Tower: Murky and Charming

Chapter 38: Strangers

AN: At this point, I don't need to warn you anymore. You should get the catch already.

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*Before*

Inside the quiet private room of the Garnet Palace, two people sat across from each other afar. The atmosphere is tense and awkward like no one is allowed to speak. Just gazing as time passes by and it gets too uncomfortable. Athanasia examined him as he did the same to her.

"... How have you been?" He finally breaks the silence in the air by asking a simple typical question.

Athanasia glimpses to the side, not bothering to look at him in the eyes anymore. She bluntly answered. "Better"

He nods in understanding and paused, gulping and taking a deep breath. Soon the conversation carried on from that point. Each simple question he asked, she would reply emotionlessly without changing her dead tone. Though it's not getting anywhere nor making any progress.

They're still strangers.

 
"... How did you escape if you don't mind me asking?..." Claude goes straight to that topic, wondering how a princess confined her whole life managed to slip through the high-security and hid for a long time. A question he asked out of the blue because he did not know how to talk to her. For, he rarely knows anything about her and only gets information from her close peers.

"... My fiance helped me" She mumbled a fragment of the truth. It was actually kidnapping but the warlock did help keep her hidden. "It was magic..."

"... I see and you stayed at his tower?"

"Pardon my courtesy, Your Majesty. But there is something else I would discuss with you" She interrupts abruptly, changing topics strictly and he paused.

"Ok" He gives his approval and wonders what she wants to tell him.

Whether it's regarding the past or present, he was prepared for anything that would come out of her mouth. Hate and anguish, he doesn't mind the insults because of whatever negative things she says to him. It might be true either way.

Athanasia lets out a big sigh and looks at him seriously in the eyes as the atmosphere becomes ominous.

"Before you woke up, we figured out the cause of your coma and the curse. While I was busy ruling the empire, my fiance told me something that is very concerning and severe" Athanasia said. "You didn't necessarily have to banish Jennette. Her magic was contained and altered so she wouldn't harm you as before. However, 4 years with her when her magic was loose, we couldn't fix everything..."

"... tell me what is it?" He remained indifferent and calm. "It's fine to tell me"

"You're dying" Athanasia stated but he didn't react to it. "Just very slowly. We couldn't remove the effect. No matter how strong you are, the curse seemed to stay..."

Being told of the bad news, Claude does not twitch an expression nor feels any fear toward it. All he felt was numb and pain in his heart but a bit of relief to see her after so long. However, it wasn't news to him as he revealed another piece of information that made her break her expression.

"I know"

"Hm?" She furrowed her eyebrows and squinted her eyes. "You knew?"

"Before.... Your fiance, the warlock came to me." Claude informed and Athanasia stiffened. "We had a talk"

"... Lucas...came...?" Athanasia was astounded that her fiance talked to the emperor privately in secret without telling her. Was it perhaps just for that one reason or more? She clenched on her dress and stared at the table intensely, thinking about what the two discussed and the main purpose.