CH 62

The chief executive of the Padania army was right in front of him. As soon as he said it, Ryan immediately straightened his posture and raised his hand in salute, as if he had realized the identity of the opponent.

“Loyalty! Greetings, Commander-in-Chief!”

For a moment, Annette was confused as to whether she, too, was required to salute the Commander-in-Chief.

Ryan, who had lowered his hand, was still careful to keep his body firmly at attention. Heiner did not look at him; he spoke in a tasteless voice.

“This is a church. There’s no need for that.”

“Yes, I understand!”

Ryan’s attitude toward Heiner was that of dealing with a high-ranking person. Thanks to this, even people who walked by without thinking glanced at them.

Furthermore, Ryan was a large man, but Heiner was taller than him. With two large men occupying the hallway, the gaze naturally had no choice but to go there.

“Where do you belong?”

“I’m Sergeant Ryan Perom of the Army’s 62nd Division Replenishment Battalion!”

“Are you a new transfer?”

“Yes, sir! I served in the frontline replenishment unit until recently!”

“Since when did you start serving in the military?”

“Six years now!”

“But are you still a sergeant? Normally, promotion would be quick in wartime.”

“I’m sorry!”

Ryan exclaimed unnecessarily apologetic, not even knowing why he should apologize.

In the first place, the Commander-in-Chief and the sergeants had a large difference in rank. This was not just a question; it was close to a ridicule.

“Do you have any siblings?”

“I have one older brother and two younger sisters!”

“Did your brother enlist as well?”

“He did!”

“What about your sisters?”

They’re at home!”

“So your brother enlisted side by side.”

“Yes!”

Annette was dying from the uncomfortableness of this position. She felt sorry for Ryan, but she wanted to get out of here.

“Do you two know each other?”

“Yes—yes!”

“Did you meet on the frontline?”

“Yes!”

“Are you two close?”

“Yes?”

Ryan sounded confused. Annette also looked at Heiner in dismay. Heiner repeated the same question without any change in expression.

“Are you two close?”

“Yes, yes—yes—yes…”

As he spoke, Ryan glanced at Annette.

“…… it seems so.”

“Friends?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t know what the hell this conversation was about. Annette, who couldn’t bear to watch, eventually got on board.

“There are many eyes watching. I think you should leave.”

“We were just talking, what’s the matter?”

Annette was greatly taken aback by Heiner’s childlike reply.

The passing dog could tell that it was not “just a conversation”. Heiner himself must have known what she was insinuating.

Annette sighed and spoke quietly, 

“…I guess so. I don’t want to be here because there are many eyes watching anyway. What happened to knowing what people would think?”

Heiner’s face seemed to say, “What do they think?” She could clearly see that he wanted to ask back.

But fortunately, he kept his mouth shut without further questioning. Of course, his expression of dissatisfaction remained the same.

“I’ll go then.”

Annette quickly left her place in order not to exchange any more words.

Sensing that now was his chance to escape, Ryan also hurriedly followed Annette after saluting. A dark gaze followed  them as they left.

***

“Wow, to see the Commander-in-Chief in person, whom I’d only heard rumors about. And to have a one-on-one conversation with him. I thought he was someone I would never meet even if I spent 100 years in the military! No, I’m already an idiot for not becoming a senior officer even if I did 100 years.”

A slightly agitated Ryan spat out the words.

“I heard he has a very calm personality, but he’s a lot scarier than from what I’ve read in the articles….”

Annette was concerned about Ryan, who had been in an uncomfortable situation because of her, but he didn’t seem to resent her.

Still, the awkwardness didn’t go away. Annette hesitated and finally apologized briefly.

“I’m sorry, Ryan.”

“What? Why would Annette apologize?”

Saying “it’s my fault” was going to seem a little self-conscious. In fact, the question Heiner asked him was ostensibly no big deal.

“Oh, it just seems that I kind of cut off the conversation you were having with the Commander in Chief.”

“What? No. It was uncomfortable to say the least.”

“…… was it so?”

“Ha ha, what soldier would be comfortable talking to the Commander-in-Chief?”

It wasn’t a big deal to Ryan, but Annette still felt bad. For no reason, she wondered what she would do if the Commander-in-Chief singled Ryan out and made him suffer.

“By the way, Annette.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve been given orders to deploy to the rear…….. It’s an order from the Commander-in-Chief, isn’t it?”

Ryan asked in a cautious tone. Annette looked at him blankly for a moment, then lowered her head and gave a small reply.

“…… maybe.”

They had talked about this before. She had concluded then that it just wasn’t true, but now she was sure.

“I guess I was right after all.”

“Yeah.”

Annette chuckled. Ryan let out a breath, trying to jog his memory.

“When I asked you before what kind of relationship you had with your ex-husband…………… you told me you were just a stranger. You don’t see each other or contact each other anymore.”

“Yes.”

“Do you think that is still the case?”

The dry wind of late winter caught up with both legs as they walked. Annette’s steps slowed a little. Her

eyes touched an unidentified piece of rolling debris.

“Yes…yes.”

The shard shone in the morning sunlight. It looked white from afar, but the closer it got and the more the angle changed, the more it revealed its true color.

“I still think so.”

“The Commander-in-Chief doesn’t seem to think so.”

“Regardless of what he thinks, I do. And I think he should.”

“Did Annette request the divorce first?”

“That is correct.”

The debris she saw up close was dark black. Annette stepped past it. With a snap, something broke under her foot.

“By the way, why does everyone  make it sound like Annette was the one who ‘got f*cked’ over?”

“Well, because I had so much to lose in the divorce, and that person had so much to gain.”

“Right.”

Ryan tilted his head.

“He seems to have lost you, though.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Exactly that. I think the Commander-in-Chief still cares about Annette.”

Ryan said this without a shadow of a doubt. On the contrary, Annette was at a loss for words.

“—– Not so.”

“It isn’t? It’s very obvious. Like the fact that he moved Annette to the rear, or the fact that he made an unexplained inspection a few days ago. And he seemed very hostile towards me as he questioned me….”

“The feelings he has for me are….. a little complicated. They’re not all good feelings like Ryan thinks.”

“Hmm.”

Ryan still looked unconvinced.

“I don’t know what happened between Annette and that man, so I can’t be entirely sure, but from what I’ve seen anyway. The Commander-in-Chief still has you in mind.”

“What, are you completely assured of that?”

“You can see it clearly too …… can’t you?”

Ryan quickly admitted, with no intention of hiding. Annette asked with a wry smile.

“How can you be so sure?”

“There are things that only men seem to see.”

“What in the world is that? Ryan, I can’t read the air.”

“Wow, you’re suddenly attacking me.”

“So what is it?”

“By nature, all men know each other’s thoughts. Especially when women are involved.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it like a three-way meeting just now? Ha ha.”

“Okay, I won’t ask. Please go and have another chat with the Commander-in-Chief since men know each other so well.”

“I’d rather kill myself.”

Annette burst into a small laugh at the immediate reply. Ryan made it like it was no big deal, but it didn’t seem so.

“It’s your day off, and you’re going right back to your lodgings?”

“I think I’ll get some rest.”

“You don’t grasp the intent of the question at all—“

Annette laughed again at Ryan’s disappointed tone. Seeing her laugh, Ryan followed suit with a cool smile.

In fact, she pretended not to understand his question because she was concerned about his opinion. She just felt bad that he had experienced a bad situation because of her.

It was her own way of trying to ease his mind that maybe he had been hurt. It was also not that she did not understand Ryan’s words.

No, it was rather justified. If she had not experienced something similar in the past, she would have thought so, too. But Ryan did not know.

Heiner was a man who could act out even the most trivial of glances. Pretending to love, pretending to be jealous, pretending to regret – it was all as light and easy for him as holding a piece of paper.

Just like those days when they were young…

Annette closed her eyes and then opened them. The cloudy dawn sky had cleared before she knew it. The path she was walking on was once again ahead of her.

She stepped toward it.