Episode 16 I Think We Were Lovers (7)
Agathe lay on the hard, narrow bed and covered her flushed cheeks with both hands.
Funny enough, her feelings had become clearer right after Lieutenant Damian visited. The Captain looked at her with a sharper gaze than before. He snatched the flowers Damian had given her without hesitation, spoke to her coldly, then soothed her like calming a child. He even escorted her back to her room, and at the end—though it wasn’t a kiss on the lips but on the forehead—he left behind an affectionate touch that made her heart race.
If Lieutenant Damian felt like a warm comfort, Ashley was a spark that heated her from the inside. It didn’t make sense that someone like him wouldn’t be her lover.
Right now, the Captain was probably back in his bed, sleeping peacefully. The thought of him comfortably sleeping in his bed made Agathe regret not returning to her room earlier.
When they were together, she felt awkward and uneasy, but now that they were apart, she felt empty. She pulled the blanket up to her neck and closed her eyes.
Under her eyelids, the man’s face seeped back in. A small smile curved at the corner of Agathe’s lips.
It was a hot midday at the field hospital.
A man in a white dress shirt and a linen suit came into Ashley’s room. He was Ashley’s aide, Desiric. He bowed slightly toward Ashley.
“I’ve brought the things you asked for, and the report.”
Desiric lowered his voice and handed Ashley a large box and a brown envelope. Ashley opened the envelope and read the report Desiric had prepared.
“Saint Nicholas Orphanage?”
“He was there from age thirteen until he came to the field hospital.”
“So… he was an orphan?”
“Yes. His parents died in a carriage accident on the same day. But this part is unusual.”
Desiric pointed to the bottom line of the report.
Before coming to Saint Nicholas, Agathe had been adopted by a local noble family. The thing to note: she was returned to the orphanage after two years.
“Is adoption being reversed like that commonly?”
“Probably not.”
“There’s no reason listed for the return?”
The report was only a page long, and Ashley raised a cool eyebrow.
“I’ll have a report on the reason for the return soon.”
Desiric was about to ask whether that was really necessary to investigate, but he stopped himself. He knew better than to question the owner’s strange looks.
To finish the investigation in the capital and bring it to the front, Desiric had to get the paperwork authorized by the army headquarters. He had to write many reasons unrelated to the report, which made him uneasy. And this place was close to the front lines—bullets flew overhead. He wasn’t a soldier; he shouldn’t be running around here. He sighed inwardly.
“Bring the next report to the officer’s quarters.”
“Is it okay to move it to the quarters?”
“You can’t be in the field hospital forever if you’re healthy.”
Ashley answered curtly and handed the report back to his aide.
“Burn it without a trace.”
“Yes, sir.”
Desiric put the report back into the envelope and slipped it into his bag. Ashley glanced at him, then walked to the door. He nodded to the aide who was standing awkwardly.
“Come with me.”
“Oh—yes.”
Ashley walked quickly down the hallway. Desiric followed him and bowed at the stairs.
“I’ll wait out here.”
Ashley glanced back and then continued. He stopped at a room and knocked twice. Desiric, who had been unknowingly watching Ashley, jumped and hurried down the stairs when Ashley turned around.
“Come in.”
A clear, bright voice floated through the wooden door. Ashley opened the door with a gentle gesture and stepped inside.
“You came?”
The woman sitting on the bed greeted him with a bright face.
Ashley felt a sudden tickle in his throat and cleared it. He had meant to visit that morning, but reviewing the military paperwork Sergeant Miller brought had delayed him. He’d planned to come right after lunch, but his aide’s visit had caused another delay.
“Shall we change the shoulder bandage first, then talk?”
“Eliana already changed it.”
“Eliana, the nurse?”
“Yes. Sergeant Miller came earlier.”
From what Agathe had seen over the past few days, whenever Sergeant Miller visited, the two left the room for a bit before coming back. It was obvious Miller had come for military reasons. When Eliana went in the morning, Agathe heard Miller had visited, so she asked Eliana to change the bandage.
Even though the Captain carefully changed the dressing himself sometimes, she still felt uneasy. Even if they were lovers, the embarrassment of undressing in front of him and her fluttering heart made her prefer that Eliana do it.
“Was I bothering you?”
“Oh no! Never!” Agathe waved her hands to deny it. Ashley smiled as he looked at her.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
When he stared at her so deliberately, she felt breathless with embarrassment. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she bit her lower lip.
“You deny it so strongly, Agathe, that it looks suspicious.”
“When did I deny it so strongly?”
She always showed her emotions so plainly—then and now. She used her whole body to signal discomfort while her mouth said no.
“It’s nothing. As for the bandage—do it however you like.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Then, please do me a favor?”
“A favor?” Agathe asked. Ashley held out his right hand. She hesitated, then took his hand.
“It feels stuffy and hot staying inside. How about we go for a walk, like before?”
There was memory in his considerate words. At the thought, Agathe’s throat tightened. He leaned close and murmured into her ear in a lover’s whisper.
“You looked so happy on that walk.”
She could almost see them walking hand in hand again. Thinking of that made her heart pound.
When they went down to the first floor, the injured soldiers’ eyes turned toward them. Agathe almost let go of his hand.
“Stay still.”
He gripped her hand tightly so she couldn’t pull away and led her out the field hospital entrance, ignoring the onlookers. They walked until they reached a tall linden tree; he still didn’t let go. It was the blazing midday sun, but he didn’t seem to feel the heat—he just held her hand firmly.
Under the shady tree, Ashley finally let go of her hand and, with his big fingers, brushed the hair from her forehead. This casual motion showed it wasn’t the first time.
Being under the tree, he smelled fresh and clean.
“Aren’t you hot?” he asked, tucking her golden hair behind her ear. Agathe hadn’t tied her hair up neatly for this sudden walk.
“It’s cool in the shade.”
“Shall we sit here?”
He guided her to lean against the trunk. His movements felt natural, like from old familiarity.
“Have we been here before?” she asked.
“What do you think?” he answered with a question.
He returned a question for a question, looking at her. The only difference from before was a deeper look in his eyes and a gentle warmth directed at her.
“I feel like we have.”
“You feel like?”
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
Agathe knew what he was about to say—he was probably going to ask whether she still remembered. Her mind was still blank, so saying “I feel like” was awkward. Still, she said it because being with him didn’t feel strange—instead, it made her flutter with excitement.
