Claude de Alger Obelia was deprived of everything from a young age. That is, until he meets Diana and has a child with her.
However, he dies from a curse after months of being in a coma and the last he saw of his daughter was when he banished her fr...
As Athanasia took her afternoon nap on the sofa of her office, Claude sat on the arm chair near where her head rested, setting down the book he was reading on the coffee table.
He knew it was time.
She opened an eye to look up at him, her jewels still sparkling despite the dim lighting of the sun covered by the curtains.
"Yes?"
"Sleep." He said, shushing her immediately.
Athanasia sighed and did so without question. She had been busy all morning and she needed to rest again.
When Claude knew she was fully asleep, he put two fingers to the top of her head as magic lit up on his fingertips.
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Athanasia then stirred in her sleep but it was not unpleasant.
Claude wanted Athanasia to remember how her mother looked like, not just through stories and her name. Everything was calm now, the storm has passed, so it was the appropriate moment.
In his real world, he had channeled his memories of Diana into Athanasia, disguising them as dreams, while she slept as a young girl.
He may be a bit late this time, but...it doesn't matter. He's just thankful that he's still here and that he can still do it.
He watched as a smile slowly crept upon his daughter's sleeping face. He smiled as well. He dearly misses Diana, to this day.
That encounter they had during his coma, it was the first time he had seen her since she passed away. But then he died during that coma, and he went here, and he learned that it was also her that managed to reincarnate him.
He just could not thank her enough. She gave him another chance to live the life of a supporting, genuine father to his daughter, to Athanasia, whom he'd failed before.
And because of that and plenty more, Athanasia deserves to at least know how she looks like. At least... In this world.
But then her smile disappeared. Claude knew that she must already be at the part where he told Diana to choose him over her, their unborn baby.
-----
"Why won't you choose me, over this thing, that's slowly killing you!?"
Athanasia was stunned. She was slowly killing her mother from inside? Why...?
She knew immediately this woman was her mother. After all, Claude only shows affection to those he truly deems worthy of it. And she somewhat resembled her, first from her tint of blonde.
But the revelation that Claude had once wanted her mother to abort her to not risk her life just... hurt. It hurt a lot.
Is that why it took a full eighteen years just for her father to move on from her mother's death at the day of her birth? Is that how she died?
But did her father move on, or did he just finally accept that Athanasia was there to be dealt with?
...
No, that can't be.
His affection to her as her father was genuine. It couldn't all be for nothing; it couldn't simply be because she was created. He loved her genuinely.
As the vision of her mother faded, her father had murdered everyone residing in the Ruby Palace.
Athanasia's eyes widened. Is that why there were no concubines there...? No one spoke of it, so Athanasia never knew. And until now, she was not interested.
But as her father left her there on the bloodied floor, as an infant, crying to no one, Lily had ran up to him and begged him to take care of her.
Athanasia's eyes widened further. Lily...? Lily did this, for me...?
Lily deserves more than her current treatment. Her name deserves to fly up because of this.
She will enact it later once this is over...
The scene cut and all of a sudden it was shown that her father had used black magic to erase his memories of a lover.
Athanasia felt anger at his actions. It was the same thing he did when she chose Jennette over him.
Then again, she, too, made a foolish decision.
...
She learned that it would take six years to take full effect and he would forget about the ones he spelled himself to forget.
After her mother's death and after it was cast, everything became tedious to him.
Eating. Meeting. Working. Sleeping.
Until one day, he stumbled across a path of uneven, small feet.
Athanasia frowned. She does not ever recall scavenging through the Garnet Palace as a child.
Not really scavenging, but seeing all those pearls and jewelry that her father picked up from the ground solidified the thought. What else could her younger self be doing there aside from that?
Her father felt like he forgot something but then a headache came to him. It disappeared when he stopped thinking of it.
Athanasia somehow knew that it was about her. That he forgot he had a child.
But the question arose.
If it took six years to take effect, then he should already have completely forgotten about her. That one is true, as when they met in the garden when she was nine, her father barely spared her a glance before walking away.
He had completely forgotten her mother and herself.
But then why did he approach her warmly, nine years after neglecting her? If he had already forgotten about her completely?
It's...strange.
But as her father followed the path of footsteps to reveal who it was from–
–she awoke.
She jolted up and Claude retracted his hand in haste. He must have been gently caressing the top of her head.
She looked back at him but he only offered a smile.
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"Is something wrong?"
Athanasia took in a deep breath, before shaking her head. "No. No..."
She laid back down as her father gave her a warm look.
"How was your sleep?"
Athanasia fixed her position, "How long have I been asleep?"
Claude rubbed his chin, looking up. "Hm...about two hours."
"Two hours? Wow..." Athanasia just wanted to continue that dream. Her father bid her goodbye as he took his book and left through the door.
As she slept again, it was blank.
She hoped she would finally learn who's footsteps those belonged to.
