Chapter 38
Despite the fading murmurs, the man did not loosen his grip on her hand even after a considerable time had passed. The way he clutched her hand tightly, as if it might disappear, was somehow pitiable.
Beth twisted her palm, turning her hand to hold his. His large hand, rough and strong, intertwined with her slender fingers. She wrapped his rough hand with both of hers, gently holding him.
She hopes he havesweet dreams.
She hopes he sleeps deeply until morning, without having to face the dark alone.
Once the truth surfaced, it never receded.
Devert frowned at the glaring sunlight. His head was pounding and his stomach was queasy, like the day after a heavy drinking session. And in his dizzy mind, vague visions floated.
Was it a dream?
Those eyes that only looked at him. That gentle hand that stroked his face. The tender nod in response to his question.
None of it felt real.
“A dream…”
A wave of emptiness washed over him, and he found it somewhat amusing. For someone who had never had a good dream, the expectation of a sweet reality seemed laughable.
He tried to prop himself up with his left arm, as his right throbbed painfully. But as he moved, he felt a different warmth beneath his fingertips. His gaze slowly drifted downwards.
There, resting at his waist, was Beth, who had fallen asleep.
“Beth?”
A few strands of her hair had fallen over her face, obscuring it from view. With his hand still trapped in hers, Debert awkwardly leaned forward.
“Beth.”
Even when he whispered her name, she didn’t stir. Beth was sound asleep, her forehead resting atop the hands that enveloped his.
Debert’s throat tightened.
It wasn’t a dream.
“It was you.”
He carefully twisted his body, trying not to move his hand. The bandages wound tightly around his shoulder tugged with the effort, and the tearing pain shot through him, but he endured it. With his free hand, he gently tucked Beth’s hair behind her ear.
She looked so peaceful, sleeping without a care in the world.
“You’ve been working hard, haven’t you?”
A small pen mark marred her pale cheek.
If it were her, she would have done her best to carry out her duties, even in his absence.
She must have been running around everywhere.
Debert lightly brushed his thumb over the pen mark. The soft sensation of her skin made his heart flutter.
Using the excuse of erasing the mark, he pressed his thumb gently against her soft cheek. Her brows, which had been serene, furrowed deeply. Her fluttering eyelashes indicated that she hadn’t yet grasped the situation.
“Wake up.”
Debert didn’t stop playing with her cheek.
Her dark eyes blinked several times, then widened in surprise as she sat up abruptly. The chair she had been sitting on toppled over with a clatter, but Beth paid it no mind as she blinked at the man before her.
“You know it’s okay to wake up after the patient, right?”
She quickly stepped forward, placing her hand on his forehead to check for a fever, then inspected his back to ensure the wound hadn’t reopened. There was no time to search for paper and pen.
[Are you alright?]
The man whose hand was suddenly grabbed looked up at Beth expressionlessly.
“Do I look alright?”
Beth, at a loss for words, stared blankly at his empty hand.
Watching her bewildered expression, Debert couldn’t hold back a laugh any longer. His shoulders shook with laughter, though every breath felt like his ribs and wound were on fire. It was a pain worth enduring.
As he reached for her face again, Beth took a step back, her expression guarded.
“There’s ink on your cheek.”
Beth quickly rubbed at both of her cheeks. Ever since the ‘incident’ by the window, she always seemed to be the only one flustered whenever he got close. A sense of unfairness welled up within her.
She glared at him, but instead of looking concerned, he simply smiled, as if he’d hit his head rather than his shoulder.
That smile stirred something in her heart.
Just as tension filled the air between them, a polite knock interrupted. Through the small window, Arthur could be seen.
Arthur cracked the door open slightly, smiling as he peeked in.
“May I come in?”
Debert’s expression immediately turned indifferent, but Beth quickly nodded and stepped back.
“What, aren’t you even going to pretend to be happy to see me?”
Despite Arthur’s light-hearted teasing, Debert’s expression remained unchanged.
“My, you look even better than I remember.”
“What nonsense are you spouting now?”
Even Debert’s dismissive response didn’t faze Arthur. Like an actor delivering a soliloquy, he clasped his hands behind his back and paced the room.
“Duke Debert has led yet another victory. Once we return to Wayne, the Emperor and all the ladies will be lining up to see you. Who do you plan to meet first?”
“Enough chatter. How did ‘that’ turn out?”
“He survived.”
It was a reply that swallowed the words “barely alive.”
“What will you do? You’re going to kill him, right?”
“No.”
“No?”
The unexpected answer from Debert elicited a reflexive question.
The Debert that Arthur knew wasn’t someone to spare prisoners. Surely, the right thing to do would be to kill him so that Nexus would never dare to provoke again. And the body would be hung not on the Kovach border but on the border with another country. A warning to anyone who might think of doing the same.
“Is it because of that woman?”
Who could he blame for foolishly asking a question he already knew the answer to?
“Arthur Wayner.”
Debert’s voice, now deep and cold, was chilling.
“Stop being so arrogant.”
The man with the ashen eyes looked at Arthur the same way he would look at an enemy.
“What does that woman have to do with my decision?”
No one spoke. A tense silence hung in the air for a moment. Then Arthur, with a sly smile, narrowed his eyes. The smile of a bold young man was completed by his mouth curving smoothly upwards.
“Just kidding, mate. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
Arthur turned his back on him. If he let his guard down even for a moment, his true self might be revealed to Debert.
Once a crack forms, it’s all too easy for more to follow.
Now, with his only weapon—the ability to hide his emotions—rendered useless, Arthur didn’t know how to conceal himself anymore.
“Even though the war is over, I feel more terrified now than during the fighting.”
He couldn’t even stop his true feelings from slipping out like this.
“What will become of us from now on?”
A sense of hopelessness weighed heavily on his chest.
* * *
Ines was helping Gale move his bandaged leg slightly on the bed.
Gale’s fighter jet had been shot down from a high altitude, crashing to the ground with its nose ablaze. Fortunately, Gale had managed to eject quickly, and the landing site was on the Nexus side.
He had burns on both legs, but fortunately, his joints were unharmed. Ines, who had only heard the news this morning, was overjoyed. She had even burst into tears in Mrs. Molly’s arms.
Ines’ face was brighter than ever as she helped her fiancé with his rehabilitation. Seeing her, a gentle smile hovered on Beth’s lips as well.
Ever since Debert had woken up, Beth’s expression had been similar to Ines’, though she hadn’t realised it. Only the keen-eyed Dixie had noticed the subtle change.
“As expected, everyone seems happy when they have someone they love.”
Dixie spoke with feigned seriousness. She didn’t forget to chide Beth, who glanced at her sulkily, by saying, “Did I say anything wrong?”
Dixie tapped her chest in frustration. Every night, she felt like she was burning up inside because her friend refused to talk about her romance with Duke Debert Cliff.
“Now that we’re here, tell me. How did it happen between you and the Duke?”
Dixie’s voice took on a secretive tone, like a spy trying to extract information. Whenever she had the chance, she would pester Beth, but her stubborn friend would always make an excuse, saying she had work to do.
This time was no different.
Beth pressed her lips together and shook her head with a determined expression. The resolve not to say a word to Dixie was clear on her face, though she didn’t realise how much it disappointed her friend.
“You can’t do this to me. Who lent you a dress for your first date, huh? Come on, tell me. Tell me!”
As their voices grew louder, Ines raised hers slightly.
“Dixie, stop bothering Beth!”
Though they often bickered, Ines could play the big sister role when the three of them were together.
“It’s you two who are bothering my lonely heart! Got it?!”
Dixie snapped back with a pout.
“If it’s an interesting story, let me join in,”
Gale, as oblivious as his fiancée, chimed in. Though he looked gaunt, he seemed relieved after accomplishing his mission in the final battle.
“No, my Lord. Please focus on your rehabilitation with Ines—or rather, your date.”
Dixie grabbed Beth’s wrist and led her into an empty storage room. The small room, furnished with only a few tables and chairs, was used by nurses for a brief rest or to write urgent letters.
Dixie sat down and hastily scribbled something on a blank sheet of paper. Beth, curious about what she was writing, leaned over, only for Dixie to swiftly cover the paper with her arm.
“No way! Not when you won’t even tell me anything.”
Grumbling for a while, Dixie kept her arm firmly in place.
Beth, now sulking, fidgeted with her hands.
“Someone’s upset. Our little princess.”
Though they were the same age, Dixie occasionally treated Beth as the youngest because her birthday was the latest among the three of them.
During their nursing school days, the three of them would often joke about being sisters. Though the remark, “The middle one must take after their father,” would make Beth fume and jump up in protest.
“Shall I tell you what I’m writing in the letter?”
Beth eagerly nodded, her round eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“I’m asking for dresses for the Foundation Day party. For you and Ines as well.”
A Foundation Day party here? Dixie, reading Beth’s thoughts, spoke with a triumphant expression.
“It looks like we won’t be able to return to Wayne by Foundation Day. The war is over, but I refuse to spend Foundation Day in a gloomy atmosphere. I absolutely refuse! Even if it’s just for five minutes, we’re having a party. I’ll even play some records.”
A party in this place with chipped walls and creaky floors? Even the windows are now shattered in places.
Beth narrowed her eyes.
“I’m Dixie Coleman. The Dixie Coleman, who’s never missed a trend or a party. We’re absolutely having a Foundation Day party here.”
Dixie’s eyes were shining more brilliantly than ever.
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TRANSLATOR:
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