Chapter 6 -- Nightmare (5)

Shockingly, Claude was suffering from the loss of his memories. Athy scoffed dryly after hearing the news from Felix, who escorted back to the Emerald Palace. I mean, memory loss? Isn't this something that would happen only in novels or dramas? Then, Athy came to a significant realization. Oh, right. This is a novel. This world is inside the book Lovely Princess.

Seeing the stunned princess, Lily and Felix hesitated. Finally, they suggested that she rest, before leaving the room in silence. They looked helpless and depressed. Athanasia learned that, due to Claude's condition, they had taken pains to prevent her from leaving her room. According to Felix, Claude had lost all memories from the time he'd first met Athy onwards.

This meant that Claude did not remember the nine years he had spent with his daughter. No matter how many times the knight had tried to explain, Claude treated Felix as if he was under the influence of black magic. The emperor remained adamant that it was simply impossible for him to have a daughter.

After recalling Claude's malicious stare and words, she couldn't help but think she was in a laughable situation. Everything seemed so surreal. But the Claude she had met, the knight by his side and even Lily, who had tried so dissuade Athy from her outing, all showed that her situation was very real. Then it's true? Is Claude suffering from memory loss? It's like one of those unbelievable plotlines that could only happen in dramas.

"There's no way." Laughing in utter disbelief, the princess flopped onto her bed. This is a joke. What am I supposed to do from now on? Her future seemed so bleak. When she recalled the way Claude coldly glared at her, Athy felt as though a heavy rock had been dropped on her chest.

"If you treasure your life, you had better not show so much as a hair outside of the palace."

For some reason, Claude allowed her to live despite denying she was his daughter. Still, there had been a condition to his leniency: confinement. The emperor had ordered that she was never to leave the Emerald Palace.

But really? If I leave this palace and happen to end up in his sights, he will kill me?

The way he looked at her made the princess sure that he definitely would. And yet his warning didn't seem real.

Athy had never expected that Claude might forget about her. No… Was I really so blind? Then, why did I not go to Claude until today? Why did I listen to Felix and Lily and stayed in my room? Even if Claude hadn't come to see me, I could have gone to see him first. No matter how much Lily fussed, she wouldn't have been able to stop me if I'd made up my mind to go.

"Ah… Everything's so stupid."

Athy laid on her bed and hid her face with her arms. Even though no one was there to see her, she did not want to show her face. Perhaps she'd seen this coming. Deep down, when Claude woke up and behaved so coldly towards her, she had known it was not a temporary symptom. He could no longer recognize her. The princess hadn't wanted to admit it, not until she'd seen the evidence with her own eyes.

Before they'd left, Lily and Felix had consoled Athy. They told her that, despite Claude's current state, he would surely regain his memories in time. She genuinely wished for them to be right. Maybe Claude will open those doors right now and tell me this was all a bad joke. Perhaps he'll come and say that he wanted to teach me a lesson by pretending to lose his memories so that I could appreciate how dangerous the whole incident was. Or maybe Claude's lost memories will magically return tomorrow.

But soon, the princess began to have other thoughts. I was never a lucky person before. Why did I think this life would be any different? Unease began to eat away at her heart again. There was no one to alleviate her anxiety, so Athy didn't get a wink of sleep. Before she knew it, dawn greeted her.