Chapter 63 - Wounded Puppy

The Southern Town was lively as always. Due to the fact that it was one of the best tourists destinations in Silveren, it never had quiet days despite being a small town. It was the same town which was the nearest to the Arista family villa.

Felix and Yelena were sitting inside Lexus hotel suite with Brigadier Lexus opposite to them.

The Brigadier will be leaving for the capital the day after tomorrow. But his schedule for the next day was filled with meetings and visiting the base nearby, so he won't be able to have another time to meet the couple. As such, he invited them to have dinner together.

They started having dinner when it was brought in by room service. The Brigadier had already ordered the dishes beforehand. Just like his cousin, he was not great at cooking.

The three had a small chat through the dinner but Yelena could sense that something was off between the cousins. Why did they seem like they were feeling awkward towards one another? They were completely fine last night! Did something happen in the day?

After dinner, Felix offered to make some desserts himself and the two soldiers agreed to it. He may not be good at making dishes but his desserts were much better.

For a while, Lexus stared at his cousin who was busy in the kitchen. When he realized that Yelena was staring at him with a puzzled face, he finally shifted his gaze to her.

"I heard that you tell Felix about that story from our training," Lexus recalled the moment from the other night when his cousin called him and talked to him about that past incident.

Yelena's face was instantly plastered with guilt when she heard his words. "I'm sorry. I know that you told me not to say to anyone but..."

Lexus examined Yelena's expression the whole time. "Yelena." He called her name and just like before, it immediately made her stop talking. "Are you feeling uncomfortable with me?"

"It's not like that." She answered right away.

"Then what?"

"I'm a bit lost. I don't know how to behave. You're indeed the cousin of my boyfriend but... you're still the superior that I always look up to. It's hard to put aside the formality all at once." She explained. "You know, I truly respect you even before you saved me."

"Being a soldier is not easy, right? Ranks and hierarchy control even our life outside of work." Brig. Lexus said with a slight smile. "But still, I want you to be at ease. You can save the formality for later. I heard that you will return to the army next week. That means we will cross paths often during work."

Yelena nodded her head. "If that is what you want, then I'll try to do that."

Brig. Lexus let out a light chuckle when he heard her. "Don't feel indebted anymore. Being nervous is not like you. You warm up my cousin's life and I already considered that as your way of repaying me."

Once again, Lexus gaze shifted to Felix and he smiled. "He is one pathetic man, so please try your best to understand him."

Witnessing the woman he loved falling for his cousin was hard, but his cousin's pain also hurt him. Besides, some of Felix's pain was caused by Gina and he loved the woman.

Being stuck in such a situation, the perfect Brigadier doesn't know what to do! Both Gina and Felix; they were precious to him.

Yelena truly wished to know more about what the Brigadier was saying. But Felix had already promised her that he will tell her everything after they returned to the villa. So, she made up her mind to remain silent and wait for the time to come.

Sawing Brig. Lexus smiling so sad, she could feel his pain and worried though she didn't know why. She admired and respect the man so much that it pained her to saw him that way.

By the time Felix's finished preparing the desserts, Yelena already fell asleep in the couch. Felix who come out from the kitchen to inform them that everything was done, chuckled when he saw her sleeping. "She must be really tired." He muttered to himself.

"Now that your girlfriend is sleeping, what about some drinks?" Lexus said to him.

"I would love that, but I need to drive."

"That's not a problem. I can order my men to drive you back. Besides, it's still early."

Felix knew his cousin too well. He was never persistent in this kind of matter. He understood right away that he had something to say.

"Okay. Just one glass." He agreed while keeping in mind that he couldn't afford to be drunk tonight. Yelena was still waiting for his revelation.

"Aren't you not planning to ask me about today?" Felix asked with a glass of whiskey on his right hand. It had been a while since the two cousins started drinking but the Brigadier was very quiet.

He was convinced that his cousin had something to say. Was he wrong?

Lexus took a deep breath. In fact, he was wondering what he would say to his cousin. He felt guilty but at the same time, he felt embarrassed.

It's understandable. He was always free of weakness until he met Gina Larson. She was the one who created a stained in his perfect life but... he was okay with it.

"I know you hate Gina.... no... I know that you despised her. I also know that she was wrong." Lexus started. "So, I won't judge you or blame you for your actions or attitude towards her."

Felix was attentively listening to his older cousin as the man never spoke nonsense.

"I only wish that you can make some effort to look at the other side. I have known her since she was 15. You might not believe me but she was also once a cheerful and kind-hearted girl who used to find happiness in even the smallest things."

"Do you love her that much? This is very unlike you." Felix immediately said to his cousin. Even after many years, he still couldn't understand why his cousin fell for a woman like Gina while many women were vying for his attention!

"Do you wonder how someone like me happens to fall for her? I don't have the answer but maybe I saw what others didn't see. In my eyes, she is a wounded puppy who needs care and protection." Lexus slightly smiled as he drank the alcohol while Felix stared at him with a worried face.

"You know, Felix. We all have a secret which we want to keep from the world. And Gina is not much different. I cannot reveal much but she has many untreated mental wounds piling up inside her. To be more precise, she is like a ticking bomb that can blow off anytime."

It was the reason why Lexus always tried his best to be there for her. The woman was mentally ill but she herself doesn't even know, much more like she refused to accept.

He figured out a long time ago that what she needed was not someone who questioned her but to be there for her quietly. So, he did just that for many years.

Lexus looked at his cousin who was still staring at him with a worried look on his face. He smiled when he saw that. "Do I talk too much?"

"Yes," Felix replied at once. "You already crossed the number of words you usually said to me for a month." He blurted out.

His response made Lexus chuckled. "Then I should stop talking." He raised his glass and quietly had another sip.

"Don't you think you're drinking too much? You will be very busy tomorrow." It's already strange to hear his aloof cousin talking that much but witnessing him drinking this much... it's a miracle for the Prince.

"It's fine. I can handle this much." Lexus simply replied.

Felix was well aware of the fact that love changed a person and it seemed like his perfect cousin was also not an exception.

Not many years had passed since Felix finds out his cousin's feelings for Gina. Maybe about three years at most. Lexus was an expert at hiding his feelings. As such, Felix always tried his best to be patient with the woman though he despised her. He did it for the sake of his cousin.

Tonight was the first time Lexus talked about his feelings, voluntarily. It was proof that the perfect Brigadier was desperate.

Without uttering a single word, Felix stared at his cousin who was drinking glass after glass. He sighed as there was nothing he could do.

As it was getting late, Felix woke up Yelena who was soundly asleep the whole time and the couple returned to their villa with one of Lexus soldier guard driving the car.

"Is something wrong? You seem to have many things on mind." Yelena asked Felix the moment they entered the villa.

The Prince was always zoned out while they were on the way home.

"Let's save that for later." Felix pulled Yelena and made her sit on one of the couch. "Now, it's time for me to fulfil my promise to you."

He sat beside her and his imagination wandered back to his past where his life was still perfect. He sat still for a while thinking about how he should start narrating his story while she focused all her attention to him.....