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After lunchtime, the servant informed Annette that she had requested a visit.
“Madam, a gentleman has requested a meeting. He claims to be an old acquaintance of yours….”
“My acquaintance?”
Annette wondered if there was anyone she knew who might come to see her when she heard a familiar name.
“Yes. If I say Ansgar, you will know.”
Annette's eyes slowly widened as she pondered the name. She muttered blankly.
“Ansgar...?”
Ansgar Stetter.
He was the second son of the now fallen Count Stetter family and Annette's friend.
In the past, Ansgar had courted Annette, but it never happened. After Annette married, he went abroad to study as a waitress, and there was no news of him after the revolution.
“Excuse me, ma’am? What should I do?”
“...Ah. That...”
Annette hesitated, unable to answer readily. It wasn't because she didn't trust Ansgar or because she felt uncomfortable with him. It was just...
It was miserable to see him like this.
Stetter was a close ally of Rosenberg's, which is why Annette and Ansgar grew up close.
With Rosenberg's downfall, the Stetter family naturally fell as well. Fortunately, Ansgar was abroad during the revolution and thus escaped the wrath.
But Annette and Ansgar's circumstances were different. It wasn't simply a matter of domestic or international differences. Her situation was different not only from Ansgar's but also from that of other fallen nobles.
After the revolution, the revolutionary forces exploited public opinion to justify the bloodshed and consolidate the unstable situation. Annette was the one who exploited this propaganda.
She was quite suited to the job. She was of royal blood, a symbol of 'nobility,' and the daughter of a military captain.
The press, by skewering Annette to the neck, spread anti-aristocracy sentiment. In Padania, Annette's image was now that of a legendary villainess.
Annette, who had been thinking about it, finally gave her permission.
“...Into the reception room... Please come into the reception room first. Please wait a moment...”
"All right."
The servant bowed and left. Annette sat at the dressing table, looking into the mirror. Her gloomy expression made her look as if she might collapse at any moment.
She put on some simple makeup. She applied red lipstick to her lips and dabbed it lightly on her cheeks, which seemed to bring some life to her face.
When she went down to the reception room, a servant was waiting in front.
“The guest is...?”
“They are inside. I brought them some tea.”
Annette took a deep breath and opened the reception room door. Her hand trembled slightly as she turned the knob.
A faint scent of tea wafted from the living room. A man in a brown suit sat neatly on the sofa. As Annette entered, Ansgar took off his hat and stood up.
“Annette.”
“...It’s been a while.”
Annette responded with a light smile and a calm demeanor. In contrast, Ansgar's face was visibly both happy and sad.
Ansgar strode over to her and embraced her. Annette placed a hand on his back, suppressing her pent-up emotions.
They shared a brief embrace and then parted ways. Ansgar sat back down, his gaze fixed on Annette's face.
“You’ve lost a lot of weight.”
“Do you see it?”
“Still pretty.”
Annette smiled without answering. She wondered if Ansgar still had feelings for her, but quickly shook the thought away. Whether or not he did was irrelevant now.
"I sent you a letter first, but I didn't get a reply. So I had no choice but to come see you in person."
"I guess I told them to filter out letters from unknown addresses first. Did you wander around the old mansion in vain?"
Annette said it as a joke, but Ansgar's expression was not bright.
“...No way. Of course, I would have gone to the official residence first. You're the Commander-in-Chief’s wife.”
"How have you been? Have you finally returned to Padania?"
"No, that's not it. I just came here to sort out some things. I had to come here once... and I need to see you too. I'm currently working as an ambassador in France."
“France? Aren’t you a waitress?”
“I went straight to France after graduating. A lot of my friends were there.”
Most of the nobles of Padania who fled the aftermath of the revolution took refuge in France. Perhaps his acquaintance is referring to them.
"An ambassador. You succeeded, Ansgar."
"What about success? If I had lived my life the way just like before, I might have had a better life."
'Just like before.' Annette felt a strange sense of discomfort at those words.
The original life. The life before the revolution. Or the life that never would. Was that life truly better? Perhaps. Perhaps...
“How have you been, Annette?”
Annette suddenly came to her senses. Ansgar, with his sensitive expression, tilted his head. She gave a vague answer.
“...Um. Well. I just got by.”
Ansgar's strange gaze seemed to say he knew everything about Annette. Of course, he couldn't have been unaware. Especially if he was working as an ambassador.
Ansgar took a sip of tea and quietly opened his mouth.
“I was married.”
“Oh, really? Congratulations. What kind of woman is that...?”
“I got divorced last year.”
Ansgar chuckled as he looked at Annette, who was slightly flustered.
“We got married out of necessity anyway. I needed citizenship.”
"I see."
"You?"
"Me?"
“Are you going to continue this marriage?”
Annette was speechless at the blunt statement. It wasn't simply that she couldn't find the words. A servant was waiting in the reception room. Every servant in the residence was Heiner's.
That is, all conversations shared here are relayed to Heiner.
“...First of all.”
"Are you continuing this on your own accord? You know what your husband did to us, don't you?"
“I’m not that stupid, Ansgar.”
“I... didn’t mean to ignore you.”
"I know. And I want a divorce, too. Just for now."
Annette hesitated for a moment before answering.
What should I say? My husband won't agree to a divorce. I can't guarantee my chances of winning the divorce, and if I persist, he might even put me in a mental hospital.
Whichever option she chose, it seemed like the conversation would be lengthy. Annette mumbled her answer, keeping an eye on the servant standing like a shadow behind her.
“...Getting a divorce right now is a bit difficult.”
“Even if you got divorced, you probably wouldn’t have anywhere to go. Is that right?”
“Have you come to make me aware of my situation?”
"Don't take it so seriously, Annette. I'm genuinely concerned about you. I just don't want to beat around the bush."
Ansgar, who raised both hands as if to show his innocence, let out a short breath. He clenched his fists and then lowered them again. Finally, a resolute confession flowed out.
“Come with me to France.”
"...What?"
"I still have you in my heart. I've always thought I'd bring you back as soon as I settled down. If you marry me, you'll be able to obtain France's citizenship."
“...”
"I know what the atmosphere is like in Padania. You've been used by the Republicans all this time. Your husband would agree with them, but he won't help you. Right now, I'm your only option."
“...”
“Take my hand, Annette.”
Ansgar gently raised his lips as if to reassure her.
“You can be happier.”
“I will make you happy for the rest of your life.”
Annette stared at the finite face. Ansgar waited patiently for her response. Annette, lost in thought, answered weakly.
“My husband... won’t allow it.”
“If you get a divorce, you’re a stranger, so what good is permission?”
"He's the Commander-in-Chief. He won't tolerate any actions that go against his will."
“Annette, are you by any chance...”
A faint look of shock crossed Ansgar's face. Annette vaguely guessed what he was trying to say.
He wonders if her husband has kept her here, if she is being mentally or physically abused... something like that.
It wasn't entirely wrong. But Annette didn't want to be pitied. Even in this situation, she didn't.
"Whatever you think, Ansgar, I'm fine. You don't have to worry too much."
“...Leaving aside the divorce issue, the overall situation is too much for you.”
“It’s been three years.”
Annette cut him off quietly.
"I've held out for three years. There's no reason I can't hold out longer."
Ansgar's expression became slightly strange. The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Annette closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and smiled calmly.
"First, I want to gather my thoughts. It was so sudden, wasn't it?"
"Oh, right. That's right. Did I get to the point a little too quickly? Sorry. I... have been waiting for this day, but from your perspective, it must have just been a sudden turn of events."
Ansgar scratched his cheek, seemingly embarrassed. The back of his neck and earlobes were slightly red. Annette shook her head.
"No. I should have received your letter. Um, which way should I send you the message? I'll get back to you later."
"Oh, right! I need your contact information. Here's my business card... Oh, I'll write the address on the back too. Just a moment. I'm staying at a hotel temporarily. You can give my name to the front desk, or you can just come straight to my room."
Ansgar fumbled with a pen from inside his coat and scribbled the address on the back of a business card. His appearance reminded her of a boy she used to hang out with.
Until just now, it felt somehow unfamiliar.
"Yes, here. Be sure to call me back. Let me know if you need any help."
“Yes, thanks.”
After several pleas, Ansgar finally rose from his seat, seemingly resigned. Annette escorted him to the front door, despite Ansgar's pleas.
He was an old friend. He was a friend who had come back. Whatever the circumstances, she was very happy to see him.
Returning inside, Annette closed the front door and leaned against it for a moment. After Ansgar left, the silence surrounding her felt particularly thick.
Annette stared blankly at the business card she had been holding the whole time.
Ansgar Stetter.
The Stetter family. France's ambassador. Acquaintances. Exiled nobles. Marriage. Republican forces... Annette, slowly retracing his words, muttered softly.
“...Restoration of the monarchy?”
“Madam, a gentleman has requested a meeting. He claims to be an old acquaintance of yours….”
“My acquaintance?”
Annette wondered if there was anyone she knew who might come to see her when she heard a familiar name.
“Yes. If I say Ansgar, you will know.”
Annette's eyes slowly widened as she pondered the name. She muttered blankly.
“Ansgar...?”
Ansgar Stetter.
He was the second son of the now fallen Count Stetter family and Annette's friend.
In the past, Ansgar had courted Annette, but it never happened. After Annette married, he went abroad to study as a waitress, and there was no news of him after the revolution.
“Excuse me, ma’am? What should I do?”
“...Ah. That...”
Annette hesitated, unable to answer readily. It wasn't because she didn't trust Ansgar or because she felt uncomfortable with him. It was just...
It was miserable to see him like this.
Stetter was a close ally of Rosenberg's, which is why Annette and Ansgar grew up close.
With Rosenberg's downfall, the Stetter family naturally fell as well. Fortunately, Ansgar was abroad during the revolution and thus escaped the wrath.
But Annette and Ansgar's circumstances were different. It wasn't simply a matter of domestic or international differences. Her situation was different not only from Ansgar's but also from that of other fallen nobles.
After the revolution, the revolutionary forces exploited public opinion to justify the bloodshed and consolidate the unstable situation. Annette was the one who exploited this propaganda.
She was quite suited to the job. She was of royal blood, a symbol of 'nobility,' and the daughter of a military captain.
The press, by skewering Annette to the neck, spread anti-aristocracy sentiment. In Padania, Annette's image was now that of a legendary villainess.
Annette, who had been thinking about it, finally gave her permission.
“...Into the reception room... Please come into the reception room first. Please wait a moment...”
"All right."
The servant bowed and left. Annette sat at the dressing table, looking into the mirror. Her gloomy expression made her look as if she might collapse at any moment.
She put on some simple makeup. She applied red lipstick to her lips and dabbed it lightly on her cheeks, which seemed to bring some life to her face.
When she went down to the reception room, a servant was waiting in front.
“The guest is...?”
“They are inside. I brought them some tea.”
Annette took a deep breath and opened the reception room door. Her hand trembled slightly as she turned the knob.
A faint scent of tea wafted from the living room. A man in a brown suit sat neatly on the sofa. As Annette entered, Ansgar took off his hat and stood up.
“Annette.”
“...It’s been a while.”
Annette responded with a light smile and a calm demeanor. In contrast, Ansgar's face was visibly both happy and sad.
Ansgar strode over to her and embraced her. Annette placed a hand on his back, suppressing her pent-up emotions.
They shared a brief embrace and then parted ways. Ansgar sat back down, his gaze fixed on Annette's face.
“You’ve lost a lot of weight.”
“Do you see it?”
“Still pretty.”
Annette smiled without answering. She wondered if Ansgar still had feelings for her, but quickly shook the thought away. Whether or not he did was irrelevant now.
"I sent you a letter first, but I didn't get a reply. So I had no choice but to come see you in person."
"I guess I told them to filter out letters from unknown addresses first. Did you wander around the old mansion in vain?"
Annette said it as a joke, but Ansgar's expression was not bright.
“...No way. Of course, I would have gone to the official residence first. You're the Commander-in-Chief’s wife.”
"How have you been? Have you finally returned to Padania?"
"No, that's not it. I just came here to sort out some things. I had to come here once... and I need to see you too. I'm currently working as an ambassador in France."
“France? Aren’t you a waitress?”
“I went straight to France after graduating. A lot of my friends were there.”
Most of the nobles of Padania who fled the aftermath of the revolution took refuge in France. Perhaps his acquaintance is referring to them.
"An ambassador. You succeeded, Ansgar."
"What about success? If I had lived my life the way just like before, I might have had a better life."
'Just like before.' Annette felt a strange sense of discomfort at those words.
The original life. The life before the revolution. Or the life that never would. Was that life truly better? Perhaps. Perhaps...
“How have you been, Annette?”
Annette suddenly came to her senses. Ansgar, with his sensitive expression, tilted his head. She gave a vague answer.
“...Um. Well. I just got by.”
Ansgar's strange gaze seemed to say he knew everything about Annette. Of course, he couldn't have been unaware. Especially if he was working as an ambassador.
Ansgar took a sip of tea and quietly opened his mouth.
“I was married.”
“Oh, really? Congratulations. What kind of woman is that...?”
“I got divorced last year.”
Ansgar chuckled as he looked at Annette, who was slightly flustered.
“We got married out of necessity anyway. I needed citizenship.”
"I see."
"You?"
"Me?"
“Are you going to continue this marriage?”
Annette was speechless at the blunt statement. It wasn't simply that she couldn't find the words. A servant was waiting in the reception room. Every servant in the residence was Heiner's.
That is, all conversations shared here are relayed to Heiner.
“...First of all.”
"Are you continuing this on your own accord? You know what your husband did to us, don't you?"
“I’m not that stupid, Ansgar.”
“I... didn’t mean to ignore you.”
"I know. And I want a divorce, too. Just for now."
Annette hesitated for a moment before answering.
What should I say? My husband won't agree to a divorce. I can't guarantee my chances of winning the divorce, and if I persist, he might even put me in a mental hospital.
Whichever option she chose, it seemed like the conversation would be lengthy. Annette mumbled her answer, keeping an eye on the servant standing like a shadow behind her.
“...Getting a divorce right now is a bit difficult.”
“Even if you got divorced, you probably wouldn’t have anywhere to go. Is that right?”
“Have you come to make me aware of my situation?”
"Don't take it so seriously, Annette. I'm genuinely concerned about you. I just don't want to beat around the bush."
Ansgar, who raised both hands as if to show his innocence, let out a short breath. He clenched his fists and then lowered them again. Finally, a resolute confession flowed out.
“Come with me to France.”
"...What?"
"I still have you in my heart. I've always thought I'd bring you back as soon as I settled down. If you marry me, you'll be able to obtain France's citizenship."
“...”
"I know what the atmosphere is like in Padania. You've been used by the Republicans all this time. Your husband would agree with them, but he won't help you. Right now, I'm your only option."
“...”
“Take my hand, Annette.”
Ansgar gently raised his lips as if to reassure her.
“You can be happier.”
“I will make you happy for the rest of your life.”
Annette stared at the finite face. Ansgar waited patiently for her response. Annette, lost in thought, answered weakly.
“My husband... won’t allow it.”
“If you get a divorce, you’re a stranger, so what good is permission?”
"He's the Commander-in-Chief. He won't tolerate any actions that go against his will."
“Annette, are you by any chance...”
A faint look of shock crossed Ansgar's face. Annette vaguely guessed what he was trying to say.
He wonders if her husband has kept her here, if she is being mentally or physically abused... something like that.
It wasn't entirely wrong. But Annette didn't want to be pitied. Even in this situation, she didn't.
"Whatever you think, Ansgar, I'm fine. You don't have to worry too much."
“...Leaving aside the divorce issue, the overall situation is too much for you.”
“It’s been three years.”
Annette cut him off quietly.
"I've held out for three years. There's no reason I can't hold out longer."
Ansgar's expression became slightly strange. The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Annette closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and smiled calmly.
"First, I want to gather my thoughts. It was so sudden, wasn't it?"
"Oh, right. That's right. Did I get to the point a little too quickly? Sorry. I... have been waiting for this day, but from your perspective, it must have just been a sudden turn of events."
Ansgar scratched his cheek, seemingly embarrassed. The back of his neck and earlobes were slightly red. Annette shook her head.
"No. I should have received your letter. Um, which way should I send you the message? I'll get back to you later."
"Oh, right! I need your contact information. Here's my business card... Oh, I'll write the address on the back too. Just a moment. I'm staying at a hotel temporarily. You can give my name to the front desk, or you can just come straight to my room."
Ansgar fumbled with a pen from inside his coat and scribbled the address on the back of a business card. His appearance reminded her of a boy she used to hang out with.
Until just now, it felt somehow unfamiliar.
"Yes, here. Be sure to call me back. Let me know if you need any help."
“Yes, thanks.”
After several pleas, Ansgar finally rose from his seat, seemingly resigned. Annette escorted him to the front door, despite Ansgar's pleas.
He was an old friend. He was a friend who had come back. Whatever the circumstances, she was very happy to see him.
Returning inside, Annette closed the front door and leaned against it for a moment. After Ansgar left, the silence surrounding her felt particularly thick.
Annette stared blankly at the business card she had been holding the whole time.
Ansgar Stetter.
The Stetter family. France's ambassador. Acquaintances. Exiled nobles. Marriage. Republican forces... Annette, slowly retracing his words, muttered softly.
“...Restoration of the monarchy?”
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