Even if the Dawn Abandons You - Chapter 31

The sound of crying emanated from within the bundle of blankets. Marcel’s lifeless body clung tightly to the package, requiring the strength of three men to pry it away. Among them was Leonard, his head bowed, desperately concealing his emotions.

Carefully unwrapping the blankets, Anais and Leonard discovered Marie Blanc, weeping as they had anticipated, confirming the body to be Marcel’s.

“Marie!”

He swiftly picked up Marie, while Anais examined her condition. The child had endured alone in the darkness for over two days without food or water, and now she trembled, weakened, wondering where all the energy from her earlier crying had vanished.

An urgent glance passed between Anais and Leonard. They knew they had to take her to the hospital immediately. Thanking the soldiers, they excused themselves and hurriedly made their way through the debris.

“Go to the village entrance; a military ambulance will be waiting there!” a soldier shouted.

Anais nodded silently in response. She stole one last glance at Marcel’s lifeless body lying on the ground, fighting back the tears that threatened to cloud her vision, and then ran alongside Leonard.

? ? ?

“What… What is all this?”

The red-haired young man was taken aback by the mess inside the house. He had come to say hello to his new neighbor, so he stopped cleaning and opened the door. As soon as he looked inside, his face contorted in dismay. Leonard attempted to offer his excuses, claiming that the house was already in disarray when he entered.

“I… I was cleaning.”

“No way. I vividly remember the last state of this house, and even though it was small, it was better than this.”

‘Well… that’s true…’

However, Leonard’s excuses did not convince the red-haired young man. He looked at Leonard with an expression that suggested he found the situation even messier, and Leonard, growing more nervous, began to move his hand even more frantically.

The red-haired young man and the little girl, who had been observing Leonard’s desperate struggle with the chaos from the doorway, sighed simultaneously and shook their heads. Finally, the young man opened his mouth as if he couldn’t bear it any longer.

“For now, just put down that broom. What good does it do to hold it so aggressively? If someone sees you, they’ll think you’re trying to beat people with it.”

“But I need to clean…”

“This mess won’t be resolved just by randomly using any cleaning tool without any order or plan! Just put it down!”

Like a well-oiled machine, the young man and the girl swiftly began restoring order to the house, transforming it into a habitable space. Deprived of work, Leonard reluctantly set aside the broom and followed the young man’s instructions, moving large pieces of furniture from one place to another.

Surprisingly, as they worked, the house gradually took on the appearance of a welcoming home. By the time the sun set, it looked as good as new. The young man and the girl exchanged a triumphant high five. When the task was complete, the young man bowed his head and offered an apology.

“I’m sorry for barging in and telling you what to do. But you should know that you were partly to blame for acting like you could knock down the exterior wall of the house tomorrow if left unchecked.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Honestly, I was at a loss, but thanks to you, the work finished early. I should be the one thanking you.”

And he meant it. Even though he didn’t need money, since becoming a fugitive, he appreciated any form of help from others. The young man smiled in relief and, after applauding, requested Leonard to introduce himself.

“Now, let’s properly introduce ourselves as we originally planned. Since you’ve thanked me, you should tell me your name first.”

Though the logic seemed amusing, Leonard was not offended. He extended his hand and offered the false name he had prepared in advance.

“I’m Leo… My last name is Serdieu.”

“I’m Marcel Blanc. And this is my sister…”

? ? ?

“Marie, how are you feeling? Are you hungry?”

Marie, her expression blank, shook her head. Anais let out a shallow sigh and drew back the curtains beside the bed, allowing some sunlight to filter in. She hoped the child would benefit from its warmth.

Several days had passed since Marie Blanc was discovered as the first survivor amidst the ruins of Dunang. The search operation was still ongoing, and three more survivors had been found. Leonard, assisting with the search, wore a despondent expression.

“I wonder if this will ever end,” he murmured.

Marie remained unharmed.

For now.

She had been rushed to Rue General Hospital in a military ambulance. The child exhibited severe malnutrition and dehydration, but thankfully, there were no other injuries. The fact that she was discovered in time was considered a stroke of luck.

Leonard slumped into a hospital chair upon hearing those words, muttering, ‘This time, this time…’

Anais paused for a moment, hearing his murmurs, then withdrew her hand from his shoulder.

Throughout the night, Leonard anxiously remained at Marie’s bedside, praying for her to wake up. Anais had done the same, but she suspected that Leonard saw someone else through Marie, just as he saw Marcel Bellemartier through Marcel Blanc.

Someone precious whom he wanted to protect in moments of life’s fragility.

Marie finally regained consciousness after a day. As soon as she woke, she cried inconsolably for a long time. At ten years old, she couldn’t easily believe the lie that her brother was merely gone for a while.

Moreover, having spent two and a half days in the arms of her deceased brother, Marcel, Marie Blanc had lost the vibrant spirit that had once filled her surroundings. She sobbed pitifully, refused to eat, and sat on the bed in a daze, as if the world had been stolen from her. And she was not mistaken. For Marie, who had lost her parents at a tender age, her older brother had been her entire world.

Since then, Marie cried every time she saw Leonard. As her brother’s friend, Leonard naturally became the focus of her attention. Unfortunately, the endless tears only hindered Marie’s recovery from dehydration. In the end, Leonard concluded that his presence was impeding her progress and decided to assist in the search for other survivors in Dunang.

Anais did not attempt to dissuade him. Ironically, it might have been safer for Leonard to remain in the ruins of Basbourg, where lower-ranking soldiers were conducting the search, than in Rue General Hospital which was situated directly in front of the government forces’ old headquarters in City Hall.

Consequently, it fell upon Anais to stay by Marie’s side.

Since waking up, Marie had fallen silent. At first, Anais wondered if the shock had rendered her speechless. Thankfully, that was not the case. However, Marie communicated mostly through nods, answering with only “yes” or “no.” Anais contemplated whether she should give Marie some time to process her loss, as the child seemed drained of the energy required to discuss her grief. On the other hand, Anais felt sorry for the child, whose mere presence had brought a semblance of brightness to her life, and she couldn’t bear to see her suffer.

Anais sat beside Marie on the bed near the window, offering comforting pats on her shoulder.

As they sat there, it was time for the doctor’s rounds, and the physician entered the room. Anais’s closed door briefly opened. The view of the hospital beyond seemed largely unchanged since her admission. Patients came and went, doctors, nurses, and soldiers bustling about. It was bustling, yet lacked the sense of urgency one might expect.

Anais considered how the hospital must have been even more chaotic after the intense bombardment. Yet it appeared relatively calm. Someone had mentioned that the morgue was unusually busy. Anais shuddered at the eerie statement, realizing the chilling reality.

The number of survivors was meager compared to the multitude of corpses, to the extent that the morgue was overwhelmed. The speaker even hinted at the possibility of her own corpse being among them, or at least what remained of it.

How could such a reality exist? Their only hope was for a brighter future, but why did the world seem steeped in despair day after day?

Anais, Belmartier by name, had braced herself for death in Dunang. Meanwhile, the people of Dunang, akin to the arrival of spring, prayed to a god they didn’t even believe in, longing for the warmth of spring to grace their lives. They were the ones who deserved to dream of spring more than anyone else in the world. Dunang was a gentle, radiant land. So why…

In despair, Anais buried her face in her hands, recalling her conversation with Celine the previous night.

“The Republic of Wisteria has expressed its intent to join the war, according to the President. Considering that Kladiev’s army is involved, it’s good news…”

“Meaning the civil war will intensify here.”

“Yes, that seems likely.”

My God. Where are you?

Have you turned away from this place because our sins ran deep?