Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 161
Episode 9: Victory Banquet

『 Translator – Divinity 』

After their trip to the beach, Damian and Lilliana’s relationship remained unchanged.

Damian was treating her as usual, just as she wanted. And Lilliana, as if it were natural, didn’t mention anything about that day, nor did she act any differently.

Damian was frustrated to the point of wanting to scream.

But he didn’t have the ability to turn the situation around, nor did he have the eloquence to make Lilliana understand his feelings. It was truly maddening.

He didn’t have the courage to actively bring up the topic either. He was afraid that stirring things up might push them further apart.

Eleven awkward days passed like that.

After bringing Lilliana home from the atelier, Damian noticed several letters in the mailbox before entering the common hallway. He took them out and checked the recipients one by one while riding the elevator.

The first letter was for Annette… It was from the tax office. The second letter seemed to be a personal letter for Asher, and the third was for Damian Stern…

Damian raised an eyebrow and looked at the sender. It was the Ministry of National Defense of the Istarica Republic.

He put that letter aside and looked at the next one. It was also addressed to him, and Damian clicked his tongue at the sender’s name. It was Paul Jeska.

“Why the long face?” Lilliana asked, noticing Damian stuffing two letters into his pocket.

“I got some annoying letters.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know exactly, but let’s check them inside.”

Lilliana tilted her head, but Damian didn’t elaborate.

They entered the house and went to their respective rooms. Damian, finally alone, opened the letters addressed to him.

He opened the letter from the Ministry of National Defense first. It seemed to be a letter sent to all Lebe-Suvelz war veterans.

Reading further, he found that it was about a victory banquet for Lebe. It said they planned to invite all the soldiers who participated in the war and asked him to inform them whether he would attend.

Damian tossed the letter into the trash and opened the letter from Paul Jeska. It was written in an elegant, aristocratic script.

[To my dear cousin, Damian Stern,

Damian, how have you been? I wanted to check in on you, but I couldn’t contact you while I was out on the battlefield. But you haven’t sent me a single letter even though you must have plenty of free time, so I was quite frustrated not knowing how you were doing.]

I had no time. No time, I tell you. Damian had never had the time to miss Paul Jeska.

[I’m back in Istarica now and staying at my family home before returning to work. I found out your address through the relevant department and am writing this letter. So you were in Nichio. How have you been? How are your arm and injuries? I hope you’ve recovered well. By the way, I’m letting you know that I returned without a scratch, so you don’t have to worry.

Did you receive a letter from the Ministry of National Defense? Or maybe my letter arrived first. It seems they’re planning to hold a grand banquet for the Lebe veterans. I hope you can attend if you have the time.]

Damian glanced at the trash can, then returned his attention to the letter.

[You just thought about not attending, didn’t you? But I’d like you to attend so I can see your face after all this time. I could visit you in Nichio since I know your address, but you wouldn’t like that, would you? I know what you’re thinking. So since there’s an event like this, I hope you can come out and enjoy the banquet and see my face.]

Damian let out a small groan.

He was curious about how his platoon members were doing, but not curious enough to attend such an event. Well, he was curious if anyone had died. But no news is good news, so did he really have to go?

Sergeant Big seemed like the type who wouldn’t die even if you killed him, and Sergeant Nicole was incredibly lucky, so she must be alive…

Damian’s head shot up from the letter.

“Sergeant Nicole!”

Her name burst from his lips. He suddenly missed Nicole terribly. Because Nicole was the only person he had ever been close to who he could confide his worries to.

Especially about relationship problems! Although it was mostly one-sided, with Nicole doing the talking and Damian just listening.

But she never hesitated to give Damian advice about taking care of his girlfriend, even though he didn’t have one, and she even knew about ‘Lady Lintray’ to some extent.

Damian had talked about Lintray the most with Nicole, and it was Nicole who had encouraged him to go see her after he was discharged.

Damian wanted to confide his current worries to someone. About his relationship with Lilliana.

He wanted to explain to Lilliana that she was misunderstanding him, and he wanted to understand the meaning behind her words and actions.

But it was a problem he couldn’t solve by himself, no matter how much he thought about it.

So, whether it solved his problems or not, he felt like he could organize his thoughts by confiding in someone.

But Annette was too close to Lilliana, Casey was unhelpful, and Asher wouldn’t let him even bring it up.

But Nicole was different. He felt like he could confide all his complicated feelings about Lilliana and ‘Lady Lintray’ to her.

And if Nicole was attending the banquet?!

Damian hurriedly rummaged through the trash can again and retrieved the letter from the Ministry of National Defense. He filled out the attendance form at the end of the letter, checking the box for “attending.”

Then, he checked the date of the banquet…

“Next Friday?! That’s soon!”

What would he have done if he hadn’t read the letter now? He almost missed the banquet with no time to reply.

“Sergeant Nicole… she’s not dead, right?”

Imagine going to the banquet and only hearing the news of Nicole’s death.

Damian would have to endure the dreadful time at the banquet and deal with Paul Jeska after hearing the news of a close comrade’s death, only to return feeling even worse.

But what choice did he have? He had to go since she was his only hope…

Damian took out a new envelope from his desk drawer, carefully folded the attendance form, put it inside, and wrote down the address. Only after sealing the envelope did he finish reading Paul Jeska’s letter.

[If you have a partner, you can bring them along. I would like to meet the person you’re seeing if you have one.

Then, I hope to see you at the banquet.

August 7, 1879. Paul Jeska.]

Damian frowned. Was this really an event where he had to bring a partner? He would just go see Nicole’s face and come back.

Excited, Damian left his room to mail the letter. He decided to inform Lilliana that he would be out for a while and knocked on her door. Lilliana opened the door with a light response.

“I’ll be out for a while. It won’t take long. I’ll be back within ten minutes.”

“Where are you going?”

“To the mailbox to send a letter…”

“Okay.”

Lilliana nodded, and Damian turned to leave. But then he paused and stopped the door from closing with his hand.

Lilliana’s eyes widened as she looked up at Damian, who spoke with a slightly nervous expression, avoiding her gaze.

“Lilliana, are you free next Friday, by any chance?”