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The war gradually escalated into a protracted conflict. Padania, responding to Aslania's request for assistance, dispatched reinforcements to the Eastern Front.
With Padania's help, Aslania was able to defend the Eastern Front, but had to cede the Western Front to Frances.
The western half of Aslania, split in half, was occupied by Frances. Predictions were strong that the next step would be an invasion of the Padanian mainland, and the number of volunteers increased.
Food prices soared, and people tightened their belts. Katrine's shop also became less crowded. Brunner's income also plummeted, and on some days, he even went broke.
It wasn't to the extent that it was difficult to make a living, but it was true that it was tighter than before.
Late one night, Annette came down to the living room carrying a cloth bag. As expected, Katrine was still awake on the sofa, writing down her household account book.
At the sound of Annette's presence, Katrine raised her head.
“Oh, Annette? What are you doing up here?”
“Katrine, you’ve been staying up late lately.”
“What about me? I just fall asleep at the store every day and can’t sleep at night.”
That also meant there were no customers in the store. Annette placed her bag on the table and sat down next to her. Katrine tilted her head.
"What is it?"
“I’ll give it to Katrine.”
"For me? A gift? My birthday is still far away?"
“It’s a gift, but it’s not a birthday present.”
Annette pulled a small garment from her bag. It was a baby outfit she had made for Olivia.
“This is... Olivia’s clothes. I’ve only ever done embroidery before, so I’m not sure how I’ll do.”
“Oh my god.”
Katrine covered her mouth with both hands and took the clothes. She looked them over and smiled brightly.
"Oh my goodness, it's so cute. Is this your first time making this? How can you be so talented?"
“I should have given it to you a little earlier... but it took longer than expected.”
"What are you talking about? The season is perfect for this. I really like it. Thank you so much."
“I’m glad you like it. And...”
“And? What else is there?”
Annette pulled an envelope from her bag and handed it to Katrine. Katrine opened it with a puzzled expression. Her face hardened slightly as she examined the contents.
"...What is it?"
“This is the alimony I received from my ex-husband.”
As soon as Annette received the bank documents, she converted all the money into a check. Her original intention was to recover the alimony and to give it to Katrine.
The amount of alimony, which she first learned more than half a year after the divorce, was beyond her wildest expectations. Despite her having contributed virtually nothing to the marriage.
Based on the cost of living she learned while living at Katrine's house, she estimated that this amount of money could support a family of four for a lifetime. Even if it wasn't exact, it was undoubtedly enough for Katrine.
After checking the amount on the check, Katrrine immediately handed it back to Annette. But Annette shook her head.
“It’s yours.”
“Why are you giving this to me, Annette?”
“Well, I want to give it to you?”
“I don’t remember doing anything to deserve this.”
"Katrine has done so much for me. It's made life difficult here because of me. With this much money, you could open a better store somewhere else."
"Even if you add up all your living expenses, it's not even a hundredth, no, a thousandth of this. My hands are shaking, so take it quickly."
Annette chuckled slightly, as if she'd heard a funny joke, but Katrine didn't laugh at all. Katrine placed the envelope on Annette's leg. Annette placed it back on the table.
There was a moment of silence. Annette, still with a smile on her face, quietly opened her mouth.
“That day, the day I got divorced... If Katrine hadn’t taken me, I would have just died.”
“...”
“I thought I was going to die.”
Annette spoke in a monotonous tone, as if she were talking about an ordinary day.
"Even before my divorce, I'd thought about suicide several times. Katrine, I'm sure you've wondered about that too... Honestly, yes. After I first met you, I thought I should die."
“...”
"You can think of it as an escape. But I'm definitely not trying to shift the blame to Katrine. In fact, I'm grateful to you."
Katrine listened to Annette's story, frozen in place, as if she hadn't even breathed. Annette, unsure of meeting her face, lowered her gaze loosely as she continued.
"Katrine, I just... couldn't go on. I was so ashamed. So ashamed of my life. I think I was subconsciously completely separating myself from my father. I was different. I was a better person, but I was born as his daughter... I was just a little unlucky."
“...”
“I realized that wasn’t the case after meeting you.”
Looking back, she realizes she always had other options.
The choice to reflect on her own circumstances. The choice to reflect on the circumstances of others. The choice to confront her father's actions. The choice to judge. The choice to act.
At that piano recital...the choice to listen to Katrine's story. The choice to try to save her brother.
There have always been countless choices.
She herself did not choose them.
"But, I was always worried that my attempt to die... might have hurt you again. I was worried that it might have made you feel unnecessarily guilty... You're a good person, after all."
“I am not good.”
Katrine managed to utter a single word. Annette smiled gently and denied it.
“You are a good person. The fact that I am here proves that.”
"I am..."
Katrine tried to say something more, but Annette cut her off and opened her mouth again.
"I'm planning to go to the field hospital. I heard they're severely short-staffed."
“...What do you mean? A field hospital? What does Annette do there?”
"I already applied to be a military nurse a while ago. I have to leave tomorrow morning."
“What? Morning?”
Katrine screamed, forgetting it was midnight. Annette hurriedly looked around the room where Olivia was. Fortunately, there was no crying.
Katrine asked, lowering her voice but still maintaining an aggressive tone.
“...What on earth are you talking about? A military nurse? Leaving in the morning?”
"It's exactly as I heard. I knew from the beginning that I'd have to leave someday. Now is the time."
"Are you crazy? Where are you going? Have you ever done something like that?"
"Most military nurses are civilians like me. And they receive training before deployment."
“Are you and those people the same? You are...!”
“It’s the same.”
Katrine paused at the soft but firm answer.
“Those people and I are the same.”
“...”
“Just like you and I, just like me and Brunner and Olivia, that’s the world your brother worked hard to create.”
Katrine's lips trembled. She looked at Annette with wavering pupils. Annette slowly raised her head.
“I still hate myself. I still don’t want to live.”
Their eyes finally met. Up close, Katrine's eyes were a grayish brown. Annette closed her eyes and smiled.
“So please help me become a better person.”
Since early morning, the station has been bustling with people. Annette stood among the crowd, carrying her suitcase in one hand and her train ticket in the other.
Katrine offered to see her off to the station, but Annette dissuaded her. She simply asked her to deliver a letter to Brunner, apologizing for the sudden separation and offering her farewell.
Brunner, with his worries and anxieties, would have done everything in his power to prevent her from going. Furthermore, Katrine seemed more likely to understand Annette's feelings on this matter.
That's why she spoke directly only to Katrine. Annette hoped they wouldn't be too preoccupied with her problems.
They were good people. She truly hoped they would be happy.
After a while, a locomotive began to appear in the distance, accompanied by the roar of steam. Even before the train stopped at the station, people began to approach.
"This train is a troop transport train bound for Bernal! I'll let you know again! This train is bound for Bernal..."
The train came to a complete stop, and the doors opened. A crowd of people rushed toward the entrance. Annette boarded the train, swept up in the crowd.
The room was so cramped that there was no room to sit. She leaned against the glassless window and looked out.
After a brief pause, the locomotive began to belch smoke again. With a squeak, the wheels began to turn.
Her golden hair swayed slowly in the wind. Annette took off the hat she had been wearing. Her vision cleared. She closed her eyes and felt the wind pouring in through the window.
The train rattled away from the station.
With Padania's help, Aslania was able to defend the Eastern Front, but had to cede the Western Front to Frances.
The western half of Aslania, split in half, was occupied by Frances. Predictions were strong that the next step would be an invasion of the Padanian mainland, and the number of volunteers increased.
Food prices soared, and people tightened their belts. Katrine's shop also became less crowded. Brunner's income also plummeted, and on some days, he even went broke.
It wasn't to the extent that it was difficult to make a living, but it was true that it was tighter than before.
Late one night, Annette came down to the living room carrying a cloth bag. As expected, Katrine was still awake on the sofa, writing down her household account book.
At the sound of Annette's presence, Katrine raised her head.
“Oh, Annette? What are you doing up here?”
“Katrine, you’ve been staying up late lately.”
“What about me? I just fall asleep at the store every day and can’t sleep at night.”
That also meant there were no customers in the store. Annette placed her bag on the table and sat down next to her. Katrine tilted her head.
"What is it?"
“I’ll give it to Katrine.”
"For me? A gift? My birthday is still far away?"
“It’s a gift, but it’s not a birthday present.”
Annette pulled a small garment from her bag. It was a baby outfit she had made for Olivia.
“This is... Olivia’s clothes. I’ve only ever done embroidery before, so I’m not sure how I’ll do.”
“Oh my god.”
Katrine covered her mouth with both hands and took the clothes. She looked them over and smiled brightly.
"Oh my goodness, it's so cute. Is this your first time making this? How can you be so talented?"
“I should have given it to you a little earlier... but it took longer than expected.”
"What are you talking about? The season is perfect for this. I really like it. Thank you so much."
“I’m glad you like it. And...”
“And? What else is there?”
Annette pulled an envelope from her bag and handed it to Katrine. Katrine opened it with a puzzled expression. Her face hardened slightly as she examined the contents.
"...What is it?"
“This is the alimony I received from my ex-husband.”
As soon as Annette received the bank documents, she converted all the money into a check. Her original intention was to recover the alimony and to give it to Katrine.
The amount of alimony, which she first learned more than half a year after the divorce, was beyond her wildest expectations. Despite her having contributed virtually nothing to the marriage.
Based on the cost of living she learned while living at Katrine's house, she estimated that this amount of money could support a family of four for a lifetime. Even if it wasn't exact, it was undoubtedly enough for Katrine.
After checking the amount on the check, Katrrine immediately handed it back to Annette. But Annette shook her head.
“It’s yours.”
“Why are you giving this to me, Annette?”
“Well, I want to give it to you?”
“I don’t remember doing anything to deserve this.”
"Katrine has done so much for me. It's made life difficult here because of me. With this much money, you could open a better store somewhere else."
"Even if you add up all your living expenses, it's not even a hundredth, no, a thousandth of this. My hands are shaking, so take it quickly."
Annette chuckled slightly, as if she'd heard a funny joke, but Katrine didn't laugh at all. Katrine placed the envelope on Annette's leg. Annette placed it back on the table.
There was a moment of silence. Annette, still with a smile on her face, quietly opened her mouth.
“That day, the day I got divorced... If Katrine hadn’t taken me, I would have just died.”
“...”
“I thought I was going to die.”
Annette spoke in a monotonous tone, as if she were talking about an ordinary day.
"Even before my divorce, I'd thought about suicide several times. Katrine, I'm sure you've wondered about that too... Honestly, yes. After I first met you, I thought I should die."
“...”
"You can think of it as an escape. But I'm definitely not trying to shift the blame to Katrine. In fact, I'm grateful to you."
Katrine listened to Annette's story, frozen in place, as if she hadn't even breathed. Annette, unsure of meeting her face, lowered her gaze loosely as she continued.
"Katrine, I just... couldn't go on. I was so ashamed. So ashamed of my life. I think I was subconsciously completely separating myself from my father. I was different. I was a better person, but I was born as his daughter... I was just a little unlucky."
“...”
“I realized that wasn’t the case after meeting you.”
Looking back, she realizes she always had other options.
The choice to reflect on her own circumstances. The choice to reflect on the circumstances of others. The choice to confront her father's actions. The choice to judge. The choice to act.
At that piano recital...the choice to listen to Katrine's story. The choice to try to save her brother.
There have always been countless choices.
She herself did not choose them.
"But, I was always worried that my attempt to die... might have hurt you again. I was worried that it might have made you feel unnecessarily guilty... You're a good person, after all."
“I am not good.”
Katrine managed to utter a single word. Annette smiled gently and denied it.
“You are a good person. The fact that I am here proves that.”
"I am..."
Katrine tried to say something more, but Annette cut her off and opened her mouth again.
"I'm planning to go to the field hospital. I heard they're severely short-staffed."
“...What do you mean? A field hospital? What does Annette do there?”
"I already applied to be a military nurse a while ago. I have to leave tomorrow morning."
“What? Morning?”
Katrine screamed, forgetting it was midnight. Annette hurriedly looked around the room where Olivia was. Fortunately, there was no crying.
Katrine asked, lowering her voice but still maintaining an aggressive tone.
“...What on earth are you talking about? A military nurse? Leaving in the morning?”
"It's exactly as I heard. I knew from the beginning that I'd have to leave someday. Now is the time."
"Are you crazy? Where are you going? Have you ever done something like that?"
"Most military nurses are civilians like me. And they receive training before deployment."
“Are you and those people the same? You are...!”
“It’s the same.”
Katrine paused at the soft but firm answer.
“Those people and I are the same.”
“...”
“Just like you and I, just like me and Brunner and Olivia, that’s the world your brother worked hard to create.”
Katrine's lips trembled. She looked at Annette with wavering pupils. Annette slowly raised her head.
“I still hate myself. I still don’t want to live.”
Their eyes finally met. Up close, Katrine's eyes were a grayish brown. Annette closed her eyes and smiled.
“So please help me become a better person.”
***
Since early morning, the station has been bustling with people. Annette stood among the crowd, carrying her suitcase in one hand and her train ticket in the other.
Katrine offered to see her off to the station, but Annette dissuaded her. She simply asked her to deliver a letter to Brunner, apologizing for the sudden separation and offering her farewell.
Brunner, with his worries and anxieties, would have done everything in his power to prevent her from going. Furthermore, Katrine seemed more likely to understand Annette's feelings on this matter.
That's why she spoke directly only to Katrine. Annette hoped they wouldn't be too preoccupied with her problems.
They were good people. She truly hoped they would be happy.
After a while, a locomotive began to appear in the distance, accompanied by the roar of steam. Even before the train stopped at the station, people began to approach.
"This train is a troop transport train bound for Bernal! I'll let you know again! This train is bound for Bernal..."
The train came to a complete stop, and the doors opened. A crowd of people rushed toward the entrance. Annette boarded the train, swept up in the crowd.
The room was so cramped that there was no room to sit. She leaned against the glassless window and looked out.
After a brief pause, the locomotive began to belch smoke again. With a squeak, the wheels began to turn.
Her golden hair swayed slowly in the wind. Annette took off the hat she had been wearing. Her vision cleared. She closed her eyes and felt the wind pouring in through the window.
The train rattled away from the station.
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