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LOS 75
Luise cursed under her breath as she left the safe house. She put a cigarette in her mouth and tried to light it, but she couldn't find her lighter no matter how much she searched her pockets. Did she not bring it? That shouldn't be possible. However, she didn't have the luxury to dwell on the whereabouts of her lighter.
She was in a terrible mood. There were several reasons for this. First, she had shown a moment of weakness in front of that man. That fact grated on her pride; second, not only had she looked pathetic, but she had also lost her composure and become agitated.
Luise had even gone so far as to physically harm Giles. If the higher-ups found out, she might be severely punished. Giles had to remain safe until the trial, which would be conducted under the state's meticulous calculations, and that was why they had gone through the trouble of arranging a safe house.
However, the fact that she had failed to control her own emotions weighed more heavily on her than the possibility of being reprimanded. Expressing such intense emotion was akin to revealing the secrets hidden within one's heart. The realization that her complicated feelings for Giles Hessen had been exposed made her unable to let go of her longing for a cigarette.
It wasn't just that Giles might have noticed. It was the same for her. The mere fact that she had assaulted him for receiving his help served as proof to herself that she did not view Giles as just an ordinary prisoner.
Giles Hessen was the prisoner she was assigned to. At the same time, he was a former academy classmate she had been close with, and a fragment of the cherished remnants of her past. That point clouded Luise's mind. What was even more confusing was... that he seemed no different from the Giles she had known in the past.
Giles was an ordinary human. At least, that was how he appeared to her. A human who clung to the instinct for survival, like a child floundering in black waves. Of course, she hadn't believed the propaganda blindly, but in the end, the "devil" was an artificially created being.
Of course, he had killed many people. But what about Luise? How was she any different? She herself had driven bullets into the heads of many people on the battlefield and used grenades to blow them into unrecognizable shapes.
She had no choice. If you didn't kill first, you were the one who died.
Then, what was it that distinguished Luise from Giles? The difference between a soldier and a civilian?
She shook her head. These thoughts were all meaningless. Giles's fate was already decided. He would die. He would pay for his sins by being executed for the sake of everyone.
Still, one final question remained.
Luise had also heard Anna's voice shouting over the radio broadcast. Normally, Anna should have publicly condemned Giles. But Anna didn't. She chose to stand by Giles's side until the end. And she did so in front of the entire population of Beldam.
How could she do such a thing? If Giles were truly a cunning and evil man, how could he garner such steadfast support and love from another person?
Luise suddenly felt a desire to meet Anna. She was curious about her psychology, but she also felt that talking to her might make it easier to organize her own thoughts.
Only Anna Keating could tell her about Giles as a human being.
-
I saw a black sedan pull up in front of the main gate through the window. The moment I saw the car, my head began to ache. I was certain that Arent had come to visit. Who else would visit me? Besides, he was the only one who would arrive in such a fancy sedan.
Since I didn't have the authority to send Arent away, I could only sigh deeply. What kind of nonsense was he going to spout this time? Or perhaps he had chased after me to hold me accountable for ruining the radio broadcast last time.
The day after the broadcast aired, I had checked the newspaper delivered to the mansion. I didn't even need to flip through the pages. A headline about me was splashed right across the front page.
What did it say again? Was it "Confessions of a Woman Brainwashed by a Murderer"? Even the articles in the most dignified newspapers used blunt language without mercy. I didn't even read the article properly. A single line of the headline was enough to make the contents clear in my mind.
But it didn't matter what people thought. I had agreed to participate in the broadcast for only one purpose: to deliver my voice to Giles, wherever he might be imprisoned.
Did he hear it? I hope he did.
Sure enough, a servant knocked on the door and spoke.
"Miss, a guest has arrived. They are waiting in the drawing room."
"I understand."
I answered reluctantly and opened the door to leave.
My mood plummeted the entire way to the drawing room following the servant. What on earth should I say when I meet him?
However, the person waiting for me in the drawing room was not Arent. He was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a soldier I had never seen before was sitting at the table, staring at me.
She smiled softly at me.
"Hello, Miss Anna."
"Yes... hello."
The soldier stood up and offered her hand for a handshake.
"I am Major Luise Gottlieb. I apologize for the sudden visit; you must be surprised. This is the first time we've met face-to-face, isn't it?"
"Ah, nice to meet you, Major. Please, have a seat."
As she said, it was a very sudden visit. Moreover, I hadn't imagined that someone as high-ranking as a major would come to see me, so I couldn't hide my bewilderment.
While I, who was facing a Beldam soldier for the first time, struggled to find words, Luise spoke first.
"Have you grown accustomed to life in Beldam?"
"Actually, it's not that different from Ipswin."
"I suppose so. Since they are neighboring countries, the lifestyles aren't very different."
"Um..."
I glanced at the military uniform Luise was wearing. If she was a soldier, would she perhaps know about Giles?
"May I ask you one thing?"
"Go ahead."
"Is Giles safe? I won't ask for much, just please tell me how he is doing."
"You mean Giles Hessen."
Luise took a sip of tea and paused before answering.
"He is incarcerated in prison. He's doing well, with all his limbs intact."
"What I mean is, has he been subjected to things like torture?"
"Why ask something so obvious?"
My heart sank at the cryptic answer. Luise, who had been observing my expression, suddenly burst into a cheerful laugh. Feeling mocked, my expression soured instantly.
"Why are you laughing?"
"No, I mean, I just realized it was actually true."
"What is?"
She couldn't seem to suppress her laughter once it had started. I was confused as to why this was funny, and eventually, I snapped.
"Stop it! This might be a joke to you, but it isn't to me. Giles is a precious person to me. Of course, you'll probably sneer. You're likely the type who reads the newspapers and prides themselves on knowing him well, just like everyone else out there. I love Giles. You already knew that before you came here, so why are you playing such a prank?"
"Alright. I'm sorry, Miss Anna."
Luise finally stopped laughing. For some reason, I felt that she wasn't a normal person. She looked like someone who had suffered a psychological shock due to a major event, leaving her slightly skewed.
It was probably because of the war. She must have participated in the World War as well. Even so, I could not forgive this kind of treatment.
Luise continued.
"Actually, I did that on purpose to see your reaction. I apologize once more. I needed to know how you truly feel about Giles."
"Why do you want to know that?"
"Miss Anna, from now on, I will tell you only the truth. Giles is fine. He is isolated alone in a place other than a prison. He is, after all, a prisoner who must be handled specially. And of course, there was no torture."
"...Tell me why you came to see me."
"I heard the things you said on the radio broadcast."
Was it that story after all? But before fatigue could set in, Luise's next words captured my attention.
"I didn't listen to it alone; I heard it together with Giles."
"You were with Giles?"
"I visit Giles every day. I am the one managing him. As such, please understand that there are many things I cannot tell you."
"Anyway, you're saying Giles is safe?"
"Yes. My mission is to keep him securely detained until his trial. So, please do not worry about his physical safety."
That was an absurd request. Giles would soon be sentenced to death, yet she told me not to worry about his safety.
Still, the single fact that Giles had heard my words gave me a small measure of peace.
"After listening to the broadcast, I became truly curious. Miss Anna, you acted willfully in front of countless listeners to defend Giles Hessen. That must have required immense courage. I wanted to know how such a thing was possible, and whether it was plausible for someone to take such a risk for Giles Hessen. To defend a notorious murderer who is hated by everyone, not just an ordinary person."
Luise looked me straight in the eye and asked.
"Anna Keating, why do you love Giles?"
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