Cathain let's his tired body fall onto the bed as he stares at the ceiling of his room.
So many years has passed by since those things happened.
Days, weeks, months, years, timelines… even world has changed and he is back in the past again.
But those memories are still vivid in his mind.
How shocked she looked when her father was sent to the prison, how her emotions disappeared from her eyes the moment she signed the divorce papers.
How he killed the woman he loved…
He remembers every single thing like it all happened yesterday.
Cathain exhales heavily as he turns aside, resting his head above crossed arm and a tear drop silently comes out from his red eyes.
What will he do if she recalls everything one day?
If she asks, he can even kill himself but he knows that she won't.
She will just look at him with her emotionless face with hatred filled eyes; leave him alone to suffer.
And that's what he fears.
She is friendly to him now only because she has no memory of the past; but now that they are back in this timeline again, she might slowly start to remember everything again.
He has even messed up their relationship during their flight, she was angered to the point she wanted to break up with him.
'She might hate me… but either I live with her or…'
'…I can just die to redeem myself from this sin.'
Meanwhile In Dalton Residence~
'Where am I?'
Eleanora thinks as slowly opens her eyes to find herself in a dark place.
"PAPA!! MAMMA!!"
She yells as she runs but the darkness surrounding her doesn't fades away.
"CAIN!!"
"PAPA!!"
Eleanora continues to shout as tear drops lefts her blue eyes, her white dress sways as she runs.
Then suddenly a bright light hits her eyes and she becomes astonished to see that familiar place again.
The battle field; and she is in a medical camp's tent now, including those two person whom she had saw earlier before rushing towards her father in this world.
He was injured while saving her and then a bright light glowed, which caused her to lose conscious.
Then where is she now?
"What…"
A soft voice catches her attention and Eleanora turns back to see the same silver haired girl again; she looked a few years older than her current body.
A teenage girl with shiny silver hair and jewel blue eyes stares at her callused hands with shock as faint light glowed around it just like before.
Even the injured man before her was surprised as his injured shoulder was healed by that light.
"H-Healing powers?"
The man says and the teenage girls face turns pale, almost as white as paper.
"N-No…it can't be,"
The teenage girl murmurs with disagreement and Eleanora frowns.
Isn't it good to have these healing powers?
You can save anyone at any time with this power.
Then why is she making this expression?
"Eleanora…this is great! You can annul your engagement with his highness-"
The silver haired man speaks but his words were immediately cut off by another voice.
"WHO SAID I WANT TO ANNUL MY ENGAGMENT?!"
The teenage girl snaps back with tears in her jewel blue eyes and the silver haired man freezes.
"What?"
The man looks at her with disbelief and grabs her shoulder in disbelief.
"COME BACK TO YOUR SENSE, ELEANORA LA ALEXANDER DALTON!!"
"WHICH MAN SENTS THE GIRL HE LIKES TO SUCH A DANGEROUS PLACE?!"
"HE DOESN'T LIKE YOU! HE IS ONLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOU!!"
Duke Dalton shouts at his daughter as he couldn't believe it.
With her powers, the emperor will either make her his son's bride to keep her powers in check or use her to increase the power of the imperial family by making her the next duke of Dalton.
The relationship between the emperor and the crown prince isn't good either, so by marrying the prince, she will only suffer more because of her powers.
Thus, she can easily get away from this power struggle by being the heir of Duke Dalton.
Then why is she refusing like that?
"It's final; after this war ends I will take you to the temple to announce your powers-"
"NO, FATHER!"
The 16 year old Eleanora raises her voice with horror as she looks at her father, who is determined to use this chance to break off her engagement.
"WHY NOT, ELEANORA?!"
Alexander snaps back and then she finally blurts out the words which he never wanted to hear.
"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, FATHER!! I LOVE HIM!!"
Eleanora, who was watching this scene before her was as shocked as Alexander there.
The girl before her was wearing the same knight suit as her father, a beautiful sword also hanged on her waist belt.
But the sight of that sword gave her a creepy feeling and then her attentions turns to Alexander, who finally broke the silence with his cold voice.
"No. You don't love him."
"And he doesn't love you either, he is only using you."
He coldly speaks and the teenage girl in front of him stares at him with shock, before her expression turns into anger.
"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT FATHER?!"
"Eleanora, listen to your father! He isn't right for you-"
Alexander tries to reason with her but her next words leaves him completely speechless.
"THEN WHERE WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME WHEN I NEEDED YOU THE MOST?!"
"YOU KEPT IGNORING ME AND NOW YOU SUDDENLY WANT TO CLAIM YOUR RIGHTS AS A FATHER?!"
"E-Elea-"
He opens his mouth as his jewel blue eyes widens with shock, where she continues with her words, while ignoring his shocked face.
"HE IS THE ONE WHO HELPED ME WITH MY TRAINING AFTER I MOVED BACK INTO THE IMPERIAL PALACE! WHERE YOU HAD HAND OVER MY TRAINING TO SIR RAYON!"
"HE DIDN'T LAUGH AT ME LIKE OTHER NOBLES WHEN I RETURNED TO ATTEND HIS COMING OF AGE CEREMONY AND EVEN DANCED WITH ME!"
"HE WAS ALWAYS FRIENDLY AND TALKED WITH ME NICELY WITH A SMILE! LISTEN TO EVERYTHING I WANTED SAY!"
"HE EVEN HELPED ME TO BECOME A REAL KNIGHT, GOING AGAINST EVERYONE!"
"HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COMFORTED ME DURING MY MOTHER'S FUNERAL!"
The 16 year old Eleanora gasps for breath as she finishes speaking, anger was still flashing on her face and she turns to leave the tent without waiting for a reply from her shocked father.
"I hope you will keep my powers a secret as this is the last thing I can ask from you… Father."
With that, she leaves without turning back and Alexander falls on his knees; making the Eleanora who was watching them surprised and she reach outs for him unknowingly.
"Papa!"
Eleanora doesn't know what was happening around her or why she suddenly felt so sad to watch this man fall on his knees like this.
She felt anger towards that 16 year old girl for making this man before her so sad, but a part of her knew that girl wasn't completely wrong either.
"What have I done, Lia…?"
[A/N: Lia is his wife's nickname. Duchess Amelia]
A sharp pain stabs her heart as she watches this unfamiliar, yet so familiar man sitting with a guilty face and talk with himself.
He had prepared everything that would need to convince the emperor, so that he can help his daughter to become a knight.
But who knew that the crown prince would went ahead of him and takes this risk to send her to the war directly?
The crown prince's sudden move only made his enemies to notice her earlier on, but he can't deny her accusations.
Indeed he wasn't beside her when she needed him the most, it was that boy.
"Our daughter hates me now, Lia… What have I done?"