Leon was always a light sleeper. Through his sleep he could hear the sounds and sudden movements on the next side. He opened one eye, and saw Veronica. Her pale face froze, and her hair on the temples soaked. Her lips trembled, and at times, phrases flew out of them.
"Don't touch it!" She said in fear.
"Burn in hell." Fear has changed to anger.
"Hurt!" The squeaky screams, mixed with tears, burst out of her.
She had a nightmare.
Leon acted intuitively. As he approached, he grabbed the girl by her trembling shoulders and pressed her fragile little body to himself. Felt warm, Veronica's nose in his neck. Gently stroking the girl on the head, Leon closed his eyes again. She stopped shaking.
***
About 2 years ago.
"How are you feeling?"
Veronica, out of sheer formality, visited her second older brother Eric, who had recently returned from a mission. He lost his right eye.
On a firm stool the girl sat by his bed in a dark room. Her thin ankles were barely covered by her light dress. She folded hand over the other, and looked at the pattern on the cloth below. The thick curtains covered all rays of the sun, and from the strong air in which the scent of blood was wafting, a nausea approached the throat.
"Do you even hate looking at me?" He drawled mockingly, glancing coldly at the girl. "I'm disabled now, Veronica."
"Don't be silly, brother. Even if you were blind or had one of your limbs removed, you would still be the best at..."
"Shut up! Just shut your fucking mouth!
Eric jumped up and grabbed the girl by the face, squeezing it so that her chubby red lips would not say another word. The girl didn't even look. She continued to sit quietly with her back flat, her hands folded on her knees.
"Let go!" She squeezed out angrily.
Lightning was flying into her eyes. The boy chuckled, revealing his sharp fang. His expression changed so quickly that Veronica could not react.
"You know what, my sweet little sister?"
With the other hand he wrapped a tuft of black hair around her ear. He grabbed her by the throat. Eric threw the girl onto his bed, hanging over her. Veronica immediately began to struggle out. She was hitting his chest with her hands, kicking and spinning. The wet slap came on her little face.
"Don't move, damn it." There was a hint of uncontrollable impatience in his abrupt icy voice.
Eric never held back. The girl no longer paid attention to the flaming numb cheek. Her mouth was filled with iron.
He stroked her head like a beautiful doll. As he approached, he touched her forehead.
"Get your hands off me, you bastard." Veronica started in a brusque and bursting voice, starting right into his one golden-brown eye.
"I love it when you go wild. It's not interesting at all when something comes so easily, don't you think?"
She didn't understand what the madman was talking about until he put his thumb on her right eye. Her heart skipped a beat. The body was acting on itself. Feeling the pillow, Veronica swung. The blow hit Eric's right eye. Screaming and twisting in pain, he rolled over to the other side. Breathing hard, the girl rolled off the bed and ran to the door in her thin heels. Never in her life had she regretted her love of high shoes so much.
Only her hand touched the cold metal of the handle, and her heart touched the hope for salvation as she was pulled back by her hair. Veronica screamed all sorts of swearing, slammed and fought back as Eric beat her fragile body. Places under clothes.
Consciousness began to slip away from her, as a new wave of acute pain in the right eye opened a second breath. A piercing scream sounded. Cold, rough fingers pressed out her eye. A quite twisted grin blossomed on his face. His laughter mixed with her hysterics, in which convulsions she was spinning on the floor in her own blood.
"Now your beautiful eye will grace my face, dear sister!"
"Burn in hell!" She screamed with a hoot.
***
Veronica opened her eyes. She had a throbbing in her temple. She didn't notice right away strong hands that were holding her. Leon's restrained breath and calm face surprisingly calmed her. She sat down. Having cast a hesitant look at the boy, Veronica left the bed, leaving only a cold place.
***
The same night at the Rosenblatt estate.
"Tell me honestly, brother, are you trying to screw me?"
After one glass of alcohol, Eric finally asked.
As soon as he returned home, he immediately went to his older brother's office, Nicklaus. The guy was busy with paperwork, so he suggested that Eric wait a little. He unceremoniously laid down on the couch in his office and poured himself Klaus's favorite drink.
"What do you mean?" Without stopping writing, the older one said calmly.
"About our dear sister. You've arranged everything? This girl never really worried her father, as long as she obeys. He cares only about the honor and dignity of our family. But here's the fun!" Grinning, he raised his eyebrow, taking another sip of the burning alcohol. "He cares a lot more about the half-breed than he does about his own pureblood son. Our father is such a controversial man, don't you think, brother?" He moaned again, his snow-white fang glowing. "Honor comes first, but he still sent me to wipe the imperial family's asses."
"You're done? I thought you came to discuss something, not whine." Cold interrupted his enthusiastic monologue by Klaus.
"Oh? So you're listening to me. "
With a knock, the glass was placed on the table and the boy got up. Eric leaned against the edge of Nicklaus's desk, pushing his papers back. The boy sighed heavily, massaging his nose.
"You must have a good reason for distracting me from my work, Eric. Don't act like a fussy little kid with a lack of attention.
"So talk to me a little and I'll get off, I promise!" He shouted with an earnest of cheers.
"What did you want?" Hiding all the irritation that came out of Niklaus' breathing.
When he got what he wanted, Eric's lips bent in a light smile. His eyes shrank with the sparks of gambling.
"Why did you let Veronica leave our family? How could you let that low-born jerk take her? You don't mind that our helpless and fragile sister is in the hands of a rough and crude warrior?"
"Why should I care? That Kir-Erdey, that Homanine - no matter. Although even better, it is what as you call "a low-born jerk". Less pressure on our position and power.
"Mmm..." he held out thoughtfully, standing upright. Eric folded his hands on his chest, staring at his brother, trying to read the thoughts on his tired face. "You're a brother as usual. Cold calculation and profit? Clear-clear!" The guy stepped off the table, not too happy with what he heard. "I didn't look that far. I'm not smart enough, as you can see."
Only Niklaus thought he had finally got rid of his annoying brother, as the atmosphere around him had changed completely. With a sharp movement, he pulled out a small dagger from behind his pocket and stuck it into the table.
"But....what about me?" He whispered menacingly, looking straight into brother's eyes.
"What about me? What happens to me and she won't be around? What do you suggest I do?"
Not a muscle on Klaus' face did he shake.
"Open your eyes and stop acting so pitiful. Feeling betrayed? Abandoned? Damn it, Eric!" A chuckle involuntarily escaped him. Klaus was both amused and angry by the whole situation. "You have to be able to share. If you end up disemboweling Veronica, I'll have nothing left. Stop this shit. Now get out! And don't let your spirit be here in the morning!"
Surprisingly, Eric left the room in silence, slamming the door loudly for a last time. He had no face. Even if he had something to say, the words are stuck in his throat.
Niklaus massaged his nose again, giving the hole in the table a glance.
"And repair the table again."
***
Several days flew by without being noticed.
Veronica was really busy. She never left the office and sometimes forgot to eat. Her entire diet consisted of tea and fruit, each one brought with it by Bella.
Early in the evening, on one of these days, Deya brought her lady's long-awaited package.
"It's from the master." Although the maid didn't mention this master's name, Veronica immediately perked up when she saw a small leather briefcase.
"And he's fast! As always."
She looked at the suitcase with a loving eye and simultaneously pressed two buttons. A click was heard. Inside, a silver metal revolver with engraving shone. Taking in hand a heavy and cool pistol, Veronica put out the barrel for the bullets. Having filled all 6 cartridge with small bullets, one shot clicked the cylinder. On inertia the drum slightly twisted, emitting a pleasant clicking sound.
"Isn't it lovely?" Asked the girl with shining eyes to her maid.
"Very suitable for you. The master has chosen the perfect option.
"Ha! Isn't that right?"
Admiring the new thing, Veronica forgot for a second what she asked her uncle to get a gun for. Despite the regular attacks on her, staged by Eric, the estate was still safer than here. She didn't know when she might be attacked again. In fact, she was not going to resort to such methods, especially the guns are quite loud, but after Eric's visit she changed her mind completely.
"Forgive me for interrupting," Deya began "but you must take your medicine, milady."
The smile disappeared from her face. She put the gun back in the suitcase and threw it into the drawer.
"What's for dinner?"
"Pumpkin cream soup and stewed turkey with vegetables. What do you want to eat?"
"Soup. With rusty toast."
"I'll serve the dish right away, milady. "
She had no appetite at all, despite the days when there was nothing but fruit in her stomach. By force, having crammed in half a delicious hot soup, thanks to which she felt alive even a little, Veronica swallowed about eight different pills at once. Big and small, white and colored, transparent and matte. Among them were also medicinal drugs and vitamins.
"Leon in the office?" she asked Deya.
"The Lord recently returned with Mr. Ethan, and they're in the office now. Do you want to visit him?"
"Yeah."
Put some papers in the envelope, Veronica went up and down to the door. Passing by the mirror she unwittingly cast a glance at herself.
"Oh, heaven! How long have I looked like this?"
Sunken cheekbones, bruises under her red eyes and a little bit of hair. Bell's sympathetic look immediately appeared in Veronica's memory. Now it's clear why she looked at her like that.
"That's not right! I don't want this guy looking at me with pity. Deya!"
"Understood, milady." She didn't have to repeat it twice.
***
"Are you thinking of going there in the next few days?" asked Ethan.
Before Leon could answer, there was a knock.
"Lord, Madam Veronica to you." The servant's voice was heard at the door.
Ethan looked at his master with a chuckle, and he stared at the door.
"Heard that she hasn't left her office for the last few days." The secretary casually said.
"Maybe she finally decided to share information?" The boy continued his arguments aloud.
"Come in!"
The door opened immediately and Veronica entered the room. The light dress developed with every movement she made. The harmonious makeup, that covered her tired, and combed hair.
Without paying any attention to the secretary, the girl deliberately went to Leona, which didn't take away her stare. Put the envelope on the table in front of him.
"Information on the arms trade between Balsamo and Sicily. New batch arrived at Aristofán estate. There are also drawings of the future warehouse and financial calculations. Use wisely. "
But Leon didn't even notice the securities in front of him, he kept burning the girl with his piercing gaze. He listened carefully to every word she said, and watched her movement closely, trying to find something.
Ethan, who was also standing at Leon's table, turned his gaze from the boy to the girl. He was nobly disturbed by the strange atmosphere in the office. He felt like he was out of place.
"Hmm! Well..." He reached for the envelope.
"You've lost weight." Leon's low voice, which gave the girl chills, glaring.
Veronica pressed her lip, continuing to look into his eyes.
"If you need anything else, then the ju...." She tried to change the subject, but was interrupted.
"You told me to eat well and not forget about sleep, but you do this to yourself? And how after that, tell me, should I trust you?
The girl frowned. Was he telling her off, or was she imagining it? She didn't understand he was angry, teased her or just mocked her. Leon's strange behavior surprised his secretary. He looked at him with alarm as if he were a stranger.
She grinned a little with her red lips.
"If that's all, I'll go." Without waiting for an answer, she turned around on one heel and was ready to take a step towards the door as a voice from behind made her stop.
"I'm planning on going to Enerson estate tomorrow morning. Will you join me?"
"Lord?" The pale guy's eyebrows shot up. "It's a business trip, not a vacation."
But Leon didn't hear him at all. His entire attention is focused on the girl in front of him.
"If you want, we can take Bell." He continued as if the girl had already agreed. "She will visit her son and family."
There was no reason for refusal, the more it would have been nice to get some air.
"Whatever you say. "That's all she said before she left the office.
"Wh... It sounded like she did a favor. " The secretary got stuck in his nose. "Lord, are you sure?"
"About? To come with me? All right. She needs a little rest and relaxation. These days have been very busy."
As if nothing had happened, the tender sayings that Ethan was terrified of were coming out of his lips. He blinked a couple of times, checking who was sitting in front of him, as if his vision was deceiving him. The guy decided to leave mixed emotions with him.
Interesting fact unrelated to story: Veronica's mother, Elizabeth, was petite (~150 cm) with light brown hair.