Chapter 70 - The Journey VIII: Back To One

Her eyes fluttered, feeling the sunray hitting her face. Her mouth was slightly opened, gulping as her throat felt sore. She looks around her surroundings seeing the familiar furniture back when she was living in the palace with her family.

Emelia took her time sitting up on her bed feeling pains, tingling from bottom to top. It's as if she hasn't moved for a week. But before she does anything, she needed water. She couldn't make a decent sound except for her hoarse voice. She poured herself a cup of water that was sitting on the bedside drawer.​​

Why is she back in her room? When was she supposed to be a prisoner for the Vivan Empire? Was she saved by someone? She didn't know because her last memory was her kneeling in front of the black-haired man.

Emelia dragged her legs to the ground, slowly stood up. Her legs were trembling as she walked towards the window. She leaned onto the glass pane, squinting her eyes, looking at the gardens.

There wasn't any difference at all. It all looked the same but except that she didn't see the usual gardener, Mrs. Gilda. She was starting to feel confused because there was no chance that this palace looked normal and fine.

"Your Highness? Am I really not seeing things? The Princess has awoken!" Called a servant, looking pale as if she had seen a ghost. The servant walked towards Emelia, "Your Highness, you can not be moving just yet. Do you feel in pain?"

"Awoken?" Emelia asked herself, looking at her hands and turned her head, seeing a mirror. She looks at herself closely and notices her necklace was gone. She looked at the bedside drawer and the makeup table, but her necklace was nowhere to be seen.

Emelia was busy finding her own necklace to the point she had not realized Henry walking towards her.

"Emelia! You're finally awake," Called Henry, opening his arms wide, asking for a hug. But Emelia pushed him away. She didn't have the time to be rejoicing about herself. Her mother's necklace is the only thing she needed.

"My necklace…Where did you put it?" Emelia asked Henry, glaring at him.

"Necklace? What necklace?" Asked Henry, tilting his head slightly, "If you want a necklace that much. I could buy you one. What gem do you want?"

"Are you kidding around?" Emelia clenched her fist. Henry knew about the necklace, and he's acting as if he had no clue about her mother's necklace. How can a childhood friend forget their friend's greatest possession?

She grabbed Henry's collar, and a servant called, "Your Majesty!" Emelia heard what the servant had called him but didn't let go. She wasn't scared of Henry even if he had more power over her. There is no reason for her to be scared.

But Emelia thought wrong. Henry wasn't the Henry she knew. The gentleman wasn't one at all. He raised his hand, slapping Emelia on the face, who fell onto the ground. Emelia's eyes grew wide, shocked at what Henry had done to her.

"What do you think are you doing?" Henry Coldly asked, looking at Emelia. When she saw his eyes, she didn't say anything. But all she could say is his eyes looked as if he could devour her into the dark.

"What do you think I'm doing? I was asking you a serious question, and you acted as if you didn't know," Answered Emelia, not touching her burning cheek. When the servant called Henry a title of an Emperor, Emelia knew something isn't right.

A piece of her memory was gone. It wasn't just a small one but a huge piece. Henry didn't answer Emelia and left her room. He whispered into a servant's ear, which Emelia couldn't hear, and watched the doors to her room shut.

Since then, she had been locked in her own room. Unable to go out. Just like a bird stuck in a cage, unable to fly.

Emelia decided to stay quiet and tried to gather pieces of information for her to fill in. It all didn't make sense to her how she was back in the palace.

According to the maid serving her. She was in a coma for a year and a half. But of course, she didn't believe that stupid lie. If she was in a coma for a year and a half, she would be announced as dead. Not to mention it was a head injury. From what she learned from medical books, a person who has a head injury would be in a coma for at least a month if the injury isn't that big.

"Tell me. Is it the sun year 405?" Asked Emelia for the nth time for the day. The maid dodged her eyes and nodded her head, leaving the room.

Every time she asks a servant, they would leave her room immediately. As if they don't want her to know anything.

It had been a week since then. Every single day Henry would pay her a visit. He would put up his fake gentleman act, but the day always ends with Emelia having bruises on her body.

So far, Emelia understands what's happening because she lost her memories. It's like she's back to phase one. Deep down, she had a feeling there are more to her memories.

"When do you plan to talk to me?" Asked Henry, moving closer to where she was. He brought his face closer to her, but she didn't budge and continued reading her book. Henry clicked his tongue, grabbed the book, and threw it onto the ground. "So when?" He asked once more, but this time in a fierce tone.

Emelia stood up, picked the book up. While using the book, she slammed the book to his face. Henry softly groans, touching his cheek and let out a laugh. He looked at her, asking, "You know you can't forever be stubborn."

"You know you can't forever trap me in this room," She answered back about to pick the book up. Henry grabbed her hair, fed up with Emelia's attitude. "Why can't you be a little sheep?" He pulled her hair stronger than before.

"Little sheep? I think you got that wrong," Said Emelia as the corners of her lips slightly rose, "I'm more of a hunter." Rather than being the prey, Emelia sees herself as the hunter.

"Wolf? You? Who can't even fight anymore?" Laughed Henry pushing Emelia onto the wall. While she groaned softly, Henry continues, "You don't even have the strength to fight me. Look how week you are."

Because she was in a coma for a year and a half, her body had weakened. All her muscles were gone, but she didn't care at all. If she had her old strength from before, Henry by now would be beaten up by her.

Emelia laughed out loud, all of a sudden scaring Henry and the other servants. She looked at Henry by the corner of her eyes and said, "Is that all matters to you? You're right. I've lost my strength. But have you ever beaten me in every aspect?" Henry bit his lip and pushed Emelia onto the wall harder, but she didn't stop talking.

"You're locking me in my own room, just like what my father did to my mother. I guess blood is thicker than water," Emelia grinned, annoying Henry. Her smile looked disgusting, not pleasing at all. He threw her onto the ground and kicked her a few more times in the stomach before storming out of her room.

When Emelia meant blood is thicker than water. Henry is not just her childhood friend but also her cousin.