Vol 2 Chapter 7 (2/2)

A final line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, the cavity in his chest exposing his pink flesh.

With a smile, Scampelier licked the blood off her hand.

Not just Walker, many other good people in the Expedition Regiment were sacrificed.

“Did you know my son?”

Asked the elderly person after I hadn’t said anything for a long time.

“Yes, or I should say….we were friends.”

The elderly person fixed her eyes on mine.

“Really? What kind of person did you think my son was?”

“He could be said to be….a good person.”

I answered simply.

Although I was bubbling with all sorts of objectives, I had no desire to say them. Continuously repeating the outstanding qualities of a dead person to their family member was like adding hail to snow.[1]

“I, am not sad because of Walker’s death. Ever since he entered the Expedition Regiment, I had prepared for him not to return.”

The elderly lady saw my apprehension and smiled bitterly.”

“Then……”

“What I hated was that his sacrifice had no meaning. My son’s death had no worth.”

The elderly lady’s hand trembled slightly.

The beef in my spoon had long gone cold out in the air.

That moment I thought of, when I looked at the elderly person I thought of it.

“Walker’s son, your grandson……how is he?”

Walker was a middle-aged man with a son.

If I recalled correctly, when he died his son was not even one year old.

Walker, holding his son with a happy smile. Next to him was an average-looking woman wearing a white head scarf. That was the scene imprinted into my mind. Behind them was the sun, in a field full of sunflowers. That was when the Expedition Regiment went on a holiday. I also went with Ailee.

At that time, I had told Ailee, that one day we would have our own kid. We would hold him while smiling happily.

Ailee had blushed and lowered her head.

“Died. That s.h.i.+tty woman remarried, and the son was abused by his stepfather till he died.”

“It was just two years……”

“Just? Two years is a long time.”

The elderly woman sighed.

“Sorry.”

I didn’t know what I should say.

“It’s fine. On earth, every life will come to an end. The only person I hate is Leon.”

“Ah…so it’s like that.”

“If I could, I would personally choke Leon to death, but he has already died. The Expedition Regiment needed to find a scapegoat for the giant casualty of three hundred people, and that person was Leon. Right now, all the humans hate Leon. Several days after the Memorial of the Disaster of the Three Hundred, the royal family took the lead to denounce him. Right now, Leon is the ultimate disgrace of mankind.”

I think that I do not have to explain my feelings.

“Royal family? Duopunuowa’s royal family?”

“No, the royal family of Sheng Qiao Yi.”

“Sheng Qiao Yi?!”

I hit the table hard, rattling the plates. I stood up suddenly, and I leaned in close to the elderly person.

“Y-yes.”

The elderly person was frightened by me and took a moment to reply.

“Afterall, the First Expedition Regiment Division suffered disastrous casualties. The core of Sheng Qiao Yi’s position started to slide. If they hadn’t taken action, their power might’ve taken too big of a hit. For two years, the royal family has gone on an annual tour to support the memorial day for the Disaster of the Three Hundred.”

“Royal family……the royal family’s princesses also went on tour?”

“Of course. Leon’s former fiancée Princess Ailee criticizes her marriage contract partner while crying.”

My heart squeezed.

“Ailee….the princess is coming to the city?”

“Who knows. Every year the tour goes to a different place.”

“Thank you very much…….”

“It was nothing. I am just old. Right now, I have no hope for living. I only want to die quietly. It’s good that I could help you.”

The old lady grabbed her cross and stood up.

I pushed the last mouthful of rice into my mouth and chewed slowly.

Ailee, I’m waiting for you here.

It’s me who has bothered you.  I can no longer keep that promise we made in the field of sunflowers.

The present me has been deprived the qualifications to be a human. Even more so, I am not suited to be by your side.

Even if that’s so, I still miss you.

I want to tell you, Ailee.

I love you.

It’s not love from a political marriage, Ailee.

I’ve liked you long before that.

<script>