"Cordelia..."

The voice who called out to me seemed very familiar.

It was nostalgic and, yet, felt very distant at the same time.

"...Wake up. They're all waiting for you..."

...Shai...?

...Gadia...?

I flickered my eyes open and the light of the room pierced my gaze through slits of my eyelids.

With a small groan, I squeezed my eyes shut again.

My body was numb as if though every nerve in my body had gone to sleep.

I tried to speak, but my throat felt both tight and dry, so I opened my lips to beg for something to drink.

But no voice came out.

For a moment, it was as if I had become a doll who could neither move nor speak on her own.

I was scared.

"...Cor...delia?" a weak voice whispered from beside me.

It was a voice so warm...so comforting...so lovely and smooth to the ear...

I could feel my eyes dampen with tears as I tried to imagine the face of the man that the voice belonged to.

His hair.

His lips.

His smile.

"Cordelia...?" he repeated, his voice a little clearer...a little stronger...

I could feel large tears roll down the sides of my cheek.

Right there...

He was right there...

And I couldn't even turn my head to see him.

"Cordelia...Cordelia...Cordelia..." he murmured, his voice growing quicker and quicker...louder and louder...

The sound of his voice as he repeated my name over and over again felt so sweet like melting honey.

Ace...

Ace...

Ace...

"...A...ce..." I croaked out as I didn't try to hold back my tears anymore.

I missed you.

From the very side of my vision, I could see him standing up to lean over me.

I could feel the weight of the bed shift as he supported himself against the mattress to bring his face closer to mine.

I could see him clearly now.

From the outline of his messy gray hair...

To the tears forming in his glittery green eyes...

And the way his lips quivered a little as his gaze landed on me...

"Cordelia," he whispered, "You're...awake."

He wrapped his hands around mine and held them close to his lips as if he were attempting to savor this moment and engrain it into his memory forever.

"...Cordelia."

"A...ce..." I replied as steady as I could.

Ace...Ace...Ace...

Was I asleep this whole time...?

Why...

My mind was foggy as I tried to think back and remember anything I could.

But a splitting pain that erupted from the back of my head forced me to stop and I winced.

Ace's hands began to tremble the moment he witnessed my discomfort and he let go of me as soon as he could.

His eyes flashed red in urgency as he turned his head away from me and he seemed to be berating himself for not moving to action sooner.

"...doctor..." he mumbled underneath his breath as he ran away so fast that I barely had enough time to say another word.

He had looked similar to a wounded animal.

Desperate.

Afraid.

He didn't seem to be in the right mind to think straight either.

And there was nothing I could do but watch him leave.

"A...ce..." I cried out.

...come back...

I didn't care if I was in pain or not.

So what if I needed a doctor?

The only thing I wanted was for him to stay by my side, where I could see him.

So don't go...

Don't leave me, please...

I don't want to be alone again...

Please...

Come back...

"Lady Cyllia! Jolly goodness! You're awake!" a familiar-looking doctor with a suitcase opened the door and hopped inside.

Compared to the last time I had seen this doctor, he seemed much livelier than before.

Maybe the raise and vacation that I gave him before had re-energized him somehow.

In any case, the current doctor in front of me seemed nothing at all alike to the old, stuttering doctor that I was acquainted with before.

"Can you turn your head this way for me, Lady Cyllia?" he asked as I did exactly as he said, "Yes, yes. Just like that. Good."

But my eyes were not focused on the doctor at all...but rather...the blonde man who was standing behind him.

He leaned against the doorway with his arm stretched out as he watched the doctor's movements with a dark, solemn look in his eyes.

It was Florence.

He was only there for a moment though because, in the next minute, Ace had returned and he brushed Florence aside as if though he were walking past nothing but a few cobwebs.

"Ah...Good evening, your highness! Lady Cyllia seems to be doing well for someone who has been asleep for so long. Oh, but of course, it will take some time for her to recover. But since she has plenty of mana, she should be back to normal within the next few months or so," the doctor said with a small bow as he greeted the crown prince first before acknowledging Ace.

"..."

"..."

Both Ace and Florence didn't say a word and disregarded the doctor as if though he were some annoying pest in the way.

The doctor, who realized that he was unwanted here, began to sweat a little bit in his nervousness.

"Oh...and I...ah...I will need to make a short check-up with Lady Cyllia before I can allow you two to spend some time with her..." the doctor stuttered a little.

"..."

"..."

"So...please come back once I am done, please," the doctor stammered as he gestured a little to the doorway.

"..."

"..."

Florence was the first to leave and he turned around as if there was no other reason for him to be there.

But...

"I will wait here," Ace said as he took a seat by the side of my bed.

He exuded a strong pressure that was neither scary nor deadly...but extremely powerful.

It was so powerful, in fact, that anyone who was there to witness it would have had no other choice but to silently obey.

"O-Of...course..." the doctor nodded as he quickly did his work without questioning anything.

Ace was quiet throughout the whole time but his gaze spoke volumes as his eyes locked onto mine.

The doctor quickly asked questions here and there, and I answered them as truthfully as I could.

But I was always distracted by the man who sat beside me.

Ace...

Ace...Did you know...?

There was not a single moment when I had failed to remember you.

You were always there...in the forefront of my mind...calling for me to return to you...

"She seems to be quite weak but, overall, she is quite stable. I doubt she will fall into another coma again. Make sure she eats and drinks well and she should recover naturally on her own," the doctor finally announced as he finally finished examining my body.

"...I will," Ace nodded.

"..."

"..."

The doctor, who struggled to continue the conversation, quickly gave a low bow.

"E-Excuse me. I will be on my way now and will return later today for another check-up," the doctor squeaked as he quickly left the room as soon as he could.

When the doctor had stumbled out of the doorframe, it was finally only Ace and me.

We were both silent for a long time.

What should I do?

What should I say?

I didn't think that I would be seeing him again so suddenly...

Everything happened so fast that it was almost a blur.

"...I...I missed you..." I whispered as tears threatened to fall out of my eyes once more.

There was an expression on Ace's face that I had never seen before.

It was so painfully happy...and concerned...and relieved...and stern at the same time that I was confused at what the name of that emotion would be.

"...Stupid," he said in a low voice.

I flinched at his harsh words.

He seemed to be so emotionally distraught right now that he was trembling a little.

Ace.

The strongest being within our country's borders.

He was shaking like a tiny leaf in the wind the moment my eyes landed on him.

Ah...

This man...

He really does love me...doesn't he...

"Stupid...You're the one who fell asleep all of a sudden by yourself..." Ace whispered.

He moved off of his chair and crouched by the side of my bed to look at me.

And with his hands, he held my hands so gently that it was as if he were holding a fragile piece of glass.

His eyes glimmered with a pool of swirling, unknown emotions and he smiled before giving a small little chuckle.

"You're awake...you're really awake..."

For a moment, he seemed so incredibly happy that I held my breath.

I didn't know what to do or say, so I simply asked the first thing that popped into my head.

"How long...was...I asleep...for...?" I asked, my throat a little tighter than I'd like it to be.

"...Two months."

Ah...

That made sense...

After all, in my mind, I had spent many weeks in the past from my time in my other life...

"...I'm sorry," I said as I never let my gaze leave Ace's at all.

"Don't apologize," he replied so quickly that I didn't even have the chance to blink.

"Mmm...Okay..." I murmured.

For a moment, Ace seemed to be on the verge of crying.

"I missed you, Cordelia."

"I missed you, Ace.

We both spoke at the same time.

Ah...

He really was...

I really just...

"...I love you, Ace."

---------------------------------------------------

A/N: Alright! I am so, so, so sorry for the super, incredibly short chapter today but something urgent came up this week and I was unable to write as much as I usually do!

As sorry, I will likely update an extra-long chapter next week to make up for it! I'm sorry and I hope you all understand!! (˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )

Soooo~ What did you guys think of this chapter so far though? Ah...I've missed all of this gushy romance stuff...Heh. I bet a lot of y'all are really happy now...aren't you~~

The story isn't ending yet though! There's still a lot more...a lot more...heh. Hehehe... Mwahahahahaha!!! AHAHAHA!!! Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see~

Thanks, again, to all of my readers/voters/commenters for everything that you have done to support me so far!! I love all of you~

Stay safe, everyone!

Okie byeee~

Word Count: 1704