Please Forget Me - Chapter 163

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“I thought you would ask for some connections with the Prime Minister now that your story has reached his ears. Isn’t that what men with ambitions to make something of themselves do?”

“I just need my wife to stay alive.”

Johann turned to me and kissed the back of my hand deeply. His intense gaze through the large hand that held mine made my heart flutter uncontrollably.

Mrs. Hildebrandt sitting across from us watched us closely before glancing at her husband, then letting out a loud sigh as if to make sure we heard it.

“I’m envious…”

“Envious?”

The General raised his eyebrows, clearly confused about what was so enviable.

“Mrs. Renner, you truly married a man.”

Now, the General’s frown deepened.

“A man should devote himself as the head of the family once he’s got one. What good is success if you don’t plan to protect your family with that power?”

It was clear the General realized the comment was aimed at him, and his expression hardened. Mrs. Hildebrandt, seeing the opening, smoothly changed the subject.

“Thinking of using family as a means to climb the social ladder…”

“When did I ever say that?”

“Did I say it was you?”

She feigned innocence, withdrawing in a way that wouldn’t escalate the tension, knowing well that her husband might leave the room if things got too heated. The General gave her a look that showed he disapproved of her tactics but turned his attention back to the cards.

“The Falkland bastards won’t get this far. We’re safe.”

“If we’re going to die, let’s die with honor, was it that?”

“That’s just something people say.”

“Is there really a father who casually tells his children they’ll die together?”

The General fell silent, letting out a frustrated grunt.

“For a soldier, fighting to the death is patriotism, but isn’t it also patriotism for children to survive and become the future of the country? What help will an eight-year-old be by sacrificing their life for the country…”

The wife skillfully used Johann’s words from before to press her husband even further.

“I said he wouldn’t die.”

“Then why is the Commander trying to evacuate his family?”

“Petra, don’t be swayed by cowards. When those at the top tremble, the ones below feel the earthquake. Have you heard that even the army’s top brass are sneaking their families out? Who’s going to willingly follow their orders after that? The morale of the soldiers matters too.”

“The morale must have already hit rock bottom when the Commanders evacuated their families. There must be many soldiers who don’t even know whether their families are alive or dead…”

Mrs. Hildebrandt sighed deeply. The General fell silent, clearly stumped by her words. An uneasy silence settled over the table.

As it was her turn, the wife slammed her cards down, clearly unable to hold back any longer, and broke the silence.

“Helmut, be honest like a man. You criticize people who send their families away, but you’re doing the same thing. You’re just too proud to admit it.”

The General’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Petra, that’s harsh.”

“Helmut, if you’re a man, just admit it.”

“What’s wrong with saving face?”

The General finally conceded, but his insistence on being right remained.

“Humans are social animals, aren’t they?”

He defended his importance of face, claiming that how he appears in front of others directly connects to social success.

“A man’s pride is his life.”

“Ha…”

Thud.

Johann, who had been silently choosing cards, suddenly slammed his hand down on the table and scoffed. His unexpected chuckle made both the couple across from us, as well as myself, widen our eyes in surprise. Despite his effort to stifle his laughter, he couldn’t hold it back and chuckled several times.

“Are you laughing at me, Teacher?”

“I thought of a man who valued his pride above all else, who spent his life thinking he’d die in the most heroic way, only to drag his wife into misery. His wife didn’t want that.”

It seemed Johann knew a couple quite similar to the Hildebrandt couple.

“So?”

“In the end, he didn’t die heroically. He died pitifully. A man who dies at his own side isn’t a hero.”

It was the first time I saw Johann so bitter and mocking.

“We couldn’t even find his body. And his wife…”

He laughed bitterly, mumbling to himself.

“He promised to make her the most cherished, and…”

As his words trailed off, his face grew dark. Johann grabbed the glass he had been ignoring, letting out a sigh as he whispered.

“If I had known what ‘cherished’ really meant…”

He didn’t send her away.

Perhaps because of the regret on his face, his softly spoken words came to me faintly.

Now I understood who he was talking about—Rupert and Dana. I had always wondered what happened to them, and now I learned they had died.

‘Is this why Dana’s death doesn’t matter as long as I’m still alive?’

While I was lost in thought, Johann downed his drink in one go and placed the empty glass on the table with a sharp clink.

“Pride is life. It’s fine if you believe that, but if you want to save face, you have to risk your own life, not someone else’s. There’s nothing more unmanly than trying to save your pride at the cost of someone else’s life.”

It wasn’t an untrue statement, but wasn’t it too harsh? I wondered if Mrs. Hildebrandt thought the same as she held her breath while glancing at her husband.

The General, who had been stoic since Johann’s laugh, continued glaring at Johann with the same expression… until finally, Johann spoke.

“Is what I said wrong?”