The Belov diplomatic mission's visit to the Ministry of the Navy was a surprise.
Originally, it was planned to move to the detached palace after giving a special speech at the National Assembly, but the route was quickly changed as the Crown Prince showed great interest in the nearby Admiralty.
Since the emperor's permission had already been granted, there was no way to refuse. As a result, the Admiralty declared a state of emergency equivalent to wartime.
It was around the time that the preparations for the state guest were barely finished when the ceremonial car carrying the Crown Prince of Belov arrived in front of the headquarters building.
"Hello, Captain Klauswitz."
After greeting the high-ranking generals in turn, the Crown Prince of Belov naturally approached Bastian.
"Captain Bastian Klauswitz. It is an honor to meet Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
Raising his hand in salute, Bastian also responded to the Crown Prince's request for a handshake without showing any surprise.
It was an overly intimate greeting between a state guest and an officer, but no one thought it was strange. The true intentions of the crown prince who personally led the delegation to Berg were already an open secret.
As if to prove it, the Chief of Staff, hearing the news of the sudden visit of the Belov delegation, first ordered that Captain Klauswitz be included in the entourage. It was a welcome gift to the Crown Prince of an allied nation.
"The hero who led the victory in the Battle of Trosa.I'm well aware of your reputation. Thanks to you, our camp seized control of the North Sea, so the captain is also a hero of Belov."
The Crown Prince expressed his satisfaction with the gift with a wry smile. However, the look in his gaze at Bastian showed a wariness that he could not conceal.
Although he hadn't taken issue with his fiancée's* scandal officially, he seemed to have yet to clear his doubts. (*The Princess)
"I'm flattered with the overly high praise. But the victory that day was a major achievement of all of Berg's naval fleet."
Bastian continued the conversation with appropriate modesty. The crown prince talked about the battle with a few more words of ceremonial praise, then expressed his true intentions.
"You married the cousin* of my fiancée, Princess Isabelle." (*Odette)
"Yes, I did, Your Highness."
"I heard that the marriage was arranged directly by the imperial family. The emperor of Berg, who values tradition, bestowed his sister's daughter on an officer without a title. He seems to care very much for Captain Klauswitz."
The crown prince's eyes flashed sharply. It was as good as a sign of blatant suspicion, but Bastian was unperturbed.
"It is a favor to a soldier who has distinguished himself in battle, but I think it is more a part of an honorable reign that encompasses the rapidly changing era. Thanks to him, I have a noble wife, and I will return the favor by being more loyal to the empire and the royal family."
"The captain is quite humble."
"My wife is beautiful and wise. I believe she is the love of my life, which I never had and never will have another one."
Bastian completed his assigned mission perfectly. Only then did a light of relief appear on the faces of the generals who had been nervous. The one who was more delighted than anyone else was, of course, Admiral Demel, the one who forced the nonsense of love of a lifetime.
"This makes me more and more curious about Mrs. Klauswitz. Will we have the opportunity to meet and greet each other in person at the naval festival?"
"Of course, Your Highness. My wife will be accompanying me at the ceremony."
"Then I look forward to seeing you again in Lausanne."
Crown Prince Belov passed Bastian after a polite greeting. The delegation departed after a formal inspection of the Admiralty. In the beginning, it was a move that proved that the Crown Prince's purpose was to identify the person of Princess Isabelle's scandal.
***
Bastian went to the dining room for a late lunch while the remaining officers complained as the storm swept away.
And after he returned to work and finished the paperwork, the time for his physical training was approaching.
After changing into sportswear, Bastian warmed up by running a lap around the park in the Admiralty and then went to the gym. He met Erich Faber when he finished jumping ropes and started lifting barbells.
"I heard that Prince Belov spoke to you? What? Don't tell me he brought up Princess Isabelle's scandal directly?"
Erich approached with quick steps and threw a question as if interrogating.
Instead of answering with a smile, Bastian focused only on exercising. He was able to lift the same weight as before the injury. With this, it seemed safe to assume that he was back to perfect physical condition.
"Oh yeah. I didn't expect you to tell me anyway." Even while grumbling, Erich still stayed where he was. "Oh. About the overseas assignment you want. I thought it would be possible sometime next month?"
It was at the moment when Bastian had just put down the barbell that Erich, who was doing gymnastics with his bare hands, brought up an unexpected subject. Bastian stood up and faced him while perched on the edge of the bench.
"Next month? When?"
"The last weekend of the month. Now that the suitability test has finally been done, you should be able to go as soon as you submit your application. As promised, they seem to let you go after the festival."
"Are you sure?"
"Admiral Demel signed it. I'm sure of it."
Erich firmly nodded his head.
Bastian stared at the golden sunlight pouring through the window, wiping off the cooling sweat with a towel placed at the end of the bench.
Erich was in charge of the personnel department of the Admiralty. He was a reliable source of information, at least in this sort of thing.
"Are you really going? The superiors would like you to work longer at headquarters. It's better in my opinion. Others are jealous because they can't have it. It's a waste."
"If I don't go out next month. When do you think the next turn will be?"
"I don't know the exact date yet, but it will probably be over the year."
Erich stopped his gymnastics, which he had been pretending to do, and folded his arms loosely.
Throwing the sweaty towel into the basket, Bastian raised his gaze to the clock on the gym wall. 4 o'clock. It was the time Dr. Kramer had promised to make a visit to Ardennes.
In the cold rain, Odette had eventually fallen ill. The name of her sickness was body aches accompanied by high fever. He said that the reason the symptoms were so severe was because her body was so weak.
The message from Dr. Kramer, who made a house visit on the first day, gave Bastian a strange displeasure.
Come to think of it, Odette's state of health was not much different from when she was suffering from her family, who were like baggage. She was still pale and thin. How could she not get better even when she had been enjoying luxury that could not be compared with the time when she could not eat or dress properly? It was incomprehensible.
Maybe it wasn't a physical ailment.
It was last night that Bastian suddenly had such a question.
Even though she had been given injections and taken the prescribed medicine, Odette's fever did not go down easily. Because of the woman who was ill all night, Bastian also had trouble sleeping. That was why he asked Dr. Kramer for one more visit. He couldn't believe that it could be so painful just being sick.
"Are you going to postpone it?" Erich asked eagerly. "Or, are you going to go out?"
As the silence lengthened, Erich's impatience also grew. Bastian stood up and headed for the shower, leaving only an ambiguous smile this time.
"Anyway, you unlucky bastard."
Erich's frustrated shout echoed through the gymnasium.
***
"Madam's condition is much better than this morning."
As soon as he finished his greetings, Lovis reported the most important matter. Bastian cast a glance and entered alone without saying anything.
"Now the fever has gone down a little, and the swelling of the tonsils is also going down. She also ate a little."
"What is Dr. Kramer's opinion?"
Climbing the last stairway leading to the third floor, Bastian opened his mouth before long.
He" said that with rest and replenishment of nutrients, she should recover gradually."
Lovis gave the answer he had prepared without delay. Bastian, who was lost in thought for a moment, nodded his head in agreement.
"Margete is doing well too."
It was as they were close to the hostess' bedroom that Lovis reported his last affair. Bastian stopped abruptly and looked at him with narrow frowning eyes.
"Margrete?"
"Ah yes. It's the madam's dog. Today, the lady herself gave it a name. Right now, the lady's maid is taking care of Margrete."
As Lovis added an explanation, the wrinkles between Bastian's eyebrows deepened. Bastian burst into laughter just as Lovis was starting to feel nervous.
"Margrete."
The softly whispered name came out with a pleasant laugh.
"I understand. Thank you for your effort."
Facing Lovis again, Bastian still had a faint smile on his face. Lovis stared blankly at him, then stepped back without saying a word. The maids who had followed were also sent back. Apparently, what he needed right now wasn't help. Even Margrete, who had been cleaned and dressed up, was pushed to the next rank.
Taking off his officer's cap, Bastian opened the hostess' bedroom door without knocking. The sound of footsteps crossing the threshold was followed by the sound of the door closing again.
Walking away, Lovis hurriedly left the corridor in front of the bedroom. The mansion was already dyed with the sunset in a subtle hue.
***
Odette was asleep.
After confirming the sound of her breathing becoming more comfortable, Bastian approached the balcony facing the sea.
The gentle sound of waves could be heard through the windows that were left open for ventilation.
After closing the window, Bastian slowly turned and looked at the bed. Since the translucent curtains over the four-poster bed were half-closed, only a vague outline of Odette's sleeping figure could be seen,
Suddenly unhappy with that, Bastian took quiet steps towards the bed. It was a distance he could close at once, but he was in no hurry. Eventually, when he stood in front of the closed lace curtains, the evening light had become more gentle.
It was the time between day and night. An overly ambiguous and therefore beautiful moment.
Bastian stared at Odette's silhouette beyond, holding onto the hem of the curtain. It seemed as if he could wait for the dusk to end. The chaos wouldn't last that long anyway.
"Bastian… ?"
The moment he was about to let go of the curtains when he heard his name whispered softly. The voice of Odette, who had just woken up, was still tinged with drowsiness.
Bastian held his breath unconsciously and tightened the hold of the curtains. Under the shadow of the swaying lace, Odette slowly raised herself.
When the sound of her long, flowing hair grazing the bedding stopped, the surroundings became quiet again.
In the fading remnants of the sunset, Bastian finally opened the curtains that he couldn't let go.
In the dim light, Odette smiled.
Red and blue. Light and dark.