Where am I? I have been asking myself that question too often recently.

I looked around and found myself in a hospital, a place I've been too many times now.

I looked to the left. And I could not believe my eyes.

"Yumi!" I sat up from my bed at once.

"Ling are you alright?" she asked.

"If you consider sitting up from my bed then I am alright."

"Good that's all I need you for right now." she said sitting on the stool on my left.

"So where am I?"

"A hospital obviously. Though after you recover you will be going into custody."

"What?" I almost yelled this time if my voice wasn't so weak.

"I heard from the news that a competitor called Louis Costanzo M. Massimiliano died in the Empire States Building three days ago."

"You mean I was out cold for 3 days."

"Probably."

"And why are you here?"

"Because I called and messaged you several times but you didn't reply. I traced your phone and traced you down to New York. And only till yesterday I got Intel that you were in custody at this hospital."

"And how did you get in...let me guess connections?"

"That's not important. I have good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first."

"The bad news?" I am used to listening to bad news first that way it doesn't ruin the good news.

"It's the Henry case, I am sorry; there is nothing else I can do about it. He got away because of insufficient evidence."

"Let me guess, all the security camera footage that night was deleted and replaced with fake video footage."

"Always showing off your crafty little wits."

"So you came here me just to apologize to me."

She didn't say anything.

"So you miss me?" I said jokingly.

"You are a horrible person." She replied coldly.

"So you are worrying about me?" I asked jokingly again.

"I would rather you die." she said without warmness.

"No need to worry, I am doing better without you."

"Really?"

"Indubitably. But I wish I could have another bite of the breakfast you made."

"I will consider about that, if you still are alive at that point."

"I will do whatever it takes to live to have that bite."

I could vaguely feel that she was smiling a little.

"So what's the good news?"

"Oh you are about to go to court. And I am going to be your assistant defendant lawyer."

"WHAT?" this time I literally yelled.

"Stop complaining I am the best you have right now."

"I rather defend for myself, I thought it was obvious who has better skills."

"You never won in that argument. Baka!"

"Let's call it a tie for now. The main problem is have you studied American law? More importantly each state has laws different from another. It can't be a coincidence that you studied exactly New York law!" I said.

"The reason why I went to Cambridge is because I studied the American civil law and I wanted to learn British civil law."

I didn't say anything but deep inside I was impressed once again.

"Just a question." I switched to a different topic.

"Yes?"

"How much do you know about Vixus Dormintz?"

"He is the heir to Duke Alchamond of England. But the general public knows that Duke Alchamond never married. And Vixus was adopted by the duke a dozen years ago. Rumor is he was the bastard son of Duke Alchamond and princess Annemarie of Wales."

"Rumors are often untrustworthy, and most times it's used to cover up the truth. Though the rumor you provided maybe worth the while to find out."

"And how are you going to find out?"

"I don't know. What I do know is that my current situation won't allow me to do so."

"I have a Chinese saying for you: Careful, careful and more careful."

"Got it. And I have one more question so who is my main defendant lawyer?"

"He made me promise I won't tell you who he is until you see for yourself. And he said he knows you very well."

"Really?" People who know me well...I don't recall any.

"I just met him recently and I only managed to find you because of him."

On hearing this I was eager to meet this him.

"You just sit tight and rest." Yumi sounded like she was about to leave.

"What happens if I can't sit tight and rest?"

"You're going to rest either way." As Yumi held up her hand in chopping form.

"Ok I will go to rest at once." Just as I lay down another person came into the room...those footsteps... I can't be wrong... it's...

The curtains parted and a person stepped inside.

"LING! Where have you been!? You didn't answer my calls! How dare you keep a noble waiting!" Charlotte probably screamed loud enough for the entire hospital to hear.

"How did you find me? No wait, let me guess you traced my phone too?"

"Never mind that and who was this lady?" I heard a hint of jealousy from her voice, though I don't know where it is coming from.

"This here is Yumi, she is my..." they both stared at me.

"Friend." That word came out of me surprisingly hard.

"Oh." Charlotte replied easily.

"If I am not wrong, I assume this lady here is...Charlotte Aquitaine Marina Alcott."

"Your guess is precisely right," replied Charlotte.

I let out a sigh in my heart.

"Anyways, Charlotte why are you here?"

"I just came to check on you to see how you are doing without me. And it looks like you are doing worse than I expected." She held her nose high.

"Truth be told, recently I think the days that I am out cold are the happiest days of my lives compared to being stuck with you ranting about your noble acts."

"How dare you!"

"Give me a break, I am an injured man, I need some rest."

"You won't have rest till I allow you!"

"Is this some sort of interrogation and torture?"

"No, it's a lesson of manners and respect!"

"Let me die already."

"Not until you learned your lesson young girl! I mean young man."

"That certainly doesn't sound like a lady's talk, is it a habit you say to all young men?"

"NO! Sister Elena always use to say that to me...she was my catholic teacher." She faced down clearly not wanting to go deeper into the subject.

"I see. So are you going to watch me go to court?"

"Of course! As irritating you can get sometimes, you will need my support for sure." Charlotte nodded to herself.

"I totally need your support Charlotte."

"I knew you would say that." She said. If she was Pinocchio her nose would have already reached the moon by now.

"Do the two of you always speak to each other in such manner as that?" asked Yumi who stood aside during the conversation the whole time.

"I guess so. Is there anything wrong with it?" I replied.

"No it just seems that the two of you get along with each other very well..."

"WHAT?!" me and Charlotte exclaimed at once.

"There is no way the two of us are getting along, because why would a noble lady like me walk along the same pace with an unrespectful, ungraceful, irritating, arrogant, annoying person like him!"

"I return all those derogatory words back to you untouched."

"I almost forget to say you are so unbearable!"

"So are you times ten." I said.

"Times a hundred!" she said.

"Times a thousand!" I said.

"Times a million!" she said.

"Times a billion!" I said.

"Umm what's after a billion?"

"Didn't your math teacher teach you math. Fine I will tell you, quadrillion is next."

"Then you are unbearable times a quadrillion!" she screamed.

"You are unbearable t..." before I could finish Yumi cleared her throat.

"Sorry to interrupt your elementary argument, but if there is nothing else I can do, I shall give the two of you some private time."

Elementary argument? I realized she was right. Whenever I argued with Charlotte I didn't seem like myself, I seemed much younger...stranger...defiantly strange...wait a math mistake trillion comes after billion, quadrillion comes after that... DEFINTLY NOT MYSELF! I thought.

"Oh..." Charlotte said. Which meant a silent yes is.

"How long do you think at soonest you will be able to walk?" Asked Yumi.

"Tomorrow?" I answered confident with my strength.

"Very well tomorrow we see each other again at court."

"Actually, make it tomorrow's tomorrow."

"Absolutely tomorrow then." Yumi said.

I looked down, didn't feel like arguing. I watched Yumi parted out from and listened to her exiting the room. When she finally left the room I let out a sigh.

"Are the two of you really friends?" Asked Charlotte.

"Yes...why do you ask?"

"Nothing." She turned her head away.

"Tomorrow is going to be a big day. Let me get some rest now."

"Ok. Just one more thing."

"What?"

All of a sudden I was embraced by warmness, Charlotte may be thin but she can sure grip. She embraced me but I didn't embrace back because I was too shocked too. A moment later she let go.

"What was that for...?" I said kind of knocked out.

"Don't leave me again, promise me." Her eyes were filled with tears.

I never promised anything in my life, because what good is a promise if you can't keep it, but looking at her tears I broke my own standards.

"Ok, I will promise my best I won't."

"Not good enough!" She said but we were both smiling.