Saving The Abandoned Empress

84 Chapter 84 ~ “Expose”

As the day of the crown prince’s coming-of-age ceremony was approaching, the capital city of Valentino became crowded with incoming nobles.

It was the one and only chance for them to attend the royal ball which helds during the future emperor’s birthday with the mindset of finding a wife for him.

Even if Cathain was already engaged with Eleanora for a very long time, some people still dreamt of making their daughter’s a royal concubine or queen.

Where some noblemans comes from all over the empire to attend so that they can find a suitable groom for their daughter in the capital city.

Young unmarried girls and boys meet and gets to know each other, the ladies talks, gossips and flaunt about their wealth where the mans talk about buisness while drinking wine.

The boutiques specializing in dresses for nobles were booming, and the people were satisfied with the emperor’s rule thanks to the release of the massive reserve grains.

Some of the nobles talked about the luxurious ceremony at a time when the empire was suffering from famine.

But the emperor was determined to have the ceremony proceed in a splendid manner even if the imperial family was financially strained because of the poor crops.

Moreover, the person who came of age would be the next emperor.

.....

This is the image of the royal ball to Eleanora, who remember this things from her past.

Everyone was in a cheerful mood, but Eleanora couldn’t be. Alexander didn’t replied to any of her letters for a long time.

Eleanora knows he is very busy but she can’t help but get anxious, often afflicted with despair and hopelessness.

Because in her previous life, Alexander had already returned aroud this time.

As the day was coming nearer day by day, she got more and more nervous.

Eleanora was standing in her balcony, wearing a white nightgown and watching the moon shine brightly in the dark sky.

She glanced at the royal engagement ring in her ring finger which Cathain had made her wear forcefully during their trip in Rua Kingdom.

The ring had shiny gold design and a red diamond in the middle of it, just like Cathain’s eye.

She should take it off and threw it away but she couldn’t do it for some unknown reasons.

Everything in her life is becoming dark again slowly, the present she is seeing is different from the past she lived in.

It’s so different that sometimes she thinks if the past she saw was only a mere nightmare.

Eleanora has never saw the hatred and loathing in current Cathain’s eyes, instead they looked annoying to her now.

Because they was full of gentleness and love, that makes her want to forget the past and embrace the new future.

Eleanora sighed as she closed her eyes and lifted her chin higher to breathe the cold breez in. Then again a sweet and familiar voice rang in her ears.

“Ele...”

Eleanora opened her eyes when she heard Ain calling her with a subdued voice.

She glanced at her right side to meet Ain’s silver eyes and gave him a exhausted smile.

She wanted to call him but no words left her mouth like before. With a bitter-looking smile, Ain pulls the gloomy looking surprised Eleanora in his arms silently.

“What is disturbing you?”

Ain asked and comforted her by gently patting her back and holding her in his arms warmly.

Eleanora kept silent and then finally decided to hug him back with a heavy sigh.

Cathain kept looking at her silently.

Although Eleanora could not find the absolute comfort in him that she found in her father, she felt consoled by his gentle patting on her back.

Carried away with his warm touch, Eleanora slowly burried her head on his embrace.

It felt like some of her despair disappeared when she was held in his arms, smelling his unique body odor.

As she felt much better, Eleanora breathed deeply as she looked up to meet Ain’s eyes again. She caught Ain looking at her deeply.

‘Those eyes again...’

Either this eyes was red or changed into silver by magic, the emotions remaind the same.

It was the same as the past Eleanora’s eyes that hunts her everynight.

The past Eleanora’s eyes would look despair like this, who wanted something and got it but still it didn’t belonged to her.

Eyes that want to get close, want the same affection, anger, frustration, obsession, everything is the same as the past her.

Like their roles has been reversed.

Cathain was exactly feeling the same. It’s been a few days since he stopped having visions.

He just knows that ‘Cathain’ didn’t treat ‘Eleanora’ well, there was conspiracies... but what he wanted to know was their ending.

What happened to them in the past?

How did they died or how Eleanora remembers everything... And Liana, she is also changed.

Does she knows about the past too?

What exactly has happened?

Cathain had many questions but didn’t had any answer. He just feels helpless infront of Eleanora.

He is suffering for sins that he didn’t even done but can’t even deny that he really didn’t did it.

‘Just what should i do, Ele?’

The past traditions says if you spent the first moment of your 18th birthday with the person you love and have your first dance with that person at your coming of age ceremony... then you will be with that person till your last moments.

He have seen Eleanora’s face first at the exact moment, so she would be always with him from now on right?

She would also have to dance with him tomorrow at ball. They must always stay together. He can’t give her up.

For some reasons, Cathain was feeling anxious like he was about to lose Eleanora.

And then he felt Eleanora sigh heavily as she spoke in a low voice in his embrace.

“Was it fun to mess with me, Your highness, The crown prince...?”

“?!!!”

Cathain’s eyes widened in shock and panicked. How did she guessed?

“I don’t know what you are talking about...”

Cathain spoke in a trembling voice as he scratched his neck and looked away.

“This is what the crown prince does too... When he lies.”

Eleanora spoke in a cold voice without even looking into his eyes and Cathain’s hands stopped moving.

He never realised just a tiny habbit of his would make him expose.

“I-Is that so? It must be coincidence... you must have been mistaken.”

“Is that so?”

Eleanora let go of him and took a few steps back as she kept her head hanging low.

Cathain took a step forward in panic and tried to held her hands but Eleanora slapped away his hands.

“Then lets ends things here, I don’t need anymore training. My father would be back shortly and everything will get clear by then...”

Eleanora speak as she turned away to leave her balcony, leaving the terrified Cathain.

‘End here? No...this isn’t what i wanted... it can’t end here!’

“No! Ele, wait!”

Cathain grabbed Eleanora’s hands to make her stop on her tracks and she stood still, her back facing him.

“You know... tomorrow, i thought of calling off my engagement with the crown prince. If things got messy, i thought of running away with you...”

“!!!!”

Cathain’s heart felt like stab with a sword. She wanted to leave everything behind and run away jut to not marry him?

But the person she wanted to run away with was also him...

“But see... I thought of running away with the same man whom i hate and want to escape!”

Eleanora finally turned back, her silver hair shining under the moonlight as tear drops fall like some crystal clear diamonds from her eyes.

Cathain froze. He wanted to wipe away her tears but couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He felt like his brain has stopped working.

Eleanora felt betrayed, hurt, anger, sadness and all emotions at once.

.....

She didn’t knew either to laugh or cry...

Eleanora gritted her teeth as she grabbed Cathain, who was in disguise of Ain by his coller and spoke in a aggrieved voice.

“I trusted you, Ain!”

Eleanora yelled at Cathain, who just stood still because he had nothing to say, for defending himself.

“Why did you did that to me?!”

“WHY?!!!”

No matter how much Eleanora spoke, Cathain just remained silent and let her vent which made her feel more disappointed.

It would be better if he just ignored her and did nothing like before.

The weekends training, exploring resturents, late night meetings, talk about books... everything was just a lie.

From the very beginning, it was all him... the person she wanted to avoid at any cost.

Before the national founding day and Rua Kingdom trip, she thought Cathain was still the same as before.

But nothing was same as the past from the very beginning, everything had changed but she failed to see it.

Eleanora’s hand released his collers and gradually dropped as she also looked down.

In a low voice, words which Eleanora never wanted to speak off came out with a heavy heart.

“...I loved you, Ain.”