Chapter 29
Beth lifted her head abruptly, startled by Debert’s close presence.
Their proximity was so near that she could feel his breath. As she did so, a sharp pain flared in the barely healed wound on her neck, causing her to wince.
Debert watched her frown deeply and clicked his tongue lightly in disapproval. He straightened his bent knees and perched on the edge of the bed, breaking the gaze they had shared.
Beth’s eyes, still hazy with sleep, looked up at Debert, defenceless.
“You weren’t getting up, so I thought you planned on sleeping here with me,” he remarked.
As expected, the woman’s sleepy eyes blinked in surprise, quickly narrowing in irritation. She pursed her lips tightly, the way she twisted the lid of the ointment, making it clear she was upset.
Debert’s lips twitched, itching to smile. It felt like something was crawling under his skin, begging to be scratched.
“Have you ever seen your own sleeping face?” he asked out of the blue.
Beth’s hands, which had been busy, paused mid-movement. Debert looked amused, though she couldn’t fathom what he found so entertaining.
Ignoring his pointless question, Beth gestured for him to remove his shirt.
As he undid his buttons, his back appeared just as it had the first time she saw it. She knew now that no gunshot wound or explosion could leave such scars. Perhaps he’d been tortured with a whip after being captured in enemy territory.
Rumours about Debert Cliff were plentiful, but none suggested that he had ever been taken prisoner. The stories that followed him were always tales of victory.
So, who could have done this?
“Is it getting better?” he asked, turning around. His eyes held a hint of expectation, and Beth found herself nodding almost instinctively.
Was it misplaced sympathy or a sense of shared suffering? Or was it the ridiculous notion that they had something in common? Comparing her life to that of Duke Cliff was absurd, but the desire to erase a horrific past was something all people shared.
Even if the scars remained, she wanted to offer him a glimmer of hope, however small. That was why she couldn’t stop herself from lying.
Debert lightly tapped his sharp canine teeth with his tongue, an unconscious habit that tickled the inside of his mouth like a young beast testing its bite.
This woman was utterly helpless even when telling a kind lie, like teasing a small bird cupped in his hands.
Once she’d finished applying the ointment, Beth handed him a small packet of medicine, just as she had the day before.
“……”
Having already received a stolen bottle of medicine from Arthur, Debert no longer needed to secretly take tranquillizers every night.
But what would be the point of saying so?
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I’ll sleep peacefully again tonight.”
Beth had heard countless patients say ‘thank you’ during her time as a nurse.
But hearing it from Debert stirred something within her, making her heart flutter unexpectedly.
It was just a polite expression, yet it lifted her spirits, making her wonder if this was why he wanted so desperately to hear her say ‘thank you’.
The clock had already passed one o’clock.
Beth hurriedly gathered her things.
The Duke Debert she met at night always felt a little more unfamiliar, and this strange sense of unfamiliarity made her heart tighten in a way that was hard to explain.
Beth spun around quickly at the sound of movement behind her. Was he planning to leave again? She lightly pushed him back, and Debert willingly took a few steps away.
“You’re going alone this late at night?”
The grip of a gun protruded slightly from her apron pocket. Debert swiftly snatched the gun before Beth could react.
“What would you do if you ran into someone like me?”
His tone was languid, a stark contrast to the harsh words he had once spat out in the storage room. Knowing it was pointless to argue, Beth resigned herself to the situation and quickened her pace.
Debert waited, leaning against the doorway, until Beth returned with the coat that Dixie had likened to a “dead oak tree.” As she buttoned it up, Beth’s gaze swept over Debert’s appearance. She wondered if he might be cold dressed like that, but quickly shook her head.
How far was she planning to interfere with him?
Fortunately, he seemed more preoccupied with something other than the cold.
“Do you trust me?”
His odd questions continued, especially today.
“Not long ago, you would run away the moment you saw me.”
Well, she had no response for that. Her lips parted as if to say something but then closed. He wasn’t wrong. She had trembled with fear every time she encountered him in the dark.
When had she started feeling safer in his presence?
Even in front of the door to her lodging, Beth stared aimlessly at the air around her, caught in a wave of awkwardness.
She had deliberately stalled, hoping he would take the hint and leave, but he showed no signs of moving. Instead, he stood there as if waiting for their eyes to meet.
In the end, Beth had no choice but to look him in the eye. His gaze had been fixed on her from the start, unwavering.
“Do you have something to say?”
There was a faint smile in her voice. He held out his hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but Beth shook her head again.
During the day, he didn’t care whether she came or went.
Beth felt a twinge of annoyance at how he suddenly seemed in such a good mood. His perpetually calm demeanour irritated her to no end.
“Good night.”
His parting words made Beth momentarily hold her breath.
Even after she closed the door, she couldn’t bring herself to go upstairs, instead holding onto the doorknob and listening intently.
Was it just the sound of the wind? She couldn’t hear the footsteps of the man who should have been leaving. It was all very strange.
***
“Beth.”
Dr. Barden whispered as he gestured upstairs with his finger, indicating she should go to the director’s office.
Barden moved around the hospital, making the same gesture to others. All of them had been drafted into the field hospital team.
Unlike yesterday, when they had gone up without knowing why, today there was a palpable tension in the air.
“Thank you all. I know you’re all busy.”
Mrs. Molly greeted the group.
“Gale….”
Ines muttered softly when she spotted Gale standing there with a grim expression. Gale, aware of Ines’ presence, didn’t look at her.
“The reason I called you all today….”
Mrs. Molly’s voice noticeably trembled. Everyone anticipated what she was about to say, but no one dared to speak first.
Arthur took over from her.
“The battle date has been moved forward. You all need to be at the field hospital before dawn tomorrow.”
Silence filled the room.
Beth felt strangely calm, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
“You will move with the army on the front lines. The field hospital will be far more horrific than anything you’ve seen here. You, yourselves, will be the hospital—don’t expect any separate tents or facilities. Some of you will be seeing a real battlefield for the first time.”
Arthur’s gaze fell on Beth.
“Although soldiers will be assigned to protect you, I can’t guarantee anything. I know you’ve had basic firearms training, but we’ll go over it again today. Please make sure you understand.”
Gale demonstrated how to load, fire, and change magazines in line with Arthur’s words.
Gale never lifted his gaze the entire time. Ines couldn’t take her eyes off him.
No one spoke for over an hour, except Arthur.
“I… I pray that you all survive….”
The final words, which failed to boost anyone’s morale, hung in the air as the group dispersed in that strange, lingering silence.
Time passed mercilessly.
Even for those facing a life-or-death journey, there was no exception.
The winter sun set early, its sticky red light seeping deep into the ward.
Beth and Ines, who were packing medical bags for the coming dawn in the supply room, gazed blankly out of the window.
“If… Beth.”
Ines broke the silence.
Her eyes, tinged with the glow of the setting sun, were slightly red.
“If I die…”
Beth lowered her head, not wanting to hear the rest.
Ines quickly grabbed Beth’s hand.
“Beth, if you find my body, please take this necklace and give it to Gale.”
Around Ines’ neck hung a necklace that she hadn’t worn before. When she opened the round pendant, which looked familiar, it revealed a portrait of Ines.
‘It’s beautiful. Keep it.’
It was a necklace similar to the one Debert had bought when they visited the market together.
Ines smiled faintly.
“I didn’t know, but this is apparently a trend among lovers in Wayne these days. Funny, isn’t it? Gale knows nothing about things like this.”
Her voice trembled as she tried not to cry.
“You’ll do it, right?”
Beth nodded reluctantly.
“You know I worry a lot. I just wanted to ask, just in case.”
Despite her attempt to stay cheerful, the heaviness in her heart lingered.
The sunset quickly gave way to darkness.
It was as if the uncaring twilight was oblivious to the fact that they were not ready to face the night.
* * *
“What’s wrong?”
Debert asked, noticing Beth’s unusually pale complexion, but she quickly finished her tasks and got up as if she were being chased.
“What’s wrong?” he repeated.
Debert gently tugged her wrist, making her face him.
“I asked you what’s wrong.”
He’ll be going into battle at dawn tomorrow as well, so how can he ask that? Beth found Debert’s question strange.
“Are you tired?”
Yes, maybe that’s it, she thought. Perhaps for him, it’s just another day. He’s spent his life fighting battles, waging wars. Tomorrow might just be another ordinary day for him. Is that why he seems so calm?
“I’m not taking the medication tonight.”
Debert smoothly lied, as if it were a habit. He wanted to see the woman’s gloomy face brighten, even if just a little.
As he expected, Beth’s eyes widened at the mention of skipping the medication. Debert found her small reaction satisfying.
“You’ve probably noticed, but I’m addicted to the sedatives.”
Once again, his tongue pressed against his sharp canine, and he tasted a slight bitterness.
“Nights without the medication are quite frightening.”
Blending just enough truth into the lie made it more difficult to say.
“Stay with me until I fall asleep. A dedicated nurse shouldn’t abandon her patient, right?”
Beth, whom he had expected to either sigh or glare at him, surprised him by nodding quietly after a moment of contemplation.
She walked over to the door and turned off the light, letting the moonlight from the uncovered window illuminate her face.
Beth approached Debert, who was lying down, and gently placed her small, soft hand on his eyes. The familiar scent of her filled the air.
It was as if she were assuring him she was there.
As if promising not to leave him alone.
Debert, who had hesitated to close his eyes, finally did so, as if intoxicated by her comforting presence.(T/L: Im definitely not crying. Neither do I have tears in my eyes!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TRANSLATOR:
Read exclusive chapters on ‘Patreon’ (click on the image for the link).
Guys moonlight is a free website, and we only earn money through ad revenue please do show support on my Patreon too.
If you find any mistakes, please let me know in the comment section.
