The stranger, which I learned a few minutes ago was Choi Seung Hyun, walked back and forth in the large hospital room. I watched him, anxious to know what he was thinking.

I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry if I’m being a burden to you.”

He stared at me, seemingly confused about my comment. He shook his head. “None of this is your fault,” he assured. And he walked towards the end of the bed and sat, looking at me, it seemed as if he was deliberating how to get rid of me, I frowned. He gave me a reassuring smile, which for the second time that morning, caused my pulse to go erratic. I inhaled and tried to think of anything soothing to say. “I-” I started but he stood up and gently placed his hands on my shoulders, stopping me from speaking. I did not dare look him in the eye.

 “I will try everything I can to try to find out your identity, okay?” he was telling me. But I wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying. I was only aware of his hands resting on my shoulders, caressing them ever so gently, as if to say everything will be fine. It was a gesture so sweet, so foreign to me that my full attention was given to that alone and when Seung hyun gently shook my shoulders, I lifted my eyes only to see his filled with worry and… amusement? I wasn’t sure.  

 “Earth to princess!” he teased.

I raised an eyebrow, “P-princess?” Does he know?

He smiled and answered, “Everyone seems to have given you a nickname. I don’t know which nurse thought of it but I have to agree, you do look like a princess to me.”

It was such a bold admiration that I couldn’t help but blush. If he had noticed it, he was gentleman enough to say nothing to further embarrass me.

 “Can we think of another nickname? Princess is a bit…”

 “Too much?” he grinned.

I was going to say accurate. Why am I lying to him? Why did I make him think that I have amnesia? I mentally kicked myself. I don’t know what I was even doing. I am lying to a man, that was so noble that he doesn’t even doubt me.

 “How about Diana?” I heard him say.

 “What?”

 “Diana.” He repeated.

 “Why? That’s a foreign name.”

 “It is. It’s the name of a woman from a royal family.”

 “Why would you call me that?” He knows. I thought grimly. But that thought was pushed aside when he again suggested another nickname.

 “Alright. Let’s think of another. Hmmm,” he thought for a minute or two and,

 “Aha! Dara! I’ll call you Dara!” My eyes grew wide as I felt fear of being discovered, of him pointing out my despicable lies. I am Dara. That is my name. How does he even know?

He must have seen my stunned expression so he asked “You don’t like it? We can think of another.”

It’s pure coincidence. I chanted to myself. It took me five seconds to decide. “N-no. I… I like it.” He nodded, satisfied.

 “Where did you get that name from?” I asked, purposely avoiding his gaze.

 “It was my cat’s name,” he said simply.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He named me after a cat! A lowly animal! And I wasn’t even quite sure if I’d be more insulted by the fact that he thought Dara was a cat name or that he named me after it. I tried to stare him down but either he didn’t notice or he didn’t care at all.

 “What is it?” he asked me.

I wanted to scream that Dara was not a name you give to an animal. I was so annoyed but I tried to push aside that anger and answered him in what I thought was my normal voice, “Nothing. I like Dara,” I said.

 “Good.” And he stood up, walking to the door.

 “Where are you going?”             

 “I am going to ask the doctor when it will be okay for you to leave the hospital.”

 “But….” I gulped. “I have nowhere else to go.” He smiled at me. Stop smiling like that! God!

 “You’re my responsibility now. I told you I would help you and I will. So while I’m trying to find out your true identity, you’ll come live with me at my… place.” I noticed that he was unsure of calling it his place. Maybe it wasn’t his. Maybe he was a servant or something similar. That would make things difficult. He didn’t look like a servant, however. He looked a bit rugged and tanned but there was an air of regality and poise in his stance. Then I remembered that he said his place… we are to live together? Under one roof? My jaw dropped. He was asking me to live with him? He can’t be serious. Although, I didn’t have much of a choice. I lied to him. I sighed and nodded. He went out presumably to look for my doctor. I laid back down and recounted what has happened so far. I got into an accident. Seung Hyun saved my life. I lied to his face. And now, I was going to live with him, wherever the hell that is.

Not for the first time today, I ask myself, Oh my god. What have I done?

***

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