009

I can't help but be anxious. Just on the other side of this thick glass division is a man in a bathtub. There's a sheer space at the corner where the chain passes through. I won't hesitate to mark my hand on his face if he tries to peep once! I made sure the division was secured, but through this sheer space I found him peacefully closing his eyes while looking up. 

From his jaw to the hump of his throat, he's a perfect hotsome figure. To think that staying like this like married couples will sink me deeper to his profile and personality, will I ever climb up again? He inspired to relax like he does—now that I'm finally clean for the first time on Earth—and as I was about to mimic, he says,

"I won't hesitate to chop your head if you peep twice."

"EXCUSE ME!?"

I just find him to be a perfect figure but I'm not thinking dirty! The plan worked nevertheless. Then he toured me around his room. He didn't hide from me that he's an achiever; a graduate of Creative Writing, Psychology, Physiology, Anthropology and he even has Astrology. During spare time, he showed me how he works as an Editor. My mouth drooled rainbows when he lent me the very manuscript of Holland Savante! It contains spoilers but I read anyway. To my confusion, it sounds different. 

Words are less creative. Tones of dialogue are kinda dull. It's not bad but it lacks the pull to imagination. I said that to Haris. He opens the touch-screen monitor and takes the page from me then taps on the screen. He's serious and focused until the screen continues producing sentences even though Haris ceased typing, he's now reviewing the page. 

Soon he printed the page and gave it to me. Now the words seem stimulating, familiar, and creative! This means that every book written by Holland is edited by Haris. It's not that I dislike the manuscript but I was enthralled by the skills of word usage and that is Haris' part. Does it mean that the Editor is the one I truly admire? He brought magic to my boring world. 

I cleared my throat to hush my heart again from starting another race! "Y-You know, Holland is the reason why I fell in love with Earth. Can I meet him?"

"You do? … Then it means it's working," he uttered the last sentence in a low voice. My forehead creases. "I will introduce you to him but not now. There's one thing you should occupy yourself with." 

He took me to his private gym, specifically in front of a treadmill. The expected happened, he taught me how to walk and stand. He supported me on my waist whenever necessary and caught me every time I fell. Standing without the cane is already an exhaustion for me. I thought he'll be strict just like what everyone says but he's very patient.

"A little progress is plenty." He cheers me up with words too. "By and by you'll be less of an idiot." But sometimes he'll suddenly kill the spark! 

Venji summoned us outside around the billiard table. The photos in the envelope are laid on the table and some chess pieces are used for weighting. "We have a lead," he said. "Not exactly 8 years ago, this spaceship crashed on Point Nemo, according to the Marines. And these are the retrieved objects inside the ship." 

The photos portray the fragile spaceship, old machines, and more but above all, the photo of syringes and medicine bottles is what took Haris' attention. "Point Nemo… where the closest people around are the astronauts…" He exchanged significant glances with Venji, while I'm the only one who didn't receive the message. "Ash, what are the privileges of a Queen in Stell?"

"Oh, uhm, they can have the fair-share inheritance with their King, she can rule her own household, but a Queen remains subject to her King. Queens can only be leaders at home but not in the community." 

"Are there any Queens that have control over Von Luxengarde technology?" 

"My Father's spouses."

He asked me more questions related to Queens, yet I mentioned that I found no suspicious stepmothers. They convince me to file a petition that will warrant them to investigate these Queens and relatives. I may not be as powerful as them but at least as a direct descendant of the King, I have the influence. They immediately attended to the document with my signature. Moreover, Haris expanded the sources of evidence to the hospital records and more.

In the end, he pinned the photo of syringes under the King chess piece. "This is our main lead for now," he explained. 

Their investigation suggests that a person has infiltrated Stell and has been blending in our society: a spy. Now, a restlessness stirs within me. My family is surely the target. Stell is in danger. This investigation can prevent a worse case scenario or the beginning of war in our paradise. But there's worse than this, I have to meet Prince Almidoron again. He probably found out that I was there in the kitchen when he was making love with his maid!

In a hushed embrace of night, my mind resounds with this cacophony of thoughts. Even with a lamp on, a certain fear paralyzes me on this bed not until Libra, the cat, squeezes herself beside me. I lied sideward and caressed the docile cat, but then I caught the gazes of more cats. Haris and the other cats. Although he still has his eyeglasses on. 

My eyebrow raises. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I whispered. 

"If you were to pick the best chayote, what would be at the top of your criteria list?" 

I blinked thrice. His sleepy voice was such a good lullaby of the night but his question is out of the blue. "I… will choose the one that looks abundant." 

"Plainly. To examine the quality of chayote you have to sink the tip of your nail and if it penetrated the skin, it means that chayote is young and has the best quality. If your nail didn't sink it means the chayote is tough and old, less quality. Let us say there's a big and a small chayote, the smaller one passes your 'quality check' but the bigger one doesn't, what will you choose between the two?" 

I blink thrice again. "Well… the smaller one, of course? I'd rather not have a huge quantity of disappointment."

"Very well said. Your choice is exactly what you are. But it's you who has to realize it on your own. Did you choose that smaller chayote or the bigger one? That's what you should overthink about, and that's when you'll know if what you think is worth overthinking."

Was he trying to upgrade my overthinking? "... But… what if…"

He rose up. "Petting was proven therapeutic. They can distract your thoughts for good. Their innocence can improve your mood. Reduce the production of cortisol, and more." From under his pillow, he took a feather wand with a tiny bell that the moment cats heard it, they chased it playfully. Haris gave me the feather wand as excited as a kid I played with the cats! I crawled to the center of the bed just to have a bigger space. 

Haris is right. My giggling warmed the silent night. I even lost count of time, but I had a sound sleep nevertheless. The alarm rings at 5:59 am as to what we agreed upon but I had so much fun with the cats I can't stop cuddling it. It's bigger… and this déjà vu second opened wide my eyes. 

I'm cuddling him again!

His eyes were still sleepy when he felt tight and found out it's my fault again, he did nothing. I pushed him although it wasn't my intention but he fell out of the bed—dévà vu. 

Part of his morning routine is workout. As agreed, he will teach me to build up muscles. He removed his t-shirt in one strong pull, nonetheless it wasn't torn. My shoulder flinched at the sight of his upper body. I'm only seeing his back but his tough tone shouts an alluring masculine grace. Yet something's off. 

"Haris! That's a severe contusion on your shoulder, right!?"

"Yes. I got it when you crashed on me." 

"That's…!" 'Twas my fault after all! It looks serious but it seems nothing to him. My apology is already on the tip of my tongue not until I see his smug face, waiting for me to bend my tail. "Serves you right," I said instead. 

"Proud idiot."

"I said don't call me that!" And when he's about to hop to the pull-up bar, I rant, "What about me? What's my workout wear?" He pulls the ribbon of my pajama and after he releases it, my clothes swap into a black full zip jacket and pants. It emphasizes my tiny waist and the wide hips—that I dislike—but it's super comfortable! "I like it!"

I caught him gazing at my body and when he realized, looked away, inhaled, then swallowed. He did his plan a while ago and I observed before I mimicked him. He told me that gravity plays a vital role in strengthening the muscles and indeed it is! He can maintain the speed of his pull-ups while I have to grit my teeth, walk my feet in the air and whatever conveniences just to make 5 pull-ups. 

Then I felt a grasp on my ankles, supplying strength to lift myself, and it's him. I didn't notice that he backed out just to bother himself with me. And when I really had enough, I released the bar at once but 'twas a wrong idea. My adrenaline rush did everything to cling on to something, then I found myself clinging on Haris; arms wrapped around his neck and legs on his waist. And he's holding me on my thighs.

I can't respond nor my body refuses to move as I have a closer look on his eyes. Those dark and dead eyes behind his eyeglasses… petrify me but not my heart because I know… that it's the same for him.

"Haris!" Venji came into the room. "Haris, there's an—" He halted when he saw us like this. Suddenly, my butt meets the ground!

"Ouch! You… JERK!"

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something but you have to see this." He scurried to the window and wiped the curtain. At the entrance of this Gothic building is crowded, there is a group of bodyguards and a certain man that widens my eyes. 

"What is he doing here!?"

"You know him? He assaulted the guards deeming that Haris kidnapped you." 

"H-He's my fiancé." 

"Your What!?" they both exclaimed. "You have a fiancé but why did you run away from home?" Venji continued.

"I ran away from home because I have a fiancé!" I looked at Harrison again on the ground floor, he's arguing with the school guards and some students who're meddling. "I'll explain to him," I suggested. I tighten my grip on the cane and suck my lip. I never thought this would happen. But wait, I can't stupidly tell on his face that I ran away from him!

"No," Haris firmly said in his low tone. "You won't face him yet." He's been staring at Harrison like a prey. 

"He's accusing you!"

"He should know his place."

"He's a billionaire! He can buy this whole academia in a second!"

But they burst into laughter—and I knew it meant something more than being a 'billionaire.' I didn't know what to say until they settled my own problem. They authorized the department of Broadcasting to announce to the whole campus Harrison's illegal actions and he's now detained by the authorities. 

The incident led us to Beaumont Castle where they reported an update to Prince Almidoron. He said that they received a strong message from Stell and Harrison is the sender. My crush and my fiancé met. All I did during the discussion was sip tea, anxiously avoiding the prince and the maid's gazes, and now I dragged Haris to the women's comfort room! Finally, it's time for my private conversation with the prince but it didn't result privately somehow. 

Haris is wearing earphones while reading a newspaper one seat apart from me. Prince Almidoron has been glancing at the chain but he never asks about it yet, so we won't explain it, according to what Haris and I agreed—that we're not obliged to explain to every single person we meet. After the silent, gazing session, the prince gave me back the stress ball.

"You left it in your room." His voice seems cautiously gentle. 

I glanced at Haris, who's minding his own business, before I answered, "No, I'm taking it back to you."

"... You are the rightful owner. The Majesties of Von Luxengarde are worried about you. I was tasked to take you home safely. And…" he also gave me a letter, "I think it's best said in written words." 

'I learned the cause of your bravery. I admire your resolve, dignity, and confidence with your own decision however dangerous things may be. But please don't do it for someone who can't do the same for you. You don't deserve a man like me. I am in love with someone else. I'll still forever honor your admiration for me.'

I couldn't breathe silently anymore in the threshold of the silent night. Hugging my knees, holding the letter, wiping tears with the blanket. 

"Hey." Annoyed, he rose up. "..." He snatched the letter and crumpled it. "He's not worth your tears."

I sniffed. "I know, but… I knew just now how painful love can be. He's the reason why I came here, and he can't be my reason to stay. Now he'll be the one to take me home. I have to be the 5th consort, produce children for him as an obligation, become a woman of Stell. All… I did… were wasted."

"Do you want to stay?" 

"I can't stay anyway."

"Do you want it?"

"I have to go back!"

"But what do you want?"

"I have no choice!"

"Just say it. Do you want to stay?" 

"..."

"Say it, what you really want."

"... Yes. I want to stay," I whispered softly as a tear slid down. 

"Okay."

"... Okay?"

"Let's see what we can do." 

His eyes speak genuinity and the longer I gaze upon it, the calmer I feel. And then my chest panics when he wraps me in the blanket first before he grabs me to his chest and lies down with me above him! "Haris!?"

"Hugging increases the production of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that contribute to feelings of happiness and pleasure. Hugging… is a healthy habit." 

"Yes, but… it's so hot! I don't want contact with warm bodies!"

He still didn't let go of me. I'm not even sure if it's the temperature of the Earth that I'm not used to or my fuming head again that he triggers all the time. On the bright side, he's right. All my thoughts were hushed down in peace on his chest.