Chapter Text
“Violet…. what are you doing? It’s still dark outside.” A woman with purplish dark hair yawning as she peeled her amethyst eyes into the half opened door of her friend’s room.
“I’m praying…….for those who lost in wars….for those whom I had committed an unforgivable act to…..
“Violet…”
“ I know I can’t correct my past..still..I want to at least..do something for them.. and I…I also pray for..him…..”
“The major?”
“I pray for him to live well.”
“But…it’s been 4 years already”
“I know…but I….I still believe he is still alive……somewhere. Please Cattleya, allow me to believe, it kept me alive.. “
Leiden, the capital of Leidenshafleift. It’s name was always associated with the military prowess since the ancient time. 4 years ago, the first modern era war ended and with all nations shared the grief and burden the ugly conflict.Being the nation claiming the victory of the war, the economic impaction to Leiden, while still count as devastated, was recovered faster than other. Now, in the era of peace after the great war. A business of ghost writer call an auto memory doll became a huge success due to increase demand of people needing to communicate to farther place. The new business model pioneered by an ex-military, Claudia Hodgkin to use young beautiful women to do the job became a successful model and many postal company began offering such service. However, with the lack of central regulation laid a controversy issue.
The sun rise as the town of Leiden began it’s life as usual. The said town began filling with crowd of people. A large old building sat on the top of the hill apart from the main city, once a house of a noble, but later made into a postal company, while the outside show ages of time, the interior was continuously renovated to match the higher demanding of service, in the room located at the corner of the second floor, Claudia Hodgkin, the president of CH postal company is yawning as he drop in to his seat at his presidential desk. On the other end of the room is a young man with a face of beauty. Although with the face that look like a sculpture, his charisma was a nothing resemble to his face.
“Benedict !! Tea” the red head president call his employee-friend.
“You forget to say please!”
“What the!!!”
“And hey old man, another pack of customers requested for Violet and Cattleya for “special service”
“Black listed them, and hey! stop calling me old man!!”
“Done that already, …old man”
“Ah those damn companies. They made this service name a mess.” Hodgkin groan as he toss those paper into a bin.
“Isn’t it your idea to have them dressed like a courtesan.”
“It’s just a cute costumes to draw more customer, And hey, I did not choose those outfit because they look like courtesan ok? I just though that it’s cute. “
“Ha!! , told that to Cattleya”
“Our business contract is clear!!, no intimate physical contact.”
The debate between the two was interrupted by the phone rang, Hodgkin raise his hand at Benedict, signaling him to get the tea as he took the phone.
“Yes CH postal service what can I help you sir.”
As he heard the voice from the end of the line. His figured froze. A familiar voice that he thought he would never heard is on the line. A strange feeling of joy and angered were blended together as he lost words to response. The line was ended with.
“Hodgkin..please..
“…you Bastard….you know, you cannot hide her from them forever……….Hey !! Wait Damn it!!!” He cursed as the line was cut. He sighed and put down the phone. A small grinned appeared on his face but he knew he had no time for that.
“No tea, just water old man”. Benedict open the door as Hodgkin rush out. Spilling all the water to the floor.
“What the !! You clean it yourself!! I’m not gonna.. Hey!! where are you going?
Hodgkin rushed down and he froze as he saw group of military men on the 1st floor asking something with the reception.
So they really come to get her…Gil, you can’t protect her from afar forever …
“Good morning president Hodgkin. He froze even more as he heard the familiar sweet voice behind him. He glanced to his side and saw a young girl with silky blond hair whose manner resembled of a doll bowed her head to him. The girl who was like a daughter to him.
“Violet..”
Maybe….it is time for her to know….
“Ah Ah There she is”.
A cunning voice was heard from the 1st floor. Sweat began to gather on Hodgkin’s face as groups of military men was approaching them.
“What business do you have with my employee…”
But I really can’t trust these bastards.
“Calm down lieutenant major. No ..president Hodgkin. We mean no harm.”
The captain of the squad was but a young man. Although his feature was a magnificent man, his eyes were filled with cunning and dangerous,. He stared at Violet with his cunning eyes for sometimes before Hodgkin purposely move in front of her.
“Then why bring the whole squad here? The mighty army is afraid of a girl huh?”
“For our own safety. Although I do not believe all of that legend.We heard a lot of stories about “her”. Hodgkin’s narrowed his eyes at the answer.
“What business you need with me sir?” A sweet voice of a woman broke the tension between both men as Violet politely tugged Hodgkin’s shirt and walked toward the captain . While her voice was flat and polite, her sapphire eyes were stiff giving the soldiers a stern gaze.
“I see..so, the rumor is true.. You’re still alive and hide in here. You look better than what I heard of.”
“I’m not hiding. I’m working here.”
“ We need you. Come with us. That’s..an “order”. He emphasized the final word as if he was saying a magic word to her.
“I don’t take orders anymore.” Violet firmly replied giving the captain a raise of an eyebrow.
“So… you only listen to him, But we can hire you right? May be we should ask for “ special offer” he rudely replied as his gaze wandering around her cleavage, Hodgkin squinted his eyes as he noticed the inappropriate manner, he was about to grab the captain’s hand that was being raised to touch Violet’ face but Violet was even faster. That hand was already tightly grabbed by her metallic hand. She gave them a diamond hard glare that send them a chilled down their spine. The air around her suddenly felt dangerous.
“Hey calm down, I just followed my order to get you to the HQ.”
“And I declined to.”
“Even if you could see your superior commander once again?”
Violet’s eye widened as her heart skipped the beat and she suddenly felt a lump in her throat. “What..are you..” her diamond hard glare suddenly wavered upon hearing what he implied.
“Maybe you should ask the truth from your employer right? President”
Violet quickly turned to face Hodgkin. Her face revealed expression that pierced through Hodgkin’s heart. His face was skewed with pain as her sapphire blue eyes filled with question and hope that demanded his explanation. She kept looking into his eyes until he finally, he averted his eyes to the floor.
This time now Gil, you have to protect her, by her side…
Her eyes widened as drops of tears suddenly began to gather around the corner of her eyes..
“Major…really...you.?? So..this mean that..”
“If you come with us. We can take you to him.”
Hodgkin was silence as he gritted his teeth, his eyes still fixed on the floor.His hand tightened and trembling. He won’t hold her back anymore. No, he knew no one could hold her back after this.
“….Be careful Violet….and you..if you ever try to lay a finger on her again, I swear to god I shall hunt you down no matter where you are.”
The captain did not response but slowly backed away. He saw the sudden glimpse of dangerous in Hodgkin’s eyes, a veteran’s eyes and he knew he really meant it.
——————
It was in the evening that The car was reached at the destination. Out in the suburb area laid a large area of dense forest and within the forest laid a 2 storey building. It was dark and gloomy From the out side, windows are scarce, the cracking of the cement show the aged of this building, while it was old, it’s structure was solidly built to withstand the force of nature and the force of it’s foe. The field out side was simple, no decoration, no trees. Only an empty field that one cannot slip through without being seen. A beautiful woman with silky blond hair and blue sapphire eyes walked down the road lead to the main building. Her appearance created a stark contrasted to the group of soldiers that accompany her. All eyes of the guard around the building followed her as the appearance of such beautiful woman at this place is very rare.
Violet silently followed the soldiers along the hallway, although her manner was clam and elegance as usual, the inside of her was being stirred by the glimpse of hope. Her usual sharp ears were deafen as memory of him began to surface in her mind. It was when she heard a men voice arguing about something from a distance that her heart began skipping the beat, as the sound get closer her heart beat faster as she began to recognize the familiar voice that she never forget. Her eyes widened and her vision began to wavered. She reached her hand to grasp her brooch trying to calm down but only to find that it brought her more memory of him, the memory that vividly replayed in her head for countless times.
“Come this way !!” The soldier lead her farther from the voice and Violet agitatedly turned her head to followed the voice, her beating heart began racing to the point that it pained her. There is no mistake. It’s the voice that she never forgot. Without hesitation, She suddenly break away from the soldiers around her.
“Hey !!! Hey!! Get her!!!”