Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Moon is Beautiful
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Elise's invitation to dance had been accepted for two main reasons.
1. It would be rude to refuse a lady's request to dance.
2. It was a timely opportunity to end the debate before drawing the ire of the generals.
...I had accepted her invitation without much thought at first.
But there was a small oversight: I had neglected to consider Elise's intentions in asking me to dance.
"..."
"..."
'...I thought for sure she'd be the introverted type?'
She pressed her body right up against mine, smiling nonstop as we waltzed.
Our bodies were so close that my steps nearly tangled, but Elise seemed utterly unconcerned.
With every spin, the expressions of the nobles—especially the ambiguous looks from the Richthofen family—flashed by.
They must have realized something was off about Elise...
"Kukukukukuku."
"Hohohohohoho."
"My daughter..."
...Everyone except Albrecht seemed to be enjoying it?
Spotting the tremor in my eyes, Elise whispered softly.
"Rommel brother."
"Uh, yeah?"
"You need to focus on the dance."
Her voice and gaze were seductively alluring. The gap moe with her doll-like face only amplified her charm...
"Hehe."
Crazy. Elise's smile wielded the firepower of an entire army group.
Considering I was army-group level myself, her allure had to be even greater to breach my defenses.
But I was a soldier seasoned in real combat, with experience in tactics and strategy.
'I won't fall that easi—'
"Hehehe."
This wasn't easy.
Golden hair, gentle eyes, a petite frame that fit perfectly in my arms.
It felt like cradling a cute little animal.
...Let's face it. If Constantinople fell, what chance did someone like me have?
The orchestra repeated their pieces several times as we danced.
Afterward, we leaned against the balcony railing, chatting idly, and time flew by pleasantly.
The Richthofen family's lavish party, filled with esteemed guests, came to an end.
But that didn't mean the day was over.
Back in my room, I had changed out of my suit, washed up, and was resting when a butler dropped by to subtly offer some late-night snacks.
Feeling peckish, I followed him outside...
'I've been had.'
"Ah, Rommel brother came out too?"
"Elise."
Elise approached me holding what looked like a picnic basket.
The butler had vanished in the meantime.
...This was a military family through and through—masters of maneuver, retreat, deception, and traps.
"The butler mentioned snacks, so I came out..."
"What a coincidence. I was just—"
Elise smiled and cracked open the basket to show me.
There was food, sure... but what were all these bottles?
"I brought some food like this. Want to share?"
The mood felt ominous. A dangerous vibe hung in the air.
Beyond her smiling eyes, something sticky and viscous seemed to lurk... Was it just my imagination?
In any case, there was no real reason to refuse.
"Sure, let's do it."
'Just keep my wits about me.'
With that thought, I naturally took the picnic basket from her—it looked too heavy for her anyway.
She looked surprised for a moment but smiled brightly once she caught on.
Watching her made my soul feel like it might wander off, so I averted my eyes.
"Heavier than it looks. Where to?"
"Yes. Follow me."
Elise led the way with a lamp in hand.
I followed behind, and soon we reached a secluded yet open spot in the garden where she spread out a mat.
I took off my shoes and set down the basket.
"This okay here?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
We sat for a bit, gazing up at the sky.
With stars filling the night sky... I craved a cigarette, but held back since Elise was there.
Instead, I bit into one of the sandwiches she'd brought. Delicious.
"Eat up too, Elise."
"Okay."
But she just tilted her wine glass a few times, smiling at me without touching the food.
Her gaze, the unspoken meaning in the silence—it was all too clear, so I just stared at the twinkling stars.
The quiet stretched on for a while before Elise hesitantly spoke.
"Brother... Do you hate me?"
"No."
I replied in a small voice.
What reason would I have to dislike her?
Just...
"Then why... do you push me away?"
"..."
Her trembling voice made me too afraid to even glance sideways.
What should I say? What words would hurt her the least?
What could I say... to neatly wrap up this ambiguous relationship?
Suddenly, the wine tasted unusually bitter, and without thinking, I murmured a famous line.
"The moon is beautiful."
"..."
I had no idea what I was thinking.
Was it the alcohol, or did the moon really look beautiful, or—
"...I know. It's a trendy phrase from Japan, right?"
"Oh no."
Mistake. Who would've thought a German lady would know Japanese literature?
Flustered, I shook my head.
But before I could figure out how to salvage it, Elise spoke first.
"Me too."
She placed her hand over mine.
And said firmly, in a clear tone.
"I love you too."
As she drew closer, a soft scent—perfume or her skin, I couldn't tell—dizzied my senses.
I turned my head on impulse... and there was a girl.
A lovely girl, eyes shining with desperate yet resolute love, right before me.
Hand on my pounding chest, I said,
"...We haven't known each other long."
"But I've always admired your stories, brother."
"Marrying me would draw criticism from the other nobles."
"It's fine."
Her earlier shyness was gone; now she spoke with bold confidence.
I couldn't fathom why such a captivating girl had chosen me.
"There'll be plenty of danger too."
"Whatever comes from my choice,"
Elise gripped my hand tightly, as if allowing no more objections.
"I'll handle it."
Heat rushed to my face.
I could only hope the night's darkness hid my flushed cheeks.
"Now it's your turn, brother. What will you choose?"
"I..."
Our faces were inches apart.
The milky scent made it impossible to think straight.
This was my limit... I couldn't hold back anymore!
"No marriage. We just met today."
"...Ah."
"But."
I pulled back slightly to clear my head and continued.
Even in the dim light, I could see her pupils shake.
Our hands were still overlapped. I turned mine to hold hers properly.
"Instead... let's start dating first."
"Dat... ing?"
Elise slowly lifted her head, which had been drooping.
I gripped her hand firmly and promised.
"Yeah, dating with marriage in mind. Up to engagement."
Dating a commoner like me would ruin her marriage prospects anyway.
Since she'd made up her mind, it was on me to take responsibility.
We'd marry before the Great War hit.
But not tomorrow or the day after. Who gets married just days after meeting?
We needed time to learn about each other slowly.
"Ah... Ah...!"
Tears welled up in Elise's eyes as she took in my words.
She lightly patted my chest as if to scold me, then threw herself into my arms.
"I hate you...! You should have said that first...!"
"Sorry."
"I hate you!"
I hesitated, then hugged her.
My racing heart calmed. It felt utterly peaceful.
The emptiness in my heart was filled. I felt whole for the first time.
I gently soothed her as she sobbed softly in my embrace.
And tenderly calmed her down.
"My fault. I didn't have time to think... Sorry."
"Sniff."
"And... I like you too."
My clothes were damp with her tears, but I felt inexplicably good and smiled faintly.
Elise stayed in my arms for a long while before slowly sitting up straight.
"...If you're sorry, grant me one wish."
"Yeah, anything."
Her cheeks puffed out cutely, her expression sharp—anger not fully assuaged.
But...
"Drink with me until the moon sets."
Unlike her adorable looks, her words as she handed me the wine glass were chilling.
My battle-honed instincts screamed DEFCON 1... but I ignored them.
"Got it. So forgive me."
"Promise?"
"Yeah."
Only then did Elise wipe her tears and beam brightly.
Pour, pour— Relieved by her smile, I filled our glasses with wine.
The next day.
"Mm."
In a hazy, half-asleep state, I hugged the pillow tighter.
Squish—
"Mm... Brother..."
"..."
...Huh?
This squishy, jiggly, soft sensation was definitely not a pillow.
'Ow, my head... What the hell happened last night?'
Hangover... The hangover was killing my brain.
Still, some inexplicable compulsion drove me to slowly piece together my memories.
So... We got totally smashed, leaned on each other, stumbled back to my room...
'...Wait, did Elise go to her own room?'
No. I vaguely remembered.
We entered my room together, and she locked the door. Her strange smile had struck me as odd at the time.
'Should've been suspicious from the moment we entered together...! Stupid...!'
The booze clouded my judgment... Damn alcohol.
Then... back in the room, we kept drinking... got hot...
Took off our clothes...
"Ah..."
"Zzz... Zzz..."
Only then did I realize the identity of the bizarre "pillow" in my arms...
Elise's beautiful, nude curves, peacefully asleep in my embrace.