Upon hearing Rufus’ words, I pouted and looked at him gloomily. “You can always see through me.”
Rufus cupped my face in both hands and pecked me on the lips. “Is it because of Leonard?”
I didn’t say anything. I just nodded with righteous indignation. But when I suddenly thought of Leonard’s words, I knew he made sense. So I shook my head dejectedly. “Not really. It’s mostly because of myself.”
“Tell me about it.” Rufus wrapped his arms around my waist and let me sit on his lap.
I briefly told Rufus everything that happened. But after listening to me, he flicked me on the forehead with a long face.
“Leonard is right. You deserve to be penalized.”
I covered my forehead and looked at Rufus in confusion. “But why? I don’t understand.”
My experiences from my childhood to adulthood taught me not to lose. Because if I did, I would be ridiculed, bullied, and humiliated by others. I could only gain respect from others and continue to survive if I won.
Rufus stared at me for a while and said, “Come with me. I’ll take you to a place.”
I was confused, but I still followed him until we arrived at a magnificent manor.
It was in a remote place, and I didn’t see anyone along the way. Only soldiers were guarding the entrance.
I only found out that we were at the cemetery of martyrs when we entered the gate. No wonder I didn’t see anyone here.
The neatly arranged white tombstones turned slightly yellow after being baptized by wind and rain. And the wildflowers and weeds on both sides were growing messily, some of which had covered the stairs.
My heart sank, but I still followed Rufus until he stopped in front of a tombstone.
The inscriptions were already blurred, but the photo was still vivid.
In the photo was a handsome werewolf with a bright smile and youthful face.
“His name is Chasel. He was only eighteen when he died, and he was on duty,” Rufus said to me lightly, introducing the werewolf in the photo.
“He’s too young…” I murmured in surprise. His life had just begun, but it had already come to an end.
Rufus looked at the tombstone with a complicated expression. He was lost in thought for a moment. Then he said, “He was also a squad leader like you. During the first war between the vampires and the werewolves, the werewolf race was completely defeated. For them to survive, Chasel led his teammates to surrender. Then they became traitors in others’ eyes and mouths.”
I listened to Rufus intently without saying a word.
He continued, “At that time, everyone scolded them for being shameless traitors. But this group of ‘traitors’ was the one who successfully poisoned the blood the vampires fed on before a crucial battle, allowing the werewolves to gain their first overall victory.
“Then what happened next?” I asked. I was so shocked that I couldn’t help covering my mouth.
“Until now, no one knows what they went through that day. What I only know is that when my father and his troops found them, there was no complete corpse on the scene.”
I felt extremely sad. I couldn’t imagine how desperate their families and loved ones must be when they saw the incomplete corpses.
Rufus then took me to the next tombstone.
In the photo was an ordinary-looking she-wolf. Unlike Chasel, she had no military rank on the inscription. She was just an ordinary logistic soldier.
“She was the most inconspicuous one in army before. She was not outstanding at all. But during the battle, she rushed to the vampires alone with explosives tied to her body and dragged the enemy. No one had expected that she could make the werewolves of the entire pack escape successfully with her own efforts. It was such a devastating sacrifice.” Rufus told me the heaviest story in the lightest tone, but his face was covered with a layer of haze.
Rufus took me to more tombstones and introduced them to me one by one. They were heroes and heroines from different places. Noble or ordinary, each of their stories shocked me deeply.
When we reached the last and newest tombstone, I saw a familiar face.
Sylvia’s POV
We were now in front of Dylan’s tombstone. I only spent two hours with him in the forbidden forest. Now, we were separated forever.
Dylan’s parents also attended the trial last time. They were already in their prime, and the sadness of losing their only child made their hair turn white overnight. Although Dylan was awarded many honors and titles later, it couldn’t make up for the pain caused by his death.
Their son was dead, and everything was meaningless.
“I don’t need to talk about Dylan. You know him,” Rufus said, gently wiping my tears.
It was only then that I realized that my eyes were already wet. I sniffed. I was so depressed that I felt like I was about to suffocate. “How are Dylan’s parents now?”
After our quick meeting last time, I had been wanting to visit Dylan’s parents. It was just that I still couldn’t find the time.
“They returned to their pack with Dylan’s belongings. They said they wanted to go back to where he grew up. They will probably spend the rest of their lives there with the things Dylan left,” Rufus said with a sigh and touched my head. “Don’t worry. I’ll send someone to see them from time to time. The royal family is responsible for the martyrs’ families, especially Dylan’s. When he saved your life, it was equivalent to saving my life.”
I sobbed and took a deep breath. “Dylan also said that he would raise a wild wolf like Rin. But unfortunately, he died without even leaving a last word.”
“Do you still remember the time when you cut your hair and begged to be admitted to the military academy? Do you know what I thought at that time?” Rufus suddenly asked, looking down at me.
“What were you thinking back then?” I seriously thought about his question and asked nasally, “Did you think I was overconfident?”
Rufus shook his head, leaned over, and whispered in my ear, “I wanted to lock you up and keep you by my side forever.”
His tone was serious and firm, and there was an apparent possessiveness.
What he said made my heart skip a beat. “Why?”
Rufus straightened up, reached out, and touched my eyes. Then he sighed and said affectionately, “Because of your eyes, Sylvia.”
“Why my eyes?” I asked, looking at him in confusion.
“When I first saw you, you were tied to a bed, trembling helplessly like a cornered beast. But despite your situation at that time, your eyes told me that you wouldn’t admit defeat or accept your fate. As long as you were given even the slightest chance, you would do whatever it took to move forward, even if you would have to die with your enemy.” After saying this, Rufus smiled bitterly.
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something. But I was at a loss for words, so I just shut it back.
“For me, your character is not suitable for the army. A soldier has to do everything for the empire, and I don’t want you to be like it. Sylvia, I’m afraid. I’m afraid of losing you.” Rufus brushed my face with his fingertips and looked at me calmly. “You used to be alone and fight only for yourself. But now you have a lot. Sylvia, think about your mate and your friends.”
I was a little at a loss to know what to do. I took Rufus’ hand and said, “Before, I didn’t think too much. I thought it was right to rush forward regardless of anything, because that was how I survived for years.”
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