Alice sighed deeply. She never expected her chats with both father and mother to be this tiresome. 'Why are they always talking about this one thing? I expected them to reject Michael or to be the same as they've always been, at the very least. But…they changed so much. How does that make any sense?'
Her eyebrows furrowed deeply. Confusion permeated her entire being, but her mother's bombardment of questions still lingered on her mind.
"Do you want him to be taken away by someone else? You don't. I can see that. So why are you acting like that? When did I raise you to become a pushover? Is that how the Zenovia household raised you? If you're unsure what you want, you can always give it a try and abandon Michael if you think he's not worth it! But do you think that? You. Do. Not! Trying won't harm you. If anything, you might find yourself drawn to Michael stronger than ever if you give it a chance. Or it doesn't work out, but in that case, you know early enough to stop."
At that time, Alice didn't even know what to respond. Her mother wasn't done bombarding her with comments, either. She hurled a lecture at her and made sure to show her daughter how she truly felt about her behavior, how lucky she was to be still alive, and how much Michael had to sacrifice to help her. Apparently, Katharina had heard from Kaleb that Michael spent several months by Alice's side, taking care of her all day long, only to be forced to rip their love apart.
Alice might have lost her memories, but she wasn't the only one suffering. Michael was trying to rekindle their love, knowing deep down that every act could lead to a disaster. Michael was forced to walk on eggshells even after he suffered so much. Of course, Alice knew her mother was trying to push her toward Michael. That bothered her a lot and pulled her away from Michael instead. But that didn't last long. Alice might not like what her mother did, but it wasn't Michael's fault.
She might even exaggerate at times, but it was a fact that Michael had been tirelessly working and had lots of work postponed to be by her side to cure Blood Incursion properly. Alice sighed again, but her throat tightened, and she nearly slipped on a wet stone when her eyes fell upon Michael. He walked through the streets with dark sacs underneath his eyes. A single glance was enough to tell that Michael was beyond exhausted.
'Is that my fault?'
Michael sensed a gaze lingering on him and lifted his head.
'Please, not another annoying brat.' He begged right before he discovered Alice. His eyes lit up, and the exhaustion dispersed.
Alice walked up to Michael with a hesitant smile. She was unsure what to say, but no words were needed between them.
"Did you have a great time with your family, or is it too much at once?" Michael asked.
"Both…I guess? It's weird to see that everyone changed so much. And everyone is talking about you. I…don't know what to think about that," Alice chose to be straightforward with Michael. He had been nice to her until now, but she didn't want to hurt him.
"They're talking about me? I didn't spend much time with your parents while still active in the Tritan Alliance. If anything, I expected them to be against me. Staying with me will be dangerous. You might get injured or grow into a Divine Lifeform much faster than most powerhouses in the Tritan Alliance. One way or another, your family won't be able to see you for a while if you are with me. I expected them to be against me," Michael responded equally honestly.
He figured it was useless to speak around the bush. He liked Alice, but it hurt to act as if nothing had happened. "I don't know either. The last thing I remember is them discussing my engagement with some idiot who'd manifested a suitable 6-Star Soultrait. It is not an ice-type Soultrait but a Soultrait that enhances all elemental powers. They thought our… Well, they expected the offspring to be powerful and all that stuff. If I think about it that way, it is only obvious that they want me to be with you. You are the strongest of the Tritan Alliance and will likely transform into one of the strongest Divine Lifeforms in the cosmos as long as you don't die."
Michael raised an eyebrow. He didn't see it that way before, but it made sense.
"In the past, I would have agreed to that. In fact, I might have agreed to marry anyone to escape my family's grasp, but since I woke up in your manor…I don't want to be with someone I don't like. It feels…wrong." "You asked me to come with you. Does that me–..."
"I don't know what it means. I asked you to come with me to the Tritan Alliance on a whim. Or maybe not. I don't know." Alice twirled with her hair while her expression was filled with confusion and doubt. She didn't understand herself anymore.
Michael smiled at Alice and patted her shoulder lightly. She didn't evade his touch but looked at him instead. Her eyes trailed down his face, and she blushed when her gaze landed on his lips.
"I am really weird. Nothing makes sense, and I should be annoyed that everyone is talking so well about you. It's almost like everyone is forcing me to be with you…but it doesn't feel all that bad. I don't know if It feels good either, though. It's hard to describe…" Alice tried to look away from his lips, but something pulled her attention to them. Her ears flushed red, and her breath grew heavier. Michael's eyes widened slightly, but he smiled at Alice. Nothing around them interested Michael at this moment. His exhaustion was no more, and he flashed a vibrant smile at the love of his life.
His smile was filled with happiness, excitement, and pure love.
Alice swallowed heavily at the magnificent sight unfolding before her. Michael's smile filled her vision, melting her away.
"Oh well…" She mumbled, swallowing hard, "Fuck it."
Alice decided to listen to her mother's comments and give it a 'try.' She didn't have anything to lose and followed her gut feeling. She strode forward and coiled her arms around Michael's neck. A playful smile blossomed on her lips as she closed in, planting her lips on top of Michael's.
Michael was a little confused, but his smile widened.
His left hand slipped through Alice's flowing hair, and he cupped her head gently before leaning into her kiss. Michael responded with a passionate kiss, his right hand sliding smoothly to her waist as he pulled her closer.
Alice's heart beat wildly. She had no idea what to expect from this moment, but this… was so much better.
The hole of memories in Alice's heart and mind was massive, but Michael decided to fill it with love and care.
He didn't care if Alice had changed. Michael would always love her!