Princess Thief [✔]

40. Resonance

His words rang in my head many times that all irritation from earlier vanished in an instant.

"What?" Even I, myself, could discern how dumbfounded I was from my tone.

"It took a lot of courage to say it once, Carline and I don't think I can repeat it. I never thought I will do it like this. Damn it," he cursed under his breath as his eyes darted to the floor.

"Why do you like me? It's not been too long since we met each other, right?"

I was rattled by the sudden confession. I was not that naïve to mistake that it was like similar to what I felt with Night which was close to familial. Besides, Reichen wanted me to be his wife so it was safe to assume it was a romantic one but I could not comprehend why. 

Was it so easy to fall for someone in such a short time?

"We did formally meet last month but we met way before that," he explained as my brows knitted.

"What?"

His gaze fixated on me paired with an empathetic look. "It sounds like you really have no recollection of it."

Goodness. Why did they keep saying I forgot something?

"Are you with Night when he tried to save me from the palace?" I proffered as I had no clue.

My prided memory skills were of no use since Cindra herself said that my magic was weakened at that time and I had similar retention of a regular person who tended to forget as years passed by.

"From the palace? He saved us in the alleyway," he corrected.

"What?"

At this point, I was like an idiot that only knew how to respond 'what'.

"After we awakened and you fainted, Lady Mhilrim and Night arrived and finished those Reapers who were chasing me."

I tried so hard to remember what he meant. An alleyway with someone chasing him...

Alleyway... Man...

That was when a flash came to mind. A little girl hiding in a scrounger's house with a mysterious man. The beginning of my misfortune.

"You were the guy who found me when I was lost." My pitch grew lower as I came up with the answer.

How can that be? With the millions of people existing, I never thought that I would meet that man again. More so, he was different now. Gone with the lanky body and youthful face. He was an adolescent back then but he had matured in roughly six years that I would not associate them together.

"It appears you remember now how a little damsel you were. It was thanks to our chance meeting that I was able to survive this long," he said as his tone became tender dwelling upon the event while I was dreading those.

My mind began reminiscing but I quickly shook my head to keep myself from it and concentrated on the situation at hand.

"How come you did you not say anything?"

"Because nothing of this was in my plan. I intended to meet you when you reached sixteen but I decided to finish my parent's trouble before going to you since the Reapers are dangerous so I thought I should wait for a couple of months which progressed to years. I was---"

"Then why did you have to trick me with your puppets?" I interrupted his mumbling reasoning.

"It's not a trick. I told you about the earring, right? My uncle wanted the crown and he was affiliated with the Cattivos. A civil war erupted in Deliora that resulted in the purge that my mother was infamous for and eventually resulted in the death of First Uncle's whole family. In the end, I don't know who was the true evil between the two when both are willing to execute their flesh and blood..."