Chapter 30: Backstory Unlocked

"My parents…left me in an orphanage when I was a baby. It wasn't a very good one. The house was run-down, some of the wood was rotting, susceptible to leaks, and the girls and boys had to lived in different, but cramped rooms. There was barely enough food for all the kids to eat and the older ones would fight steal from the younger. So, I had to learn how to defend myself from a young age."

Selina frowned; her eyes filled with pity.

"But" She lets out a slight smile, staring deeply into Selina's eyes. "It wasn't all bad. I made some really good friends and memories there. Although fights were really common, there were moments of unity against the real enemy: the shitty adults." Her voice was gentle, calming down Selina's emotions.

"The director would gamble the money provided by the empire and other donations. One day, one of the older kids found out and when the director was drunk as usual, knocked him out and stole some of the money. He snuck out and bought all us candy." Reinhart's eyes light up while reminiscing the moment. 

"That's so sweet… Reinhart, I'll buy you all the candy you want, just ask me, I'm a little rich lady~" Selina flaunts knowing fully well that it wasn't her money, but Troye's. Yeah, Troye was heartless, but the allowance money was nice.

Reinhart chuckles, resisting the urge to stroke Selina's hair.

"Anyways, and whenever one of the kids got adopted, we would all celebrate for then. But, one day, a strange family wanted to adopt a kid. An old, pot-bellied man and his son and they were way better dressed than the usual commoner family. The kid immediately rushed towards the girls looking around and even trying to touch some of them, which the older boys didn't let happen." Reinhart paused, her expression hardened. Selina felt her chest tighten. She said nothing, though her fingers curled slightly into her blanket.

"The kid was angry and threw a tantrum. The man glared at the director, and then… they called me out. I was ten. Small, weak. The man liked what he saw. But " Reinhart's voice hitched, just barely. "I cried. Begged not to go. And the other kids, my friends, they shielded me. Pushed me out and told me to run. 

"So I did."

The weight of those words hung heavy in the air. Selina swallowed hard, her chest aching. She stayed quiet, her gaze fixed on Reinhart, who seemed lost in thought for a moment before she continued.

"The consequences for going against a noble family would be terrible, but they took the risk to help me. After that, I had to learn how to live out on the streets, but fortunately, it didn't last long because of a certain young master. One day, while going on my usual scavenge, I heard loud sounds coming from a dark alleyway." Reinhart smirks, failing to hide her amusement. 

" 'How dare you touch me?! I am the duke's son! My father will hear about this!' The little boy shouted out. Obviously, the petty thieves didn't care, what harm could a little kid do? So, after analyzing the situation, I threw a glass bottle at one of the thieves and ran away with the boy. We got lost in the crowd, and the thieves couldn't catch us."

"The boy was beet red but was very clean…besides the wet spot between his pants."

Selina snorted, unable to hold back her laughter. "He pissed himself?!"

Reinhart shot her a mock glare, though her lips twitched with amusement. "Quiet down there, I'll tell you more embarrassing moments of his grace later." Selina immediately clamped her mouth shut. 

"Moving on, he was clearly a haughty noble, not even willing to say thanks. But the moment I tried to leave, he latched onto me, begging me to help take him back home. So, I did, though it wasn't necessary as a few minutes later, multiple knights came and picked him up. I came along as well and as a gesture of gratitude, the duke took me in as a personal guard for his grace.

"Ever since that day, I spent every minute training and perfecting my skills and it turns out, I had quite a knack for swordsmanship. I entered the knight's academy, aced every fight and exam, and eventually gained enough recognition to move my way up the ranks of the northern knights to become the leader. I was hailed as a prodigy and as a once in a lifetime talent and now, here we are." 

For a moment, Selina didn't know what to say. She stared at Reinhart, her mind replaying everything the knight had just revealed.

"You've been through so much," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

Reinhart shrugged. "Hardship makes you grow. And I think I've done enough growing for one lifetime."

Selina hesitated, then sat up and shuffled closer to Reinhart.

"Thank you," she said softly. "For telling me all of that. I know it couldn't have been easy."

Reinhart glanced at her, one brow raised. Before she could respond, Selina leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her.

Reinhart stiffened, caught off guard.

"You're not just some heartless leader," Selina murmured. "You're the hardworking girl who wanted to make a difference. And you did."

Reinhart hesitated, then patted her on the back awkwardly. 

Awkward silence filled the room, but it shifted into something more comfortable as the knight, hesitantly, buried her face deeper into Selina's neck. She let out a breath; it was soft, almost imperceptible, a moment of vulnerability. The moment lasted for a while until Selina pulled back, her ears a bright red. She rolled back into her spot.

"Oh, and uh, one more question. Did you ever figure out what happened to your old friends back in the orphanage?" Selina asks.

"...the orphanage was shut down the year I entered the duke's household. I tried to find information on my friends, but it was all for nothing. I truly hope that they're all in good health and have achieved happiness."

"Now, go to sleep, we've chatted enough for the night."

Selina settled into her bedroll. "Goodnight, Reinhart."

"...Goodnight, Amelia."