Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dazai watched as his old partner, his old rival died due to his plans. He looked down as the ginger's hat floated to the top with no sign of the blue-eyed man in sight, the waters the mafioso drowned in weren't the clearest and so as Chuuya sunk further to the bottom the less Dazai could see of his figure. With his old partner gone and the rat who he had drowned with, the brunette no longer looked at the waters and found somewhere to stay until he could further continue his plans.

Dazai after an hour later, saw nothing but eternal black. The brunette was convinced he finally died and was in Death's arms, he could no longer feel warmth pulsing through him nor could he sense anything, it was all empty. A void of eternal black with no escape whatsoever, he imagined Death to be more freeing yet the fate he had right now was something that bore him to death. (??? You're already dead-)

The darkness and solitude that plagued the place didn't last long for he saw blurry images of light and figures that moved all over the place, he still couldn't control his body, he couldn't feel the way his hands used to move, the ability to be able to freely use his body parts.

It didn't help that he felt drowsy all the time, wanting to sleep as the figures seem to take care of him and his daily needs. He suppose he's in a different body, one where he didn't need to care about the mafia a body where he could live a life that has nothing to do with his old one. However as the days went by, he started to feel and see things more clearly, they didn't seem to have technology he was used to seeing back in his old life. He may have went into the past or better yet a whole different world, away from his accursed one.

Although a fresh start was ideal, his old friends, his students and Chuuya, he'll never see them again in this new life. Perhaps this was for the best, no one to hold him down and no one that could challenge nor remember him and his doings. He wasn't the demon prodigy, he's no longer Mori's old puppet, he isn't Dazai from the agency, he's someone else now. Perhaps after leaving the Mafia this is what he wanted, what Odasaku wanted.

Due to his senses still being a bit lacking and his constant need to close is eyes and sleep for a period of time, Dazai didn't know much time passed by. Since he was a baby now due to his observations, it probably has been a few weeks due to the fact that he can now mildly control his body the way he wants to control it, seriously never doubt how much muscle can affect the way you move. His body now feels a little lighter however it's still a bit too heavy for him to fully function as a normal human.

After a while, he started to familiarize himself with the people that often entered the room he was in and took care of him, it was easier now that his vision was almost fully restored to what it once was, though he wasn't used to seeing this well with both eyes as his right eye was impaired yet it could still see light making it hard for him. He didn't cover it because that was something Odasaku wanted, he removed the bandages because he wanted him to see, to see the light of good and turn to that very side. It was now more advantageous for him to have perfect vision, no longer will he suffer with the light coming from the right eye.

After the time he spent here, he's been bored, his life has been nothing but the caretakers looking after him and napping all the time, so he used this time to think, to think about what his actions in the next few years would be. During his contemplating, Dazai wondered if Chuuya was also here, dying within almost the same time frame, there was a slight chance the Chibi would be here. That sort of situation is something that even Dazai cannot predict if it had happened, he has no idea of how the mechanics of death and rebirth is and he doesn't even know the world he lives in yet.

As more time passes by, he soon realized that his family was from a royal bloodline. When someone would address him, they would say 'his highness' or call him a young prince, it also didn't help that his supposed family in this world wore lavish clothing and sometimes crowns on their head, further proving Dazai's theory. Dazai wondered if he was their first child, they didn't bring in any other children nor did a young kid ever visit and it's unlikely that they won't visit even once.

Since his family was supposedly royalty of the sort and he seemed to be the first in line according to birth right, he may have to inherit the throne one day. Being groomed to rule was something Dazai was used to, he was Mori's right hand man that could replace him at any time and take charge of the Port Mafia. He wonders how it would be like ruling a kingdom or even an empire, it would be a bit of a hassle but nothing Dazai's not used to. He could decline the position but that gives more cons than pros, firstly his protection wouldn't be as high and he could get assassinated easier, second being ruled by someone was not ideal and considering how he may be a threat they could try to get rid of him and third there's a high chance that someone will come after him for the secrets he holds as a royal once he declines the crown.

The years were to come were a blur, within those years Dazai was now a renowned genius prince throughout his empire. He was taught the finest of arts to everything political, his father and mother seemed to be pleased with him but they held no real affection for the brunette due to him being so cold all the time. His eyes still had the same dead look they always did which sent fear to the hearts of those who gazes upon them. He looked through the history of the empire and the empires around it, he was correct that he was the first in line to the throne and the path up wasn't easy for a normal person, and Dazai is anything but normal.

Considering his past life and how he was genius there, his new life was all the more easier with his past experiences. They were now going to announce him as crown prince at the ripe age of 6, all nobles inside the empire would attend and some other royals from neighbouring kingdoms would be seen at the banquet they were preparing for him. Dazai stared into the mirror as he watched his servants prepare him for the night, each of these servants were hand picked by him to make sure that they were loyal and proficient.

His eyes looked so dead now that he thought about it, he didn't care about today's event, it would be a one time thing and it doesn't seem fun either. With all the formalities and the boring dances, although he supposes that talking to others would be a bit entertaining, reading them like an open book and watching them squirm as their eyes blow open because he knew seemingly a lot about them just from one conversation seemed fun.

And it was time, the servants followed him as he walked to the ball room where the banquet was held.

(Don't ask me what he's wearing, Idk how to describe shit so leave it to your imagination, it does bare some resemblance to the outfit beneath Dazai's trench coat)

"His royal highness Dazai Osamu de Allos!" As soon as he entered the room, his presence was announced as all eyes of the room looked at him. His gaze looked through the banquet hall and saw a head of orange hair. He had a small lingering hope in his heart that it was Chuuya, yet he knows that it's likely that it isn't him and he isn't even here. Orange hair may be rare but not necessarily impossible to find. And with his knowledge that magic exists, that shade of orange could have been replicated with it or using some sort of dye.

He walked down the stares as he bowed when he face the Emperor and Empress who were his parents.

"May the the sun and moon of the Allos empire prosper." It was a formal greeting for the two sitting in the highest position, even their own son had to greet them as such in formal events. As the words left Dazai's mouth he stopped bowing and left to find the person with the same shade of Orange as his old partner.

Seeing their son leave to mingle with others, the Empress watched as his dark dead eyes were slightly lighter than they were before, she was curious because not even they could bring a small shine to his eyes. The Empress had long wavy blonde hair all the way to her waist, she had brown caramel eyes that lit up most of the time and her skin was a slight rose color.

Her curious eyes stared at her son's back as he seemed to be searching for someone. He never left the palace walls nor has he ever met any noble during his time inside the palace aside from the servants, so she watched with questioning eyes as the brunette looked around the banquet in search of something. Only then did she know what he was looking for, when his eyes lit up for the first time, she never saw him like this but when he saw a boy his age with orange hair and blue eyes it felt like seeing a whole different person.

The bad part of the whole ordeal was the fact that the boy he was staring at was the son of an archduke they didn't get along with greatly, they may have an appearance of a good relationship on the outside but hidden by the masks they hold a rocky and dark relationship with the family that the boy belongs to. Her eyes died a little as she saw her son approach the male and he smiled, he smiled genuinely unlike all the other times she saw him give a grin that had no real feelings inside it. The boy looked at her son as they stared at each other then the ginger boy walked up to him and whispered something that the Empress couldn't have heard even if she was close to them which she wasn't, she was extremely far away and even though her eagle eyes could see them her ears couldn't hear the two.

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Present Day:

"Do you remember the first time we met in this world?" Chuuya asked Dazai who was beside him, the brunette nodded his head in response to the ginger's question and he said "Of course Chibi, we locked eyes and then you walked towards me, you whispered 'Is that you mackerel?' which made me aware it was actually you."

"Your mother was staring the whole time, she didn't look pleased at all that you interacted with me of all people. After the banquet, we met a few times but we soon knew both of our families wanted to gut each other." Chuuya said as the brunette listened along, they were both inside a carraige as it was headed for the Obelian Empire. The two of them were going to meet the Emperor and discuss a treaty with the Empire. Why were they doing it in a territory that the man could control? Because of Dazai's antics.

They were already halfway through their trip and Chuuya thanked the Gods out there that Dazai was being quiet, but also due to him being quiet the ginger heavily put his guard up because who knows what the brunette is planning to do? Seriously Chuuya might decide to quit being the archduke if his territory if it meant getting away from the headache called Dazai. Who even made him the Emperor anyway, if you're going to pick a ruler they should've have picked anyone else but the bandages wasting machine, but the ginger knows everyone had no choice but to let him rule as he was the only heir to the throne and although many sought to replace him, Dazai's ability to plan and manipulate others wasn't something to be underestimated especially since he now has a lot of power on his hands.

Even after they went to different worlds Dazai still remained as the undefeated genius in strategy and planning, even in their world only Fyodor could compare to him when it came to his plans not even his old boss Mori was able to keep a tight leash on Dazai for long. Chuuya stopped talking after thinking about what happened during the past and so the carraige was filled with silence and no one from the outside could bother it unless they want to face death with Chuuya's skills. The two of them still kept their old abilities due to their origin from the soul not the body, and unfortunately for Chuuya the blasted god of calamity was still with him, the god was quiet but at times it raged and sought after destruction which lead to Chuuya having more headaches than he should have if the god wasn't here. Dazai's ability became even more useful than before due to the fact not only can he nullify abilities but the magic of this world as well, so no magic can work on him which helped a lot when a few people tried their luck in assassinating the man but they failed and Chuuya helped get rid of them.

Dazai seemed to be out of it as he stared out the window and looked at the scenery before them, the carraige was only moderately fast and couldn't compare much to Chuuya's old motorcycle that he rode. They were now at the borders of their Empire and the Obelian Empire, about to enter the other nation. When they arrives at the edge there were patrol guards everywhere, they tried to inspect the carraige but backed down when they saw the crest inlaid upon it. The tyrant of the Empire was engraved inside the hearts and minds of the people especially those who worked in the military, fearing that the foreign Empire's ruler would be the same and they would be punished for their ignorance they let the carraige pass through the border safely.

Only at times like this was Chuuya grateful that the brunette was their Empire's ruler, it was convenient when he wanted something. That was also partially the reason why he stayed at the Port Mafia, aside from his friends and his loyalty the lifestyle he lived wasn't all too bad, he lived in luxury and had more than enough money to spend on whatever he liked which of course included his beloved wine. Being an archduke wasn't the most fun thing in the world but it offered the same benefits as being an executive and more also he only had to take care of his territory and didn't have to fight almost everyday anymore which was a great plus in the position.

They soon started to travel to the Capital which wasn't far from the borders of the Empire, on the way they went through towns and villages but the carraige never stopped, they didn't need to stop, Chuuya and Dazai were already used to traveling long distances with their past jobs and when they went into this world traveling was something every noble would go through. They were only a few minutes away from the Capital after a few hours of travel, Chuuya could see some details in the distance and an outline of a palace could also be seen far off. It was then that the carraige suddenly moved in an unstable motion, with bumps on the road and it soon stopped entirely. The doors swung open and a woman could be seen outside of the door.

Chuuya looked at Dazai who wasn't phased at all by the event, he instantly knew the reason why Dazai was quiet the whole trip, he planned this all along he knew there would be attackers on the journey just now when so he stayed quiet the whole trip so no one could escape his ears hearing. No one suspected the Emperor to know of the ambush and because he was quiet the whole trip the perpetrators thought nothing was amiss because he had no change in mood. The woman at the door grabbed something from her left, Chuuya could see a small glint indicating she was going to attack with most likely a sword or dagger but with her distance it was extremely likely she carried a sword unfortunately for her, the ginger touched her and she soon floated with a red glow.

Chapter Text

"Princess, his imperial majesty has summoned you." One of her maids, whom she didn't know the name of said. Lily was currently doing something and was busy, leaving her alone in her room with nothing to do. In fact everyone around her seemed to be preparing for some big event, but she didn't see anyone send any invitations nor was she informed of a banquet or party coming up soon in the palace. It was already tea time and by now her father would have summoned her for snacks ai she didn't think much of it, she walked towards their meeting place in the garden where she saw Claude. Felix was trailing behind her, following her to the garden ever since she left her palace's walls.

She arrived at the garden, the scent of roses filled the air, she also smelled chocolate and drooled inside her mind. She walked until she saw a table and a shade of golden hair, it was her father but he wasn't alone. He was with two men that looked to be in their twenties, they both wore fancy attire that only high ranked nobles or royalty would wear. One if the had slightly messy brunette hair while the other had a beautiful shade of orange. She didn't recognize the two and no one of their description was ever mentioned in Lovely Princess, she panicked internally but calmed down telling herself that they were just those ordinary stuffy nobles that she would usually see at balls.

"Daddy!" Athanasia called out gaining the attention of her father and his guests, it was a bit embarrassing to call him out so childishly in front of others but it's what she has to do to survive and she's still ten physically. She ran towards her father and opened up her arms to hug him, she snatched his arm and spun around a bit, he didn't shake her off like she expected so she counted that's a win. Now that she was closer to the two men, she saw what they really looked like, the brunette haired man had dead eyes that scared her to death because it reminded her of Claude but like 100x worse and the ginger had beautiful blue eyes, it may not be jeweled but they might as well be. Both of them looked great in fact she was sure that if the ginger debuted in Korea as an idol or actor he'd be extremely popular, and the brunette could be a model with how good he looks and how the clothes highlight him even more.

"Athanasia, meet the Emperor and Archduke of the Allos empire." Claude gestured towards the two who were in front of them. Claude was wearing formal attire and not his usual curtain like clothing, it was because that even he and Emperor has to show some respect to the other. Athanasia looked closely at the two, she inspected them even more at the revelation that one was royalty and the other of high position from another Empire. The brunette sat on a chair sipping tea while looking at the two royals in front of him, it was a bit obvious that he was the Emperor as he wore garments similar to her father and the crest on his chest only helped that statement. The ginger was sitting down beside the brunette, he looked bored as he took ate a few pastries.

"Greetings to the Sun of the Allos Empire and greetings to the great Archduke of the Allos Empire." Athanasia curtsied slightly as a sign of respect, her actions seem to have gotten the ginger's attention as he looked at her with mild interest while eating the pastries on his hand the Emperor on the other hand looked bored at the display in front of him but still smiled at Athanasia.
"Greetings to you too princess, I am Dazai Osamu de Allos, Emperor of the Allos Empire and this is my companion Archduke Chuuya Nakahara Francois." The Emperor nodded at her to show he acknowledged her and the Archduke in turn did the same.

The more Athanasia looked at the two the more frightened and surprised she was, the dead look in the Emperor's eyes and the frosty gaze of the Archduke by his side spoke wonders of their authority, they both looked the Japanese people she would see on TV if she had the time and she wondered why they weren't shown in the Novel. They seemed to be of importance considering the fact they are inside the Obelian Empire's palace with her father, surely Jennette must have met them at least once so they could have been mentioned somewhere. Characters such as these two seemed like the type to be popular to readers, she was positive that the author would actually create a character like them but not once we're they ever mentioned not even a small whisper of their name.

These two were unknown factors that may help her or be her worst enemy if it came down to it, if she escaped at eighteen and ran to their Empire would they catch her and send her back if they saw her or would they help her and give her a place to hide and stay until Claude would no longer chase after her? Aside from that they seemed like good people unlike a few other Nobles she met. Shaking her head to get her mind of these thoughts Athanasia took a seat on a chair beside her father's and her feet dangled of the ground as she grabbed a few pastries from the table and munched on them. Thinking that the his child was not paying attention Claude decided to discuss his plans with his fellow Emperor and the Archduke.

"The both of you came here? I didn't expect that outcome if I was being honest, the Emperor of Allos is known to love being in his own territory." Claude said, he then grabbed a tea cup and poured some tea in it to drink. The Archduke Chuuya shook his head at the words of the Obelian Emperor "Our ruler is a bit flexible when it comes to plans of his." The ginger stated in place of the man beside him, Claude raised an eyebrow at this curious as to why the Archduke speaks for his Emperor and why the other allows it. While they were exchanging pleasantries and discussing the details if the treaty the little girl heard it all but decided not to pay any mind to their words as she had nothing to do with it or at least she thought so until her father proposed something related to her plans.

"One of the terms of the treaty would be to help us when it comes to a few criminals who have possible run away to another Empire such as yours." Her father had said this when she was trying to drink her milk and so as soon as the words left Claude's mouth she spit her milk a bit and choked *Cough* she coughed out the milk, she felt a hand pat her back and carry her. "What's wrong with Athanasia?" Her father said, Claude looked back behind them to see Felix standing there looking worried for the princess.

"Perhaps it's acting up again, I'll summon the imperial magician right away!" Feliz left and ran towards the palace, often times when Athanasia choked she would cough out blood and be at death's door due to the overwhelming amount of mama inside her little body. The amount of magic inside her couldn't be contained and the only way to stop it was to get help from the imperial magician Athanasia's age.

"We'll discuss the terms another time, I have something to take care of." The blonde Emperor excused himself, he walked away swiftly in the same direction the red headed guard left. Dazai didn't mind the delay, in fact he found it interesting, the tyrant Emperor weak for his daughter was a popular trope in their old world for novels and the little princess seemed to have heard her father's words and this choked on her drink. What was the little girl hiding? She was smarter than she looked, that bit wa obvious but her acting could use some work the brunette would like to know why she reacted to runaway criminals, was she planning something? A girl her age especially a pampered little princess shouldn't have such thoughts in their heads, what if she was like them?

Chuuya who was beside Dazai was prepared to leave the garden, he got out of his seat and tapped the brunette's shoulder interrupting the other's thoughts. The height difference between the two after the brown haired Emperor stood up was extremely obvious, even in this life the Chibi was still extremely short.

"Dazai, let's go we still have a meeting with one of the merchants in the Obelian Empire." The ginger said as Dazai followed his words and walked away from the garden with Chuuya beside him. Despite Dazai being an Emperor, Chuuya never did let the smug bastard completely command him even if the brunette was his Empire's ruler. The two walked together despite their slight difference in status, an Archduke was the highest position a noble that isn't from the royal family could obtain. Not to say that a prince or princess was higher than an Archduke however the latter still had to treat the former with respect no matter how little due to their lineage.

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Inside the emerald palace, our beloved princess Athanasia was resting on her bed waiting for the Imperial magician, no matter how much she told them she was alright they wouldn't let her go until she's given the clear from Lucas.

"You alright?" A boy her age walked inside her room, he had black hair and ruby red eyes. He wore robes that were given to him to show his status, he leaned against the wall as he stared at her. Athanasia rolled her eyes at the question "I'm fine, I haven't even spit a drop of blood, you're all fussing over nothing." She shook her head as she spoke, ready to get up and leave her bed.

"That's exactly how you complained the last time and you did spit out blood right after, it is odd though why did you choke? I sense no fluctuations of mana from you." The mage said, as he walked towards her trying to check for any small fluctuations. "Im alright my mind just went somewhere and I choked." Athanasia clarified and Lucas stared at her for a few seconds before laughing.

"H-how DO you do that?! Hahahahaha-" His laughter was cut short by a smack to the back of the head and a small glare from Athanasia. The blonde girl got out of bed and wore her shoes. "Where's daddy? He was here earlier but left." At her question the mage just shrugged his shoulders indicating that he didn't know. The girl left her room to find her dad and Lucas was left in the room. 'She may be an airhead but she isn't that dumb, something must have happened for her to choke like that out if the blue. It happened during the Emperor's conversation, perhaps she heard something' Lucas thought inside his head and although the thought of her mind wandering and her body being unable to swallow at that period of time, her being aware of the fact and still having details of what had happened speaks for itself.

Chapter Text

As Chuuya made the girl float with a red glow, he expected at least some sort of resistance like a suicide pill or words that would try to plead, curse or order someone like the ones he caught back in the Port Mafia, however all he got was a defeated look of hatred as her companions tried to attack him at the same time. The clothed figured had great coordination, he'd give them that but their opponent was unfortunately Chuuya who could defeat hundreds of men in a second even without the full use if his power.

Unlike the capture of the girl from earlier, he didn't show any mercy and all those who attacked him were now mush on the ground, unrecognizable from their previous faces because of the weight of gravity. "Mackerel, what do we do with her?" Chuuya asked the brunette Emperor who watched his brutal actions from the carraige window. "Y'know, traditional Port Mafia style." Dazai said, not even regarding Chuuya's informal words as disrespectful due to the bond between them.

The coachman was already used to their behavior and didn't feel an ounce of remorse for those who died, he did feel a bit of pity for the things the girl will go through. He parked the carraige by the forest as his Emperor and Archduke ran and dragged the girl with them.

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Being dragged inside the forest while hitting rocks and sticks on the way hurt, Riva's body was in pain and the two had barely done anything yet. She was prepared for a gruesome death, it was expected since she tried to assassinate the Emperor of the Allos Empire and even the citizens under his rule and protection would call him a demon to those who wrong him. The Empire of Allos had concealed a lot of their information from the outside world, only it's prospering status was known, the Empire's ruler was called benevolent by those from the outside but only those who were under his rule understood how cruel the ruler could be.

After the death of the Empire's former Emperor and Empress who were both rumoured to be assassinated by their own son, their only heir took the thrown with grace and ensured that the Empire's people would forever prosper as well as it's economy and trade. The Emperor was nothing short of a genius and with the Archduchy the highest noble family supporting the new ruler, no one could do anything about it and those who once opposed to the man's rule suddenly started to change their minds and agree with his decrees. With a stable position, the Emperor started to get rid of the criminals and underground organizations within the Empire, not a single one was spared from a brutal ending at his hands.

A lot of criminals heads were displayed for all to see in the Capital's town square, it was a warning to those who decide to disturb the Empire's peace. The crime in the Empire soon dropped and was almost nonexistent, a lot of criminals tried to flee from the Empire but all were caught at the border and none have ever escaped. Of course, the Emperor wasn't exactly unreasonable as only those with major crimes were treated as such and minor crimes were only given imprisonment or a small punishment.

Speaking of major crimes, the act Riva did was considered treason and could lead her to a fate worse than death itself, the Emperor had taken her far into the forest with the Archduke, the brunette had tied her to a tree tightly, the rope scraped against her skin creating scratches and bruises that weren't visible under the rope. "Ne Chuuya, where's the knife?" The brunette asked his companion who shoved a knife in his hands then he leaned against the tree uninterested at what the Emperor would do.

TW: Torture, Gore, Descriptions of said torture and Dazai being Dazai.

"Fair lady, we could be over much quicker if you just tell me the needed information." The Emperor said, his kind words did nothing to hide the malice inside them as his piercing red eyes glowed and made the girl shiver at the sight. 'Calm down, the torture may be painful but at one point I'll feel nothing.' The girl tried to reassure herself but when the brown haired man noticed she wasn't answering he frowned. "My~ it seems like you don't want it easy do you?" He immediately put on one of his fake smiles that seemed to send chills to those who saw it. His eyes glowed even more red, a shade that was brighter and deeper than blood.

The Emperor had the knife in his hands ready to cut, it was a dull blade and wasn't sharp whatsoever but it was just as if not more effective than one that was razor sharp. It may not be able to cut swiftly but the force of the blade to the flesh would leave normal people weeping after it left a cut. The tied girl didn't answer the brunette once again, he wasn't angry but even more eager to break her will to give him the answers he wanted. He pressed the knife to the tips of her finger, it may not cause much damage but the pain induced from the cuts he'll make would be enough to at least break her spirit a bit.

"Ichi." The Emperor said, as he put a lot of force into the knife cutting her flesh with it's dull blade. The small wound left bits of skin peeling and as the knife went deeper into her flesh she could hardly bite back a scream due to the pain. Even with some adrenaline in her veins, the amount of pain inflicted on the sensitive fingertips of a person could send extreme signals to the brain that would lead to it being an unbearable pain for most. The brown haired man removed the knife and left her finger bleeding, her finger slowly started to pale as blood was seeping out of it. The wound was at the tips of her finger tips almost reaching her nails.

"Ni." One more the Emperor said as the red eyes of the man glowed, he pressed the knife against a different finger and started to push force into it. "I won't cut this finger fair maiden if you tell me your name." He offered, to Riva it was tempting as the pain from only one finger was already extreme, what more if he did it to all her other fingers? Not to mention other parts of her body that could still be torn and cut.

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Athanasia wandered inside the palace halls, going to the direction of the throne room where her father might be. She ready checked his room but he was nowhere in sight, the only other place he could be if he wasn't entertaining the guests was the throne room. Behind the throne, there was a curtain and if you open it there would be a bed inside. Athanasia's father slept inside that very bed if he was tired and wasn't able to go to his room. She soon approached the throne room, the moment she entered not a soul was in sight as no one had been summoned. She went up the stairs to the throne, she checked the curtains behind it and saw her father sound asleep, not wanting to wake him up as that might mean immediate death she decided to go look for their guests instead.

Athanasia was still afraid that one day her father might abandon her or worse execute her like he once did in the Novel, although she and him have gotten close over the years there was no telling what was inside his mind. She searched the palace halls once again to look for the foreigners that were visiting, she knows she'd get in trouble is someone found out what she was doing but she couldn't help but be curious about the two men that were from another Empire. She had heard about the prospering economy of the Allos Empire during her lessons and everyone always said that the Empire's ruler was a benevolent and kind person that helped his Empire get rid of criminals. Apparently nothing else was known about them and Athanasia thought that it was odd for the crime rate inside the Empire to decrease so rapidly, the Emperor must have been working hard to achieve that and imprison all the criminals.

Knowing this Athy was afraid, she may be mature and already experienced death but she would love to live out her life this time, she can't flee to Allos Empire now that she thought about it. The Emperor there was extremely efficient and had the ability to root out long time criminals, what chance did she have to stay hidden? She'd probably be found in the first few days and perhaps even hours after setting foot inside that Empire.

The blonde princess heard voices close to her, she looked around trying to find where the people who spoke were as one of them sounded similar to the brown haired Emperor she met earlier. "Dazai, I am not your secretary. I cannot cater to your needs all the time I'm busy with my own schedule." Athanasia heard as she finally found the source of the voices, it was indeed the Emperor and his Archduke. The princess had to admit the ginger had a lot of bravery, speaking informally and scolding the Emperor? She'd like to see who would dare try to do that to her father even if the man was an Archduke he would be severely punished if it was her father that ruled over him. Maybe the rumours were true that the Emperor was benevolent to his people.

"Aww, the slug is too slow at getting anything done to help me?" The Emperor taunted, at this point Athanasia covered her mouth to not make a sound, he didn't sound polite like he was earlier but perhaps it was because the ginger didn't speak formally? No, the Emperor seemed to be used to doing this as she watched them walk and slightly bicker. Perhaps they were extremely good friends, like her father and Felix? But Felix wouldn't dare talk to her Dad like that and her father was too stiff and can't even make a joke anyways.

She couldn't hear them as they soon were out of hearing distance, she tried to quietly follow them while listening in to their conversation. "That girl from earlier." The Archduke said, Athanasia thinks he was referring to her. "The princess?" The Emperor questioned as the ginger nodded, so Athanasia was right he did refer to her but why? "She seemed odd, she acted close with her father but kept her distance a bit." Ah, so he noticed that she tried to keep quiet and not talk earlier while they were discussing. "I noticed, *******" The Emperor said but Athanasia couldn't hear the rest of his sentence as it was extremely quiet that she, who was from a distance couldn't hear.

She kept trying to follow the two from a safe distance where they couldn't have possibly seen her, but staying a bit far had some disadvantages as she couldn't hear some of the words they said and sometimes she would be confused at which direction they took but she was still able to find them, until now. Athanasia lost sight of the two and couldn't find them anywhere. "Boo!" Someone whispered in her ear to which she reacted by trying to slap them and while she screamed. The person put their hand on her mouth to stop her screams, now that she saw them they had a familiar shade of raven hair with red ruby eyes. It was Lucas! The jerk snuck up on her, she swears she'll get her revenge.

"What're you doing?" Of course Lucas would want to know what she was doing, she looked odd trying to randomly wander around the halls she's lived in. "I was taking a look at the foreigners but I lost them." There was no point in lying to the mage as he would find out if she did and she'd be forced to spit out the truth eventually. "So basically you spied on them?" At his question the princess nodded. "Why didn't you say so? I could use magic to track down the Emperor." The mage offered and Athanasia beamed at his words as she eagerly nodded.

"That's odd.." Lucas said which made Athanasia raise her eyebrow. "What's odd?" She tried to ask him.

"I can't find the Allos Emperor using my magic." At the revelation he couldn't find him Athy was disappointed but more so surprised because Lucas's magic always worked no matter who it was. "We'll have to find him manually let's go." Lucas offered his hand to her which she grabbed and they both sped off trying to find Dazai and Chuuya.

Chapter Text

Athanasia held Lucas's hand as they walked throughout the palace halls in search for the two foreigners, it was almost noon and if they aren't able to find them by then they'll try their luck searching for then in the dining halls or asking one of the maids. The two wandered around in search of the Emperor and Archduke, they tried to find clues or any hint of where they've been to find them easier, it was unfortunate that no spell could track the Emperor and when they tried in the Archduke all they got was a big circle of energy flowing for a mile so it was useless.

The palace's cold walls and floors warmed up due to heat of the sun, especially in places where no magic or runes were. Athanasia stayed mostly in the cool places of the palace halls, but after searching in every corner of the cold parts she decided that she'll try her luck in the warmer areas of the palace. Lucas was following the princess who was trying to spy on the foreigners to satisfy her curiosity, in fact he took was curious on how he couldn't track them with his magic. No one has ever been able to escape his grasp if he used some sort of tracking magic or teleportation, if he tried in the Emperor it wouldn't work however if he tried it on the Archduke an influx of energy would make his spell unstable. (Thank you Arabahaki.)

"Chuuya~" The two herd a voice albeit it was quiet, Lucas tried his best to find out which direction it was from as he dragged the blonde princess with him to the place the voice was from. Only a few dozen meters away from their old spot, a brunette and a ginger who were both wearing fancy clothing that looked hot especially since they were in warmer parts of the palace could be seen. They were inside a hall that had statues of past Emperors, Lucas and Athanasia tried their best to hide behind the entrance so they could listen to the conversation of the two. "Every statue of each Emperor here is present, except for the previous Emperor, Anastasius." The ginger touched one of the statues, Athanasia tried her best to look at what was happening and listened to their voices intently.

"He was a tyrant, one that had been over thrown by his younger brother, perhaps he had a hand in removing it." The Allos Emperor said, his tone was firm and concise, there was no sign of curiosity nor any tone that indicated he wasn't sure of his words. Athanasia listened in with the mage by her side, she didn't know much of the previous Emperor and her father never mentioned him to her. In fact the blonde was sure that no one inside the palace ever spoke if the late Emperor due to her father. "Right, anyhow so you have the contracts signed by the merchants mackerel?" The ginger Archduke asked, Athanasia was appalled at how he basically insulted the Emperor with how he called him, she was sure that was a crime in the Allos Empire yet the ruler of said Empire didn't seem to mind the insult as all just like the last time she saw them conversing.

"Mhm, they were eager to accept the deal, I wonder if you had a hand in it Chibi?" The Emperor asked, as the ginger removed his hand from the statue and looked at the brunette dead in the eyes with a look that seemed to question his words. "You told me to do it." The Archduke seemed to be annoyed at the brunette's question as he stared at him with a deadpanned look, the Emperor put his fingers under his jaw in a thinking position looking like he was contemplating whether he did or not. The Emperor's eyes suddenly sparkled a bit, removing the previous dead look he had. "Awww, Chuuya's a good doggy the for following orders!" At his words the ginger went red and steam was coming out if his ears, the Archduke tried to hit the brunette but the Emperor luckily dodged in time.

Seeing this scene, Athanasia wondered how close the two were because the Archduke could get away Scott free without any punishments from insulting and trying to harm his Emperor. And what did the Archduke do to convince those merchants they were talking about? The blonde was sure that those merchants were Obelian merchants and those people were heavily stubborn and wouldn't budge a bit unless it was her father and even then they'd barely adjust their deals and prices, they were extremely stingy and for the Emperor of Allos to be this happy he must've struck a good deal with them in his favor. Lucas unlike Athanasia's curiosity was suspicious of their guests, they were off putting and something about them didn't seem right especially since his magic barely or didn't even work on them.

"Don't you think they're odd?" Lucas asked Athanasia who was beside him, she was still trying to spy on their guests.

"Odd? I understand what you mean Lucas but it might just be their culture." Athanasia replied although she whispered her words to the point Lucas could barely hear her even from their close distance. "No not that, my magic goes haywire or cancels whenever I try to use it on them." The mage clarified as the princess rolled her eyes at him, "Lucas, you and I know that Mana is unpredictable and keep your voice down, you'll get us caught." She shushed him and continued looking at the what the foreigners were doing.

"I can't even see their soul age, you can't tell me that's not suspicious!" He tried to shout while still keeping his voice down, the blonde princess ears perked up at his words. "Really? Is it that abnormal for you to not be able to do that? But it odd, maybe it's just some relic or artifact.." Although Athanasia was familiar with magic she barely tried using it herself so she had no idea how odd it was for a mage as powerful as Lucas to not be able to even peek at one's soul age.

Lucas gave the princess a 'are you serious?' stare but she paid him no mind and continued to try and hide. The Emperor and Archduke were now moving away from their sight and heading out of the room, the two of them were going in the direction of Lucas and Athanasia which made the girl panic for a moment. She tried to look around for places to hide but the two had already reached them, she was prepared to make up an excuse but the two didn't even acknowledge her presence.

She looked at Lucas who was beside her, he had a face that scrunched up looking like he wanted to laugh so badly, the guests were already out if the room they were in and Lucas finally laughed. "Hahahah- You should've seen your face! I wouldn't have let us get caught that easily." His words made the girl realize they were under some sort of magic that made sure the two weren't able to see them but they could see each other.

Chuuya realized that the young princess was tailing them from the moment she looked at them, the girl was extremely horrible at hiding to the point he was sure that even an unskilled person would be able to know she was watching. The ginger knew that the brunette beside him also detected the young girl but he paid no mind to her and so he followed and ignored her gaze.

The both of them continued to talk, making sure the information they were about to say not reveal much nor anything about their future plans. The princess was intelligent he'll give her that but she seems to have some sort of a problem with a few things, Chuuya noticed that the girl was extremely close yet distant with her father like some sort of relationship with mixed feelings, another one is that she seems to act on impulse and emotions at times, Chuuya's seen enough to know that the girl will act out based on what she felt and the last one is she isn't the best when trying to act or spy, seriously it's extremely obvious!

When walking down the halls, Chuuya noticed that the girl seemed to have lost them as she kept some distance and didn't follow them immediately. "Chuuya, don't you think she's odd? The little girl's mature yet childish for her age like we were a decade ago." Dazai said, and the ginger knew what he was implying.

The girl might be like them, a soul from another world that retained the memories of their old life, is that why she was tailing them? Did she recognize their description and put two and two together? No, that's not it, the girl may have been trailing them but the way she does it is sloppy and unprofessional. Her stare from when they first net wasn't one of recognition but of awe, if she did know them she would be more cautious around the two but she didn't show any signs of being so. "So, someone from the modern world?" The ginger asked to confirm if what he thought was true.

"Likely, I heard her mutter a bit earlier about things only someone from our era would know, it may be possible she's from a different time or another world similar. I concluded she was a civilian since no one from the underground or government would act like her." Dazai answered, the two continued to wander around the hallways choosing to go into the ones with more warmth as it reminded them of their home in the summer. The time quickly passed by and noon was coming closer, the two stopped in a room filled with statues of the old Emperor's if the Obelian Empire.

Dazai called out his name and Chuuya felt the girl's stare again and this time she had someone else with her, during the time they walked in the warmer areas Arabahaki suddenly sent a sharp wave of energy out, it meant someone tried to use magic on him this happened several more times until it finally stopped. Dazai was aware of what was happening but it didn't do any harm nor was it dangerous in anyway but just in case Dazai made sure their hands were held together. Chuuya thinks that the other gaze on them might be the person who tried to use their magic on him as they seemed to be searching for him and perhaps Dazai but magic won't work on him, at the same time the princess lost them.

"Every statue of each Emperor here is present, except for the previous Emperor, Anastasius." The ginger touched one of the statues to feel the material used in them, it was a smooth type of marble. He tried to feel the details on the statue that he touched, it was the second Emperor of the Obelian Empire, he must admit the carving of the stone was beautiful and precise if not for the fact it didn't have color Chuuya would think it was the preserved corpse of the person themselves if he didn't try to feel it. "He was a tyrant, one that had been over thrown by his younger brother, perhaps he had a hand in removing it." Chuuya knew that and the Brunette was correct, the man was a horrible tyrant to his people and everyone in the kingdom wished for him to get off them throne and give the crown to someone else.

Chuuya then remembered the contracts the brunette was supposed to have the merchants sign and bring back. "Right, anyhow so you have the contracts signed by the merchants mackerel?" It may have not been the best to reveal this information to the two people watching but neither of the two cared as it wasn't exactly important nor confidential information. "Mhm, they were eager to accept the deal, I wonder if you had a hand in it Chibi?" The stupid fish eyed bastard was testing his patience, he purposely revealed a few things to their observers and acted dumb as if he didn't request the ginger to threaten the merchants.

Yes he threatened them to secrecy as well as to sign the contract, if they didn't agree they would be crushed by his gravity and he gave them a taste of what it would feel like by crushing one if their hands, no biggie since he made sure it was their non dominant hand so they could sign the contract properly. It was safe to say that none of them refuted and agreed to what he demanded, and to make sure they wouldn't say anything he may have done a little magic. Chuuya had learned magic, it was extremely convenient and he was damn good at it as well, he didn't use it much in battle as his ability was enough. It was safe to say that even without Arabahaki nor his ability he could level and Empire with ease.

"You told me to do it." He stared at the man with deadpanned eyes as his patience was running thin, and the stupid bastard has the audacity to get into a thinking position acting like he didn't remember anything he sent the ginger to do. "Awww, Chuuya's a good doggy the for following orders!" And the brunette got a fist swung at him for his words as Chuuya was fuming red, he made sure to not make the punch fatal or something that would be able to injure someone except for a slight bruise but it was Dazai the cockroach who barely got a scratch after being slammed into a wall so he didn't have to worry much about leveling his punch. Too bad the bastard dodged it, he was sure he heard their observers talk after the brown haired Emperor dodged.

He calmed down a bit and listened in to the conversation of their observers who were anything but quiet actually or was it just his good hearing? He heard something about them being odd and how the mage couldn't see how old their soul was. That part made sense, Arabahaki guarded his soul so he didn't put any protection there and no magic would work on the slimy bastard so unless the god was gone and he had no magic no one would be able to see the ages of their souls. The princess seemed to excuse the abnormalities as culture and apparently artifacts or relics.

Dazai and Chuuya had a conversation with their eyes to mess with the two and head in their direction. They walked quickly and when they arrived he didn't see anyone but he could detect the use of magic and the brunette also knew they were invisible, Although they left that part of the hall it didn't stop then from hearing the mage's loud laughing and words directed at the blonde princess who was a bit furious at the boy.

Chapter Text

The Imperial palace was buzzing with life, servants were running around with ornaments and decorations for the upcoming banquet to be held this evening. Amongst the chaos two people were seen walking leisurely around the halls, a brunette and a ginger with luxurious attire talking to each other acting as if today was like any other. "The discussions went well with no interruptions this time, fortunately." Chuuya said to his partner that was right by his side walking to together with him as they were headed for one of the gardens. "Ahh, right last time.." Dazai said being as cryptic and secretive as always. "The timing last time was off and now that we speculate she's a civilian from there then with what the Emperor discussed might be related to her future plans." That was the brunette's analysis but of course he wouldn't just give all the information he had to the ginger as it was fun watching the other man try to get it out of him.

"Right, what do you suppose she's planning then?" Chuuya asked and all he got was a grin in return as the brunette put his finger on his lips in a shushing motion to show he wouldn't say a word.

The ginger was annoyed and wanted to strangle the brown haired man but he couldn't do it in front of the servants and guards passing by them, many would question his loyalty or they would create rumours about the two if them and he'll get a headache dealing with the mess. The two got closer to the gardens of the palace, it was still early in the morning so it wasn't that hot yet unlike the day before. The moment they stepped outside they were hit by floral scents of native flowers that belonged to Obelia and Siodonna. The greenery was taken care of greatly, that was apparently by how no plant was wilting nor dying but it could have been preserved with magic.

"Chibi, aren't those daffodils and chrysanthemums pretty?" Dazai pointed towards a few flowers, Chuuya understood the underlying meaning inside his words. The bastard had to be poetic and speak in flower language, daffodils meant rebirth and new begginings while the chrysanthemums meant both life and death. It reminded the both if them how this life was not their first and most likely not their last, if one of the two ever dies it's likely the other would follow.

"They are mackerel, they are." Chuuya said, he loved the two flowers' symbolism. His blood was mafia black and he was given a chance to change that however his methods barely changed even in this new life. The gods out there in the fucked up universe may have given him a way to escape his previous life however that didn't mean he would not remember his past nor did it mean it would fully cleanse him of his sins. The brunette beside him gave a small genuine smile that not many have seen, only given to the ones closest to him. The both of them explored the garden, finding mostly plants from Siodonna and Obelia, only finding ones from other Empires or kingdoms occasionally. The morning went by fast as noon slowly approached, the two weren't hungry especially the brown haired Emperor as he was used to not eating food.

Although the both of them could bare the heat of noon they decided to rest under the shade of a giant willow tree, they were in a position that allowed the two to have no blind spots if the world around them and made it possible for them to act quickly if needed be.

The shade of the tree provided the two a cool place to rest in, even in the afternoon when the sun would slowly start to set the shade it provides wouldn't change as the tree was facing the direction of the east. The two foreigners decided to rest and sleep under the willows tree yet they were alert for the slightest sound. In their past life whenever they needed to sleep at the same time on a mission they would always make sure to be in a position that would help their mobility, the two became light sleepers and would wake up at the slightest sound. As time passed by our mafiosos slowly changed the position they slept in, they were now leaning on each other and their hands were so close it looked like they were holding each other.

Athanasia was awoken by her maids, they usually would let her wake up by herself so she was confused at was going on. The blonde princess hadn't heard of any events coming up nor did her father want to summon her as he would only do so in the afternoon.

There seemed to be done type of fuss or gossip going around as Athanasia watched her maids talk to each other about an event she had heard nothing about, yet what caught her attention was the fact the event they were speaking about was for a treaty, an agreement to the Allos Empire for prosperity and peace for the two neighbors. They kept talking to each other as they helped the blonde look her best for the event albeit it was supposed to be in the evening however the maids told her that it was better this way.

Dressed in a beautiful gown woven with silk and the finest threads the world had to offer, Athanasia looked at her reflection as she twirled around to see how the piece of clothing looked. She subconsciously touched her cheek with her hand, minor disbelief this was her as something felt off as if she never had this luxury before but her mind wasn't referring to her time in Korea but it was lingering somewhere else. The girl brushed off her thoughts as paranoia about the story 'Lovely Princess' and her ultimate end. She shook her head and stopped her thoughts as her maids seemed to make sure not a hair was out of place

They finished preparing her for the banquet, it was 10:30 AM and Athanasia already had her breakfast earlier before they prepared and bathed her. The banquet was supposedly starting after noon, which in her opinion was early but she didn't mind, dancing and partying at night was much more tiring than if you do it in the afternoon or the morning.

She was left to her own devices are in the room, the blonde princess was in her balcony gazing at the garden below her room.

*Poof*

She heard a sound, which made her alert and flinch the moment she heard it. She looked beside her to see Lucas with a smirk on his face, taunting her for reacting the way she did.

"You jerk-! Hummph!" Her mouth was immediately covered by the magician with his palms, he signalled for her to be silent. "Hush, we don't want them to hear us do we?" She looked down and saw both the Archduke and Emperor sleeping side by side under the shade How fruity— wait no! Athanasia stop it, they're clearly just good friends.. but what if? She felt the scene was quite comical and something you would only see during a film or any media but she was witnessing it with her own two eyes and to make it even funnier was that they all lived in the world of a novel.

"What are they doing sleeping there?" Lucas just shrugged his shoulders, the mage could care less about human affairs much less anything that didn't even concern him however Athanasia was interested— were they tired and decided to rest under the willow tree or was it something else? Perhaps a little ehem lovers moment? She wasn't sure but if anyone ever saw the two the blonde princess knew rumors would immediately spread like wildfire.

"Isn't this our chance, Lucas? We can finally spy on them without anything in the way." She proposed, Athanasia saw no flaws in her statement after all if both of them were asleep who knows if they might let something slip especially if they were sleep talkers but to her surprise Lucas shook his head "The two are in a guarded position, I'm sure that the moment we get close they'd immediately wake up." Listening to his words Athanasia carefully examined the position they both slept it and it was one that allowed for no blind spots and everything was in their range of sight.

"Don't you think they look like they're lovers? I mean they are in such great contrast that their dynamic is so interesting." She stared at them from her balcony, she knew how they both interacted as if they had knew each other all their life and she doesn't doubt that they do— Athanasia may not be the brightest but even she could see there was an untold story waiting to be uncovered deep inside the two. "I don't see it, seriously what type of novels do you read?" He flicked her foredhead which hurt— like a ton and Athanasia was sure he infused magic within his fingers, but perhaps he was right and there was nothing between the two and it she was just overthinking their relationship.

"That hurt and the novels I read are perfectly normal!" She raised her voice, momentarily forgetting about the two sleeping people under the tree— the moment she shouted they both rustled awake. Lucas grabbed Athanasia's hand and they were soon gone from the balcony.