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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Still, ten minutes was the limit. The smell of freshly baked bread and sweet apples filled the house, and after ten minutes, both Leticia and I pounced on the pie.
“It’s delicious!”
“Of course it is. My grandmother taught me. You’ve never tasted anything like this, have you?”
All the pies I’d ever eaten were from franchise bakeries. About half the size of my palm, costing as much as a large baguette, making you feel like you weren’t getting your money’s worth.
This, a real, substantial dish with a full filling, couldn’t be compared. Perhaps it was because my arm was sore from whisking the meringue.
“What kind of person was Leti’s grandmother?”
“Hmm, she was always on my side. My brother also tended to take my side, but we often fought when we were young, so I didn’t really feel that way. Siblings are like that, right? But Grandmother was consistent. She’d sternly scold me when I did wrong, and praise me when I did well. Even when I was stubborn.”
“Stubborn? About what?”
“Well, military academy…”
Leticia, who had been speaking inadvertently, suddenly said, “Ah,” and covered her mouth. It didn’t matter since I already knew everything anyway.
“Military academy? You were a soldier?”
Leticia stammered, “Uh, no, I mean…” for a moment, then sighed as if she couldn’t help it.
“Yes. I am an Elza soldier. I belong to the National Military Police. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand. I actually intended to tell you when we became closer. I could have said it more gently.”
“What’s wrong with being a soldier?”
Whether she was a soldier or a public servant, as long as she brought me the goods, that was all that mattered.
“…People dislike soldiers. Everyone has prejudices. People think that an Elza native becoming an Elza soldier is akin to selling out the country. Because the Elza government is essentially a puppet government of Eastern Romer. Are you disappointed?”
She spoke as if calmly, but her gaze quickly darted sideways. It was quite a burden for her.
“No, but I had guessed. In this situation, how many people could live in such a nice apartment, get fresh raw eggs and milk, and even acquire reagents that no one else is looking for? Unless you’re a government official. But I am curious why you didn’t specifically tell me.”
“I was only planning to talk about light topics today…”
Leticia trailed off, but then abruptly emptied half her glass and exhaled with a sigh.
“I just wanted to appear as an ordinary person to you. As Leti. Not a soldier walking around in an officer’s uniform. Because, when I’m with you, I feel so comfortable. It’s because of you.”
“Suddenly? Why?”
“You make me feel at ease.”
Leticia stood up and turned on the radio. A classical FM broadcast came on. Leticia swayed slightly and sat next to me. Quite close. Our shoulders were almost touching, and her hip was pressed so tightly against mine that it was squashed.
And, the trembling too.
Leticia was nervous. She shivered as if she had a chill, and the vibration was directly transmitted. Had her body temperature dropped after drinking so much alcohol?
“Are you cold? You seem to be trembling a bit.”
“Oh, no. I’m fine. Hiccup.”
Hmm. Hiccup. I thought I should get a blanket and tried to get up, but Leticia wrapped her arm around mine.
“W-where are you going?”
“To get a blanket? You seem a bit cold.”
“Oh, I’m usually really tough. Why am I like this today? Hic! Th-there, I’m sorry… can you… take me to bed?”
Now she was trembling so much her chin was slightly shaking. She had been drinking too fast, I realized. I carefully helped her up and went to the room with the bed. On the way, Leticia kept licking her lips and exhaling dry breaths.
“This is the room, right?”
Without even checking, I flung the door open. The bed was a twin. But there were two pillows. Wasn’t she living alone?
“The pink pillow is mine, and the blue pillow is yours.”
Leticia murmured.
“Huh?”
The answer came as a kiss.
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I prepared breakfast. Leticia said her lower back and abdomen were sore. Well, breakfast was just cereal with milk, so it wasn’t extravagant.
“I brought pain relievers, are these the right ones?”
Leticia, wrapped in a blanket, accepted the pill packet and water glass with a flushed face. And ointment too.
“Apply the ointment after breakfast.”
At the gentle reprimand, Leticia’s face grew redder.
“…I’m sorry. Did it hurt a lot?”
It did hurt. She had been trying to tear my back apart with her sharp nails all night. To the point where I wondered if her fingernails would break.
“…Put some clothes on too. You’ll catch a cold.”
I pointed to her clothes scattered on the floor. Leticia, who had bitten down on her spoon, looked very pained.
“W-when I sleep, it’s a habit to take everything off…”
“Well, some people find it comfortable.”
She scraped the bottom of her bowl clean. It might have been my imagination, but Leticia, who had swallowed the pills, looked a little more at ease. She even lifted the side of the blanket.
“Come in here.”
It was dark, but everything visible was still visible, and so I couldn’t bear it. Leticia didn’t seem to mind either.
“You said you have a girlfriend, right?”
I have girlfriends.
“Yes.”
“Are you married?”
“No.”
“Then this wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it?”
“You’re bold.”
“Not as bold as you were last night, Caesar. But it was good. For a long time, I didn’t think about anything. It was just, purely good. Lately, my mind and heart have been too complicated.”
If an ordinary woman said that, it might not be a big deal, but if a military officer like Leticia said her mind and heart were complicated, it indicated a problem.
“Is something wrong?”
“Well. Sigh.”
Leticia, frowning, eventually shook her head.
“I just, lately, I wonder what Grandmother would have said…”
“Your grandmother who was always on Leti’s side, right?”
“Yes. My grandmother supported my decision to go to the military academy. She just told me, ‘You are a person of Elza. No one can deny their roots. Wherever you are, always remember that.’ That’s all she said.
That’s also why she taught me the apple pie recipe. Because it’s a traditional Elza food. Grandmother felt neither pride nor inferiority about being an Elza person. She just accepted it with dignity.”
Leticia sounded like someone venting a deep-seated grievance.
“The military is also a place where people live, so there are many bad people. And even more people who are neither good nor bad, just incompetent. I often heard that military personnel from Elza don’t get promoted much. So, I worked hard because I didn’t want to disgrace Elza. I didn’t want to shame Grandmother Elza.
Not to be ashamed. To be proud. If something felt wrong, I didn’t do it, on my conscience. Anyway, all my superiors were drunken old men and women who weren’t interested in their work, so it didn’t really matter what I did.
But the person who came this time… she’s really competent, excellent, and a good person with strong will… Oh. What should I do?”
She was probably talking about that woman, Virginia.
“And then?”
“…She asked me to do something I didn’t want to do. As a soldier, I know I should obey, and I know she must have some plan… but I don’t know.
She’s not someone who tells you all her plans. She only told me what was necessary when it was necessary, and there haven’t been any major problems until now, but this task she’s given me really weighs on my mind. I just, on principle… I don’t think I should do it.”
It was an abstract problem.
As with all problems in the world, these kinds of problems are usually difficult to solve. In fact, the person speaking probably knows it herself. That it’s not a problem to ask someone else for an answer. Rather, she’s probably trying to sort things out by talking to herself.
“Well. I’ve never met Leti’s grandmother, but I wonder if she would have said, ‘Follow your heart, do as you wish.’? But I don’t fully understand what the problem is.”
“Hmm, well… okay. There’s a villain who’s been causing trouble in the city lately. And a lot of people who follow that villain have been caught, but the real culprit hasn’t been caught yet. So, to catch the real culprit, the plan is to use the followers as bait…” That’s the plan.
That sounded like something that cold, snake-like woman would think of.
“Those people would face great danger, right?”
“Yes. Of course, they are undoubtedly criminals. But I believe that if the weight of the crime is different, the weight of the punishment should also be different. If the weight of a major crime and a minor crime is the same, everyone will commit major crimes. Because if you’re going to commit a crime anyway, you might as well go big, that’s what happens. I think this is excessive.”
“Won’t your superior accept that argument?”
“Well… actually, there’s a reason I can’t say anything. Because the real culprit is…”
“The real culprit is?”
Leticia bowed her head deeply and couldn’t continue. It seemed I had to help her a little.
“No. What I mean is, regardless of who the real culprit is, you can at least ask what intention and purpose the plan came from, can’t you? If your superior cares deeply about Leti, I’m sure they’d think Leti’s point also has merit.”
“…You think so?”
Her expression wasn’t entirely clear, but Leticia seemed grateful nonetheless. At least I had listened to her.
“Thank you. When I go to work tomorrow, I’ll ask again…”
Ding-dong.
The sound came from the front door. Leticia’s body stiffened.
“…Who is it? No one’s supposed to come. Besides, today is my day off.”
Ding-dong.
The persistent doorbell. This time, it was accompanied by pounding fists. Leticia had no choice but to get out of bed. It was impolite to stare at her getting dressed, so I discreetly stole glances. Her chest wasn’t small, but her hips were truly large and beautiful.
“Just a moment. Leti. I’ll go to the next room.”
I placed my bag in the room used as a dressing room. It was a bag containing a pistol, a submachine gun, a military dagger, and other items. I didn’t know what would happen, so I had to hide there for now.
“Understood.”
I took out my weapons from the dressing room. I opened the door a little and tried to listen to the sounds outside as much as possible.
“Who is it, so early in the morning… Hic!”
Leticia gasped in surprise and flung open the front door.
“Leticia. My apologies. Do you have a moment?”
I’d heard that voice somewhere before. A woman. Her voice was refined but low, and somehow a little sinister. Like a snake slithering.
“General Virginia? What brings you here at this hour… No, please come in! This is…?”
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