Chapter 53
The Desolate Training Ground
The training ground, where the tightly packed tents had been, was now barren.
As Collins recalled how the vibrant youths had risked their lives and lost them in this bleak place, he could not help but swallow a lump in his throat.
His sombre gaze shifted to the only remaining tent, which belonged to Debert.
Until the very end, Debert had been unable to escape the war. It was the duty of a military commander, as well as a hellish way of life.
The tent, now unguarded, looked only desolate.
He approached the entrance, but no sound came from within.
“Commander Debert. May I come in?”
Collins cleared his throat and waited for a response. Soon, a low voice emerged.
“Please, come in.”
The tent seemed to only maintain its form, with no chair in sight, only a bedside table remaining.
Debert, in a tidy manner, greeted the Duke as he gathered the numerous post-war documents on the table.
“Haven’t you left yet?”
Collins scrutinised Debert’s composed expression, but now, being an old man himself, he could no longer read the man’s face.
Suddenly, the derogatory term that referred to Debert as the spectre of the late Duke Cassius came to mind.
The unbearably quiet expression on his face bore a resemblance to the memory of Duke Cassius.
“Perhaps the reason you haven’t left is the same as mine.”
Debert’s hand paused as he gathered the scattered documents.
“I am the military commander. I cannot leave so easily.”
Due to the low bedside table, Debert’s shoulders, which had been slightly hunched, slowly straightened. Tension lingered in the crisp seams of his shirt.
“The medical staff could leave with a lighter heart.”
Collins heaved a deep sigh.
Where should he start the conversation? A small concern crossed his mind.
“I couldn’t find Beth.”
Collins adjusted his glasses that had slid down the bridge of his nose.
“I can’t see Beth.”
“Is that so?”
Debert murmured and nodded silently.
So, she has truly disappeared.
As the certainty was reinforced by another, his mind became more composed. There had been no particular change before.
“I couldn’t find her either.”
“If you don’t know-”
“If it’s not a kidnapping, it must be that she’s run away.”
Ah, Debert’s lips parted slightly, as if he had realised something.
“Or she might have gone out. All the field nurses must receive permission to go out. Of course, this is an unauthorised outing.”
Debert chuckled as he neatly stacked the documents on the bedside table.
Unauthorised outing, what a ridiculous thing to say. But even though it was a meaningless remark, it didn’t make him feel bad.
As long as she returns like she went out, it’s fine. She must sometimes need the leisure to be alone.
Under his hands, the scattered documents were neatly organised.
“From the next war, the military commander’s permission should also be added for the medical staff’s outings.”
At Debert’s words, which promised the next war even before the end of the current one, Collins was at a loss for words.
“Whether or not to do this again.”
Debert gave a brief smile.
“That will be up to Beth.”
He led Collins out, looking flawless and courteous as a duke.
“The last vehicle will arrive shortly. Please come with me, Your Grace.”
Inside the moving vehicle, only Debert, Arthur, and Collins were present, aside from the driver.
The driver, who was transporting the royalty and the Duke, was shivering and sweating profusely, even in the midst of winter, but the atmosphere surrounding the three was colder than the air outside.
Debert rested his elbow on the windowsill, mindlessly taking in the passing scenery.
It was only at the edge of the forest leading to the rear hospital, now just an empty plot, that Debert remembered this was the place where he first met Beth.
The forest, bathed in pure white sunlight rather than pitch-black darkness, looked peaceful.
Beth was here.
Sitting down, searching for a syringe. Striving to save the young and wounded enemy.
Trying to say something to him, offering her palm.
Trembling with fear, unable to hide the resentful gaze as she undid the buttons.
Suddenly, an unusually large tree passed by the car window.
Ah, that scent.
It was that scent that drove me mad.
On that day, the scent of Beth that poured over him in the darkness still lingered on the tip of his nose. The soft caress of her black hair, carried by the wind, was still vivid.
Did you pass through this road as well?
The car quickly left the forest and headed towards the village.
Where did you go?
Debert’s thoughts continued to chase after Beth, even though her shadow was nowhere to be seen.
* * *
The car drove non-stop to Wayne.
“We must have arrived,” Arthur broke the oppressive silence.
His hoarse voice cracked at the end.
“Yes, this is Wayne.”
Even without that, the ever-glorious Wayne, which always displayed the empire’s grandeur, was now bustling with the added welcome of the end of the war, and they hadn’t even reached the capital’s borders yet.
Amidst the large branches lining the road the military vehicle was taking, golden decorations were abundant.
Gold, which symbolised the unchanging value, was the emblem of the Nexus. The sight of golden flowers blooming in the dead of winter was the perfect display of Nexus’s resilience.
The road was temporarily blocked as soldiers from the nearby capital rushed to reunite with their families. Even without anyone speaking, the sounds of music and cheers from outside filled the tedious time.
“Oh, that.”
The driver, glancing at the military commander, was about to open the window. But Debert quietly raised his hand.
“Leave it.”
The people in front of the bonnet were embracing their children or lovers with tear-filled eyes, unaware of who was in the car they were blocking.
“They’ve waited for so long.”
How long had they waited for this reunion?
Debert was willing to waste his time for them. It was the last act of generosity as a military commander.
* * *
Thud.
A shadowy figure in a black robe hastily jumped onto the moving train.
The robe, pulled down deeply over the face, hid whether the figure was male or female. However, the loose robe could not conceal the delicate body lines.
Due to the end of the war, the train was more crowded than usual.
It was total chaos, with crowds of people and small livestock like chickens and ducks all mixed together.
The figure pushed through the gaps, continuing to advance through the train carriages. Shoulders were bumped by the large people, but the figure did not look back.
Even when those who couldn’t get a seat confronted the figure, it silently continued on its way.
Finally, reaching the very last carriage of the train, the figure lifted its head. The small chin, exhaling shallow breaths, trembled faintly.
The train carriage outside, where passengers occasionally came out to smoke, was empty due to the cold weather.
The figure settled down in the freezing outdoors, heedless of the biting wind.
The savage wind snatched the robe’s hood, and the swirling hair fluttered wildly in the air.
The icy wind brushed against the bare, pale face.
The figure was Beth.
Beth closed her eyes to cool the burning heat.
Had she ever run this madly in her life?
Ah, that time.
A throbbing memory she wanted to forget flashed across her mind. Beth shook her head briefly.
Curling up, hugging her knees and burying her face, the wind was less harsh, but her eyes kept stinging.
Tear tracks formed in a circle on the dark robe.
Would they all have gone to Wayne by now?
The brooch in her pocket painfully poked her palm. Beth kept pressing the sharp edge of the brooch, punishing herself.
If only it would bleed, she might be able to regain her senses.
Even after running so much, even with this icy wind hitting her, why did everything feel so hazy?
Did he know she had disappeared and was shocked?
Was he disappointed?
Angry?
Or had he simply forgotten?
The last question hurt a little.
It was only in the late dawn that Debert fell asleep. Even when the hand wrapped around his waist was removed, he did not open his eyes. The man, usually as alert as a predatory animal, did not stir at all.
That’s why she indulged a little and watched that face for a long time.
If only he had woken up now. If only he had held on to me before she disappeared.
Mulling over this selfish wish, she briefly kissed the lips of the man who had claimed to trust me completely.
Even as she hurried down the dark path, gathering my clothes, my whole being remained with him, the one left behind.
‘Beth?’
It was Arthur who stopped my steps.
‘What’s the matter at this hour?’
Beth had already checked the schedule of the supply truck that arrived before dawn. In her pocket was a forged authorisation letter with Mrs. Molly’s signature.
She had to catch the supply truck and reach the train station before sunrise.
‘Is something the matter?’
Arthur asked cautiously.
The driver who had delivered the bundle of letters and parcels to Arthur saluted the commander and quickly started the car. Beth chewed on the edge of her lips.
As she yanked open the car door, Arthur hastily grabbed the handle.
‘What’s going on?’
Beth looked up at him pleadingly.
Urgently, she scribbled on the palm of her hand.
[Please, pretend you don’t know.]
‘Pretend I don’t know…’
[Please, keep it a secret.]
Another message covered the remaining ink traces.
Arthur stared blankly at her small hand. Beth slowly climbed into the car. The hand gripping the door handle slipped from Arthur’s grasp.
The car drove away from the camp.
Beth raised her head and blinked her moist eyes. The dry wind quickly swept the tears away.
The train was diligently heading in the opposite direction of Wayne, just as she had fled from Debert’s camp.
At that moment, the train carriage door creaked open.
Beth did not look back.
Usually, people came out here to smoke, but there was no acrid smell of tobacco.
Beth closed her eyes again.
If only she could also shut her ears.
“Miss, I’ve been searching for you for a while as you weren’t inside.”
