Chapter 127

He couldn’t find it in himself to hurry up. In fact, he was perfectly content to keep watching over her from afar.

As soon as the officer gave him her address, he couldn’t help the fast beating in his heart.

At last! He finally has her again!

He felt like he was about to burst into complete happiness. But eventually, he needed to calm down. He had a reputation to uphold, also, it was imperative he keeps a calm mind. 

And so without further adieu, he went to the address, and as soon as he saw her, he immediately recognized her.

She was as beautiful as he remembered. There was no other woman that could ever hold a beauty like hers after all.

She was certainly his Leyla.

And so he followed, before realizing he shouldn’t spook her too soon. He didn’t want her being alerted to his presence too early. He wanted to savour more of her, even if it meant he’d just look at her from afar…

For now. 

But then she stopped and turned around to look at him.

Oh, how wonderful. Had she somehow sensed their connection with one another? Surely this was a sign she was meant for him, wasn’t it? 

He was just about to call out for her too, to close the distance between them when she abruptly turned away and began to walk away…

Away from him again. 

But it was fine, he’ll let this slight insult to him go for a while. She looked quite adorable, scurrying away from him like that. He also needed to prepare a few things too before he’d even begin keeping her safe…

Before he’d wrap his hands around her neck and snap it until it broke.

And so he followed her slowly, quite content in giving her a headstart away from him. 

Matthias was in no hurry after all.

It had just been last spring when Matthias was doping himself up with a myriad of sleeping pills despite his good doctor’s advice. He could almost feel himself floating with each step toward her. 

What an ecstatic feeling it was!

He watched as she eventually reached the end of an alley, before pausing once more. Matthias paused as well and watched as her body trembled around her, and saw a beautiful stretch of white sands and an emerald sea behind her. 

Such a beautiful sight it was.

Leyla, on the other hand, found herself at a loss on what to do. Her feet were frozen in place, and she began to feel faint, but she didn’t want to stop!

She wouldn’t dare look back either!

It was clear to her, by now, she was indeed being followed, despite how calm the officer was in trailing after her.

She had been such an idiot, turning into an alleyway and expecting to find a few people huddling in it, that she could seek shelter with them from the unknown officer shadowing her.

The only thing she could find was a beach, populated by nothing other than the seagulls flying overhead!

Everything was dead empty! Just like the streets. 

Why was he even following her? Was he after her because she was disobeying a decree or something!?

If so, he wouldn’t have just stood there when she stopped and had approached her already to give her a reminder or even arrested her for her disobedience.

But he didn’t. 

Instead, he kept following her.

And it confused her to no end, making her feel all the more frightened.

Why? Why was he following her?

She wanted to cry in frustration! The trepidation in her made her feel so clammy all over!

He wasn’t even running after her. He was just walking. And it unnerved her to no end at all. Why was he just walking if he was following her? 

There was no way, and an army man like him didn’t have the speed and strength to catch up to her and capture her already. She couldn’t even run properly! Her foot was still healing from the last air raid they had!

Could it be-?

‘No!’ She scolded herself again.

It wasn’t that! She refused to believe it!

But the unsettling feeling was still there.

This wasn’t even the first time her mind had played tricks on her! Ever since they escaped from Arvis, reality and illusion mixed and matched around her from time to time. There was no doubt in her that the latest events in her life made it worse for her!

This was just like that. She was only imagining things again!

But why did it feel so real? Why did it feel like something really was following her!?

Surely it was just a mistake, wasn’t it?

Everyone’s gut feeling usually makes mistakes. This was just like that.

She chanced a glance behind her, and immediately caught sight of a tall, dark-haired man…

‘Duke!’ her mind screamed, and her heart dropped before she turned back to the beach, and began to walk further away from the illusion once more, ignoring the way her body shook at the mere thought of him.

She eventually reached the wet sand, hearing the soft waves crashing into the shore. The sand crunched beneath her shoes, and she found herself with nowhere to hide. 

Unless she’d rather brave the open sea than look behind her.

She watched as the waves bubbled up in the sand, retreating back and forth beneath her. It calmed her down somewhat, watching this rhythmic motion. She might not be able to run anymore, but perhaps she can wake up from this realistic dream. 

It was time for her to open her eyes once more. 

She closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply, trying to bask in the sea breeze and warm sunlight around her. She quickly made a short prayer, before turning slowly around, to face her fears, and see it to be nothing but an illusion. 

She had been prepared to see nothing. Even prepared to see a complete stranger, ready to arrest her. But now that he stopped close enough to be seen clearly…

It was undeniable now. 

It wasn’t a dream, not even an illusion as she watched his familiar face look brightly onto her as the autumn sun framed his form majestically in front of her.

Matthias von Herhardt.

It was really him.

And all of a sudden, her reality turned into a nightmare.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Matthias was barely listening to the sounds of waves crashing behind her, his mind too preoccupied by the lovely woman in front of him. 

Ever since she turned around, neither of them felt the need to break the stillness between them. He was quite content to look at her and drink in her presence in front of him after so long!

He watched as the wind whipped around them haphazardly, spraying a few grains of sand over their clothes every now and then. It was a cool sea breeze, framing their bodies, further making Leyla look so enticing to him. 

The hem of Matthias’ trench coat fluttered towards Leyla, making a physical connection between them.

He loved it. 

Seeing her in the flesh. She was still as beautiful as ever, but he never doubted her to remain so. Her golden locks still whipped around her beautiful face ever so beautifully, like the soft fluttering of wings of a canary!

Her green eyes, still glistening so brightly in the daylight.

His eyes began skimming down her body intensely, before stopping at the only change he could see on her.

Her body, which used to be shapely and slender, was no longer just that. She was significantly thinner than before, her bones protruding sharply when he last saw her…

And in place of her slender stomach…

Was now bulging and round.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of it. Eyes solely trailed on her stomach, the wind around them whipped faster than before.

Leyla shivered under his gaze, arms unconsciously coming up to hug herself, and in a poor attempt to hide her stomach from his view.

She looked beautiful with her stomach all swollen like that. 

And then Matthias grinned at her, his eyes twinkling in glee before he barked out a laugh at seeing her squirm in front of him.

There was no one else she could run! He truly has her now.

Yes, his mind was so clear right now. It was almost like he’d been waiting to wake up to see and savour this moment. 

He’d gone willingly into a place of madness, into war and participated freely and eagerly to reach this moment! Time with her never existed. Everything was so still and serene when it was just the two of them. 

And now he was out of the waters he’d long been subdued in.

Ever since he had almost drowned in the Schulter River, everything had been so…

Muddled. 

But now, everything has returned to its vibrant hues! He could almost describe the sun above them as sparkling, but not more than Leyla was. Even the foreign sights before him were utter masterpieces. 

And he could finally hear the birds singing around them once more.

Leyla. Matthias smiled so widely. 

Finally, his little bird had been returned to him.

And so he straightened up, mind clear as day at what he needed to do. Leyla’s eyes shook and watered as she watched his stance change from a relaxed pose, to an elegant posture with purpose. 

But his eyes held a dark glint in them that did not match the serenity he was trying to show her.

She felt her mouth go dry with every step he took toward her, her breathing falling short with every huff. Her body shook at the prospect of being in his arms once more!

Her stomach was churning uncomfortably. What was he planning to do to her?!

Instinctively, her arms wrapped around her swollen belly tighter.

He looked as beautiful as before, far from the nightmare he truly was, but she couldn’t help but feel so overwhelmed by his presence. Especially now he stood in front of her, with nothing preventing them from being together again. 

“Hello Leyla.” 

Matthias smiled genuinely at her, a malicious glint ever so present in his eyes as he watched her cower further in front of him. He couldn’t help but laugh in unbridled happiness once more!

From anyone else, his laughter sounded as innocent and pure as a child’s.

But in Leyla’s ears, they sound a lot more like the devil’s.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“Should I have stopped him?” a random soldier murmured to himself, “I heard she was quite pregnant too.” He fretted worriedly as he kept pacing back and forth in the safety of his barracks. 

He couldn’t help but quake in fear at the gravity of what he’d just done!

“You didn’t know what he would do.”

“Yeah, and even if you did, how are you going to stop him? March into the Major’s tent and rescue the damsel?”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have to do anything!” exclaimed the young soldier, resuming his pacing while his brothers-in-arms listened to his worries.

“Goodness, what situation have we gotten into.” grumbled another of his brother-in-arms. 

“I don’t know, okay?!” blew up the pacing soldier, “I don’t know!” 

He felt like sobbing. 

He had been just given an order, by Major Herhardt himself. It had been a simple task, and he’d been desperate to please his commanding officer and eagerly took the assignment with no further questions.

After all, good soldiers follow orders, not question them.

And so he did as he was ordered, and managed to gather information on the woman he was asked to look for. He even secured her address and gave it without a second thought to his major. All this time, he thought it had been a distant relative the Major had, someone he wanted to check up on!

But lo and behold, terrible rumours began spreading like wildfire around the camp as soon as the Major took his leave with the flimsy piece of paper he’d written the address on!

The Major had kidnapped a woman!

Everyone brushed it off at first. 

The Major? Creating a scandal amidst a war? Surely not, it was not in his character after all! He might have been brutal during the execution of their orders, but surely he wouldn’t dare harm a civilian!

He had a respectable reputation after all. And he hardly seemed interested in anything, much less in women in the short time they’ve spent under his command!

But eyewitnesses begged otherwise. They’d seen him in broad daylight whisking away a pregnant woman in his arms, before leading her into his establishment!

He’d been seen, arms full of a protesting woman, walking with no care by the square, before entering the current hotel, which had been turned into a makeshift quarters for all commanding officers. 

Several witnesses, both Lovitan civilians, and Bergian soldiers would swear to see the same thing. But the Major had been unbothered by the wandering eyes towards them, arms still held on tightly onto the struggling woman he’d wrapped up in his trench coat.

She looked soaking wet beneath the huge coat on her. 

At first, they thought it had been a child he’d randomly stumbled upon. She looked rather small in frame, all covered up. But those closer to witnessing him carry off the person could swear it was a full-grown woman and a pregnant one at that!

What could he even want with a pregnant woman?

No one knew. They all stood by and watched as both people disappeared into his room, and hadn’t emerged ever since.

The soldier couldn’t help but be riddled with guilt. The woman had been struggling greatly in the Major’s arms after all. And he’d been the one instrumental to let it happen!

He couldn’t turn a blind eye to it. He needed to rectify his misdeed and confront the Major into releasing her!

This wasn’t right. 

He’d tried to intercept him as he’d encountered the Major as he’d arrived, but the cold glare he got made him cower in fear.

“Get out of my way.” That had been his order, and like a coward, he did as he was told. And the Major wasted no time brushing past him, the protests still loud against the soldier’s ears as he squeezed his eyes shut in shame.

The door to the Major’s room was slammed shut, and locked from outsiders. It was the last thing he knew before he found himself fretting back to his barracks in guilt and worry. 

He had an inkling feeling about what could happen behind closed doors, especially in a war. But he didn’t want to think his commanding officer could ever do such a thing!

He was the epitome of honour and grace. There’s no way he would do it. 

“Should I get someone with a higher rank than him?” he asked no one in particular and someone scoffed.

“Oh yeah, and what do you think they’ll do?” they shot back at him, “It’s Herhardt, you fool.”

“Yeah, ranks among the army mean nothing when you’re an aristocrat.” Agreed another. 

A blanket of despair settled over them as the conversation grew silent in their deep thoughts.

“Argh!” shouted out in frustration by the soldier as he struggled to not make more of a commotion, “I don’t understand it! He never showed any interest in any girls we’ve encountered before! Why go overboard now!?”

Curious about what all the fuss was about, Medical Officer Etman entered the barracks. Everyone stopped and turned at the newcomer.

Kyle had been rather busy going here and about the entire camp, doing his duty and assisting wherever he was called to. As such, he was once again late to the news about the current scandal in the camp. 

“What is it? Are you hurt?” Kyle immediately inquired, and everyone eyed him nervously, before another soldier immediately piped up.

“Hey, don’t you know Major Herhardt well?” they immediately asked, and Kyle couldn’t help but feel his entire mood sour at the mention of the Duke.

To be honest, he’d been doing well lately in ignoring the fact he’s in the same area as the Duke. It helped when he’d been quick to volunteer to assist in places he knew would take him as far away as possible from the Duke.

“I don’t know if I know him as well as I should.” Kyle remarked dryly, “What is this all about?” He asked anyway, his curiosity getting the better of him. “What is it?”

He asked again, noting the nervous glances that were being exchanged.

“Did something go wrong?”

“Well,” started the soldier right across from him, “We were wondering if he’d always been like that.”

“What?” Kyle frowned in confusion, “Like what?”

“You know, someone who likes kidnapping pregnant women and dragging them kicking and screaming into their room, that sort of thing?” piped up another in a nonchalant manner.

Kyle felt his stomach drop at the sudden question.

“What?” he couldn’t help but ask in disbelief. “What nonsense are you talking about!?” He asked, louder than before, looking around the soldiers in urgent inquiry.

One of the soldiers scratched their head awkwardly . 

“I’m guessing this is unusual for him then, seeing as you’re so surprised by the news.”

“What?” Kyle asked again, looking around, so lost in what happened in his absence.

This time it was the guilty soldier who piped up. 

“Oh it really is all my fault!” He fretted, “If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have done it! Oh this is absolutely terrible!”

“What are you on about?!” Kyle frowned at him, “What did you do?”

The soldier fidgeted with his fingers, before sighing out.

“It happened as soon as we headed into Sienna,” he began…

The Major had randomly pulled him aside, and gave him a woman’s name, alongside with a picture of her to help aid his search. He was tasked to get her whereabouts, and like a people pleaser he was, he went and did so eagerly!

It didn’t even register to him how odd the whole order was!

Something unsettling was churning in Kyle’s gut the more he listened to his story. 

“The woman,” he interrupted him mid-tirade, “Do you remember her name?”

“What?”

“The woman the Major asked you to find!” Kyle snapped, and grabbed him by the shoulders, “Do you remember her name!?”

“Y-yes of course!” He stammered, “I-I, uh, it was- I think it was Rey, no, uh- May, uh-”

“Leyla?” Kyle asked him, “Was it Leyla Lewellin?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to him wide at the new name they just discovered. The soldier’s eyes widened in recognization, and immediately nodded frantically in confirmation!

“Yes! Yes, that’s the name-!” He yelped all of a sudden when Kyle’s grip on his shoulders tightened up, “Uh… do you, by any chance… know her?” He nervously asked the medic.

Kyle’s head bowed low as his breathing turned slowly ragged. His fingers clenched open and close, flexing occasionally on the soldier’s shoulders.

‘That damn bastard!’ Kyle seethed in his thoughts, ‘I should have known this was why he’d been so eager to be assigned in Sienna!’

All this time, Matthias had been working towards a singular goal. All this time, he used the war as a means to get what he wanted.

He can’t believe Matthias found Leyla. All the more, he can’t believe Leyla had been hiding in Sienna!

“Etman, Etman are you still with us?” concerned voices floated into his ears as Kyle finally looked up at the soldiers huddled around him, “We lost you for a moment there.”

“You absolute piece of shit!” Kyle seethed out loud with gritted teeth, and the soldiers unexpectedly cowered away from the medic. 

For some reason, they could tell it wasn’t directed to any of them. 

All of a sudden Kyle jumped from his seat and stormed out of the barracks.

With adrenaline and rage pumping in his veins, Kyle wasted no time running towards the Major’s room.