I don't know how much time had passed, but I didn't sleep again. There was only Sisi and I in the room. Sisi's breaths were barely audible. She leaned her weight onto my arm, where I could feel her warmth and strength. I silently admired her refined face but never got bored of looking at it because she was truly gorgeous. I didn't touch her head as my arm was stuck underneath her head as her pillow. Nonetheless, I was happy to just admire her face that also calmed me.
Sometime after, Queen Sisi gently jolted. She gradually began to move. She was similar to a small animal that was checking to ensure that their surroundings were safe upon waking. She slowly twisted and turned her body, showing signs of an apparent designer to laze in bed, yet also seemingly because her body was sleep due to her sleeping posture. She then moved her hand, and then grabbed my hand subconsciously. She hummed as she rubbed her head on my arm as if she was trying to get her saliva onto my hand…
"Uh… Is this how she is when she wakes up every morning?" I wondered.
Queen Sisi had yet to fully sober up, so she continued rubbing her head on my hand. A short while after, she finally regained awareness of her surroundings. She frantically lifted her head up, thereby meeting with my eyes. Her first reaction was to panic. Then, she switched to shock. Finally, she shed tears.
I pursed my lips. I had almost forgotten how to smile. It felt as if I had an extremely long dream. My brain was such a mess that it was as if I was possessed back there and finally felt that I had survived the ordeal.
Queen Sisi's vocal chords gently trembled. Her pink lips quivered, making it appear as though she wanted to say something but was too overwhelmed to say anything.
"Good morning, Sisi, though I do not know if it is day or not…."
I didn't get to say anything else. Queen Sisi didn't intend to let me say any more, either. She leapt up and wailed on my chest. I, however, no clue what she did during my slumber. Nevertheless, I was sure that she held everything together, taking care of everything around as she did when she was a Queen. After the stressful period, she released all her pressure on my chest.
"I'm so glad you're awake… I… I said that I would stay with you forever… but I was still afraid… I was afraid that you wouldn't wake up again. No matter if you'll be together with me or not in the future, I'm still afraid of never being able to see you again…"
"I am fine."
Sisi never cried on my chest before even when we escaped from the elven lands. She didn't cry when the elves gave her hell, yet she was worried to tears just because I passed out for a while. I suspected her feelings as a moment of impulse before witnessing it, but I was then quite convinced that she truly cared for me and cherished me from the bottom of her heart.
I gently pulled Sisi into my embrace. She went limp in my arms. She wiped her tears on my chest. She softly sobbed, "Th-This is the first time you've taken the initiative to hug me… I… I… can I misunderstand for a moment? Can I think that you love me for a moment?"
I stayed silent for a moment as I gathered my thoughts into words: "Sisi, what does a Prince have to do…? I have never been one, so I do not know what it entails…"
Sisi bounced up from the bed, thereby banging her head loudly on the top of the bed frame and then rebounding back down. She curled up on my chest and grabbed her head.
"Pffthahaha."
She sat up and began to thump me with her small fists. With her face beet red, she exclaimed, "No laughing! No laughing! It's not funny!! No laughing!!"
"Okay, I won't laugh. I won't laugh."
I tightened my arms around Queen Sisi. Voice soft, I expressed, "Tell me what it entails first… I've never been a Prince, but I promise to do my utmost. Veirya no longer needs me, so if you're fine with me staying by your side, then…"
Queen Sisi emotionally gripped my clothes. She loudly declared, "Sure!!! No problem!! Just stay with me. Everything will be fine as long as you stay with me!! You don't need to do anything. Just stay by my side. I don't need you to do anything; I'll help you do anything and everything! All you have to do is stay by my side and not let me feel lonely. You don't need to do anything else!"
Queen Sisi was afraid that I hated doing something or didn't want to do something and would go back on my offer if. If we went with her suggestion, Sisi would be a rich woman everyone would want. You don't have to do anything except keep her company. She'd do everything, and I was confident that she could, indeed, do everything. Why? Because she was Sisi.
"Doesn't that mean that it makes no difference whether you have me or not?"
"All I want is you."
Sisi clasped my face and slowly leaned in. She informed me beforehand this time. She let me mentally prepare myself. I had the chance to push her away. I could push her away for Veirya. Sisi gave me a chance to back out the way I treated Lucia… but I didn't want to.
I kissed Sisi's trembling lips. The kiss was different to previous kisses. Maybe it was due to Sisi planning to enjoy it. Maybe it was due to the long preparation. Either way, she was quite nervous. She shut her eyes and stiffly responded to my kiss. She tightly gripped my chest and we kissed as if it was our first kiss as students…
I felt her touch, her warmth, her smell and savoured every sensation. They were all different feelings compared to Veirya. Sisi's warmth and tenderness was different to Veirya's.
Trails of tears coursed down my face slowly and onto Sisi's face. I didn't know why I shed tears. I genuinely didn't know.