Falling For Miss Captain : LOVE Vs DUTY

In Silveren, the soldier couple were sitting opposite to each other in one restaurant. Arias returned in the afternoon and they met up for dinner.

"Ella, I think you have many things to say to me, considering how you dropped a bomb while I was away." Arias met Ella's gaze, his voice was calm like always.

"A bomb?" Ella gasped. "I think it's an overwording." She added without much thought.

"At least, it's like that to me." Arias sighed. "I think I know you well but it seems like I was wrong. I didn't even know what you're up to." He muttered.

Ella already spends the whole day, thinking of what to say. She thought that she had prepared enough but she still felt nervous. Maybe because she was worried about her father. She knew how much Arias respected him. If it was not for his respect for his father, they might never meet.

After thinking of how to start, she finally made up her mind. Glancing at him with a slight smile, she said, "This is my dream, Arias." Her voice was low yet pleading.

Arias stared at her, puzzled. "Do you mean that giving up your career to start anew is what you want? Because you don't want me to be torn between my family and my job? Is that your dream?" He asked.

"It's not like that. You're the one who opens a new door for me, a door which would take me to my dream life." Ella stated, her tone and her expression was firm. She showed no signs of backing down.

"I don't understand, Ella. You should explain." Arias promptly responded.

"I mean that to become a doctor is my dream ever since I was a child," Ella uttered. She noticed him blinked at her words. "You know that my late mother was a doctor, right? When I was a child, I used to visit her often when she was at work. Whenever I saw her wearing her doctor gown, treating patients and give them a new hope in life, I used to thought that it was very cool. I wanted to be like her, a doctor who comforted and gave hope to her patients."

This was news for Arias. He never heard her talking about it and he never asked her about her dream. Well, she was so good at her job and maybe that's why he just assumed that she loved her job, as he did. Maybe her father inspired her as he inspired him. But what he used to believe was very contradictory to what she just said.

"That's why I feel like I'm given the chance to fulfil my dream which I had long buried in my heart. It's true that you and your family are also one of the reasons behind this decision. But the fact that it's my dream is the key role in this decision." Ella frankly added.

"Then why did you joined the army? It's not even what you want." Arias asked, narrowing his eyes at the table. One thing crossed his mind but he refused to believe it.

When Ella remained quiet, refusing to say a word, he lifted his eyes and observed her. Maybe he was right. "Did your father forced you to? Was that the reason?" He assumed. He was hit by a realization that he needs to meet the Lt. General. The latter told him to meet him after he returned.

"You always saw through me, I bet," Ella commented with a slight smile. She was not surprised because she knew that Arias had great instincts.

Arias tried to say something but...

"Don't say anything to my father. He adores you and I don't want him to be embarrassed. No matter what he did, he is still my father. I may not like him and we might not have a good relationship but still... he is the one who raised me. I have no right to went against him, especially during that time." Ella said which interrupted Arias from speaking.

Hearing her words, Arias sighed. "I won't say about this matter but there's still something to talk out with him." He paused and rose from his seat. "You're done, right? Let's go." He walked to her and offered his hand to her. Ella was confused but she held his hand and followed him.

After about half an hour, the couple were standing in front of the Moray Hospital, still holding hands.

"What are we doing here?" Ella asked Arias with a dumbfounded face.

"You will find it out soon," Arias replied and pulled her inside the hospital. They ride the elevator upstairs and when they walked one hallway, Ella finally realized what Arias was up to.

Before she could speak up, she was pulled inside the office room of none other than Arias's mother, Dr. Rebecca McLean. Much to their surprise, the father, Dr. Charlie McLean was also sitting there.

"What brings you two here without a notice?" Mrs. McLean promptly asked them with a mixed expression of surprised and happy. The father was equally surprised as her.

"Hello, Mother, Father." Ella slightly bowed to greet Arias's parents. She finds her situation so embarrassing. Damn Arias! Why did he drag her here?!

"Welcome, Ella." Mr. McLean said with a slightly amused smile.

"Mother, Father, you know that Ella will be quitting her job and study medicine. You two were at the top of your class back then. Please teach her and help her prepare so that she will be able to get into Marie School of Medicine. You two are an alumni of that school." Arias said, enthusiastically.

Mr. and Mrs. McLean stared at their son with a bewildered face. Ella also rapidly blinked at his request. Was that his was of showing his approval? But Marie School of Medicine? That's the best in their country and one of the top medical schools in the world! It's too much!

"I don't ask you to practice nepotism but you know the procedures well. Help her learn and she will be able to enter it through her own talent." Arias added, still he was so serious. His parents met while learning medicine in that school and he was sure that they could help Ella.

The McLean Group of Hospitals was a huge benefactor of Marie School of Medicine. As such, many students who studied there had their internship in the McLean Group of Hospitals and a majority of them continued working in the hospitals.

"That's too much for me. I don't even know -"

"It's only been three years since you finished your studies. You will be able to do it. If you join this year, you will be older than your peers by just a year or two. Some will be the same age as you, so it's not late, Ella." Arias calmly said to her.

In Silveren, Army Officers were trained for four years and they spent the first three years studying while still in training. After three years, they earned their bachelor degree and after one more year of training, they finally became a commissioned officer. This means that they mostly started training after graduating from school as the required age was always young in the army.

There was also a way to join after graduating from college but it's a different scheme and less hard to join than the first one. So, the ones who joined through the first one were more respected and skilled than the ones who joined through the second scheme which was after graduating from college.

Ella was among the ones who joined after graduating from school and she had already served for two years as a commissioned officer. That's why it had only been three years since she finished her studies.

Seeing how much Arias put trust in her, Ella only felt the pressure more. She was scared to let him and the others down. Starting anew required too much courage!

"Arias is right, Ella." Mr. McLean spoke up when he knew that Ella was feeling discouraged. "Give your all and as Arias requested, we will help you. You will be able to do it."

"I'm so glad that everything is finally sorted out. And I will be more than happy to help you learn." Mrs. McLean also expressed her approval. "The entrance exam is only two months away, Ella. If you're okay with it, come to us starting next week and we will teach you everything we know about the entrance exam." She added with an exciting face.

"As Arias said, we are both toppers in our class. Rebecca is one year my junior in that school. With your smart brain and two toppers teaching you, you will surely make it." Mr. McLean said, giving no time for Ella to refuse.

Ella was tight-lipped but then, she felt Arias's warm hand on hers. He glanced at her and nodded as a way of encouraging her. He made her felt his trust in her.

With him having her back, Ella was not nervous anymore. She nodded her head and glanced at the parents. "Okay, let's do that. I will study under your guidance starting next week."