Please Forget Me - Chapter 187

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“Ugh, mmm!”

“Huff…”

The three who thought they were about to be burned alive began to squirm and cry. But the man simply blew out the candle.

In the pitch-black darkness that arrived in an instant, the two black silhouettes that had been growing more distant finally disappeared from view, and soon the sound of a door opening and closing was heard.

‘They’re finally gone.’

Though she was bound and helpless until someone found her, she was just grateful to be alive. Tears flowed freely as she let out a silent sob.

From outside the window, the sound of an engine starting was heard. A moment later, as the engine’s sound began to fade, Mrs. Werner silently prayed to God.

‘Please, let the military recognize those two for what they are. Grant them a punishment more painful than death.’

* * *

We were driving north toward Eschbron Village in a car that had been driven by the Major. Due to the blackout, the streets were pitch dark and empty. I was relieved no one would recognize us. But then, from the opposite direction, a military truck began to approach.

As the truck got close enough for them to see each other’s faces, the two soldiers in the front of the vehicle turned their eyes toward us. I desperately wanted to look away, but I forced myself to keep my gaze straight ahead.

When the driver noticed the insignia of the man who drove the car, they immediately saluted us with their hands. They passed by without suspicion. Only then did I exhale the breath I had been holding, but I couldn’t let my guard down—it wasn’t over yet.

‘I hope we’re through this now.’

The car quickly passed through the square in Eschbron Village. As we sped toward the edge of the village, I silently watched the man driving the car from the backseat.

His large hands gripping the wheel, the neat black hair beneath his cap, and the taut tendons on his neck—all of it was familiar, but somehow felt strange. It wasn’t just because of the disguise.

Since learning the truth about him and me, he had felt strange to me.

‘This man… he really is my husband, right?’

The thought that we were no longer what I knew, that we might not even be a couple, naturally crossed my mind.

‘What if it isn’t even true? What if I’m truly… huff….’

I didn’t know whether to scream or cry. At that moment, I felt like I might scream.

Just like how he had cruelly killed the Major. But there was no sound in his desperate cry.

“Rize, no… Dana, snap out of it, look at me.”

The silent sobbing didn’t last long. In an instant, the man, still in shock, helped me sit up, as I had been lying on the floor, unable to move.

“That bastard… how dare he do this to you…”

But when he saw the state I was in, he almost lost his composure again. His eyes looked like he wanted to kill someone who was already dead. It seemed as though he wanted to die himself. He already looked like someone who had killed himself.

But he didn’t have time to lose control, and I didn’t have the time to ask the truth.

I briefly explained how our identities were revealed, how, without realizing it, I had leaked information to the enemy. From that point, I focused on finding a way to escape safely.

“If only we could hold on for just two more days…”

I hadn’t been able to obtain the pass, and even if the officer didn’t yet know we were spies and I could somehow get it, it wouldn’t be usable until Sunday. Waiting two more days was a suicide mission.

“I can’t believe I’m telling you this. I honestly feel like dying…”

“What’s going on?”

“If I’m going to die anyway, I might as well make a bold attempt before I do.”

Of course, the method that man had come up with after much thought was probably just as much of a suicide mission.

The buildings outside began to thin out. We were approaching the outskirts of the village. The fear of what was to come made my heart race. I pressed my hand tightly against my chest, holding the damp handkerchief to try to steady my breathing.

The row of buildings that had been spaced apart suddenly came to an abrupt end. Shortly after, the man slowed down and spoke.

“The checkpoint is coming up.”

He pulled his cap down further. I too pulled my mask up just below my eyes. The man asked in a short tone.

“You know, right?”

“I know.”

This was a reminder of the role I had to play in our only escape plan, the bold and dangerous attempt.

I was still just an ordinary housewife, but now I had to become the person I had lost—the clever spy.

‘But if I fail… If our plan doesn’t work…’

I took a deep breath and thought about the revolver hidden under my handbag, when the man called my name.

“Dana.”

A name that still felt like it belonged to someone else.

“…Yes?”

I answered slowly, not fully recognizing it. He kept his gaze fixed on the checkpoint, now faintly visible at the end of the road, and spoke the words I wasn’t expecting.

“I really love you. Please remember that.”

You love me, so why…?

Countless questions and resentments immediately flooded my mind. But there was no time to dwell on them. The checkpoint was getting closer.

‘This might be our last conversation.’

As soon as I realized that the last words the man chose for me were ‘I love you,’ a surge of joy filled my heart. Despite all the questions and resentment, I still loved him—maybe more fervently than ever before.

‘I’m Dana…’

That man had lied to me countless times, but the words “I love you” were the truth. And now, I had nothing to hold back in my love for him.