Chapter 123

“Did it hurt?” Kyle asked impulsively after he was finished disinfecting the area around the wound. Most of the military doctors and medical officers around him had finished up their job around the barracks, and had been summoned to the others who needed them.

The only ones left around him were Matthias and the other commanders who just got treated.

Kyle wasn’t asking because he was concerned about the Duke’s pain. Instead, he simply found it baffling how such a madman could act so aloof and calm as though he was just another bystander in the war. 

Perhaps it was because he was used to seeing people suffer that even a bullet in his body wouldn’t make him feel pain at all.

Matthias looked at Kyle without saying anything. All he had to respond to him was a faint smile on his lips.

Almost like mocking Kyle that he was unimportant. Kyle couldn’t help the boiling anger bubbling up in him before tediously stamping his anger down. His grip on the scalpel loosened up, trying to flex his fingers to avoid digging it into the Duke’s neck.

Something about the Duke here was different from the Duke he met previously in front of Leyla and Uncle Bill’s old, abandoned cabin. Almost like he’s back to how he was before Uncle Bill and Leyla disappeared than the wallowing madman he’d lately become.

He’d been receiving word from his father about the Duke’s health developments. Dr. Etman had made it clear he was desperately worried about the Duke’s well-being, and expected Kyle to do the work for him in the field as he was unable to. 

It wasn’t that Kyle wanted to do this. On the contrary, he’d love to leave this man to his own devices, and hopefully someone out there was skilled enough to kill the Duke.

But alas, Leyla loved this man. He had no doubt if she were to hear the Duke’s death, she’d be sorrowful and inconsolable.

And so he resolved to just do as he’s told. Not actively seeking the Duke out for his health, but certainly never shirking his duties.

Kyle stepped back with clenched teeth when he finished dressing the wound. Sensing he was done, Matthias promptly stood up from his seat and rolled his sleeves down nonchalantly. He bent down to pick something up, before turning back towards Kyle, with a drink in his hand.

“Join me for a drink.” Matthias offered him with his practiced gentleman smile as he held out the drink for the medical student. 

Kyle could almost laugh at his audacity.

“I don’t think the good Major and I are on good enough terms to be sharing drinks together.” Kyle instead replied dryly yet respectfully all the same.

“Then drink with me all the same, even with the bad blood between us.”

Kyle pursed his lips, narrowing his gaze at the Duke. He couldn’t fathom what the point the Duke was trying to make. Was he making light of Kyle’s righteous ire for him? Was he making fun of him?

If so, the Duke had a morbid sense of humor that only worsened every time he heard it. However, Kyle was not in the mood to be ridiculed, and wordlessly took the drink.

Matthias seemed to have smirked and turned around to pick up a glass of his own, and they lightly clanked the glasses together. After that, Kyle threw his head up as he tossed all the alcohol down his throat, drinking it all in one go!

He could feel the brandy sliding smoothly down his throat, leaving fiery tingles in its path. He watched as Matthias pristinely downed his own shot of brandy. 

“Major seems to be very happy despite being shot.” Kyle remarked lightly, and Matthias hummed and shrugged.

“Perhaps I am.” He answered, putting the glass face down on the table, and shrugged back on his military coat. “After all, we’re finally breaching Sienna.” He stated with a confident smirk.

The Duke’s velvety voice made the statement sound more appealing, but Kyle could still see him for what he truly is.

Nothing but a madman indeed.

Kyle promptly put down the shot glass the same way Matthias did, barely stopping himself from slamming it down in his disgust of the man. The Duke was moving as smoothly as ever, when Kyle knew how painful it would be to move the wounded arm.

But he acted completely unbothered, not even a little bit derailed by the pain.

Matthias von Herhardt was certainly bred for a war.

He could continue to eat, drink and sleep well despite the number of people he’s seen dead and killed, or killed them himself. It had only taken him a few months to rise from the rank of captain to major, all praising him for his skills and ability.

He even looked like he himself was preening from all the praise he was getting. Kyle had no doubt now why the enemies would call him a demon.

And call it wishful thinking on Kyle’s part, but he seemed not to be the only one to find the Duke especially unnerving. He’d noticed by now how guarded the other officers, even the higher-ranking ones from the Duke, would keep him at arm’s length.

Still, they respected and praised him for his commands and strategies. Being under his command certainly increased the probability of most of them returning alive. The statistics prove as much despite his lack of interest about that certain feat of his.

So why was he excited to go to Sienna? Kyle couldn’t fathom it to be something relating to the war. Matthias didn’t think like that. All he currently had to work with was how elated the Duke was to be getting close to the city. 

Seeing him so amused after so much blood had been spilled was odd. Kyle was only thankful he was fortunate enough to not be facing him in the war. However, he had no doubt that if they continued to press their advantage, the Herhardt family would gain another war hero for the empire as soon as the war ended.

“Well then, you are dismissed.” Matthias commanded him, effectively indicating he had no further need for his company. Kyle all but grunted out his frustration and gave him the proper salutations before quickly leaving the Duke’s vicinity.

While he returned to his usual barracks, he looked up at the sky, listening aimlessly to the sounds around him. The foreign sky was so full of beautiful constellations. He hoped with his entire being that Leyla and Uncle Bill would be safe wherever they may be.

And then he hoped the next bullet to hit the Duke, to hit his stone-cold heart next time.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Once the ruckus had died down, multiple people began to pile out slowly from the chapel’s bomb shelter in the basement. Darkness blanketed over the ransacked city, as rubble and ruin surrounded them and filled the streets.

The fear fathering around the bell tower and the town’s square was palpable.

“I can still hardly believe this is what we’ve come to.” Bill muttered out softly in a daze.

Rumors had begun to spread as Berg continued to advance into their lands. First, Vellof, another powerhouse of the Northern Union, would begin to mobilize their fleet to block their reinforcements from sea. And then they’d bombard the cities nearby.

Everyone brushed it off as false rumors spread by the enemies to dishearten their spirits and tried to believe the best scenario was still possible.

Only it wasn’t. 

The evidence of the truth was glaring in front of them in the form of ruin and destruction.

“Well, Vellof certainly did a good job in clearing the city. At least we won’t have to hear those deafening bells anymore.” Bill said, trying to cheer Leyla up with a little silver lining. But Leyla could only stare in fear at the collapsed bell tower in front of them.

She turned to Uncle Bill with a stiff smile.

“Yeah, I just,” her frightened eyes stared back at the ruins, “I’m still wrapping my head around it.” Unconsciously, she hugged herself, trying to self-soothe. “It must feel so empty now without the bell.”

She thought her problems were over as soon as she got away from Arvis. They finally have a place to call fully their own. It was cheap, clean and beautiful, but the main problem in the area was the bell. 

No one loved to live in a place where a bell would loudly ring to indicate a new hour had passed. But, of course, now there was no more bell to worry about, but did they still have somewhere to live?

Are they ever truly lucky?

Now that she was thinking about something else, she could finally begin to feel herself breathing again. Suddenly Uncle Bill piped up. 

“Come on now, get on my back,” he quickly told her, as he crouched down in front of her, “Let’s see if we can go home.” 

Leyla’s eyes flashed with irritation as she glared at her feet. She felt stupid forgetting to put on her shoes. Immediately, she started to decline his offer.

“Oh, no need Uncle,” she immediately said, “These socks are quite thick. They’re like second shoes.”

“Come now, it’s no trouble.” Bill persisted, “Quickly now, at this rate we’ll have to sleep in the streets if you keep dawdling.”

“Please, I can walk.” Leyla kept insisting, telling him she’ll be able to rest after a walk.

Her dress fabric was rather thin. And she’d removed her belly band when she went for a short nap before the warnings of the air strike. She had made sure to be extra careful, and began buying loose-fitting clothes…

But the deep-seated fear of disappointing Uncle Bill still persisted in her. 

Uncle Bill only eyed her carefully. He’d had some suspicions lately, but he wanted Leyla to come to it on her own terms. But it seemed like he needed to confront this topic as quickly as he could. 

But do current circumstances make the need to be immediate?

Uncle Bill was still at a loss on how to broach Leyla’s trauma. Every time he even thought about addressing it, Leyla would just shut down and refuse to talk about it by steering the conversation into something else.

It was frustrating, and made him more guilty of how an inadequate caretaker he was, still is. 

“Such trivialities,” Bill huffed out softly, “Why are you so stubborn about this?”

Leyla hunkered in on herself, fearing she just disappointed him more. 

“I’m sorry uncle.” She muttered softly. Uncle Bill eventually sighed, and rubbed her head comfortingly.

“Well then, you sure you can make it with just those socks?” He asked instead, pointing to her woolen socks. Immediately, Leyla wasted no time proving her point by shooting up to her feet and making a show of how unbothered she was. 

Uncle Bill only smiled at her determination, and relented to her. He held out his hand for her to take, to which she eagerly did, and clung desperately onto his arm before they walked down their rubbled streets. 

Some parts of the surrounding buildings were destroyed in the air strike, but the further from the bell tower then walked, the less the damage seemed to be. It led Bill to think they had concentrated the attack around the center of the town, and not all over. 

To keep their spirits up, Bill engaged his foster daughter in conversation, playfully berating the piloting and targeting skills of Vellof pilots, even going as far to compare their incompetence to the chef in front their apartment, who only cooked dismal food at best.

“Don’t worry Leyla,” Bill said, “I doubt they’d return again.”

It was a lie. These things never happen just once.

“I’m sure you’re right, uncle!” Leyla quickly agreed.

They knew they were lying, but to believe otherwise would only make them resign to their fates.

“Hey uncle,” Leyla piped up, biting her lip nervously.

“Hmm?”

“Why don’t we talk about what we like instead?”

“Oh?” Bill piped up, “What we like?”

“Yes, talking about that will make me feel better. So let’s talk about that instead.”

Uncle Bill laughed, shaking his head at how childish she was being lately.

“Silly child, what do you mean?”

“I’ll go first!” Leyla piped up, continuing on without listening to her uncle’s further teasing.

“The first thing I really like is Uncle Bill!” She proudly declared, and smiled widely at him. Uncle Bill’s eyes wrinkled as he smiled back at her.

“Well then, I really like the kid living with me.” Leyla blinked at him, before pouting.

“Kid?” she asked him, “But it’s been a while since I grew up already.”

She huffed indignantly at him.

“I’m not a child, but an adult.”

“Oh, don’t mistake age to be an indication of whether or not you’re an adult already,” Uncle Bill pointed out, patting the hand on his arm comfortingly. “You’ve still got ways to go before you’re truly grown up.” He sighed out softly, smiling kindly towards her. 

And so on it went, listing down their favorite things from birds to flowers to trees, ice cream, mystery novels, and even the first snow they had. 

All these Bill already knew about her, but was quite content listening to her babble on animatedly about why she loved them so. But whenever she’d ask him in return what his favorites were, he’d only ever answer one thing.

Leyla. 

His most beloved treasure. The one who gave purpose to him. 

Eventually after a long while, Leyla began pouting again, gripping onto his arm tightly in frustration. 

“Uncle, be serious! I can’t all be your favorite!” She whined bashfully, and he only laughed at her heartily. He only shrugged and smiled through her scoldings.

It was true.

When he first heard the siren for the airstrike, his thoughts immediately went to Leyla. The deep-seated tiredness in his bones from a full day of work was immediately replaced with an adrenaline rush of worry for Leyla. 

He ran like crazy for home, knowing Leyla was there by now, and in no time dragged her with him as they went to the shelter.

Was this how parents usually feel for their child?

Perhaps. 

He couldn’t help thinking that even if he died in that instant, it would have been fine to him knowing that Leyla was safe. If his death meant saving Leyla, he would give his life up happily to ensure it.

He only hoped that after he passed, she would live well for herself instead.

Looking into her eyes, she still held that childlike innocence that brought both happiness and ache in his heart. Finally, unable to hold her gaze any longer, he looked ahead, watching whatever may come their way. 

So many things could go wrong right now, and Bill wasn’t sure about which he should worry about most?

Was it the war out of their doorsteps? Him continuing to be an incompetent father? Or the duke they ran away from, one he desperately wanted to be killed in this war?

“Uncle?” Leyla’s hand was waving in front of his face. He must have been spacing out. Up ahead, he could finally see their apartment. At  least it was still intact. He turned to Leyla, wiping the worry off his face and smiled at her.

“Ah, I feel so much better after that talk of favorite things Leyla,” he told her, “Thank you for that bright idea.”

Leyla beamed proudly at him, seemingly oblivious to his lies.

“You’re welcome uncle,” She smiled brightly at him, “I feel so much better now too!”

He hoped she could keep smiling as brightly as that, even when he’s gone from her side through death.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

As soon as news of the cavalry battalion successfully securing the bridges and roads had reached them, they wasted no time barking out commands for all their brigades to start preparing in the north and east of their forces. 

Major Matthias von Herhardt, and his infantry company had been tasked in breaking through the center of the enemy’s center fortress, which had taken a beating from the airstrike. As they advanced, roars of the mortars cracking and breaking walls ensued, until they finally stopped.

They reached the stand-off of their war.

Matthias waited for the dust around them to settle, with sharp eyes staring at the covered enemies before they struck and dealt significant damage on enemy forces again.

All around them were sounds of walls being knocked down, shells flying overhead and hitting their targets. The walls that once stood to protect the city for many years, had crumbled down to rubble.

The fortress was captured, and his entrance to Sienna was cleared. Matthias suspected that they could take over Sienna in a matter of fifteen days, give or take. A month is the latest. 

Still, he was close. He couldn’t help but feel giddy at the knowledge of this. 

“We’re almost through!” shouted the scout in report over the massive sounds around them. 

Tensions were being raised as they kept pushing their advantage,  successfully invading the enemy fortress and dismantling their defenses one after another.

Everyone around Matthias grew silent as they looked at their commanding officer. And then a loud trumpet sound rose above the rest of the cacophony.

Matthias began to walk into the enemy’s destroyed base with an indifferent expression. 

Their assignment was to seize the fortress, and secure it by taking no prisoners. Once done, they would raise the flag of their empire on the highest peak, indicating it’s been successfully acquired by the Berg Empire. And then Sienna would be theirs…

And Leyla, his.

A smile found its way to his lips at the thought of her. Her name slipped from his lips like poison velvet. He looked in the direction of the far south, knowing that’s where his end goal would be. 

When reports of Vellof pilots bombarding Sienna reached him, most of the army cheered at knowing their enemy forces had greatly lessened. But Matthias couldn’t shake the worry of someone killing Leyla. 

He needed her to be alive. It wouldn’t work if he weren’t the one to kill her after all. No one can touch her, nor harm her but him. He didn’t care if they were allies or enemies in this war. Or even if it was a god he had to fight, Leyla was his in all sense.

She was his sole purpose in life. Where she goes, he’ll follow, whether she wants him to or not. 

She may see him as a monster, or the devil incarnate, it didn’t matter to him. She was his. 

His Leyla.