Soul Bonded [Claude De Alger Obelia x reader ]

73. Finding Home

Sunlight flitted in the room which was blanketed in peaceful quietness. A sense of tranquility flooded through the normally gloomy, dark room.

On the large bed, Claude sat with his back lazily slumped  against the headboard, his half-lidded eyes fixated on the softness of warm body attached to his side.

The steady rise and fall of your chest as you breathed deeply in your sleep with your face buried to his side and arm thrown over his torso while other clutched over the pillow filled him with strange serenity one he never experienced before.

A awry smirk of amusement fell on his lips. The all feared tyrant Emperor was been used as personal pillow. The sheer absurdity of the situation was ridiculous.

Shifting his position, he tilted his entire weight on his elbow planted above you as his fingertips glided down your cheek cautiously. He poked your cheek, watching as your face scrunched up in mild annoyance, swatting away his hand in daze.

Claude sighed. He knew you'd upset once you woke up from your 3 days slumber he forced you into yet again. It's not like he had choice. He clearly remembered Roman's warning.

"She needs the rest to recover her tattered mana core. It's essential since damage is already done and fully recovering is impossible without proper sleep to recuperate. More abuse of her core and she'd cough more than just blood.."

Tsk. Why was he not surprised. It seems you still retained your recklessness, risking your life for the sake of ones you cared for.

He blinked his eyes slowly, a tired gleam in his eyes. His expression was blank as the lack of proper sleep for past three 3 days reared its head. Since he put you under the sleeping spell, he had only snippets of short naps.

His insomnia was partially responsible for that. It was mainly because he was too hypersensitive to your presence on his bed. After the revelations and confession near the lake, Claude was seeing you in brand new light.

Momentarily your crying face flashed before his eyes and Claude narrowed his eyes, fingertips gliding around your eyes almost as if he could completely wipe away all remnants of tears.

It was rare for him to see you cry. Only few times in his memory had he seen you cry, it was more of few stray tears than full blown cry. You always been cheerful, bright with your jovial and mischievous personality. It didn't leave much room for tears.

But he was proven wrong. Your smiling face wasn't a given, sometimes you cried too. Your positive optimism wasn't permanent, sometimes you'd be gloomy and mopey and the jovial, cheerful persona you donned on could come crashing down and reveal the sadness and pain you hid. In short, the assumption he had, the ideal of you he subconsciously created in his mind had long shattered, leaving him with big imposing questions if he really knew anything about you.

He shifted closer to you for warmth as the coldness of the question washed over him. His exhausted mind sank deeper in musing as he reflected back on his memories with you.

The hidden place beside the lake, that's where it all begun. It was the same place that teleported him to you where he got to met you and get a glimpse of your kindness and brazen personality.

After he returned back the dreadful palace, he'd always come back to the lake again and again with curiousity and vague hope. Your unconditional kindness after all had huge impact on him who knew nothing but harshness of the broken world and cruelty of people. It was safe to say he was more than just intrigued.

Years passed and that curiousity and intrigue was buried under layers and layers of memories build of only torment and pain. He had nearly forgotten the kindness of the girl whose face was starting to blur and fade away until he met you again.