Born As The Emperor’s Daughter - Chapter 235

“I like you.”

Alexandra’s words rang inside his ears. Her tone of voice sounded nonchalant as if she was saying it like it was a joke but she was still fiddling with the ribbon on his chest, she didn’t look up to meet his gaze nor did she stop doing whatever she was doing when she confessed. It was like she was just telling him that to let him know as if she wasn’t expecting an answer from him.

Silence surrounded them. The atmosphere was awkward and uncomfortable, only the gentle melody coming from the vinyl recorder near them was heard, piercing through the silence.

Although her heart was still beating fast and anxiety overwhelmed her system. Her heart was beating loudly that it feels like he can hear it. It was like it would escape out of her ribcage and chest any moment from now. She was resisting the urge to bang her head against the nearby table because of what she said.

— Then I learned the fact that the man that I was in love with even up until now has died on the battlefield. That was the most heartbreaking thing. I don’t know what to do. I should have told him, I should have told him about my feelings. I was dense and naïve, I didn’t know.

At least I told him, I’m fine with that, she thought to herself. The heavy and clenching feeling in her chest faded and disappeared, she can breathe normally now. It was like those three words were that one medicine that can only get rid of that feeling in her chest.

“What?” Harrison asked her, his tone of voice sounded like he wasn’t believing what she has said. He was having a hard time processing what Alexandra just said. Alexandra let out a sigh before she took a step away from him, looking up to meet his gaze, her hands intertwined and fiddling behind her back, her lips trembling before she spoke once again. Repeating what she had said earlier.

“I like you.”

She smiled at him, gently and sweetly. Her gaze was soft and warm as she stared at him, she was fiddling with her hands and trying to hide the fact that she was nervous and anxious. She just confessed casually and nonchalantly as if it was something simple, she could have done it romantically like in a garden or something. But just the thought of Katelyn’s dear beloved that died on the battlefield and her not being able to tell her feelings just made her do it.

Harrison was going on an adventure to look for the Fountain of Life and there is no guarantee that he might come back to her which is quite heartbreaking as he was the man that she likes. The first one that she ever liked because she doesn’t remember liking someone in her previous life.

Harrison took a while to respond to her, thinking of the correct words to say.

“You mean, as a friend or something?”

Alexandra resisted the urge to slap her hand against her forehead because of what he had asked. A sigh slipped past her lips and the tension that she felt earlier returned, resting on top of her shoulders. She shook her head before she responded, her gaze still at him.

“No, as a man. It’s like a crush but on another level. I like you really much. I like you more than a friend does,” She said and every time she says the word ‘like’ the blush on her face deepens. And I swear, she wants to scream right after she spoke. She gulped hard as she waited for his response although she already has a clue on what that was.

Harrison’s usual nonchalant and bored look on his face was replaced with a dumbfounded and speechless one. He wasn’t expecting this to happen, he was only expecting her to cry as they say goodbye because they wouldn’t be able to talk or see each other in months. It might even reach a year but he didn’t tell her that because he knows that Alexandra would get angry.

He blinked his eyes multiple times while staring at her. His eyebrows were furrowed. Alexandra became more nervous than ever.

“It’s fine if you reject me or anything. I didn’t confess to you so that I could get a response or something. I just wanted to tell you that. You can forget about—”

But as she was in the middle of speaking, trying her best to not stutter and appear nervous, Harrison suddenly crouched down the ground without saying anything. That startled her because it was so sudden, “H-Harrison? What’s wrong?” She asked him, curious and worried. She approached him and crouched down in front of him.

“What’s with that?” He asked, his voice was low and it sounded like a whisper. His face was hidden as he buried it in his arm which was resting on top of his knees that was close to his chest. Alexandra’s anxious and worried expression was replaced with a confused one, “What do you mean? Is there something wrong? Would you rather that I didn’t confess at all? Is there a spell that will make you forget about something?” Alexandra asked, curiosity lacing her tone of voice as she stared at him. She could only stare at his hair as he was hiding his face.

But she could see his ears.

It was red as if it was blushing.

Alexandra’s eyes widened as she realized that. She called out to him once again, trying her best not to laugh as she finds his reaction cute.

“Are you blushing? Is that why you are hiding your face? Is this the first time a girl confessed to you after so many years or has anybody confessed to you yet? That’s cute,” She said, feeling herself calm down and relax in this atmosphere as if she didn’t confess. This is fine, I guess, she thought to herself. She was thinking that he might leave or won’t say anything after she confessed.

That would break and shatter her heart into pieces.

That would bother her, to be honest.

“No, it’s not that,” He said, still hiding his face. He looked pretty shy, he was like Arthur when he would interact with other girls aside from her and Maribelle. She was about to open her mouth and say something when Harrison spoke first, interrupting what she was planning to say.

“If you’re thinking and planning to tell me that my reaction is almost the same as that ‘Arthur’ guy, don’t say anything,” He said. He still hasn’t shown her his face and his ears were still red. A giggle just escaped past her lips before she spoke again,

“Then what is it? Why are you crouching? Does your stomach hurts or what? You can’t handle my confession or you can’t say anything?” She started to ask him with multiple questions, she was comfortable and at ease with the atmosphere they were having, thus making it easy for her to speak without stuttering and such.

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

He finally lifted his head to look at her. Covering half of his face with the back of his mouth, the blush visible in his cheeks and Alexandra was dumbfounded as she saw that reaction of his. It was too much for her to handle, it was too cute and it made him look more handsome or good-looking than ever. Aside from that, his messy hair was adding to that look.

Now they were crouching down the floor in front of each other, staring at each other’s eyes. His crimson eyes meeting her ocean blue eyes.

God, I must survive. God, I must survive. God, I must survive. God, I must survive. God, I must survive. God, I must survive.

She repeated inside her head like a mantra.

She thought to herself and prayed. She was resisting the urge to wrap her arms around him and engulf him in a tight hug. It feels like her nose was going to bleed because of the view in front of her. They were quite close with each other, a distance of a few inches or one meter.

Alexandra’s calm composure shattered as a blush has made its way to her cheeks, tainting it with a deep shade of red.

“I was planning on telling you that after I come back that’s why I was determined to go back alive no matter what happens but it seems like it was advanced since you did early. What’s with that? You’re always making me crazy,” He said, still blushing.

Eh? What does he mean?

“Can you like to explain what you are trying to say? There are so many thoughts inside my head that I just couldn’t process and understand what you have said,” She said, panicking on the inside. Harrison averted his gaze away from her and slightly turned his head to the side, there was a pout on his lips which was a rare sight.

He was blushing and pouting while averting his gaze, covering half of his face with the back of his hand and his ears were red.

Dear Lord, I have lived a satisfying and happy life but don’t take me away.

This was indeed a rare sight. A once in a blue moon occurrence.

“Are you sure about that? Are you fine with me? Even though I’m a few hundred years older than you? You also know that I’m a wizard, right? You probably forgot it,” He said, making sure of it. He just wanted to know if she was sure with her feelings and it’s not just some faux because her other friends are also in love and she was influenced. He still wasn’t looking at her direction.

“Yes, I still haven’t forgotten that and I am sure with my decision. Besides, it’s not like wizards don’t usually fall in love with people younger than them. For example, Sir Louise. I heard he was married to a girl a hundred younger than him,” Alexandra responded as if she was implying that she was fine being in a relationship with him. Besides, if you combine her age in this life along with her age in her previous one, she would be in her early 30s. Her voice sounded determined and serious.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, why are you asking that?”

“I feel the same,” He said and looked at her in the corner of his eyes as he spoke before averting his gaze again. Bearing the same expression as earlier in his face.

Alexandra blinked her eyes multiple times.

“Repeat it. Tell me that again,” She said as if she was unsure of what she had heard. Are my ears playing tricks with me or is this just a product of my imagination? This is too good to be true, she said to herself. No thoughts, head empty.

“I feel the same, I like you too.”

Alexandra could hear heaven’s trumpets inside her head and the sound that she would hear in the television dramas and movies when someone is going to ascend. Her soul somehow felt like it was going to leave her body.

“Really? Are you sure?” She said.

“Yes, I am sure of it.”

“Really, really sure?” She asked.

“Really, really, really sure of it,” He responded, nodding multiple times. He wasn’t hiding his face anymore and the blush was still there.

“You’re not joking, right?”

“Yes,” His voice sounded serious. Alexandra’s smile widened before she spoke once again.

“Can I hug you?”

She didn’t say anything and just opened his arms wide as if he was welcoming her into a hug. She didn’t hesitate and threw herself to him, engulfing him into a hug. Since they were crouching down on the floor, Harrison fell on his back and Alexandra was resting on top of his chest, still hugging him.

He just let out a satisfied sigh before he wrapped his arms around her. Alexandra has her face buried in his chest. It looked like they were cuddling, to be honest.

After a few minutes of silence, Harrison decided to speak.

“You know, I have to leave now or else I would change my mind and decide to stay here.”

“That’s fine, I don’t want you to leave,” She said.

“It’s only a few months, I won’t take that long.”

Alexandra hummed before she spoke.

“You sure you won’t take that long?”

“Yes, of course.”

“You promise you’re going to come back?”

“I promise.”

He has to return to her arms once again after all when he leaves.