Even if the Dawn Abandons You - Chapter 26

Anais Belmartier, who woke up after a week, made a quick recovery.

Many people were delighted with the news of her recuperation, but the citizens of Seine, who were convinced that Anais would return to Seine because of this incident, were once again devastated when she stated in front of reporters that she had no intention of returning.

Philip tried every possible way to persuade Anais to return to Seine, but nothing worked. He held a magical weakness that could manipulate Anais the way he wanted, but he wasn’t petty enough to blackmail her with that. He wanted to be a gentleman, at least to Anais Belmartier.

After a few more days, the doctor gave permission for Anais to leave the hospital, although recommending a longer stay. But Anais went straight back to her bag. The residents of Dunang rushed to her house, visiting one by one, unable to hide their joy, as if celebrating the end of a civil war.

No one came empty-handed, and Anais felt embarrassed having to return all the gifts. However, she found some solace in Marie’s help and loud proclamation, “Doctor, you will only accept the gift I gave you!”

As the sun set, Leonard never came to visit.

? ? ?

After enduring the seemingly endless hospital visits with the help of Mrs. Bruni, who said, “Oh, the doctor needs rest too,” Anais sat in a daze, feeling like a prisoner awaiting an unknown punishment. She had no energy to do anything else, and she couldn’t fall asleep not knowing when he would come.

After several hours of silent torture, Leonard finally arrived at her house close to midnight. Anais always left the door to her house, which doubled as a hospital, open until late. So, Leonard entered without knocking and leaned against the door. Anais, noticing his presence, pushed the chair back and stood up.

She asked, “You must have something to tell me, don’t you?”

“I believe you have something to say,” Leonard replied.

It meant he wouldn’t say it aloud until the end. Leonard let out a sigh and began speaking, his tone deeper and more bitter than any of their previous conversations.

“Why didn’t you tell the truth?”

“It was just an excuse.”

“Is it an excuse for going to great lengths to save my family?”

“I didn’t bribe the jailer to save Your Highness’s family, nor did I search for the secret passage in the eastern tower. I kept repeating words that ultimately didn’t work. How can I dare say I tried to save them?”

Anais silently blamed herself, as if she had been preparing to say it for a long time.

“I don’t want to be so pathetic and petty, Your Highness.”

Leonard resisted the urge to ask if she would rather be a little pitiful than receive his resentment and criticism. He could endure it all, not now. Now that she was the Anais Belmartier he knew, the one who opposed their decision and said no, but in reality, hadn’t tried her best. So, he was simply curious.

“Why… did you object?”

“Because I didn’t believe it was right.”

Leonard’s eyes widened slightly. Those were the words he had longed to hear at least once, as they were powerful for anyone. Truly, he thought he didn’t care about anyone, but he never expected to hear it from her. Leonard felt that their relationship was progressing in a serious manner, and Anais continued speaking while chewing on her lips.

“I believed we had created a world where no innocent person would die unjustly. But in reality, it wasn’t like that. And even for the guilty… “

Even for Antoine XIII or Crown Prince Henri.

“Your Majesty, I never wanted anyone to die like that.”

She couldn’t bear to see anyone die without a fair trial, without proof of guilt, simply because they were born into the royal family. Anais believed that on the night of the execution of the imperial family, there were no condemned prisoners in the eastern tower. The Republican government had decided to execute the imperial family in the eastern tower, fearing the consequences of their continued existence.

The eyes of the revolutionary soldiers tasked with the execution were blinded by vengeance. Execution should be carried out through due process of law, as the merciless act of taking a human life is both merciless and irreversible.

But that night, no such procedure existed. It was simply the act of exacting the most brutal revenge. Even on those who shouldn’t have been struck by that vengeful bullet.

“Even for the Crown Prince.”

So even if it was the enemy who killed her brother and father, she couldn’t find solace in such a death.

One of the revolutionary soldiers, covered in blood after the execution, had said, “I put the most bullets into Prince Henri. I have finally avenged your family’s enemies.”

Anais still couldn’t forget the terrible smell of blood emanating from him, nor the bloodstains on her black clothes as he clung to her shoulders and spoke excitedly. How could that be? How?

Unconsciously, Anais recalled that day, and what had stood firm until just a while ago crumbled. Leonard quickly reached out to support her. In the next moment, he berated himself for his lack of composure. There were other ways to offer support. They could have stood there awkwardly, him holding her arms with both hands, or if they were just a little closer, it could be considered a hug. Their faces and lips were barely touching.

Leonard gasped, and Anais, her cheeks flushing red, hastily pulled away and stepped back. However, she was momentarily flustered and unable to move due to Leonard’s firm grip.

“It’s alright, let me go. Your Highness.”

“Don’t you find it strange?”

“What?”

“That you still address me as such.”

Saying that, Leonard wrapped his weak arms around her neck and lifted her up, carrying her to the bed. He waited for a response, saying nothing more.

The silence and the warmth emanating from his embrace made it difficult for Anais to regain control of her troubled mind. She bit her lip hard, partly to ponder her answer, and partly to resist inadvertently leaning closer to Leonard.

Leonard, too, struggled to regain his composure.

Anais could feel it against her chin as he bit his lip in embarrassment. Her breathing was still shallow, as if she lacked the energy. Leonard unconsciously moistened his lips and swallowed, quickly snapping back to reality. He gently placed Anais on the bed, releasing his hold on her arm. Anais responded with a slightly delayed reply.

“I was hoping that a different world could exist… I wished for it to come.”

“Isn’t it already here?”

“Well, did it really come?”

Was it right to think that way? She asked with a sad expression. Leonard couldn’t say anything.

The world… it did seem to have changed. If he told her that the position he had taken for granted since birth had disappeared overnight and that he hadn’t changed, he would probably feel slightly hurt. However, he was too ignorant of the changed world to answer yes or no.

Perhaps he had come here because he didn’t want to know. This country, which Leonard had known since he was fourteen, was still fierce, barren, and filled with pain, much like Basbourg today.

He had been running and striving to make things right. Perhaps he had gotten lost in an upside-down world and came all this way because he saw a familiar landscape and wanted to set things right, at least in this regard.

But the path he had traveled wasn’t solely about rectifying the wrongs. He also had his own self-interest. Why was it so? The reason he had initially become aware of the troubles in this land, the reason he wanted to change it and aimed for the throne, all stemmed from one thing.

Leonard gazed intently at Anais, perched on the bed, his eyes filled with deep, long-held emotions, unsure of what to say. He hadn’t properly confronted these feelings for years.

In fact, he had intended to dig deeper into the secrets she might still be hiding. It’s just that he still didn’t understand anything. There were so many things he wanted to say, but when the opportunity arose, he couldn’t find the words to speak.

“Someday, I want to hear it.”

“Hear what?”

“You calling my name.”

Leonard.

In order to have her call that name once, he wanted to create a country where no one would say anything even if she stood next to him and called his name.

“Anais.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Anais…”

But that’s not what you wanted, right?

He pushed the question that he couldn’t bring himself to ask through his throat several times as he called her name. And the two of them didn’t engage in any conversation until Anais fell asleep from the effects of the medication.