Return of the General's Daughter
Chapter 107: Brother!

Chapter 107: Brother!

"What? It seemed that you were not happy to see your father." General Odin’s voice carried a hint of disbelief.

Asael clenched his jaw, his body stiff from his injuries. "It’s not that. Where is Kane?"

From the entrance of the infirmary, Kane stepped in followed by Alaric and Bener.

"Asael, it’s good that you’re awake." Lara’s voice was steady, but her hands moved with practiced efficiency as she reached for the metal canteen hanging from the central pole that supported the tent. The liquid inside—a mixture of boiled water, sugar, and dissolved medicinal herbs—was meant to accelerate healing and stave off hunger and infection.

She knelt beside him, offering the canteen. "You need to drink up. Your internal injuries are not healed yet, so you can only take liquid for now. No solid food."

Asael took the canteen, but his gaze lingered on her, looking aggrieved. Why did she revert to calling him Asael?

Not brother.

His fingers curled slightly around the cool metal. Had he imagined it? When he was slipping between consciousness and the void, hadn’t she whispered it—brother—as if she truly meant it? Or had that been nothing more than a hallucination?

Bener scrambled to his side, gently propping him up as he drank. Asael barely noticed; his focus remained on Lara.

Alaric, standing nearby, watched Asael intently. His sharp gaze darkened as he observed how Asael looked at Kane—at L. It was not the kind of look soldiers exchanged among comrades.

A slow realization crept into Alaric’s expression. Kane— L—was disguised as a man. Did Asael... like men?

"How did you get so seriously injured?" General Odin asked, he crouched beside the cot where Asael was, his tone laced with concern.

"It was a sneak attack. I met cousin Merlin in the outskirts of the camp at MarNubes. He said he came out to relieve himself. I was distracted and it was too late when I realized we were surrounded. They had Merlin at sword point, and while I managed to hurt one of them, I got beaten and stabbed."

His fingers tightened around the blanket draped over him. His face flushed—not from pain, but humiliation. "Then my men arrived, and I lost consciousness. Honestly... I thought I was going to die. The knife—twenty-five centimeters long—went in deep. Twice." His voice trembled slightly as he admitted it. The memory of the blade, the searing pain—it haunted him still.

Alaric exchanged a glance with General Odin.

"The presence of the Zuran soldiers in MarNubers is suspicious. Have you investigated this, General?" Alaric’s voice was measured, but there was an edge to it.

Odin’s eyes darkened. "Yes. They pretended to be Northem soldiers. They stole a few surcoats and hid in one of the caves." General Odin, now standing, crossed his arms over his chest.

Alaric hummed thoughtfully. "And what of your nephew? How is it that Merlin emerged from the ambush unscathed?"

Odin’s gaze snapped toward him, immediately catching the implication behind Alaric’s words.

Before Odin could respond, Lara cut in. "Enough." Her voice was sharp, allowing no argument. "If you want to discuss military matters, take it to your command center. This is an infirmary, not a war room."

General Odin’s gaze flicked once on Lara’s face, then shifted to Asael’s. His gaze swept over the bruises on his son’s face, the bandages wrapped tightly around his abdomen.

Then, to Lara, he said, "Thank you for saving my son, Doctor Kane. Most men would have succumbed to wounds like these, yet you pulled him back from the brink. I am deeply grateful."

And then, to everyone’s surprise, the great General Odin knelt.

On one knee and bowed.

The hair on Lara’s arms stood on their ends as a shiver ran down her arms.

Strange emotions engulfed her as she stared down at the hardened warrior who—by all accounts—was a legend on the battlefield.

Her father.

His sharp, serious eyes were focused solely on her. Eyes that looked so much like Asael’s. Eyes that looked like her own.

"Get up, General," she said, voice steady. "I only did what any doctor would have done."

Asael’s eyes dimmed. He thought that ...

"Please," Lara said, her tone shifting, "leave us for a moment. I need to examine him properly."

Odin stood, gave Asael a last glance, then turned to leave. Bener followed. Alaric hesitated, before he reluctantly turned and exited as well.

Once alone, Lara placed the back of her hand against Asael’s forehead, checking his temperature. Then she pressed two fingers to his pulse, silently counting..

"Your vitals are okay. I will try to cook something nutritious tonight to help you recover faster."

Lara looked at Asael in the eyes and paused when she saw that he was looking at her with a gaze that held something deeper, longing.

"When I was unconscious..." Asael began, his voice thick with emotion. "I heard you. Your voice. Your stories. Your words were what pulled me back from the darkness that seemed to trap me. You told me, again and again, that you survived. That you didn’t die. That I needed to survive too."

Asael held Lara’s hand.

"Sister... Lara... I fought hard to survive. I still want to protect and dote on you, and I am happy that you are alive." Asael’s voice choked with mixed emotion.

Lara took Asael’s hand in both of hers. She had considered the possibility of him hearing her and discovering her identity, but it was worth it if she successfully clutched Asael from the hands of the grim reaper.

"That night when we were walking toward the infirmary, and you told me that you had six brothers and are the only daughter, I thought.. I thought, It is because you are gay and consider yourself a daughter..." Asael paused when he heard Lara chuckle.

"So that was it. I wonder why you did not react when I revealed it to you. I was giving you hints at that time, Brother."

Brother.

The word rang in Asael’s ears like a piece of beautiful music. It was not a dream.

A slow smile spread across his bruised face. He must have looked handsome if not for the black and blue marks on his face.

"Sis, why did you not come back if you were alive. Mother was heartbroken."

"I lost my memory. Even now, I can’t remember a thing from my past. It is only because of the story that Reya told me that I learned about my family. Besides..." Her voice turned cold. "Someone plotted to eliminate me. Whoever it was, they must be powerful to dare target General Odin."

Asael looked sharply at Lara. He had not thought of that but Lara was right. Lara’s disappearance was not something simple.

"So, Brother..." Lara hesitated before clasping his hand tighter. "Can you keep my identity a secret? At least for now?"

It was at that moment that Alaric stepped into the infirmary—his sharp gaze immediately locking onto their entwined hands.