Ch. 471: Mr. Edwards’ Unraveled Life Chapter 471

Chapter 471

Kevin understood what Norah couldn't put into words.

He cupped her face and pressed a deep, urgent kiss against her lips, as if trying to fuse her into himself. But just when things reached a critical point, he pulled away.

"Stay here and rest for a few days. I've made arrangements for you to leave soon."

"Okay."

Norah gasped softly as she watched him walk out of the tent.

Kevin had more preparations to make. This time, he had led his troops for Norah, forcing the Yi tribe into surrender. But as a consequence, he was punished—suspended from duty and confined for three days.

He couldn't bring himself to explain it to Norah directly, so he asked Levi to tell her instead.

Norah understood Kevin, but there was still something on her mind.

"Where's Karina?" she asked without thinking.

Levi responded truthfully, "She's in another tent. Don't worry, Ms. White, Karina is doing well. Captain Edwards enlisted her as a female soldier so she could train and build muscle memory."

"Take me to her."

"Of course."

Levi led the way.

Within minutes, Norah spotted Karina out in the open field, hoeing the ground.

"Karina," Levi called out.

Karina set down the hoe and walked quickly toward them. Though she had lost her memories and her mind was a blank slate, she had been well cared for since arriving here. And she liked the name Karina—especially when Levi called her by it.

She approached Levi, but when she saw Norah, something stirred inside her—a strange familiarity.

"Hello, my name is Norah. It's nice to meet you," Norah said, extending her hand as if introducing herself for the first time.

Karina hesitated. The name "Norah" triggered something deep inside her, like a switch flipping on. It was familiar—so familiar. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall anything specific.

However, Norah's warm smile struck a chord in her heart.

"Did I know you before?" Karina asked, her breath quickening.

"Yes," Norah confirmed with a nod.

Karina was at a loss for words. She couldn't remember anything from before, and if it weren't for the people here, she'd still be in the slave camp.

"Can I... Can I hug you?" Karina asked cautiously.

"Of course."

Norah opened her arms, and Karina stepped in.

The embrace felt... right.

Flashes of fragmented memories rushed through Karina's mind, too fleeting to grasp, but enough to make her certain—Norah was someone important to her.

For the next three days, Norah and Karina worked side by side, hoeing fields, planting vegetables, and even cooking together.

Then, Kevin returned.

The moment Norah saw him, she immediately noticed the dark stubble on his chin and the exhaustion written all over his face.

Kevin wasted no time—he pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly as if he never wanted to let go.

"I missed you so much," he murmured hoarsely, his voice thick with emotion.

"I missed you too," Norah whispered, tightening her hold around his waist.

For the past three days, she had kept herself busy to avoid thinking about him. But now that he was here, all her suppressed emotions came rushing back.

"There’s not much to do around here, otherwise I’d take you for a walk," Kevin said, cupping her face and pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

Norah shook her head. "You still have duties to take care of. I don’t want to be a distraction."

Kevin had been locked up because of her. She wanted him to remain in the army, to stay strong. There would be time for them later.

"Foolish girl, you could never be a distraction," Kevin murmured. His voice was laced with regret. "It’s me... I failed you. I wasn’t strong enough to protect you. I let you get hurt."

A thin layer of mist clouded Kevin’s eyes, his voice growing even raspier.

Norah quickly pressed a finger to his lips. "Don’t say that. Kevin, I understand. I’ll take Steven and Karina back first."

But to her surprise, Karina and Steven refused to leave.

Karina had embraced her role as a soldier and found joy in it, while Steven... Steven didn’t have much interaction with Norah, but being near her brought him peace.

They wanted to stay, and Norah respected their wishes.

Still, she felt the need to speak with Steven.

"I don’t understand why you don’t want to go back. The emperor has your family. When you disappeared, they missed you terribly," she told him.

To Steven, his family felt like strangers. He shook his head. "Norah, I’m fine here. If I go back, I won’t remember them. I’d rather stay here a little longer."

Norah fell silent. Hearing him call her "Norah" sent a wave of nostalgia crashing over her, as if she had been transported back in time.

After a few moments, she spoke again. "Steven, I believe that if you return to your hometown, being around your parents and loved ones will help trigger your memories. Here… as you can see, war is constant."

She had hoped to convince them to return to the imperial capital for their safety, but they refused to leave.

Steven nodded. "I understand. But that doesn’t scare me. If you think I have it too easy here, I can enlist as a soldier."

Just like Karina.

Norah’s eyes widened in alarm. "What? You don’t have any training! Karina has experience. You don’t."

If something happened to Steven, how could she face the Lord family?

Steven chuckled. "I can learn. And honestly, I feel at peace here."

Though his past remained a mystery, Steven was sure of one thing—he wanted to stay, and he wanted to stay near Norah.

Norah exhaled heavily. Just as she was about to say something else, Steven smiled and waved her off. "I have something to take care of. We’ll talk later."

Before she could respond, he walked away.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Steven left, Jace appeared before her.

A deep, unreadable smile played on Jace’s lips. "You had a reason for convincing them. Now tell me—do you have a reason to send me away? Or will you let me stay?"

Jace had once believed his end was near, that his final act would be leaving behind a good impression for the woman he loved.

But now, he had realized something—he couldn't leave. Even if it meant death, he would see this through to the very end.