"What are you doing?"
Claudina lounged on top of Chronos' favorite chair like a cat. Chronos on the other hand ignored her, deeply absorbed in the reports.
"...Chronos?"
"..."
"Hey, are you finally deaf?"
"..."
"I am talking to you!!" She kicked the chair under him in anger but only struck her foot on the gratings.
"OW!!" She held her sore foot before glaring at the smirking god. "...You shouldn't be laughing at someone in pain."
"Funny. You seem to do it on a daily basis. So why can't I?"
She huffed. "Claudina don't you have any reports to complete?"
"Already filed. And besides you are already reading them aren't you?"
"Any…what do they call it these days...ah, any soirees?"
"The social season is over."
"How about the academy?"
"It's the holidays."
'Esme? You can play with her."
"She's taking a nap."
He put down the papers and signed. "...Then why don't you just go home?"
"I am filled with a murderous urge every time I go home. There's a busybody that rolls around in MY house. And SOMEONE who promised to take care of IT has done NOTHING!!"
Chronos looked up. "...Can you not wait for two more days?"
Slumping in place she loudly signed. "At times like this I would have gone to bother Sylvester…speaking of," She quickly sat up. "What's he up to these days? I should go and visit him."
"You will do no such things," Chronos said loudly.
Her brows knitted in annoyance. "And why not?"
"For once in his life he is able to live for himself. Not for the Pope, not for his duty. He deserves his rest and I will not allow you to ruin it."
She rolled her eyes and sprawled back. Chronos wondered how her posture is still perfect after always slouching.
"...So what's he up to these days?"
"You should know. You are the one who brought the reports."
"Yes but I didn't pay much attention."
"Since his retirement, he has helped his sister in the family business. He recently welcomed a child, a daughter he named Claudia."
Claudina blinked. "He named his child after me?" She soon frowned. "I don't like it…"
"Why?"
"You know why! My name! It once belonged to a mistress! i have told him about it and yet he...!"
Chronos signed, rubbing his temples. "...What can we do about it? He must like your name and decided to honor you as such."
She crossed her arms. "I still don't like it. What about the others?"
"Anatole regained his family's honor after some time and Shulia retired ten years after Anatole. She has opened an orphanage from her pension; she named it after the fallen Saints, Oriane and Sullivan."
"I am surprised she kept Sullivan's name since she didn't like his as a person."
"But she certainly respected him as a Saint if she was willing to immortalize his name like that." He gave her a knowing look which Claudina averted.
"...Sullivan told me I was their lucky charm. I don't believe it one bit."
"I would say he was correct. They all lived in their best moments due to you. Even if you deny it yourself, you can't say they didn't attain happiness for themselves no matter how harsh the results have been. None of them ever blamed you for it either. They were content."
Chronos reached forward and took her hand in his. "So Claudina, don't think of yourself as cruel. You did what you thought would be best. And those choices made if not all at the very least one person happy."
Claudina didn't reply.
"You deserve to be happy just as anyone."
And so the seasons changed into years. Chronos continued to watch over the comings and goings of the human race.
Esme remained the same, shy and ageless while Claudina continued to grow.
She was twenty one now.
Had she remained the crown princess she would have already married Lucian.
On the other hand Lucian remained cordial to his ex fiancée though his new fiancée has been nothing but a jealous vindictive woman from count origins. Their engagement was complemented whether it would go through or fall in ruins. Many nobles betted it won't.
Lucian tired his best but in the end the engagement failed miserably and they parted ways amicably. Claudina proposed a foreign princess to be wed to Lucian and the King agreed.
She had grown taller and more mature. Her beauty that was previously akin to a nymph was now said to rival the goddess Nyx.
Claudina would continue to rule social gatherings with the 1st princess so much so her followers had increased tenfold since the time she debuted.
And so did her admirers.
The Crowley dukedom would now get thousands of letters, requesting, begging for her hand in marriage; the strongest Saintess of her time and the renowned beautiful heir of the Crowley dukedom. Her future prospects started from the noblemen of Chronostis to foreign countries.
Some of the older noble ladies even said Lady Claudina got more letters than her mother when she was in her prime.
But Claudina continued to refuse them before the duke could get a chance to see them.
Rumors began to spread but they were quickly squashed by the two ruling Queens of high society.
She was out there, fighting demons, though there are very few now that the Holy weapons are mass produced and made after the wielder's preferred choice of weapon.
Chronos would sometimes ask about her wish of not getting married yet. But in reply she would smile ruefully or stay silent until the topic was changed.
Claudina continued just as before after that. Playing the proud aristocrat Von Crowley and the Saint of Black Rose, Saintess Claudina.
But soon the wind of change was blowing wildly in Chronosits.
The duke no longer nagged her about her marriage. He started to give more of his work to her. He had come to the conclusion she would stay a maiden and would help her in training up a successor from a branch family. Her mother was banished to the countryside where was she monitored by Claudina's most trusted aide. The people of the dukedom could sense it in the air. The King had already ordered for a banquet to be soon held in honor of the new duchess. The so called half brother of hers made a fuss when he realized he was not to be the heir but was quickly shut up with a threat form Duke Ivan. He didn't say a word after and left to be with his mother. Claudina remained ignorant of it.
Chronos knew his best Saintess will be even more busy. The clock he placed to commemorate her being a Saintess will soon have a twin.
A new set of cogs will turn the wheels now.
As for whether the cogs will lead to ruin or run the complex clockwork smoothly....
….well only time can tell...