JEWELED : A TALE OF SAPPHIRES AND RUBIES ( SHORT HIATUS)

12. Apology

Athanasia finally raised her head and Claude widened his eyes at the sight.

Athanasia quickly understood what this was all about.

' the red hue still hasn't faded right?'

And why could she tell this? Because whenever her eye turned red she could see people's mana. And she saw Claude's too. Hazy cerulean. One of the reasons she was shocked and couldn't hide her eyes in time.

' why is it hazy?! Wasnt his mana contaminated by that bitch- Jennette?! She hasn't even appeared yet!!'

Claude was powerful to a certain level too. Even though he weakened after using black magic, just like his memories were coming back, his strength was too. So he could see people's mana colour too.

And he saw.... Athanasia's mana enveloped in a bright red one. Just like her jeweled blue eyes were blanketed by the red hue. It wasn't harmful. It even seemed to be protecting her,so he heaved a sigh of relief.

Alright back to the main purpose of this visit.

" Athanasia" he called out.

" Your majesty." Athanasia curtly answered.

Claude instantly became speechless. He didn't know how to continue. This was the first time that the cold emperor wanted to approach someone and that too his own daughter but he had been so evidently denied. Of course Claude knew he asked for it. He deserved it.

But still he wanted to at least apologize.

" Athanasia. I.... I've come to apologise." He unintentionally blurted out.

' Fuck! Now I've done it. She's gonna become even more distant!' he was panicking inside but still manages to keep a calm exterior. All those years of honing his poker face didnt go in vain.

" For what your majesty?" Athanasia asks indifferently but on the inside:

' Apologise? H-he wants to apologise?! Hey! Are you really Claude?! Are you an imposter or something?!'

She also thought about how she waited and waited for him to at least take a glance at her in her previous life. She worked so hard for it. All in vain but now in this life he willingly came and apologized?! How could it be?! C-could he have remembered his previous life too? Then did he remember lucas too?! What should i do?!'

Just as Athanasia was about to lose herself in her absurdly wild thoughts she was jolted awake by the fact that someone was standing infront of her staring at her seemingly in deep thought but what she didn't know was that Claude was thinking about how her eyes resembled his when he was younger. He wanted no one to experience what he had, but unexpectedly he made his daughter go through the same path. Fortunately, he realised it sooner or else he would regret it for life. He already had too many regrets. He didnt want his only daughter's life to be let down by him.

Seeing that he didnt answer her previous question, she repeated.

" What have you ever done wrong for you to have personally come and apologize your majesty?"

Claude kneels down and holds Athanasia's shoulders. He then says with a heartbroken face

" I know you may not forgive me for using black magic on myself to forget you and your mom. At that time my emotions took the best of me. But not anymore. My black magic wore off for some reason and i remembered everything. Athanasia ,you are my daughter, Our daughter. Please dont take it that I didnt love you. I never ever hated you. Like I said my emotions got the best of me and the black magic made the matters worse. I didn't ever come to see you because I was afraid that the black magic would act up the moment o see you and I would deem you as your mother's murderer."

Athanasia was dumbfounded for the 'n'th time today.

But.......what did he say?!

He used black magic?! Wtf?! He says that he was protecting me bur then did t the matters become even worse after Jennette came? That white lotus reeked of black magic. Then did his black magic with thay chimera's black magic cause harm To HER?!

She always thought that Claude never saw her as his daughter and she even confirmed it in her last life. But what about the genuine look in his eyes? He looks as if....

She couldn't continue to think more. Afraid that she would drown herself in her fantasies and meet her tragic end just like her last life. This time she wouldn't be disappointed. Because she wouldn't have any expectations. Even if he is saying those now who knows what might happen in the future.

".........Im sorry Athanasia. I have failed as a father. But will you give me a chance to make it up to you? Let the world know that you ae the sole princess of obelia? I wont force you to accept nor give an answer right now and here. Please consider it." Claude said with his head hung low.

" .....yes." Athanasia barely choked out one word.

Claude then got up to leave. He turned around before stopping and then said in a low voice

" Happy Birthday Athanasia." And went off with Felix back to the garnet palace.

Athanasia stood in the middle of the hall still suspecting what happened just now was merely her hallucination, but judging from the reaction of others, apparantly it was true.

This birthday sure was chaotic.

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(903 words) I'm back!

chapters are getting longer and longerrr...

Oh btw this chapter may seem too OOC for some ppl since most of the readers of wmmap and ffs perceive Claude as a proud and emotionless character. But this chapter is contradictory, remember he was never aloof to his own family. Even Diana. Only after he experienced their betrayal and casted black magic did he become emotionless. So just clarifying it. *Shrugs*

Have a nice day!!