To You Who Was Abandoned

Chapter 3: Goes On

"Marquis Keiran La Monique is dead" The messenger said.

Clak!

The fork that Aristia was picking up, fell unto the table with a loud sound.

"What?"

Her ears were playing a trick on her. Right?

Aristia noticed Ruvelius glaring at the messenger. In a brusque voice, he commanded. "I told you not to relay the information! Guards take him away"

The guards standing at the door, came and escorted the messenger out of the dining room of the imperial family.

Aristia sprung up from her chair.

"Mummy?"

"Mum, what happened?"

The three children sitting at the table noticed the change of atmosphere in the room.

Leah, their nanny, who had been standing aside, came over and took the children away. She realized that the Emperor and Empress had to be left alone.

"Come let's go children" They closed the door behind them.

Aristia looked at Ruvelius. Hurt and pain all over her face, eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"What? You told the messenger not to relay which information? Ruve, tell me it's not true"

Ruvelius sighed then stood up. He walked over to Aristia then took her in his arms. Coaxing her in a soothing tone. "It's okay, Tia"

"No!" She shook herself away from him. So much emotions swayed her all at once. Shock, sadness, anger and confusion.

"Marquis Keiran La Monique is dead"  The words rang in her head.

"Ruve, tell me it's not true. How can it be true?!"

"Calm down, Tia"

***
Marquis Keiran La Monique was Aristia's beloved father. In her first life there relationship had been a bit distant, but she had mended their tattered relationship in this one.

Her father cared for her, while Aristia equally cared for him.

But.

After she became Empress, her duties made her busy. Making her unable to see him as often as she had in the past.

The only time she saw him was during congress meetings in which all the heads of prominent noble families had to attend. As years passed, the Marquis grew old and his duties in the palace were lessened.

For twenty years he had not come to the imperial palace and had instead been residing in the territory of the Monique family. Aristia had not once visited him during this time. They barely communicated, if you exclude the letters which took almost two weeks to be delivered to-and-fro.

Now she regretted this distance in their relationship as father and daughter. So many things ran through her mind. Aristia had thought that in this second life their relationship would be perfect, but sadly she had been doing a bad job

People say 'there's no medicine for regret'. Well, Aristia learnt this very well. But instead she earnestly wished that 'there was a medicine for death'. Some miracle that could revive her father. 

However, as she stood in the graveyard, before the stone which had her father's name written on it, she knew deep down in her heart that there was no way to revive him. That time wouldn't rewind for her a second time just to save her father.

The opportunity to stand close to the Marquis was thrown away. In this second life all she had done was lavish in Ruvelius' complete love. Pursuing her own happiness without concern for other people.