"Cana, are you fine?" she snapped back to reality when she felt Samuel's warm hands on her cheeks, when did he get closer she doesn't know. They were actually eating dinner at a restaurant that he had reserved. It's been a while since they were able to dine out and spend time together.
"Samuel, well… I'm fine." She tried to force out a smile, Samuel noticed a few scratches on her cheek and her wrists but he did not mention it to her since he wants her to confide more to him.
"Then shall we walk outside? This place has a rose garden maze. It would be nice to watch the moon." Guiding her out, as expected Samuel chooses such a romantic place and never fails to lift up her mood, as like what she has imagined the blooming roses on the walls are pretty and fragrant.
"Wow! How can there be such a big maze here!?" While she is admiring the place Samuel has given a signal to one of the staff that was on standby.
Looking at Cana, she has grown, her shoulder length hair when they first met is longer and reaching her back. She used to complain that Mia is taller than her, but now she has also increased in height. There was also an incident when she wore her favorite skirt and noticed it got two inches shorter, he couldn't help but to laugh at her as she told it to him. They ended up going to shop for new clothes and it was a refreshing experience, it is exhausting to shop womens clothes he realized it. But to see the girl he likes smile and wore the clothes they've chosen together, it added a pleasure deep inside him.
"Finally you smiled." He caresses her head and plays with a flock of her hair in circles.
"It's pretty!" her eyes shine under the moonlight.
"Would you like to try who'll get out of the maze first?"
"You mean that? Is that safe, I'm not confident that I'll be able to exit that maze." seeing the six feet tall walls worries her.
"No worries, just scream my name and I'll find you back." He replied reassuring her.
"Oh...okay!" He always speaks of words that make her heart flutter. As they both enter a different path, the first to get to the exit will receive a prize. The winner can be granted a wish.
Slowly they part and only the vision, their eyes locked together slowly obstructed by the tall green walls. The path is clear under the moonlight and it is not that confusing as she reaches the center.
Five minutes.
Eight minutes.
Ten minutes.
Cana seems to be running in circles now, she felt a bit uneasy, then she was reminded of Samuel's words.
Just scream my name and I'll find you back.
It is not the first time he has helped her, he is always there to come for her and reach out to her hand. The fact she found a great man like him brings tears to her eyes.
Being independent, decision making and the anxiety of entering a whole new world, she is no longer alone and has someone by her side. This time, she will find him.
Her pace slowly increased, her small steps to larger ones, half running going through the walls, until her sight caught something that lights up at the end of the wall.
As she passes the extensive path, it finally reveals an exquisite designed rest stop at the end of exit of the maze. There's a bench under the frills of roses and the dim light created a somehow romantic ambience and the petals scattered as well. She steps closer and looks around.
"Samuel?" she called.
Rustling sounds heard behind so she turns around, finding Samuel with a bright smile.
"Have you found me Canary?" he opens his arms wide offering a hug, which she of course runs towards him jumping and bumping herself to him.
"What's this? How romantic!" she snuggles her face to his chest to hide her embarrassment.
"Did it lift up your mood?" Samuel really knows her feelings well.
"Would you mind sharing your worries now?" He knew that she got a lot on her mind, he took her hand and placed a kiss on top of it. Guiding her to the bench they both sit and Samuel wraps an arm around her waist making it look as if he is hugging her from behind.
"S-Samuel this is…" She is embarrassed about her current position, however he did not bulge but instead leaned closer to his chin rating on her shoulder.
"I'm recharging…" He said, she can feel that he is grinning right now.
"So, what happened that hurt you?" He is feeling the scratch on Cana's wrist with his thumb, it is still fresh and she just discovered that she has gotten hurt.
"Ah, earlier, there were girls who sought to fight with me."
"Why?"
"Remember the welcoming party? Actually, there is one annoying senior that keeps bothering me, I told him off but instead he is the one who gets angry." She paused and Samuel had a dark look, good thing that she cannot see his face at the moment.
"Then someone from the same year just came and helped me, it was just only. Then recently my only friend Clarice is avoiding me, I just found out also that there were awful circulating in the campus about me.`` She is hesitant to speak of the rumor however Samuel insisted.
"Like what kind of rumor?"
"That… they say I am slut… gold digger… aiming for rich guys...and sort of…" With this Samuel's thin patience broke off. He cups Cana's face and she sees his handsome face that is very angry, it was the same face when she got her nose bleeding. Both Nawill and Simone won't ever forget that angry Samuel.
"Would you want me to take care of those imbeciles? How dare them insult my princess?"
"Wait, no Samuel!"
"I can hire an assassin and kill them on the spot. Or can have them kidnapped and tortured. Ah I think, it is better to have their limbs cut off and their tongues be eaten by vultures!"
It was the creepiest and scariest words that Samuel ever threatened. Cana has to think of something that could make him forget all those evil thoughts."
"The slow burning of---" finally before he spouts more evil and her kind Samuel be tainted, Cana stopped him from speaking by sealing his mouth with a kiss.
" ! "