When Lucas mentioned being simply ‘Lucas’ and not adding his magician title when meeting Claude, this wasn’t what she was expecting…
The very next day, Claude told them to arrive at their palace with their guardians. Specifying Lilian for Athy, and whoever Arle considered her dad to greet them. When Clervie announced this, Lucas sneered and quickly gave Arle a comfortable and formal outfit.
She looked over the black blazer and short, black pants with knee-high, white socks, and hummed. When she glanced up at Lucas and saw his near identical outfit, she couldn’t help but stare at him in disbelief.
His outfit was a formal version of her own. They were matching. Anyone with a fashion sense could see this…
Claude obviously saw Lucas’s intentions while gazing at them from his throne. The leg crossed over the other moved slightly along with his thoughts. His gaze cold while scrutinizing Lucas.
“So, you’re the one she calls father.”
Lucas blinked, before lowering his gaze to Arle with a flattered smile. His gentle expression and demeanor made him seem like a good, youthful person.
“Is that so? Well-“
He turned to Claude, meeting his eyes head on instead of keeping his head low out of respect and fear.
“-When you have an absent father and only your mother’s butler, it’s not hard to be considered one.”
Athy almost choked on her laugh, while Lilian looked at him in horror and shock. Lady Desdemona’s, butler…?
Claude blinked before he stared at Lucas.
“Mother? So you were her butler?”
He scoffed, but didn’t react or question it anymore.
“Regardless. I’m her father. It was difficult before due to my court duties, but they’ve grown up well. All thanks to you two.”
Lilian bowed a bit deeper and thanked him, Lucas copied her gesture while Arlecchino held the cats and penguin in her arms.
Athy resisted the urge to object at his excuse, and just clung to her dress in retaliation.
“I’ll be in charge of them from now on. There will be no need to worry.”
Arle watched Claude smirk at them, an amused one.
“From now on, princess Athanastia and princess Arlecchino, will be treated as proper royalty.”
This declaration was a bigger uproar for Arle. From then on, many maids tried to enter her side of the palace to help. But Lucas just smiled before kicking them all out from the main hallway.
She had also started having tea time with Claude and Athy. Arle didn’t eat or drink any of the tea and sweets. Leaving them for Athy and the children. Sadly, Claude seemed to notice it.
“Are they not to your liking? Should I kill the chefs and hire new ones?”
Arlecchino didn’t look up from her book while answering, just turning the page.
“It is not the food, I simply do not trust what you serve me.”
Athy flinched at her words, realizing her words and hesitated to eat.
“Hmm…?” Claude tilted his head in thought.
“Did that butler teach you that?”
Arlecchino finally looked away from her book while considering how to answer. Royalty, especially children, were always close to poisoning and assassination attempts. Her fear should be normal. So Arle nodded and returned to her book in silence.
Claude looked at the desserts on the table, and leaned forward to grab one. Felix and Clervie almost lost their souls when they saw him bite a macaroon. When he frowned, the hand holding Athy’s fork started trembling.
“So that’s why your sister is so chubby.”
Athy felt a vein burst in her temple, but she could only smile like a cute and dumb fool at his words.
He placed the bitten sweet down and leaned back on his seat.
“It’s not poisoned. Eat it.”
Arle turned the page. “No thank you.”
Athanastia sincerely wished to be like Arlecchino and show Claude her middle finger… But the memory of the original Athy and her death made her stop each time…
“…….” Claude’s dark face right now also made her wish she was anywhere else but here.
“Forcing her to eat won’t get you anywhere.”
Lucas suddenly invaded this private, emperor and princesses meeting. He showed Arle a tray with cheese, crackers, and ham. She finally dropped her book and eagerly took some. Lyney and Freminet all jumped towards her, and she gave them each a small piece of her snack while Lynette enjoyed the sweets they left.
Lucas smiled politely at Claude, so much so it felt false. “Emperor, my daughter isn’t fond of sweets.”
“Your daughter?”
Clervie and Felix glanced at each other. Silently communicating with their eyes on what they can even do…
Lucas sneered at the emperor and ruffled Arle’s head.
“I raised her, so she’s mine.”
“I made her. She’s my daughter.”
Lucas scoffed and placed his hands on the top rail of Arle’s chair.
“Oh, please. Anyone can make a kid. But raising one? That’s the hard part.” With a haughty grin, Lucas continued. “Not even you, an emperor, could raise either of them. Other people did that for you.”
Claude narrowed his eyes at Lucas. His fingers tapped the armrest in irritation.
“You sure have a tongue, for a butler.”
That should’ve been enough to get Lucas killed, but Claude closed his eyes and turned his head away. Deciding to ignore him.
Holy-!? Athy looked at Lucas in awe. He just won, against Claude! If Arle ever found her annoying, her butler was her next target to stay alive!
Though, who knew a kid would like savory things instead of sweets…? Athy sincerely wished she could just demand something other than sugar, but alas. Let’s not draw anymore of Claude’s attention…
Their next meeting wasn’t over tea. It was for a boat ride. Athy just smiled innocently and prayed to God she could get through this. No, wait! Arle is with her! She won’t be alone with Claude!
But when she turned to where her sister was, she didn’t see anyone.
What!? Where-!?
Athy turned and looked around, but she couldn’t spot the harbinger anywhere.
Claude looked at Lucas, who stood beside Lily. His smile cunning, eyes closed like he had done nothing wrong.
“Hand her over.”
Lucas opened his eyes at the command. “My apologies, but Arle doesn’t feel well. She’s asked to be excused from the boat ride.”
“She’s not excused. Bring her here.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know where she’s run of to.”
Claude stared at Lucas for a solid minute, before he turned. Lilian gently encouraged Athy to follow him, but her forced smile only made the princess more worried.
With them gone, Lucas glanced up. Seeing Arlecchino on a tree branch with the kids around her. He smiled, while Lilian suddenly spoke.
“I don’t remember you. Who are you, really?”
Felix glanced at Lucas with her words. He had never seen him around the second lady, Desdemona, either. She didn’t have any servants. The only one she brought back from Handura, was later killed by Claude for an attempted assassination on his life.
It was obvious this man was lying.
Lucas didn’t turn at her, just keeping his gaze on Arle.
“I am the butler and father of princess Arlecchino.” He glanced at her and smiled. “What else do you need?”
“I’d like to know if you’re trustworthy.” Lilian narrowed her eyes at him. “How do I know you weren’t an enemy of the lady, raising her daughter to betray the emperor?”
Felix understood her worries, but thought that as the emperor’s knight, he shouldn’t be hearing this…
Lucas’s response was simple. “Arle is all I care about. If she wanted to betray the emperor, then…” He smiled and beckoned Arle to come down from the tree with his finger.
“I’ll make sure she succeeds.”
This talk was enough to be considered treason against the emperor. As their closest aids, Felix and Clervie had to report Lucas’s words and kill him on the spot. But when he glanced up at Arle watching them… It didn’t feel right.
Felix blinked, and saw Arlecchino jump down. He gasped and reached out, but Clervie moved faster. She grabbed Arle before she could fall, lifted her gaze, and saw Lucas also holding the princess to stop her fall. Their eyes met before Lucas smiled and moved Arle towards him.
“That scared me, thank goodness for our quick thinking-“
Lucas abruptly paused when Arle reached out and held onto Clervie. Her meaning clear.
“…..” The knight quickly held her while Lucas felt his lip twitch in irritation. Still, he let her go and moved back. Allowing Clervie to hold his daughter while he settled beside Lily.
“Either way, Claude sure is a bad father.” His unprompted topic made Lily flinch.
“… No one receives a guide on raising a child.”
“Still.” Lucas smiled knowingly at her. “We’ve done a great job so far, also without a guide.”
Lily just closed her eyes, indicating she wasn’t going to say anything else. Lucas sneered and kept his eyes on Arle and Clervie. The knight smiled softly at her. Observing her cursed features with a hint of affection. Arle gestured for Clervie to turn her head. When she did so, the princess whispered a simple question.
“Do you believe in past lives?”
Clervie hummed and nodded gently. “I do. I believe we all have different lives. But do you know the best part of my belief?”
Arlecchino slowly shook her head. Watching Clervie smile wider and tenderly swipe Arle’s bangs off her face. “I believe, that in these new lives, we meet people we loved in our previous life. As well as new ones. It’s like a cycle.”
The princess hummed and softly asked. “Did we meet in our previous lives?”
Clervie chuckled and hummed in thought. “Maybe. If I had to say a place you held in my heart…”
She poked Arle’s chubby cheek, Lucas’s proudest accomplishment yet. “I’d say, you were my dear little sister.”
Arlecchino’s eyes seemed to burn for a split second before they quieted back down.
“Then, I think you were a great sister, and friend.”
Clervie chuckled and held her a bit closer. Looking up at her with glee. “Thank you, princess. I have a feeling you were the most important person I had.”
Arlecchino hummed and just stared at her. Whether it was true or not, she couldn’t help matching Clervie’s current, gleeful grin with that soft smile she always showed her.
When she compared them, this version of her seemed much happier. Healthier, stronger.
If Arle had never entered her life, she would’ve survived that day. She would’ve thrived and made the House of Hearth the home Freminet wanted. She was always so, so much better with children.
“WAAAH!” Back then, Arlecchino merely blinked at the child and they burst into tears. She stayed still, hoping to ease their fear, but nothing seemed to work. If anything, their hiccups just grew worse…
“There, there.” Clervie sat beside them, and the child wasted no time in clinging to her for comfort. With a soft smile, Clervie slowly soothed them while Arle observed her movements. The gentle pats, the tone used, those useless words of comfort that somehow worked…
“You see, Arle over here only has a mean face.”
The kid glanced up at her, tears inside their eyes while Clervie beckoned Arle closer. When her sister reached her side, Clervie grabbed her face and mushed her cheeks together with a grin.
“See? She’s actually a big softie.” With each squish Clervie made to her face, the kid seemed to calm down slightly. Until they chuckled at Arle’s lack of expression.
“Now you see? She’s someone I dearly trust, someone you can count on.”
With a gentle nod, the kid hesitantly reached for Arlecchino. Letting her hold them on her lap while cautiously observing them. Clervie leaned on her shoulder with a big grin. Speaking to her in a matter of fact tone.
“I told you they’d like you.”
Sadly for that child, they died in a game ‘mother’ made. Arlecchino still remembered how Clervie’s warm hand held her own while the kid lost their life. It trembled just slightly. When did their daily memories of death, start to affect her?
Arlecchino could never figure that out, Clervie always seemed to have it all figured out. It wasn’t until Clervie moved her sword away from Peruere in their final duel, that Arlecchino understood her.
When her blood coated her hands, did she see her tired eyes and smile. “Sorry, Per… You will be a great king…”
If she died saying that, what else could Peruere do, but take over their childhood home… And follow Clervie’s visions of how it should be run.
No more death games, second chances, lessons through words, not punishment, a cold and protective attitude befitting of a father. All of these were taught by Clervie and the books she read on family.
Arlecchino used to think that, if she was the ‘father’, Clervie would be the ‘mother.’ Given the chance, she would’ve loved to run the House of Hearth with her.
Delving in the past was useless. But, it was a curious thought. How those three would’ve loved learning from her. How the other children would adore her, and she would have less work to do.
“PRINCESS!!”
Arlecchino followed the shout, seeing Lilian desperately pat Athy’s back while she coughed. Her dress and hair soaked and dripping with water. Claude stood beside her. Only his hand was wet. He called for Felix and Clervie.
“Felix, teach her how to swim. Clervie, do the same for Arlecchino.”
Lucas grabbed Arlecchino and pushed Clervie towards Athy. With a final glance back at the second princess, Clervie ran to Claude. But he just kept walking away, back to his palace. She glanced at Felix, who also looked at her in worry before glancing back the crying Athanastia. In the end, they followed after Claude. Letting Lilian handle the scared princess while Lucas held Arlecchino.
She glanced up, seeing his sneer while watching Athanastia be carried back to the palace by a group of maids.
“Hah. That emperor is something else.”
Funny. He would’ve done the same, just watching her struggle against the water before finally helping her with his magic. He couldn’t care about Athanastia enough to bother. That’s how he, a sorcerer with no heart, should react.
Yet… Lucas sighed and looked down at Arle, their eyes meeting. He smiled and swiped her bangs away from her eye. “You saw that, no? Arle. Claude is a big, fat, bad dad.”
He grinned, closed his eyes, and nuzzled her forehead with his own. The cats started crawling up his legs while the penguin jumped in place for attention.
“You are my daughter. No emperor, nor can his blood change that.”
Arlecchino lowered her gaze at his soft voice. No one had ever called her a daughter. Not even ‘mother’…
Would, Lyney and the others have liked to be called similarly? She couldn’t help but imagine their reactions. Their shock, and happiness.
“…..” She really, hadn’t done enough for them…
Arlecchino closed her eyes and hugged Lucas’s neck, pressing her cheek against his in a tight hold. Lucas paused, going completely rigid… Before he smiled and held her back. One hand on her head while the cats finally reached Lucas’s shoulders.
He used his magic to lift the penguin before it could cry. Cat Lyney brought Fremi closer with his tail, letting Lucas focus on holding Arle.
“Did you get an answer?”
Arle knew he was referring to Clervie, and hummed. “I did.”
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