The Real Lovely Princess || 𝖶𝖬𝖬𝖠𝖯

ath. eighteen

┌──────═━┈┈━═──────┐

Chapter Eighteen 

└──────═━┈┈━═──────┘

  ❝  One Piece, Two Piece ❞ 

⋆┈┈｡ﾟ❃ུ۪ ❀ུ۪ ❁ུ۪ ❃ུ۪ ❀ུ۪ ﾟ｡┈┈⋆

"The Princess had been very close with the Lady Patterson, isn't she?"

"It's like, the friendship of the century!"

"Isn't it great to see our Princess smiling so wide? She's so beautiful!"

"Don't the Lady Patterson too, look so elegant even when her clothes are simple?"

Lucas stared from afar as he silently listened to the maids. Looking far from the two, both of them looked like they're really getting along. But Lucas knew Athanasia's flashing a fake smile. It's a shock no one had noticed it yet.

Reading Athanasia's mind would be easier, but he preferred reading Athanasia through her actions. He thinks so because it just shows how he knew her far more better than anyone, even to her own father too. But what's wrong with him now? Why can't he tell what the lady was planning like he used to?

Does he really know Athanasia like he thought?

Lucas grumbled, then took a step ahead when he felt Claude's hand almost hitting him. He looked up, and arched his brow.

"What's the problem, Your Majesty?" Lucas asked, annoyance is clear in his tone. Claude only glared at him, but working with the guy made Lucas immune to it already.

"Why is Athanasia still hanging out with that girl?"

Lucas turned around and shrugged. He's sure Athanasia knew the two of them— him and Claude— was there but opt to ignore it. She's really trying hard to make the brunette lower her guards. Unconsciously, Lucas gripped his hands too hard while staring at Athanasia.

"Am I talking to anyone right now?"

"No," Lucas sarcastically retorted as he sighed and walked back to the inside of the princess' palace. "Her Highness seemed to be busy, so I'll be leaving."

"Do you know anything, magician?"

Lucas bit his lips as he secretly gripped his hands once again. "None at all, Your Majesty."

Athanasia looked at her peripheral vision and saw her father whispering to her nanny, Lily. She didn't know when or how her father came to knew about the teaparty because of how discreet she was on preparing it. But there's only one suspect that she knows that could've told him. Her bestfriend, closest confidant, and the imperial magician, Lucas.

She already knew Lucas is her father's eye. It wasn't that hard to realize. In fact, the two was not secretive about it. Athanasia couldn't help but to think if it was a public stunt to scare every nobles to the fact the tower's most talented magician was on his side.   

"Again, thank you for inviting me, Princess. It's really an honor for a humble noble like me," the voice of the brunette rang to her ears. It was soft, so soft that it sickens every part of her body. "I hope I was a great company…"

Athanasia once again, flashed a fake smile. "You are! I had fun chatting with you, Jennette." But in truth, she's exhausted. She didn't have fun. Every single second she spent with the brunette disgusted her.

She tried to give Jennette the benefit of the doubt. But whenever she remembered all the suffering that was given to her because of her presence, all Athanasia felt was pure anger. The fact that she never did anything to stop her execution makes her blood boil. Surely, this Jennette was different, she thought at first.

But Jennette is Jennette… Athanasia looked at Jennette, still with the fake natural smile plastered on her face. She's someone who should've died since she was born. Someone who should've not existed in the first place.

"Princess?"

Athanasia was popped out of her thoughts when Jennette appeared right beside her. It looked like the young lady was getting ready to leave. She sighed in relief in her head, knowing she won't have to smile and force to stomach the disgust being with Jennette.

"Oh? Let me see you off," said Athanasia as she stood up and reached for Jennette's arms when rough hands tough hers. She looked at saw Claude immediately. "Papa?"

"Let Lilian send her off. Stay here." Claude motioned the brunette to leave, in which the latter was compliant and left silently with the nanny. Athanasia was confused, and looking at her father's expression… She suddenly felt the same feeling right before she died.

"Papa—"

"That lady is full of black magic." Claude stared at her as if he was reading her mind. Athanasia gulped, feeling intimidated at the fact that her father brought up magic. Black magic, even. "Why are you hanging out with her, Athanasia?"

"She's my friend."

"You don't glare at your friend."

Athanasia paused at her father's retort. She was caught off guard. Papa's really… 

"Who told you that?" Athanasia sipped the new set of tea that maids just placed at their table. She tried so hard to look like she's not intimidated, however, this was her beloved father. Her true emotion came out like a splashing waves from the ocean. "Was it Lucas?"

"I raised you, Athanasia," Claude said in his usual soft tone that Athanasia have always heard from him, since she came back from time. The sweet father she had since then. "I know from the back of my hand that you hate a person."

"I don't hate her…" Athanasia mumbled. "I abhor her existence."

"Same difference."

"Since when were you this laid-back?"

Claude sighed, "Do I look like I'm laid-back, Athanasia?" 

"Yes." Athanasia replied with no hesitation. Claude only stared at her in disbelief as his daughter continued. "Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting right now with Lord Alpheus?"

Claude paused, remembering the duke, but didn't falter and only waved it off. "The duke's all bark anyway, Felix can hold him off." he said, chuckling as he remembered how Felix whined.

"Papa…"

"Yes, Athanasia?" he looked up at his daughter. Suddenly, nostalgia hit him. It was the same expression that she had when she died, the same one whenever Jennette left her side. Claude thought nothing of it on his first life, but now, he gets it. "Is there something wrong?"

"In chess, a gambit is an opening that risks its pawns or a minor piece to have an advantage, right?"

Claude arched his eyebrow at the sudden talk of chess. "Yes. But that's a game from the west, where did you learn about chess?"

"Papa."

"Athanasia?" Claude was utterly confused by how Athanasia was acting when his daughter raised her head.  It was sinister, like it was her that had been possessed by Aeternitas. Claude felt a chill run through his spines.

"What I'm doing right now is a gambit move…"

Claude doesn't know if he should smile at his daughter's words or be frightened. Frightened at the smile that reminds him of himself.

"To kill that stupid bug that annoys me."

Since when is Athanasia this enthused by revenge?