Episode 32
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY.
SO HOW MUCH FOR A BASKET?
I WANT TO FIX THIS...
GOING OUT ISN'T AS SCARY ANYMORE.
AT FIRST...
I COULD ONLY FEEL FEAR.
I WAS AFRAID SOMEONE MIGHT RECOGNIZE ME.
AND I FELT SHAME THAT I WAS LIVING IN HER HOUSE.
HAVING TRIED TO DIE, YET, FEARING DEATH...
DESPITE THAT, CATHERINE AND BRUNER DIDN'T PROBE.
THEY WERE THE REASON I CAME TO MY SENSES.
WELCOME!
I WANT TO MAKE OLIVIA A DRESS...
WOULD PURE COTTON BE BETTER?
SINCE I CAN EMBROIDER AGAIN...
OKAY, SAY THAT IT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF FRANZEANS IN LATLAND.
THAT STILL DOESN'T GIVE THEM AN EXCUSE TO INVADE US LIKE THAT!
FRANZE IS JUST MAKING EXCUSES.
OF COURSE THEY JUST WANT FREE LAND!
THOSE DARNED FRANZEANS! BARBARIANS, THE LOT OF THEM!
ALTHOUGH I WOULD HAVE TO SAY...
WAR IS BETTER THAN THEM STEALING EVERYTHING UNDER THE GUISE OF PEACE.
YES, YES, EXACTLY!
WHETHER IT'S THE ROYALS OR THE NOBLES, THEY'RE ALL INCOMPETENT COWARDS.
IT'S A RELIEF, ISN'T IT?
EVEN IF THERE IS A WAR, THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WILL LEAD IT.
AND THEY HAD THAT... ALLIANCE OR WHATEVER WITH WEITERIS RECENTLY.
I HEARD IT WAS SPEARHEADED BY HEINER WALDEMAR.
WEITERIS.
THIS IS ALL THANKS TO YOUR INVESTMENT.
WHAT'S THE TREND IN FRANZE THESE DAYS? I'M SURE IT WILL HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE NEW BRANCH.
WITH HELP FROM WEITERIS, WE'LL EASILY KEEP FRANZE IN CHECK.
WE'LL DO OUR BEST.
IS THAT WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT...?
I WAS WORRIED SINCE HE USED TO WORK FOR THE ROYALS. PLUS, HE'S QUITE YOUNG AND HANDSOME.
BUT YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIT HE'S GOOD AT HIS JOB!
WHAT DOES BEING HANDSOME HAVE TO DO WITH THAT?
I WAS WORRIED HE MAY NOT HAVE INHERITED THE INTELLIGENCE GENES!
BY THE WAY, IS HE NOT GETTING REMARRIED?
I MEAN, HE'S ONLY RECENTLY HAD A DIVORCE.
WHAT ABOUT SENATOR ENGEL'S DAUGHTER, ANNELIE?
WASN'T HE SUPPOSED TO GET ENGAGED TO HER?
HMMM... THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT...
BUT RIGHT NOW IS BAD TIMING.
IT'D BE BETTER FOR HIM TO WAIT.
I'M SURE THEY DIDN'T MENTION ALL THAT BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZED ME...
EXTRA!
EXTRA, EXTRA!
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
KYAAA!
WHAT IS ALL THIS!
LATLAND DEFEATED.
ALL 1.2 MILLION OF LATLAND'S TROOPS ANNIHILATED.
FRANZE DEMANDS HUGE REPARATIONS AND THE LEASE OF A MAJOR HARBOR.
LATLAND SIGNS A DOCUMENT OF SURRENDER.
YOU'RE SAYING LATLAND SURRENDERED JUST LIKE THAT?!
ANNIHILATION?! WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NOW?
ARE WE GOING TO JOIN THE WAR TOO?
I'M SURE IT WON'T BE RIGHT AWAY!
WE DON'T KNOW IF PADANIA WILL MAKE A MOVE!
IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AT SOME POINT ANYWAY!
DON'T BE AFRAID. LET'S PREPARE FOR IT TOGETHER!!!
THAT'S RIGHT!!! LET'S ENLIST OUR SONS IN THE NAME OF PATRIOTISM!!!
YES, WE MUST PREPARE FOR WAR!!!
WAR...
...IS REALLY HAPPENING IN PADANIA!
WE MUST STOP THEM IMMEDIATELY!!!
FRANZE IS PLANNING TO ANNEX NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES BY FORCE...
IN ORDER TO OPEN A ROUTE TO THE CONTINENT!
WE MUST WAIT! PADANIA'S LOSSES WILL BE TOO GREAT!
WE NEED TO PREPARE SUPPLIES FOR FUTURE DEFENSE!!!
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SHORT TERM SELF-PRESERVATION WILL ONLY CAUSE BIGGER DAMAGE!
EVEN IF THEY WON, THEY ONLY RECENTLY ENDED THEIR WAR!
FRANZE WON'T BE ABLE TO GIVE IT THEIR ALL!
WE WON'T BE ABLE TO STOP THEM ANYWAY, I TELL YOU!
WE'D BE MUCH BETTER OFF PREPARING FOR AN INVASION!
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WAR?!
I HELPED THE COMMANDER LEAD THE REVOLUTION!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPINIONS.
WHEN IT COMES TO ACTION ON THE NEIGHBORING NATIONS,
WE DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A DECISION.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT...
...IS THIS PLACE. TERRA ROSA, AHSLANIA.
IT'S A BREADBASKET, AND A HOME TO A VAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES.
FRANZE HAS HAD AN EYE ON IT FOR A LONG TIME.
I'M SURE THEY'LL DEMAND A TERRITORY SWAP FROM AHSLANIA...
...AND SEND IN MASSES OF ARMORED TROOPS WHEN MET WITH RESISTANCE.
BUT IT'S UNCERTAIN WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN.
THAT IS WHY WE'RE NOT GOING TO MOVE ANYTIME SOON.
HOWEVER...
...IF AHSLANIA CALLS FOR SUPPORT, WE'LL HAVE TO HELP THEM.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE NEED TO FINISH BUILDING OUR DEFENSE FORTRESS.
PADANIA...
...WILL OFFICIALLY PARTICIPATE.
...THEREFORE, I ASK THAT YOUR COUNCIL DECLARE PADANIA'S PARTICIPATION IN THE WAR AS AN ALLY.
WAR.
WITH A MERE SENTENCE OF MINE...
HAA...
BUT IF THAT WAS THE CASE...
WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THREE YEARS AGO?
AGAIN.
IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN.
YOU APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE, WITHOUT WARNING.
IF YOU GOT ALL YOU WANTED...
...YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME.
NOT EVEN KNOWING THAT...
...I LOVED YOU FOR THREE MORE YEARS.
LIES.
YOU NEVER LOVED ME.
EVEN WHEN I WAS THE ONLY ONE BY YOUR SIDE.
IN THE BEGINNING, I WOULD HAVE JUST BEEN A FLING.
AFTER THAT, I WAS PROBABLY JUST YOUR LIFELINE.
THERE IS NO WAY A WOMAN LIKE YOU WOULD LOVE A MAN LIKE ME.
...HAAA.
I FEEL LIKE I'M LOSING MY MIND.
HOW WILL I LEAD A WAR IN THIS STATE?
COMMANDER IN CHIEF...
IN THE FIRST PLACE, ALL I HAD WANTED...
WAS TO BE ABLE TO STAND BY YOUR SIDE.
BUT NOW YOU’RE GONE...
WHEN ANNETTE WAS SITTING ON THAT BENCH...
...WHAT EXPRESSION WAS SHE MAKING?
WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?
ANNETTE...
ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?
On a fine day, the narrator goes outside, telling how she overcame the fear and shame of being recognized and living in someone else's house, and recovered thanks to Catherine and Bruner. While looking for fabric to sew a dress for Olivia, people around her talk about Franze, Latland, and Heiner Waldemar's divorce. When an extra edition announces Latland's defeat, fear of war grows, and the chapter ends with Heiner longing for Annette.
