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LOS 21
4.
An Uneasy Encounter
The beginning of spring. People stood in line to buy sandwiches. It wasn't a famous shop, but the taste was good for the price.
I joined the long queue. The man standing in front of me seemed to notice someone had arrived; he glanced back at me, his eyes widening in surprise, and tapped the shoulder of the person in front of him.
I simply offered a smile. Inside, however, I wasn't smiling at all. Damn it, this is exactly why I hate crowded places. Along with my name, my face had become famous among the public. I thought I would faint when my photo took up a section of the newspaper.
Fortunately, no one attempted to speak to me or start a commotion by shouting, "That woman is here!" Most people were too preoccupied with getting their sandwiches and leaving.
It was then. Someone tugged at the hem of my thin trench coat.
Looking down, I saw a young girl staring up at me, her cheeks flushed red.
"Um..."
The child looked back at the adults who appeared to be her parents, then summoned her courage.
"Please give me your autograph."
"Oh, sure."
One should be kind to children. At least, that's what I believed. I scribbled my name on the piece of paper the child held out.
「Anna Keating.」
Having received my signature, the child bowed politely and ran off excitedly. I watched her for a moment, then buried my face in my scarf and lowered my head.
I should have just asked Albert to buy them! Regretting it now was useless. I had simply wanted some fresh air. Besides, with my face already in the newspaper, going out for a bit wouldn't change much.
It took about ten minutes to get my sandwich. As soon as I paid, I walked quickly away from the crowd. I didn't want to attract attention. Perhaps in far-off Vitelsden it would be different, but here in Ipswin, there was no telling what kind of disaster might occur.
Only after entering the apartment complex where I was staying could I unravel my stifling scarf. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. There was a woman with pale hair tied back in a single ponytail. It had been several months since I bleached it blonde, but I still wasn't used to it.
As I inserted the key to unlock my door, before I could even turn the handle, the door swung open and a tall man appeared. He called my name with a wide grin.
"Anna!"
"Please, stop talking so loudly!"
I whispered urgently, pushing him inside and hurriedly closing the door. He looked as if he had no idea what he had done wrong. In a word, he was looking at me with a completely brazen expression.
"I'm just glad to see you."
"It hasn't even been twenty hours since we last parted."
"You don't have to wait a long time to have the right to be glad to see someone."
"Enough. Stop making a scene and eat this."
I placed the sandwiches in his arms and hung my trench coat on the rack. Albert followed me, still holding the sandwiches.
"This much is fine. The name Anna is incredibly common. There are two more Annas just on the floor above us."
"Still, I want to be as careful as possible. Do you understand? I've told you how many times! I can't do anything that draws attention until I leave this place."
Albert nodded obediently.
Though he didn't seem to be reflecting on his actions at all.
More than two months had already passed since I first met Albert Shaw. Even after deciding to trust him, a part of me thought there was a possibility he might actually sell me out. Or perhaps he had another conspiracy in mind.
However, he was only interested in sending me abroad. The idea of me becoming a pianist was also his.
Albert had been overjoyed when he discovered I had a talent for the piano. He had said, "Anna, it's as if you already had a ticket to go abroad."
He seemed like a good person. He smiled often and was positive about everything. I had never met someone like this in my entire life. Not only that, he was even devoted to me.
Perhaps, I began to think that I could trust him.
It wasn't because he was a kind or easygoing good person. It was because I felt certain that he had absolutely no connection to Giles Hessen.
That fact alone made him worth trusting.
Albert unwrapped the sandwich and grumbled.
"I don't like egg sandwiches."
"Weren't you saying yesterday that scrambled eggs are your favorite dish?"
"That's when the yolks are beaten and cooked; this is boiled. I hate boiled eggs."
If there was a flaw, it was that he could be annoying in this way. What on earth is the difference between scrambled and boiled? I had no choice but to hand over my portion to him. His face brightened again. I suppressed the surge of irritation.
"Anyway, why did you suddenly want to see me? This early in the morning."
"Can't I see you in the morning?"
"Stop nitpicking my words."
"Would you be angry if I said I didn't have any particular business?"
Sensing my mood, he quickly backed down. For once, a look of seriousness settled on his handsome face.
"Actually, it's because I have some good news."
"Good news?"
I quickly sat down beside him. Triumphant, Albert pulled something from his pocket. It was an envelope sealed with sealing wax.
"It's a golden ticket for you."
"What is that? Stop playing word games and give it here."
"Now, now, Anna."
He blocked me as I reached for the envelope, holding the 'golden ticket' high in the air. He was practically teasing me...
"I cannot give a golden ticket to someone who is impolite."
"What on earth does that mean?"
"It means there is a magic spell."
"Stop playing around and just give it to me!"
"I'm telling you, I can only give it to you if you recite the spell! Just say one phrase. Go on."
He was being petty. I let out a deep sigh, gave up, and said the words he wanted.
"I beg of you."
Damn Albert seemed to find teasing me quite amusing.
"What are you begging for?"
"The letter."
"What about the letter?"
"I'm begging you, just give me the letter, seriously!"
Still, he was a man who knew where to draw the line. "Alright, alright," Albert soothed me as he handed over the letter.
I broke the seal and read the densely written text inside.
"This is..."
"I told you I had good news, didn't I?"
"You're not joking, right?"
"Anna, I don't joke about things like this. This is what you've wanted so badly."
The identity of the golden ticket was an invitation. It had come from none other than Vitelsden. Moreover, it had been kindly translated into our language.
Unable to believe this was real, I read it again from the first line.
「Dear Miss Anna Keating. We greet you for the first time. The Vitelsden Philharmonic Musicians' Association ventures to write to Miss Keating.
While searching for a musician with the appropriate qualifications, we have heard of an unrivaled pianist who has swept the victories of the competitions held over the past few months.
If Miss Keating is amenable, we would like to invite you to Vitelsden. The offer we wish to propose is that of an exclusive pianist for our Philharmonic Orchestra...」
"I worked really hard to spread the word about you. You know that, right?"
"When did this letter arrive?"
"I don't know what time the courier came, but I ran straight to you as soon as I found this."
"Then... can I really go?"
I had always longed to leave for a foreign country. There was only one reason. I believed that I would be safe abroad. In a foreign land where no one knows me and the language spoken is different... perhaps I wouldn't have to live in hiding.
"Why ask something so obvious, Anna? Vitelsden has officially invited you. There's no reason you can't go."
"I... I thought that perhaps the opportunity would never come."
"You, of all people? You're a great pianist! There was even an article in the newspaper. 'A rookie pianist appears like a comet, sweeping the three major competitions.' People are starting to know your name. You'll probably be able to hold a recital under your own name soon."
Ah, yes. The newspaper was also a problem. While it was certainly a good thing that news of me reached Vitelsden, it also meant there was a possibility that 'that person' would learn of my name.
The reason I had to leave Ipswin was that that man appeared frequently in my dreams. A man whose name I didn't even want to recall. Giles Hessen. I suffered from nightmares of Giles coming to capture me. I couldn't live like this. I had to flee far enough that he could not reach me with his clutches.
"Anna, are you really going to leave for Vitelsden?"
"Why are you asking something so obvious?"
"Just in case you changed your mind, because I'd have to cancel the train ticket."
"You already bought the ticket?"
Albert had already secured the ticket. While I was amazed by his decisiveness, I wondered why he was so sincere toward me. Albert thought and acted as if my affairs were his own.
"I thought you'd want to leave as soon as possible."
"That's true, but... surely you don't mean I have to pack my bags and leave right this second? I haven't packed a single bag."
"There's plenty of time, so it's fine. There aren't many trains to Vitelsden. That's why you have to get the tickets well in advance. That's why I bought it early. There's about... a week left until the train departs?"
As soon as I heard his words, I thought about shopping at the market. I would buy plenty of food and not step a single foot out of the house for a week. Only then would I feel at peace.
I had once seen a patrol in military uniforms while out, and I had frozen like a plaster statue, hiding behind a building wall until they were completely out of sight.
Albert had comforted me and said:
"I'll go with you until you get off at Vitelsden. You'll be safe there. That man won't be able to chase you. What could he possibly do in another country?"
I expressed my gratitude softly. Although Albert could be annoying at times, he was still a good person. Moreover, he was on my side. I sometimes imagine what would have happened if I hadn't met him.
"Where do I take the train?"
"At Montreal Station."
It was a place I had never heard of. I was born and raised in Ipswin, but because I had spent most of my life confined, I didn't know the local geography well.
"So I just go there in a week?"
"That's right. If you go after noon, the Orient Express will be waiting."
I repeated the name of the train in my head.
The Orient Express. The name of the train that would take me to an unknown land.
Albert was wearing a proud smile beside me. He looked like a hunting dog that had brought back a deer, which made me smile.
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