My Beloved Oppressor — Chapter 18

I HEAR THE PIANO...

C MINOR...

SLOW, HEAVY TONES...

I'M...

THIS IS...

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

CAN YOU SEE ME?

ANNETTE...

LET ME CHECK THE PATIENT!

SIR.

SHE NEEDS TO GET SOME REST.

IF YOU COULD LEAVE THE ROOM...

AH, YES...

I THOUGHT SHE MIGHT...

...REGRET HER DECISION TO DIE.

BECAUSE PAIN IS SOMETHING ONE CANNOT GET USED TO, AND SHE HATES TO BE HURT.

BUT...

I NEED... TO TALK TO HER...

BUT WHAT COULD I POSSIBLY SAY?

WHEN SHE'S...

...DESPAIRING AT HAVING SURVIVED.

Episode 18

WHY DID I LIVE?

I WANTED TO DIE.

WAS I NOT STRONG ENOUGH?

WAS IT BECAUSE I HAD EVERYTHING DONE FOR ME EVER SINCE I WAS BORN?

STILL, I WOULD HAVE DIED IF THEY LEFT ME ALONE.

WHY DID THEY LET ME LIVE?

EXCUSE ME.

AH! YES, MA'AM.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED?

I...

NEED TO BE ALONE. CAN YOU STEP OUT FOR A MINUTE?

OH... SORRY, BUT...

I WAS TOLD NOT TO LEAVE YOU ALONE...

I'M FINE.

BUT THE DOCTOR...

I... I'LL CALL YOUR GUARDIAN.

THERE'S NO NEED.

I STILL THINK YOU SHOULD DISCUSS...

AH...!

WHAT'S GOING ON?

HAA...

...ANNETTE.

ARE YOU... FEELING BETTER?

YOU'RE UNSTABLE RIGHT NOW.

SO IF YOU'RE ALONE... WE WON'T KNOW IF...

DID YOU SAVE ME?

...YES, I DID.

WHY?

WHY DID YOU SAVE ME?

HEINER. I WAS UNHAPPY ENOUGH TO DIE.

JUST AS YOU'D HOPED.

THIS WAS THE END THAT YOU AND I HAD HOPED FOR.

BUT YOU RUINED IT.

I...

...RUINED IT? JUST WHAT, EXACTLY?

ARE YOU SAYING I SHOULD HAVE LET YOU DIE?

YES.

I DIDN’T WANT THINGS TO END UP LIKE THIS...

HAS IT TRULY...

NEVER CROSSED YOUR MIND?

WHILE WISHING FOR MY ENDLESS MISERY...

...DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULDN’T CHOOSE DEATH?

YOU DIDN’T EVEN SEE ME AS A HUMAN BEING.

THAT'S WORSE THAN WISHING ME DEAD, HEINER.

I...

I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE.

I DON'T WANT THAT, ANNETTE...

THE NEXT DAY...

...I WAS MOVED BACK TO MY ROOM.

APPARENTLY ANSGAR VISITED WHILE I WAS UNCONSCIOUS.

ANSGAR...

EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT NOW.

WE CAN'T GO BACK TO THE SAME RELATIONSHIP WE ONCE HAD.

SHOULDN'T WE LEAVE THE GOOD TIMES IN THE PAST?

ANNETTE, I'M COMING IN.

COME IN.

WELCOME, ANSGAR. IS IT COLD OUTSIDE?

IT'S GETTING PRETTY COLD. THE WIND IS QUITE CHILLY.

SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO GREET YOU IN THE RECEPTION ROOM.

NO, IT'S OKAY.

...HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

GOOD. THANKS.

...YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD ME THINGS WERE HARD.

I'M SORRY.

I WASN'T SAYING IT AS A FRIEND.

IT WAS BECAUSE I COULDN'T GRANT ANSGAR'S WISHES OF TAKING ME TO FRANZE.

ANNETTE. IF YOU'RE REALLY SORRY...

...COME TO FRANZE WITH ME.

I WON'T BLAME YOU FOR ANYTHING.

I WON'T ASK ANYTHING.

NOW YOU CAN STOP HAVING THESE BAD THOUGHTS,

STOP SUFFERING IN THIS HELL CALLED PADANIA, AND COME WITH ME TO FRANZE.

WHY DID YOU DO THAT WHEN THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS?

ANSGAR. I'M...

...UNABLE TO CONTINUE THE ROYAL BLOODLINE.

I'M INFERTILE.

...WHAT...

YOU CAN EVEN CHECK WITH MY PHYSICIAN.

I'M INFERTILE, AND MY REPUTATION IS AT ROCK BOTTOM.

W-WAIT, WAIT, ANNETTE. SO,

YOU... NO, I...

I HAVE NO VALUE AS A ROYAL SYMBOL, SO I CAN'T GO WITH YOU.

ANNETTE. ALRIGHT.

I'LL BE HONEST.

YOU'RE NOT WRONG.

THE RESTORATION FORCES NEED YOU, WHICH IS WHY I WAS SENT TO PADANIA.

THE ROYAL BLOODLINE...

I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT THAT PART IS ALSO TRUE.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY REASON.

I'M NOT LEAVING YOU BEHIND BECAUSE YOU'RE... INFERTILE.

...WHY? YOU HAVE NO REASON TO TAKE ME WITH YOU.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!

DON'T YOU KNOW I USED TO LIKE YOU?

MY STATUS, POWER, FAME, WEALTH, GLORY, PRESTIGE, DIGNITY, STANDING...

THE ME YOU USED TO LOVE. THE THINGS I HAD, THE THINGS THAT MADE ME WHO I WAS.

THOSE THINGS ARE NOW GONE.

I HAVE NOTHING TO GIVE YOU ANYMORE.

NO, ANNETTE.

I STILL WANT... YOU... EVEN WITHOUT THOSE THINGS.

YOU WANT ME?

DO YOU WANT TO MARRY ME?

THAT...

OF COURSE.

BUT I'VE ONLY RECENTLY GOTTEN DIVORCED,

AND YOU STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH WITH YOURS, SO WE'LL TAKE IT SLOW.

ANYWAY, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

I WANT TO HEAR YOUR ANSWER BEFORE LEAVING.

COME WITH ME. TO FRANZE.

ANSGAR.

I...