Tower: Murky and Charming

Chapter 36: Mature

AN: PAIN! ALL I KNOW IS PAINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

A little warning for yall because my mind is exploding and uh it has some..... Where's the tissue and towels.

Also late update. I actually made another chapter to my forbidden oneshot 😄.

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*Obelia*

Inside the peaceful country that was living great, the news of their precious emperor waking up spread happiness as they rejoiced for his ruling again. Expecting that the empire will live glorious when a qualified heir has shown her worth and saved this country from ruin. The happiness only lasted temporarily when their princess ran away once again.

Why would she do that? How does that idea even come up when she's living well in her own country? She's loved by everyone now, the first princess worked for her position and they admired her for it. Athanasia is favored by the public and so her disappearance had a major impact.

Compared to the first time when she was wrongfully accused and chased away when people pitied her, the country missed their dear princess. But they have another right? Well, that second princess got exposed and turned out to be a devil behind the angel's mask. They were disgusted that she tried to kill her own sister even though the first princess already forgave her and explained the brunette didn't mean to. People weren't convinced and when she got expelled and deprived of her status. They cheered.

Whilst that mess happened, another chaos was happening within the walls of the palace. The days and nights are different for the emperor who had just woken up. The servants would often witness him wandering out of his office and going to the private sectors of the previous princess's residence even though the physician and knight strongly advise him to rest inside. Rumour has it that he lost his mind and can't even function as a normal being.

Although he remains composed in front of others and still works diligently, the complexity of his just worsens every day. Even the man looked better when he was bedridden, ironic. Sometimes in the dead of night, servants that are awake during midnight would hear a distant muffled deep voice, sounding like a mourn for someone gone away from his life. Pity.

He's poisoning himself some would say. He does not listen to the warnings of others that tell him to stop his habit. Drowning himself in the regret and sorrow, drinking as his tolerance builds up. The pain will never go away.

"Felix, has she been found yet?" The emperor asked first thing in the morning when the knight entered the dreaded bedroom that reeked of remorse.

"Your Majesty, I advised you to take a rest now" Felix suggested to which Claude ignored, still spacing out and staring at the one portrait left behind by the young princess. Still stunned by the breathtaking picture that cannot be destroyed now.

Claude hearing Felix's statement that ignored his question, he takes it as a no. The same as always.

".... Are you sure you're searching properly?" He asked in a low melancholic tone. Felix can hear the pain in it as he refrains from choking. "I promise I won't hurt her"

"Your Majesty, everyone is doing their best to search for her. All of Obelia now knows her identity so please just rest. Though I believe she's safe"

A reminder that silence the emperor once again, everything changed in a span of one year during his coma. It is still astounding to believe he wasn't abandoned though it would've been better if he was. Searching for her again is useless when he couldn't find her the first time so what makes it different this time?