The Center of Cosmos

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Chapter Thirty-Four

Celine sips her tea forcing herself not to spit it out from her mouth.

‘Ah, I hate tea,’ her inner self whined.

The two ladies are having their conversation while Celine remained silent completely forcing herself to empty her teacup immediately but as soon as she puts the empty teacup on the table the servant refilled it automatically and smiled kindly at Celine then bowed her head to the princess and walks away.

Her inner self screams upon seeing her refilled teacup again.

The wind blew gently at them making her hair sway with it as she gazes at the sky.

“How about you Celine?” Veronica asks.

She glances at them not knowing what to answer.

“…Pardon?” she uttered.

“Celine, you should listen to what our conversation is all about, have some respect,” Monica commented irritated at Celine.

“It's fine, after all, the view and the weather are nice so I understand if Celine was lost in her thoughts,” Veronica replied and smiled at Celine, “Well, I just want to know what is marriage for Celine?” she asks.

“Marriage…?” Celine mumbled and stared back at Veronica.

“Yes marriage, there’s no need for the princess to tell it twice Celine,” Monica uttered and force herself to smile at her.

‘Ah, one more word from this lady, and she’ll vanish from this world,’ Celine replied through her mind.

“I apologize for my disrespect,” Celine announced and bowed her head.

‘You’re lucky I made a promise,’ she thought and eyed Monica.

“No, no, it's fine,” Veronica answered and glance at Monica, “It's fine Monica, we should avoid unnecessary arguments, shall we?” she added.

“Yes we should,” Celine replied still wearing her usual compose facial expression.

“So tell me, Celine, do you plan to get married someday?” Veronica asks with full of excitement in her eyes.

Celine blinks twice not knowing what to answer.

“I…wasn’t expecting to get married,” she answered and shrug her shoulders, “But if you ask me what marriage means to me, I cannot give you a definite answer,” Celine continued and unconsciously sips the tea in her teacup and taste the weird flavor from the green hot liquid on her tongue making her want to spit it out.

But she thinks it would be disrespectful for the royal princess and Monica might have to find another way to test her patience.

“Celine, you shouldn’t think about not marrying at all,” Veronica responded with a smile and sips her tea.

“I think that’s not the main problem here, it’s just that…love wasn’t made for me,” Celine replied.

“Oh no, I think it's not,” Veronica uttered and eyed her.

Celine also gazes back at her wondering why she could say that odd statement.

“Celine, love is much stranger than anything else we could think of. I’m sure it’s already at your door, gently pulling you down without you knowing. Love is the best with hiding and seeking anyway. No matter where you hide, even to the darkest corners of this world it will always hunt you and will always find you,” Veronica explained and smiled while looking at the tea on her teacup.

Celine couldn’t respond to her.

“I didn’t know the princess knows a lot about love,” Monica complimented and smiled, “It seems to me that the royal princess is in love with someone as well,” she added and giggled.

‘Hah! What a blind woman, didn’t she notice it a while ago? Or I’m the only one who saw what I shouldn’t?’ Celine’s inner self uttered.

“Well,” Veronica mumbled trying to find what she could answer, luckily she spotted her brother walking along the hallway with Lucas.

“Oh, just a minute, I should go and approach my brother first,” she excuse and then left Celine and Monica behind.

“It’s been a long time since the two of us talk alone,” Monica began and sips the tea in her teacup.

“Yes, it is,” Celine replied in a cold tone.

“Drop that mask of yours, you know we hate each other right? Such a good actress like you needs to be rewarded,” Monica responded.

“I think you’ve mistakenly seen me like yourself, the only one who should’ve to drop some mask here is you,” she answered.

“Oh no, I’m not mistaken at all, definitely not, between the two of us here, you’re the one who needs to reveal yourself under the light…right?” Monica said and showed her a mischievous smile.

Celine stared at her and put the teacup gently on the circular table.

She leans her back on the chair and landed her gaze at Monica’s face.

“And what do you mean exactly by that?” she asks.

“It's up to you how you interpret my words,” Monica replied and shrug her shoulders, “Why? Did I provoke something from you?” she added and giggled.

“Here’s some piece of advice Celine and I hope you remember it for the rest of your life, no matter what you do and what you’ll going to do, whether it’s to satisfy the emperor or manipulate the people around you, you don’t belong to where you are right now. Someone like you will never find the right place in this round world,” she said and smiled sweetly at her.

“Why are you so eager to treat me like I’m not from this world? Is it because no matter what you do the emperor will never lay his eyes on you or simply because you think I am better than you?” Celine replied as her expression became colder and more unreadable, “Or maybe you already knew what I could do?” she added as her eyes glimmered from the ray of sunlight passing through the branches of the tree above them.

“Watch your word lady, I’m still higher than you,” Monica whispered in anger.

“I’m only giving you the treatment you give to me. It’s fair enough,” she replied, “Didn’t I tell you before? You shouldn’t provoke someone you don’t know?” Celine added.

“And do you think I’m afraid of you?” Monica mumbled as her eyes glared at her.

“Frankly, you should,” Celine answered, “That would be the best advice I could give to you,” she continued to say.

The tension between them arouse and no one dared to break their stares at each other.

But was stopped when Veronica came back at the table smiling brightly after a conversation with her brother.

“Hey, I’m sorry if I left you for a long while,” Veronica said and eyed the two ladies.

“Oh, it's fine your highness, actually it's fun having a conversation with Celine,” Monica replied as she smiled at Veronica who sat beside her.

“It is,” Celine commented and glance at Monica then back at Veronica.

“Oh, it’s nice to hear,” Veronica answered and smiled.

“Well then, I need to excuse myself now,” Celine said as she stands up from her chair, “It’s nice having tea with you Veronica…and to you too, Monica, please excuse me,” she added.

“Yes you may, thank you for being with us Celine,” Veronica replied.

Celine bowed her head and walks away from them.

After a few minutes of walking and inhaling some fresh air, her feet brought her to the ruined greenhouse.

She steps inside and saw the destroyed walls and ceiling.

“It’s a surprise to see you here,” a voice uttered from behind her.

She glances at the owner of the voice.

“Your majesty, it’s an honor to see the former emperor here,” Celine greeted as she bowed her head.

“This place is completely ruined huh,” the man commented as he walks and stands beside her.

“Yes it is,” she replied and lifted her head as she gazes back to the destroyed ceilings.

“This place is the remembrance of my deceased mother that’s why it’s hard for me to see this place like this,” she heard him say.

“But eventually, the ruined parts will fix again,” he added.

“It must be tough to be in your shoes your majesty,” she uttered and glance at him.

“Maybe,” he responded and smiled.

‘They were look-alike. Master and him,’ she commented.

“You’re very brave Celine despite being a woman, I’m proud of you,” the former emperor announced and patted her thin shoulders.

Suddenly she felt a warm feeling inside her when she heard his words.

‘Is this what having a father feels like?’ she thought.

Then flashbacks of how kind Veronica and her mother treats her come into her mind.

“Thank you,” she answered.

“No, no, I should be the one thanking you Celine. You did your very best for my son,” he responded and smiled.

Her stares became gentle as she glance back at the ceiling.

“Your majesty’s son is a very kind person and has a big and compassionate heart, just like his family,” Celine uttered.

The former emperor chuckled.

‘Even the way they laugh is the same. Like father like son, I see,’ she thought.

“You flatter me, Celine,” he commented and smiled brightly, “You’re a good person and a good daughter I can tell, despite that cold façade of yours, I’m sure warmth and lights are in your heart,” he uttered.

Celine didn’t respond and just bowed her head at him.

“I should go now, I’m just walking around trying to have some fresh air and was searching for my wife, have you seen her?” he asks.

“I apologize, your majesty, I didn’t see the former empress on my way here,” Celine answered.

“No it's fine, I’m sure she’s at the library again reading some of her favorite books,” he answered and bid himself goodbye to her as he exited the greenhouse.

She glance again at the ceiling and after a few minutes of strolling inside the greenhouse, she went back to her room and rest for a while.

As she lay on her bed she cannot stop thinking about what the former emperor said to her at the greenhouse.

“A good person huh?” she whispered to herself, “I can't even call myself a human and I doubt that I’m good,” she added before she closed her eyes

When she opened her eyes again it's already night but it's clear to her that it's already late.

‘I must be so tired,’ she thought as she sits on her bed and exited the room.

“Ah right, I should visit master first to check his condition,” she mumbles.

A few walks she reach the door of his room, a few inches away before she could knock, she heard the conversation from the other side.

“Celine is asleep your majesty when I check her in her room,” she heard Lucas’ voice.

“She must be really tired,” Mathew’s gentle voice replied.

“It seems that your majesty is having a hard time today, may I ask what’s bothering you?”

She could hear Mathew’s steps.

“I tried to tell my father this morning about Celine.”

“Did you succeed your majesty?”

“No.”

There was a sudden silence.

“I tried to open up but it's harder than I thought, I don’t want to keep it as a secret anymore knowing that Celine is having a hard time because of this problem.”

“Your majesty, please don’t push yourself too much, you’ve just recovered from the injuries you received from the previous fight.”

“How could I tell my father without triggering his traumatic past?”

“Your majesty please don’t push yourself too much,” she heard Lucas’ worried voice.

“Lucas, I ask him if ever there’s a chance he could forgive them but when I heard his answer my heart feels heavy that I couldn’t talk anymore.”

“Your majesty…”

“He said that he couldn’t forgive them until the day he’ll die.”

“Your majesty, please give your father enough time. It’s not your fault that the former emperor has such hatred towards sorcerers like Celine.”

Meanwhile, Celine who listened to their conversation steps backward a few meters away from the door.

‘It seems like Monica is right, that no matter what I’d do, I don’t belong here,’ she thought and walk back to her room.