Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Chapter 2043

"No!" Jonathan tried to keep his emotions in check, gently caressing Estelle's face. "Don't overthink it. What you need now is to get some good rest!"

"Don't be mad!" Estelle locked her gaze on him, her eyes still a bit red from crying the day before, nervously watching him.

Jonathan turned away, the tense profile of his face seeming to struggle with controlling something within. His throat worked continuously, and after a while, he turned back to look at Estelle, "If you have the energy to talk, then tell me, what's going on with you right now?"

Estelle paused, quickly realizing he already knew.

She confessed, "I keep falling into nightmares, reliving that ambush we walked into seven years ago, watching Wolf and the others die in front of me over and over again."

"At first, I couldn't tell which world was real when I woke up. Now, even when I'm awake, I get these moments of disorientation, as if Wolf and others are calling out to me." Jonathan's face became gloomy as he said, "So, you're thinking of leaving me behind to go find your teammates?"

"No!" Estelle immediately shook her head. "Every time I'm trapped in those illusions, it's thinking of you that snaps me out of it. Sometimes I feel guilty, thinking that it's because I can't let go of you, that I haven't rejoined them."

Jonathan's expression didn't relax at all at her words; his eyes grew more intense because what Estelle was saying was that she hadn't reunited with her teammates because she couldn't let go of him. In her heart, her teammates were still alive in another world, waiting for her.

A tumult of emotions weighed heavy on Jonathan's heart, but his face remained impassive, only becoming more tender as he kissed her forehead, "Stop thinking about all that. Do you want to sleep more, or should we get you something to eat?"

Estelle looked up at him and said, "I just want to hug you."

Jonathan leaned down, careful of her injuries, and held her gently. "Get well soon, and you can hug me all you want."

"Are you still angry?" Estelle asked.

"What good does being angry do? I still have to pamper and spoil you, don't I?" Jonathan feigned nonchalance, peppering her cheek with light kisses. "I'm just angry with myself, that's all."

"I'll listen to you from now on!" Estelle's eyes were clear as she looked at him.

A sudden pain clutched at Jonathan's heart as he held her face and murmured, "I'll listen to you, too."

"Mhm!" Estelle chuckled softly.

Seeing a redness at the bottom of Jonathan's eyes, she said with concern, "Haven't you rested at all?"

"It's okay, I'm not tired, nor sleepy," Jonathan replied.

"Come up here," Estelle said.

The bed was spacious, more than enough for two.

Jonathan lay down beside her, their fingers entwined. "Want to rest for a bit?"

Estelle shook her head and said, "I don't want to sleep. Just talk to me."

"Alright!"

Jonathan chuckled softly, choosing a light-hearted topic, "Once we get past the holidays and have our wedding, what kind of ceremony do you want? Tell me about it."

Estelle thought for a moment, slowly responding, "I haven't really thought about it."

"Do you want something like a fairy-tale castle, like Magdalen's?"

"No need for something that grand! Just a simple ceremony will do."

"Thought about your bridesmaids yet?"

"Magdalen wants to be a bridesmaid, and we could also invite Yulia, with Kya as a flower girl."

"That sounds great!"

They chatted for a while, and then Estelle turned to Jonathan,

"There's one more thing."