Having Laine's biggest secret in his hand, Christian takes advantage of him. Soon, he plans to promote Laine as his vice commander so he can bring Laine to a gathering, or a ball hosted by the imperial family.
Apart from that, he himself wants to help Laine, though he doesn't know why.
The biggest part of his plan is to fulfill the King's order.
★
Weeks from days, Laine finally gets used to the place. Waking up early, eating only once a day, sleeping late, it's a normal routine for him now.
"Laine!" One of his peers called.
"The commander wants to see you." Laine hears, then stands and walks.
"Must be nice being a favourite huh?" someone started a joke.
Everyone else is laughing while Laine continues to walk.
'Damn brats. You think he favors me because i'm something?' Laine clicks his tongue.
As he's walking towards the Official Ranking's room, he comes across an empty space. It doesn't have a door nor a window.
Curious, Laine walks in.
'The commander can wait, i'll just make an excuse..'
Suddenly, the room's atmospere changed. Everything surrounding him is red. The smoke, the wall, himself..
'Huh.. smoke? I read it once in a book. If there's an unusual smoke surrounding you, that means a scarlet flower is around! It must've been its work.' Luckily, Laine's brain storage saved the information.
'Alright, so I just need to..'
Laine's eyes quickly glance at a figure. woman figure..
"Laine..?"
The soft and elegant voice brings tears to his eyes. The long black-haired woman, eyes that are mesmerizing as the starry night sky, it is Laine's mother.
"Mother? What-?" Laine falls on his knees, he couldn't believe his eyes. Paralyzed by his mother's figure, Laine didn't even see a sword coming. The sword cuts through the figure and everything returns to normal.
Laine's consciousness comes back just to see Commander Christian in front of him, looking down at him furiously.
"I thought I sent a message to go meet me, and not to make a dumb incident." Christian remarked. He didn't shout, but his voice cut through the air like thunder.
Laine tries to stand up, he knows he's wrong. As soon as he manages, his legs give in. His breaths become heavier, and soon his eyes close—he faints.
Christian who's standing there calls some medics to take him in.
While Laine's lying on the bed, Christian's sitting beside him. He sank in deep thought a while ago.
★
His mind is more fragile than I thought. He cried over a woman—his mother. A man should've gotten over a wound after years of grief. But he doesn't.
Think about it, he was living in an inn. Why?
And how did the King know about him and not go search for him after all this time?
There are too many questions, I want them answered.
Staring at his face, I sigh.
I guess your mind is still fragile. It still lives and embraces the grief you have. Though I totally get it, losing an entire family, indeed, left a cut that always bleeds.
★
A few minutes after, someone knocks.
"Come in." The commander demands.
A boy comes in and tells Christian about what he heard about Laine—something he actually paid for.
"So you're telling me, an old man says that Laine is indeed, mysterious? And he works for someone? Seriously?" He speaks in total denial.
"I literally entered a damn farm for this information, and paid for it! Just take this information and assign me something else, please!" he entreats desperately.
Seeing the boy kneeling over him, Christian sighs once again.
"Alright, Harry. I'll take this.. rather useless information and will assign you something else, so go and wait patiently."
Harry, hearing Christian saying that makes him relief that he won't go on a journey again. So, he walks away in excitement for his new assignment.
Christian's gaze turns over to Laine again. His mind moves, making him re-evaluate his plan. Does he really want Laine to meet His Majesty, The King or let Laine enjoy his life just as it is?
If Laine meets the King, Christian has had an imagination of how the conversation would go. Most likely Laine would be dead.
His mind races, contemplating many choices.