Falling To Paradise

Aiden agreed to carry out the order under the condition that he would be granted his freedom upon his return.

 

He longed to return to his hometown and live peacefully, free from the shackles of the imperial family, for the sake of just one condition.

 

‘After all, the condition became a mere illusion when Philip was eventually dethroned.’

 

Anje listened to Aiden’s words, her forehead creasing in thought.

 

Philip Cardiner, the war-hungry man, would indeed need more soldiers. But there was no need to mobilize his own half-brother, was there?

 

Perhaps he harbored other ill feelings towards Aiden.

 

“Ah, His Highness Philip…”

 

“Yes, I left for the continent shortly after receiving a few months of training.”

 

He quickly continued, not wanting the name ‘Philip’ to linger on her lips even for a moment.

 

“There, I served to protect the empire’s territory. However, it was… unexpectedly difficult.”

 

The continent across the sea was in a state of chaos without a unified kingdom or empire, yet it was rich in resources and goods that were not found on the mainland.

 

Thus, not only the empire but also other countries sent troops, pouring their full force into a total war to bring even a little more land under their control.

 

The place where he was stationed happened to be a border area where a diamond mine was located, a place coveted by other countries.

 

A fierce front where peace lasted for less than a month. Enemies endlessly pouring in.

 

Rolling in the mud, covered in someone’s blood, and suffering from a shortage of supplies, he realized that this hardship must also be Philip’s will.

 

‘Hey, little Leslie. You’re keeping up, aren’t you?’

 

‘Anyway, the bread that comes as rations tastes like cardboard. Want some butter?’

 

If it weren’t for the fact that most of his comrades were good people, it would have been difficult to endure.

 

Regardless of rank, they were kind and honest people, more than willing to help him, a newcomer to group living.

 

In addition, the hunting skills he learned from his grandfather also helped him not only survive on the battlefield but also quickly rise through the ranks to captain.

 

However, that did not mean that he was able to protect everyone, including himself, to the end.

 

“I managed to hold out for a while thanks to luck, but that luck didn’t last forever.”

 

After years of fighting, when the tide turned unfavorable, the nobles above him abandoned him and the soldiers he led as scapegoats and fled for their lives.

 

Aiden was contemplating how much to tell her. A high, sturdy stone wall blocking out every ray of sunlight, dry, moldy bread, dirty muddy water. Unrelenting toil without a day off.

 

And above all, the brutal torture inflicted by the guards whenever they were bored or upset.

 

The content of that torture was so vicious that even a tender soul like Anje would faint if she heard it.

 

He felt her hand overlapping his own on the reins and was startled. He hadn’t noticed that his hands were trembling as he thought back to the torture.

 

“Did they… do bad things to you there?”

 

Aiden had muttered “Please stop” several times earlier. Even when he couldn’t catch his breath, even when he was sleeping.

 

“To me…”

 

Aiden’s voice caught in his throat. They had certainly inflicted ‘some’ torture on him as well.

 

Floundering in the waves of memory, he grabbed Anje’s hand tightly, as if clutching a lifeline thrown to him.

 

“To me, it was… less severe.”

 

Even Aiden Fitzroy didn’t know that he had become quite a celebrity in the enemy country.

 

A sharpshooter who never missed, a captain at a young age, a man who had led many battles to victory.

 

And just as many people were waiting for him to be captured, so that they could take revenge.

 

But he had managed to survive, even in that situation. Ironically, thanks to the same reason that had brought him to this battlefield, his red eyes and black hair.

 

In other words, because of the imperial blood that flowed through his veins.

 

‘Refrain from directly torturing him physically. He might be useful as a hostage.’

 

Aiden remembered word for word what the enemy’s ‘high-ranking official’ had said when he came to see him and found the traces of the previous emperor on his face.

 

The faces of the guards standing by, contorted in disgust, and the bloody himself, thinking If I do well, maybe I can survive and return alive,’, were also vivid in his mind.

 

He didn’t realize that it was an extremely selfish sense of relief.

 

‘But that doesn’t mean treat him like a noble. Judging by the fact that he’s been pushed to the border, he can’t be that important. Let’s see if we can get him to reveal some information about the imperial family.’

 

‘Yes, Your Excellency.’

 

Until then, he had no idea. Where the malice and imagination of man could go. What ingenious ideas the guards who were not allowed to torture him ‘directly’ would come up with.

 

“I couldn’t be treated too harshly because I was associated with the imperial family. At most, they just whipped me…”

 

He stopped and took a deep breath. The words that followed were even harder to say than anything he had said so far.

 

He thought about skipping over it, but he had to say this part if he wanted to explain why his mind was broken.

 

“Instead, they brought my comrades… and tortured them in front of me.”

 

As if they were spectators in the front row of a sporting event. And they enjoyed watching him scream in agony.

 

Once, they brought two people and forced him to choose one, saying that if he chose one, the other would be spared from torture.

 

‘Who will you choose?’

 

‘Just…choose me…’

 

‘Quit the useless talk and choose!’

 

Unable to bear it, he closed his eyes tightly and chose one, only to be mocked for choosing too late, as the guards tortured both of them in front of him.

 

The scene of his comrades, whom he had risked his life to protect, lying covered in blood, suffering, and casting pleading glances at him.

 

This was far more horrific than any wounds he sustained on the battlefield or any kicks and curses from the guards.

 

In less than a year, the stress had taken its toll, transforming his once raven hair into a stark contrast of silver. These nightmarish flashbacks continued to torment him relentlessly.

 

“Sir Aiden, are you alright?”

 

Anje lightly brushed her fingertips over the back of his hand. Usually warm, his hand was cold with tension and stress.

 

‘Just recalling those memories seems to cause him such pain.’

 

How could she ease his torment? Unused to comforting others, Anje struggled to find the right words or actions.

 

His crimson eyes, which had lost their vigor like shards of broken glass, regained a bit of life as they turned toward her.

 

“I’m sorry. It’s not a pleasant story to listen to, and I ended up talking too much.”

 

Once he started, the story was as difficult to stop as it had been to begin. A story he had never shared with anyone, not even a doctor, a story that might have been festering in his heart, waiting for the day it could be released.

 

Though her lips had gone pale, Anje shook her head firmly.

 

“No, you don’t need to apologize. I should be the one apologizing for only being able to listen.”

 

She didn’t seem to realize how much courage and comfort her presence gave him. Having someone to listen, someone to hold his hand in his difficult times, was invaluable.

 

“Just listening is more than enough.”

 

He bowed his head deeply in gratitude. It was time to conclude his story.

 

“Because of those experiences, I developed an illness… Even after escaping the POW camp and returning home, I never fully recovered.”

 

Certain sounds or smells that reminded him of the camp could trigger episodes. Whip cracks, explosions, or the smell of metal from a smithy were common triggers. Anje bit the soft flesh inside her cheek. That’s why he disliked crowded places, where he might encounter uncontrollable stimuli.

 

Although she hadn’t known, she felt ashamed of her past actions, pressuring him about why he wouldn’t go to town.

 

“Is there no treatment for this?”

 

“No, it seems there hasn’t been much research into the illness itself. I’ve spoken to doctors, but all they can say is that it’s a form of hysteria common among soldiers.”

 

“I see…”

 

As she trailed off, he grew anxious, emphasizing the most important part of his story.

 

“It was very severe when I was hospitalized, but it’s been gradually improving since I came back to Leslie. In the past six months, I’ve only had mild premonitory symptoms, no actual seizures. I thought I was almost completely cured.”

 

So he desperately hoped she wouldn’t abandon him, even though he felt so inadequate and broken compared to her.

 

“It’s not the kind of illness that makes me attack others… It just makes it hard to breathe. I just need to lie down for a while and I’ll be fine. Because of your help I got better faster earlier, but even if left alone, it’s a symptom that goes away on its own. It won’t be a burden to you.”

 

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