Saving The Abandoned Empress

154 “Alexander’s Regret”

Alexander kept pondering about how to participate in the war as he knows what happened in the past.

That day Eleanora was saved because of the reinforcement and then she personally marched towards the capital city of Rua to kill King Mendel personally.

Right after cutting off the neck of King Mendel, Eleanora’s emotion which she was suppressing came put and she fainted right there after exploding her own mana which made the building collapse.

Alexander can never forget the scene when the building collapsed with Eleanora still being inside of it and how the emperor carried out the unconscious Eleanora with blood covering her whole body.

Even after killing Mendel by her own hands, she still couldn’t overcome the shock she went through when all those knights died voluntarily to save her.

No healing powers or medicine worked on her either. She would often get up from her sleep at late night and yell that she killed them.

At that time, he was concerned about her but he also had to take care of the casualties after that war.

They had just overcome the damage from the war with Republic, when they had to fight against Kingdom Rua again.

With the empress being sick like that, Alexander fulfilled her duties on her behalf so that no one could talk about her and she could recover slowly.

.....

Then after a few months, she finally become normal like before when she got pregnant for the second time.

Alexander remembers the one time when he went to the imperial garden to visit her during her second pregnancy.

He was concerned for her health as she was weak but he was astonished to see his daughter humming a song as she knitted a dress for the baby.

He never knew his daughter could sing so beautifully, not to mention those hands which kills the enemy without any mercy could knit such cute dresses.

It seemed like she was singing for the baby in her belly to listen.

But as soon as she noticed Alexander, she stopped singing and her smile also faded.

“Father-”

“I, Duke of Dalton greet the moon of our empire, Her Majesty,

Eleanora Cathain Valentino.”

Alexander greeted her as he kneeled down in one knee infront of her.

It hurts him to utter her name, which no longer relates him with her anymore but to that man who doesn’t even care about her.

He needs to remember why it happened.

But this made Eleanora’s blue eyes gloomy.

Isn’t he her father?

Can’t he drop the honorifics when they are alone?

Or, does he feel ashamed to be related with a daughter who ran away while leaving her mother to die alone?

This is why he utters her full name to keep her remember about that day?

The reason why he doesn’t like...hate her.

Eleanora forced herself to act normal and tried to smile but couldn’t.

“Raise.”

“Thank you, Her Majesty.”

“What brings you here...

Duke?”

Eleanora spoke and Alexander felt like his heart breaking down.

He can’t expect her to call him ‘Daddy’ anymore, when he calls her ‘Her Majesty’ right?

A person who failed to protect his wife and daughter. Who ran away from his daughter instead of facing the reality.

She kept reaching out for him, but he kept running away from her.

In the end, she found hope in someone else...

It’s better to keep remember why her name is attached with someone else.

If only he was brave and face her at that time, she wouldn’t be suffering like this.

“Congratulations, Her Majesty.”

“Thank you, Duke.”

In the end, Alexander couldn’t speak anything and left without saying any words after congratulating her.

The smile she had on her face when he congratulate her was something he could never give her.

Even if the emperor is cold, his daughter is more happy in the imperial palace then she was in Dalton Duchy.

A place, full of bad memories for her.

Her eyes are still shining, not losing it’s glow when she was in the duchy.

In the end, Alexander gave up the idea of bringing her back to the duchy and left for the borders with this thoughts.

‘Only if i didn’t left that day without taking her...’

Alexander thought as he looked aside to take a look at Eleanora but his eyes widened in shock when he found her staring at the emperor.

Her blue eyes was full of admiration.

The same blue eyes from the past which only had the emperor and no one else.

Alexander felt his heart stop beating and fear consume it.

‘No... She won’t be the same as the past... She is different this time...’

But then he noticed the blush on her cheeks as she was caught staring by the emperor.

He knows this face of her.

Every time the crown prince was mentioned in his past life, his daughter would blush because of embarrassment.

This is why he couldn’t help but ask.

“Do you like...

The emperor?”

Eleanora was surprised to hear that question.

‘Who likes who?’

‘indeed, daddy needs rest.’

‘He has been so busy that he is thinking nonsense.’

But her not answering him immediately made him clench his fists.

‘Is it that hard to answer?’

‘No-‘

‘I don’t want to listen it again.’

Alexander didn’t wanted to hear it again from his daughter to say that she loves that man like she did in her past life.

‘Father... I- I like the crown prince... I wish- wish to marry him in the future, when am capable enough.’

Alexander recalled the words of his 14 year old daughter, who admitted her crush on the crown prince to her father with a blushing face.

“I do-”

“NO NEED TO SAY IT!”

“...”

‘It was you who wanted to know it at the first place...’

Eleanora couldn’t understand her father’s action.

‘He is just acting so weird...’

“Let’s go... I need to show you something.”

Alexander spoke as he held her hands and walked out of the meeting room with his blue eyes full of determination.

‘I failed to take you out of here earlier because i hesitated, i couldn’t save you because i was late...’

‘But this time... It will be different.’

‘I will save you for sure, My daughter.’

.....

…

“Take it.”

Alexander spoke as he handed something wrapped in a white cloth towards Eleanora.

Eleanora wondered what it could be as she took it from his hands.

“This is your 18th birthday gift.”

“...”

Eleanora was speechless.

Her father gave her a gun as a gift.

“Do you know how to load and shoot a gun?”

“No-”

“Then let’s get started. There is not much time anyway.”

“...”

‘Why do i have a bad feeling about this?’

Eleanora thought as she followed her father to thr shooting ground, where Duke Richardo was also present.

“Are you done preparing?”

Alexander asked as Dion approached them.

“Yeah, we will hand over guns to the doctors and teach them how to load and shoot it for now.

They just need to learn the basic for the emergency and Duke Ravens daughter will be in the medical team with me.”

“Medical team?”

Eleanora couldn’t help but ask out loud.

As far she knows, Jennifer didn’t had any magic powers or extraordinary talents.

All she knew was how to show off the emperor’s so called love for her.

“Lady Raven is a nature healer as she have earth attribute powers, This is why his majesty ordered her to participate in the war to help the medical team.”

“Oh, Thank you for telling me, Duke.”

“You are welcome, Your highness.”

Dion politely bow down his head to show Eleanora respect as the crown princess and left the ground.

‘She is a healer? So she concealed her powers in my last life...

They must have been happy then...

She wasn’t useless as i thought her to be and screw up the empire.

A lost daughter of the duke, who captured the heart of the emperor even being a maid and was harmed by the evil empress who was jealous of her...

Then her identity was revealed, the evil empress was executed and she lived happily ever after with the emperor...

Isn’t it how the story must be heard in the previous timeline?

Eleanora’s face turned dark as she thought of it and she clenched the gun in her hands.

Alexander understood her emotions but this can’t be helped.

He doesn’t want to tell her the truth.

How they suffered and why the emperor was like that. Even if the emperor was controlled, poisoned, but it doesn’t change the fact that he killed her.

He doesn’t want her to be with the emperor, who didn’t cared about her in the past and let her suffer alone.

Alexander doesn’t want her to sympathise with the emperor or forgive him because he is changed in this life.

Seven years have passed in a blink of eyes and she grew up so fast again.

He wants to cherish and protect his daughter in this life, not seeing her crying again because of that man.

‘Forgive me for hiding the truth, Elee. But i will never even take the risk of putting you in danger again or be with him.

So, i can never let you know what happened after your execution.’