KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Who's there?" A lazy voice drifted from inside the room.
"Your wife!" A tired but still energetic voice called from outside.
"Who is your wife?" The man said while walking closer to the door, his footsteps slow and heavy.
"Bastard dead fish eye, open up the door before I punch your face!" A woman's frustrated voice rang out loudly.
"Agh! Can't even take a joke." The man opened the door, dark circles shadowing his face as he tried to yawn but stopped himself, not wanting to open his mouth fully. "Where were you, my beautiful wife? I was getting a bit worried, you know!"
"Geez, look at your face! Did you not take a bath or what?" Miss Eva pushed his shoulder aside firmly and made way for herself, then sat on the chair facing the window and the scenery outside.
"Hmm, I also just came back, so how was your day? Did you have fun?" The man sat across from her, drinking water slowly.
"Oohh, you won't guess what happened! Lots of things! It was fun but also got me worried a little." Miss Eva's face lit up as she started talking, first telling the good things while laughing—talking about Sasha and the others, the kids, the injured ones, and so on.
She told him about everyone with their names and how they looked, their relationships, fully opening up and revealing everything to her husband. Her words flowed freely, filled with warmth and genuine joy. The talk went on for a long time, her voice animated as she described each person she'd met.
Dead Fish Eye just watched her smiling face and smiled gratefully. He thought to himself, it's rare for her to be this happy. I guess coming here was worth it after all.
He kept listening and listening, absorbing every detail she shared, until at last, he grew tired. Stepping closer, he leaned in and kissed her smiling lips gently. Miss Eva was caught off guard, surprised by the sudden kiss in the middle of her talking.
After a moment of hesitation, she relaxed and kissed him back, her hand coming up to rest against his chest.
A while later, he pulled back and chuckled softly. "Hey, wifey, I get it—you enjoyed talking a lot. But it's getting late. Why don't we take a bath and then rest for a while?" he said gently, his voice low and warm as he brushed kisses over her sweat-damp shoulders and let his hands rest warmly at her bare neck.
"Mmmh, husband… okay, we'll do that." Miss Eva's expression shifted suddenly, becoming serious. "But can I ask you something?"
She stopped him and looked straight into his eyes with an intensity that made him pause. Without waiting for his reply, she continued, her voice trembling with emotion.
"I want us to stop doing this. I can't let anything happen to them. I'm too scared to go on like this. Please, husband… let's stop, okay?"
She clenched his hand tightly, her fingers trembling against his skin, while her husband looked at her in silence. He let out a quiet sigh and spoke slowly, his tone careful.
"We've talked about this, Eva. We have to try. If we miss this chance, then even that one percent chance is gone. Then we couldn't have a baby in this life. Can you live with that?"
Miss Eva trembled slightly, her breath catching. "I don't know, but I can't let anything happen to them. There has to be another way, right?" She looked at her husband expectantly, desperately trying to find some hope in his eyes.
Dead Fish Eye shook his head, his fingers grazing the surface of the table as he stared out the window into the darkness beyond.
"There's no other way," he said quietly, the words heavy with resignation. "We've gone to every kind of doctor we could find, spoken to countless people, and tried everything possible—but not a single attempt has worked. The only option left is to connect ourselves to a high Crown and use their power. That is the only way."
"BUT! BUT!" Miss Eva still wanted to persuade him, her voice rising.
Dead Fish Eye felt irritation building inside him and said in a slightly higher voice, his patience wearing thin, "Stop hesitating so much! Don't you want a kid? Otherwise, why not just adopt one? That also you don't want to do! I'm doing my best here. Do you think it's easy for me to do this—doing something that could hurt others? I'm also trying to move forward, but if you keep pulling me back, then what should I do?"
Hearing the cold certainty in his tone, something inside Miss Eva finally broke. Her chest tightened painfully, anger and years of buried pain surging to the surface like a wave she could no longer hold back. She shouted, her voice shaking yet fierce, every word torn straight from her heart:
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I'M TELLING YOU TO GIVE UP AND GO NOW! I WANT A BABY, BUT NOT ONE SOAKED IN THE BLOOD OF OTHERS' WOMBS! I DON'T WANT THAT!"
Her voice cracked as tears began streaming down her face. "AND IS IT BAD TO WANT A BABY OF THE PERSON I LOVE? I COULD ADOPT A HUNDRED OF THOSE KIDS IN THE ORPHANAGE, BUT JUST—JUST—JUST ONE CHILD! PLEASE, GOD, JUST ONEEE!"
She clutched at her chest, her entire body shaking. "YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL! EVERY WOMAN AROUND ME HAS HER OWN CHILDREN—THEY TALK ABOUT THEM ALL THE TIME, LAUGH AT THEIR SILLY MISTAKES, SCOLD THEM, GET ANGRY AT THEM, AND STILL LOVE THEM WITH THEIR WHOLE HEARTS—WHILE I STAND THERE WITH EMPTY ARMS AND NO ONE TO CALL MINE!"
Her breathing became ragged, each word more painful than the last. "WHILE YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE, SLEEP WITH ANYONE, AND HAVE A BABY WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT, I AM TRAPPED LIKE THIS FOR MY WHOOOLLLEEE LIIIFFFEEEE! I WAKE UP WITH THIS PAIN, I LIVE WITH IT, AND I GO TO SLEEP WITH IT—EVERY SINGLE DAY!"
She pointed at him accusingly, tears blurring her vision. "I WANT A BABY! YOU, BRANDON WILSON, ARE JUST STUPID! JUST A STUPID, MONEY-MINDED MUSCLE HEAD!!!!"
Miss Eva roared in fury, her voice cracking as years of bottled pain spilled out in harsh, uncontrollable words. The moment they hit him, something inside Brandon snapped like a taut rope finally breaking. His head buzzed, blood rushing to his ears, his restraint shattering in an instant.
He glared at her, eyes burning with a fury he'd kept buried for too long, and exploded back at her with venom dripping from every word:
"I AM STUPID? I AM STUPIDDDD? THEN YOU MUST BE THE STUPIDEST WOMAN ALIVE! YOU ALWAYS SAY I COULD JUST GO AND FUCK ANOTHER WOMAN, DON'T YOU? FINE—FINE! I'LL GO RIGHT NOW, FUCK SOMEONE, GET HER PREGNANT, AND LIVE WITH HER!"
His face was red, veins bulging at his temples as he continued his tirade. "YOU KEEP SCREAMING THAT YOU WANT A BABY, A BABY, A BABY—BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?! THEEERREEE ISS NOOOO FUCCKIIINNGGG BAAABB—"
SSSLLLAAAPPPPP!
The sound cracked through the room like thunder, sharp and devastating.
Miss Eva stood frozen, her chest heaving violently, tears spilling freely down her face as her hand trembled at her side. The silence that followed was deafening.
SSSLLLAAAPPPP! SSSLLLAAAPPPPP!
Her strikes came again, sharp and relentless, each slap carrying years of grief, humiliation, and heartbreak that she'd carried in silence. Brandon didn't defend himself. He just stood there, stunned and motionless, his face snapping to the side with every blow.
The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Then, slowly, reality slammed back into him like a physical weight.
The rage drained from Brandon's face, replaced by shock and horror at his own words. Without thinking, he reached out desperately, trying to catch her arms. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
Miss Eva yanked herself free with surprising strength, refusing to hear another word from him. She turned away sharply, climbed onto the bed with shaking movements, and screamed with everything she had left:
"GGETTT OUUUTTT! GEETT OUUTTT!"
Her voice broke mid-sentence, collapsing into sobs as anger and despair tangled together inside her chest. She clutched the sheets tightly, her knuckles white, crying uncontrollably into the fabric.
Brandon watched her trembling form for a long moment, his heart heavy with regret. The anger drained out of him completely, leaving only exhaustion and a deep, aching sadness. He took a slow breath, stepped closer to the bed, and lowered himself until his forehead touched her feet in a gesture of complete submission.
His voice softened, almost like a prayer whispered in the darkness.
"I'll talk to them," he said quietly, each word carefully chosen. "Just one task… then we'll go back, alright? We'll find another way. I promise."
His voice wavered as he added, barely above a whisper, "Don't worry, my beautiful wife. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!."
He pressed a gentle kiss to her feet, lingering for just a moment, then stood and walked away slowly. The door closed softly behind him with a quiet click.
"Sob… sob… sob… stupid, stupid, stupid husband…" Miss Eva cried, her body shaking as she clutched her stomach protectively. Her tears soaked into the sheets as she curled inward, making herself as small as possible, one hand resting over her belly.
She could still feel the lingering warmth from the night before, a faint echo that refused to fade no matter how much she wanted it to.
In a broken whisper, she murmured to the emptiness, "Hey there… baby. I know you're there. Just—ah…"
Her fingers tightened against her stomach as a sharp ache twisted through her chest. "Please… please accept this poor woman. Please… please…"
Her sobs grew weaker, her voice cracking until it dissolved into quiet whimpers. Still holding her stomach, as if afraid to let go of the last shred of hope she had, Miss Eva eventually cried herself to sleep.
Outside, Brandon stood beneath the open night sky, the cool air brushing against his face. The wind carried a chill that matched the coldness he felt inside. He stared upward at the stars, his thoughts spiraling in endless circles.
What should I do now?
The world felt unbearably empty—no voices, no footsteps, no life around him. Just him and the crushing weight of his choices pressing down on his shoulders. Everything had changed so quickly, spiraling out of control in a matter of moments.
I can't let this chance slip away. First… I need to know if that one percent is real. If it's truly possible.
He stood there for a long time, wrestling with his thoughts and the guilt gnawing at his insides. At last, he let out a heavy sigh that seemed to carry all his burdens, turned away from the stars, and disappeared into the darkness.
.
.
"Uwwwaahhhhh! Ack, I'm tired!" A tired old man's voice sounded from atop the border wall.
"Hey there, Grandpa, taking some fresh air from the top of the border, I see? I guess you're planning to get a job again. Do you want to work under this cool-looking man?" A grunty, mature man's voice called out with amusement.
"Hmm, Esjar boy, what are you doing here so early? Even the sun is shying away from coming out now, yet you annoying brat came!" Grandpa said while looking around at the pre-dawn darkness.
"Well, you know, the darkest hour before sunrise is the best time to, you know, sneak in. So, I left my beautiful ladies to come hang out with you." Esjar sat beside Grandpa while stretching his arms above his head.
"Ooohhh, are you planning another one? If you keep being so active even at this age, then surely another little one will be running around by next year! Hehe!" Grandpa took out a booze bottle from somewhere hidden in his coat and gave a disposable cup to Esjar with a knowing grin.
Esjar, not getting surprised at all, just took a sip. "AAHH! This is good!" He let the warmth spread through his chest before continuing, "Well, not really, Grandpa. We have our fair share of kids. If I get one pregnant, then another will cry and ask for more, so I have to stay on the safe side."
Esjar looked at the horizon where the first hints of light were beginning to show and sighed heavily.
"Kekekke, enjoy, enjoy!" Grandpa smirked mischievously and drank a cup himself.
"Well, I am enjoying—not like you, who's been single your whole life. You could still get some old ladies, you know. I could find someone for you, handsome-face Grandpa. What do you say?" Esjar asked with a smile, his eyes bright with teasing as he looked at Grandpa.
Grandpa smiled slightly and shook his head. "Do you think I got this old looking at your poor faces? I've seen so many beautiful ladies that you can't even have in your whole lifetime, you brat. Now stop disturbing this old man's peaceful time."
He smirked and took another drink.
"Hehe, okay, okay." Esjar left the topic and said in a more serious tone, his expression darkening, "If they come, we'll know right away, Grandpa. I don't think they're the type to hide their presence if they're coming as a team."
He sighed heavily. "Sigghh, why is our little place getting filled by troublesome people?"
Esjar drank in sadness while saying this, the weight of responsibility clear in his voice.
"Huh! Isn't it because of your poor job tightening the security so that those bastards can't get in? Don't blame others." Grandpa laughed as he said it, poking fun at him.
"What do you mean by that? Do you think I can just stop those bastards—like that stupid-looking man, Princess Natlia's so-called fiancé—just like that?" Esjar scoffed, his disgust evident. "If I could, I would've punched him in the face the moment he set foot on this island."
He let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. "And those little rats keep sneaking into the city through all sorts of minor entryways, with help from our own people no less."
His irritation was clear as he continued, "We've captured a lot of people with suspicious intentions lately, and because of that, I haven't had a single moment to relax."
Esjar set his cup down with more force than necessary and dragged a hand across his face and beard, exhaustion weighing heavily on him.
Grandpa just nodded knowingly, not saying anything, understanding the burden without needing words.
Suddenly Esjar, while glancing back toward the city, said in a loud voice that echoed across the empty border, "EVEN OUR KIDS GOT INJURED! DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR 2ND ROCK LEADER FORCES ARE DOING—WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INNER CITY SECURITY! TSK, TSK, SUCH WEAK FORCES!"
Esjar just reached for another cup of booze when a sharp hand covered in black gloves came swiftly and grabbed that cup before he could.
GULP!
The woman drained the drink in a single gulp, then sat beside Grandpa with practiced ease and spoke in a voice that was firm yet oddly sweet.
"Isn't it simply because your kids are foolish?" she said bluntly, not holding back. "Any normal person would run the moment they see a dagger in someone's hand. But your kids? They run straight toward it, getting themselves hurt—wandering into places that are definitely not meant for so-called good men's sons and daughters."
She mocked Esjar openly, her words sharp and cutting. Then she turned and bowed respectfully to Grandpa, offering a brief apology. Carefully, she poured him another drink.
Grandpa only smiled warmly, accepted it, and poured one for her in return, silently acknowledging her presence and welcoming her.
"Hey, you, MIKAELA! Don't point fingers and just accept you're of no use! Just wait—when you have kids, then I'll see how he or she turns out to be! Can't your husband make you pregnant until now? TSK! Useless men! Send them to me—I'll make them stronger! Can't even make a weak person like you pregnant!"
Esjar said mockingly, smiling and showing his teeth in a wide grin.
"Agh! Grrr! Shut up, you bastard, Esjar! I gave you Veny, so be grateful—otherwise, you'd be always begging on your knees, asking for my permission!" Mikaela shot back fiercely. "It is my own decision to not have kids, so stop blaming my husbands! I still have many years left to get pregnant, so zip it, you beard bastard!"
Mikaela roared at him, but her eyes remained calm, not taking his talk too seriously. It was just their usual banter.
"Hehe, sure, sure, take your time. By the time your kid grows up, he or she will call you grandma instead of mother! Hahah!" Esjar and Grandpa laughed together as Mikaela glared at them, throwing some small rocks at Esjar's face in playful retaliation.
The trio was having fun, but it was broken when they heard some footsteps behind them approaching steadily and a voice cutting through the air:
"Hmm, it looks like everyone is here. That could make it easier."
Everyone turned back at the same time and said almost in unison:
"TSK! One more came to steal the booze!"
"Don't worry, Esjar boy. This baby doesn't drink booze—he said so himself!"
"Huh? Leader Remek, you don't drink despite serving so long in the forces?"
Leader Remek's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he cleared his mind and said firmly, his voice cutting through their chatter, "Let's discuss something important, shall we?"
The playful atmosphere shifted instantly, becoming serious as everyone turned their full attention to him.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
We often don't realize the importance of things until they're no longer with us—money, parents, health… even something as fundamental as the womb that brought us into this world. But it's not really our fault. We live life moving forward, not constantly stopping to think, "What if I didn't have this?" That's just how humans are.
That's why I always say: be grateful.
Just one word, said daily, can instantly change your mood. Grateful.
"I am grateful for my health." Honestly, that alone is enough. If you have more time and focus, you can add more things—but even one is powerful.
Your life decisions are yours to make. Never blame yourself for being happy with what you have. Accept yourself as you are. Peace starts there.
On a completely different note (because my brain jumps topics like this), I want to mention something about the images I post with my writings. Readers from WebNovel never saw it but I do post it in other platforms ( Like in Scribble Hub ) —and now I've decided to make those image posts exclusive for PAT**ON.
Yes. Something special for my members.
If they exist.
Which they currently don't.
Zero.
A beautiful number.
But hey—you could be the first one. YEAHH!
You're excited, right?
…Right?
I'm already about 15 chapters ( On Wednesday) ahead over there. That's like saving one whole month of waiting—for the price of a cup of coffee. kekekeke
(The author laughs lazily… maybe slightly evilly.)
Disclaimer: I didn't write that last part. That was my subconscious quietly begging for a few pennies from people who enjoy my writing.
Anyway, jokes aside—
Stay safe.
Stay healthy.
And most importantly, keep laughing.
— Real Author