16 Finally, You Came (2)

"How are you doing lately, idiot?" This black hair, this crimson red eyes, this bored expression, this pale yet attractive face, it's him, it's no doubt it's him! With a wide smile, Alexandra called out to his name, her face beaming with joy and happiness. Finally, he came! He visited me!

"Harrison!" He was standing in front of her with the same bored expression in his face but he's wearing clothes that he usually doesn't wear. He was wearing the boy's uniform of the QIA, Queenilia Imperial Academy. Under the unbuttoned black blazer with red lines, he was wearing was a white long-sleeved polo and a red tie, almost the same color as his eyes. He was wearing black pants and black shoes. He looked very adult-like or was it because of his aura? For sure, this guy is with girls except that there are only a few girls there, most of them are nobles and comes from a strong bloodline. The school's crest was seen on the left side of his chest, it glimmered and shined in the dark. It was made out of small pieces of gold.

"You grew." He said and compared his and Alexandra's height but Harrison was still taller than her, obviously. Alexandra just smiled and chuckled, "You still look…" Alexandra paused for a moment to think what she should say but Harrison finished her sentence with a confident smirk on his face, "Handsome? I know, I know." What he said made Alexandra roll her eyes. I see, still narcissistic as ever, she thought. Silence surrounded them and Harrison stared at her to examine her. His thin eyebrows were knitted and he had a frown on his face, "Are you eating well? You look thin." He said and Alexandra lightly slapped his arm which earned a painful whine from him, "Ow! What is that for?" He didn't shout nor get angry, he just pouted his lips and rubbed his arm. The way he pouted his lips looked cute, Alexandra want to pinch his cheeks but stopped the urge to do so.

"Not my weight, it's an insult." She said and walked past him to sit at her bed. He turned around, the pout removed from his lips. Harrison grabbed a chair and sat in front of her, his legs crossed and his elbow placed on top of the chair's arm. He propped his head up using the palm of his hand, "Whatever. Do you eat properly?" He asked once again. Alexandra nodded, "Yeah, Diana's cookies are still as delicious as ever!" She answered still smiling. Harrison just hummed as an answer and silence surrounded them once again. Alexandra couldn't think of what to say until she remembered what happened three days ago. Should I tell him or not? Maybe he'll scold me, knowing this guy he would get angry at me for being careless and stupid.

Harrison who noticed her change of expression, her smiling and happy face became a troubled and worried one. He sighed and leaned back on his seat, "You look troubled." He said and Alexandra lifted her gaze meeting his. Alexandra forced a smile at him. "It's nothing, really." She said but Harrison wasn't convinced at what she said. Being with her for almost 2 years, he knew that there's something troubling her from her actions or expressions. He even noticed the small changes she made. "Is that so?" He simply said and stared at her. Silence surrounded the room once again, it was awkward and she wanted to break it but she doesn't know what to say. Should I tell him?

"You see…" Alexandra started gaining his attention. He stared at her waiting for the next thing that she'll stay, "Three days ago, I met my father." And his expression changed, Alexandra told Harrison about his father and how the maids described him. He was cruel, scary, intimidating, and strong and so on. Knowing how Alexandra easily gets scared or afraid and cry easily when she's overwhelmed with emotions, he was sure that she cried when he met him. He flinched, he clutched his hands. Alexandra sighed and she told him everything that happened, feeling light and happy after she did.

Harrison listened to her as she speaks. Her smooth and gentle voice, that was the only thing heard at the room, rang inside his ears. From the way she described what happened, she must be scared. Harrison was annoyed, he was ticked off by Alexander who threatened her own daughter that if her answer doesn't satisfy him, he will kill her. "You're so stupid. You should have brought a maid with you!" He said, his eyebrows knitted and he was frowning. Alexander remained silent, she knew that Harrison will get angry. "I-I'm sorry," Alexandra said, her voice trailed with sadness and fear at the same time. Harrison softens his features and looked at her as she sighed.

"Well, whatever. What's important is that you satisfied him and you came back alive." If only she knew what he wants to do with the emperor, she would get angry knowing how pure and innocent she is. Alexandra met his warm and worried gaze which immediately disappeared as soon as their eyes met. Alexandra smiled at him, "So, how's the academy?" Alexandra was excited and wanted to know what he was doing for the past month when he didn't visit her. She was curious. Harrison frowned as he remembered what he experienced for the past month. "Exhausting." He simply said and pushed back his hair, his forehead exposed for seconds before it was covered with his bangs. Alexandra tilted her head sidewards, "Why?" She asked.

"Everything is exhausting. What they teach there are all complicated and some weren't true. It doesn't mean that when it's written in a book and is popular is true and it really happened." He said, getting more and more annoyed as seconds passed by. He was stopping the urge to curse in front of her, "Napolito didn't die because of a disease, Rolan wasn't a weak person nor he was a weak general and lastly…" His voice trailed off at his last word and he fell into silence making Alexandra confused and curious, "And lastly what?" She asked him.

"Nothing. Aside from that, the teachers are slightly annoying." He said and sighed. "Really? I thought you'll show off your skills and become popular." Alexandra said and showed him a faint smile which earned a smirk from him. "Oh, that? They were amazed and boys were envious of me." He said with a smug look on his face.

"Was there a battle that made you show off your skills?"

"No, I simply slept in class and the professor woke me up. He made me do a complicated tier 4 spell that everyone at the class can't do which is just a piece of cake for me. That bald-head didn't see that coming!" He laughed. His laugh filled the room and it was like music in Alexandra's ears. This guy rarely laughs, Alexandra thought and watched Harrison laugh for seconds before he returned to his usual expression. "Were there girls?" Alexandra asked.

Harrison hummed while thinking, "In a class of 50 students, 10-25 students are girls. Most of them come from noble families and strong bloodlines." He simply answered and looked at Alexandra who had a smile on her face. "Is that so? Are they strong?"

"Yeah, but they couldn't match me," Harrison said with a cheeky smile on his face. Alexandra was about to speak when he interrupted her, "But there is this girl… She was a new student who came to school late just like me but she came 2 weeks ago and I came a month ago. She's mysterious, she was weak and I wondered how she got in with that low mana of hers. She was just a common girl, she didn't come from a powerful noble family nor strong bloodline. It was said that the headmaster himself brought her in, the reason was unknown." Alexandra was also confused as well. She knew that people who are born with high mana could only enter that Academy but how did that girl get in? What did the Headmaster saw in her that made him decide to bring her in?

"Her case was very interesting that's why I investigated her but what I found was disappointing. She came from a low-class noble family, Greenwood. That was all. No other information was found." Harrison said, disappointed and curiosity heard from his voice. That girl also piqued Alexandra's interest. Silence surrounded them once again and the only thing heard was the sound of their breathing. Alexandra cleared her throat, "Were you lonely?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, did you made a friend?" Alexandra said and smiled at him. His eyebrows were knitted once again. "What? Friend?" He asked confused. Alexandra stifled a laugh, he doesn't know what a friend is, poor guy, she thought to herself and looked at him still stifling her laugh and Harrison raised an eyebrow at her. "What? What's funny?" He frowned.

"Y-You don't know what a friend is, poor you~" Alexandra answered and laughed. Harrison rolled his eyes, "I know what a friend is." He said and Alexandra looked at him with an 'Is-That-So?' face which mocked him.

"Then tell me, what is a friend?"

"They are humans who accompany you." He answered.

"No, no, you're very wrong although you are also right. Friends are people who bring you up when you are down. Friends are people who give you hope whenever you lost hope. Friends are people who accompany you to make you happy and tells you that they are here for you. Friends are people who will never leave you even though you have a crappy attitude." Alexandra said she was the 18-year-old Alexandra when she spoke. Harrison fell into silence and stared at her.

"Hmmm. Then there are 2." Alexandra was delighted when she heard his answer but she also wanted to laugh at the same time. Who knew that there are some people who can stand his grumpy attitude and playful attitude aside from her?

"They always pester me and annoy me. They aren't one of those boys who envied me." He simply said and leaned back on his seat, he stared at Alexandra who was listening to him with a face beaming with joy. She was still the same as ever, he thought to himself. "What are their names?" Alexandra asked.

"Carlos Jerich Felix and Luke Ashley Collins," Harrison answered nonchalantly. Alexandra nodded repeatedly as a response to his answer. Harrison's eyes darted at the bedside table with a drawer, there was a book placed on top of it and a familiar golden pocket watch. The corner of his lips slightly went up and Alexandra noticed that, is he smiling? She asked herself as she stared at his face more. "You are really keeping it safe." There was warmth in his eyes and he looked happy but Alexandra was confused. She looked behind her where he was looking and saw the golden pocket watch that still shined and not even a single scratch can be seen. Alexandra's mouth made an 'O' shape, "Yeah, you asked me to do so." Alexandra answered and looked back at him. His bored face was back again, bummer.

"By the way, winter vacation starts a week and a half before the celebration of the winter star, Astraea. This means I'll be back next 2 weeks. The vacation will last for like 3 weeks." Harrison suddenly said and that made Alexandra happy. Finally, she will not feel lonely or reading books for the whole day anymore. Aside from that, she will celebrate along with Diana, Clarissa, Mari, Lilith, Daisy, and the other maids and Harrison is also there. The celebration of the winter star, Astraea was like Christmas or Thanksgiving Day on Earth. There will be exchanging gifts and such.

The story of the winter star was that the world during the winter was very dark and lonely. There was a goddess named Astraea who died because of a disease. Astraea was a bright and cheerful person who thinks that the world will become a better place if people would get along, she helped people especially poor people and beggars. When she died, God asked her what she would want to be in her next life and she smiled, she wanted to be a star, a star that would shine the brightest when it is winter.

"Really? I'm excited." Alexandra said and giggled. Harrison hummed and just stared at her. Alexandra yawned and looked at the clock, "It's already past 9 o'clock, how fast time flies." Alexandra said after she yawned. "Sleep." He simply said and Alexandra tucked herself in bed and stared at the ceiling. She thought that Harrison will teleport or disappear beside her to go back to the academy, he must be living in the dorms. Harrison was staring at her waiting for her to sleep, this is embarrassing, I feel uncomfortable when someone is watching me or waiting for me to sleep, she thought to herself and shifted.

"Is there a problem?" He asked but Alexandra shook her head. Well whatever, it's not like I don't fall asleep when Diana is singing me a lullaby. Alexandra opened her mouth to speak as she fights the urge to close her eyes, "Harrison." She called out to his name, tiredness and sleepiness clear from her gentle voice. "What?" He asked and propped his head up using the palm of his right hand whose elbow was resting on top of the armchair.

"Goodnight," Alexandra said, her voice sounds like a whisper but he heard it just fine. Alexandra slowly closed her eyes to sleep not waiting for Harrison's response. She was pulled into a deep slumber and her breathing became steady and calm.

Harrison played with the ends of her hair while he looked at the ceiling and at Alexandra, "Goodnight, Alexandra." He whispered to the wind knowing that she wouldn't hear it.