It happened suddenly, without warning, like all the misfortunes in the world.

Anais and Leonard had settled into an awkward routine in their neighborhood, gradually adapting to their daily lives. The days grew colder, and the number of sick patients in the village, unrelated to the civil war, increased. Anais had spent the morning caring for patients with colds at the hospital. After a simple lunch, she took a short nap.

It was late afternoon, as the red sun began to descend, when Anais strolled along the narrow country road. On the other side, she spotted a familiar face jumping towards her.

“Hello, Marie.”

“Hello, Doctor.”

Marie, a red-haired girl who loved climbing trees, greeted her doctor politely. Anais had previously treated her by putting three stitches on her forehead. Soon, Marcel Blanc appeared from behind Marie whose thick, curly hair was neatly tied into two pigtails. Anais greeted Marcel warmly.

“Hello, Mr. Blanc. Long time no see.”

“Ah… Yes, Doctor. Long time no see.”

“What are you up to?”

Marcel seemed visibly uneasy. Anais wondered about Marcel’s worry as she asked her question, but Marcel cautiously spoke up.

“Doctor, have you seen Leo today?”

“Leo… Mr. Dieu? No, I haven’t seen him.”

Anais and Leonard rarely had the chance to meet, except when the village elders forced them together. It almost seemed like they were intentionally avoiding each other. Nevertheless, Anais always cared about Leonard, regardless of his behavior. She wondered what might have happened to him. Even though the witness named Philip had been dealt with, Leonard was still a fugitive. The realization that she had momentarily forgotten this fact, accepting the past few weeks as their new routine, filled Anais with impatience and a sense of embarrassment.

“Well, he’s been in a bad mood since he read the newspaper this morning. I don’t know why, but he wanted to have dinner with me, so I went to see him, but he’s not even home.”

Even the villagers said they hadn’t seen Leonard since morning. Marcel’s worried words increased Anais’ anxiety. Amidst her unease, Anais quickly picked up on the clues from Marcel’s words.

“The newspaper this morning?”

“Yes. There was a picture on the front page of La Penet magazine today… Oh, I’m sorry, but can you keep this from Marie?”

Marcel took out a newspaper from his bag and handed it over to Anais. Anais carefully passed the newspaper to Marcel, making sure that Marie couldn’t see it. Marcel unfolded the newspaper, keeping it hidden from Marie’s sight. In that moment, as Marcel’s words and Marie’s innocent question echoed in Anais’ ears, her hands involuntarily trembled, almost dropping the newspaper.

“Why can’t I see?”

“Because Marie would have terrifying nightmares.”

At first glance, the picture seemed like an immense bloodbath, almost entirely black. The cramped room made it hard to imagine that seven people had lived there for several months. The dress hems stained red and torn, jewelry scattered in a pool of blood, along with unidentifiable lumps. The bodies were so badly damaged that they were unrecognizable.

Exclusive release in this magazine! The tragic end of the Charleroi dynasty.

The front page of the newspaper displayed a photo of the royal family members after their execution.

Anais didn’t even realize she had dropped her bag as she covered her mouth with her hand, the newspaper slipping through her fingers. The scene in the picture was too horrifying. It was impossible to discern whether those lying there were human beings, hands, or feet, or even count the number of bodies. The gunshots she had heard that night suddenly made sense.

How could anyone be so cruel?

The revolutionary army’s anger towards the royal family could be described as great and fanatical. The comrades who died by the emperor and the crown prince were deeply mourned. However, from Anais’ perspective, the scene in the picture went far beyond the limits.

The fact that those responsible for the shooting were her former comrades terrified her the most. They had pledged to create a better world together, fighting for freedom with shared ideals. The realization that such misery was created by their own comrades stained Anais’ soul with a profound sense of despair.

Only after a long while did Marcel’s voice reach Anais, calling out, “Doctor?”

Underneath the horrifying and repulsive photo, even for an adult, the name of the reporter who had published it was printed in Wisterian instead of Leang: Andrew Leighton. Anais had known a few Wisterian journalists from her time in the Revolutionary Army, but Andrew Leighton was a name she hadn’t encountered before.

The hastily taken photo, with its poor composition, seemed to have been captured surreptitiously after the execution, taking advantage of the moment when the revolutionary soldiers responsible for the killings and the workers cleaning up the place were momentarily distracted. It was clear that proper management was lacking. Anais unknowingly gritted her teeth, criticizing Edmund, who had been in charge of the first half of the execution.

She wondered what Andrew Leighton, the journalist, intended by publishing these pictures in La Penette. Was it for the sake of a scoop, or did he believe the people of Le Ang had the right to know?

Some reporters from the Republic of Wisteria, the only republic on the continent until the revolution succeeded, saw it as their duty to spread republican ideals across the continent by capturing images of the Leang Revolutionary Army and publishing them abroad.

But Leang now had a republican government. It wasn’t immediately after the royal family members were killed. If the goal was to disseminate the ideas, the best time would have been right after their deaths.

Moreover, Wisteria had been remarkably generous to its own imperial family after the Republican Revolution. Although it caused some trouble, when the Imperial Restoration faction tried to enthrone the deposed princess. The deposed emperor, in a fit of jealousy, had attempted to kill his own daughter. She later married a war hero with a republican background and led a prosperous and respectable life.

In such circumstances, what did this foreign reporter really want to convey to the people of Le Ang?

The joy of brutally killing the despised imperial family?

Or was it a moment of self-reflection, questioning whether this act had gone too far?

Considering the horror of the photo, the possibility of the latter couldn’t be dismissed. Perhaps the fact that the reporter was from Wisteria was merely a disguise, and in reality, it might be a ploy by the Restorationists to shape public opinion in favor of the deceased imperial family. However, after contemplating this, Anais realized she was once again looking at the picture from the perspective of the revolutionary army. She quickly refocused her thoughts.

There was only one thing she needed to concentrate on at that moment: the actual impact this photo would have on Leonard’s life.

For instance, at a glance, it was impossible to determine the number of bodies. But what if someone analyzed the photo and discovered that the Republican government’s claim of executing all eight members of the royal family was false?

No, what if someone had already done so?

A shiver ran down Anais’ spine as she recalled Marcel’s words about Leonard’s whereabouts being unknown after he saw the picture. Her mouth went dry as she considered the possibility that something might have happened to Leonard.

Moreover, even if it wasn’t necessary, the photos were so horrifying and disturbing. Just imagining how Leonard must have felt upon seeing the picture filled Anais with guilt once again.

Marcel might have been overreacting, but she had gone looking for him because she cared about his well-being, she said. Anais bit her lip and resolved to find Marcel, her determination shining through.

“I’ll look for Mr. Serdieu too.”

“Yes? Oh no, Doctor, you don’t have to go through that.”

“I’m worried as well.”

And she truly was. She was genuinely concerned and couldn’t bear the thought of Leonard going through this alone.

? ? ?

“Ah, Anais Belle Martier welcomes His Highness, the Second Prince.”

The silver-haired girl, visibly nervous, performed the proper court etiquette, bending her knees. It was an unfamiliar greeting, much like at her funeral, but it was evident that she was doing her best. Leonard found it somewhat endearing.

On the second day after leaving the imperial palace, Leonard successfully reunited with Anais, as he had originally intended. Passing through Orden was still painful that day. However, Leonard was determined to do his best. He left the imperial palace early in the morning with a bag full of bread and handed out large pieces of it to hungry children he encountered along the way. Despite enduring the bitterly cold slums, even in the midst of summer, Leonard finally arrived at the townhouse where the father and daughter resided in Belle Martier.