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LOS 72
As always, it was time for the meal. This also meant that a sort of interview with Luise was about to begin. The menu changed every day. Today, a dish made primarily of bacon and potatoes particularly caught his eye.
Of course, such things no longer held any meaning for Giles. He simply obeyed the order to eat. Thinking of it as obedience rather than a choice actually made his head feel lighter and calmed his turbulent heart.
What tormented Giles most these days was a guilt and self-loathing that had reached their breaking point. Ever since Luise showed him the newspaper articles, he could not shake the thoughts of Anna.
Even if she had gained physical freedom, would Anna be unable to escape the shadow of the sins he had committed for the rest of her life?
Thus, all the efforts to forcibly prolong his life gradually became overwhelming to him. One such effort was this mealtime that returned at the same fixed hour every day.
Perhaps because a high-ranking officer joined the table, the fact that they served meals far too good for a prisoner only made him feel more miserable. He did not deserve such treatment.
The sin he committed while preoccupied with surviving had ultimately swallowed an innocent person...
And he had been unable to stop anything. Not anymore.
Giles should have left Anna behind and ascended the scaffold. It was an irresponsible and cowardly death. The subconscious whisper—that perhaps he had hoped he could just give up everything and run away—kept him awake through the night.
“There was another article about you today.”
Luise spoke in a calm tone, as if she were someone out for dinner with an ordinary friend. She opened the newspaper and read the headline.
“‘Interview with a Survivor Who Barely Made It Out.’ It’s an interview with a woman who was imprisoned in Ipswin and repatriated to Beldam. Do you happen to remember a Michaela Rainer?”
“No.”
“Well, considering how many people you encountered in there, it’s not surprising you don’t remember.”
“Is there nothing about Anna?”
At Giles's question, Luise flipped through a page or two of the newspaper and smiled.
“Of course there is. There isn't anything particularly noteworthy to tell you. However, a flood of articles will pour out after today's broadcast. You can look forward to it.”
“A broadcast?”
“Ah, did I not mention it? Anna will be doing an interview at a radio station today. I brought a radio specifically because I thought you'd want to hear it. This is what having a friend is for, right?”
Only then did he understand why an unfamiliar radio had been placed on the edge of the table. Even without the explanation, the picture was obvious. Giles felt a migraine returning. But nothing would change even if he protested.
“...Did Anna agree to this?”
“Of course. Do you think we would have dragged her to the station by force? She went of her own accord. There was no coercion, so don't worry.”
“Anna volunteered for this?”
“She accepted our proposal.”
Luise said, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him.
“I promised her that if she finished the interview well, I would let her see you.”
At that, Giles fell silent. Now the puzzle pieces felt as though they were falling into place. There was no way she would have readily agreed to do something that brought her no benefit. While the possibility of meeting Anna had arisen, Giles felt strangely unhappy.
“Is it true that she can come to see me?”
“We don't lie.”
“But...”
What meaning was there in that?
Giles barely swallowed the words that had risen to the top of his throat and rubbed his forehead. Facing death, he was barely maintaining his composure. He was afraid that if he looked into Anna's face, he would no longer be able to do so.
It wasn't that he feared death. Rather, he feared that after facing Anna, he would find it unbearable to endure this entire situation surrounding him, or that he might plunge even deeper into the abyss. Those were the things that terrified Giles.
Because he had to endure. The fact that he must face death as if escaping, leaving everything behind. That was an unchangeable future.
Normally, Giles might have been able to accept it humbly.
He might have, if he hadn't known that the nation of Beldam was trying to swallow even Anna.
“Well, it's not that I have any particular intention in letting you listen. I just thought you might be curious. If you don't want to hear it, just say so. I can just take the radio back.”
“No. Let me listen.”
At his request, Luise raised her eyebrows in surprise. However, without asking anything further, she adjusted the radio frequency. The radio, which had been emitting static, soon began to deliver clear voices.
“It was scheduled for noon, so it should start soon. Are you sure you won't regret this? Nothing good about you is likely to come out.”
“I am aware of that much.”
The contents of the interview could not hurt him. Giles simply needed to know what they had instructed Anna to do. Even if knowing wouldn't change anything, he couldn't simply pretend not to know.
Soon, an unfamiliar man's voice flowed from the radio.
“Welcome back, listeners. I am Leo Schmidt. This time, we have a very special guest. Someone more famous than the most brilliant actress, and the protagonist of the most talked-about romance in Beldam's history. The very person who appears on the front page of the newspaper every day! It is Miss Eloise Bismarck. It is an honor to meet you, Countess Bismar.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you too.”
“Is this your first time doing an interview? How do you feel?”
“I'm very nervous. But I know many people are listening. So I will try to convey my story without leaving anything out.”
“Very well, Miss Bismarck. May I call you Eloise for convenience?”
“Yes, that's fine.”
“Then, Eloise. I heard you returned to your homeland, Beldam, not long ago. What were your impressions? I imagine Ipswin and Beldam are quite different, aren't they?”
“Ah, it is a truly beautiful country. I felt almost cheated that I only stepped onto Beldam's soil now.”
“Congratulations on your safe return. However, I heard that you had a companion when you returned to Beldam.”
“That's right. I came with Giles.”
“Hmm, I see. Could you tell us in more detail exactly what the situation was at that time?”
“The Ipswin Revolutionary Army was chasing us. It was a situation where we could have all died if we stayed still. Giles said he would take me across the Beldam border. Of course, he knew that by going to Beldam, he would become a condemned prisoner, but he believed that I would be able to survive. He risked death to save me.”
Giles and Luise's eyes met. In that moment, Giles realized something was going wrong. There must have been a script or instructions, but it was clear that Anna was completely ignoring them.
The host seemed to be struggling to avoid showing his fluster.
“So, you were being chased by the Ipswin Revolutionary Army.”
“Yes, that's right. Giles hid my identity to protect me. Because that was discovered, we had no choice but to flee.”
“In the end, didn't you get caught up in the mess Giles Hessen created? If you hadn't met that man, Miss Eloise would have...”
“It's simple. I would have died.”
The silence was momentary, but it felt very long. Even the three people gathered in this room were on edge.
Amidst that, only Anna's voice continued in a clear tone.
“I believe many of you are well aware of the stories about me. But among those numerous stories, how many were told by the person involved? Perhaps the words I am saying now are the first? Therefore, as promised before, I will tell my story without adding or subtracting anything. First, the one who saved me was Giles. He was the first piece of luck to happen in my life.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because until then, I had to survive tenaciously. Not as a metaphor, but literally. I had to struggle just to keep my life going. You know my father, right? The previous Count. That man beat me mercilessly simply because I failed to make the marriage talks with Johann Meier happen. Stories like this wouldn't have appeared in the newspapers, would they?”
“Miss Eloise, can you swear that what you are saying now is the truth?”
“I have not lied. It is all true. My father called me and beat me every day. And he used to lock me in closets or under the floorboards. Most of the scars on my body were made by him. That is the life I lived. The stories that I was a happy young lady are all fabricated lies. I was not happy at all. I thought I would have to live such a life forever. But do you know? I eventually met the person who taught me what true joy is. That is Giles Hessen.”
He felt Luise's gaze shift toward him. On the other hand, Giles did not take his eyes off the radio for a single second.
Anna was shouting toward Beldam, ignoring the script. Knowing that it would bring her no benefit, solely for his sake...
“Of course, I know Giles committed a crime. Since he killed people, he deserves to be punished. But shouldn't we at least stop lying? I was happy because of Giles. That is a fact. That is a legitimate emotion that existed between us. I want to say that. I don't care what others say about me, but I cannot let them insult my feelings for Giles. Because Giles was the only person who told me he loved me and that he hoped I would not die.”
Now, this interview was nothing more than one person's unilateral monologue. However, in the next moment, surprisingly, Anna began to speak directly to Giles.
“Giles, are you there? I know you're listening.”
“Anna.”
He answered unconsciously. Of course, his voice would not reach Anna.
Anna continued.
“You said it. That you were able to live because of me. That because you couldn't give up on me, you didn't give up on your own life. I want you to keep enduring. Keep enduring, and stay by my side. I don't want you to die. Because you are the person I saved.”
Her voice grew louder, as if something were happening. Giles remained frozen, listening to Anna's words.
“You are the person I saved! So don't give up! Giles, don't give up on your life!”
The broadcast cut off.
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