Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 918 - 22 Flee in Panic_2

Chapter 918: Chapter 22: Flee in Panic_2 Chapter 918: Chapter 22: Flee in Panic_2 Tears whirled in Anna’s eyes, Catherine’s words were too heavy, and Anna didn’t know how to respond. If she really was the fool blinded by love as Catherine said, there wouldn’t be any burdens to bear.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t.

Catherine embraced her sister. Lady Big Navarre didn’t cry, but Lady Navarre sobbed instead.

Outside, the winter wind howled and the fireplace crackled.

Anna reached out her arms, gently hugged her sister, and whispered comfort, “It’s okay, it won’t happen…”

…

Anna was almost sleepless all night.

...

When the sunrise lit up Revodan, Anna wiped away her tears and got up to wash and dress like usual.

After last night’s deep conversation, Catherine seemed somewhat sickly, and even Scarlett couldn’t bring a smile to her face.

Anna was desperate to see Winters; she wasn’t looking for promises or to vent her emotions. At this moment, she just wanted to see Winters.

But Anna’s wish did not come true, as Mrs. Madeleine soon brought back the news: “Not long after dawn, Sir Bard took His Excellency Montane out of the city.”

In the afternoon, Mrs. Madeleine brought another message: His Excellency Montane returned to the city and went to the garrison.

Later, Winters left the city again. It wasn’t until late at night that Winters returned to his residence.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing Anna waiting in the living room, Winters was surprised, sensing something unnatural in her mood, “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Anna nestled against Winters, her voice very weak, “Nothing.”

“I actually have something to tell you.”

“Mm.”

Feeling Anna’s body warmth, Winters couldn’t bring himself to speak and instead tousled Anna’s hair: “Never mind, I’ll write to you.”

“Mm.” Anna sounded tired.

The two quietly cuddled for a while, then Anna asked softly, “Can you dance?”

“Court dancing is one of the mandatory subjects at the Land Academy.” Winters seemed embarrassed, “But I’m afraid I’ve forgotten it all.”

“I’ll teach you.”

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Although Anna led him, their movements could hardly be called dancing. They just embraced in front of the fireplace, slowly swaying their bodies rhythmically.

“Speaking of which.” Winters suddenly couldn’t help laughing.

“Mm.” Anna leaned on Winters’ shoulder, wiping away her tears.

“Do you know how dance lessons at the Land Academy are conducted?”

“How?”

Winters coughed lightly, awkwardly saying, “The Land Academy has no female students, so dance classes are… with partners from the same period, which means men dancing with men…”

Anna broke into a smile.

“…So no one really had much interest, it was all just going through the motions.” As Winters tried to explain, hearing Anna’s laughter eased his mind, “It’s worth embarrassing myself if I could make you laugh.”

“I’m not laughing because of you.”

“That’s fine if you won’t admit it.”

Another silence.

“Mr. Montane?” Anna spoke softly.

“Mm?”

“Let’s get married.” Anna’s voice was very faint, as if mentioning a trivial matter.

“Alright.” Winters agreed without hesitation, smiling, “Shall I go find Father Kaman now to officiate?”

On the winter night, only the faint warmth radiated from the fireplace.

After a long silence, Anna holding Winters let out an almost inaudible sigh, “Never mind, we don’t even have a ring, it’s too cheap for you.”

Winters sniffed Anna’s long hair, murmuring as if pronouncing his own sentence, “Yes, it’s too cheap for me.”

After a long time, Winters walked Anna back to her room.

The next day, Anna woke up in her own bed to find out: Winters Montane had already left Revodan, leaving only a letter behind.

…

West of Big Horn River, the wilderness.

There was no snow in the wilderness, but the dead grass and branches were covered with frost.

A small convoy traveled through the wilderness, the escorted riders all heavily armed. But no flags flew, and no insignias on the carriages disclosed any identities.

“Brother,” one of the younger riders, still youthful, asked worriedly, “Can you really just leave like this?”

“Leave?” A man wrapped tightly in clothing sat in the carriage, pulled the blanket around him, and said somberly, “It’s more like fleeing.”

“Yes, fleeing.” Winters laughed self-deprecatingly, looking at the man on the carriage with a joke yet somewhat seriously, “Colonel, please give me a quick end.”

Xial did not understand the meaning of this sentence.

Moritz was slightly startled, then closed his eyes to rest, yawning, “It’s all your own doing.”

“‘Respect others’ choices’,” this phrase sounds like a universally correct formula.

But in some cases, “respecting others’ choices” is really just pushing the dilemma onto someone else—Winters thought painfully—selfish and despicable, that’s what I am.

“Stay behind, cut all ties with your mother amid the perilous Newly Reclaimed Land, give up everything that once belonged to you, and I can’t give you anything.”

These words, Winters couldn’t utter.

“Return to Sea Blue, wait for me, wait for the day I might live to marry you.”

These words, Winters also couldn’t say.

So he left the choice to Anna—perhaps the most appropriate, or perhaps the least appropriate decision.

“If there really are such things as souls, the men and women who sacrificed might know of my self-pity over such matters.” Winters thought, “Perhaps they would regret?”