Memories of the Dark: "Be My Gift"

Peronell Keen,

"Your friend was sent to the clinic. Are you feeling alright?" Lief checked up on me and I nodded slowly.

My brain stopped working when the DeepClaw went on a rampage, I just stood there like an idiot. I felt useless, I did nothing. The staff took care of it and Martha was sent to the clinic as well.

"I think I'm gonna go somewhere that's not here."

Before I could step out of the room, Lief stopped me by holding my hand.

"I'll go with you—"

I didn't want to be in his presence right now, not when I'm feeling useless. He's different from me. Lief wants to protect everyone, while I couldn't even help Cedany or Lianna.

"No! Please, I don't feel comfortable in your presence right now..." I blurted out.

"I see, I make you uncomfortable." Lief ended up being the one to walk out.

I ended up going to a balcony and I was just standing there like a fool. I didn't even cry at all.

All of a sudden I heard footsteps coming towards me and I looked up at the person.

"I won't even ask what's on your mind." Harold looked at me with a look I can't quite understand.

"I don't know if you're threatening me to tell you or you meant what you've just said." I gave him a grin, trying to lighten up the mood.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? The view back in our palace is much better though." Harold boasted and I laughed at his statement.

"Well, you are gonna take me there after all, right? You said you wanted me as a birthday present."

I brought up his words back when we were in the library. Harold nodded. I can't believe this dude. Can he not see anything wrong with making me his birthday present when he likes Godiva?

"I bet you can even make my father change his mind about wanting me to get married to a girl I don't even like. I do want the best for our kingdom, however, I don't want to marry for an alliance. I just want to make him proud of me."

Harold had melancholy look on his face. I feel bad for him, he looked lonely. I could see my past self in him.

I was expected to follow my parents' decisions, I was gonna inherit their business. Thank the Goddess for making them disappear, but half of me didn't want that. Since I still love them even though they only treated me like a money investment. I wished that we resolved our misunderstandings.

"You know, you shouldn't feel pressured at all. Do what makes you happy. Be selfish sometimes, you can't always make your family proud of you. What about you? How about making yourself proud? That's something people always forget, themselves. We always forget about ourselves and always want to get validated by other people. However, you can't get validation from others if you can't even validate yourself." I didn't even know I held this much power. It just came out of nowhere, sometimes I think that somebody else is in my body.

"You're right. I can't do it though. I'm already chained up." Maybe it's just me, however, I feel like he's asking for my help.

"I'll be your birthday present." I feel like the birthday present thing is some kind of code for help and by saying these words I'm saying that I will help him.

"All of a sudden?" Harold was caught off guard by my words. Did I fail to understand the meaning of the words once again?

"I will help you."

"Why would you do that? What kind of power do you hold to even be able to help?"

"You see... I broke your pendant accidentally. So I feel like I have to repay in this kind of way since I know I can not pay for it." I gave him the pendant he was looking for.

"I knew it. Now you have a lot of debt to pay me." My mouth formed into an 'o'.

"Please have mercy!" I hugged his legs.

"Don't worry, I will. Repay in a way you can not pay with money." Harold smirked.

"What? You want my virginity?" I covered myself from him.

"Huh?! No! But if you want to..." Harold blushed and I immediately smacked his head.

"You pervert! I will pay you, okay? I'll think of what I can do to repay the broken pendant." I turned away from him.

"Hey, Peronell. Thank you." Harold smiled gently.

I was confused why he said thank you, I literally broke his pendant.

Lianna Morris,

I waited for Cedany to wake up from her sleep. Gavin already left. I looked at Cedany's sleeping figure and sighed. I hope that whatever state she's going through isn't that bad.

"William!" Martha who was with William said out of nowhere.

They were next to us, the curtain is the only thing that was blocking the way.

"What?" William asked in a rather cold voice.

Classic William, I guess.

"Can't you at least feed me?"

The nurse gave us a bowl of mushroom soup earlier for the unwell people. I guess she wants William to feed her the mushroom soup.

"I'm well aware that your hands are not injured for me to feed you like a newborn baby." William answered as I let out a snort. Martha opened the curtain and she was shooting death glares at me.

"Why are you eavesdropping on us?!" Martha questioned.

"She's not eavesdropping, she just can hear your loud voice." William replied on my behalf and Martha whined like a baby. Acting cute in front of the person you like is very common after all. "Is Cedany feeling better?" William asked me. Martha was not pleased upon hearing William say another woman's name.

"She hasn't woken up yet. However, I do feel that she's feeling better than earlier." I answered William politely since he is royalty.

"Who is Cedany?" William ignored Martha's question. "Can't you at least tell me what's your relationship with her? Is she your mistress? You know I won't judge you for cheating on me. I can accept it since I know we'll work it out in the end." Martha bombarded William with irrelevant words.

How can he be so unfazed after all those annoying words?

"Cedany is an acquaintance and she is currently feeling unwell as you can see here." William pointed at Cedany.

"Oh! So she's the sleeping beauty? I hope she'll feel better soon, so William doesn't have to worry about her well-being!" Martha smiled at me, however, I knew it was forced.

"I think you're feeling better. Why don't I escort you to your dorm room?" William suggested and Martha nodded in approval.

"As long as I get to be with you!" Martha looked absolutely in love with William, how sad that William is indifferent towards her feelings.

"Give Cedany my sincerest regards." William gave us one more glance before turning back.

"Thank you, your highness!" I replied.

William is actually nice if you think of it, I guess he's just not fit for being a loverboy.

I watched the two go out of the clinic and Peronell went inside.

"Hey, how's she doing?"

"She hasn't woken up yet." I feel a bit saddened that she hasn't even moved even an inch.

"It's getting dark. We should get back to our dorm room. No one is allowed to spend the night here unless they are you know, unwell."

Peronell caressed my back and smiled gently.

"Alright. Hopefully tomorrow she'll finally be well."

"We should eat first before going back, let's go to the cafeteria."

I followed Peronell and I took one last glance at Cedany who was still sleeping.

It didn't take us that long to get to the cafeteria, since we got used to the distance and somehow remembered where the directions are. We took a seat at Godiva Stewart's table.

"Have you heard?" Godiva said to Peronell. "Fendrel Fox is gonna perform a sacred dance to lighten up everyone's mood." She looked excited as we looked at the stage that was probably set up by the staff.

"How is that gonna help everyone?" Peronell with her sassiness rolled her eyes at the stage.

"Haha! You're right though. However, I am curious what this sacred dance is that he's gonna perform." Peronell shrugged at Godiva.

I was quiet as they kept chatting about a lot of stuff. I can't bring myself to join in because of how devastated I am. Before the food could touch my mouth someone said 'hello'.

"Oh, Cedric! Do you wanna sit with us?" I asked him because he was just standing there beside me.

The two girls were too caught up with their chattering that they didn't even notice that I was talking to Cedric.

"Yeah." Those were the only words that left his mouth as he sat beside me.

He looked like a lost child. I guess there wasn't anyone for him to sit with, I kind of feel sad for him. I didn't even realise that tears were falling from my eyes. Cedric looked at me in a panic as he immediately put out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to me.

"I'm sorry, I just feel sad that you don't have anyone to sit with. Now you ended up sitting with a miserable person like me." I just held onto his handkerchief.

There was a crest broided into it and his name was written as well. I can't possibly use this! I was shocked when Cedric took the handkerchief from me and wiped away my tears with it.

"Blow your nose." Cedric put his handkerchief on my nose.

Of course, I followed his orders and blew my nose in his handkerchief. Now it was full of my disgusting germs.

"I'm sorry for your handkerchief."

"Please stop apologizing for the things that are not your fault. The handkerchief is your fault though, so you can keep it. Here take it."

Cedric put the handkerchief in front of me and I smiled at him.

"Even when I first met you, you treated me nicely." Cedric blushed at my words.

"I— didn't treat you nicely though! I've said some pretty annoying stuff." Cedric was looking away.

"You did give me a chocolate candy to make up for it right? I forgive you. I knew you didn't mean to harm me with those words, you were just trying to push me away."

Cedric started to calm down and I held his hand.

"Let's be friends!" I said as if repeating the words in the note that he gave me.

"Yeah."

I looked in front of me and there was a basket full of chocolate candies and notes attached to them.

"What's this?" Cedric was once again red on the face.

"Like I said! My mother made a lot, it's all yours."

Cedric was trying hard to avoid making eye contact, however, he was still stealing glances. I laughed at his adorable reaction.

"Thank you for your mother's homemade candies! I'll eat them all!" I said and he just smiled.

I turned around and I saw that Fendrel was already done with his performance. What!? I didn't even get to see his dance which could make people's sadness go away. How can my sadness go away now?!