Even if the Dawn Abandons You - Chapter 8

“You’d better kill me and leave now.”

Her words were sincere. Every word she spoke at that moment held deep sincerity. Would he understand the sincerity behind the words, “I’d rather die”? Since that day in the eastern tower, she had battled against her desire to escape the guilt by embracing death. Exhaustion and frustration became constant companions in her life after that day.

So, of course, her request for him to leave was sincere. Ever since meeting her, Leonard couldn’t continue his life as Leo Serdieu, the good young man who had come to Dunang from the capital for some unknown reason. And it had nothing to do with whether she intended to inform the Revolutionary Army about his whereabouts or keep them hidden. Anais swallowed nervously in response to Philip’s question. He asked because he already knew they had met. There was no use in trying to escape.

“Yes, we met.”

“It’s strange that he’s in Dunang.”

If it were up to her, she would choose the path of exile to Kladiev. Anais listened to Philip’s meaningless mutterings with only half an ear. After contemplating Leonard’s reasons for not leaving for several days, she had a few ideas. The real issue was not why he didn’t go to Basbourg Fort; her bigger problem was the fact that she met him. And now, Philippe Ardinand was bringing that bigger problem to the surface.

Now, what should they do?

Philippe Ardinand was harder to convince than anyone she had ever known. In some aspects, convincing him was even more challenging than convincing Edmund, who had executed the imperial family, leaving her with a bitter defeat and indelible guilt. He was quick to calculate, rather than being stubborn. As a businessman, he excelled at understanding and calculating. In any situation, he would swiftly determine what was best for him and never waver. He was neither easily swayed nor easily persuadable. He was a man of choices.

If he had already made a choice about this, how could she convince him to change his mind through words alone? It wouldn’t be easy—it would be close to impossible.

Of course, Anais had a few options as well. One of them was to leave this place, return to Dunang, confess everything to Leonard—no matter how much worse it made her life—and beg him to escape beyond their reach. What path Leonard chose after that would be entirely up to him. She couldn’t find solace in the possibility of him not running away. It might be a twisted way of witnessing the end of Leonard who doesn’t flee, and then truly embracing death. Her exhausted mind pushed her thoughts to the extreme.

Fortunately, she still didn’t know what Philip had ‘chosen.’ So, depending on the conditions he presented, if he was willing to negotiate, one of her options was to follow the path he had chosen. Anais didn’t expect Philip to offer terms without any conditions attached. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have brought her to a place like this and discussed it in the first place.

“Mr. Ardinand, what do I need to do to resolve this?”

“Well… … .”

Philip feigned trouble, touching his beardless chin with his childlike curious face, gripping the wings of his dragonfly. In truth, he had already decided what he would ask for, but Anais was prepared to offer anything.

After a moment of silence, Philip smiled and spoke.

“How about calling me Mr. Philip?”

Philippe, who said that, laughed as if he had come up with a clever answer. However, Anais couldn’t understand what he meant. She blinked several times, dumbfounded, before asking foolishly.

“Yes?”

“From now on, I’d like you to address me as Mr. Philip, not Mr. Ardinand. It would be perfect if you removed the Mr.'”

“Is that all?”

Philip casually nodded his head, as if to ask what more she could want. A young businessman with short-cropped blonde hair, wearing a black bowler hat with a hint of green, adjusted his hat and spoke with a smirking voice.

“It would be nice if Miss Anais considered me a comrade, but as I’ve always said, I am not a revolutionary. Nor am I a lackey of President Renicourt or Edmond Lambert. And certainly, there is no astronomical bounty placed on the second prince.”

Leonard was only unofficially wanted by the Revolutionary Army, and there was no actual bounty on him. Naturally, there was no reward that could entice the richest man in the east of Léans. Everything made perfect sense. The problem lay in understanding.

Anais still looked at Philip with a puzzled expression, and he continued, shrugging his shoulders.

“What profit could I gain from this? Do I need to strive to regain the trust of the Republican government when I’ve already come this far? I would rather place greater value on your trust, Miss Anais. I am a businessman, and the profit I sacrificed by remaining silent and the small financial loss I incurred in this situation can easily be compensated for by hearing Miss Anais call my name in the future.”

Philip spoke with a smile still lingering at the corner of his mouth. He seemed genuinely glad to have this opportunity to help Anais, so to speak.

Anais, who was particularly insensitive to this aspect, found Philip Ardinand’s favor towards her more genuine and reasonable than expected. However, instead of admiring Philip’s sincerity, Anais focused on the minute detail he mentioned. He called it a ‘small financial loss.’ Just as she suspected.

“Thank you, Mr. Philip.”

“The ‘Mr.’ is not necessary. But, that will do.”

Finally being able to address him as ‘Mr. Philip,’ Philippe Ardinand took off the hat he had been adjusting the whole time, as if he found it distasteful. Then, holding the hat against his chest, he asked a mischievous question.

“Um… Aren’t you angry that I have involved another person?”

Anais, who had been feeling her body growing warmer as the tension from before dissolved completely, smiled and answered Philip’s misguided question.

“Yes.”

“That’s a bit surprising.”

“You said Mr. Philip is a businessman.”

Anais Bellemartier’s bright gaze, like the morning lake, pierced straight through Philip.

“If hearing something you shouldn’t have to hear because of someone you’ve never been associated with doesn’t result in a loss, then what is it?”

This time, it was Philip who was taken aback. No, to be more precise, upon hearing Anais’ question, Philip gazed at her with a stunned expression rather than panic. A person she had never been associated with. Only then did Philip realize his earlier mistake. A person she had never been associated with. A small financial loss. Philip’s face turned pale. Recalling Anais’ earlier question—not “What should I do to keep my mouth shut?” but “What should I do to make this happen?”

“Ah, Miss Anais… You knew everything from the beginning… .”

“I couldn’t help but know.”

Anais murmured, her tone slightly bitter and filled with sadness.

“I couldn’t help but know.”

At those words, Philip looked at Anais intently, his face serious, as if searching for the joy he had just moments ago. If he could, he would have grabbed her by the shoulders and clenched his fists, unable to contain his emotions. Did he know from the start that it would turn out like this? Why did he come to Basbourg after making such a choice?

“What about you… If you knew everything, why did you choose Basbourg? What does it mean to you?”

“I had no other choice.”

Why was everything centered around Basbourg? Charlotte had asked the same question. Anais wondered if others who had come without greetings would have asked the same thing had they been able to meet her. It wasn’t a place where a doctor’s counting was unnecessary, so why did they want to descend upon Basbourg? What had she said when Charlotte asked?

Anais appeared a little despondent as she recalled a few weeks ago, as if it were ten years ago. At that time, she was burdened with guilt and responsibility. She believed that the suffering of the people of Basbourg was a consequence of their actions. They had changed the world, and it seemed that a small but potent side effect had exploded in Basbourg. So, she felt that she had to take responsibility in the only way she could.

“I truly cannot say anything more than that.”

But perhaps there was more…