Claude has met his match, someone who could not only rival his menacing and dominating aura but make him feel just as desperate and helpless as she once did. Everyone keeps telling him that this was a mini version of him, who stood before him withou...
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Fear those who hide scars under their smiles.
━─━────༺༻────━─━
"Jihye-ah, live for me."
Those were the last words he said to her with a gentle smile. He took one good look at his clueless but normally loud and bubbly best friend, knowing his short time in this world was about to meet its end very soon, before leaving.
He left her for eternity.
Even after his passing, he hoped that eventually, she would find the present he got for her.
The last thing he could recall was being in a dark and isolated place, feeling the harsh coldness on his bare skin, and experiencing excruciating pain throughout his body. But what he could never forget, was how his heart felt utterly crushed.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Once his eyes reopened, he was first met with piercing jewel-blue eyes glaring at him.
"Aeternitheos, Athanasia?" was the disgusted scowl released from the man before him.
Standing tall with broad shoulders, long limbs, and a well-built figure in robes, the man had golden hair swept over those jewel-blue eyes. He noticed the bloody sword he carried.
"That wrench dared to give such names to both disgraces."
He wanted to punish the man for that sentence.
Not that he knew why, at least as of this moment.
But he was just a newborn, wrapped up in a blanket with his limbs restricted.
As he lay there helpless with a sword was pointed at him, he could do nothing but stare back. Blood dripped onto his blanket, and he remained unnaturally quiet for a baby. The sharp tip of the sword drew closer and closer until he was only able to concentrate on avoiding the possibility of losing an eye due to its proximity.
A gasp escaped from behind the tall figure, "Your Majesty, please. They were just born seconds ago!"
"Felix, stand down," the Emperor ordered with a dangerous tone.
The atmosphere was filled with a blood-lust tension, almost like a suffocating pause. He assumed that the knight who went by the name of Felix had obeyed the command, judging by the hesitant shuffling. However, his attention was mainly focused on the bloody sword that was right in front of his face.
Honestly, if looks could kill, he would have at least some chance at retaliation.
How pathetic. This man was choosing to fight a wrapped bundle of defenceless babies.
It felt like hours, but perhaps mere seconds passed before the sword pulled away.
He looked up and met the gaze of someone whose eyes were filled with a mix of emotions, but mostly hatred. However, he noticed a new emotion in those jewel-like eyes: amusement. It was as if the person couldn't look away and was staring intently at him. But he couldn't exactly move away to see if the person's eyes would follow him.
"That woman, even in death, remains insolent as ever. These disgraces have the name of Obelian Emperors: Immortality and Eternity. One of them even was named after a god," the man laughed out but it was cold and dry, dropping the bloody sword with a heavy metallic sound. Felix flinched at how murderous he sounded. "Amusing. I wonder how long these things can live in accordance to their names."
A flash blinded him temporarily, yet he suddenly recalled how familiar the names were. One more prominent name filled his mind.
Claude De Alger Obelia.
Crippled.
Just like his heart and personality, from all those hardships he endured since childhood. From going mad at such raw betrayal, he killed his half-brother and usurped the throne for himself.
The apparent saviour of the Obelian Empire from a tyrant but an asshole of a father.
"Aeternitheos," caused the newborn to snap his eyes back to the smirking Claude. That name was his, he knew that somehow.
Was his responsiveness making the man almost eager?
Aeternitheos De Alger Obelia.
Just who was he?
The Emperor's boot was lightly pressing the edge of his blue blanket, which appeared to have his name embroidered on it. Claude scanned both himself and the bundle of pink blanket next to him, assuming it to be Athanasia's sleeping form.
Athanasia De Alger Obelia.
She was his one and only beloved twin sister. The same princess, which would be later executed by their own father. All the lonely princess wanted was to merely earn this heartless man's fatherly love. But she survived once before.
Once before?
Aeternitheos was very confused and overwhelmed by this sudden surge of information.
"For your audacious gaze with those wretched eyes of yours, I shall punish you," Claude admonished in a tone that sent shivers down one's spine. "Send Aeternitheos to the Obsidian Palace and keep Athanasia in the Ruby Place. Ensure that these disgraces remain out of my sight."
The current palace where the Emperor's concubines reside was called the Ruby Palace. The very palace they were in. It was also the palace where Claude massacred all his remaining concubines after the death of their mother. Aeternitheos could see the blood painted across the walls, with Claude standing front and centre wearing his cold and expressionless frown. The murder weapon, which had been used to point at him, was cast aside.
In contrast, the Obsidian Palace is a much smaller estate that can barely rival a mansion. The Obsidian Palace was reserved for the royal outcasts and served as a reminder of how unworthy they were of being a part of the royal family.
His attention was soon drawn by his crying sister as a maid picked him up from the ground. By how shaky the woman's arms were, he was sure the maid was feeling rushed to escape Claude's gaze. However, he spared no concern to the maid or Claude but for his twin sister, who was as if calling for him to return back to her empty side. It was as if the newborn sensed her other half was separated from her, and that made his heart ache.
Although he barely knew her, Athanasia was already his sister, no matter what.
"Felix."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Within seconds, a redhead came into his field of vision. The knight swiftly scooped Athanasia in his arms and taken her to another part of the Ruby Palace, followed by a group of maids.
In his heart, Aeternitheos vowed that this wouldn't be the last time they would meet.
As he was about to be whisked away by the maid himself, he couldn't help but notice Claude staring at him. He could the burning gaze even as the maid stumbled and scrambled away from the room.
