Even if the Dawn Abandons You - Chapter 25

“Doctor!”

Once again, Marie Blanc, with her red hair neatly tied into pigtails, sprinted to the side of the bed and called for Anais.

Anais, who was leaning against the raised half of the bed, reading a book that Philip had brought her, was startled by Marie’s sudden appearance.

“Marie?”

“Since the doctor was injured, she insisted on visiting me,” Marcel, who had followed Marie into the hospital room, explained with an embarrassed smile. In one hand, Marcel held a basket filled with sky-blue paper flowers that Marie had folded for a week, praying for Anais’s recovery.

He handed her the basket.

“I also spoke to Leo, but he just wanted to send his regards. That heartless guy,” Marcel commented.

The mention of Leo brought a sense of urgency to Anais. She knew that if Leo were to come near the hospital, it would be a significant event. She recalled waking up to the face of Auguste Germain, the first person she saw after her injury. Auguste had informed her that there were only a few government troops stationed at the hospital, and he was even considering removing them thanks to Mr. Ardinand.

However, there was no guarantee that none of the remaining troops would recognize Leo’s face. Moreover, Auguste himself was familiar with Leo’s appearance. Anais held back the words that should never be spoken and muttered incomprehensible words while fiddling with the end of the book.

“I don’t have a particularly close relationship with Mr. Serdieu…”

“Still, I thought it would be better to see his friend’s face before leaving,” Marcel interjected.

“Where are you going?”

“Aren’t you going back to Seine?”

Marcel asked Anais as if it were a matter of course.

Anais placed the book in front of her and recalled the words Auguste had anxiously spoken to her, as if she had made a significant decision.

“I couldn’t sleep peacefully for a single day because of you. Mr. Ardinand was preparing to transfer you to Seine’s large hospital because you simply wouldn’t wake up. If you had been just two days later, you would have woken up in Seine. How about just going back to Seine now? This place is too dangerous for ‘you’…”

“That’s not possible. I have to go back to Dunang, of course.”

Anais understood the concerns of Auguste and Philip deep in her heart, but she also realized the inconsistency of their worries. Anais Belmartier was once a revolutionary who boldly fought for freedom and equality on the front lines of the great revolution, facing the fire of bullets from the imperial army.

Yet, they seemed to overlook her past and overly fret about a single bullet wound. Furthermore, what was the point of going back to Seine and hiding behind bodyguards that Philip Ardinand would assign to alleviate her worries?

“The world is still a battlefield, Anais Belmartier.”

There was no peaceful paradise on Earth where innocent people didn’t have to worry about sudden and absurd deaths.

Anais had come to Bathbourg with the intention of living and dying by her convictions. No matter what happened, she had no intention of returning to Seine. She felt that she could no longer pursue her values there. With that mindset, going back after facing the threat of death was never an option.

No, in fact, Seine was no longer a place she could “return” to. Moreover, in truth, she wasn’t even sure if being alive brought her such great joy.

While lost in her thoughts, Anias had an unexpectedly surprising thought.

The villagers, upon hearing the news of Anais’s death, had assumed she would return to Seine. The village was already aware that there would be no more doctors, and everyone was concerned about surviving the harsh upcoming winter. But Anais had not returned to Seine.

“It’s not a very obvious choice,” she mused.

“It’s only natural,” Marcel replied.

Meanwhile, Anais continued to inquire if anyone had fallen seriously ill or if there were any new injuries while she was away.

As Marcel eagerly answered Anais’s questions, he remembered Leonard, who had once asked if Anais was a good person.

To be honest, in Marcel’s opinion, Anais Belmartier embodied the qualities of a “good person” that he had vaguely imagined until now.

She was compassionate, kind, and polite to everyone she met. Even in the beginning, she treated Marie with respect.

“It’s good to climb trees and play, but it’s also important to watch your step, young lady,” she would say with a smile, resembling that of a saint.

Whenever someone in the village got injured, Anais was the first to rush to their aid, regardless of her location or what she was doing. Anais’s hospital was always open, day and night, with no designated meal breaks, except when she disguised her visits to the village’s sickbeds as house calls or when she ventured out to assist civilians on the battlefield. Although Leonard had expressed suspicion, Marcel couldn’t imagine anyone being as good as Anais Belmartier.

The only problem was that she was too kind. In Marcel’s eyes, Anais dedicated herself to others without considering her own well-being. It was as if she had resolved to live solely for others and neglected to take care of herself… or perhaps she didn’t love herself enough to do so. Marcel hesitated to hold such sentiments, but he couldn’t comprehend why Anais didn’t recognize her own goodness when she possessed such a caring nature.

Now that he thought about it, there was another person whose attitude he couldn’t understand.

Leonard, presumably of noble origin and Anais’s friend, had secluded himself in his house for the past few days, appearing greatly discouraged. In an attempt to lift his spirits and get some fresh air, Marcel had suggested visiting the hospital with him, even though he knew Leonard didn’t particularly like Anais. Leonard had accepted the invitation reluctantly and had a message for Anais.

“Tell her that I’ll be waiting for her safe return.”

Marcel sensed something in Leonard’s expression—an unwavering determination, as if he were standing at the edge of the world, ready to face whatever awaited him.

Moreover, while everyone Marcel knew believed that Anais would return to Seine, it was peculiar that Leonard, who had always been reluctant towards her, spoke as if it were a certainty that she would come back to Dunang. Marcel wondered if something had transpired between the two of them without his knowledge.

? ? ?

After Marcel and Marie left, Anais found herself alone in the hospital room. Instead of reopening the book, she glanced around the empty space.

Her gaze landed on the basket of sky-blue paper flowers that Marie had painstakingly folded over the past week. When asked why the flowers were sky blue, Marie had explained that it was because they resembled the beautiful color of Anais’s eyes.

The young girl with coveted red hair had confessed her admiration for the kind doctor from the capital who had come down to their village and saved her life. At least, that’s what Anais believed.

Anais had grown fond of Marcel and Marie. It wasn’t just because Marcel’s name and friendly demeanor reminded her of her deceased brother; she also appreciated Marcel’s overflowing vitality and Marie’s courage and delicate nature, so fitting for her age.

She had also grown fond of the people of Dunang.

Despite being a small village, isolated and vulnerable, its inhabitants welcomed Anais and Leonard, obvious strangers, with open arms and without any sense of distrust. Anais had even developed a soft spot for Madame Bruni, who persistently tried to play matchmaker between her and Leonard. She saw it as a day filled with gratitude, affection, and curiosity. It would be unfair to be dissatisfied with such a loving community just because of her own internal struggles.

‘But I can’t. Of course, I must return to Dunang.’

She cherished Dunang. She found contentment in her life there. Even though she had only lived there for a few months, she hoped that if she had to go back, it would be to Dunang.

On one hand, she felt uneasy about using the tragedies of Dunang and Bathbourg for her personal redemption, but she couldn’t help it. All that remained within her were her shattered convictions and a flickering will to live in accordance with them. So, naturally, she had to go back to Dunang. However…

“There’s at least one thing I should apologize to Miss Anais… perhaps more.”

“The Second Prince seemed completely unaware of Miss Anais’s opposition to the execution of his imperial family.”

“I heard that Miss Anais met with the Second Prince, so it’s only natural that she would tell him… but still.”

What awaited her upon her return?

What would he say to her? What should she say to him?

As Anais made her way back to Dunang, worry stubbornly clung to her ankles.