Chapter 7 – Part 1 (Volume 2)

‘Is she the noble supporting Carl Hessentz Field Hospital?’

But, no matter how much she thought about it, that wasn’t it. Anne, who managed the ledgers, knew best.

The possibility of Carly Dehart, who had no connection with her, coming to find her was zero. Anne’s face was filled with questions.

“Um…”

“You’re not too busy, are you?”

“Oh, I’m a bit free right now… but what brings you to me?”

Carly’s eyes welled up again at Anne’s question, which seemed to say she didn’t know anything. She thought of Evan, who had come alone after the Battle of Vorenia, leaving Anne behind.

Not being able to see her last moments left Carly with immense guilt.

And now, the fact that she couldn’t see the faint smile she used to give her weighs on her heart.

“Does this medical unit accept volunteers?”

“Pardon?”

“I want to help too. This time, for sure…”

“……”

Anne found it difficult to respond immediately. Carly’s expensive-looking clothes and jewelry, her glossy hair, and well-manicured nails would surely suffer if she started working.

No matter how short they were on medical staff, they couldn’t easily accept a noble. In fact, more than that, Anne feared that the young lady’s father might impose severe punishment once he found out.

Anne bowed her head and said,

“We already have enough personnel, so there’s no need for someone like you to do this.”

“Would it be inconvenient if I insisted?”

“Everyone would be cautious because you’re a noble.”

Carly smiled bitterly at Anne’s excessively polite behavior. Anne still saw her as a naive noble lady.

‘Miss Anne, I am different now. I am prepared to do anything.’

Despite the constant noise from the field hospital, Carly remained unfazed, treating it as background noise and smiling at Anne.

Carly hadn’t expected Anne to be welcoming from the start.

Just changing fate, saving Anne Riley and Evan Davis, and protecting the empire—if she could achieve that, it didn’t matter if Anne kept her distance.

‘I’m here for that, so there’s no need to feel hurt.’

“Then, as I’m not feeling well, could you please show me a place to rest?”

“…Though it’s shabby, you may rest over there if you’d like.”

Carly nodded with a bright smile. From there, she thought she could get a good view of Anne working diligently.

In her previous life, when she heard that Anne had died, Carly had pretended to be composed, but in truth, she had desperately wanted to see her face.

In this life, Carly would be the comrade Anne could rely on.

* * *

Meal time at the field hospital. Anne kept looking around. Since she received sudden orders to eat with the soldiers under the commander’s command, Evan was bound to appear as well.

…Though there was nothing to gain from seeing him after being rejected, she wanted to tell him to stop avoiding her like before.

“Anne! What’s the occasion today? Do they eat like this every day?”

“Huh? Oh.”

“Wow, it’s really good. Wow…”

‘D*mn, why can’t I see him? ‘

She saw the subordinates who always followed him, but the commander was nowhere to be found.

As the bustling dining hall quieted down and even the leftovers were nearly gone, Anne sat with her arms crossed, waiting.

It was then.

She saw a familiar figure turning away from the serving line. Anne quickly ran towards Evan.

Just as she was about to grab him, she heard someone calling her from a distance.

“Miss Anne! I heard you can eat here… oh? Duke Evan Davis?”

“……”

“Um, Commander, there’s something I’d like to talk about. And Lady Carly, you can get your food here, but I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste…”

Anne, who had blurted out everything in a hurry, looked around at the ensuing silence.

Evan was staring at Carly with a surprised expression, and Carly clapped her hands, looking between Anne and Evan.

“My, are you two already lovers?”

“What?”

“No, we’re not.”

Anne and Evan answered simultaneously. But hearing him say ‘no’ again made her feel really awful.

‘If you’re going to be so firm and decisive, you shouldn’t have followed me around or protected me.’

Anne felt oddly melancholy. So she didn’t pay much attention to Carly’s words.

Carly, having heard their answers, grabbed Anne’s arm and stood her next to Evan.

“Lady Carly?”

“Now, hold still.”

Carly tucked Anne’s hair behind her ear and smiled brightly.

“You two look so good together.”

“…Lady Carly, please stop joking.”

Carly shook her head slightly.

Ever since Carly returned to the past, she had wished countless times that she could go back to before Ferrell Klein’s death.

But she didn’t want to see others die while she was lamenting.

In this life, she wouldn’t try to learn more about Ferrell Klein’s death.

“Anyway, shall we eat together? You both haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

“No… I’ve already eaten…”

Anne shook her head, having already finished her meal, but Carly smiled and encouraged her.

“Look, there’s some delicious bread and jam over there. You need to eat well to work hard.”

With that, Carly grabbed Anne’s hand and pulled her along. Evan watched this with a troubled expression.

As Anne sat down, Carly called out to Evan, gesturing with her hand.

“Commander Davis! Aren’t you coming?”

“……”

Evan silently picked up his tray and sat across from Anne. Carly also sat next to Anne, setting out bread and jam for her.

“Mmm, it’s good. Anne, try this.”

“…Sure, I’ll try it.”

Anne, biting into the bread, found this odd combination curious. Neither of them was of a rank or status to be eating with her like this…

Ignoring such formalities, Carly seemed simply cheerful.

However, Anne felt something familiar and nostalgic. She felt warmth from these people.

Just as she was feeling strangely emotional,

“When are you planning to go to Calohas.”

“…How do you know about that?”

“It’s a secret, you know.”

…?

Anne, listening to this conversation, tilted her head in confusion.

Even though it was an out-of-context response, Evan Davis continued eating nonchalantly, which Anne found odd.

She kept swallowing her bread with sweet strawberry jam, observing the two.

Evan squinted at Carly and asked,

“It takes at least three full days to get here from Calohas. How did you come?”

Although Evan was a commander of duke status, he was speaking very informally to the noblewoman.

Yet, Carly Dehart did not seem bothered. She simply answered.

“Aren’t you curious why I came?”

“Should I be?”

Carly felt a lump in her throat at that remark.

“Well, I thought…”

“Thought what?”

“……”

“That we had some bond?”

Carly’s eyes widened. A bond? She had hardly interacted with Commander Evan Davis before!

‘Has the duke returned as well?’

“And what if we did?”

“…I see.”

Carly couldn’t continue the strange conversation in front of Anne.

She wanted to discuss their reasons for returning, but she hoped Anne, eating bread with strawberry jam beside them, wouldn’t know.

Carly wiped Anne’s cheek with a handkerchief and asked,

“Is the strawberry jam good?”

“…Yes! It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad.”

Anne’s green eyes wavered slightly. Then she asked Carly and Evan,

“Is this the first time both of you have seen me here?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Of course.”

Their immediate answers made her even more suspicious.

Anne wanted to say they both seemed odd, but she kept her mouth shut and stood up.

“I must have been mistaken. I need to see the patients. Thank you for suggesting the meal, Lady Carly. It was nice eating with you.”

“Yes! See you again, Miss Anne.”

Anne gave a slight nod and left.

As soon as she was gone, a low, cold voice reached Carly’s ears.

“Have you returned?”

Carly smiled and replied,

“You too?”

“Yes.”

“I see. I thought I was the only one who came back, so I rushed here to make sure neither of you came back to Dehart Castle.”

Evan’s blue eyes deepened. Seeing Carly made him feel relieved, thinking of her as a comrade who had experienced the end of life with him. But…

“That was pointless.”

Evan replied coldly.

“…I can’t just sit and do nothing.”

“My plan is… not to get deeply involved with Anne Riley.”

“Ha.”

Carly hurriedly retorted,

“There’s no guarantee that Anne’s fate will improve if you do that! This is a battlefield. What if she faces another death we don’t know about?”

“…I’ll keep an eye on things to make sure that doesn’t happen. So you should think about your own safety first.”

“I’ll take care of myself.”

Carly abruptly stood up and left.