Please Forget Me - Chapter 178

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“Hey!”

Panicked, I stood up and called out to the soldiers passing by the principal’s office. The principal, also startled, stood up quickly and asked,

“What’s going on at the school?”

The soldiers stopped, and the one with a higher rank responded.

“The Prime Minister’s secretary office has ordered for Johann Renner to be brought in.”

It seemed they were indeed here to take him. I stepped in front of the soldiers, blocking their path.

“He’s in the middle of class.”

“I don’t think His Excellency will care about that, Mrs.”

“Then why is His Excellency’s secretary’s office looking for him?”

I had thought these men were sent by the major, but the mention of the prime minister made it all the more suspicious.

“They need someone to play the violin.”

Violin? The reason they gave for pulling someone out of class seemed so absurd that even the principal let out a nervous laugh. I couldn’t bring myself to laugh.

“Who said that? The manager from the secretary office?”

At this point, the soldiers, who had been indifferent until now, suddenly…

“Major Felkner?”

They widened their eyes at the mention of the name, and one of them hesitantly nodded.

“That’s not something you need to know, Mrs..”

So it was the major.

It was suspicious enough that military men were the ones sent to fetch someone from the prime minister’s office. The major must have noticed I was about to speak and sent them ahead.

The violin was just an excuse. If the prime minister called, no one would refuse, so they were probably using that as a reason to keep Johann in the bunker. In the meantime, they would give the report to their superior and get the arrest order.

‘If I let them take him, I’ll never see Johann—no, that man again.’

I tried to send them away, but the soldiers wouldn’t budge.

“You know that Major Felkner has been tormenting us, right? You also know that General Hildebrandt ordered that he not be allowed to approach us.”

“But this time, it really seems like the secretary’s office gave the order, so we can’t disobey. They told us to bring him to the prime minister’s office, and that’s what we have to do.”

“Even if it’s not true, we can’t go against our superior’s orders.”

“Mrs. Renner, then why don’t you call General Hildebrandt?”

The principal suggested it subtly, but I couldn’t do that. If I did, things would only get worse. If the major reveals Johann’s identity to General Hildebrandt, he won’t be able to avoid arrest. And the only thing waiting for him then would be death.

“I’ll go instead.”

“Pardon? You, Mrs. Renner?”

“As long as they need someone to play the violin, it doesn’t have to be my husband.”

“But… Major Felkner specifically ordered for Mr. Renner…”

“The prime minister’s office is looking for someone to play the violin. It doesn’t have to be my husband. I’m better at it. In fact, meeting His Excellency is a lifelong dream of mine.”

I clasped my hands together and looked up at them with sparkling eyes. The soldiers’ expressions began to soften.

“And anyway, when my husband finishes class, he’ll come to pick me up. If His Excellency doesn’t like me, my husband can perform for him instead. That way, you won’t get in trouble either. How about it?”

“Well… if that’s the case.”

The soldiers reluctantly agreed to take me instead, clearly unaware that Johann Renner was a spy. I was about to step into the most secretive area of the bunker, a place few could access.

“Identification.”

“Here it is.”

I passed through numerous iron gates and underwent several checks, including a body search. It was a good thing I had hidden my revolver in my corset before leaving, as they searched me thoroughly.

So, they really are taking me to the prime minister. Did the major, knowing that Johann Renner is a spy, recommend him as a performer to the prime minister?

Tomorrow, His Excellency will find out. The Major must know that if he recommended that man knowingly, he would be in trouble. But perhaps he thought that as long as he used the name of someone no one could refuse, it would be enough to just keep him detained.

After passing through all the checkpoints, I entered a large hall in front of the office. I saw a face I couldn’t quite read. The major, who had been leaning against a pillar in the corner of the hall, smoking, looked at me in disbelief.

“Rize Eineman, why are you here?”

“They’re looking for a violinist.”

The major glared at me, and the moment his eyes fell on the ring I was holding, he clenched his teeth and quickly approached me. He grabbed my wrist, trying to pull away, and tore the red clover flower ring from my hand.

“Get a grip.”

The promise to be happy together was cruelly tossed onto the cold floor. I wanted to pick it up, but I didn’t.

“Are you really going to be swayed by this childish nonsense and go to your death, crushed by bullets? You’ll regret it when you stand on the firing line, and it’ll be too late.”

“That’s not it. You promised to give me time to say goodbye. Why are you breaking that promise?”

“The one who broke the promise is you.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You might as well have, acting that way in front of him.”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t say something? We’re being watched anyway. I can’t escape from here, so what’s the difference if I speak?”

“You’re well aware. But you also need to know that your only chance to survive is to report him first. If you speak too hastily and he does something suspicious before he’s caught, you’ll lose your chance to survive. Act wisely. Don’t throw your life away.”

What did that swindler say… The major ground the purple flower into the floor with his boot, teeth clenched in anger.