Chapter 48. Awaken your memories

It happened so suddenly that I didn't even have time to react.

Rachel pulled me to her and kissed me in front of all this crowd. At that moment, my eyes opened wide, and there was no strength to resist.

I didn't know exactly how long it lasted, but when the girl finally pulled away, it seemed to me that an eternity had passed during this time. I froze in shock and could not utter a word.

Crown Prince Philip watched us with his jaw hanging open. Actually, like everyone else present here. There was such a silence that did not bode well.

In the next second, taking advantage of the fact that the prince froze in his tracks, Rachel took the contract from his hands and publicly tore it to shreds.

This made the guy come to his senses, and he shouted indignantly:

— What are you…!

— Are you convinced now? — she chuckled, — This piece of paper can't do anything to me. But now all these idiots know that Leriana belongs to me.

Philippe Blanche was shaking with anger.

— You…!

But Rachel wasn't listening to him. Turning in my direction, she said:

— Go away. There's nothing else for you to do here.

I batted my eyelashes and definitely wasn't going to contradict her. Right now I need to be alone to digest all this.

On wobbly legs, I headed towards the dorm, while all the students followed me with their eyes. But I didn't notice it, because the scene of that kiss was still in front of my eyes.

To put it mildly, I was shocked.

It turned out to be my first kiss in all my two lives, and I could not have expected it to happen this way. In a similar setting and plus, with Rachel… Life certainly didn't prepare me for this.

I didn't even know whether to be mad at her or not. After all, all this could have been part of a plan that prevented Philip from revealing us…

But was it necessary to do just that?! After all, everyone has seen it now!

Once in my room, where my things were already lying in the corner, I sighed and fell on the bed. I lay in this position all evening, as I had almost no strength for anything.

I already imagined in advance how absolutely everyone would stare at me in class tomorrow, and it doesn't make it any easier. Especially, I didn't know how to talk about it with Rachel. Maybe it's nothing at all for her? And I'm the only one steaming here?

Oh, shit. And why are there so many problems in my life?

I even forgot to unpack my things, trying to figure out what to do tomorrow, I came to my senses only late at night. When I saw that the blue sky outside the window was rapidly turning black, I realized that it was worth ending my thoughts for today.

Touching my lips, I shuddered once again, but decided to put these thoughts out of my head.

At least for a couple of hours I had to forget about it. Without changing clothes, I decided to go to bed right so that in the morning I could think about everything carefully again with a fresh head.

Since Rachel broke our contract, should we make a new one…? Or will we continue to adhere to the conditions of the old one?

I sighed, but postponed this topic for tomorrow, too. After all, this was something I needed to discuss directly with Rachel. And now I'm very tired.

Turning off the light, I was going to get into bed, intending to have a good rest. But as soon as I took off my slippers and threw back the blanket, I heard a strange sound.

Soon I realized that it was coming from my window. It was a thud, audible only in this room.

I stood up in bewilderment, at first thinking that some kind of bird had crashed into the glass. But no. Approaching and opening the doors, I saw Razor below.

I almost shouted in surprise to ask what he was doing here, but I came to my senses in time. At such a time, everyone was already asleep in the dorm, and I would have woken everyone up with my question.

The black-haired guy, apparently, was of the same opinion, since he did not call me directly, but tried to attract attention in this way. Despite the difference between us of four floors, I saw in his hands a handful of small stones, several of which he had already thrown at my window.

Despite the fact that in such a situation we could not say anything to each other, everything was clear and so. The guy was waiting for me to come down to him.

However, this is a rather risky undertaking, because students were forbidden to leave the hostel after ten in the evening. It's unclear how Razor himself was able to sneak out.

I hesitated for only a couple of minutes.

Since the second prince bypassed the guards and came to me at such a time, it means that this is really something important. I couldn't just pretend I hadn't noticed him.

Therefore, with a heavy sigh, I finally decided. If I get caught, I can't avoid a reprimand, so I was going to act very carefully.

After leaving the room, she tiptoed down the corridor, trying not to make sounds even from footsteps. Being quieter than a mouse, I went down to the lowest floor, where there was a guard booth.

Holding my breath, I wanted to look for an emergency exit, but it wasn't necessary.

Fortunately, even the gods were on my side, and it was at this moment that the man dozed off. I slipped unnoticed to the main exit, and unlocking the door, I was able to go outside.

Razor Blanche came right up to me.

— It's good that you did it, — he sighed with relief, — Otherwise, we would have to come up with another plan.

— What happened? I asked in a normal voice, «Your Highness, are you…»

«That's enough already,» he objected with displeasure, after which he added more gently: — Just a Razor.

— B-but…

I stumbled when the guy looked at me very seriously.

— Okay, — I agreed, «Just Razor.»

— That's great, — he smiled, — Since you're here, then let's go.

— what? Where to? I asked, surprised.

— You'll see.

The prince took my hand and dragged me along. I had no idea where we could go in the middle of the night, but I didn't contradict. For some reason, I trusted the guy, and he didn't seem suspicious to me.

However, the further we went, the more my surprise increased. Razor took me to the academy building, where it was dark and deserted now. Then, while I still didn't understand anything, we stopped in front of the library entrance.

The guy pushed the doors open easily, and we entered noiselessly. Right after that, I asked:

— What are we doing here?

Once in a safe space, where hardly anyone would poke into at such a time, Razor looked more relaxed. He turned to me.

— Actually, I've been wanting to show you something for a long time.

— what? — I fell into a stupor, — But why couldn't I do it during the day?

— Because, — the guy sighed, — There are always people in almost any office during the day, and the library is occupied by Rachel Cassius. As for me, this is the only way for the two of us to stay without extra ears.

I was amazed at such secrecy and even worried.

— Is it that serious…?

— More than enough.

The guy and I sat down at one of the tables in the reading room, and I couldn't even guess what he was going to show me. Once we were in front of each other, Razor continued to do strange things.

Rummaging in his backpack, which he took with him, the prince took out a couple of scented candles. He placed them on the table under my puzzled gaze. The next action was to extract a box of matches from the same place.

I didn't even have time to ask what all this was for, as the guy told me himself.

— Do you remember how we went to the fortune teller a couple of months ago? «What is it?» he asked suddenly.

— I remember… — I answered uncertainly, — And what does that have to do with it?

— I managed to find her,» Razor said, «and buy these incense.»

— Incense?

He nodded.

— They contain a special compound that puts a person into a trance. Actually, it was for this reason that we fell asleep last time.

While the second prince was telling me this, I just didn't understand anything anymore.

Of course, I could not forget that incident, as well as our first walk together in the city of Atlas. That day, in principle, turned out to be quite strange, but I didn't attach much importance to it. After all, didn't we go to that woman for fun?

— So you called me for this? I asked, «To show the incense?»

«No,» Razor shook his head, «they're just a way to help you see what you need to know.»

Slowly, but it began to dawn on me.

— You mean that prediction?

— yes.

«But weren't they just tricks?» — I said doubtfully, — Besides, I don't remember anything anyway. So is it really necessary…

— It is necessary, — the guy interrupted me, — It is very important.

I was confused. For no reason at all, Razor Blanche called me to the academy in the middle of the night to show me a vision that the fortune-teller's ball had predicted to us a few months ago. I didn't understand at all what he wanted to get out of it.

But seeing his serious and determined attitude, I decided to postpone all questions for later.

— Okay… — I sighed, — But are you sure it will help? I really don't remember anything.

«It must be,» the prince replied, «Last time, you could have forgotten everything because I woke you up abruptly. But this time I won't touch you. The memories must come back.

In the end, the guy spoke quite convincingly, and I trusted him.

After my consent, Razor lit all the incense, and the room was enveloped by the same strange aroma that made me feel bad in the fortune-teller's tent. Heaviness and drowsiness came almost immediately.

The second prince covered the lower part of his face with his jacket so as not to fall asleep with me. My body, as before, went limp on the chair and I quickly fell asleep.

The feeling of deja vu instantly covered me.

I saw the same terrible dream, because of which I then woke up covered in sweat.

Rivers of blood flooded my mind and I finally remembered everything.

The Imperial Palace, an attempt to escape from there, and subsequent death… I had a flash of Rachel's grown-up face and her blade slicing through my neck.

«…Leriana, it's your fault. This monster was raised by you!»

The last words I heard before I woke up in the library again.

I even thought I was screaming in my sleep, because my throat was hoarse. With trembling hands I touched the neck, which a girl had pierced in my dream just a second ago.

I looked at the second prince, who was waiting for me to wake up, in a frightened way.

Even without my words, he realized that I remembered everything.

«It can't be…» I said hoarsely, «is Rachel really going to kill me?!»