Chapter 1 – Part 7

“Who do you think those people following us were?”

“I don’t know. Either they’re following you or me. One thing’s for sure. In this day and age, you don’t come to a ramshackle alleyway like this.”

Anne locked eyes with Evan. And for a moment, he leaned in close to her face.

In this shabby room where only moonlight softly illuminated, Evan’s eyes were conspicuously bright.

Anne stared at him for a long moment, then turned her head slightly.

When his lips were within inches of hers, she struggled, but he grabbed her hand, immobilizing her. She pressed her lips together to hide it, then looked up at Evan.

Her expression seemed to sternly say, “No” to a mischievous child.

Evan, unfazed, chuckled and whispered in Anne’s ear.

“You think you know what I’m going to do to you, huh?”

A lie.

Did he realize she was trembling inside the beautiful walls?

Anne resisted the urge to tease him.

“…Are you trying to scare me?”

Evan smirked, knowing exactly what she meant.

Trembling eyes, dry lips, and a frail body unable to move an inch since he grabbed her wrist.

Even in this situation, he couldn’t help but want to pick on her for trying to act like she was not scared.

Instead, Evan gently pushed her away and laid her down on the bed. He’d rationalized that he’d have to make a plausible threat to make sure she wouldn’t come back here again.

It was a rotten prank.

Evan leaned down and moved closer to her. The closer he got, the more he could clearly see the underside of Anne’s chest rising and falling, and he realized she was nervous.

When her eyes narrowed for a moment, Evan swallowed hard and stood up, swearing under his breath.

“You shouldn’t come here alone in the future; it’s a place where worse things happen.”

Anne opened her eyes slowly. She gave Evan a wistful look and replied.

“…I know, I know, but I couldn’t help it. It’s the only place I can get the medicine. Supply can’t keep up with demand. I don’t know where the owner gets it from, but it’s worth it to me, even if I have to pay many times the price.”

There was no other choice.

It was his least favourite phrase, the way those who were supposed to be protecting the people of his country spoke of their failures with the words ‘unavoidable’.

But Anne’s use of the phrase in a different context was troubling.

She couldn’t think of a more appropriate response, given how much she wanted the men to get well.

“There is a saying, ‘I wanted to do my best.’”

Anne’s face brightened at the words.

“You’re telling me I did my best, aren’t you?”

“No.”

A lie. Anne lay back on the bed and giggled.

“That sounds nice.”

“Smile at what’s nice.”

“It’s just that I didn’t think of that.”

For the first time in her life, Anne, who used the phrase “I couldn’t help it” most often, felt validated.

Without realizing it, Anne began to say things she had never said to anyone before.

“I’ve always run away, wanted to run away, even when I knew I couldn’t, and then when I couldn’t, I always rationalized my behaviour by saying, ‘I had no choice’.”

“That is what I hate the most.”

“I know. I don’t know why I kept running away. But this time, as a military doctor, I’m going to try and see this through to the end, because caring for patients is not about running away. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but….”

Evan’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected such bold ambition.

“I think I can do it, Commander, and if you tell me I can, it will give me courage.”

A flush crept into Anne’s face as she smiled pleasantly, as if the moldy ceiling she could see from her bed were a sky full of white clouds. The sparkle in her eyes was endearing.

Even though he knew it was a bad joke, Evan walked over to her on the bed.

He bent his head down slightly and put his face close to hers.

She shivered with a tickle, just as she had that day in the forest glen when she had been comforted by Evan.

Anne’s cheeks flushed bright red, and Evan cupped her face with his cool hand and asked,

“If I kiss you, would that be harassment?”

The question left Anne speechless. He gently ruffled her hair, as if asking for her permission.

The scent of Evan’s cologne was overwhelmingly sweet.

Anne was overwhelmed as she stood within his thick walls of goodwill toward her.

Being near him, the air was hotter than she’d ever felt before.

‘The last time I treated his wounds, I held my breath without realizing it. My heart tingles in the valley, and a strange sense of happiness fills me as we act as a loving married couple.’

It was a strange thing.

The more memories she had with him, the more she wanted to try something like this at least once.

Eventually, she replied.

“No… It’s not.”

Then, his sweet scent hit her nostrils.

Their lips touched, and Evan gripped her waist tightly, pulling her into a kiss.

It was hotter and more intense than she’d expected a kiss to be.

The shabby room was humid and smelled of dust. Cicadas chirped in the trees on the street.

It was the first kiss of a midsummer night.

Her tear-soaked lashes trembled with each kiss. Although it might have been nothing more than an affectionate gesture to him, they indulged in each other as if it were their last.

“Hmm.”

“You smell sweet.”

Giving Anne a moment to breathe, Evan captured her lips again.

As his soft tongue explored every inch of her mouth, she let out a series of small, inaudible moans.

In her previous life, she had never seen a single firework display.

However, the countless shining starlight bloomed in a way that she could only imagine in her head now, and then, with a bang, a firecracker exploded deep in her heart.

Anne pushed slightly away from Evan’s chest as he continued to kiss her deeply, as if he couldn’t let go anymore.

No more, she thought, no more. There was no turning back at this point…no turning back at all. ….

“I-I mean, Command, Commander. I want to run away right now.”

At that, Evan nodded with an odd smile.

Anne jerked away from him and walked to one side of the room. Anne let out a low scream inside.

She had forgotten that this was a space that could barely accommodate ten square meters. She held her chest as if she could hear her pounding heart and leaned against the dresser.

Evan Davis.

Kissing a man she shouldn’t even be allowed to look at in her position here….

Anne shook her head vigorously, denying what had just happened.

‘This is the last time. It was just a momentary escape, and I enjoyed it too!’

It was a truly unexpected kiss. When she thought that they would be here for a while, she suddenly felt uncomfortable in the space.

Whether they knew that feeling or not…

Evan’s gaze turned towards Anne, as if observing prey with a straight posture.

“This dresser seems particularly new, doesn’t it?” she asked, her voice trembling as she tried to break the awkwardness.

“If you open that drawer, I’ll be in a bit of trouble.”

It was too late.

Anne had already opened the drawer, and inside, on top of a pile of letters, was a gun.

The letters smelled like women’s perfume. Several of the envelopes had red lipstick marks in the shape of lips… in different colours and shapes.

Anne froze in embarrassment. Before she knew it, Evan was at her side. He looked at her at a loss for words, then closed the chest of drawers and said,

“It would be rather rash to discard letters written with such care.”

Anne said, trying to calm her unreasonable jealousy.

“Yeah, that’s right. By the way, Commander, is this gun taken out without permission? ?”

“It wouldn’t make sense for it to be from a military that strictly manages firearms.”

“Then where did you get it?”

Anne shook her head hastily even after asking the question.

“You’re in trouble, aren’t you? You don’t have to tell me….”

“I traded with an arms dealer.”

The answer was unexpected.

“Oh….”

Anne’s eyes sparkled. An arms dealer who dealt in items not sold legally was a necessary contact for her as well.

Especially now, when the man who used to sell her drugs has declared he will no longer do business with her.

If she was lucky, she might even be able to get some rare medicines….

“Can I meet this arms dealer too?”

“No.”

“It’s absolutely necessary.”

“I understand your reasons even without hearing them.”

“You know I have no ill intentions, Commander.”

He reopened the drawer and picked up the gun. The upstairs room, close to the meeting place with the spy, was where he often went to manage his firearms or gather his thoughts alone.

He hadn’t expected Anne Riley to be prowling around here, but….

Evan gave him a stern look.

“Lieutenant Riley, what I’ve seen today is a strict violation of military law, and as your superior officer, I have the authority to punish you. I think I’ve done you enough favours today.”

“…I understand.”

Anne replied in a crawling voice. It was an act that didn’t match her rank.

“Anne Riley.”

“…….”

“Just in case, if you’re ever in the neighbourhood again and something happens, you’re to hide here; the key is under the flowerpot in the hallway, and….”

Evan sighed heavily. Without realising it, he and this woman were playing to each other’s weaknesses.

His mind questioned his actions, but his body moved without hesitation.

Evan opened the drawer beneath him, not the one Anne had opened.

“This is….”

The more spacious drawer was filled with another gun and a bunch of ammunition. When Anne looked at him in surprise, Evan gave her a cool look and brought his index finger to his lips.

“Just keep this in mind.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

“…I’m not telling you to come here again.”

Evan gave her a troubled look.

“But, just in case, I suppose.”

Anne raised an eyebrow. Evan chuckled at her expression.

Pretending to be fooled by Anne’s unhideable expression, Evan looked out the window. And, preparing for any potential conflict, he tucked the gun into his coat.

By this point, their pursuers should have thought they’d lost them, but they had to be prepared in case.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

* * *