Even if the Dawn Abandons You - Chapter 22

First day.

Leonard checked Anais into the hospital after she was brought in by the ambulance, then hurried home. He didn’t even have time to fulfill his promise to Marcel. Hearing the news, he didn’t do anything truly crazy to gain access to the hospital where the revolutionary soldiers were encamped, but spending nearly an hour on the other side of the hospital wasn’t rational.

Second day.

Leonard returned to Rue once again. This time, he was properly disguised, but he still felt uneasy. The people of Rue were making a lot of noise about the fact that Ms. Anais Belmartier was still not awake. One could confirm this even while sitting on the back porch, reading the newspaper Marcel had brought. Going to Rue for two consecutive days was too much to be considered sane.

And then the third day arrived.

Leonard believed he had gone mad. He put on the blond wig he had prepared just in case, wore a bowler hat, dressed in his best clothes, and even bought a bouquet of flowers. He walked into the hospital as if he were visiting someone. He had read an article about Auguste Germain’s wish to avoid having too many revolutionaries in the hospital, yet he still went ahead with his plan. It was truly, really crazy. Fortunately, no one recognized him. He knew it was simply luck. As he disposed of the bouquet in the trash can, he made a decision never to return to Rue.

But on the fourth day, he repeated the same actions as on the third.

That day, his madness finally surfaced.

“Oh dear.”

The theatrical tone echoed softly in the hospital’s backyard. With winter approaching, the trees with half-fallen leaves swayed as the wind grew fiercer day by day.

“Are you Monsieur Charleroi?”

Not His Highness or anything else, just Monsieur Charleroi.

The short blond man spoke with a sarcastic tone that anyone would recognize, and his face was one Leonard had seen in newspapers before. Leonard immediately remembered who the man was.

Eastern warlord Philippe Ardinand was looking at him with a smile.

? ? ?

It was an incomprehensible mess. Anais Belmartier had been shot while treating the resistance fighters in Basbourg and was in critical condition, yet he openly walked around Rue as if he were advertising himself, inviting capture and death. And now, he had actually encountered a person from the Revolutionary Army…

“The Revolutionary Army would be thrilled if you handed me over to them.”

“I just had a heated argument with Major Châtelet of the Revolutionary Army on my way here. I don’t want to do something they would love so much.”

Was that the reason for all this commotion? At Philippe Ardinand’s playful response, who had deployed mercenaries under his command in the civil war in Basbourg, Leonard felt his tension melt away. From the moment he heard the words ‘Monsieur Charleroi,’ he had imagined running until a gun was pointed at his head. Yet here they were, sitting side by side on a bench in the hospital’s backyard, engaging in an unexpectedly calm conversation.

“To pretend not to know me for that reason alone, you are truly a remarkable man.”

“Furthermore, Miss Anais would be greatly disappointed if ‘Mr. Charleroi’ were captured by the revolutionary army.”

Anais. Yes, at the mention of his last name, Leonard’s thoughts immediately turned to Anais. If he were caught and died like this, he wouldn’t be able to hear the sound of her breathing anymore. If it weren’t for Philippe’s presence by his side, he would have buried his head in shame. He thought he wanted to die after hearing the sound of the enemy’s breathing. Would this be his last chance? Honestly, was he truly crazy to think it was a pity?

However, he didn’t feel lonely because he had a madman by his side who refused to reveal herself, fearing that Anais would be disappointed.

“In other words, I want to prevent Miss Anais from ever feeling sad. That’s why I can’t hand you over to the revolutionary army.”

“Are you particularly attached to her?”

“I stand in her shoes, silently courting her.”

Philippe Ardinand said with a smile. Leonard wondered what he was trying to achieve by silently courting someone who was devastatingly ignorant when it came to her love life. But he didn’t bother pointing out the facts and instead examined Philippe from head to toe. From the high-quality tailored late fall coat draped over his shoulder to his suit, hat, gloves, and watch, everything spoke of exquisite craftsmanship. How could he dress like this when his lady, the one he pursued, teetered on the brink of death? It seemed that today would bring nothing but more incomprehensible occurrences.

Leonard said, “I heard she’s in critical condition, but you look fine for someone who’s courting her.”

“Since that incident, I’ve been deeply worried. However, I’ve been taught not to show my anxiety when I’m truly anxious.”

Leonard had received a similar education. The closer his thoughts were to his vulnerabilities, the more he had to hide them. How had he managed to survive? He couldn’t recall. However, looking back on the actions he took when Anais was in danger of dying seven years ago, it seemed he hadn’t hidden them well.

“Why did Monsieur Charleroi come here? If it weren’t for me, you’d be in big trouble.”

“Because I don’t understand.”

“Are you risking your life just to understand? You have a passion for knowledge.”

As Leonard questioned why he couldn’t reach a conclusion, whether it was due to a hasty lie or the truth, Philippe Ardinand jokingly responded once again. Leonard realized that common sense didn’t apply here. He couldn’t comprehend why he had reached out to the resistance for help, so he was dumbfounded and embarrassed that he had risked his life to come here for several days.

“What did you want to understand?”

“Anais Belmartier.”

He wanted to understand the incident involving Anais Belmartier. He wanted to understand, accept it, and feel at ease knowing that she was just an avenger, despite being the murderer of his own family. He believed that he desired that. While he thought of her with hatred, the current reality, where he couldn’t deeply feel that way, was agonizing. Let’s say that it was the footstep of guilt to concede a hundred times and try to save himself. But then, why do you feel guilty? What other reasons were there for trying to save a soldier of the resistance?

“Did you know she got injured while treating the resistance?”

“No, this is the first time I’m hearing about it.”

Philippe replied, touching his chin and furrowing his brow. That made sense. The only ones present at the time were the lowly, ungrateful, and somewhat suspicious resistance fighter, Anais, and himself. However, despite hearing that Anais had been injured while treating an enemy soldier, Philippe’s expression remained perfectly normal. He even murmured briefly, “I see.” He didn’t appear angry or surprised at all.

“You don’t seem very surprised.”

“Well, I thought she was capable of that.”

“Capable of…?”

How angelic did Philippe Ardinand envision Anais Belmartier? At this point, even his claim that Leonard was courting Anais seemed dubious. Or perhaps his taste was questionable. She was capable of healing enemies, that was true, but on the other hand, she was a woman who could kill as well.

“Can someone capable of that also kill an innocent child?”

Leonard had never imagined an angel making such a choice. He had forgotten that the person he was speaking to was a member of the Revolutionary Army, that he had just met him today, and that he claimed to be courting Anais Belmartier. He poured out his feelings of injustice and confusion.

He said, “She is a member of the Revolutionary Army who brutally killed all my blood relatives, and yet she innocently believes in and treats the resistance fighters, and now she hovers between life and death. How am I supposed to handle this situation?”

There was no immediate response. Philippe Ardinand remained silent at Leonard’s indignant question. Instead, he blinked as if he had heard something completely unexpected. He blinked for a while, and then, as if he had come up with an unexpected hypothesis, he exclaimed.

“Oh… you didn’t know?”

The words that followed were enough to shatter Leonard Antoine de Charleroi completely.