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𑁍̤ ❛ HAUNTING ―― LINGERS BEHIND . . .
𝘈 𝘚𝘔𝘌𝘓𝘓 𝘖𝘍 𝘚𝘐𝘓𝘒 *
a fanfiction based on a crossover between 'who made me a princess' and 'death is the only ending for the villainess' // tw : just in c...
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THE FIRST THING he sees when the rays of sun permeate through the windows is ― dark pink , scattered across the white sheets of his bed like silk thrown astray . his arm is around the lithe waist of the woman , clasping her frame close to his own .
was he such a clingy sleeper ?
he muses , but doesn't quite let go of her yet ― it is greedy , he is well aware . but he cannot help it , not when her silken scent still lingers around her .
seriously , how does she still smell this good remains a mystery .
so instead of shifting away from her he stays still , breathing in the fragrance that ghosts near ― evading his senses , enjoying the cold frame held against his own . but as if sensing his glee , the empress shuffles in her sleep . panicked― he has no choice but to pretend to be asleep still , face nuzzled in the crook of her neck , trying to even his breathing as much as possible in order to not get caught .
she turns in his arms , which he has no choice but to loosen . after all , no one has a tight grip when they are asleep ( or so he thinks . ) but instead of getting out of the bed , much to his delight , she stays still . eyes closed , claude can still feel the light brush of her fingers on his forehead as she pushes back his hair away .
" good morning , claude . " she whispers , quiet enough to not wake him ― if he was asleep .
" good morning . " his reply caught her off guard , and when he opened a single eye to see her looking surprised . the emperor found himself smirking like a mischievous child whose prank was carried out successfully .
however , the reaction on her face was soon masked on by an unamused one . it was enviable how well she knew to control her facial expressions .
" i see you're awake , your highness . " she replied , rising to sit upright . fingers raking her fingers through her hair to contain the mess it had become .
" then I'll not disturb you further , it's already quite late . I'm sure you and I both have things to do . "
i should have just pretended to be asleep .
He thought , watching her re-do the braid he'd untangled last night to put on a more presentable appearance . it was then a knock caught their attention ― followed by the all too familiar sound of small feet trudging forward .
ah― .. " Papa ! " athanasia's voice was heard not too long ago , as she came running in unabashed ― only to stop at the door with wide eyes and a dumbstruck face .
WHAAAAT ?! no no no n― athanasia could swear she heard sirens going off in her head as she witnessed the sight in front of her . her dear father , lay there blank faced as ever , his immodest robes even more crumpled than before . and her stepmother sat beside , her hair obviously a mess as she combed through it .
WHY DID SHE HAVE TO WALK IN NOW OF ALL THE TIMES ?!
her face turned red ― for all they did not know , athanasia had the emotional understanding of an adult ― making this situation 100x more embarrassing .
" why are you standing there like a dumb pigeon ? " claude called ― of course he did . athanasia giggled ( although it was so obviously fake ) and swayed on her feet , hands clasped behind her back .
" athy didn't know papa was with mother ! i would have come back after some time if i did hehe― " she coyly made an excuse , making claude frown . while he was completely unfazed ( shameless as he was ) , penelope looked extremely embarrassed .
immediately ― she jumped off the bed to walk over to the exit of the room wordlessly , an action clearly disapproved by claude , but at least there was someone in this damn castle who didn't care .
she leaned over to pick athanasia up , carrying her over to the emperor's bed and giving her a quick peck on the forehead .
" don't let me take anymore of your father's time , dearest . I'll be off , there's a few matters I need to tend to . "
and with the speed of lightning , the empress scurried off the crime scene as soon as she could without straight up sprinting . silence followed , and with big eyes ― athanasia side glanced at her father who was still staring at the door .
" did athy interrupt papa ? " she questioned in an innocent ― but solemn voice . claude scowled , looking down at her with a knowing frown .
" you speak too much too early in the morning . quiet . " early ?! dude ! it's almost 10 in the morning .
However , athanasia had no choice but to play the loveable child . she giggled , standing on the bed and reaching out to pat his head .
" but it's not early anymore papa , its very late . athy thought you were sick ! "
oh man , being a kid is hard .
xxxx
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HELLO ! also lol poor athy having to act like a cute lil kid ― tch she does have it hard huh .
some more fluff incoming in the next chapter ! prepare yourselves !
