Please Forget Me - Chapter 255

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“We’d hand over the ring as payment for the forger to make us new travel passes and IDs. Then, the forger could demand an outrageous sum from your mother in exchange for giving the ring back to her.”

I blurted it out in my urgency, but as soon as I finished, it struck me that this plan might be too ruthless. Killian just stared at me in shock, saying nothing, which only made me more self-conscious.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I just…”

I pulled the sheet higher around myself, hiding my reddening face. Then Killian laughed, got up, and found my lips behind the sheet for a hot kiss.

“If you’re that determined…”

He took the ring from my hand, then pulled out a map from his bag and spread it out on the desk. Sitting there, he looked far more energetic than he had a moment ago.

Relieved, I gathered up my clothes and went into the bathroom to get dressed.

‘But Killian seems like such an upright person. Would he even know any shady types like forgers?’

As I was changing, I suddenly started to worry again.

“Do you actually know anyone who can make fake passes and IDs?”

“I do, but I’ve never asked for this kind of favor before. For all I know, the guy cleaned up his act—maybe even because I told him to.”

“Well, it’s good you know someone at least. And if he’s gone straight, maybe he can introduce you to someone who hasn’t.”

“True. He’ll probably get a good laugh out of me asking for a favor like this, after I told him to turn his life around.”

Killian smiled, which made me feel a bit lighter. Maybe now it was safe to ask what I’d really been wondering about:

‘That officer chasing us—he was someone we both knew, right?’

I’d been dying to ask about ‘Rupert.’

‘What was he to me, really?’

He’d called me so familiarly…

‘Was he an old lover?’

But Killian and I always said we’d only ever loved each other. Maybe a brother or a relative? But I didn’t have any brothers—Killian had told me so himself.

And that man hadn’t looked like me at all; he looked like Killian.

‘So, what’s your connection to him? You recognized him at the station, didn’t you? Why did you lie about it?’

All those questions just piled up in my mind, unasked.

“By the way, how did you get to know a forger in the first place?”

If he answered this one easily, I’d try asking about Rupert too. But Killian didn’t say anything. Maybe he was folding the map. I heard paper rustling outside the bathroom.

When I came out, he was packing up the map and train schedules.

“So, what’s the story? Do you have some secret shady past or something?”

Killian just gave me a helpless smile instead of answering. I didn’t ask anymore, since he was already shouldering his bag, ready to go.

“Let’s leave right now.”

“Right now?”

I was caught off guard, but since there was no reason to delay, I hurried to follow him. I was also genuinely relieved to see him back to his usual self.

“What time does our train leave?”

“There’s a local train passing through in about twenty minutes. We’ll take that and then…”

We walked hand-in-hand to the station, discussing where we were headed, when suddenly the ominous sound of engines broke the peaceful blue sky.

‘That sound…’

We both froze, staring at each other with faces gone instantly pale.

It was the sound of a fighter jet diving.

“Hurry!”

Killian snapped back first, glancing up at the sky and pulling me to the side of the road. Glancing back, I saw a fighter plane streaking down toward the village at terrifying speed.

“Air raid!”

Everyone in the street screamed and dashed for the nearest buildings.

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

The chilling sound of machine-gun fire rattled right behind us, but we managed to dive into the closest building just in time.

‘Where are we…?’

It was only after we’d run inside that I realized we’d ended up in a chapel. At least it wasn’t someone’s private house, so it wasn’t too awkward.

“This way—careful, don’t fall, take it slow…”

The others inside were already heading for a corner, possibly to a basement. People were disappearing down the stairs.

“Over here—please, hurry!”

A priest was standing at the entrance to the stairs, waving everyone down. But all I could focus on was the sound of fighter jets overhead and the tall chapel windows, unable to take my eyes off the sky.

‘This feeling…’

Sitting in the church, listening to the air raid outside, I was suddenly gripped by a strong sense of deja vu. The same feeling I’d always had when lost memories were about to return.

‘My wedding… I’m remembering my wedding!’

In the hazy vision before my eyes, I was wearing a tattered old wedding dress, the sleeves frayed, the skirt a wrinkled mess. Just as Killian had once told me.