The Forgotten Hero

Priority

“Sir Luke and his wife are divorced, miss.”

Seeing that Luke had said nothing, Sam spoke up. He thought it would answer Edith's confusion, and the atmosphere would lighten up. But it didn't.

Sam's words caused Edith's forehead to twitch deeper than before; the woman looked shocked.

“Divorced?” She almost completely raised her voice. “You're married?”

As far as she knew, Luke joined the army in one of the regions. Then later placed in the front line.

She knew the situation was dangerous, but somehow the danger on the frontier was better than the danger that threatened him in the village.

Luke began to tell Edith everything about some important things in his life that Edith had missed because he felt he was owed information about them.

Edith was silent for a while. There was too much information to take in in a few breaths, as if it all overlapped before she could digest it, and she was a bit overwhelmed.

“Go home. It'll be better for you to digest everything without seeing me,” Luke said with concern. “Don't think too much about me being in this place, I can handle it.”

He then gave Sam directions to escort Edith out, as he watched the two walk to the doorway and disappear.

Sam returned afterward, and he walked while still looking towards the door, checking the empty outer courtyard. “And what about you, sir?”

He looked at Luke patiently. “Should I get someone to take care of you here?”

It was clear in his eyes that Luke couldn't live alone in those conditions. Moreover, the people there were so unfriendly to him, he felt the need to report it to Regina.

But then, he decided against it because he realized that even though she cared, Regina could no longer accept the information about Luke that was burdening her. Sending him to deliver Luke and accompany him for a while was the last form of sympathy Regina could give Luke.

Luke pushed his chair towards the room he used to live in. He checked the room, then turned back to Sam, who followed him.

“Can I ask you a few favors?”

Sam looked at him silently, then nodded his head. “Sure, if there's anything I can help you with.”

“Stay here for today. Tomorrow morning I want to ask you to drive me somewhere.” He began to organize everything in his mind.

His rehabilitation was delayed, and his medication that had been scheduled to help him recover quickly now needed to be rescheduled.

But more importantly, Luke wasn't sure he could afford to go to the place where he was receiving treatment for the foreseeable future. The distance was too far, and the money he had spent was too much, and he had nothing left to pay for it.

Sam, who was standing there with his hands resting politely, nodded. “Yes, I'll do that, then what about this place? Who will take care of you here?”

It was still something that worried him.

“I have to return to the main residence if I am called back at any time, and it is my duty to make sure you are not left without responsibility.”

He explained carefully, not wanting Luke to misinterpret his actions, nor did he want his job to be done incorrectly.

Luke settled on his feet, though his words were polite, it clearly made his mind wander to the state of his feet. “Regina gave more than she could take responsibility for. You don't need to think about anything else, I'll manage anyway.”

He then let Sam out, indicating one of the rooms at the end for him to rest in, while Luke closed the door to his room.

Luke slowly lowered his feet to the floor. He used the strength in his arms to support his body weight, and his grip on the arms of his wheelchair was tight.

As his hands pushed and supported his body to stand up, they trembled violently. His body shook as his face held the incredible pain coursing through his body.

Luke tried hard to stand up on his feet; the sensation he had previously experienced was now something he wanted to work on. But as soon as his hand slipped from the handle....

His waist immediately fell into a slumped position, the muscles in his legs still unable to support his body. Luke fell hard enough to hit the floor, his numb legs certainly didn't feel the impact hurt him, but the muscles he forced to move throbbed violently until he groaned and knelt on the floor.

Little did anyone know that night Luke fell asleep curled up on the floor as the pain continued to torment him all night.

Once he came out of the room in the morning, as if he had rested comfortably last night, he found that the entire room had been cleaned.

Sam seemed to be finished with a rag and bucket in his hand, but was still busy looking at the ceiling.

Edith, who had arrived early in the morning, was aware of Luke's presence in the doorway.

“I didn't come to send you away.” Before Luke could open his mouth, she had already explained herself.

Luke didn't answer anything, he turned to Sam who was also looking at him. “Get ready.”

Sam put down his bucket and walked over. “We're leaving now sir?”

Luke nodded.

Sam immediately got ready deftly, while Edith looked at Sam, who had just passed in front of her, and Luke in turn.

“Are you leaving?” She left her work in the dust and approached. “Where to? Didn't you refuse to go last night?” A series of questions came out of her mouth impatiently.

Luke, who had no intention of answering but was being followed and stopped in his tracks, answered, “There's one place I want to visit before Sam goes back to his place.”

Edith's brow furrowed. “You mean, he won't be staying with you in this place?” She was still trying to walk beside Luke.

Luke turned to her. “I don't have anything to hire him for. He's only here because of sympathy from my ex-wife.”

Edith was silent, she knew that even though Luke said it calmly, it must have hurt her ego.

Ever since Luke came, one thing Edith remembered him well. Although he didn't have a family or anything he brought with him, Luke had high self-esteem; even if he needed help, it was difficult for him to easily accept it.

But now he was receiving sympathy from the woman who should appreciate him as her husband. Edith couldn't imagine how messed up Luke must be for him to receive this form of sympathy from someone who clearly despised him.

“What place? Tell me.” Edith followed Luke out as Sam pushed the wheelchair away. “I'm letting you stay here, in exchange tell me whatever you did and don't hide anything.”

Luke let go of Edith's hands, which were tightly holding the arms of his chair. “You don't need to know, Edith.”

There was no point in Edith knowing what Luke was about to do. On the contrary, the more Edith knew would only get her further involved.

“Stop doing it.” He looked at her intently. “I never asked you to do anything, so stop. You don't need to interfere with my business anymore, do whatever you want for yourself, not for others.”

Hearing those words, Edith was stunned. She couldn't help it; Luke's words hurt her more than waiting there.

After what she did to ensure Luke's safety, she found Luke's treatment of her to be disrespectful.

He was hurt by the fact that his actions were considered a futile and useless thing for the person he had been hoping for his safety.

For a moment, her mouth agitated, she pulled out of Luke's path. But something stuck and felt heavy in her heart. “Okay, so what I do for you is meaningless.”

Although it was quiet, flat, and emotionless, the voice momentarily unsettled Luke in his place.

Edith nodded with a blank stare. “You're right, I should have taken care of my own life. It's not like my life wasn't a mess, until I made you my priority.”

Edith walked away from the house ahead of Luke, who stopped because Sam made his chair stay there silently.

Seeing Edith leave in such a state, naturally made Sam anxious, even though she was not so sure about the relationship between the two. “Sir, don't you need to explain your intentions and apologize?”

Luke stared at Edith's back silently, then averted his eyes. “No need. She'll be fine. Just take me to that place now.”