Word Count - 2,335 words
Y/n abruptly opened her e/c-eyes upon hearing a loud noise coming from outside as if something fell. She looked at her side, only to find no Sota lying beside her. While on her other side, Elizabeth is sound asleep.
"I will pay you as soon as I get money! Just don't cause a commotion here! My wife and daughter are here. They're still asleep...!!"
The h/c-haired woman froze in her place, hearing her husband's voice coming from the outside and seems to be distressed.
She quickly stood up, but still careful not to wake Elizabeth up. Y/n took her shawl with her as she makes her way outside. Sota...
Y/n was in disbelief upon seeing what was happening. Her e/c-eyes are wide-open, and horror was evident in her face as she stared at her husband kneeling on the dirty ground, face wounded and bruised.
What is happening...The h/c-haired woman looked at the group of men surrounding her husband. Her eyes met the eyes of the group's leader. Y/n knew immediately who these men were. They're those loan sharks.
"Your wife is already awake."
Sota looked back at Y/n, surprised to see her. Worry and fear quickly washed over him. He immediately stood up, despite the pain he was feeling and rushed to his wife.
The black-haired man blocked Y/n from their unpleasant visitors, scared that they might do something to his silent wife.
"L-Leticia...get inside." Sota whispered.
Y/n looked at her hand that Sota is holding tightly. "They're dangerous. So get inside and stay with Elizabeth. Just...if anything happens escape in our backyard, okay?"
The h/c-haired woman gulped.
She shook her head, refusing to leave without her husband. Sota gave her a disapproving look. "I can handle this-"
"Hey, Sota. Make sure to pay your debts."
Sota and Y/n looked at the loan sharks, surprised to see them already leaving.
The h/c-haired woman felt terrified and disgusted when she saw how the leader of the loan sharks gave her a lewd stare.
"Or else...I'll take your wife as payment."
Sota gritted his teeth as he glared at the leader. The veins on his hands and arms protruded, and his jaw clenched from anger. He cursed the man inside his mind for talking bad like that about his wife.
The black-haired man only came back to his senses when he felt Y/n's warm hands caress his arm. His eyes softened as soon as he met Y/n's eyes. "I'm sorry...did I wake-"
Sota was taken aback when Y/n suddenly embraced him. So tight that he could barely breathe. It was as if his wife almost lost him and now she can't let him go. "L-Leticia...?"
The black-haired man was even more surprised when he heard his wife was already sobbing. Sota couldn't talk then.
He felt guilty because he knows Y/n ended up like this because of what she saw.
"Sorry...this won't happen again."
Y/n let go of him.
She carefully cupped his cheeks, staring at his face, then she caressed his face gently.
He could only flash Y/n a small smile to assure her that it wasn't that painful.
The h/c-haired woman gritted her teeth. Her tears won't stop falling. She was scared. Scared that things could get out of hand, and whatever the result would be at the end. "You shouldn't have borrowed money from those goons just to get me to have a check up in the capital! How will you pay them?! And what if they come back to hurt you again?! What am I gonna do then?"
Sota's brows furrowed, keeping the sad smile on his lips. He placed his hands on
Y/n's waist, he didn't say anything and just let his wife scold him.
"I know you are worried for me, that's why you insisted on taking me to a hospital in the capital. But I am okay now. There's no need to go for any check-ups. So don't think of going back to them again to ask for money. I..."
Y/n looked down, her shaking hands unconsciously gripped onto Sota's collar.
"I will lose it...if I lose you."
The black-haired man stiffened in his place. He stared at Y/n for a while.
And somehow felt like he was staring at the Y/n he saw when she first woke up from her coma four years ago.
Looking scared, sobbing like a kid, and shaking as if she was feeling cold. It was as if the world gave her nothing but only trauma to remember for the rest of her life.
Sota clenched his jaw.
He shut his eyes and pulled Y/n for an embrace. He doesn't want to see that again.
Because all he ever wants to see is his wife being happy.
"That will not happen. So don't cry anymore. I love you."
--
Since when did silence become loud?
None among Eleanor and Evan spoke since their dinner with their father and Princess Keiko began. It's only the four of them in a small dining room, enough for a family of four.
The gloominess is evident on both Evan and Eleanor.
The coldness is evident on the emperor.
While the uneasiness is evident on Princess Keiko.
Princess Keiko looked at the Eldian royal twins. She knows why they're looking gloomy. It's because of her engagement with the Eldian emperor, the father of the twins.
It's only been a few days since it was announced.
"Is...the food to your liking?"
The princess broke the deafening silence. She smiled at the twins who looked at her.
"Yes, Princess Keiko." Evan answered.
Eleanor's hold on her utensils tightened. She gritted her teeth, and looked away.
"How about you, Eleanor? Do you like the food? The dessert will be served soon, do you wish to have anymore food to be served?"
The young Eldian princess stared at her plate. She barely ate her food, yet the Hizuru princess is still asking if she liked the food, and if she wants more.
Evan let out a sigh when Eleanor didn't answer. He was about to answer for his twin-sister, but to his shock their father talked.
"Get out, Eleanor."
Eleanor looked at her father with wide-eyes, not only was she the one who was surprised but also princess Keiko and Evan.
"W-what?"
The emperor looked at her with a cold stare. "If you're going to be rude in front of the food, and to your elders, just get out."
"F-father-"
Evan tried to talk and defend his twin sister but Erwin had already spoken.
"If you don't want to leave, then apologize to your mother."
Eleanor was in disbelief. She looked at princess Keiko who was also surprised as to what the emperor referred to her. "No."
Erwin kept a stoic look despite Eleanor's stubborness. His daughter stood up, slamming her hands on the table causing some of the food to be spilled.
"P-princess Eleanor please-"
Keiko who was about to speak to try calming down Eleanor wasn't able to continue when Eleanor began crying.
"My mother is the only woman who gave birth to me, and the one who took care of me!" Eleanor stared straight into her father's eyes.
"Eleanor!"
Evan held Eleanor's hand, he tried to pull her down to sit her back down and stop her before their father gets even more mad.
The young princess didn't bulge.
Instead, she looked at princess Keiko with a stare of indifference.
"Not someone you just met and decided to marry! She will never be my mother-"
Evan and Keiko were both in disbelief when the emperor suddenly slapped Eleanor. "Father!" - "Your majesty!"
The young princess held her cheek, it hurt. It stings, and is painful. Tears streamed down to her cheeks as she looked at her father, who seemed to be also shocked at what he did to her.
Evan stood up, and stood beside her.
He wrapped his arms around her, then glared at their father.
"Father! Why did you hurt Eleanor?! Even if she was being rude, you can't hurt her like that! She is your daughter!"
"I...I'm sorry-" Erwin stepped back, he put his hands down, then tried to go to Eleanor, but Eleanor stormed out of the room.
"Princess!" Keiko was about to follow Eleanor outside, but the emperor held her back.
The Hizuru princess looked back at Erwin.
"It's better...to leave her alone for now."
Keiko stared at Erwin with worry and concern. "Y-your majesty...you look tired. I'll accompany you to your room. You should go and get some rest first."
Evan looked at his father and his father's soon-to-be bride. Disappointment was evident in his eyes as he watched his father accept the comfort of another woman.
The crown prince quietly left the room.
Is it...really over?
--
Eleanor wiped the tears on her face. She stared at the ground, leaning her head on her knees, while she also hugged them.
She couldn't believe that her father raised a hand on her.
Never did her father hurt her nor Evan before.
Though, Eleanor knows that it's her fault. She was rude, and got her father mad.
But...was hurting her necessary?
Eleanor closed her blue-eyes, letting more of her tears roll down to her cheeks. She cried, not bothering about her surroundings. She's alone anyways.
And if ever Evan arrives, then it's okay.
She can cry on him.
Mom...mother...
Eleanor called for Marie and Y/n, her two mothers. One that gave birth to her, and the one who took care of her. What should I do?
What will happen now...?
The young princess kept her eyes closed.
The warm wind blew, the leaves on the trees made rustling sound. Eleanor's long blond hair swayed along with the wind.
The sun hid behind the clouds, and the surroundings were out of bright. Eleanor could smell the fresh air coming from the aroma of the nature around her.
She's sitting down on a grassy ground, on top of a hill, and in front of her is a beautiful view of the small village they're staying at.
They just arrived yesterday, but her father and the Hizuru princess have been staying at this place for days already.
Eleanor looked at her side where her journal is. She stopped writing on it when Y/n died. "Mother...I don't want to forget you. Nor do I want my father to do so, too."
The young princess picked up her journal. She opened it on the last page she used, and it's a rough sketch of Y/n. "I don't want this."
"...are you okay?"
Eleanor froze in her place. She looked back and was surprised to see a boy who seems to be the same age as her. He has silky black hair that is a bit messy but still suits him. His eyes are brown and they're small.
His skin is pale and he looks so oriental.
The young princess stood up, frowning.
She wiped her tears, and was about to speak but to her surprise the boy handed her a wooden toy.
The young boy flashed her a genuine smile.
"Let's play. It might make you feel better."
--
"Where the hell is that kid?!"
Hina have been going back and forth, anxious as to why her little brother hasn't come home yet. It's already night time.
"Maybe he's still with his friends."
The young lady looked at Sota.
Sota and his family have come to their house since her parents invited them over for dinner. "I already went to his friends' home, but they said Hiro left early to go home. But what time is it already?! And he's not here yet! I'm gonna pinch that brat!"
Y/n let out a silent laugh. She has Elizabeth in her arms, feeding her rice ball.
"He's probably on his way home. Calm down, Hina. Even your mom and dad are not worried." Sota said, chuckling.
Hina frowned. She looked at her father who's already drunk on the floor and her mother who's entertaining herself with Elizabeth.
"Can I carry her, Leticia? Elizabeth is so cute!"
Y/n nodded and handed Elizabeth to Hina's mother. The h/c-haired woman then stood up, and began cleaning their dining table.
"Hina! Go help your sensei!"
"Fine! Then wait for Hiro!"
Sota smiled. He walked towards Y/n, then kissed her cheek. "I'll wait for Hiro outside, if he still doesn't get home in an hour, then I'm going to-" The black-haired man wasn't able to continue what he was saying when he heard the door opened.
"Oh? That must be Hiro."
"Mom! Dad! Hina!"
Just as Sota expected, it was Hiro.
Y/n looked at the door, smiling.
Hiro walked in, holding a girl's hand.
"Oh? Uncle Sota and Auntie Leticia, you guys are here...and cutie Elizabeth!" Hiro smiled upon seeing their family friend.
Elizabeth got away from Hina's mother, giggling as she ran towards Hiro.
"You brat! I told you not to stay out late!"
Hina came rushing out of the kitchen, making her way towards Hiro who quickly picked up Elizabeth and ran away.
"He's with a girl..." Sota mumbled, chuckling as he watched Hina chasing Hiro.
The black-haired man looked at his wife. His smile slowly faded away upon seeing
Y/n tearing up while staring somewhere.
Or rather...at someone.
Sota looked at the young girl Hiro brought home. He was frozen in his place seeing the disbelief on the young girl's face. Like she had seen a ghost while staring at his wife.
As if Y/n is someone the girl knows.
"Y-your...majesty?"
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