Silence befell the occupants in the room as soon as the door had been locked shut. Leyla cowered in both fear and silence, curling in on herself in a poor attempt to hide from Matthias’ view, yet he kept looking at her in a funny way.

Shivers wracked through her body, her arms tightening up all the more around her swollen belly.

“W-why are you here?” She asked him softly in a shaky voice.

This wasn’t another of her hallucinations after all. This was the truth. This was real.

Matthias had found her.

This was worse than a nightmare. Only he could ever make that possible. No one else scared her more, nothing else frightened her to the core as deeply as one Matthias von Herhardt.

Her monster had finally caught up to her. And he had come for her.

“Why am I here?” Matthias piped up, giving her a wide grin, “Why? I’m here to kill you, of course.” Matthias smoothly told her, his domineering form blocking the only exit in the room ominously.

Chilling air settled around Leyla upon hearing those words; her body shook worse as they began to weigh heavily on her shoulders as she looked up and saw his happy face looking so serenely at her.

She felt frozen in her spot.

“I told you this before Leyla,” He gently tutted toward her, stalking slowly closer to her huddled form, “I don’t do businesses that would bring me more loss than profit.” He hummed chidingly towards her, with a smirk firmly on his lips.

“You running away proved more troublesome that calculated Leyla,” he sighed, looking extremely disappointed in her, “By killing you, I would effectively cut out any more losses I might incur.”

His eyes scanned her frightened expression carefully, before he chuckled softly a few seconds later.

She looked simply adorable, all meek and frightened of him.

He forgot how simply exhilarating it was to see her so weak in front of him.

Leyla watched as his eyes glinted brightly against the dark, his blue eyes appearing more dangerous than before. Leyla found her words caught in her throat as she listened to him chuckling.

The sounds of his laughter were like velvet to her ear, but ice in her heart.

“Ah Leyla, of course when I planned that, I didn’t expect..” his eyes trailed down her face, and towards the poorly hidden belly from his view, “Such a wonderful surprise from you.” He cooed affectionately towards her. “To be honest it still quite baffles me-”

He moved to approach her, when Leyla jumped up and crossed over the bed to place more distance between them!

“Get away from me!” She screeched, “Don’t you dare touch me!”

‘I’m not her anymore!’?Leyla screams at him in her mind.

‘I’m not your mistress anymore!’

If possible, she wrapped her arms more protectively over her stomach.

He watched thin, wiry arms encircle around her belly, absentmindedly thinking how easy it would be just to break them apart. If he were to do that, would he see more of those beautiful tears flow out of her green eyes?

Ah, even now, her eyes glistened so beautifully like that last time he saw them before she escaped from him.

“Hush Leyla,” Matthias smiled at her, “Don’t shout so loudly now, you’ll disturb the others.” He continued to coo at her, swiftly crossing the distance between them in a few, long strides.

Leyla was backed up against the wall, and in no time he was framing an arm beside her to cut off her escape, while another cupped her cheek insistently.

Once more, she slapped it away, frustration building up in her instead of the usual fear.

“It’s not yours!” She hissed at him, pushing against his broad chest to keep him away from her. Matthias laughed at her poorly formed lie.

“Is it really?” He asked her lightheartedly, and kept leaning into her, effectively ignoring her feeble attempts to distance herself.

“Yes!” She exclaimed in panic, “I found a husband, and we’ve married shortly after finding each other here!” She proclaimed and Matthias tilted his head at her in intense regard.

She met his gaze with an equal fiery look, and his lips curled up into an impressed smirk.

She just got all the more amusing. He can’t wait to see how far he can push her now.

“Okay,” Matthias hummed, finally pulling away from her, much to Leyla’s confusion.

She watched as he turned around to turn on the lamp on the bedside table right next to the sofa in the room. It bathed the room in a soft orange glow, revealing the curtains to still be drawn, and left the room still dimly lit up.

He turned toward her once more, and Leyla wanted to shrink further in on herself, as he gently steered her towards the sofa. Leyla sunk further into the backrest, wishing for this nightmare to end.

But there was nowhere else to run.

Matthias breathed in deeply, meditating shortly as he closed his eyes, before looking down on his Leyla.

Her eyes were red from the kicking and screaming, the tears long dried up on her cheeks. Her body was still trembling, whether from the wetness or fear of him, it didn’t matter.

This was a woman who did a poor job in a children’s play.

And yet it was with those same eyes, she managed to deceive him.

He smiled encouragingly at her, his hands hidden behind his back.

“Tell me Leyla, what’s his name?” He asked her gently, “This..?husband?of yours.”

Leyla’s eyes shifted nervously towards him and then around. A pinkish tongue darted out of her lips nervously as she wetted them, before pursuing them together in a thin line, unwilling to give him more of a response.

Matthias knelt down in front of her, placing himself firmly between her legs as he scooted closer. Leyla flinched at his sudden proximity but gentle, calloused palms gripped her chin firmly, bringing her closer to him.

“I want you to think long.. and hard about your answer,” Matthias whispered to her, before a click was heard in the silence. She watched as Matthias swept his other hand through his hair, and let out an involuntary whimper..

Matthias smirked at her, before displaying his pistol on the bedside table beside them.

“Whoever he is, I will kill them too.” He hummed with a pleasant smile.

Leyla tried avoiding his eyes, but he kept her firmly facing him, before his touch turned soft once more, caressing her face gently.

“It’s not your child!” she yelled at him, “It’s mine alone! Mine!” She exclaimed loudly, “There is no father! It’s entirely mine!”

“Oh?” Matthias chuckled amusedly at her declarations.

“It’s mine! There is no father! Mine alone!”

The wider Matthias’ grin grew, the loudly Leyla protested it to be hers alone, and no father was ever involved in its creation.

“What an odd woman you truly are,” Matthias praised as soon as she stopped her proclamations, “Leyla, are you saying you’re a holy maiden? Pregnant alone by a god’s will?” He smiled amusedly towards her.

Leyla watched him warily, the curiosity in her wondering what was going through his mind.

“I suppose it could be considered that as well,” he murmured softly before cupping her cheeks tenderly, his grin widening as she flinched under his touch, “What a great honor it is, to be your god.”

And Matthias’ shoulder shook as he began to laugh softly in great happiness.

Despite how soft and caring he was towards her right now, his eyes still held a cold, malicious glint in them as he continued to keep his eyes on Leyla.

Her attempts were futile. Nothing could hide from him the truth of what really was. Despite Leyla’s persistent protests, he knew she was his. They both were.

Including his child in her belly.

He resumed caressing Leyla’s face before his hands stilled around her face. He sighed eyes, trailed on her face.

Leyla met his gaze, body trembling as the pressure of his hold on her gradually grew in pressure. She let out a gasp once she realized his hold on her was gradually becoming tighter.

“Leyla,” he sighed out, and her hand shot up to grip him on his wrists. Trembling fingers feebly prevented his hold on crushing her.

Ignoring her, Matthias held her jaw in one hand, while the other hand busied itself caressing every curve and slope on Leyla’s face. The cute swoop of her button nose, the plump trembling lips, ample cheeks all flushed in front of him..

The familiar motions he had caressing her face gave Leyla some somersaults in her gut, a warm sensation pooling in the pit of her stomach with every caress. Her trembling eyes eventually relaxed, as she turned enraptured in his gaze.

Just as Matthias thought progress had been made between them, a sudden commotion came right outside his bedroom, and he narrowed his gaze in the direction of his locked door.

“LEYLA! LEYLA, ARE YOU IN THERE!?”

A familiar voice filtered through the door. Despite it being muffled, Leyla at once recognized the voice, her body filling with a warmth she wanted nothing more than to sink into.

There was banging against Matthias’ rooms, and more other voices, but Leyla latched onto that one voice..

“Kyle..” she murmured softly, wide eyes now trailed on the door. “Kyle, is it really-?”

Why was he here? Had he been conscripted in the war too!? Was he alright? Was he injured? Did he partake in the war, take up arms and use it against the Lovitan army?

“Stop.” Matthias snapped, something ugly in him rearing up at her loss of attention on him.

His grip on her jaw tightened, as he forcibly turned her eyes back on him.

Always, always it was Kyle.

KYLE, KYLE, KYLE...

It grated on Matthias’ nerves how he had to try so hard to get her to see him, and yet one move from such a lowly person, someone far beneath his status and influence could garner hers so easily!

When will he be worthy enough in her eyes to pay attention to instead?

He wasn’t just anyone vying for her attention. He was someone who could be deemed as the emperor’s equal, thanks to the generation of Herhardts before him. And yet in front of her, nothing was worth it.

In every way, she kept humiliating him, refusing to give him the time he deserved from her.

Then and now, she always was like this.

“Leyla, oh my Leyla,” he sighed wistfully pressing their foreheads together, “Don’t do that, again. Do that again, and I won’t promise to hold back anymore.” He pulled away and touched her lips with his hands..

“If you dare utter his name again,” he eyed her carefully, eyes turning dark as his gaze dropped to her lips, “If even a whisper of his name is out your lips, and I might just put a bullet through his head this time.”

Leyla gasped, her grip on his wrists tightening up as she frantically began to shake her head in protest.

“So for his sake,” Matthias groaned, pressing their foreheads together once more, a hand cupping the back of her head to keep them connected as he leaned against her hard, “Don’t ever say his name in my presence again.”

Leyla paled in front of him, Matthias’ coldly holding her trembling gaze. But he was dead serious.

He wasn’t one to make idle threats after all. And Leyla knew that best of all.

Her body trembles grew worse, but eventually she nodded shakily at him, wordlessly accepting his condition. Matthias hummed contentedly at her, nuzzling her affectionately before pulling away.

Gentle hands carded through her tangled locks, much like he was praising an obedient kid. Her breath hitched upon the motion.

She hated how such a touch from a cruel man gave her a small sense of comfort.

And then he stopped patting her on the hand, and swiftly turned on his heels, leaving Leyla to sink back down on the sofa, curling her legs up to her chest as best as she could. She watched Matthias approach the commotion by the door and turned her head away.

*.·:·.?.·:·.*

“Private Etman, cease this at once!” barked a nearby commanding officer, as a couple of other soldiers tried to pull the young medic away from the Major’s door.

But Kyle could care less how he was violating every chain of command in the army. His vision tunnelled only into the locked door in front of him, demanding loudly and wildly for an audience with its occupants!

“LEYLA!” he screamed through the door, head angling against it to listen into what was happening in the room, “YOU SON OF A BITCH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER!?” Kyle screamed, fists pounding against the sturdy door.

“PRIVATE!”

Hands scrambled to pull him away, but Kyle yanked himself back, firmly plastered against the door!

“LET GO OF ME! LEYLA!”

A sudden click echoed in front of them, and everyone, including Kyle, stilled. The door was now unlocked.

They watched with bated breaths as the knob twisted open, to reveal Major Herhardt.

Cold eyes scanned the entourage that had formed in front of his room, before Matthias’ eyes landed on a seething Kyle Etman to the very front of everyone.

Wordlessly, Matthias stepped outside, and closed the door back shut behind him. He watched as Kyle’s body began to tremble, but unlike his Leyla, whose body trembled with fear of him, this was pure, unbridled anger.

Suddenly, Kyle lunged at him, hands fisting on his color, as the others scrambled to pull him away from the Major.

Matthias was smirking subtly, at him, completely hidden from everyone else in the hallway.

“Where is she, you bastard!? Did you kidnap her, huh!?” Kyle accused him openly.

“Private Etman, this is entirely unbefitting of someone of your stature! Control yourself this instant!”

“No!” Kyle looked up around Matthias, “LEYLA! LEYLA, I’M HERE!”

“You heard your commander, Etman,” Matthias calmly replied to him, “It’s best you return to your barracks.”

“You asshole!” Kyle continued to seethe at him, “You knew didn’t you? All this time, you knew she was here, and that’s why you wanted to be in charge of this whole thing, didn’t you!?”

Matthias only stared him down, unbothered completely by anything he was saying.

“All this time, pretending you were sick, and then using your power and position to get to her, and now this!” Kyle exclaimed, pointing towards the closed room behind him, “You just go back and treat her like another one of your objects. How dare you do that? Even now, you’re still the same monster as you were.”

The soldiers around them watched with apprehension the exchange between the two men. It was clear to them that Etman felt so strongly about this, but the Major was a picture perfect calm, which also made them believe things weren’t as bad as it was being portrayed..

A click, and then a pistol was trailed against Kyle’s forehead.

“MAJOR!” barked a random soldier in the room, but Kyle held his ground, even as he shook in place at the obvious threat to his life. Soldiers grabbed him in both arms, trying to get him to back off, but Kyle struggled to stay in place.

“You’re very loud, and unruly Private Etman,” Matthias sighed out, before holding an index finger against his lips, “Please do not make any more noise, less you frighten the child.” He told him, taking back everyone in the hallway.

A frown made its way to Kyle’s expression in confusion. Matthias watched it, holding the other’s gaze long enough to send him a smug smirk.

“You’ll frighten my child.” He told the young doctor-to-be.

Matthias watched as the fight in Kyle’s eyes was once more doused in front of him as the realization soon sank into him. Matthias could feel a sense of victory seeing such devastating expression on him a second time.

It was a look of someone who had lost hope. Much like the look he remembered seeing these past few months of both enemies and comrades alike the longer the war took place. But Matthias’ eyes held a spark of triumph, and glee..

Like he only just began to live now.

A hush silence gathered around them as everyone else was taken aback.

With his pistol still trained on Kyle’s forehead, Matthias finally stepped back, watching the fire and life slip out of Kyle’s eyes, who turned dead silent as soon as the revelation had come.

New footfalls came, and Matthias looked to the side and saw some military police finally come. The soldiers stepped to the sides to make way as they watched Private Etman sink to the ground. The police wasted no time in subduing the Private.

They slapped him with charges of insubordination and disrespect of the chain of command. They cuffed him, and dragged him up to his feet and away from everyone gathered in the hallway.

One of them met Matthias’ eyes and nodded respectfully at him before they left dragging Kyle with them.

Everyone in attendance grew still and silent, eyes trailed warily on the Major who was still a picture-perfect calm, and composed soldier. Once both the military police and Kyle were gone from sight, Matthias wasted no time turning on his heels and entering his room.

A shut, and a click..

The door was locked from outsiders once more.

As soon as he entered the room, Leyla stumbled a couple steps back as their eyes met. In her mind she was screaming to demand for Kyle’s well-being, but she bit her lips to keep herself from saying his name.

Her body shook, and eyes watered as she held the Duke’s gaze, unable to voice out her utmost concerns.

Satisfied with being together, and with her keeping her word, Matthias gently approached her, hushing her softly, before pulling her into a warm hug.

She staggered away from him, but Matthias ignored it, simply gathering her up quickly in his arms, and holding her firmly against his chest. He cradled her against his chest, swaying their bodies back and forth in gentle rocking motions.

Having her in his arms really made him feel complete. Almost like the final puzzle piece falling into place.

And he loved it.

All tuckered out of a fight, and finally giving into his wishes, Matthias gently steered her towards his bed, laying her on the center, before kneeling at her feet.

In no time, practiced hands slipped her wet socks and shoes off her tired feet. His calloused hands cradled her feet, lightly assessing the damage it accrued over their time apart with a slight hum, before gently placing them on the bed.

She’d been ready to drown in the sea just to escape him. Luckily Matthias could predict her every movement and managed to grab her just in the nick of time before she grew wetter than she already was.

Such a beautiful woman. It was truly a shame she hated him so much.

Both happiness and pain surged in him at the sight of her, with a dash of both disillusionment and joy once he held her in his arms again.

She was still stubbornly quiet, teeth digging into her lips. Matthias reached out, and lightly brushed a thumb on her plump lips. She shouldn’t wound such a kissable part of her face. He smiled down on her, watching as her eyes turned glassy.

Hands then trailed down to cup the beautiful stomach carrying their child. And Leyla gasped, and cringed, turning away from him.

Ah, how he really loved her.

He loved her so much, he was prepared to kill her to never lose her again.

Even now, all thin and swollen from their child, she still looked as dazzlingly beautiful as a queen.

What a time for heaven and hell to meet on the same plane indeed.