"Your hand,"
_Jace Dreice Scott's Point of View_
I felt like there was something heavy pressing on my hand so I slowly opened my eyes and a black unfamiliar ceiling greeted me.
I blinked twice then roamed my eyes, my gaze fell to my hand.
Lavalee's holding my hand while her head is leaning on her arm.
She's asleep.
I tried to move and took a pillow to replace it but I groaned when I felt pain in my shoulder.
I accidentally woke Lavalee up from the sound that I made and her eyes widened when she saw me moving.
"What time is it?" I asked her and that's when she moved
"Dreice! You're awake." She exclaimed and hugged me
I tried my best not to groan aloud because she squeezed the wound on my shoulder.
After hugging me, she glared at me and frowned.
"Don't you make me worry again," she said and hit my shoulder
"I won't," I assured her and held her hand
"You know, Nee-chan. Jace-chan's wound will open if you continue hitting him." We looked at Freia who had just entered the room
"Oh, you're awake," a man in a white coat said after entering
"Your wound is deep but you're lucky it didn't hit any blood vein," he said, and I realized that he's probably a doctor
"Will he be okay?" Lavalee asked him
"He's fine now, young lady. He just needs to be more careful in moving to avoid getting his wound open again." The doctor said and then went out
"Jace-chan! How are you?" Summer said and a maid entered
"Young lady here is the meal you requested," a maid said while carrying a tray
She placed it on the table beside the bed where I am and bowed.
"I see, leave it there," Lavalee said and the maid bowed and left the room
"How are you?" Summer asked me and walked to my side beside Lavalee
"I'm fine, my wound just hurts a little," I answered
"You should eat," Lavalee said so I sat up and she placed a pillow on my back for support
"I will," I said and I was surprised when Lavalee placed a spoonful of the porridge in front of me
"Don't you dare make another unnecessary movement, Dreice." She warned me and I saw Summer chuckling
"To which are you worried off, Onee-chan? Jace-chan or the mess if he accidentally spills food on the bed?" Summer asked and chuckled
"Of course, I'm worried about Dreice," Lavalee said and looked at her sister as if wondering what had brought the question forward
"Oh, I see~" Summer teased and walked towards the door
"Jace-chan!" she called me
"Why?" I asked
"Nee-chan didn't leave after the doctors finished suturing you up," Freia said and I saw how Lavalee's eyes widened
"Freia!" she said making Summer laugh again
"You didn't say not to tell him, Nee-chan, you just said to be quiet because he's resting." Summer said and chuckled
"By the way, let nee-chan attend to you. She's the best nurse!" she said and laughed again before going out of the room
"Eat," he said and placed the spoon in front of me
"Ow," I winced when the spoon got in contact with my lips.
"Oh, right, it's hot," Lavalee said and took it back
"I thought Freia said you're the best nurse?" I teased her
She blew it gently then placed it in front of me so I opened my mouth and ate it.
Silence enveloped the whole room until she cleared her throat, she seems guilty and I wondered if Frost already told her about our agreement.
"I'm sorry," she apologized and averted her gaze
"It's fine, it's not very hot," I said
"It's not about that." She said and I realized what she's apologizing for
"I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry." I said and she placed the spoonful of porridge in front of me again.
"Eat up, Dreice," she said but her eyes won't meet mine
I ate it then she placed it on the table after I finished eating.
"Thank you," she said after several minutes of silence
"Thank you for helping me retrieve my eomma's necklace." She said
"I kept it," I said and she looked at me
"Was it why you were investigating the underground society? Because of the necklace?" she asked me
"Partly," I answered and I saw her face brighten before it dimmed again
"So, um now that you," she pursed her lips and averted her gaze
"Are you... are you going to stay away from us?" She said and looked at me when she asked the last part
"Do you want me to?" I asked her and she shook her head
"Of course not!" she answered quickly
"But... But you have your duties." She said
"I'll resign," I said nonchalantly and she looked at me with wide eyes
"What? Why are you going to do that?" she asked and held my arm
"You can't just give up your profession because of me, Dreice." She said in disbelief and I looked at her for a moment before shaking my head
"I became a police to fill in for my deceased cousin," I said
"Your Uncle's son?" she asked and I nodded
"Yeah, I have served for three years as a police and Dad wants me to take over the business soon too," I said
"Oh, that's good. I thought..." she said and disappointment flash across her eyes
"You lived in that mansion?" I asked her and she sighed before nodding
"We were there to study, Nii-sama and I. Appa brought Icey to Breakore with him to introduce her to the other heiresses of allies so when the house was ambushed Eomma and Freia were the only ones there."
She looked at the tiled floor while speaking, a tear fell from her eye so I raised my hand and wiped it away, making her look at me.
"It was on my birthday, a Christmas party and celebration of my birthday a month after we migrated back to Japan because of what happened in our mansion." She said and her eyes watered so I pulled her close with my arm and hugged her
"What happened?" I asked softly
"Appa died. Ravien died. Uncle Wesley died. Icey, Autumn, Rielle, and Spring were traumatized like Freia. They lost themselves." Her voice was breaking as she speaks
"It was painful for me to see how the innocent little girls Ravien, Lyan, and I used to sneak out for lunch killed the reapers trying to kill them mercilessly. When they blacked out, that was when I stepped it, I brought them to the obstacle island where they could destroy everything and release their devastation."
I wiped away the tears that continuously fall from Lavalee's eyes
"Now that you know the world I grow up in..." her voice was soft but audible enough for me to hear so I looked at her
"Are you still willing to stay?" she asked and looked up at me
"Yes," I answered and I saw relief and reluctance in her eyes
"But why?" she asked and averted her gaze
"I talked to Frost about you," I said and she looked at me confusedly
"Me? What about me?" She asked me after releasing herself from my hug
"I asked your brother for something related to you," I said and her forehead knotted
"What did you ask Nii-sama?" she asked and I pulled her again to my chest and wrapped my arm around her
"Your hand," I said and she released herself from my hug again and her eyes looked at me like she's testing whether I'm kidding or not
"I asked for his permission to be your boyfriend," I clarified and she looked surprised then suddenly I saw her cheeks turning red
She tried to stand up but since I was hugging her my arm just fell.
"Uh, I have to go. I remembered that Nii-sama asked me to do something." She said anxiously so I held her hand
"I just want you to know," I said and let go of her hand
She assisted me in laying down and fixed my pillow.
"Uh, you should rest. I'll bring you dinner later." She said and carried the tray out
I looked at the door and I realized that Lavalee is just like a normal girl.
She's loving, sweet, and kind, she's not heartless or merciless like what I thought members of the underground society are.
She proved me wrong about my assumptions, about my prejudice toward the members of the underground.
She proved herself different from what I expected again.
I sighed and remembered what Frost and I talked about days ago when I asked him for permission to date Lavalee.
He told me that if I want to be with Lavalee, I have to prove that I won't be a liability to her and that I can accept and love Lavalee for who she is, and I had come to understand where he is coming from after undergoing the tests he gave me.