Chapter 17: Apologize

In the morning, Rion accompanied me to breakfast and helped me eat. I was still feeling dizzy and sore at the back of my injured head, and my back felt stiff and sore, like I had a bone fever.

"I'm sorry for being careless," I said, starting the conversation. I felt that Rion was still angry about what I had experienced. I stared at the apples and oranges that Rion had peeled for me on the short-legged folding table now in front of me.

"What were you thinking that night? Why did you go out alone?"

Because Rion was giving me clues, I began to remember the sequence of events that happened to me. I paused momentarily to replay the memory of that night in my mind.

"I just wanted to be alone," I admitted, which was the truth. I expected it to turn out differently than this. Rion exhaled loudly.

"I don't know who ordered this, but the enemy already knows about me being about to inherit the throne and get married."

I recalled the face of the pale man who attacked me.

"Is this inevitable?" I asked, beginning to take an interest in the matter. That meant I was going to say goodbye to my freedom.

"No, no. There are many parties to suspect. Considering it's the second time, that pale creature will keep trying until your heart stops beating."

I nodded, then said, "I'll try to understand this situation and try to protect myself."

Rion burst out laughing, and I looked at him from behind my eyelashes with distaste. He was belittling my words.

"Never underestimate an enemy, Amelia, you can't even do anything when one of them is in front of you."

It was hard to look strong in his eyes at the moment. I exhaled and looked down deeply. I will always be weak and wouldn't say I like it. I finished the orange rather quickly and then the apple. I have no appetite for anything after that. I lay down and closed my eyes.

"If I have to die now maybe this is the time. If I die my mom will definitely follow me."

I said that because I was in a bad mood.

"You think I'm going to let you die? I told you that you're the only one on this earth, which means I'll take care of you with all my strength and skill."

"Am I really that valuable to you?"

I wanted to be reassured because all this time, I felt that there was nothing special in my life, including myself.

"If I had to trade you for the angel of death using all my wealth just for your life, I would, Amelia. Believe me, you mean a lot to me."

I smiled, opened my eyes, looked at Rion, and said, "I'll remember this well. At least if you change your mind about me, I'll one day remind you of what you just said."

We stared briefly at each other before someone opened my ward's door. Karina came in and approached me hurriedly. She then hugged me.

"Oh, gosh I thought I'd lost you."

I heard her sobbing, and I hugged her back as much as I could and

Calm her down.

"I won't die that easily, there are still many things I want to do."

Then Karina started crying with a disturbing cry. I soothed her again like a mother soothing her crying baby.

"Hey, never mind... I'm here now."

I hope that's enough to make her stop crying. Karina is whiny, but she's sensitive and caring. If she were a mother, she would be a very caring mother.

"Do you know how many stitches it took to close the wound on your head? Seven stitches. And do you know how much blood you lost from that wound? I looked at you like a corpse when you were done with your surgery that day. I thought you were really gone."

Karina told me the story earnestly and not dramatically. She's the only person who's always cared so much about me. But now that Rion is in my life, that man has become the second person to match Karina's care.

"Mr.Rion, I must apologize because this future wife of yours is indeed careless. She's done some alarming things too many times. But this is the worst."

I watched as Karina complained to Rion about my behaviour of disappearing without news. It happened a lot, especially when I was busy with work and tired. I didn't want to be disturbed. Rion smiled as he listened to the chatty Karina complain about me.

"You're a good friend, Miss Karina, Miss Amelia should behave herself and learn from her mistakes."

I rolled my eyes at the ludicrous conspiracy of these two.

"Thank you for your complaint, Karina, but I'm not that bad." I dismissed Karina's words. The girl glared as she looked at me.

"You should be thankful that the man by your side is such a caring man. I'm not sure Thomas would have behaved like this."

My eyes bulged

Karina should leave Thomas' name out of here.

I exhaled and gave Karina a grim expression.

"Karina... You shouldn't compare Thomas to Rion, they're on different levels."

I have to admit this one fact. Compared to Thomas, Rion was superior in several ways, almost in all aspects. However, Thomas' advantage lies in the fact that he has known me for the past two years. That's because we're friends in the same department.

"Am I better than Thomas? Or... On the contrary?"

The question made me sulk my lower lip and roll my eyes while thinking of the right answer. I was planning on something other than making Rion big-headed.

"You're a little better than Thomas."

"A little?" Rion protested.

I nodded and looked at Karina to see her reaction. The girl made a disapproving face and then went to the long sofa in this room to sit there.

"It's just that Thomas has gotten to know me better over the past two years."

"Knowing you doesn't mean understanding you."

Rion's words were the best reply I'd ever heard from someone. He was right; Thomas only knew me but didn't fully or slightly understand me. Yet somehow, Rion seemed to understand me.

"How long will I be here?"

I just wanted to know because I wasn't planning to return to the routine.

"A week, more or less. Our engagement had to be postponed because of this incident."

I swallowed compulsively. I didn't expect my desire to spend time alone to be such a catastrophe.

"Are queen Evelyn and your family angry with me?"

Thinking about it made me feel guilty.

"What are they angry about? You're the victim here, I'm the one they're all mad at."

It made no difference; my guilt didn't diminish at Rion's answer.

"Sorry for that."

"You're really sorry?"

I nodded.

"Then, after you recover, you should accept my gift without argument."

My forehead furrowed for a moment.

A gift?

It felt like something suspicious. Considering Rion could do almost anything.

"Don't give me something that will make me argue with you later."

Rion chuckled.

"You said you were sorry for making me worry. In exchange for me forgiving you, you should accept my gift."

That was fair enough. After all, Rion will give me an item, and I should be prepared with the amount. I nodded.

"Good girl."

Rion got up from his seat and kissed my forehead.

"I have a meeting this morning at the office; I can only meet you later in the afternoon; Fabio and his two colleagues will take care of you; just tell Fabio what you need; he will serve you well."

I nodded, and Rion walked away, smiling politely at Karina as he passed before her.

"You're not on campus?" I asked Karina, who was busy looking for a television program she wanted to watch.

"Later in the afternoon. Can you tell me what really happened to you that night? Why did you get hurt so badly?"

I hadn't prepared the right answer to this question, so I kept quiet and pretended to be going to sleep.

"Amelia! Answer me." Karina began to demand.

"I'll explain later, now let me sleep."

"You must be hiding something. Is anyone else who doesn't want you to marry Mr Rion?"

Karina's assumption floated in my mind, and then I thought of Varia. My mind said that the woman wanted me to die so that Rion could be hers. However, I quickly dismissed that thought. Accusing someone without proof is a crime.

"I don't know what happened, but as long as Rion is with me I'll definitely be safe."