"Vaan! You are awake!" Elara's face brightened up as she saw Vaan opening her eyes.
Vaan, who heard her loud voice was annoyed, however, when he noticed Elara's reddened eyes and faint traces of her dried tears on her cheeks, his irritation washed away.
Elara was crying, she was worried about him.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you feel any sort of discomfort anywhere?" Suddenly, Elara asked a series of questions.
Vaan just smiled, then, he moved his hand and grabbed hers.
"I am perfectly fine, Elara."
Elara blushed, she wanted to move her hand away because she was flustered, but in the end, she just closed her eyes and didn't do it.
"Should I call the Medic? Although they treated you and said your body has recovered well, it would be better to let him do the last round of checkups."
Vaan, however, just tightened his grip around Elara's hand and, "Just stay here with me for a while."
"A-Alright…" Elara nodded as she lowered her head, it was as if she was trying to hide her face.
Vaan smiled a little, then, he questioned, "Were you crying?"
"H-Huh?" Elara's expression changed.
"I can see those dried tears of yours. Was my fiancé worried about me? Awww, how cute."
Vaan spoke in a playful tone.
Waking up to someone who worried about him… it was a new feeling for him…
In his days as an underworld gang leader, the only people around him when he regained consciousness were his gang members who wanted to take him away from the hospital, worried that the enemies might discover them and kill them all.
"What were you thinking!?" While Vaan was thinking about his past, Elara suddenly screamed.
"W-What?" Vaan was taken aback, this was the first time he had seen Elara scream like this, even in previous Vaan's memories, he had never seen her raise her voice.
"Why are you so careless!? This is the 8th fight you have been in recently, first, it was those 5 people you call your friends, then it was your butler, then there was also that mage, and now this! Just what are you trying to do!? You even started using Instant Spells this time!
Do you even know how dangerous the Instant Spells could be!? What were you planning to do if something were to happen to you!? Why are you so reckless!?"
Elara shouted in rage.
Vaan couldn't believe his eyes and just continued to stare at her in a daze.
"What are you looking at me for!? Answer me!" Elara shouted again.
"I… apologize for making you worry…"
"Apologize!? You think a simple apology would cut it!?
You have been out for 5 days, Vaan!
Do you know how worried I was!? Even though our best Medics used everything they had, it still needed 3 days just to create all the blood your body had lost and fix your leg, and even after that, your condition wasn't getting any better and you needed 2 more days of rest in order to wake up. I have never seen a 2nd Circle Mage being injured to that extent!
Even the Medics were surprised! These reckless actions of yours, do you not think about anyone before making a move!? Or are you so selfish that you just don't care!?"
Elara wasn't having any of it.
This was the first time she was showing her emotions so clearly and how could she not?
This was the first time she had experienced true fear, not because Vaan was hurt, but because of her own selfish reason.
Vaan had changed ever since he had woken up after his fight with those 5 'friends' of his, from that day onwards, he stopped abusing her like he used to, he stopped looking at her with that disgusted look in his eyes, he stopped venting his frustration on her,
After that day, he started treating her better. He started caring for her, he started being gentle with her, he started smiling with her, he started learning magic with her, he had completely changed, it was to the point where Elara even doubted that he was fooling her just so he could abuse her again.
However, as more and more time passed, Elara realized that it was not the case, Vaan had actually changed. Even his teacher agreed and had started smiling a lot more than she was used to.
Elara was happy, she could feel butterflies in her stomach whenever she thought about Vaan and always looked forward to their next meeting, however, when she heard that Vaan was hurt and had passed out again,
She was scared.
Vaan had suddenly changed when he woke up after getting hurt, then… what if…
What if he returned back to his usual self after waking up this time?
What if she loses what she has right now?
Elara was horrified when she thought of that possibility.
Even now, when Vaan woke up, she was nervous when she saw his trembling eyes that were about to open, she could literally hear her heart beating at that moment and had no clue how to react.
In panic, when she saw Vaan finally opening his eyes, she shouted and started asking a series of questions, all this while, she feared Vaan would lash out at her or push her away.
Her heart only calmed down when Vaan smiled at her and gently held her hand, however, when Vaan asked if she was 'worried', something inside Elara snapped.
"You ar-"
Elara wanted to continue shouting at Vaan but then,
"You shouldn't shout at a patient, you know? It might slow down the recovery process." Vaan spoke up and all Elara's anger was flushed away in an instant.
"Y-Y-Young Master V-Vaan, I-I deeply apologize for s-shouting at you, I d-don't know what I was t-thinking, please don't take my words to heart and get well so-"
While Elara continued to apologize, Vaan suddenly pulled her towards him, then with her head resting on his chest, Vaan smiled gently, and in a soft voice, he whispered.
"I apologize for making you worry, Elara.
I promise you, this would not happen again."
While saying those words, Vaan's eyes turned cold.
He needed strength.
Absolute strength so that people around him never have to worry again.
