chapter 1 How many months has it been?

"I joined the army at seventeen and was part of the world's strongest land combat force, the Northern Savage Army at eighteen. A decade of military life left me with scars all over my body and a prominent mark in the recent history of warfare at the military department. When I decided to retire, the head of the military region was the first to stand against it, and he even lost his temper."
Inside a high-end coffee shop, Titus Clement was wearing a suit that didn't quite fit, boasting about his military career with great eloquence.
Sitting directly opposite him was a haughty and cold beauty.
Her name was Leila Hodges, Titus's fiancée.
Although they had never met before, Titus had heard that Leila was notoriously ruthless, a well-known vixen in Blackhills City.
"The head of the Northern Savage Army actually got furious over the retirement of a cook." Leila's face showed disdain. "It seems your cooking skills must be really great."
"Of course. I've honed my skills over ten years in the army, mastering all the Western cuisines and various private home-cooked dishes with ease," boasted Titus. "In the army, whether it was internal banquets or entertaining foreign guests, the leaders trusted only me. It's no exaggeration to say that without me, the banquet couldn't proceed!"
"Since the leaders valued you so much, why did you decide to retire?" Leila's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
"I was tired and weary," Titus exhaled a breath of turbid air. "In these ten years, I followed the Northern Savage Army everywhere, earning numerous honours but felt like a rootless duckweed, with nowhere to belong."
After a pause, Titus continued with a face full of vicissitudes, "I wanted to live the life of an ordinary person, with simple meals and family joy."
A look of disgust flashed in Leila's eyes, the man she was engaged to was even worse than she had imagined.
Ten years of military life did not forge him into a man of valor but rather turned him into a braggart full of hot air.
Marry him? Leila felt a chill all over.
Titus took a sip of his coffee, glancing at Leila without making it obvious.
Her face looked as disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly, and he, apparently, was that fly...
Titus, forced by his aunt into this blind date, was quite pleased with himself, seeing Leila's dying-alive look, she must be close to her limit.
"What kind of woman do you like?"
Leila asked out of nowhere.
"I like women with short hair," Titus glanced at Leila's thick, waterfall-like long hair and her delicately sculpted features. "A nose that's fleshy, a round face, large breasts, and a round bottom."
After finishing, Titus made an extremely exaggerated S-curve with his hands, solemnly saying, "The elders say such women are good for childbirth."
Hearing Titus's utterly disrespectful remarks about women, a cold light flashed in Leila's eyes, yet she remained expressionless, "And the personality?"
"Lively, funny, preferably a bit goofy," Titus said calmly. "I don't like women who always act superior, as if everyone owes them tens of thousands of dollars. It's too fake."
Knowing full well that Titus's words were meant to disgust her, Leila still kept her composure, "What's your view on marriage?"
"Marriage is nothing more than going through the motions to get a certificate, and then everyone goes their separate ways. As for the so-called 'till death do us part,' it's just that there's no opportunity to find someone better, just muddling along together."
Titus spoke freely, portraying the image of a morally bankrupt scoundrel to the fullest.
By this point in the conversation, Titus assumed the engagement was pretty much off.
But to his utter surprise, Leila not only didn't get angry but instead said word by word, "Let's get married."
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Titus's shocked gaze fell on Leila's abdomen, cautiously probing, "How many months?"
Leila's expression turned icy, her voice cold, "Do you think you're being funny?"
"If you're not pregnant, why the rush to marry me?" Titus said with a headache.
"We have an engagement," Leila stated indifferently.
"What kind of reason is that?" Titus said generously. "As long as you call off the engagement, I won't bother you."
"Why don't you call it off?" Leila said coldly. "If you're willing to call it off, I'll leave right now, and I'll even give you a substantial breakup fee."
Titus was at a loss for words.
If he dared to call off the engagement, his tyrant aunt would dare to break his legs.
And judging by the situation, Leila was also forced into this engagement, compelled to fulfill the marriage contract.
Titus felt a profound sense of loss, thinking how strong-willed he had been all his life, only to be trapped by an arranged marriage, which was truly pathetic.
After a long silence, Titus, with a look of noble sacrifice, clenched his teeth and said, "If you want to marry me, you must agree to several conditions of mine, otherwise, I'd rather die than comply."
Leila furrowed her brows, too lazy to correct him, and waited in silence.
"First, you cannot fall for me over time, much less try to seduce me." Titus glanced at Leila's prominent chest, feeling somewhat uneasy.
"Unless I'm crazy!" Leila felt a wave of disgust.
"We can share a room after marriage, but not a bed," Titus proposed his second condition.
Leila fell silent, not wanting to speak.
"The last and most crucial point is that this is a marriage of convenience. You must not hinder my freedom to love. Once I find my true love, and if it's not the right time to divorce, you need to cover for me. I don't want to be misunderstood, nor do I want to be labeled as a heartbreaker."
A torrent of emotions surged in Leila's heart, feeling extremely disgusted, but she could only spit out two words through clenched teeth, "Scumbag!"
Reluctantly accepting Titus's shamelessly extreme conditions, Leila struggled to control her emotions, which were on the verge of exploding, her heart in turmoil.
The only reason she gritted her teeth and married this foul man was that her grandmother, to force her to fulfill the marriage agreement, had already stopped eating for two days.
With the old lady's stubborn temper, if she dared not to marry, she would dare to starve herself to death in bed.
Eventually, Leila gave in.
But just as Leila was about to lead the still babbling Titus to the civil affairs bureau to discuss post-marriage details, a piercing air raid alarm suddenly sounded outside the cafe.
The alarm echoed throughout the city, frightening pedestrians on the streets into a panic.
Today was not the National Mourning Day.
Moreover, all administrative units within sight were flying the flag at half-mast!
What had happened?
"Look!"
Inside the cafe, a man pointed to the large screen TV hanging in the air, excitedly saying, "The world-renowned Four Unmatched War Gods of Malone Country are carrying a coffin! A national flag covers the coffin!"
"This is a state funeral!"
And it was broadcast live on prime-time news!
"Which great figure has passed away!?" The man's blood boiled, his eyes reddening.
The cafe buzzed with discussion, and the entire Blackhills City was immersed in a mood of oppression and sorrow.
Who was this great figure accorded a state funeral?
On the screen, an elderly man with a white beard, his chest full of medals, said with a sad face, "Today, Jorge Clement, the leader of the Northern Savage Army, a renowned war god of Malone Country, has died in battle for his country!"
At these words, Leila's face turned pale.
Jorge Clement?
The strongest war god of Malone Country in nearly a decade!
In her heart, he was a peerless man of his time, unmatched by anyone.
Yet now, this generation's god of war had fallen!
Not even a memorial photo was published! No one had seen his true face!
After ten minutes of state mourning, Leila's heart was in turmoil, her emotions swirling intensely.
The reason for such intense emotion was that a year ago, while negotiating international maritime business, she had been kidnapped by pirates, hanging by a thread.
And the man who had saved her from this life-and-death situation was the leader of the Northern Savage Army!
That year, she had only glimpsed Jorge's back from afar, yet had never had the chance to say thank you.
Now, hearing of his death, Leila couldn't contain her emotions.
The cafe was in chaos, all citizens mourning the loss of this national hero.
Only Titus seemed disdainful, even sneering secretly, as if he had no respect for this great hero accorded a national funeral!
Seeing this, Leila felt utterly disheartened.
"Ah, it's a pity I couldn't send off Jorge one last time," Titus lamented.
Watching Titus's pretentious demeanor, Leila felt a wave of revulsion, "You knew Jorge?"
"Knew him? Jorge and I were as close as brothers, best of friends. When he first joined the Northern Savage Army, he loved the braised pork meatballs I made the most," Titus lamented, wringing his hands. "It's tragic how the heavens envy the gifted, he was so short-lived."
"Jorge died for his country, a loss heavier than anything!"
Compared to the legendary god of war, Jorge, this man about to step into marriage with her was utterly worthless!
"I'm just saying, why are you so agitated?" Titus retorted with a curl of his lip. "Could it be that you have a secret crush on Jorge?"
Leila stood up angrily, coldly dropping a sentence, "Bring your documents to the civil affairs bureau."
With that, she walked towards the door.
Titus sat there stunned, leisurely lighting a cigarette, a trace of vicissitude emerging on his originally frivolous and dissolute face, "Watching one's own funeral on TV really is an awkward experience."