Free Web NovelChapter 196: A Small Step Towards Victory
“Are you ok? You’re not wounded, right?” I asked to make sure.
“Of course, not. I’m here to pick you up. You weren’t back yet so I figured that you were probably still here,” Ren said as he reached out a hand and placed it on my shoulder.
“That’s good. I’m about done as well. We can head back...” I said as I smiled up bravely at him.
Ren’s eyes looked beyond me at the rows upon rows of men laying on the ground. His eyes narrowed and I felt him stiffen at the sight. It wasn’t an easy sight to behold and for Ren, the burden and responsibility on his shoulders must have suddenly felt heavier at that moment.
“Come with me for a bit...” Ren said softly before his hand grasp mine.
I followed silently after him as he walked in to greet the wounded soldiers. He crouched down to converse with a few soldiers who still had the energy to talk back. That was when I realized that Ren didn’t just come here to pick me up. His presence truly boosted the morale of the patients. They were truly excited to see him up close and they didn’t bother to hide it.
After walking around until he was satisfied, Ren bid farewell to the soldiers and the doctors and helpers as well. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
“It’s late. We should head back now,” Ren said to me.
“Oh wait...I’d like to introduce you to my partner. This is Mou, he’s my medical helper. He’s very experience and I guess that I can’t get anything right without him,” I proudly introduced Mou to Ren.
“Crown prince, it is an honor to greet you...and an honor to serve My Lady,” Mou said stiffly.
It was clear that he felt very nervous in Ren’s presence. Despite his age, I felt that he looked quite cute as he struggled to speak in Ren’s intimidating presence.
“Thank you for helping My Lady, Mou. I’ll make sure that you are rewarded when we arrive back to the capital,” Ren said with a generous smile.
If Mou will get rewarded, then I guess it was great that I introduced him to Ren. Mou truly deserved it. He really was a good medical helper to me. After that Ren escorted me back to the tent.
...
A week past by and I started getting used to my new way of life here. In the morning, I would wake up to find Ren had already left for work. I would spend the day treating the wounded with Mou as my helper and General Chang as my babysitter. Maybe, I should refer to him as my guardian or sorts. Ren would return in the evening, and we would have dinner together and share some quality time alone.
I spent the evening telling him about my day and he would do the same. Although I told Ren everything, I felt like he was holding back some details for my sake. I appreciated his concern for me and didn’t mind at all. Most nights, Ren would make love to me until I fell asleep in his arms.
It was at the end of the first week, that the war seemed to turn in our favor. The messenger that was in charge of delivering news to the medical camp came with news late in the afternoon that our army had managed to push the enemy’s army back and have gained quite a lot of land. They were able to capture some of the enemy’s supplies as well. I didn’t understand the other details of the report, but I understood enough that it was great news.
Everyone cheered and I have never seen the atmosphere this cheerful and joyous since the war started. The other pleasantly surprising news was that tonight there would be a small celebration to celebrate the small step towards victory.
“Did you hear that? There’s going to be a bonfire...” Mou said excitedly before he smiled his signature wide smile at me.
His excitement truly made him look and feel younger. I was excited too because this would be my first time celebrating in the battlefield like this. I wondered how the soldiers celebrated. However, I had to say that my excitement seemed very low key when compared to Mou’s.
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General Chang walked me back to the tent before he took his leave. The medical team disbanded early to join the soldiers in the celebration. Mou was super excited as he went along with the other doctors and helpers while I headed back to Ren’s tent.
Surprisingly, Ren arrived soon after I got back. This was the first time since our arrival here that he arrived back from work a little early. I couldn’t wait to congratulate him on the progress that he’s made along with the army. If things continued like this, I was sure that we would be on our way home in no time. Although I was getting used to my new daily life, I had to say that it was a difficult one and I didn’t know how long we all could hold out for.
“Congratulations, Ren! You worked so hard...” I cried out happily as I ran to greet him.
“You did well too,” Ren said with a smile.
I haven’t seen him smile this cheerfully in a while. The stress and workload of the war did take a toll on his too.
“Let’s have dinner. You’re back early...it’s so rare,” I said happily as I dragged him by the hand towards the table.
Food was already prepared and laid out. The food here was nothing compared to the food served back at the palace, but it was decent enough. I had no problem with it at all. As I ate, I would pause to watch Ren eat. For once, he seemed at peace. Usually, it would always seem like he was thinking hard about something. The noises from outside the tent got louder and I could faintly make out that people had started celebrating outside. I wondered what was going on.
Honestly, I wanted to join the celebration with Ren, but he seemed tired and disinterested. I guess joining the celebration along with the soldiers wasn’t something that Ren usually did. He didn’t even mention anything about it. I wanted to ask if he wanted to go but I felt a little bit too nervous to ask. I mean, what if he rejects me, then what?
--To be continued...
