Please Forget Me - Chapter 160

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“That’s not all. The devils from the Falklands are dying in droves on various fronts. I suppose they’re running out of manpower, because now those damn seeds of evil are giving guns to boys who haven’t even grown facial hair and pushing them into battle.”

“My God… They’re sending students to the front?”

I was horrified.

“There’s no devil like that. If only God would punish those devils from the Falklands…”

“Rize.”

Since Mrs. Hildebrandt had been reading Thomas’ writing, Johann, who had been quiet, suddenly interrupted and took the glass from my hand.

“Stop drinking.”

I had been downing my drinks without thinking, angry about what had happened during dinner.

“I’m fine still.”

The thorn that had been stuck in my chest hadn’t yet been removed, and I held on to the glass he was trying to take with extra strength. But Johann, looking at me like a teacher scolding a misbehaving student, gripped the glass firmly and wouldn’t let go.

‘I’m not even sick…’

I tried to push his fingers off the glass and lowered my gaze, but then blinked rapidly.

“Am I already drunk and imagining things?”

I could see Johann’s pulse visibly throbbing at his wrist. After touching it, I realized I wasn’t imagining it—Johann’s heart was racing, beating fast and hard. Now I could see the tension in his face and the tautness of the muscles in his neck.

‘Is he nervous?’

There was only one reason why Johann would be nervous in front of them. It dawned on me why he was telling me to stop drinking.

‘Don’t worry. No matter how much you hate me, I won’t report you.’

I communicated with my eyes and finally let go of my glass, which Johann was stubbornly holding. The moment I did, I seized the glass in front of him—the one he’d barely touched—and downed half of it in one go.

“Oh my!”

Mrs. Hildebrandt, sitting across from me, burst into laughter. I thought she was amused by my lack of decorum, but it wasn’t that.

“You couldn’t drink before, but now you’re doing fine. You must like alcohol? I like it too. Maybe we’ll make good drinking partners.”

“This is trouble.”

Johann sighed, seemingly agreeing with the general. Then, pulling me closer, he whispered in my ear.

“You promised to listen to me. Why are you doing this? Is something bothering you? I’ll listen when we get home, but please hold off for now.”

“It’s just that the alcohol tastes good.”

I replied gruffly, finishing the last of the drink.

“Then we’ll drink when we’re alone.”

“Where would we even have alcohol at home?”

At this rate, I might end up getting drunk and having a huge argument with Johann. I felt like I might even blurt out everything I’ve been holding in about Dana.

Despite the strong sense of foreboding, I couldn’t stop drinking to numb the deep frustration gnawing at me.

“Petra, stop.”

But it wasn’t us who were fighting in drunken anger; it was the other couple. The Hildebrandt couple were arguing over the safety of their family.

“Abroad? The demands are getting out of hand.”

It seemed that the wife had been persistently asking her husband to send her and their children away from the danger of possible bombings in Eisenthal.

“Do you think it’s reasonable for a soldier who’s supposed to protect his country to send his family overseas? If I did that, I’d be called a coward and a hypocrite.”

“Well then, send us outside the valley. Just get us out of here.”

But her husband refused, and his wife’s pent-up frustration finally broke free as she got drunk.

“No.”

“Why not? Tell me.”

“I’ve already told you.”

“Oh, because I’m the wife of a soldier. But did you know? General Ulrich’s wife and children left yesterday.”

“That coward…”

“Well, then call the Commander a coward too.”

“What?”

“They say the Commander will soon be sending his wife, daughter, and grandchildren away too.”

The general silently stiffened his face, crushing his cigar in the ashtray.

“Other soldiers are doing everything they can to save their families, but why are you trying to trap us in this graveyard?”

“That’s harsh.”

He motioned for her to remember we were still here, but when his wife didn’t stop, he frowned and stood up.

“That’s enough.”

“You’ll become a hero and get medals if you die here, but what will our poor children get? What’s left when the kids who can’t even fight are stuck here to die? How is that patriotic?”

“This is shameful in front of guests.”

Eventually, the general took his wife and left. From somewhere beyond the walls, her raised voice and loud sobs echoed into the room.

“Are you planning to drink more?”

“Oh, no.”

Johann reached to take the glass from my hand, and I didn’t resist, quietly placing it in his.

A while later, only Mrs. Hildebrandt returned to see us off. As soldiers loaded the supplies the Hildebrandt family had given us into the car parked in the courtyard, the wife stood in front of us, unable to make eye contact.

“I’m truly sorry for showing you such an unpleasant scene.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I understand your feelings, really.”

I tried to comfort her with warm words, but my heart felt cold.

Now I understood why they were so eager to recruit members for their social club. The members were quickly draining away. I was sure it had started after the last bombing.