Saving The Abandoned Empress

He indirectly questioned Alexander’s trust on the temple to pressure him publicly.

“I have nothing to say about that. But...”

“But what? Duke?”

The atmosphere was so intense that nobody even dared to open their mouth.

“Am serious about making my daughter the heir...”

“I don’t care about your heir or not, but your daughter will be the next empress for sure!!”

Seeing them both arguing like they was just casually talking, Emperor Valerian sighed.

If he doesn’t stop them, they might even get into a physical fight.

.....

“Stop both of you! One is the crown prince where the other is the sword of the empire! How could you two fight like this infront of everyone?!”

Hearing the Emperor’s words, both Cathain and Alexander become quite.

They had become so aggrieved that they forgot about the people around them.

‘Indeed it was reckless... it might even affect Ele’s image in the society.’

“Duke! You come with me and present your report and Crown Prince you...”

“Okay... As the duke is going away then i will take care of my fiancee for the time being. Come with me, Ele...”

“...”

Originally the emperor wanted Cathain to socialize in the party but he had already interrupted his father’s words.

Cathain stood up from his seat with a victorious smile and walked towards Eleanora, who was wrapping her hands tightly around Alexander’s neck.

To Eleanora, Cathain seemed like a angry beast which was coming to devour her.

But as she glanced around and saw the curious expression of everyone, she couldn’t even reject him.

It would only add fuel to the fire if she rejects the crown prince right now.

So, Eleanora slowly loosened her grip from her father’s embrace and got down.

Alexander narrowed his sharp eyes as he glared at Cathain, who completely ignored his threats.

Eleanora felt Alexander holding her hands tightly as he didn’t wanted her to go with Cathain.

Her one hand was firmly gripped into Cathain’s hand where the other one was gripped into her father’s hand.

Alexander was unwilling to let go where Cathain was firm to snatch her.

Seeing his strong protection over Eleanora, Cathain smriked and pulled Eleanora towards him with a brutal force as he was moking Alexander’s failure to annul the engagement.

Eleanora fall into Cathain’s embrace and her wrist was tightly gripped into his hands.

“See you again... Father-in-law!”

“!!!”

‘This bastard! Who is his father-in-law?!’

For the first time, everyone finally saw Alexander’s angry expression. No matter what happened, he rarely showed any expression.

But today, everyone could clearly feel the raging cold mana coming from Alexander as Eleanora was dragged into a balcony by Cathain.

‘What’s happening? The Dalton’s want to annul the royal marriage and the Crown Prince doesn’t want to annul it? It was clear that the Crown Prince likes the Crown Princess, Then what’s the problem?’

Alexander clenched his fists angrily as he never thought that Cathain would be so sly to use public opinion to force him to retreat.

And Ele... she didn’t seem to be against the marriage as she was before.

‘Just what happened in this three years?!’

...

“Your highness! please slow down!”

Eleanora yelled at Cathain who was walking so fast that she couldn’t keep up with him as she was wearing a dress.

He was walking so fast that Eleanora couldn’t even tell where he was taking her.

“Your Highness!”

Eleanora kept calling him but Cathain seem to not hear anything.

‘Why? Just why is everyone against us? Just why can’t i be with you?’

‘I don’t even demand for you to love me... I just want you to stay with me because if you are not mine then nothing else means to me!’

Entering a balcony, Cathain shut the door with a loud noise and Eleanora’s back hit the closed door as his both hands stopped her from moving.

“Your highness! What are you doing?”

“Am finally doing the right thing.”

“What do you even mean? How could you talk to my father like that?”

“And then how i was supposed to talk like?”

Cathain asked and Eleanora flinched in fear. She was terrified of the raging man infront of her.

His face was so close to her that his every hot breathe was falling on her face.

“Was i supposed to say... Yeah, Annul the engagement and take away my empress from me?”

Hearing his sarcastic tone, Eleanora felt a sudden fear in her heart and tried to unlock the door behind her by leaning on the door more closer.

“Aah!”

Eleanora exclaimed in shock as Cathain pulled her closer to him by grabbing her waist and pinched her jaw.

“Still trying to escape?!”

“Release me... It-It hurts!”

“Oh? So now you know it hurts? It also hurts when you turn away from me Eleanora Ariande La Dalton!

It hurts! When you shiver by seeing me and run away from me!

It hurts when am suffering for the sins that i didn’t even did but have to bear it!”

Cathain yelled at Eleanora and then finally took away his hands away from her jaw and pulled her hands to place it above his heart.

“It hurts here, Ele... It really hurts. Please don’t run away from me anymore... Give me a chance to prove myself... Let me prove my love.”

Eleanora tried to take away her hands from his fast beating heart but Cathain pressed her hands more harder on his chest as he burried his face on her neck.

“Calm down, Your highness...”

“No, I can’t... Everyone wants to snatch you away from me.”

“Am not going anywhere... Please calm down.”

Eleanora spoke gently and stroked his hair. She was feeling lost.

‘Jennifer has already appeared and he might fall for her again, then toss me way like my past life.

Am too afraid too trust you again...’

Eleanora doesn’t want to face death again but she can’t push away the current Cathain either.

How can she get away from this mess?

Eleanora looked up at the bright moon and closed her eyes, still stroking Cathain’s black hair as her other hand rested on his shoulder.

Where Cathain had his both arms wrapped around her waist.

But then, Cathain suddenly spoke again in a low voice.

“I love you, Ele. I really love you so much...”

Eleanora opened her eyes as she heard his calm and gentle voice but her eyes widened in shock as she saw the scene infront of her.

Under the bright moonlight, The light reflected on the arrow’s sharp steal and looked like a shining light as the arrow was shot.

“Your Highness! Move!”

But before Eleanora could push Cathain away to avoid the arrow, the door suddenly unlocked and she fall backwards.

Eleanora stared at Cathain with her widened surprised eyes, who was just smiling at her and then his body finally tilted a little as the sharp arrow pierced through his heart.

.....

“Your highness!!”

“This-This is how much i love you... Ele. I can even die for you...”

Cathain couldn’t finish his words as he become unconscious and fall on the ground in a kneeling posture.

“Your highness!”

“Don’t push me away anymore...”

Eleanora couldn’t stand up as her legs went numb because of the shock, so she just decided to crawl toward the kneeling Cathain with a arrow in his chest.

Cathain had his eyes closed and his white suit was already dyed in red because of his blood.

Eleanora cupped his face into her trembling hands as tears kept pouring out from her eyes.

“Y-Your highness?!...Cathain?”

“H-Hey...Wake up!”

“Why? Why did you pushed me? Why didn’t you avoided the arrow?”

With Cathain’s skill, he could easily dodge the arrow. But if he did, there would be more attempts where Eleanora could get hurt in the process.

Cathain knew what they thought was, realising the attack, he would dodge the arrow and Eleanora would be shoot in the process.

Their main target was Eleanora!

Thus, he didn’t dodge it and let them shoot him.

It was still unclear as why their target was Eleanora and not the crown prince.

Eleanora kept crying as she strocked her fingers over his unconscious face.

“No... I can’t cry... I have-have to save him...”

From the ruckus downstairs, Eleanora was sure there was an sudden attack but she couldn’t care less about that as the dying Cathain was lying on her lap.

Eleanora hugged him as she reached the arrow beside his back to pull it out from his chest.

Right after she pulled the arrow out, more blood started to flow out from his chest.

Cathain’s breathing and pulse was becoming low even after Eleanora tried to stop the blood by freezing the hole in his chest.

But it was no use.

“Is someone there?! Please help us!!”

Eleanora kept on calling for help but soon the power was cut off and everything become dark.

She could only see Cathain’s face because of the faint moonlight.

“Please... Help him... Somebody please...”

Eleanora kept crying out loud as she hugged the motionless Cathain.

“I won’t push you again, Okay? Please wake up!”

“Cain... Please... Don’t prove your love this way...”

No matter how many times Eleanora spoke to him, Cathain had no response.

There was sword clashing and fighting sounds coming from downstairs but instead of running away to a safe place, Eleanora kept sitting on the floor with Cathain in her arms.

“Goddess, please help me save him. Please!”

Eleanora pressed her hands above his chest to use her holy powers as saintess.

Till now, she could only heal some minor injuries.

But right now, she have no other choice except trying this.

She kept trying again and again but there was no reaction from him.

“Even if you have killed me in my past life wrongly but i don’t want you to die for me! I don’t want to owe you! Wake up! Please wake up!”

Eleanora’s tears kept falling on Cathain’s cheeks but there was still no response.

Under the moonlight, they looked like a couple where the boy was resting on the girls lap and the girl was stroking his hair.

“Please... Wake up... Please help me to heal him goddess. I don’t want him to die...”

After a long time, Eleanora lowered her face and kissed Cathain’s lips gently.

“I love you, Cathain...”