20 CH 20 ~ Into The Darkness, Again

Eleanora's P.O.V~

A few moments ago, Marquise Derrick Rosalie came into the office room and called my father for an urgent meeting called by the emperor.

It seemed like there was a sudden problem with the temple as I had also seen some priests from Arndell on my way.

In the eastern continent, even if almost all the kingdoms are under the rule of the Valentino Empire; the main temple is still in Arndell. 

Arndell is considered the land of holiness as there is a myth that the God of Angel will be born there in the future, even before the Valentino Empire was born. 

The people there were said to be so pious that the lord of the Gods was pleased with their behavior and blessed them with divine powers, later they got the prophecy. 

Even the only Saintes of this continent was from Arndell and the influence of this holy place only decreased as the first emperor of the Valentino Empire turned it into a small kingdom from a great Empire. 

Thus, the Valentino Imperial family showed respect to them by letting the Arndell temple be the main temple of the Continent and maintained a friendly relationship by seeking suggestions from them.

So, there is no way that Father can avoid this meeting and I smiled at him while gesturing for him to go.

I could tell by seeing his eyes that he was reluctant to leave me alone, but Marquise Rosalie lastly dragged him out of the room to attend the meeting.

With Father being gone, I looked around the room for a moment before I started to feel suffocated. 

I should go out and relax a little...

With that thinking, I went out of the room and began to roam around the imperial palace. 

"Good Morning, Princess,"

"Greetings, Princess," 

A few knights and nobles greeted me as I passed by them; I am still the crown prince of this empire after all.

Disrespecting me meant an insult to the imperial family members, and I nodded back at them in acknowledgment of their greeting without any pause in my step.

Those who do not know may call me arrogant for this kind of behavior, but this is a hidden custom. 

One has to pause on his step and bow down with their right hand placed above their left chest to show sincerity in their greeting; while the other responds with only a nod and only starts a conversation if they are close. 

And this rule applies to everyone regardless of their age. 

I shook my head as it wasn't a time for me to recall the traditions my teacher taught me when I was young and decided to focus on my surroundings. 

The shadow of the tall trees that were planted on both sides of the white marble road blocked the sunlight as I kept walking on these familiar paths, while I still couldn't distinguish if I was dreaming now or if whatever I experienced was only a nightmare. 

I tried to calm myself down as every path, only reminded me of horrible memories.

Maybe it was just a nightmare... 

But can a nightmare be so vivid and real? 

My brain fought against my heart which just wanted to consider those memories only as a nightmare and the distant memory of the young silver-haired woman kept flashing in my mind as I walked.

Was she my future self? 

Is that how my future will be? 

...Staying alone in such a huge palace all alone with no one to talk to? 

I unconsciously ended up walking far away from my father's office and stopped in the middle of the imperial garden.

A gentle breeze passed by me with the crisping sound of the leaves, and my fluffy skirt swayed along with my hair as I got lost in thoughts again. 

I am also alone in the duchy, but the knights and the maids never let me feel alone. 

And the memories from that nightmare were brought back again.

Yeah, that girl stood there and cried as she stroked her belly which had a tiny life inside of it.

Maybe she could live if she had revealed her pregnancy, but then both of them would have to live a worse life than dead.

With a mother who escaped her sentence because she was pregnant with him and a father who didn't care about him and his mother.

A prince with no political support as his mother was forced to give up her place as the empress and with his grandfather being suspected of treason... he would lead a life worse than beggar.

Maybe he would also be neglected like her after that girl gave birth to another child again.

I felt pity for the girl in my dream.

Why were you so selfless? 

Or should I be thankful to her, because I no longer expect any love from my father or anyone because of her?

I just want to live peacefully and fulfill my duties as the empress because I thought it was my duty to support him…

This was why I was the crown princess so that I could already begin learning the duties of the empress to help him run the empire after he became the emperor.

I guess, I am still too young to think about anything romantically.

Thus, I never thought that being the empress was not only about running the empire together and responsibilities. 

I would also have a personal life with him, which I only realized after this nightmare. 

Hah...

I couldn't help but chuckle as that nightmare seemed to mature me a few years older and made me realize... how horrible this man would be in the future. 

Good thing that at this time, we aren't close at all and I would be surprised if he could even utter my whole name without thinking for a moment. 

Previously, I had tried to befriend him and start a conversation as I felt I should get familiar with him as we were engaged.

I was going to become his empress after all, so it would have been better to know each other a little like all the other young couples.

Early engagement is normal here, where getting engaged after being an adult is considered as the person must have a flaw to be engaged so late. 

Girls also lived with their in-laws right after the engagement and got married after their coming-of-age ceremony, but my father firmly rejected it in my case. 

Thanks to him, I am unfamiliar with my so-called fiancée.

So, it won't be hard to get rid of the crown prince. 

And to repay his kindness, I will stop following him around from now on.

I noted down mentally as I started to take some baby steps while thinking about the engagement.

He didn't attend our engagement ceremony and I ignored his rudeness as he was the only one who cared for me during my mother's funeral.

I didn't love him but I kind of liked him as my fiancée.

He makes everyone look up to him, his superior aura and calm behavior is just like my father.

But the good impression I had of him just died because of that nightmare.

And those memories are just too vivid to be a dream... could it be that I am back to the past?

My hands unconsciously went to my neck as I gulped down in fear. 

I don't want to die...again,

Is there someone who can help me?

But also... will I not be considered as a madman for this?

In the end, I let out a deep sigh as I turned around to leave the garden.

My mind is too confused now, maybe I should take a good rest and then think about everything again. 

That dream may be weird, but I am acting weirder like someone else is controlling all my instincts and emotions while I am still in control.

And just then a frown appeared on my face as I bumped into something and fell back on the ground.

Just how did I fail to notice the tree-

But the shadow over me instantly realized that I hadn't bumped into any tree.

The person I had bumped into didn't even move an inch after seeing me fall and I could tell who it was even without looking up.

If it was any other person, they would have freaked out for bumping into the crown princess and making her fall... not so calm like this,

But as soon as a hand with a long slender finger which was covered in white gloves came before my eyes, my body instantly went numb, and my brain stopped working.

Black hair that shined like golden under the bright sunlight and his bloody red eyes which looked darker as the shadow of his hair fell over his face.

I could feel my heart beating faster and wore a horrible expression of fear unconsciously as my senses got overpowered by the memories of that nightmare again.

No...

No... No... No... No...

He can't be here.

I don't want to see him...

Go away!!!

~You are nothing, Empress. She is the only one who can bear my child and will be my heir~

No, please, stop... I don't want to hear it again...

I am giving up...so let me go...

~The former empress has been found guilty of the charges against her~

Cold, familiar red eyes stared down at me with a piercing gaze, like a tiger watching its prey with curiosity and I couldn't hear anything except those voices from my dream ringing in my ear. 

~Therefore, with the power held within me, I, Cathain De Valerian Valentino, Emperor of the Valentino empire...~

I managed to take two steps back with the help of my trembling hands slowly; unable to take my eyes off the teenage boy; in whom I saw an adult man dressed like in emperor's clothing.

~...sentence you, Eleanora La Alexander Dalton, former empress of the Valentino Empire...~

I seemed to hear a familiar friendly voice called out to me, who was standing beside the crown prince.

His violet eyes showed concern before they slowly filled with disgust just like I had seen in my dream, and I failed to register their words.

~...to death~

You have to run...

He...He is going to kill you...

I tried to get up to run as my mind commanded me before I fell backward in panic, and he just kept looking at me with dumbfounded eyes.

His extended hand was still hanging in the air as I moved away from him a little more before a frown appeared on his face and he retracted his hand to run them into his hair with an annoyed expression. 

~Your sentence is to be carried out immediately~

~Bring me that sword~ 

No, please, make it stop!!

I covered my ears feebly as the rational side of my heart tried to convince me this wasn't real, but my body and mind responded otherwise.

Stop... stop... stop... STOP... STOP...STOP... STOP...

My body began to tremble, trying to force out those memories from my mind.

"Lady Dalton…"

~Empress…~

My eyes widened as two voices echoed in unison in my mind.

That was his voice.

Even if it sounds less hostile and cold, I can still recognize it.

It broke through my mental turmoil enough to make me freeze.

It was the same.

That wasn't a nightmare but my future...

Where I will be the reason for the downfall of my family and lose my life...

"... Why are you here?"

I unconsciously managed to whisper, even though I knew that my question was illogical. 

But the boy before me seemed to freeze as he heard my question and as expected, the frown on his face turned deeper.

"You realize that I am the crown prince of this empire and it's normal for me to be here, right?"

He asked but I wasn't able to reply.

I just want him to go away from here... 

The further the better!

Not getting any answer from me he took back his extended hand as he crossed them over his chest, gazing down at me with a pissed-off look on his face.

"Crown Princess, it's rude to present yourself in this manner to your future emperor, the crown prince."

The friendly voice rang again but all I could see was how his eyes glowed with hatred, the moment that boy with violet eyes called me the crown princess.

Beige hair and violet eyes...

Marquise heir Brayden De Henry Hill...

The aid of the crown prince...

Who would hate me in the future just like everyone else...

"You- get up right now! Do you want others to see this and then think that I am bullying you?!"

I could hear what he was saying but all I could see was the 26-year-old emperor in him, who hated his empress.

How he had killed his empress… me…

Over... and over... and over... and over again...

"Are you honestly just going to completely ignore what I am saying to you?"

"Where is your perfect manner?"

He spoke, increasingly becoming angrier.

But, I couldn't get my body to respond.

Nothing I did would let me take control.

I was helpless to him, just as I had been in that future I saw.

Everything will be the same as my dream.

The nightmare will come true.

"Stop this drama and get up right now! Lady Dalton!"

I could feel the tone of his superior authority trying to command me, but even that wasn't able to get through to me.

I just kept staring at him blankly, all the blurry memories in my mind were getting clear.

When he saw me still refusing to move, he eventually lost patience and reached his hand out towards me.

And, my body finally did react.

I recalled how he had slapped that girl… no, he had slapped me that night…

My body automatically flinched, turning my face away as I held my hands up in defense against the slap I anticipated was about to land.

But it never came.

I dared to peek up at him and saw he held a look of shock at my response, the hand he had stretched out having stopped midway before making contact.

I looked at his arm and, to my surprise, I saw how it was positioned as if he had been planning to pull me up rather than slap me.

I had acted on impulse when there had been no real danger of physical pain.

Why am I acting like this?

"I think it might be best not to touch her and leave her be for a moment to calm down."

Right then, a soft voice sounded, and a person stepped in between us which blocked my view of the Crown Prince. 

All I could see was his broad shoulder and his dark blue hair...

Wait, 

Dark blue hair?

My heart skipped a beat as I finally realized who he was and he turned back to look at me at the same time, before squatting down to meet my trembling jewel-blue eyes.

"I, the second prince of Arndell Kingdom, Dominic De Caisson Arndell; greet her highness, the princess of the Dalton Duchy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you finally after a long time."

He reached out his hands for me to place them above his for a greeting kiss, but I felt my vision going black before I could gasp at the situation, and,

.

.

.

Fall into the darkness, again...