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In some ways, it sounded innocent, and in other ways, it sounded like a question.
Heiner froze, as if he'd been suddenly attacked. He should have responded naturally, but he couldn't think of the next sentence. He smiled awkwardly.
“Miss Rosenberg, what are you suddenly...?”
"It wasn't all of a sudden. It's been months since we met, and you haven't even suggested we start a formal relationship... Don't you like me?"
Annette looked slightly offended. Heiner shook his head, barely able to conceal his embarrassment.
"Absolutely not. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have kept trying to see you like this."
“So, you just want to play with me? You don’t want to be formally involved?”
“Miss Rosenberg, what are you thinking—. Absolutely not. I just...”
The words trailed off. Heiner stared at her with anxious eyes, unable to continue for a moment. Annette pressed for an answer.
"Just?"
Yeah, why didn't you confess?
Heiner's gaze slid across the woman's small, beautiful face. He still couldn't believe that this face was right in front of him.
Intellectually, he knew she already had some feelings for him. But a long-ingrained inferiority complex kept putting the brakes on his thoughts.
Deep down, he thought that a woman like her would never be interested in him.
No matter how much of an officer he was, his commoner origins were an inescapable label. Aristocrats might flirt with commoners, but they never considered serious relationships.
Political marriages were a common pursuit for every nobleman. As times changed, a certain amount of youthful flirtation became more acceptable, but few people overcame their differences in social standing to marry.
Moreover, Annette was the only daughter of the Rosenberg family and of royal blood.
That's why Margrave Dietrich also turned a blind eye to Annette's love life. He knew that no matter who she met in her youth, her marriage would ultimately be decided according to her family's will.
Although Annette was a woman who loved romance, she was also the epitome of nobility.
“I just...”
Heiner hesitated and opened his mouth. For this moment, his words were genuine, free from pretense and pretense. He spoke with a slightly trembling voice.
“I’m just afraid you’ll reject me.”
The words that came out of his mouth were pathetic and pathetic. Heiner immediately regretted saying them. Even if he were a woman, he wouldn't want to meet a brat who spoke like that.
Annette actually looked a little surprised. He couldn't figure out what exactly that expression meant, so he felt uneasy.
Annette asked as if she couldn't understand.
“Why do you think I would refuse Mr. Valdemar?”
“...It’s just my pride, so don’t worry about it.”
“How can I not care when the guy I like is not confessing to me because he’s afraid of rejection?”
“So just me alone... Yes?”
Heiner asked back, his voice somewhat bewildered, even to himself. A moment of silence passed. Suddenly, Annette burst out in a small laugh.
“That was a joke, Mr. Valdemar.”
"Ah..."
"I was just going to throw a tantrum, but you're so serious, I couldn't help it. I know you're not the type to play with me."
Annette took another step closer to him. Heiner instinctively tried to retreat, but he held on with all his might.
“I like you.”
She said so with a spotless smile.
His heart sank. For a moment, Heiner was as if struck by lightning, unable to move. He remained frozen, his mind locked on that clean, pure face.
“Would you like to date me officially, Mr. Valdemar?”
Heiner's fingers twitched slightly. He wanted to say something, but his voice wouldn't come out. He just moved his lips like an idiot.
Heiner looked into her deep blue eyes, then down to her lips, then back into her eyes. She was still smiling brightly and cleanly.
As if there was nothing to be afraid of.
His mind felt chilled, as if he had been splashed with cold water. His heart was still pounding on its own, but his reason and emotions were acting independently.
I had to be happy that the operation was going smoothly.
I had to celebrate my success.
I had to be satisfied with the valuable achievement.
But why, why am I like this... feeling...
“Why, are you so happy that you can’t speak?”
Annette asked jokingly, her voice breaking into a bright laugh. It wasn't the usual "And you?"
He was sure.
The confidence of someone who has grown up receiving nothing but love throughout her life, that he will naturally like her.
Considering her background, it wasn't arrogance at all. While arrogance was certainly one of the things that bothered him, it wasn't the main reason.
The cause of this throbbing emotion was... the very words "I like you." Ironically, it was the words he so desperately wanted to hear.
“Yes.” The words that came out of the woman’s mouth sounded so light and refreshing.
I like jewelry. I like the piano. I like parties. I like spring. I like the color white.
One of many. Even if it wasn't him, it was the kind of thing that could easily be replaced.
“Are you surprised that I said that so suddenly?”
“...”
“But you still have to answer. Aren’t you going to tell me?”
Heiner tried to smile happily at her. And he almost succeeded. Until Annette leaned against his arm.
"I am..."
Heiner muttered in a slightly choked voice. He reached out with a trembling hand, wrapping it around her back, and crouched slightly.
The expression on the man's face, embracing the small, soft woman with his whole body, slowly crumbled. Annette whispered softly in his arms.
“Me, what?”
He barely managed to control his breathing, which was becoming increasingly erratic, before finally answering.
“I like you too, really...”
He felt her chuckle slightly. The strength drained from his mind. Heiner muttered his confession, half overwhelmed and half helpless.
“I really like you, Miss Rosenberg.”
Annette Rosenberg.
The most beautiful and noble woman in Padania.
I'm just one of the many good things in your life. Maybe a little better, maybe a little less.
Heiner was devastated by the awareness that had crept in without his knowledge. He tried to suppress the awareness, to avoid belittling himself, but it just didn't work out the way he wanted.
“Should we say that Mr. Valdemar confessed to me first?”
“...I really am the worst as a man.”
"What does that matter? These days, women are entering society. How could I not be the first to confess?"
Annette talked as if she were a feminist, but Heiner knew she wasn't particularly interested in such things.
No matter how much she reads literature that subtly denounces social discrimination, she just sheds a tear and puts the book away.
If Annette were to marry, the title of Margrave Dietrich would pass to her husband after her father's death. But like any noblewoman, she took this for granted.
In any case, Annette was destined to receive the countship and other titles attached to the Rosenberg family. Unless she was incredibly greedy for fame, there was no reason to risk the loss and pursue reform.
“...I see. Then let’s just say you confessed.”
“It’s not like I’m doing it, right?”
“Let’s just say that.”
“I’ll just take back my confession.”
“Then I will confess again.”
Heiner closed his eyes, holding Annette tighter as she tried to escape his embrace. A confession, heavy with emotion, flowed from his lips, word by word.
“I like you.”
It was a voice that sounded earnest, as if chanting a prayer.
“Please be formal with me, Annette.”
She carefully wrapped her arms around his back. The warmth of their contact was gentle. In a moment he wished would never pass, Heiner thought, as if collapsing.
Annette, I am just one of the many good things in your life...
No, I'm not.
You are not like that to me.
You are the only good thing left in my life. You are the only precious thing.
Normally, she's a woman he wouldn't dare face. That fact fills him with a mixture of longing, satisfaction, despair, and even sadism.
I wish you were nothing to me, just as I am nothing to you.
I want to destroy you. I want to drag you to the bottom. I want to make you painfully aware of all the evils in the world.
So that no one wants you anymore.
Even me.
So that even I don't love you anymore.
In 716 AU, the First Revolution broke out, centered around factory workers, but was suppressed. Conscious of public opinion, Margrave Dietrich arranged for Annette Rosenberg to marry Heiner Valdemar, a commoner and officer. In exchange for this marriage, Heiner Valdemar provided Dietrich with false information about the revolutionary forces. Heiner Valdemar acted as a double agent, pretending to infiltrate the revolutionary forces at the Margrave's behest.
February 717, AU. A second revolution broke out, led by students, but was suppressed.
September 717 AU. The third revolution, led by the armed revolutionary army, succeeded and led to a change in the ruling power. A free government was established, and the military faction was divided. Heiner Valdemar, a leading figure in the revolutionary army, was appointed commander-in-chief.
AU 718. The harsh training program conducted on Sutherland Island was revealed. The list was kept confidential to ensure the trainees' resocialization and human rights.
In 719, the republican party proposed a law to liquidate the monarchy, again raising the issue of how to dispose of the remnants of the monarchy.
AU 720. The commander-in-chief and his wife divorced.
Heiner froze, as if he'd been suddenly attacked. He should have responded naturally, but he couldn't think of the next sentence. He smiled awkwardly.
“Miss Rosenberg, what are you suddenly...?”
"It wasn't all of a sudden. It's been months since we met, and you haven't even suggested we start a formal relationship... Don't you like me?"
Annette looked slightly offended. Heiner shook his head, barely able to conceal his embarrassment.
"Absolutely not. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't have kept trying to see you like this."
“So, you just want to play with me? You don’t want to be formally involved?”
“Miss Rosenberg, what are you thinking—. Absolutely not. I just...”
The words trailed off. Heiner stared at her with anxious eyes, unable to continue for a moment. Annette pressed for an answer.
"Just?"
Yeah, why didn't you confess?
Heiner's gaze slid across the woman's small, beautiful face. He still couldn't believe that this face was right in front of him.
Intellectually, he knew she already had some feelings for him. But a long-ingrained inferiority complex kept putting the brakes on his thoughts.
Deep down, he thought that a woman like her would never be interested in him.
No matter how much of an officer he was, his commoner origins were an inescapable label. Aristocrats might flirt with commoners, but they never considered serious relationships.
Political marriages were a common pursuit for every nobleman. As times changed, a certain amount of youthful flirtation became more acceptable, but few people overcame their differences in social standing to marry.
Moreover, Annette was the only daughter of the Rosenberg family and of royal blood.
That's why Margrave Dietrich also turned a blind eye to Annette's love life. He knew that no matter who she met in her youth, her marriage would ultimately be decided according to her family's will.
Although Annette was a woman who loved romance, she was also the epitome of nobility.
“I just...”
Heiner hesitated and opened his mouth. For this moment, his words were genuine, free from pretense and pretense. He spoke with a slightly trembling voice.
“I’m just afraid you’ll reject me.”
The words that came out of his mouth were pathetic and pathetic. Heiner immediately regretted saying them. Even if he were a woman, he wouldn't want to meet a brat who spoke like that.
Annette actually looked a little surprised. He couldn't figure out what exactly that expression meant, so he felt uneasy.
Annette asked as if she couldn't understand.
“Why do you think I would refuse Mr. Valdemar?”
“...It’s just my pride, so don’t worry about it.”
“How can I not care when the guy I like is not confessing to me because he’s afraid of rejection?”
“So just me alone... Yes?”
Heiner asked back, his voice somewhat bewildered, even to himself. A moment of silence passed. Suddenly, Annette burst out in a small laugh.
“That was a joke, Mr. Valdemar.”
"Ah..."
"I was just going to throw a tantrum, but you're so serious, I couldn't help it. I know you're not the type to play with me."
Annette took another step closer to him. Heiner instinctively tried to retreat, but he held on with all his might.
“I like you.”
She said so with a spotless smile.
His heart sank. For a moment, Heiner was as if struck by lightning, unable to move. He remained frozen, his mind locked on that clean, pure face.
“Would you like to date me officially, Mr. Valdemar?”
Heiner's fingers twitched slightly. He wanted to say something, but his voice wouldn't come out. He just moved his lips like an idiot.
Heiner looked into her deep blue eyes, then down to her lips, then back into her eyes. She was still smiling brightly and cleanly.
As if there was nothing to be afraid of.
His mind felt chilled, as if he had been splashed with cold water. His heart was still pounding on its own, but his reason and emotions were acting independently.
I had to be happy that the operation was going smoothly.
I had to celebrate my success.
I had to be satisfied with the valuable achievement.
But why, why am I like this... feeling...
“Why, are you so happy that you can’t speak?”
Annette asked jokingly, her voice breaking into a bright laugh. It wasn't the usual "And you?"
He was sure.
The confidence of someone who has grown up receiving nothing but love throughout her life, that he will naturally like her.
Considering her background, it wasn't arrogance at all. While arrogance was certainly one of the things that bothered him, it wasn't the main reason.
The cause of this throbbing emotion was... the very words "I like you." Ironically, it was the words he so desperately wanted to hear.
“Yes.” The words that came out of the woman’s mouth sounded so light and refreshing.
I like jewelry. I like the piano. I like parties. I like spring. I like the color white.
One of many. Even if it wasn't him, it was the kind of thing that could easily be replaced.
“Are you surprised that I said that so suddenly?”
“...”
“But you still have to answer. Aren’t you going to tell me?”
Heiner tried to smile happily at her. And he almost succeeded. Until Annette leaned against his arm.
"I am..."
Heiner muttered in a slightly choked voice. He reached out with a trembling hand, wrapping it around her back, and crouched slightly.
The expression on the man's face, embracing the small, soft woman with his whole body, slowly crumbled. Annette whispered softly in his arms.
“Me, what?”
He barely managed to control his breathing, which was becoming increasingly erratic, before finally answering.
“I like you too, really...”
He felt her chuckle slightly. The strength drained from his mind. Heiner muttered his confession, half overwhelmed and half helpless.
“I really like you, Miss Rosenberg.”
Annette Rosenberg.
The most beautiful and noble woman in Padania.
I'm just one of the many good things in your life. Maybe a little better, maybe a little less.
Heiner was devastated by the awareness that had crept in without his knowledge. He tried to suppress the awareness, to avoid belittling himself, but it just didn't work out the way he wanted.
“Should we say that Mr. Valdemar confessed to me first?”
“...I really am the worst as a man.”
"What does that matter? These days, women are entering society. How could I not be the first to confess?"
Annette talked as if she were a feminist, but Heiner knew she wasn't particularly interested in such things.
No matter how much she reads literature that subtly denounces social discrimination, she just sheds a tear and puts the book away.
If Annette were to marry, the title of Margrave Dietrich would pass to her husband after her father's death. But like any noblewoman, she took this for granted.
In any case, Annette was destined to receive the countship and other titles attached to the Rosenberg family. Unless she was incredibly greedy for fame, there was no reason to risk the loss and pursue reform.
“...I see. Then let’s just say you confessed.”
“It’s not like I’m doing it, right?”
“Let’s just say that.”
“I’ll just take back my confession.”
“Then I will confess again.”
Heiner closed his eyes, holding Annette tighter as she tried to escape his embrace. A confession, heavy with emotion, flowed from his lips, word by word.
“I like you.”
It was a voice that sounded earnest, as if chanting a prayer.
“Please be formal with me, Annette.”
She carefully wrapped her arms around his back. The warmth of their contact was gentle. In a moment he wished would never pass, Heiner thought, as if collapsing.
Annette, I am just one of the many good things in your life...
No, I'm not.
You are not like that to me.
You are the only good thing left in my life. You are the only precious thing.
Normally, she's a woman he wouldn't dare face. That fact fills him with a mixture of longing, satisfaction, despair, and even sadism.
I wish you were nothing to me, just as I am nothing to you.
I want to destroy you. I want to drag you to the bottom. I want to make you painfully aware of all the evils in the world.
So that no one wants you anymore.
Even me.
So that even I don't love you anymore.
***
In 716 AU, the First Revolution broke out, centered around factory workers, but was suppressed. Conscious of public opinion, Margrave Dietrich arranged for Annette Rosenberg to marry Heiner Valdemar, a commoner and officer. In exchange for this marriage, Heiner Valdemar provided Dietrich with false information about the revolutionary forces. Heiner Valdemar acted as a double agent, pretending to infiltrate the revolutionary forces at the Margrave's behest.
February 717, AU. A second revolution broke out, led by students, but was suppressed.
September 717 AU. The third revolution, led by the armed revolutionary army, succeeded and led to a change in the ruling power. A free government was established, and the military faction was divided. Heiner Valdemar, a leading figure in the revolutionary army, was appointed commander-in-chief.
AU 718. The harsh training program conducted on Sutherland Island was revealed. The list was kept confidential to ensure the trainees' resocialization and human rights.
In 719, the republican party proposed a law to liquidate the monarchy, again raising the issue of how to dispose of the remnants of the monarchy.
AU 720. The commander-in-chief and his wife divorced.
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