Chapter 19

Chapter 19: “Dream Or Reality?”

Soon, The carriage with Dalton Duchy’s silver crest stopped infront of the imperial palace.

Alexander got down first and extended his hands towards Eleanora to come down.

“Let’s get down, Ele.”

“Yes, daddy.”

Getting out of the carriage, Eleanora looked around.

The sunlit made the white building look like a shiny gold building, and the thick green trees cast shadows over the road.

There were servants and maids walking briskly, officials talking to each other holding a handful of paperwork, and knights trading places with each other, dressed in fancy uniforms.

.....

All these were the same familiar images that Eleanora had in her past memories as she entered the palace cautiously.

She could see a familiar magnificent palace towering over lots of buildings.

Unusually large, it was the Emperor’s Palace, the Main of the imperial palace as well as the residence of the emperor.

The place where she wasn’t allowed without any prior permission except for work, despite being the empress.

As Eleanora was looking at the tall building infront of her, she was troubled by anxiety again.

She didn’t know if it was a dream or a reality, but all kinds of miserable memories started to came to her mind.

She felt as if the emperor Cathain would appear before her right away and wake her up from this dream, so she grabbed Alexander’s sleeves with her trembling hands.

Alexander face hardened when he looked at her strangely.

“What’s wrong with you today, Ele? Are you feeling sick again?”

“Ah... No.. Am okay...” I started to gasp for breathe.

“Let me take you to the royal doctor.”

Without giving her any time to respond, he moved quickly.

Eleanora put her arm around Alexander’s neck and leaned on his shoulder.

It felt like the warmth she felt from his broad chest whispered to her that she would be okay, so she could feel relieved.

Only then did her trembling and anxiety subsided little by little.

“Your highness, The Duke?”

“Captain?”

Eleanora came to her senses when she heard them exchanging greetings with each other. Where is she now?

When she turned and looked around carefully, the royal knights in indigo white uniforms were standing stiffly nearby.

They were looking at her father in surprise. In fact, they were staring at her in his arms.

Oh My God! Eleanora whispered small, hiding her blushing face.

“Please put me down, daddy... Am okay now.”

“We’re almost there. So, hang on a minute.”

“No, It’s awkward. Please put me down, Dad.”

He didn’t even replied anymore.

Eleanora asked Alexander to put her down several times, but he was very determined to carry hour.

Although Eleanora was ashamed when they were looking at her, She gave up and buried her face in his shoulder rather than asking again.

Because Alexander had no intentions of putting her down. So, she pouted and glared at him but he just smiled at her gently.

Eleanora was really speechless when she met his gentle blue eyes with a smiling face.

“I’m honored to see you, Captain!”

“Welcome, sir.”

When Eleanora turned her head slightly, she saw a couple of knights bowing to her father.

Eleanora stiffened at their burdensome look.

‘Why are they making such expressions? It looks like they are looking at their puppies!’

“Well Captain.”

A knight in blue uniform came.

“What’s up?”

My father asked with a cold voice.

“Can I hold her? You look tired...”

The knight replied.

“No, sir. I can do it because this guy is very tired because of heavy training today...”

Another knight in blue uniform came.

“No thanks, guys. Just go back to your work.”

Eleanora saw lots of wistfulness in their eyes when her father rejected their request.

After rejecting them out of hand, Alexander began to walk again.

‘Just what am i too them? A doll they came to carry or a puppy to play with. Why are they looking at me like this?’

Eleanora thought as she pouted, not realising the person who stopped on his tracks when his gaze fall on her.

Although Eleanora told him several times that she was okay, Alexander still called the royal doctor as soon as he arrived at the office.

Very soon, A old noble man who seem to be the doctor came in with a briefcase in his hands.

When the doctor said she was okay, but felt dizzy because she was too weak, Alexander was relieved and went back to work.

Eleanora look around and It was not very different from the office in her memories. Documents were stacked on a large desk.

There were chairs and simple tea sets for his aides and visitors. It was a typical office.

When Eleanora noticed the mounds of documents, one thing flashed her mind.

In the past, She always handled a lot of documents in a dreamy state. If her memory was true, could she understand and deal with her father’s documents, too?

Eleanora picked up a document from his aide’s table. Alexander gave her a surprise look, but didn’t care.

Contrary to her expectation that it was difficult, the thick paper was surprisingly easy to understand.

If so, are things in her memories not a dream?

Or is she dreaming now?

Eleanora looked up at her father with trembling eyes. If it’s a dream... then will her father’s warmth vanish from her once again?

She looked at him very briefly, but he immediately met her gaze, so she lowered her head in a hurry.

Pretending to be casual, Eleanora kept reading the documents. She tilted her head, thought.

‘So, is this warmth just a dream of mine?’

But then Alexander took away those papers from her hands as he hugged her.

“It’s too early for you to read this. You should just play and have a lot of fun according to your age.”

Eleanora just kept looking at her father. Just why is he so different from the memories she remember?

If it was in the past, he would just ignore her or stay expressionless.

‘Oh God, Goddess, whomever is hearing me now please don’t let me wake up from this warmth.’

Eleanora prayed and soon came to realize that it wasn’t a dream...

...The moment her blue eyes meet his fierce red eyes, once again.

.....