A blockade was issued as soon as the war clouds began to roll by. The order was immediately relayed to all civilians. Movement in and out of the city was immediately suspended, hence no one could either enter or escape from the city.
Kyle paced in front of the headquarters with a worried look on his face as he wandered about the barracks.
It had come so quickly and left them all rattled and unprepared, as such, the plan to send Leyla back to Berg was halted.
Everything had suddenly gone wrong in such a short time.
Ettar, who became a traitor and put the entire Berg Confederacy in trouble, eventually decided to participate in the war and sided with Lovita. And Sienna ended up being in the middle of the warzone, seeing as the surrounding regions of both confederates soon began to pick their sides.
Most of the higher-ups feared an imminent recapture of Sienna would soon take place.
Kyle’s expression after checking the watch on his wrist became more anxious. He could no longer afford to wait for Leyla to recover sufficiently, or even wait for the legal documents to come through to allow them to travel back to Berg. There wasn’t any news from command, but the alert that the enemy was just around the corner made things so tense around the barracks, it could be seen plainly by the urgency in each soldier’s actions around camp.
Gone was the easy-going air around the camp before, now replaced with baited breaths and tense postures as everything could go wrong at a snap of a finger.
Sienna had once again become a dangerous battlefield that could be engulfed in gunfire at any moment. Thus the need to get Leyla out of this city right now was becoming more imperative, but how would they break through the blockade?
When the hot bloods in command managed to calm down enough, the officers finally left the privacy of the command tent after the high-tension meeting.
Kyle found Mathias in a heartbeat.
As expected, he acted no differently than usual. They both met each other’s eyes from time to time before they would part ways. This time, Kyle needed him.
“What’s happening in the borders?” Kyle urgently asked after him, strides matching the Major hurriedly. He needed to have hope they still had some time to leave.
But Matthias’ gaze only hardened. He needed not to say a word more. Kyle knew they won’t be allowed to leave now.
“Then Leyla…” Kyle trailed off with a muttered fretting, but Matthias finally spoke up, interrupting his worries.
“Leyla will leave Sienna soon,” Matthias spoke confidently to him. Kyle frowned in confusion.
“But aren’t civilians forbidden to pass through the blockade as well?” His question was ignored, Matthias continued.
“Kyle Etman, can you drive?”
“What?” Kyle frowned, before hesitantly answering, “Yes, I can. But why are you…” Kyle trailed off as he followed the stern gaze Matthias had off at a distance.
On the other end of his gaze, was a row of rushing ambulances in and out of the camp. This had been going back and forth for a while now since the issuance of the blockade.
As far as they knew, critical patients are being transported out of their camps, and towards the military hospital nearby, yet far enough away to be safe from any enemy attacks.
“Are you seriously thinking-” Kyle looked to the Duke incredulously, who only gave him a pointed stare. Silence reigned between them as the two men made a wordless conversation.
Whatever the Duke was planning, it was clear that he had already made up his mind.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Leyla closed the luggage bag after checking it one last time.
She then put on thick-soled shoes, as well as buttoned a thick winter coat tightly around her frail body. All that was left for her to do was to go out to the meeting place at the time Kyle specified for her.
She had finished early with a few hours left before she needed to leave, but her nerves were beginning to become frazzled. Things were progressing much more quickly than she thought they would be, and now she found herself having to escape from Sienna in just a few short hours.
She never expected to be this nervous about leaving Sienna.
Kyle had informed her that he was put in charge of driving an ambulance to transport a critically ill patient outside of Sienna and towards the rear units where the military hospital was located.
He gave her specific instructions that she would need to hide in the ambulance so they can get out of the blocked city. Accompanying them was Marquis Lindman, who had been summoned to return to the rear unit as well.
He made no mention of Matthias at all, but Leyla just knew he was the mastermind in this risky escape plan for her. Who else would come up with such a scheme just so she’d be safe after all?
She can’t be wrong about this.
But it seemed the time for her to leave him had finally come as well.
Leyla had thought about everything over and over again as she prepared to leave. It was all she found herself being able to do.
She’s about to leave this city, the man, and the days of oppression by him would soon be nothing but memories for her.
To forget everything and start a new beginning with her child. There will be no shadow of a Duke anywhere in that future life.
That’s right.
This was the best thing to happen to both him and her.
Unable to sit in her thoughts in silence anymore, Leyla rushed to open the curtains a little. The bright pale white light from the moon immediately flooded the room she was in.
Marquis Lindman said he would come around to pick her up here while Kyle would busy himself driving the ambulance he was assigned to, towards the specified location. She will go with him to where Kyle would be waiting for them.
A simple plan, hardly anything would go wrong if nothing interfered.
And least of all, Matthias will not come to even bid her goodbye.
Her chest clenches at the thought. He was letting her leave. She knew he was a man of his word, but still…
Unbidden, her hand came to rub her swollen belly in yearning. Her child would have to leave behind a good father.
She can’t help but mourn for the bond they would never have.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
This should be a secret that only three to four people would know. For Matthias’ sake, Riette had kept his thoughts to himself, but everyone in on it already knew.
Violating the military order given by the commander during the war is a serious crime that cannot be covered, or pardoned by any brilliant acts or miracles Matthias was planning to make during the war. He wanted to know why his cousin would go to such great lengths to do something so criminal that it could lead him to be tried in front of a military court.
And what he was thinking at the moment he agreed to help him do it!
Riette splashed water on his face and wiped it dry after a deep sigh. Across from him, Matthias sat.
Both cousins were now seated and staring at the darkness beyond the window with contemplative looks. Gone was the intense look he had when outlining his plan to sneak Leyla through the blockade moments earlier.
“You can leave.” He dismissed as if he had sensed Riette’s anxiety. Their eyes met each other, but Riette made no move to leave just yet.
“Is there nothing else I can do besides this?” Riette had to ask.
He knew what he had to do. He was just to head to the ambulance and returned to the rear units, where he’d been originally assigned to.
Now if he were to fetch and bring Leyla along on his way to the ambulance, that wasn’t exactly disobeying orders. He’s still hitching a ride out of Sienna in an ambulance, after all. Just an ambulance with a stowaway.
Officers leaving the barracks during a war weren’t necessarily out of place. An officer in a hurry to leave in the threat of war during a blockade even more so. Hence, their leaving wouldn’t raise any eyebrows or bring any unnecessary attention to them.
Not unless they catch wind that Leyla would be coming along with them.
“Well then, I’ll consider this as a debt paid.” Riette sighed, “But not with you, Duke.”
“Debt?” Matthias’ eyes narrowed at his cousin’s words possessively, and Riette would have scoffed in amusement if he wasn’t so relieved to find an ounce of expression in the stoic man.
“It was a while ago when I joked around Miss Lewellin and caused her an accident.” Riette explained, “So I’ll do this one risky thing for her. As penance for my teasing from before.”
A beat of silence reigned between them before Matthias spoke up.
“I guess you’ll propose to Claudine soon now that our engagement is broken off officially, right?”
Riette blinked in surprise.
“H-how can you tell?”
Matthias only smirked at his look of surprise. To be honest, Riette expected Matthias to be a little mean and callous about this, but he seemed so at ease. As if there was nothing to worry about.
“How long have you known?” Riette couldn’t help but ask with a resigned sigh. Matthias shrugged.
“Can’t exactly tell you when I knew,” Matthias replied. But he’d known for a long time that the two had feelings for each other. The pieces just clicked together one day and shrugged the information away. When Claudine had pieced things together between him and Leyla, well, he couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of it all.
“Had you known about it then? Before you got engaged to Claudine?”
“Yes.”
“And yet you went with it anyway?” Riette couldn’t help but ask bitterly.
“I didn’t agree on it for the union,” Matthias said in a matter-of-factly tone. And Riette sighed once again, losing whatever building ill will he had upon the revelation.
“Yes, yes, you were very unfortunate and yet successful back then,” Riette remarked back dryly at him.
For Matthias, marriage was just another means to expand his business. Claudine was no different from entering a school worthy of the family’s honor and succeeding in the family business.
They would have been perfect for each other, Riette thought mirthlessly, if only they got along and saw where the other came from instead of being blinded by their lust and greed.
Riette might have grown with him, but there’s much he’s yet to know about his cousin, but he’s only ever certain about him with one thing, and one thing alone, no matter how long a time would pass.
Matthias von Herhardt loved Leyla Lewellin.
And he let her go because of it.
“I changed my mind. I will never be sorry for you.” Riette declared to him with a stiff smile, and the Duke just shrugged nonchalantly.
“Do as you wish.”
Matthias once again marked the end of the meaningless conversation by checking the time. A faint compassion passed by Riette’s eyes, who was looking at him as if he was a little tired of it.
“I’d rather-”
Before he could even finish, a heavy sound disrupted the silence throughout the deep dawn in the whole barracks. Matthias immediately shot to his feet, then ran to the window and flung open the curtains in alarm.
Another heavy boom, and this time, the building rattled around them. It was getting closer, whatever it was that brought the sound.
“AIR RAID! ENEMY AIR RAID IS IN PLACE!”
Distant screams accompanied soon after as another boom, further away and then another at a different direction came…
“SOUND THE ALARMS!”
“TAKE SHELTER!”
With an alarm sound, a shout rang out to announce the evacuation. The once-quiet hotel was a mess in an instant! The time for the ambulance driven by Kyle Etman to leave Sienna was still an hour away.
They needed to move up the schedule, immediately.
“Damn it! Matthias!” Riette called out as they held onto the furniture when another boom shook the building.
“Go to Etman!” Matthias cried out in urgency as he held still to avoid being toppled by the nearing blasts!
“Tell him to get to the rendezvous point immediately and she’ll be there as soon as possible!”
Another boom, and this time, the screams were closer!
“As soon as she’s in, he’s to book it out of here immediately!”
“What about you?! I don’t think I’ll get to her in time if I’m to relay this message to him now!”
Without an answer, Matthias turned around immediately as he left the room, even as the building shook around them.
Time was of the essence, he mustn’t wait any longer.
“HEY MATTHIAS!”
Riette’s cries were soon buried in binge drinking and alarm sounds.
Matthias ran without looking back. Still in deep darkness, into the streets and hellfire as shells rained upon the captured city.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
The roar, which she has never gotten used to, was still too loud even as she clamped both hands over her ears in fright!
As soon as the first bomb dropped, Leyla threw away the bag she was clutching before she crawled under a small table in the bedroom and curled up.
‘Basement! I have to go to the basement!’
Her vision flashes back and forth from the neat room she was in, to the overcrowded basement she hid in before.
The basement was in a town square!
Where was Uncle Bill?
She needed to move!
Was she in the streets? Her shoes were left behind, and her feet turned her socks bloody, didn’t they?
Basement. She needed to get to the basement.
Another boom and Leyla cried out for her Uncle Bill!
She was having flashbacks, she needed to move, she knew she was still safe, but not for long if she won’t move…
But her body was frozen in a hunch as she stayed crawled beneath the table, wailing for her dead uncle to come to get her.
The next explosion had come too close, and all of a sudden glass erupted around her and Leyla screamed!
Gone were the rubbled streets, and in front of her laid the bandaged and beaten-down body of Uncle Bill. The doctor’s voice filled her head telling her he was dying and her distant screams for them to help echoed all around her in deafening madness!
The fire was across the street! The beautiful home across from the house she’d taken shelter in was turning to ashes. Leyla could only rock back and forth as she tried to lull the unborn child in her belly to soothe up.
“Shh, we’re gonna be okay, we’re gonna be okay, we’re gonna be okay…”
She kept saying like a mantra as her eyes stared widely in a hypnotized daze at the fire and debris in front of her.
Her head was bobbing up and down as she couldn’t look away. She could only hug her knees closer, as much as she could.
Her heart was beating erratically, and the smoke and soot started wafting through the broken windows.
Soon, she would suffocate, and her baby would suffocate in her womb.
More bombs rained from the sky, and she kept flinching even as her eyes remained unblinking.
Bony fingers hugged and gripped her arms as she wound them around herself. Nails digging into her skin soon dug too deep as she began to draw blood.
Calm. She needed to be calm.
She has to be calm!
Although her whole body began to tremble, Leyla tried not to let go of her reason somehow.
Tick. Tock. tick. tock.
The still functioning clock was now echoing loudly in her eardrums. Her chest tightened as the air around her began to thin out. She can’t breathe!
She needed to breathe!
How long had the bomb rain been?
Was it over?
Did it just begin?
Was anyone coming to save her?
Where was Kyle?
Marquis Lindman?
Did she have to leave?
She can’t go alone! She doesn’t want to be alone!
What if they left her alone?
The building shook again, matching the tumultuous thoughts she had in her mind before it returned to him.
Matthias von Herhardt.
He would come.
He always came for her.
He’d save her.
He was always there for her, whether she wanted to or not.
He was just like the birds. Always everywhere, anytime.
Surely, he would come. After all, he came here for her once.
If anyone would be with her, it would always be him.
He would cross an entire battlefield for her.
“Hi, Leyla.”
The voice that rose from the heavy ringing in her ears. The moment that gave despair and fear, but more unbearable, was a shadowy feeling that could not and should not exist behind it.
Her feelings toward him were like both sides of the coin.
From the moment she first saw him until now, it was always like that.
A scary and beautiful boy aimed a flash of a gun at her and stepped on her gold coins. The person who made her heart a little more shabby every moment, when she kept looking back even though she didn’t want to see him again.
Holding back tears, Leyla crawled out of the table and hugged the bag. She knew where the location was. However, the question was whether they could get there safely to avoid this bombing.
‘Don’t cry.’
Leyla comforted herself and forced herself out of the shell she made herself become.
She walked out staggering, holding on to the walls and furniture she could grasp as the ground continued to shake sporadically beneath her. However, her vision was getting blurred.
The night when she cried after biting a piece of candy that he gave her began to rise beyond her tears.
It was her first time tasting such a delicious treat.
Why did she have to leave him in the first place?
She had a place where she could cry as much as she wanted to back then. Sure he made her do terrible things against her will, but at least his arms were cozy when they wrapped around her.
She never should have left him.
The hand that hugged and comforted her a little clumsily was warm. It was ridiculous.
Such a shame added to her tears.
For such a long time he held her in his arms and stayed still. She could clearly remember the texture of the sweater on her cheek and the taste of the candy that melted away on her tongue.
When Leyla, who barely stopped crying, raised her head, she reached out and wiped her wet face. Slowly and gently until she stopped crying.
Leyla looked at him blankly. The child inside her, who cried sadly while biting the last candy she had saved, felt like she had stopped crying for a long time. The taste of the candy that was no longer fishy was sweet. The Duke smiled faintly at the moment she realized it.
It was very strange.
No one in the world likes crying orphans. So Leyla Lewellin has been laughing and laughing.
Now she can smile more brightly than anyone else.
As if denying an unfamiliar feeling, she hurriedly looked away from him. And he stepped down without being as intimidated as before.
The whole time, whenever she left the annex, it was as if she were running away.
Back then Leyla thought it strange. Because she was running away from the Duke. As the shadows of the dense trees grew the deeper she entered the forest path that it even covered the moonlight, she turned around without realizing it.
Going back to take shelter in his arms.
It was a night when the road back to the cabin felt very long. And on that dark road, Leyla looked back and forth over and over again. Every time, she felt like her shadow was growing little by little.
She’s so embarrassed about that.
She hated it.
After cutting off such a long shadow.
Still, the shadows continued to grow and continued to overwhelm her and the path she walked on.
Maybe she was still walking on the road with a long shadow?
Maybe this all was just a terrible dream?
She’d wake up in his arms soon.
Yes, she’d wake up in safety soon.
Leyla reached for the door of the bedroom with her squeezed tightly shut as she reached out for the escape…
However, even before she opened the door, a clearer, and louder voice broke through the muddled ringing in her ears!
“LEYLA!”
Despite the terrible noises around her, Leyla would recognize that voice anywhere!
Matthias, it was him!
He did come for her! He was here with her in the flesh, and she couldn’t help but be filled with unexpected hope!
“Here! I’m here!” Leyla screamed with all her might. “I’m here!”
The door burst open not a moment later! Once again her vision blurred, but with relief instead of terror, as she cried at the sight of the new arrival in front of her!
She’d recognize him anywhere, even if her vision was obscured.
Matthias had come for her!
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