58 Second (5)

"You're here, Harrison," Alexandra said as she forced a smile. Harrison dragged a chair and placed it just beside the bedside table. He sat on it and crossed his legs as he placed his hand on top of his thigh, and stared at Alexandra without saying anything. Harrison wanted her to respond to his question earlier, so he repeated it, "Why were you staring at the ceiling earlier? I called out to you but you ignored me, was there something interesting that made you ignore my presence?" Harrison's eyebrows were creased as he spoke and curiosity was written all over his face. Alexandra's eyes which were filled with happiness and sparkled brightly was replaced with a dull and filled with sadness one, Harrison stared at her expression and creased his eyebrows knowing that something happened which made her sad. This is the expression she usually wears when she is sad.

Alexandra hummed before she responded, "Diana told me a story and the ending was rather sad and confusing," Alexandra said, she was completely bothered by the ending of the story. She felt sad for the girl as well as for the boy. Harrison's eyebrows remained creased, "What story?" He asked and Alexandra heaved a sigh before she told him about it, not missing a single detail.

After what it seems like half an hour of telling the story to him, Alexandra heaved a sigh after and Harrison remained unfazed as if he didn't care about how the story ended. Alexandra stared at him waiting for his reaction or what he will say.

"The ending wasn't sad at all," She heard him say and Alexandra blinked multiple times before she spoke. "Huhhh? What do you mean by its not sad? It's sad! I mean, the boy promised that he will return but he didn't, the girl doesn't know where has he gone to or what happened to him," Alexandra said making multiple hand gestures as he explained to him her point. He remained silent as he was watching her explain and observed her hand gestures, from the way her hand waved and from the way her fingers curled or flicked. Harrison cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Of course, I was sad but what if something just occurred and the boy returned the next day? Your maid told you, right? That her mother didn't tell her about what happened. She did mention that he broke his promise but that is for he will return tomorrow but what if he came the next day? That's how people are, they would leave but if they love you, they will return, stronger and more determined than ever. However, sometimes if that person who left and returned then saw you happy with someone else, they would just leave you be. That person might don't want to ruin your happiness just by coming back after leaving you but the girl in the story badly wants to leave with him, then maybe he would return, saying sorry for breaking his promise," Harrison said in a gentle tone of voice. Alexandra couldn't help but notice the sadness that trailed his voice which immediately disappeared. This was the first time that Harrison said many words and explained his point. Because of this, Alexandra was able to know that he might have experienced so many things and suffered too much, and maybe, his heart was broken multiple times.

Alexandra fell into silence after he spoke. Harrison noticing her silence heaved a sigh and uncrossed his legs. He was about to open his mouth to speak but Alexandra did it first, her voice was low but he was able to hear it, "But what if the boy was caught and he was beheaded, so that's why he didn't return. What if he actually lied and betrayed the girl's trust? What if he was actually not in love with her and just pretending? The girl must be heartbroken and felt empty when he didn't return, what if she waited for days just for him to appear on her window? What if she got tired of waiting and decided to move on and just remained inside the tower waiting for her death? What if she decided to escape just by herself and strengthened her heart to not weep for him as she escaped? What if she fulfilled their promise to get married by doing it with another man? What if she lived alone when she escaped still remembering the boy and refused to love anyone other than him?" Sadness trailed her voice as she spoke and Harrison was caught off-guarded by this. Tears threatened to come out of her eyes as her heart suddenly ached, she felt dull and heartbroken as she spoke.

They were actually almost in the same condition or state. They were both trying to explain their sides hoping that the one they are talking to would understand and agree. Harrison experienced so many things already because he was older than his appearance but Alexandra was reincarnated and also experienced so many painful things in her past.

"That is her choice if she should stay behind and wait for him, move on and forget everything about him while she waits for her death at the tower, or to escape just by herself as she hardens her heart. She would either fall in love with another person that would make her happy and fulfill her promise that she did with the boy with another person or she would just live alone, heartbroken and sad as she tried to look for the boy. Either way, the choice is hers and it would always involve her heart when she is making her decision. There's a lesson behind the story and you need to think outside the box, however, I don't know what the lesson is and it's for you to find out what it is," Harrison simply said and heaved a sigh after he spoke. That was the first time he said many words and he was exhausted by speaking too much.

What is this feeling? Why are tears threatening to come out of my eyes? She asked herself. Sure, she was sensitive at stories with sad endings but she never cried at them, she would just feel sad for a few hours and she will be fine next. However, this was different as if the girl from the story was her and she can pretty much relate. Why do I always experience this feeling when I'm around Harrison? She asked herself and a tear rolled down her cheek. Harrison seeing her state and the expression she was making, he panicked. He has known Alexandra as an innocent yet brave and confident person, she would take risks by herself and would rarely cry but for her to cry because the story was a new experience for him. He doesn't know what to do and panicked although he was wearing his usual expression and looked like he was unfazed inside he was not.

Alexandra wiped the tears which continued to escape her eyes. Harrison sat beside her and cupped her cheek, wiping the tears that fell with the use of his thumbs, "I'm sorry, because of what I said you cried," He said, his tone of voice sounded sincere and genuine. If he didn't say his opinion, Alexandra wouldn't say hers and she wouldn't cry but honestly, it wasn't his fault. There was this urge that told her to cry and the aching pain on her chest remained, there was a lump on her throat and her head was aching in pain but she didn't tell him about it. "N-No, it's not your fault, I was very sad for the girl that's why I cried," Alexandra said, half of it was the truth and half of it was a lie.

Harrison heaved a sigh, "Lies," He said and continued to wipe away the tears that escaped from her eyes. Alexandra heard a voice inside her head, the same familiar voice which she would always hear when she's around him.

"Why are you crying?"

"…Smiles…Good…Tears…" His words and voice weren't clear. An image of a boy's mouth with a frown appeared in her head and it felt familiar.

"…Us…Back…" The aching pain in her head continues and she covered her ears, hoping for the voice to disappear. She had a horrified and confused expression plastered on her face, she was breathing heavily and tears continued to come out of her eyes. The pain was making her crazy.

"…You…Suddenly…" Then the voice faded off along with the pain and she felt weak. She collapsed in Harrison's arms and without realizing it, she fell asleep on his arms. Harrison heaved a sigh of relief when he heard her almost inaudible snore, her breathing became relaxed, and her chest raised up and down in a calmed or relaxed way. A small smile was plastered on her lips and it seems like she was having a good dream as nothing happened earlier.

Harrison tucked her in and sat on the chair beside the bedside table. He just used a spell to make Alexandra fall asleep in order for her to calm down and stop crying, she wasn't listening to him even when he called out to her name multiple times while she was crying. He stared at her face as she was sleeping peacefully and heaved a sigh once again. Why are you experiencing those types of emotions when I am around you? He asked his self and remembered what she asked him at their previous meeting.

"Have we met before?"

That question lingered inside his head for a long time. When the first time he saw her by the lake, before their formal or true meeting where they talked with each other and she fainted because of her weak body and he brought her to her palace where he became known and trusted by the maids, it feels like she was familiar and they have met before that even though that was the first time he saw her or they talked with each other.

However, it seems like something was bothering Alexandra when they would talk. For the past year, it suddenly stopped and she was able to talk to him normally without having those attacks or something like that, although it rarely happens now it was back. He doesn't know what to do when she is currently experiencing it and would just use a spell to make her sleep and relax.

He played with the ends of hair and stared at the ceiling above him just like what Alexandra did earlier. He heaved a sigh and twirled a strand of hair around his finger as he thought about many things that bothered him. There are two girls which bothered me, the first one is Alexandra, who would experience this type of attacks or feelings and why was she born in an all-male bloodline as well as, what her power or ability is. If she was strong like her brothers or weak just like the average or usual girls. The second one is Elise, the one I danced with who had a mysterious and unknown background or past.

The most mysterious one was Alexandra, she was completely unknown to him but he felt familiarity when he is around her and he easily got attached with her even though he just reasoned it that he was interested and curious about what she truly is, he easily trusted her and it seems like they already know each other, unlike Elise who had an unknown and doubtful background which caught his interest.

He was also blaming his self, because of what he said, Alexandra wouldn't have that kind of reaction and explain her side which he knows is a sad one. But he didn't expect her to cry. He knows that every time he paid a visit during the night, she would tell him about her happy experiences or what happened earlier while he was gone and now, because of what he said, he ruined the mood and he had to calm Alexandra down by making her sleep. He wants to invade her memories but there was something holding him back, as if it was asking him not to or he will regret it. It seems like there was someone protecting her like Elise but it was different from her. It was as if he was the one telling his self not to do it.

Harrison had a serious expression on as he stared at the ceiling and he heaved a sigh that it seems like it was indicating that he was stressed and was in a situation where he doesn't know what to do. Well, before that, he needs to recover his mana first and he knows where to go just to recover this mana of his. In that way, he can proceed to his plan without encountering problems on the way.