How kind! Renata mocked her father in her heart. The man who was promising the world for their well being killed her one and only daughter. Even when she was alive, he never spared her a single glance as if she was dead for him.
How gullible these men are to believe in him so easily. If only they knew what kind of a man he was… she cursed him in his heart while her eyes filled with hatred for him.
She stared at how they were trying to curry a favor from him and how they were looking at him as if he was their god.
"Thank you, thank you, my lord. We owe our lives to you." They bowed and started leaving with the baskets which they bought as a gift.
She was sure that he did not want to use things that belong to the commoners that was why he had made such a noble excuse.
Ha! If only she could tell all of them what he truly was!
"Hey, little girl! Everyone is leaving. Why are you still standing here?" a knight with the uniform of the personal guard of the emperor walked to her and tried to shoo her away in a respectful voice when she raised her head.
All of the nobles and aristocrats were sitting on the sofa and plush chairs near the office table of her father who was listening to the advice of the chancellor. They did not have any attention towards her.
'That is bad! They must have noticed me for my plan.' she muttered as she looked at them.
Her nails dug deeper into her skin as she tried to squeeze tears out of her eyes. Her cheeks turned red and puffed up like a small pout that looked too adorable but her hair was a mess and her clothes were short and dirty.
Looking at her, it was clear that she was a commoner with a poor household that could not afford clothes too.
The man frowned but tried his best to control his expression.
"What are you still thinking? Leave!" This time his voice was harsh as if he was trying to dominate her. She was only waiting for this chance. She started crying loudly and though she had covered her mouth, her wails were still loud enough to gain the attention of everyone in the room.
Many frowned as their head tilted towards her. Leo, who was still signing on the paper, turned to look at her too but there was no emotion in his eyes as if he did not recognize her.
"Where shall I go? I am here to meet my father. I was hungry for days so I wanted to eat some food for my father." she spoke in between her tears as she stared at Leo who finally noticed her presence.
"Father! They are asking me to leave again. They never let me meet you. I am sure my father wanted to meet me too.
But these bad men.. They keep us away!" her small hands softly wiped the tears while she blinked her sweet and adorable eyes in front of leo who still had no expressions on his face.
"..........." bad men! And again? The knights swpre that they have seen this young girl for the first time and they truly did not dare to keep the princess away. They gulped and glanced at each other, not sure what they should say when the little girl was wriggling in their hands.
"Papa.. papa.. They are not leaving me. Please save me from these bad men." she cried loudly as she forwarded her hands as if asking her to hold him. But the man did not move. He continued to stare at her as if he was staring at a stranger.
"........." you! You will regret it. The more you will ignore me, the more you will lose your reputation. She was determined to give all of them a good show.
"Father, do you not want me anymore? Is it because I am not beautiful?" she asked as she finally got free from their hold and ran towards Leo.
Holding his pants, she gently pulled them and then stared back at him with those bright doe eyes.
Her eyes…! It reminded him of Evangeline. The way she used to look at him with eyes full of grievance and even when he knew that she was acting, he used to give in to her whims.
His eyes flickered!
"Who brought her here?"
"......." thud! Flinch! Everyone in the room trembled when they noticed his cold eyes. It was so cold that breathing was difficult in the room.
Even Renata who had decided to not get affected by this cold man anymore could not help but shiver. Her desire to hide in a corner clawed her heart but she endured it. If she would give up now, she was going to regret it.
The security was only going to be stricter and it would be hard for her to come out from the clutches of her maids once they knew of her plans.
"Father, do not shout please. Renata is hungry. I only wanted to have some food. But if you will be angry, I promise that I will not ask for food anymore.
I will not ask for water too or for a bath. I promise I will be a silent girl. Please do not throw me in that dark room again. I am scared of the ghosts and insects in there. Last time.. I even fainted in the room. Please father, please be a bit gentle with me."
"........."