Chapter 46
As Debert entered the hospital, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Arthur, who was walking beside him, also couldn’t hide his surprise at the unexpected scene of tears.
When Collins saw them, he put Beth down lightly. Beth, whose eyes were red, quickly turned around and wiped her eyes with her sleeve
“I thought you would come straight to the barracks.”
After a brief glance at Beth, Debert approached Collins with his usual expression.
“A doctor should naturally come to the hospital first, don’t you think?”
“Uncle, you’re here.”
“Now, Your Highness, why are you calling me ‘uncle’ as well?”
“Please spare me the awkward formalities, Lord Molly.”
Arthur chimed in, lightly wrapping an arm around Collins’ shoulder.
Although slightly shorter than Arthur, Collins, with his sturdy build, exuded a relaxed demeanor even among the strong men around him. His playful gaze, however, briefly sharpened as he discreetly observed Debert in front of him.
While Lady Molly hadn’t relayed the news of Debert’s injury, suspecting that the letter might be intercepted, Collins had a good idea of the situation.
The man always appeared fine on the outside, even when things were a mess inside.
“Lady Molly is probably busy right now. Why don’t you head to the barracks first and join us for a meal? That is, if you’re fond of dried-up bread crusts and strong whisky,” Arthur suggested with a grin.
“Those are precisely the things I love the most,” Collins replied, letting out a hearty laugh.
Collins bid a short farewell to his students and began to walk away, his demeanor still light-hearted.
As he passed by, Debert discreetly caught Beth’s hand.
“I’ll come to get you tonight,” he whispered.
Collins glanced back briefly, but pretended as if nothing had happened and continued his conversation with Arthur.
***
“How did you manage to leave the hospital? You’re not one to abandon your post,” Arthur remarked.
“It’s time for an old man like me to step back. These days, my hands tremble when I hold a scalpel, so I used the armistice as an excuse to escape, you rascal,” Collins replied with a chuckle.
There wasn’t a nobleman unaware that Collins had cared for Debert and Arthur as if they were his own children since they were young.
Collins was one of the few people Debert truly trusted, though this was something many couldn’t understand. After all, Collins Molly had been Cassius’s lifelong rival.
Collins was not someone with political ambitions like Cassius, but as one of the two pillars of the Nexus Dukedom, he had clashed with Cassius at every turn.
Arthur, pouring whisky, smiled.
“You really are an unusual man,uncle.”
And indeed, he was.
Collins Molly was an unconventional noble. Even in the past, when it was considered virtuous for high-borns to refrain from working, Collins had entered medical school on his own. Not only that, he had also supported his wife’s academic pursuits.
It was Collins who had been the most enthusiastic supporter of Lady Molly’s efforts to establish a nursing school that educated both nobles and commoners alike. Without him, it would have been much harder for her to achieve such success.
The late emperor had appreciated the fact that Collins Molly had no political ambitions. He had enough on his plate with Cassius Cliff as a double-edged sword at his neck.
“In my opinion, you two are the strange ones. Roaming the battlefield without a care in the world,” Collins commented, taking a sip of whisky.
The golden rim of his glasses, much like Lady Molly’s, gleamed in the dim light of the oil lamp that illuminated the barracks.
“It’s time you experienced life away from the battlefield,” Collins said, fixing his gaze on Debert.
“That’s where real life is,” he added meaningfully.
In front of Debert sat a glass of whisky, untouched, still filled to the brim.
He absently ran his finger around the rim of the glass—a habit of his whenever he was deep in thought.
As the conversation grew lighter with a mix of jokes and meaningful discussions, the sun began to set outside the barracks.
When Arthur excused himself to make some arrangements, a brief silence fell over the small table where Collins and Debert were left alone.
Collins, who had been rubbing his rough beard, looked thoughtful, a hint of concern in his eyes.
“Breaking the mold—it turns out it’s nothing,” he said, deliberately hiding his true thoughts within his casual words.
Debert was smart enough to understand without further explanation.
“What do you know about Beth Jane?” Collins finally asked.
Although he tried to be indirect, Collins couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at the piercing question. Well, he knew from the start that this wasn’t someone who would shy away timidly.
“If you know, you may know well. If not, you might not know at all.”
It was a vague answer, but not a lie.
Collins quietly recalled the first day he met Beth. The image of a frail child shivering in a cart, wearing an old dress that was torn at the ankle, was still vivid in his mind.
“I was returning from a medical volunteer trip with Diana. The little one had snuck into the cart, begging to be taken along. She was terrified, yet there was a fierce determination in her eyes.”
Collins cleared his throat. The memory still tugged at his heart.
“It was the day we visited the slums and back alleys. I assume she ran away from there… you can imagine what life is like for a child in such a place. She didn’t want to reveal more, and we didn’t press further.”
When Collins asked for her name, the young girl hesitated for a long time before writing her name on the ground. From that day, Beth Janes had been a scholarship student sponsored by the Duchess of Molly, and that was how their connection had continued.
“The little one has many secrets. It pains me to think about it. I raised her like a daughter, and now you’ve taken her away. This battlefield isn’t a good place at all!”
As the booming reprimand echoed, Debert’s lips curled faintly into a smile. Feeling a sudden pang of emotion, Collins abruptly stood and dusted off his seat.
“I should go see Diana now. You should go to the person waiting for you too.”
As Collins cast a sideways glance at him before leaving, Debert bowed politely.
Something about his impeccable demeanor annoyed Collins, who couldn’t help but cough loudly.
The sky outside the tent had already darkened, heralding the arrival of winter.
The person waiting for me.
He mulled over those words while slipping his hand into his jacket pocket. The familiar note, always in its place, was soon in his grasp.
The death compensation certificate, with its creased corner, was just as he had taken it from Beth. Nothing had changed.
“Elizabeth Barmer.”
He murmured the only name written on it, a name unfamiliar to him. It was clearly a woman’s name, but the surname was completely different from Beth’s.
Debert’s slow steps carried him toward the hospital along the forest path. He tucked the death certificate back into his chest pocket.
On the night he first met Beth on that forest path, he had briefly doubted her existence. But soon enough, those doubts proved unfounded. Even so, he had not returned the death certificate yet, driven by a base desire within him.
A desire he hadn’t understood at the time.
He didn’t let go of the insignificant piece of paper as if it were her’s lapel.
Clean boot prints marked the snow-covered path that had yet to melt.
There was no hesitation in his steps, despite their slow, almost weary pace. Every path Debert had walked was like these footprints. He always walked toward his goal, unwavering.
Whatever he desired, he obtained. Whether it was victory in war or his father’s death.
But for the first time, Debert felt desire. A desire that was different from longing or a goal. He wasn’t naive enough not to understand the difference.
He had told Beth he would wait for her answer, as if he were a gentleman waiting for a proposal response, but in truth, the answer didn’t matter.
Of course, the thought of her agreement, whether spoken or given by her hand, stirred warmth within him, but that was beside the point.
Even if Beth Janes said no, nothing would change.
He had already decided to keep her by his side.
That was all.
As the entrance to the hospital came into view, a figure was pacing back and forth. The early darkness of the forest path completely hid Debert from sight.
His slow steps eventually came to a halt just before the spot where one more step would bring him into the light.
His gaze, aided by the darkness, focused intently on that figure. He looked like a predator eyeing its prey, yet there was also a tender youthfulness in his gaze, as if he were secretly watching someone he couldn’t reach.
Beth rubbed her cold fingers together. Thanks to Collins’ unexpected visit, the nurses’ quarters were unusually noisy. The others had called her to join a simple dinner, but she had made an excuse to leave early.
Hadn’t he arrived yet?
As Beth looked around, she slightly opened her mouth. She saw him standing quietly at the entrance of the forest path.
Debert silently watched the woman approaching him. Her hurried steps, tinged with a slight sense of joy, showed no sign of caution.
Seeing her like this, Debert moistened his dry lips.
He vividly remembered the night when she had trembled with fear as he gripped her neck on a similar forest path.
The way she struggled in terror, her face flushed as she hid her wounds, the scarred feet she had tried to conceal—all were etched in his memory.
Yet now, she willingly approached him, her face clear and unguarded. The thrill of that contrast made Debert’s throat tighten.
Desire knew no bounds and only continued to grow.
“I was going to come to you. Why did you come out?”
At Debert’s calm voice, Beth felt embarrassed, wondering if she had seemed too eager.
She had run over so quickly that she couldn’t even make a plausible excuse about being busy, and instead, she nervously fidgeted with her fingers.
Debert’s gaze dropped to her reddened fingers. His dark eyes wandered aimlessly in the air before settling on her.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Debert touched his lips. His hand brushed against his rough lips, parched like his burning heart.
Finally, he spoke.
“Do you want to go to the barracks?”(T/L: Uwu)
