Bastian
Chapter 141 - Order

✧Order✧

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Today, Odette slept deeply as well. Bastian quietly closed the door and tiptoed across the room. The servant who had been guarding Odette’s bedroom quietly got up and moved away. After draping his coat over the back of the chair, Bastian took up the post the servant had just vacated.

   In the light of the nightstand lamp, Odette’s face looked  more relaxed than it did this morning. She had fallen asleep by the time they returned to the mansion and Bastian had to carry Odette up to her bedroom. She roused briefly when the doctor came to check up on her, then she immediately fell back asleep.

   Fortunately, there was no physical trauma. There were a few cuts and scrapes from when the car collided with the tree, but other than that, the only problem was the feebleness of her body. The doctors claimed that the hurdle was clear, but it was better to be safe.

   Doctor Kramer likened Odette to a delicate china doll that had already been cracked. She can be shattered with the slightest impact, so she would need to take as much rest as possible.

   Bastian dimmed the lamp’s light and gently brushed the hair from Odette’s pale face and revealed the cut on her neck. No doubt it had come from the very knife Franz had stabbed him in the shoulder with, but it wasn’t a deep wr and Bastian found himself feeling glad of this.

   He leaned back in his chair and watched her sleep. Margrethe stirred and instead of growling at him like she always did, she lazily waddled over and curled up on his toes.    The bandaging around her paws was a proud battle scar earned while defending its owner. Bastian leaned down and scratched Margrethe behind the ears. She bared her teeth at him, but stopped when she realised Bastian was giving her fusses.

As he looked closely, Bastian noticed bandages on the dog’s back and waist. It made him reconsider his earlier belief that she  was useless dog. Margrethe’s tiny body stiffened and trembled when Bastian picked her up and placed her on his lap.  From her new vantage point, Margrethe could see her master, asleep on the bed and she began to yip excitedly. 

   “Shhh…” Bastian hissed, but it was already too late. Margrethe already leap onto the bed to nuzzle into Odette’s arm. He quickly stood up from his seat to get her, but then Odette unexpectedly opened her eyes.

   “Meg….?” Odette said dreamily.

   Bastian gave up and took a step back, letting Odette caressed and spoiled the dog. He stood on the window, watching their exchange of kisses and licks.

  When he reflected on the reckless actions he had taken earlier in the day, a sense of emptiness washed over him once more. 

He concluded the last round of negotiations and turned down Duke Laviere’s desire to continue their cooperative relationship. The Illis Company was prepared to shoulder the financial losses resulting from the termination of the joint venture.

He was set to lose a considerable amount of money for going against the board of directors wishes. Despite his teacher’s warnings, he remained committed to his choice and covered his losses using his personal funds, because he no longer wanted to have any ties with Sandrine.

He had given up everything,  made his choice and abandoned responsibility, went against his grandfather’s dying wishes, just for this woman.

   “Bastian?” A soft voice drifted through Bastian’s thoughts.

   Bastian sighed and returned to the land of the living. When his eyes met hers, Odette smiled like a polite stranger.

   “Thank you for bringing Meg back to me,” Odette said, while holding the dog deep in her arms.  As if she was afraid of losing her again.   “You were hurt quite badly, are you okay?”

   Bastian simply nodded, as he became consciously aware of the itch in the back of his shoulder. 

Once the last remnants of the sunset’s glow faded away, the bedroom plunged into total darkness. Odette looked at him and held her breath. He was not wearing his uniform, but he still had the bearing of a soldier taught never to complain. Odette decided not to press the issue and definitely not mention Franz around him, the mansion was in a delicate calm, which could shatter at the slightest motion.

“Master, Dr. Kramer has arrived,” announced Lovis from outside the door.

Odette watched him as he made his way to the door, his posture remained as stoic as the ruthless man she had known until now.

When the door finally opened, the time they spent gazing into each other’s eyes began to feel like a distant dream. Until the door softly closed, Bastian never turned back.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Doctor Kramer frowned as he peeled away Bastian’s bloody bandages. The wound was a lot worse than he initially thought.

   “I distinctly remember telling you not to overdo it,” Doctor Kramer said as he disinfected the wound. 

Bastian’s left shoulder was deeply injured after Franz stabbed him with a knife. Fortunately, the stab didn’t damage his bones and muscles, but his condition was still quite serious.

   Bastian winced as Doctor Kramer cleaned and disinfected the wound, he got the impression the Doctor was being none too gentle, as punishment for not taking care of himself. Although the pain was significant, Bastian endured it silently.

   “Thank you Doctor,” Bastian said, once the doctor was done applying fresh bandages. He rose calmly and donned a fresh shirt, concealing his scarred body beneath the opulent fabric in an instant.

   “Please consider taking some sick leave for a few days.”

   “Yes, I will,” Bastian said with a slick smile.

Doctor Kramer prescribed him a course of painkillers and didn’t move until Bastian had taken the pills, as if he did not trust him. He looked as strong as ever, but deep lines of fatigue were evident in his face.

Dr. Kramer understood his relentless dedication, knowing that Bastian never allowed his injured body to rest in the time like this. The Klauswitz family’s reputation was going from bad to worse.  Bastian Klauswitz was a name that represented an emerging power in the capitalistic empire, coupled with the scandal sparked by Franz Klauswitz, it left Bastian with very little room to rest. At the current trend, it was pretty clear that things were only going to get worse for Bastian.

   The scandal ran deep through the city and while most of the discerning public had their attention on Franz, who had attempted to kidnap Odette, there were still some fraternities that were using the scandal to revoke Bastian’s membership.

   He still could not abandon his wife and child, they were innocent in all of this. Bastian started to feel cornered and his opponents no doubt felt that too, which was why they were targetting him so ruthlessly.

   “Master, there is a guest,” a servant said, Bastian hadn’t even notice them coming into the room.

   Bastian didn’t answer, he finished buttoning his waist coat and made for the guest parlour, leaving Doctor Kramer alone to tidy away his equipment.

   “Countess Trier is waiting for you, sir,” Lovis said as he followed Bastian. “She said she has come to deliver a message from the Emperor.”

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

  Countess Trier greeted Bastian stiffly and the fact that she had not removed her hat or gloves suggested that she had no intention of staying.

   Bastian greeted her politely and she gave him a stern glance in return, her eyes did not hide the hostility in them and this outward aggression was a far cry from her disposition toward Bastian the last time they met.

   “I do not want to take up too much of your time,” Countess Trier said, holding out a letter to Bastian.

   Bastian accepted the letter as if given to him by the Emperor himself. The cold hatred in the Countess’ eyes never left him. She was still reeling from the news that Odette had been imprisoned by her own husband.

   She couldn’t believe it when she was told. She knew that their relationship was an unusual one and what was seen in public was not necessarily what happened behind closed doors, but she still assumed they actually loved each other. She thought Bastian was not a heartless man to abuse his wife, pregnant with his child.

   Bastian read through the letter, which explicitly directed Bastian toward divorcing Odette. Countess Trier did her best to keep her anger under control, but it was hard in the presence of such an unscrupulous man.

   She had gone to the palace the very morning after the Klauswitz brothers had turned the whole city on its head, and used it to plead with the Emperor. She had expected him to maintain a neutral stance on the situation and would be more concerned with maintain the hero’s honour than worrying about his niece, but she was wrong. The Emperor unexpectedly co-operated.

   In her heart, she wanted the entire Klauswitz family punished for their transgressions, but the Emperor had different intentions in mind. Bastian was a hero, symbol of the glory of Berg’s Navy, the Emperor did not want such a hero to fall and tarnish the nations reputation. Thanks to this, Bastian managed to escape proper persecution.

   “You understand? I can see that you do, so, let me pick up Odette, we will be leaving now,” Countess Trier said.

   “I’m sorry, but that would be a little difficult,” Bastian said. He approached her, standing like a huge wall, blocking her path.

   Countess Trier looked at Bastian, the shock in her eyes made them twinkle like fire. “Are you seriously disobeying an imperial order?”

Bastian remained calm as he listened to her harsh word. The courteous smile that still played on his lips, made him appear more disrespectful. 

“Yes, Countess,” Bastian replied softly, his eyes lowered like the depths of the night as he met her gaze. “I will raise my objection.”

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