"I said, leave me!!! Can't you hear me?"
"I don't know how you used to treat me before, but I'm not like that now and you can't manhandle me like that!!!" I shouted, hitting his back while everyone watched as he walked silently toward his chamber.
"I don't know where you heard these words that I never said before, but yes—I expect all this now because you have no memory and you are acting like a spoilt brat," he said, making faces I couldn't see.
"Hey, you!!!!!" I shouted, hitting him once again.
"Yeah, hey, you!!! Say whatever you want. I don't care. But I can't guarantee that another sword won't land on your neck," he said, laughing as if it were a joke.
"Are you threatening me?" I asked, cold.
"Me? Threaten you? Do I have a death wish to threaten my wife who's so scary and already made my back hurt from all the beating? Nah—this is not going to happen," he mocked again. No matter how much I had tried to strike him, it didn't seem to hurt. How could it, when my hands are small, like a child's—I still look the same as before, only my facial structure slightly different.
"Why? Nothing to say?" he asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, I have lots to say—but I don't want to waste my energy," I said as we finally reached the entrance to his chamber. When the guards saw me they bowed and kept their eyes down. I don't know if it's a rule, but they did it and then walked away, leaving the whole corridor empty as if Darius had dismissed everyone out of fear. Did he really do that? I doubted it.
Now—this is my chance. Once he places my feet on the ground I'll run like there's no turning back. I kept mumbling it to myself and waited. He kicked the door open with his foot and entered the room. I waited patiently.
"Whatever you are thinking is not going to happen, my love!" he said.
"What? What's not going to happen? I didn't say anything," I replied, making a clueless face—but then I noticed a smirk tug at his lips and I realized what he was about to do. He picked me up in both hands and threw me onto his big bed.
"Ouch!!! Who throws people like that?!" I shouted, rubbing my backside, while he reached the door and locked it from the inside.
"You didn't think I would let you run, did you? I'm sure you thought that once I set you on your feet, you'd bolt. Right?" he said, saying aloud what was in my mind. I gulped.
"Oh, love! You are so predictable! I'm so used to you that I know what you will do and when. I know everything. I was having trouble understanding you because you lost your memory, but I know it's easy to handle you—you've become exactly the same as when I first met you," he said, making my head hurt.
"See—I warned you to leave this place, but you heard nothing of my warning!" the voice in my head said again, that same woman's voice I had heard since the day I arrived.
"Once again I'm telling you—leave!!! This place is not for you. Aria is destined to die!!!" the voice screamed, and for the first time it revealed something I didn't know: Aria is destined to die. Why? Tell me why Aria must die. I asked in my mind again and again, but the voice wouldn't answer—she only spilled that truth by accident.
"Aria!!! What is happening? Did you feel that pain again? Please tell me!" Darius shouted, holding me, but I couldn't see his face or speak; my consciousness was slipping away.
And then everything went black.
When the world returned, I found myself in another scene—Darius lying on a bed, Aria standing beside him, and a doctor checking him.
"Uncle, what happened to this man? Why is he so badly injured? This looks like an attempt on his life—should we tell the security knights?" Aria asked the doctor.
"Aria! Girl, you worry too much. Yes, it looks like someone tried to harm him, but if we tell the knights they'll suspect people here—and then we could be accused. If those attackers learn he's here, they might come again and we'll be in danger," the doctor warned.
"I understand, but this man gives me a royal vibe and I don't want to keep him. These people are so problematic," she said, making me laugh.
"He is indeed problematic. We shouldn't have saved him!" I said, trying to control my laughter.
"Don't be so selfish, Aria! This man needs protection. We should at least help him as human beings," the doctor said, calming her down.
"Okay, uncle. If you say so, I'll keep him. But keep it secret—otherwise people will think there's something going on between us," Aria pouted.
"Yes, yes, I understand, you little brat!" he replied.
He then left, leaving Aria in her room with Darius, who was still asleep.
"Hey! Who on earth are you? Why did you have to land in front of my home?" she mumbled, leaning closer and pinching his nose, making his brows frown in response.
"Oh, now you're frowning! Did no one in your family ever pinch your nose like that? I guess if you're from a wealthy family, no one would dare, huh? So I'm the first, right?" she said, continuing her one-sided conversation with the unconscious man.
"Now that you've taken over my bed, I have to sleep on the floor. Such a pain. You better reward me once you recover, or I won't let you off, you moron!" she muttered, grabbing a mat and spreading it on the floor before lying down.
As her eyes slowly fluttered shut, a faint smile still lingered on her lips.
Then, from the shadows, I watched silently and whispered, "This moron is not going to give you anything, Aria… you've been captured."