'... Maybe nine-year-old athanasia was tested by Claude as well. It's just not depicted in the book.'
"Hmm…" Anastacius hummed in doubt. "Well, his majesty rarely spent time with her in the book so it would be impossible for them to have time and to make his Majesty test the princess."
'What should I do? What can I do?'
"Princess…"
Claude continued to tap his finger on the table making the princess more uneasy in each second.
Lucas rested his chin on his palm, waiting in anticipation.
Athanasia opened her trembling mouth to speak.
"F-father?" Athanasia couldn't help but stutter.
Everyone leaned forward, curious about how Claude would react about his daughter calling him 'father'.
The princess immediately shut her mouth, regretting what she had said. She stayed on her seat, not moving an inch while waiting for the Emperor to speak.
But inside her mind was a total mess. 'Of all things I could have said, father?!'
The screen showed the princess floating around, shouting the word 'father'. 'Let it be known that I've dug my own grave.'
Everyone in the room gave the princess a worried look.
'So, that's what she was thinking about that time.' Claude thought.
'Supreme and noble Majesty, the Emperor of the great Obelian Empire.'
'I should have just kissed his feet…'.
"Princess!" Lily exclaimed. "Please, don't…"
"Hmm?" Claude only tilted his head, confusing the princess.
This made some of them in the room look confused as the Princess.
'W-what? Didn't I just have an epic fail?' Athanasia confusedly thought.
'Huh? Wait up… come to think of it…'
"Hmm?" Anastacius thought, curious about what his niece was thinking.
'Claude liked Jennette right?'
"I never did." Claude said out loud. "Your Majesty, the princess meant in the novel…"
Jennette appeared on the screen, she was smiling brightly just as her blue jeweled eyes shined.
'I couldn't deny that Ms. Margarita has a charm.' Lily thought, smiling slightly.
'Then, if that's the case… If I'm just drawing his attention…'
"... Papa?"
This made Claude smiled slightly.
Athanasia's heart began thumping rapidly when Claude didn't respond.
Claude raised his head. 'GAAAHHH! Why won't he respond?'
'Now I have no other choice!'
Lucas leaned forward.
Athanasia smiled brighter than before, "Papa!" She exclaimed, her smile reaching her eyes.
"Oh my!" Lily exclaimed, obviously affected by the princess' cuteness.
Jennette covered her mouth. "It's a blessing to see the princess' cuteness…"
Ezekiel only smiled. 'Nothing has changed.'
'Someone please tell me I haven't just come up with a new way to beg death!!'
"Oh princess, this cuteness of yours will kill thousands of people." Lily said, still affected by the princess' charm.
The screen turned white and the word "Who Made Me A Princess" appeared.
"Has it always been there?" Ijekiel asked.
"Another title of a book?" Lucas' brows furrowed.
'To get straight to the point. I survived."
Jennette sighed in relief.
'But the Ruby Palace was thrown into chaos… Since I wasn't in bed like I should have been.'
Lily nodded. "I remembered how worried we were because we couldn't find the princess."
The screen showed countless maids in the Ruby Palace searching everywhere, including Lilian.
Then the red haired knight– Felix came, walking towards the Ruby Palace, holding Athanasia on his arm. 'Imagine their surprise when I returned in the arms of the Emperor's royal knight.'
Anastacious shook his head. 'Ah… I already imagined how chaos it would be if something will happen to her in the future.'
Lily immediately stole the princess from the Royal knight's grasps and hugged her tightly. Lily was glaring daggers to the Knight, Felix shook his arms, signaling that he didn't do anything to harm the princess.
The maids immediately checked if the princess has wounds, and glared to the poor knight. 'The kidnapper!' The maids thought.
"I would be able to do that!" Felix almost cried.
'I won't help,' Lily gently puts Athanasia down. 'He left me with Claude.'
"Princess!!" Felix cried. "I couldn't do anything… I'm sorry…"
'How annoying.' Claude thought, pertaining to Felix.
"His Majesty said he would come visit the princess Athanasia in the near future."
'Eh?!' Shocked plastered on their faces.
'Did he just…? Whats with this response?'
The screen showed the maids with a half-scared and half-happy expression.
'Is everyone this happy to recieve the Emperor's attention?'
'They must be happy, since Claude rarely give interest of something or someone.' Anastacius said.
'What would the dirtbag Claude want with me?'
Anastacius snickered, causing to make Claude annoyed.
'No! Waahh!'
'But life never goes as I planned.' Athanasia cried on her thought. 'My faith is sealed in whichever way the Emperor want it.' Lily kneeled down to match with Athanasia's height.
"Princess are you hur…" Lily wasn't able to finish when the princess puke.
"Princess!"
"She probably forced herself to finish the desserts since someone threatened her to." Anastacius sarcastically said, looking at Claude.
"For once, shut your mouth." Claude said, annoyed by his remark.
'But first, I should empty out my stomach…'
The night came, as the screen showed the princess writing her plans. 'Plan A: not getting noticed by Claude and living inside Ruby Palace until I die.' She wrote a 'Plan A failed' before she scratch the paper.
'I was to naive.'
'I thought everything was fine as long as I was careful.'
'Ugh. How could that simple looking Palace be Claude's living space!'
"Having a simple Palace has nothing to do with it, you should have thought more carefully if someone lives there." Claude said.
'Ruby Palace is supposed to be the house of Concubines, not the Empress. Why is it so close to the Emperor's Palace?' Athanasia crumpled the paper.
'Plan B: save enough money to escape the Palace before turning 18.'
Claude scoffed. 'As If I would let my only daughter with Diana leave. I'm not the bastard on that book.'
'Ah, this is still in the realm of possibility. Although I ended up meeting the Emperor 4 years earlier…'
"I think the princess' fate started to change when she roamed around inside the Garnet Palace, and she met the Emperor 4 years earlier." Jennette said, looking at Ijekiel for confirmation. Ijekiel smiled and nodded in confirmation.
'So it means the princess wouldn't suffer like in the novel.' She sighs in relief.
"But it wouldn't mean that she is far away from danger." Lucas said, looking at Jennette as if he could read her mind.
'He doesn't seem to want to kill me this instant…'
'Should I be collecting more of my pretties?' Athanasia thought, wiggling her feet. 'When I leave this Palace, I could dress up as one of the maids and use the doggy door.'
'Doggy door? Is she being serious?' Lucas thought.
Athanasia glanced at the paper. 'And finally… Plan C: continue playing cute to steal Claude's heart.' Athanasia stared blankly at the paper as she read the last plan.
Lucas smiled slightly. 'Don't worry, you will succeed.'
'I… I suppose it's not impossible?' Athanasia thought to herself. 'I already know what happens according to the book.'
'Maybe being daddy's little girl is pushing it… But I might be able to get close enough to him so that he won't want to murder me.'
"Don't worry, princess. I surely know you will be able to achieve your goals, and you won't be alone like in the book." Lily said, as if the princess on the screen would hear her.
'He did let me go after hearing me blurt out 'Papa'.' Athanasia covered herself with a blanket, embarrassed by what happened earlier.
"Gaahh!!" She repeatedly kicked the blanket, showing how embarrassed she was. 'So shameful!'
They chuckled. Claude only raised his brow. "There's nothing shameful about calling your father, 'papa'."
Athanasia finally calmed down. "... Alright."
'I'm gonna carry out both Plan B and C!'
"I wish you luck, Princess." Ijekiel's smile reached his eyes.
'The shame and embarrassment I'll suffer from it… Will be an investment for my future.' Athanasia cringed.
"Princess, it's bedtime."
"Tuck me in, Lily…" Athanasia said in a sleepy voice.
To Be Continued.