Chapter 14

Unlike last time, Elsie was the only passenger in first class.

Having some time to herself, she found herself thinking of Kaiden for some reason.

This time, it had been him who brought up divorce.

Ironically, his proposal had finally allowed Elsie to smile with a peaceful heart.

What on earth had brought about such a change in his feelings?

She was curious about what Kaiden was thinking, but no matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn’t come up with an answer.

Come to think of it, there had been a point when she could no longer easily read his thoughts.

It hadn’t always been that way.

Suddenly, memories from long ago came back to her.

Before the two of them were married, Elsie had waited anxiously every day for news from Kaiden.

And for good reason. Kaiden was a soldier who could be summoned anywhere, at any time, and lose his life without warning. Naturally, waiting for him had been an agonizing experience for her.

How long had she waited on the platform, her hands clasped together as though in prayer?

It felt as if she had been waiting for days, but only after what seemed like an eternity did Kaiden finally step off the train.

“Eden! Are you all right? You aren’t hurt anywhere, are you?”

“…As I’ve told you countless times, getting injured is part of the job.”

“Whether it’s training or anything else, you mustn’t get hurt!”

Pouting, Elsie rose onto her tiptoes and examined Kaiden from head to toe.

His face seemed fine. But his hand…

“Your hand… Is it all right? You’re not badly hurt, are you?”

From the back of his hand up to the part hidden beneath his sleeve, there was gauze stained with brownish patches.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

“How can you say it’s nothing…? Come on, let’s go. I’ll have them prepare a doctor.”

Her face crumpled with worry as she took Kaiden by the wrist and pulled him along.

As soon as they arrived at the Lesles residence, she called a doctor to examine him. Kaiden looked reluctant, but there was no one in the estate who could make Elsie give up once she had made up her mind.

Kaiden was especially weak when it came to her tears.

Knowing that well, Elsie had little trouble making sure he received proper treatment.

In any case, afterward, the two of them had an ordinary dinner and went for a walk hand in hand.

Up to that point, it had been an ordinary date, no different from any other.

I can’t sleep… Maybe I’ll do a sketch.

With a shawl draped over her nightclothes, Elsie secretly slipped out of the bedroom, carrying a blank sheet of paper and a pencil.

Having sneaked out of the estate countless times before, she knew how to avoid the servants and make her way to the garden.

Under the soft moonlight, sketching the garden at night, with its almost melancholy atmosphere, was a rather charming pastime.

But tonight was different.

Eden?

Kaiden had arrived in the garden before her.

She was about to greet him, delighted to see him, but then stopped.

Eden…

Half-hidden in the darkness, Kaiden was looking up at the sky.

He raised a hand to cover his forehead. Then it slowly slid down, as though he were crumbling, until it covered his eyes.

There were no tears. And yet, he was undoubtedly crying.

“Damn it. If only I’d done things properly back then…”

His slurred words were steeped in anger and sorrow.

His head drooped. Faced with such a despairing sight, Elsie was left speechless.

Kaiden, who always seemed so calm and composed.

Yet now, he was the complete opposite of the man she knew.

He looked so utterly exhausted that he seemed on the verge of breaking apart. Elsie watched him until he finally left.

It felt as though she had seen the real Kaiden.

There really had been a time like that, hadn’t there?

At least back then, Kaiden might have hidden his wounds, but he had never deceived her.

It was almost laughable that now, when class distinctions had disappeared, everything was more steeped in lies than it had been then.

Of course, that didn’t mean she wanted to return to the days before the revolution.

She didn’t know much about politics, but the choice Kaiden had supported must have been the right one.

Elsie closed her eyes. She could feel the train rushing forward without restraint.

Half a day later, in the darkening evening, the train arrived at Earnest Station.

Should she continue on to Lübeck?

If she arrived even later, finding somewhere to stay would become difficult. So she decided to get off at Earnest.

When Elsie stood up and opened the compartment door, the attendant took the initiative and brought down her luggage.

Earnest Station was just as she remembered it.

The scent of the sea, which reached all the way into the station building, wasn’t unpleasant.

She had once come looking for the sea with death in mind. But now, all she could think was that there was something peaceful about it. At least, she was beginning to think about living rather than dying.

Where should she go?

Elsie set down her bag and sat on a wooden bench.

She had no definite destination and nowhere to stay.

The realization that she had nowhere to go suddenly left her feeling at a loss.

She sat there blankly amid the crowds of people hurrying about.

She had no idea how much time had passed when—

“Is something wrong?”

When she looked up, she saw a woman wearing a light coat.

“I noticed you’ve been sitting here for quite a while, so I thought I’d come over.”

The woman continued with a quiet smile.

“I’m sorry if this is sudden. Well, I suppose it can’t help but be sudden. A stranger just came up and started talking to you.”

The woman lightly cleared her throat, seemingly embarrassed.

“Anyway, I wondered if something had happened. You caught my attention, and… Are you all right?”

Her hair looked blonde at first.

No, looking again, it was actually a faded brown.

As Elsie simply stared at her in a daze, the woman whose name she didn’t know waved a hand in front of her face.

Only then did Elsie regain her senses enough to answer.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment. I was just sitting here because I didn’t know where to go.”

Even as she said it, Elsie knew how inadequate her answer sounded. Her cheeks grew hot with embarrassment.

“You don’t have anywhere to go?”

“Well…”

After hesitating, Elsie nodded.

“The festival is about to begin, so finding a place to stay will be difficult. Do you have somewhere reserved?”

This time, Elsie shook her head.

“In that case…”

The woman glanced at the large clock inside the station.

“My name is Nelly Fox. How about coming to stay at our house? We have a spare room that we usually let guests use.”

Fox?

It was a common surname in Midland.

But the reason the word caught her attention was that it reminded her of something Kaiden had once told her about his family.

“…Thank you. Would it be all right if I stayed with you just until I can find somewhere else?”

“Of course.”

After some hesitation, Elsie asked cautiously, and Nelly readily nodded.

A little later, Elsie followed Nelly, who had taken the lead, out of the station.

“Please understand if I’m slow. My leg is like this.”

Nelly was using a cane. She walked slowly, limping as she went.

“That’s all right. Um… thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. You looked like such a beautiful young lady in trouble. I thought if I simply walked past you, I’d have trouble sleeping tonight.”

At Nelly’s playful remark, Elsie murmured another thank-you.

Whether she heard the whispered words or not, Nelly smiled brightly.

As she led the way, she occasionally told Elsie about Earnest. Elsie listened to her stories as pleasantly as she might listen to a lovely song.

“Here we are.”

They passed through the town, where the scent of the sea was strong, and arrived at a single-story building surrounded by stone walls. It had an ordinary appearance, the sort of house one could find anywhere.

“Don’t be too surprised when we go inside. My husband should be home from work by now, and he’s so friendly that he might make you feel a little overwhelmed.”

Elsie hesitated, unsure how to respond. Nelly let out a clear laugh.

And so, the two of them entered the house. Elsie’s shoulders tensed slightly as she felt an unexpected nervousness.

“Nelly, you’re late toda— Oh, I see you were delayed because you brought a guest. It’s nice to meet you, miss.”

A man who had been sitting in a chair, poking at the kindling in the fireplace, quickly greeted Elsie when he saw her.

“Hello. My name is Elsie Gra… Lesles.”

She barely managed to swallow the word Gray that had nearly slipped from her lips.

Then Elsie glanced at Nelly, uncertainly.

She hadn’t even asked the woman’s name, and had simply followed her without another word.

Was there anyone in this country who didn’t know Elsie Lesles?

Her green eyes wavered as she watched the couple.

“That’s a lovely name. Dear, have you already told her about me?”

“I only told her there was an ordinary old man at home.”

“An ordinary old man…? Goodness… Ahem. My name is Thomas Reed. Heh heh. I hope you’ll remember me not as just an ordinary old man, but as a handsome old man.”

“Oh, honestly! You’re being ridiculous!”

“Hey! Ridiculous, you say?”

Thomas’s shameless introduction dispelled Elsie’s unease.

At least, the two of them didn’t seem to know who she was. There was not the slightest hint that they were deliberately pretending otherwise, and Elsie’s heart grew considerably lighter.

“Anyway, make yourself comfortable. I’m not feeling particularly well, so I’d better turn in early.”

Thomas suddenly muttered as though making an excuse, then went into another room. It seemed to be his way of giving her some consideration.

As he moved, the part of him that had been hidden behind the sofa came into Elsie’s view.

She had assumed Thomas was sitting in a chair. But it wasn’t a chair.

With a creaking sound, the wheelchair moved.

“I’ll show you to your room.”

Nelly spoke to Elsie, and that brought her gaze back at once.

“…Thank you.”

“You can stop thanking me. It’s just that, as I said, we’re a little lonely around here. Besides, Earnest has an old tradition.”

“A tradition?”

“Anyone who comes to Earnest should be welcomed warmly. That’s the tradition. Now, you can use this bed, and as for clothes… Mine might be a little too big for you, but if you don’t mind…”

Once they entered the room, Nelly explained various things to Elsie.

“It’s all right. There should be a few changes of clothes in my bag.”

“That’s good, then. Still, let me know if you need anything.”

After Nelly left, Elsie changed into the clothes packed in her bag.

It felt strange to change clothes without someone attending to her, as it was the first time she’d ever done so. But she managed well enough.

When she came out of the room, Nelly had prepared a warm meal for her. Afterward, she didn’t ask Elsie about her circumstances, but instead cheerfully told her about Earnest.

And so, with Nelly’s kind help, the day came to an end.

It wasn’t a bad start to standing on her own two feet.