*SLAP!*

A sharp sound, like the crack of a whip, echoed through the lounge as the Grand Duke delivered a stinging slap to Sebastian's face, leaving a crimson mark that stood out sharply against his skin. Rosmound was in a fury, catching his breath in quick gasps, as if the very air around him were charged with his rage, while Sebastian just stood there like a statue, his eyes cold and lifeless, like two dead pools that reflected neither pain nor fear. Even the servants around them held their breath, averted their gazes, and were unable to look at Sebastian, trapped and powerless to intervene.

"So BOLD of you to stir up trouble everywhere! When you're NOTHING BUT A BROKEN TOY!"

Rosmound bellowed in anger, furious upon learning that Sebastian had not attended his meeting with the king and had even humiliated his aunt, the queen.

"Is being mentally crippled from the war still not enough?!"

He added, fully aware that Sebastian had been sent home from the war not just with victory, but also with the heavy weight of trauma he carried, making him tremble at the sight of blood like a child.

...Right now, Duke Rosmound was looking at Sebastian as if he were merely a marionette with tangled strings—useless and pathetic.

"TSSK!"

Just then, the grand duke grabbed Sebastian's collar, his hand shaking with rage.

"Just wait until I find out what kind of game you're playing!"

His eyes narrowing to a menacing glare as he looked at Sebastian's visibly trembling hands.

"HA! FOOL!"

He sneered, aggressively letting go of Sebastian as he wiped his hand with a handkerchief before tossing it in front of him. Strutting out of the scene while the servants followed closely behind him.

********************

"HUFF! HA-HU-HUFF!"

As Sebastian walked through the halls on his way to his chamber, his vision blurred, struggling to catch his breath as he sweated like a broken faucet, using the walls for support as he heard various voices echoing in his head.

ARE YOU HAPPY THAT WE DIED?!

Every word he heard was like deafening bells in his ears, making him stumble, tightly gripping his chest as the blood on his hands smeared against the walls.

WE DIED BECAUSE OF YOU, SEBASTIAN!

.

WE DIED!

.

.

.

WE DIED!

As Sebastian struggled to open the door to his room, his hands were shaking, leaving streaks of blood on the knob as he hardly opened it with both hands. Gasping for air as he tried to tear off his tie, staggering towards the drawer, feeling each of his steps like walking in quicksand, slowly pulling him deeper to drown.

When he finally reached the rectangular furniture like desks, Sebastian hurriedly grabbed the letter from the lavish keepsake coffer hidden beneath the drawer.

"HUFF! HA! Jul…Julianne…"

His voice was weak as he called for him, clutching the letter to his chest as if his very life depended on it.

As he sank to the floor, he felt his mind grow quiet while still pressing the letter to his chest, and when he saw that Julianne's letter was smeared with the deer's blood, Sebastian desperately tried to clean his hands, wiping them aggressively with his suit.

"Sebastian!"

Keith called, stopping in his tracks as he was greeted by the bloodstains smeared on the door along with the scattered mess in Sebastian's room.

"Oh thank God! I thought you were hurt—

His feet froze as he saw Sebastian's eyes sunk into their sockets the moment he turned to face him, looking ghastly with a swollen cheek, as sweat glistened on his skin.

"Yo—your face is so messed up…"

Keith averted his gaze, letting out a deep sigh as he tried to support Sebastian, acting like his cane.

"Hold on to me—Ack!"

Keith ceased as he felt his bones strain under the weight of Sebastian. Struggling with each step as he made his way to the tub, fifty steps away from where he had lifted him.

"HEY! GET A GRIP! WILL YOU?!—SHIT!"

The hair on his skin stood up as Keith nearly slipped on the marbled floor.

"God! You're so heavy!"

He exclaimed before gently lowering Sebastian into the tub infused with herbs meant to calm his nerves.

Yet, despite all that effort, Sebastian remained unresponsive, his gaze fixed in the air, as if he were in his own world.

I didn't know that war could affect him this much…

Concern etched itself in Keith's eyes, deepening the creases on his forehead.

He's much worse than before…

His unsettling feeling grew as he noticed the letter clutched tightly in Sebastian's hand, but upon seeing the familiar handwriting of Julianne, an unexpected relief washed over him. 

"Ho~"

Keith took a slow breath as a slight smile carved itself onto his lips.

.

.

.

After an hour of struggling, during which Sebastian nearly drowned countless times in the tub, Keith finally managed to lay him on the bed, unconscious.

"Ha! This letter gave me a hard time!"

He muttered, irritation flashing across his face as he carefully took the letter from Sebastian, which he had clung to even while in the bath, and since he could not let it get wet, Keith watched it carefully, preventing a single drop of water from marking the letter.

As he planned to tuck it away in his drawer, glancing back at Sebastian with pair of wringing hands before looking at the letter again. A wishful thought came to his mind.

I know it's a sin, but...I...I hope God may bless both of your paths…

He thought, his heart pounding and his stomach tying itself in knots, biting his lip as distress reflected in his eyes.

******

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