The very next day, Hala rushed into Celine's chambers early in the morning. She lifted Celine's sheets and shook her body awake. Hala raised her voice as she announced Sir Viliga's sudden visit.
Celine was barely awake to process Hala's urgent news and slowly rubbed her eyes, blankly staring at the panicking woman before her.
"... My father...?" She asked before widening her eyes in shock.
Hala was saddened by her lady's lack of parental guidance. Even though she had grown to be a beautiful and kind woman, Hala's heart still broke for Celine's younger self. She secretly cursed Sir Viliga for abandoning Celine and not allowing her to experience true love from a family. Therefore, this piece of news had shocked Hala greatly. She didn't know whether she should cry or seethe in anger.
She shook her thoughts away and smiled bitterly. "Yes, your grace. He just sent a letter that arrived today. He will be here in the afternoon."
"It's too early for this."
Celine's head buzzed with confusion and disbelief. He was visiting now? After 16 years? Was she supposed to welcome him with open arms?
I don't think so.
Celine released a heavy sigh, wondering what prompted this man to suddenly visit her out of the blue.
"I wonder if it's because of the rumors I've been subjected to." She wondered aloud.
"My lady, perhaps Sir Viliga wants to form a bond with his only daughter?" Hala was slightly hopeful, and her innocent brown eyes shined brightly as she imagined Celine forming a close bond with her estranged father.
Celine didn't want to disappoint or hurt Hala since she could be quite sensitive. Sometimes Hala seemed to experience certain emotions for Celine, who was indifferent about many things. Celine knew that Hala was depressed for her master, who grew up alone in the palace. Fortunately, Celine was not the teenage girl who desperately craved her father's approval and affection. Celine never considered Sir Viliga to be her father, especially since she had another family she cherished greatly.
She merely nodded at Hala's words, and returned to her deep slumber. She woke up late in the afternoon and proceeded to go about her day slowly. She did not prepare for his visit ahead of time and merely received him once he arrived.
****
Celine sat besides Prince Zayden at their designated spot deep within the library. They heard a clamor of shoes against the marble floor and saw Hala rushing towards them.
"Sir Viliga is waiting underneath the terrace!" She ran towards the pair and beckoned Celine to follow her.
Prince Zayden placed his hand over Celine's in alarm, with shock written across his face.
She smiled sheepishly. "Oops... I forgot to mention that my father wanted to see me. Exciting, right?"
He frowned and gently rubbed the back of her hand. "Will you be okay?"
Celine stood up from her seat and retracted her hand from his touch. "Of course. He's so irrelevant to my life that I just forgot to mention it to you."
"I'll go with you then." He reached out for her again, but Celine was already walking away with Hala.
"Thank you for the offer, but I feel the need to meet with him alone. Don't worry though, he can't touch me because I have Draco." She gave him one last reassuring smile before disappearing completely, leaving Zayden alone in the vast library.
****
Although Celine had insisted that she was indifferent to her father, she couldn't help feel jittery and slightly nervous. The palm of her hands sweat profusely, and adrenaline rushed through her head.
In truth, Celine never had a fatherly figure in her life. Her father had abandoned her in the previous life, leaving a scar in Celine's heart that was later healed by her mother. She was confused as to why she was overwhelmed by this sudden timidness, and figured that her mind probably anticipated someone like her previous father.
It was a pathetic feeling.
She saw Sir Viliga before he noticed her. When he finally turned around, his face only seemed to become increasingly tense. He frowned as if her appearance was distasteful, although Celine was only wearing a simple garment.
What a cruel father, to abandon his daughter for 16 years and shamelessly appear before her with a cold expression, Celine narrowed her eyes.
Celine felt extremely empathetic for the original character, and was glad that her heart was not disappointed or hurt. She slowly greeted him with a hostile smile.
"Hello, father."
This label seemed to infuriate Sir Viliga, who's brown eyes became inflamed.
Celine never would have expected Sir Viliga to utter the next following words, which shocked her greatly.
"You are no daughter of mine. You are the bastard child of that whore who betrayed me." His eyes were filled with scorn and resentment, as if he was facing his late wife again.
(Flashback)
Many years ago, Sir Viliga had fallen in love with a beautiful noblewoman. He foolishly believed that they would raise a loving family and live a long, prosperous life. Blinded by his own feelings, he pampered his pregnant wife and was wholly unprepared by the shocking scandal that would break his heart into millions of pieces.
During the middle of a stormy night, Celine was born. The midwife cowered in fear as she presented a baby with silver hair and multicolored eyes to Sir Viliga.
Although the baby had just been born, it was clear that this child was not his. His wife's betrayal spread like rapid fire throughout the empire. He attempted to suppress the rumors, for a woman who committed adultery would be stoned to death. Despite Sir Viliga's broken heart, he desperately wanted his beloved wife to live.
He still remembered the humiliation and pain he felt as his wife insisted that the baby was his.
"Just leave with the child." The life in his eyes had disappeared completely, replaced with exhaustion and misery. His tone softened, and unspeakable pain was left in his voice. "Leave and live well."
I can not bear to see you stoned because I still love you more than I love myself. So at least be happy somewhere else.
His wife hiccuped and wept on the floor. She lamented, "Please believe me. There must be a reason for why our daughter's hair and skin color is different."
Still, Sir Vigos did not believe her. He knew that both of their ancestors did not possess such features as distinct as the baby's. He was also aware of his wife once encountering a man with silver hair and golden irises. However, his love for her was so vast that he embraced her crumbled form and wept alongside his wife. The pain of betrayal and loss of trust was agonizing, yet the pain of losing his wife was greater.
His beloved wife never left and remained in their estate, stubbornly insisting that she had never betrayed him.
Even if he had forgiven her, the world could not forget the scandal. The very next day, Sir Viliga was called to the palace. He returned home later in the evening to find his wife's cold and battered body in front of his gates. She had been dragged to the streets, stoned to death, then dragged back to their estate.
"My wife..." His legs gave out, so he crawled to his dead wife. He reached out and traced her delicate eyelids. "My love, why are your eyes closed." He held her body close and cradled her gently as if she was the most fragile being in the world. "No.. Please... " His cries became louder as he screamed hysterically. "I allowed you to live with that man... I forgave you.. So how could you do this to me! How can you leave like this when I gave you everything?"
He hurled onto his front gate, and eventually collapsed from exhaustion. For several months, he isolated himself in a villa far away and drank until he was numb.
Sir Viliga knew that the newborn baby did no wrong, yet he deeply resented the her for being the catalyst to his wife's brutal end. He couldn't bear to face her and relive his memories, which was why he gave her to the Emperor as the Crown Prince's fiancee. This was his parting gift to his late wife, who would surely rest peacefully with the knowledge that her daughter was the future Empress of the Zionitte Empire.
As the years passed by, Sir Viliga hardened from war and began anew with his second wife. He forgot about Celine, and locked the memories with his first wife into the deepest part of his brain.
The only emotions that remained after 16 years was indignation and terrible resentment, which is exactly how he felt as he faced Celine for the first time.