IPTYFM

CHAPTER XXXl

Johann is currently engrossed in textbooks for the grade he’ll be teaching. His classes won’t start until after the New Year’s holiday, but this diligent man is already preparing for his lessons.

“Mrs. Renner, you keep tempting me, so tonight you’ll pay the price under me.”

“My goodness, Mr. Renner. Is it appropriate for a teacher to speak so crudely?”

Once Johann becomes a teacher in the village, we will no longer be outsiders but integral parts of this community.

‘But a teacher can’t keep living in someone else’s attic.’

I had planned to use the money we saved this fall to buy a ring, but that will have to wait until next year. We need to find a rental close to the school. This time, it won’t be someone’s attic but a proper home.

Just the thought of our new nest fills me with joy. Energized by this vision, I finished the grape harvest earlier than planned.

With some time to spare, Johann went to help other farmers transport their harvest. I joined the other women, loading baskets full of grapes onto the cart heading to the winery.

“Rize, is this your first time making wine?”

Anna, who sat beside me while plucking grapes from a basket, asked.

“Perhaps. Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe when I step into the barrel to crush the grapes, my feet will move skillfully, and I’ll be surprised.”

“Well…How curious and unfortunate…”

The winery owner, sitting at the front of the cart, clicked his tongue in pity before asking.

“Can’t the hospital help?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Ask Johann to look into it.”

“I’m fine. I’m happy as it is.”

Actually, I had thought about asking Johann for help once, the day after I dreamt about our first encounter, which may have been a memory or just my imagination.

“Johann, I want to recover my memory.”

I thought he would help me find a competent doctor, but he shook his head sadly.

“I’d rather you didn’t remember anything.”

“Why?”

“Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.”

I’ll remember for you. Johann said this with a pained expression. It seems my past might be filled with sad memories.

Seeing his expression made me afraid to regain my memories. So, I mostly refrained from asking about my past or trying too hard to remember.

“Let’s forget the past and live for the present.”

As Johann said, we’ll fill the void left by the forgotten past with new memories.

“The Prime Minister is safe, right? I heard he was defending the capital till the very end.”

“There are rumors that he fled first, though.”

“The Prime Minister? That can’t be true.”

Our conversation, which started from my memory loss, naturally shifted towards the war, its underlying cause.

“To think that the capital fell to the demons of Falkland…”

The man sighed deeply, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.

“What’s going to happen now?”

“Surely the Falkland forces won’t push down here, right?”

Although the front lines were still distant, the capital which was thought to be secure, had fallen into Falkland’s grasp, leaving even our remote mountain village vulnerable.

“That mustn’t happen…”

I looked at the peaceful forest path still untouched by the war and prayed.

May this peace not shatter. I had just overcome a personal misfortune and found happiness, and I prayed it wouldn’t be snatched away by another unforeseen calamity.

As I fervently prayed, something black started racing towards us from the end of the road I was observing.

‘A car?’

Cars are a luxury only the upper class or the government could afford, especially since the government had requisitioned them for military use, making them a rarity. That’s why it’s a sight that was never before seen in this rural area.

Confused, I stared at the vehicle. It wasn’t just any car. It was a military truck.

“Gasp… over there.”

At my shout, everyone turned to look at the end of the road. Soon, they realized the strange-looking vehicle was a military truck, and their faces turned pale.

“The, the demons of Falkland, here?”

We were just old men and young women. We had neither the strength nor the weapons to resist soldiers.

“Run to the forest.”

I stopped Anna, who was panicking and trying to jump off the wagon.

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

As the truck neared, the flag fluttering from its hood became clearly visible. It wasn’t Falkland’s but Hyland’s flag.

Right. It wouldn’t make sense for enemy forces to appear in our village without any prior warning of an invasion nearby. It seems everyone’s rational thought was momentarily paralyzed by the shock.

“Proud soldiers of ours.”

The road through the forest was narrow, so the man parked the wagon at the side of the road and saluted the passing convoy of vehicles. I watched the vehicles whizz past, pondering.

‘But why would the military be here?’

Even the local military forces were said to be deployed to the front, leaving the nearby garrisons virtually empty. That’s why we hardly ever saw soldiers around here.

Among the vehicles carrying soldiers, there was one luxury car. Its backseat windows were obscured by curtains, so I couldn’t see who was inside.