And yet again, James woke up from a deep slumber or perhaps Lior. His eyes darted around the room he was in, and before him was a person staring at him.
"You're finally awake," the person said. He brought his hand forward to touch James' head, and James moved backwards.
"What are you trying to do?" James asked cautiously as he stared at him.
The man replied, "You're in Prince Daemar's manor, and I'm the royal physician he got to attend to you."
"Oh…" James said, scratching his head. And just then, a voice sounded, loud and clear.
"The Arcane Prince is coming inside."
The door opened, and a man stepped inside. He was clad in high-quality silk—a golden-brown outfit with silver designs. He had boots on, and a sword was clamped to the side of his dress. His body exuded grace, and as he stepped inside, the physician bowed completely to the floor.
James, on the other hand, was so awed by the announcement and the graceful entrance that he didn't even notice the physician. But then, someone tugged at his shirt, and he looked down, away from the prince's eyes.
The physician pointed at himself, but that didn't seem to register in James' head, as he only managed to raise a brow until the physician dragged him down.
James met the floor, his face almost flat to the ground, but a hand suddenly blocked his fall. His face collided with the hand, jard, yet soft, and he quickly raised his head back up. The prince was before him, his blue eyes sparkling.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice cold yet soft.
'I'm supposed to be okay, but why am I drawn to him and suddenly feel clumpy? Well… why is he so fine… why are the guys so damn fine that you'd look twice?' James berated himself in his mind as he pulled himself together. He rose and settled back into the soft cushion beneath him.
The prince stepped back as he saw that James wasn't ready to speak to him, then said, after a cough or two, "You can stand up."
That was the cue for the royal physician to rise from his kneel. He bowed while standing. "Thank you, Arcane Prince."
The prince then sat down on the soft cushion seat already provided for him, and his eyes remained on James.
James suddenly felt uneasy from his stare, so he turned his gaze to the physician instead.
The prince's voice then sounded, "So, what would you say is wrong with Ravenhart's only son?"
"Your Highness, it seems like he is suffering from the aftermath of the accident. His body is currently weak, so he can't be in places that are too loud, crowded, or where air isn't well circulated. I believe he fainted because he was at the market and had been there for quite a while," the royal physician said, his words well-articulated.
"I see," the prince responded.
"So, are you done with the checkup? If so, you should leave, as I'd love to speak with him alone," the prince added.
"Oh… I see, Your Highness. I'm already done examining him. I just need to get the medicine I prescribed and have it packed for when he leaves," the physician said with a bow.
The prince nodded, and the physician left, leaving just the prince and James in the room.
The prince looked at James intently while James kept his eyes elsewhere, showing no particular interest in the room. He was avoiding looking into the prince's blue eyes. Somehow, those eyes were very seductive, and he didn't want to find himself falling for them whatsoever.
"I'm sorry for almost killing you then. Glad that you're alright," the prince said, and James was forced to look at him. His voice was, once again, cool and soothing to the ear.
James looked at the said Arcane Prince, and his lips moved unwillingly, "Okay. By the way, what's your name? Or is it only 'Arcane Prince' that you're called?"
Daemar smiled at James and shook his head before saying, "Well, I heard that you seemed to have lost your memories for a while, so I'll give you the audience to behave as you do. And besides, I've wronged you, so it's okay."
"I'm Daemar. I think that's enough information to know for now, don't you think? And the rest—I'm sure you've picked it up through the interactions I've had in this room so far," Daemar said, his face tight with no expression.
"I see..." James nodded.
"And what about you? Since we are reintroducing ourselves, why don't you tell me your name?"
"Hmm…" James looked at the blue-eyed guy before him and sighed. Somehow, the world was coming to him.
'Don't tell me that the aim of this world is for Lior to fall for the prince, get married to him, and live a happy life? Or why is the supposed Arcane Prince behaving nicely to me? If I recall correctly, Sid said that the prince is harsh…'
James was still caught up in his thoughts when he suddenly felt like someone was standing very close to him. And truly, the prince's face was now inches from his own. James' brows furrowed, and he tried backing away a bit, but suddenly, the prince held his hand.
James looked at him with a confused expression, and Daemar said, his hands squeezing Lior's soft ones, "Lior, I would love to court you."
"Huh?" That was the expression on Lior's face as he heard the words.
"I know that it's sudden and all, but I think I want you to be my consort. You should be happy about this, right? Just know that I'll treat you right and won't cause you any harm if you agree. What do you say?"
Daemar watched as the fair boy's eyes twinkled before him. His red hair, covering his body, and his green eyes twinkling didn't seem to do anything to Daemar but the purpose behind those words remained hidden within him. He smiled again, as he had been doing since he stepped foot inside the room, and added, since Lior didn't say anything. "Seems like it's hard for you to process. I'll send proposal gifts to your house tomorrow so your sisters and you can see my intentions."
As he finished saying those words, the door to the room suddenly burst open to reveal the three Ravenhart house sisters.