Chapter Text
Claude de Alger Obelia, second prince of the Obelia empire. Unlike his identity, he was often used as an object of liberation, his body was beaten, his heart seemed to be slashed with criticism and insults from his father, brother, empress, and even nobles who should respect him.
At age 10, celebrating the birthday of his father, Emperor Aebum, he sneaked out of the party hall. Usually he can hold back his emotions from other people, but somehow not tonight.
When he arrived at a deserted meadow far from the hall of the Sapphire palace he sat and stared at the moon with sad eyes. Suddenly he heard a noise from behind, precisely from the bush.
A head poking out of it, the astonished yet wary Claude approached him. "Who is there?! Show yourself!" he shouted. The person who was hiding then showed herself slowly, making Claude couldn't believe his eyes, his index finger trembling pointed at the person in front of him.
"Y-You- Why do you have those eyes?!"
A 3 year old little girl with curly blonde hair that reached her waist and blue jeweled eyes that were sparkling with life looked at him confused, but suddenly her expression turned into a smile that was so sweet that Claude flinched at the sight.
"Hihihi!" giggling sweetly out of her tiny mouth, the little girl ran up to Claude and shook his hand in all directions.
"Who are you?" Claude asked raising an eyebrow.
"Athy!"
"Athy? Your name is Athy?"
The girl nodded her head enthusiastically. "Why did you get in here?" Claude asked softly.
"Play! Papa!"
"You played with your father? Where is he now?"
The tiny index finger pointed at him, a sweet smile was shown again, "Papa!"
"Me? I'm not your father."
"Papa!" As if she didn't care about what he said, Athy kept jumping up and down with joy like a child like usual.
Claude sighed in resignation, not knowing what to say that he wasn't her father. There was only one thing still in his mind, how could this girl have eyes that only members of the royal family have? As far as he knew the current royal bloodline was only half his blood brother and himself, could she possibly be a hidden child?
Suddenly his hand was pulled closer to the light of the Sapphire palace, Claude, who didn't want to go back there, immediately pulled his hand away from the little girl's hand.
"I don't want to go back there," he muttered softly as he looked down at the damp green grass.
Ignoring it, Athy again grabbed his hand and ran down the palace hall that did not lead to the party hall, the moonlight shining on that night penetrated along the road, shadow after shadow because the palace pillars passed by the two of them.
Suddenly Athy stopped and made Claude also automatically stop his wide steps, raising an eyebrow, "Athy?"
The girl let go of his hand, turned around and smiled sweetly but seemed a little sad.
"Why are you sad?" Claude asked himself not understanding the way he thought. Athy returned to running alone turning in the hallway in front of him and disappeared, Claude chased her but then he collided with someone.
"Ouch!" the sound of a young girl's agonized screeching sounded through his ears. Claude who apparently also sat down because of the collision rubbed his head and groaned a little, he immediately lifted his head and was amazed to find someone who was very beautiful sitting in front of him.
"Ugh ..." the girl was just about to scold the person who crash on her earlier but she stopped when she found that person had royal eyes, her face turned pale and her breath caught. It was not only his eyes that shocked her, but also his handsome face at that young age, unconsciously her beautiful charming face flushed red and still looked forward at the prince.
Claude was still amazed by the figure who had beautiful blonde hair with long curls, her eyes were like Azalea flowers that had the meaning of elegance and gentleness, exactly the same as her current look. Warm and soothing, like being enchanted in a blanket wrapping him in safety.
The music from the hall sounded into their ears, Claude who was the first to act and rose from his position, patted his palms and awkwardly reached out to the girl, "Are you okay?"
"Ah... yes, I'm okay. Thank you."
The girl accepted her extended hand with a strange feeling, it was unusual for her to accept help from others this easily. What's the matter?
"Um... I'm Claude," he nodded his head once and looked back at the girl.
"Ah ... I'm Diana."
Diana's figure reminded Claude of the little girl he was chasing earlier, Athy. He just remembered her and asked a question right in front of Diana's face, which gasped with his act.
"Did you see a 3 year old child passing by?"
Diana shook her head, "I didn't see anyone passing by."
Claude became lethargic, maybe he just dreamed earlier but the dream was very real, traces of warmth on his hands are still felt today, is it just his feeling?
"What were you doing in this place in the first place?" Claude asked when he realized it.
"I found a butterfly that glowed blue and gold, very beautiful, so I chased it and came here until you crash on me," she explained honestly.
"I see."
Remembering the beautiful music, Diana smiled a beautiful smile, she held Claude's hand and made her startled, "Let's dance!"
They danced in the meadow, brightly lit by the moonlight with several stars shining on the two of them, their light footsteps and elegant movements showed, secretly admiring each other's dancing and when they accidentally looked at each other, they smiled at each other.
The night Claude never forgot, the only day he felt grateful to be living in this cruel world. It was his first meeting with Diana.
Years later when her brother took the throne, he killed Claude's mother and at the same time poor Claude realized the woman who was arranged to be his fiancé was having an affair with his brother.
"Ah ... they are both disgusting."
He immediately planned a rebellion, succeeded in destroying every enemy, his heart frozen mercilessly throwing a sword for anyone who got in his way, Felix, who he considered his own brother helped pave the way for the birth of the new ruler of Obelia.
Claude did not hesitate to stick his hand and stabbed directly into Anastacius' heart, making him vomit the blood that stained his body right in front of Penelope Judith, his fiancé— Ah. No, his ex-fiancé. This disgusting woman who only has ambitions for power and wealth, is the same as his brother. Penelope managed to escape from Claude and left the palace in hiding somewhere.
Months after the rebellion broke out, now Claude, who was once rumored to never be able to grasp the throne with the glory of many people, was welcomed with open arms and revered as the hero of Obelia, the wisest emperor.
Sitting on his throne chair, Felix stood by his side. Claude felt bored looking at the performances put on by some of Obelia's outer nobles while propping his cheeks with his knuckles. Until finally a noble Siodonnia presented a dance of a beautiful woman whose figure Claude knew made him widen in disbelief.
The woman in front of him has long, curly blonde hair, when her head is raised Claude can see a pair of eyes as beautiful as Azalea flowers on her, her face is small, her nose is sharp, she is wearing an exotic dance dress yet gracefully reveals her skin, her shawl is waving to accompany her dance moves, attracting attention everyone, as well as Claude.
The dance was over, all the people in the party hall clapped their hands, amazed by her performance. Claude was speechless, when he saw the woman going outside, his feet involuntarily moved through another door without being noticed by other people who were too busy with their own business.
Outside, he could find the platinum blonde hair, the hair he longed for fluttering in the chilly night breeze. She who was wearing thin clothes rubbed both sides of her arms trying to warm herself, but suddenly a red robe with luxurious white fur wrapped around her from behind made her flabbergasted. Her body immediately turned around and found the figure of the emperor with his handsome face and cold blue gem eyes staring at her, making her nervous.
"Y-Your Majesty?"
"You."
"Y-Yes?"
"What is your name."
"Ah... I'm Diana," a smile that was exactly the same as a dozen years ago again made his heart beat erratically. Somehow, suddenly there was a bunch of butterflies flying around them, glowing blue and gold made Diana laugh cheerfully, "Woahh!" she was in awe of the bunch of weak, beautiful creatures sometimes flying around her.
Noticing herself being stared at, Diana glanced at Claude, his cold eyes not frightening her but comforting her, there was a hint of warmth and a feeling of love in them.
"Diana ..."
His big hands stretched out, a small smile appeared on his handsome face, charming and made Diana gasp for a moment, "Shall we dance?"
At the age of 26, Claude again meets the person who stole his heart, his empress, his sun, his Azalea flower, Diana.
Love grew more and more with each passing time, since that night Claude told Diana to stay in the palace, to spend his time just to meet his love, drink tea, read books, even listen to her chatter, calming his heart.
Until one day Diana brought the good news, “Claude! I am pregnant!"
The news that was very shocking to the cold-blooded emperor, at first he felt a bit of happiness getting the news, but after 2 months of happiness it was robbed before it could fully grow in his heart.
"What are you saying," he said incredulously at what he heard. A royal doctor and a tower magician knelt before him who stood stiff and Diana who looked at them with a shocked gaze sat on the bed Claude holding her stomach.
"Forgive us, Your Majesty. But this is the fact, the child that was conceived by Lady Diana has a very large amount of mana, so that it grows increasingly sucks Lady's life. Making her weaker every day, Claude froze, he was filled with deep fear, regret approaching him when he stared at his lover who shed tears stroking her stomach.
Claude could not bear to see her sad, he stepped out of the room and moved to his office hastily leaving Diana and the two men under him there, he was followed by Felix from behind who did not know what his brother would do next.
"Your Majesty!" it's useless Felix calls him, Claude will not care about it and keep walking. Arriving at the office, Claude slammed the door loudly, whatever in front of him would be the target of emotional outlet. Papers scattered on the floor, the candle holder on the table he threw into a flower vase, slammed the gold frames on the wall down, shards of glass scattered on the large luxurious rug, he picked up a sword and waved it down around him.
He screamed hysterically not caring about himself who would be exhausted, he was already crushed after hearing the news, his breath was short when the sentence repeated in his head like a broken radio.
“Stop it! Not her!"
Again he shouted out all his anger, Felix who could not see it could only stand guard, stood tall outside the room with his back to the emperor who was still rampaging. His heart also ached when he received the sad news, his brother should have had the happiness of having a whole family for the first time, but everything was shattered when the news arrived. His heart was cut by a knife, he heard a scream from within, his eyes heated up to hold back the tears, his lips were bitten so hard that they bled, his fists were clenched into fists and cut his palms.
The night that was filled with rain and thunderbolts so perfectly suited the situation they were in right now, as if the sky had planned everything.
Many times Claude came to Diana who sat staring sadly outside her room to abort her pregnancy, he did not want to lose the only person he loved, who loved him.
But Diana refused, she loved Claude, as well as their child who grew up inside her, her health declined, her face turned pale, her alluring pink lips faded. The bottom of her eyes will always be decorated with tear marks, red and not pretty at all, even so no one would dare to say her beauty was faded because in fact Diana herself would still be beautiful no matter what.
Claude never saw her again, he was fed up with Diana's refusal. He couldn't bear to see that woman getting weaker in front of him.
At the age of 8 months of pregnancy, her stomach is already big, the dress she wears is always loose and she uses flat shoes so she doesn't trip over and endanger her baby. If Claude was cold with the baby she was carrying, Diana would shower her with affection while she could until the moment she would leave this world, often vomiting red liquid which was nothing but blood, but Diana was still strong.
She will stay strong for her baby, her child, the baby of the man she loves.
At 9 months of pregnancy, Diana finally reached her last day, hours of labor adorned with moans and screams of pain from a woman as beautiful as a fairy filling the room, echoing in the hallway of Ruby Palace.
It all ended when the deafening sound of a baby crying that now replaced the screams around the palace, a baby girl, a daughter was born. The first daughter of the wise Emperor, Claude de Alger Obelia and his lover, Diana.
"My daughter..."
Diana's hands lifted weakly, the servant who accompanied her laid the newly born princess beside her exhausted mother's head.
"Thank you for being born, my daughter." Various thanks came out of her pale lips, her tears flowed profusely to obscure her vision, her strength was gone without remaining, but she was forced to just touch her daughter's chubby cheeks. Just a little, just a little. Let herself be with her child for just once before her life ends. Before she breathed her last and left everything, left her love.
"Athanasia. Let your name have the meaning of eternal life, I hope you can live up to your name, live a beautiful life, accompany your father along his long journey to replace me. Light up his life, be his little sun. I hope you grow up to be a proud daughter. I love you, my daughter."
The last words were interspersed with the last kiss on the princess's forehead as well as her last breath. Her hand fell and her eyes were closed. For all eternity, the figure of the fairy has left the world and returned to the side of her lord.
Claude, who heard the news of the death of his love, immediately stepped into the Ruby Palace, when he saw the figure of the woman he loved was pale, only a cold body remained, his heart seemed to stop beating.
"Diana," he called softly.
His anger peaked, he killed all the servants who were in the palace until finally he arrived in front of the crying baby amidst the servant's corpse which was soaked with fresh blood. Claude's eyes radiated deep hatred, bone chilling cold, he blamed this child for stealing his woman, his love, his sun, everything!
Just as he was about to cut the child, a woman hastily stopped him, hugged the baby's body tightly in her arms, her body trembled but her eyes were fixed on the emperor, "Please, Your Majesty! Let me take care of the princess! Spare her life!" she shouted earnestly without hesitation detected in her every word.
"..." Claude paused for a moment thinking about what he said, "Name."
"Pardon?"
"The name."
“A-Athanasia. Lady Diana named him Athanasia de Alger Obelia,” the woman replied.
A demonic smirk formed on Claude's bloodied face, “Interesting. Let's see how long she will live up to her name. "
As soon as he said that, Claude turned around and left the woman who was still kneeling below, embracing the little body of the princess in the midst of the mass of corpses.
That night Claude drank a lot of alcohol in his room, bottles were scattered on the table and also on the floor, some had broken and the shards reflected the moonlight emanating from the open window glass.
Perhaps because of the effect of drunkenness, he found a shadow of a 3 year old child he had met in the past, blonde hair with long curls, beautiful blue jeweled eyes sparkling like the ocean and a sweet smile directed at him.
“Papa!” she called enthusiastically.
Claude was stunned.
"Athy..."
Behind her, appeared a woman whose soul had only left her body for a few hours. The woman Claude loved so much, the light of his life, Diana.
Diana smiled sadly at him and stroked the top of the head of the little girl in front of her, who smiled a sweet smile at her and then at Claude himself.
"I hope you love her as much as you love me. She's another light in your life, Claude. Goodbye My Love."
Her figure dissolved like a bubble disappeared from in front of him, Claude tried to grab the body but it only left a void, like a small light stored in his palm and evaporated completely disappearing. He also couldn't see Athy's figure anymore since Diana disappeared.
After that, 5 years passed when he walked aimlessly with Felix walking behind him, he found the figure of a child who was biting the butt of a small angel statue made of pure gold in the hallway of his palace.
'That hair ...'
"What is this bug doing in my palace."
The little girl immediately froze in place and within seconds turned around and looked at Claude with a face as pale as fear.
'That face... and those eyes...'
Claude remembered the figure of Athy who greeted him twice, it seems that now he will be able to hear her greeting every day of his life.
'Interesting. Let's see how she will be my light in your place, Diana. '
He challenged silently waiting for what the future would bring to him.