"W-Wait, how did you escape?! Where is Xyrex?" I held the hand I extended to him tightly.
"Let's just say the tables have turned." He bitterly smiled and began to walk away from me.
"W-What?" I asked, utterly confused.
He stopped when he saw the figure of a man in the distance, and it didn't take long for me to recognize him—Xyrex. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in that room!
"V-Venn," he muttered as if lost in thought.
But his demeanor darkened even more when he mentioned Cheska's name.
"C-Ches—"
"No! Don't you dare come near me! I h-hate your smell!" At this, my confusion deepened in relation to their relationship.
"B-But we need to fix this! For our baby," Xyrex pleaded.
What the f***?! B-Baby?!
"Y-You... You... What the hell, Xyrex!" I threw a quick punch at him, but he dodged and leaned against the wall.
"I just found out, I don’t know what to do, man. Could you please understand?!"
"I’ve decided not to follow my dad’s orders. B-But he won’t let me. He will kill me… He will kill my baby," Cheska said, her tears streaming down her face.
"H-He’s my dad… I know he’s greedy for control over the Norovloux and Derovloux Empire."
This was the first time I had seen Cheska cry like this. Known for being the strong, fearless queen bee of our school, she would face anyone to get what she wanted. I could tell she was being sincere, but I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that she was pregnant! She should be resting and not getting involved in this mess.
"Please, hush now. We will get through this for our baby, okay?" Xyrex comforted Cheska in a soothing voice.
What should I do? I whispered to myself. I didn’t want to involve the innocent child. I don’t want to do this, but as the crown prince of the Norovloux Clan, we’ve come this far, and now is the time to patch things up.
"I've decided to cut all the strings of hatred between us. Come and get your father. Please, go to the States. And you, Xyrex? Take care of her and your baby. Make sure her father goes to rehab. That’s my final decision as your crown prince. Also, I need to get my girl." I smiled at them and gave Xyrex a reassuring pat on the back.
"Congrats," I added as I turned to walk away.
"V-Venn!" Cheska called out.
I furrowed my brow at her call, but she just smiled and turned away to head towards the father of her child.
“VENN! YOU’RE INVITED TO THE WEDDING!” Xyrex yelled from a distance, causing a smile to break out on my face as I nodded.
---
### RHAJIE'S POV
What is wrong with these idiots? Eating right in front of me is really making me hungry! I haven’t eaten yet, and it’s just rude!
“Hmmm, this is delicious!” one of the gluttons said.
“Tss,” was all I could muster.
“CAN I HAVE SOME HMMP!” I yelled as I spotted the last piece of crispy chicken thigh.
“Not a chance, tough luck!” another taunted, leading to their laughter.
How is it that a group of fools barged in, and one of them covered my mouth with a filthy-smelling cloth? I knew that had a drug on it.
“Don’t starve my girl.”
V-Venn? My girl? Did I really agree to that? How forward of him!
The group of morons fell silent, and I noticed Venn’s frown deepening as he took in my hands, which were bruised and raw from being tied.
“Who dared to tie the crown princess?! Everyone who—“
“Shut up, Venn! Just get me out of here!” I snapped at him, glaring at the people around me who were making me feel this way.
“C-Crown princess? Guys, we’re not in Korea, and this isn’t the Joseon Era. Stop dreaming!” one of the queens asserted.
“Wow! Sweetie, are you watching K-drama?” another chirped, grinning.
“Yass! And I heard the author is planning a new story! HAHAHA Joseon Era, with crown princes and princesses, stay tuned!” (Char, I’m promoting it right now! - Author)
“Guys! Ma'am Cheska texted; she said to release Rhajie, or else we all die.” A nervous guy holding a chicken leg exclaimed.
I was taken aback when the ropes began to loosen, and I noticed Venn standing behind me. My knees felt weak, and everything around me faded from view.
...
"How is she, doc?" I heard a woman's voice.
"Actually... It has to do with amnesia from a drug. Physically, she is fine, but mentally, not so much. Due to her traumatic experiences, the drug Midazolam causes temporary anterograde amnesia."
“How cruel! My daughter will still wake up, right, doc?” was the flustered response from someone I couldn't see.
D-Daughter? Am I her daughter? I decided not to open my eyes just yet because I knew there was more I needed to learn.
I heard footsteps and a familiar men’s perfume wafted through the air. Someone approached.
“How is she, Doc?” The guy's voice was tender, but why was he holding my hand?
“Anterograde amnesia... That's what the doctor said, son,” the woman replied.
"W-What?! What does that mean?" The guy sounded startled.
"Anterograde amnesia is a condition where a person cannot create new memories after an amnesia-inducing incident. This may involve either a partial or total inability to recall past events," the doctor explained.
"B-But how did she get that? Her forehead is fine, her head is totally fine... H-How... What if she forgot me?! I don’t want that to happen." His grip on my hand tightened, revealing his frustration.
"Those rascals might have slipped something in her drink..."
"My hand hurts," I finally spoke, slowly opening my eyes.
“S-Sorry… How do you feel? Are you okay? D-Do you know me?” he inquired anxiously.
"What do you think?" I shot back with a smirk, pulling my hand away from his grasp.
“Rhanjie,” he said, his tone suddenly serious.
“Who are you?” I raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"W-What? It’s just me, Venn, your... husband."
Husband? W-What? This irritatingly handsome guy is my husband? How infuriating!
"Liar. I’m not married, see?" I showed him my ring finger, which was devoid of any ring.
"Son, let's not stress her out right now. Let’s take her home, okay? You two stay here; I’ll take care of the bill," the woman said as she walked away.
I carefully sat up, and he helped me, feeding me food after a while. But I shook my head; a part of me felt uneasy looking at the food. Why?
But deep down, I wanted him by my side. I couldn't recall how I fell in love with him before my memory loss.
"Even if you can't remember me, I will stay. I want us to start over again. Maybe when you gain your memories back, we will get married for real," he said, looking into my eyes with genuine sincerity.
"RHAJIEEEEEEEEEE!"