured softly.

 Slowly, the young magician turned away. He gently dropped a single pink rose on her tomb and
whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll find you again.”

Voice stronger, he continued, “I don’t care how long it takes or if you are in another world.
Nothing can stop me from looking for you. So, please, just wait for me a little longer once again.
And then you won’t have to be alone like before.”

With one last glance at the sculpture, his ruby eyes gleamed with determination.

“I refuse for things to end like this.”

~~~

EPILOGUE

~~~

Tall, well-lit buildings and cars surrounded the busy streets of a modern city. Every single street
was crowded with people hurrying to head home after a long day. On one of the rooftops of a
building was a young man with long hair as dark as the night and beautiful ruby-colored eyes.

He was dressed in black clothes, scanning the different people below. Among the crowd was a
young woman with long brown hair, walking unassumingly.

The way her soul looked was enough for the young man to identify her among the sea of people.
He’d recognize her anywhere. In any form. At the sight of her, the young man felt like the wind
was knocked out from his lungs.

Trembling, his eyes burned as he tried to keep his tears at bay. With a soft smile, voice full of
relief, he said, “There you are. I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

THE END.

Chapter End Notes

The end. Thank you so much for reading my story! I hope that you enjoyed it even if it
was a sad one huhuhu. Honestly, your comments gave me strength to write new
chapters even if I found myself being lazy. As for the ending, I leave it up to you to
assume what happened after Lucas found her. I wanted to play around with the concept
of parallel worlds!

Anyway, thank you so much for all of your support in my first work. I'm probably
gonna make new fics of Who Made Me A Princess or even other fandoms soon so I
hope you'll look forward to that!

Once again, THANK YOU! Soooo....I'm just gonna go....

Go and get a box of tissues and cry about this story now! GAAAAH! Huhuhuhu.

EDIT: If there's a scenario you'd want to read about, I'll do my best to make it or
 include it in my next fic and dedicate it to you (っ◔◡◔)っ ❤

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