"All done."
I announced to Samuel once I finished patching up the last wound on his body. Although Samuel had a lot more bruises and scars than Jessie had, they were less life-threatening than the gash on Jessie's hand.
Tidying up the leftover bandages and putting the leftover medicine to the first aid kit box, I spoke to them.
"I know you're uncomfortable, but it's better if you hide here for a few days and stay low for a while." I glanced at the two, "After all, we have already alerted 'them'."
Samuel immediately caught up with my words.
"Them? Don't tell me you proceed with the bombing?"
I stayed quiet, moving my hands instead of my mouth. What I didn't expect was Samuel standing up and grabbed me by my collar.
A fist was flying toward my face. My vision spun as my body was thrown to the floor.
THUD!
CRASH!
"Samuel! Stop!"
Jessie's shout made my ears ring. Rubbing my cheek, I silently rose my upper body as I looked up at Samuel.
He was panting in anger with his clenched fist still up in the air, ready to strike me again if Jessie didn't hold him back.
"You're a murderer! There's no way I would follow someone like you."
I almost clicked my tongue at his ignorant words.
'What a mess.'
He couldn't snitch his morals and logical thinking together. So this was a conclusion he came to – to reject my existence.
That was definitely a conclusion I wouldn't accept.
"Tell me Jessie. What's your wish?"
So I shifted my focus to an easier target.
"Huh? Uhhh…" Jessie, instead of answering my question, glanced at Samuel. Noticing her gaze, Samuel shielded her.
"Why bother asking? We won't follow you anyway-"
[Silence.]
I raised my crest, it flickered before the same also happened to Samuel's crest, which made Samuel glare at me because I just used my authority to shut his mouth.
[Don't move.]
At my second command, Samuel was completely frozen in place.
Giving him a side-eye, I shifted my attention to Jessie.
"Tell me honestly Jessie, what do you wish for?"
Jessie fidgeted her fingers, still unsure whether she should answer my question. Seeing her gesture, I patted the floor beside me.
"Come here."
'I have to gently coax her.'
When faced with someone with this kind of indecisive nature, I had to influence them until they believed me.
And to do that, I had to sweet-talk my way to their heart.
Jessie walked slowly to approach me, sitting on the floor beside me as she awkwardly glanced at my face.
Rummaging through my suit's inner pocket, I found the leftover candy I bought last night and handed it to her.
"Eat this. Don't worry, I didn't sedate or put anything weird in it."
"Huh? Ah yeah."
Jessie paled at my words, thinking I might actually do what I said. That flabbergasted expression of hers made me chuckle.
Releasing a sigh, I spoke again, "You guys must be thinking that I'm a criminal who involves innocent people mindlessly. But trust me, I always do my best not to harm the civilians if I can."
They reminded me a lot to my former self – avoiding responsibilities and rejected everything that's not aligned with their principle of life.
But in War of Throne, you couldn't run away from the responsibilities assigned to you.
March forward or death, that's the only two options available for us.
And these two younglings had to understand that, so this faction could attain harmony.
"I just hope to reach a middle ground with you guys. I never asked you to forgive me. Hate me, despise me with all your life if you want, but I certainly wouldn't want to see you die in some dark alley I don't know."
Touching the bangs prickling Jessie's eyes, I softly smiled, "At least until the war is over, let me protect you."
Jessie flinched as she looked up at me – a tint of sympathy in her eyes.
The sight almost made me smirk, that little bit of emotion was all I needed to build trust in the soft hearts of these younglings.
[Release]
I raised my crest and released Samuel. Fortunately, he had seemed to calm down now.
Raising up my feet, I took the first aid kit with me as I gave them one last glance.
"If you don't want to do these criminal acts, I won't force you. But please promise me you will stay put in the base. It's for your own safety."
Maybe because Samuel was the one fighting those bastards that wanted to kill them for their crest, the words 'protect' and 'safety' stirred something inside him.
And how did I know? It's because his troubled eyes showed it all.
They really were greenhorns, they couldn't even hide their emotions.
'No, I have to hold it in – this smile that's on the verge of blooming on my face.'
I turned around and walked away.
Now these little ones would surely be loyal to me.
.
.
"*Huff**Huff* Ugh!"
I weakly leaned on the fence of my house as I clutched my side. I thought I'd take care of my wound after I got back home, but I miscalculated. My body couldn't keep up and as soon as I got off my motorcycle, I couldn't do anything but heave for breath.
'I think the wound got infected too.'
A scorching heat had been flaring inside my body, making my face and breaths felt hot. Adding to the headache and nausea I felt right now, I was sure I got fever from infections.
I mindlessly rubbed my side, feeling the sticky liquid clinging to my clothes and the sharp sting of iron that wafted through my nose.
I didn't have time to address my wound because of Samuel and Jessie, so I guess I ate my own karma.
'But if I didn't do that, they would already be dead now.'
A sigh escaped my mouth.
'I'll just treat this quickly and go to sleep.'
That was what I thought I'd do until I took a step forward.
"Ah…"
My vision spun as my body tilted.
'Ah shit, it's over.'
I thought I'd eat concrete because my face was the first that would be in contact with the hard road below as I fell, but to my surprise, a steady hand caught my body.
"Yolan-!"
That was a familiar voice.
Haide.
Meeting my eyes, he clicked his tongue. "Tsk, I knew it, you're too reckless with your body."
He touched my cheek, the side that Samuel had punched into, which made me wince in pain.
"What happened to your cheek? Who did this-"
"Haide."
I cut him off with a cold tone, separating myself from his grip.
I didn't know how he could always know where I was and how he could always come at the perfect time, but regardless of the fact there's something I needed to talk about with him first.
CLICK!
"Yolan, what is the meaning of this?"
Haide's gaze turned cold as he stared at me. And that's a given, as I had pointed my Cecily in front of his head.
I mirrored his expression as I asked him my question.
"I was sure you bear the last name Ritcher. So tell me, Haide Ritcher, what's your relationship with the Torentto family?"