715 AU, AT A RIVERSIDE IN PADANIA.
HEINER.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER LEARNING AN INSTRUMENT?
AN INSTRUMENT? WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM?
IT'S BEEN MY DREAM TO PERFORM ALONG WITH MY PARTNER.
ME PLAYING PIANO, AND MY PARTNER PLAYING ANOTHER INSTRUMENT. IT'S MY LIFELONG WISH!
...PARTNER...
WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR OVER HALF A YEAR, BUT I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
I'M SORRY BUT... THAT DREAM WON'T COME TRUE.
HMM. THAT'S TOO BAD. I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO LOOK FOR A NEW PARTNER.
...ANNETTE SAYS IT'S A JOKE,
BUT EVERYTIME I HEAR IT...
WHERE WOULD YOU FIND ANOTHER PARTNER?
HMMM...
YOU SAID YOU LIKE THE HANDSOME TYPE.
THAT'S TRUE. IT'S HARD TO FIND SOMEONE HANDSOME.
RIGHT?
I CAN CERTAINLY PLAY AN INSTRUMENT.
REALLY?
YOU'RE JOKING! WHAT INSTRUMENT?
WHAT'S THE REED FOR?
YOU'LL KNOW SOON ENOUGH.
IT'S A REED FLUTE.
A FLUTE??
...THIS WAS A BAD IDEA.
WHAT IS THAT!
AND WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU SO SERIOUS?!
SO WHILE I'M PLAYING THE PIANO, YOU'LL BE PLAYING THAT NEXT TO ME?
AH, THAT WON'T DO. THE AUDIENCE WILL JUST BE LOOKING AT YOU!
I WANT TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION!
ANNETTE.
YES?
MAY I KISS YOU?
DO YOU REALLY NEED TO ASK?
Episode 63
MY DISCHARGE FROM THE HOSPITAL WAS COMING UP.
THE DOCTOR SAID THAT I'D FULLY RECOVERED EXCEPT FOR MY LEFT HAND,
BUT HEINER ADVISED THAT I STAY A FEW MORE DAYS.
HEINER WAS RELENTLESS ABOUT MY REHABILITATION TREATMENT.
ACTING LIKE A WATCHDOG...
THANKS TO HIM, I ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN THERAPY,
BUT I'M NOT EXPERIENCING ANY NOTABLE PROGRESS YET.
WE ALSO OCCASIONALLY HAVE MEALS TOGETHER.
LET'S GO ON A WALK AFTERWARDS.
I DON'T WANT TO GO OUTSIDE TODAY.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU WERE INSIDE THE WHOLE DAY.
BUT WE WENT OUT YESTERDAY.
THAT WAS YESTERDAY. TODAY IS TODAY.
Here, Here.
IF YOU'RE COOPED UP INDOORS, YOU WON'T GET ANY BETTER.
AH...
ONCE I GO OUT, THE FRESH AIR DOES MAKE ME FEEL BETTER,
BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE ME ANY LESS LAZY ABOUT GOING OUT.
IT'S FINALLY SPRING.
IT'S BEEN SPRING FOR A LONG TIME.
I'M SAYING THAT IT FINALLY FEELS LIKE SPRING.
BUT TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, WE'VE BEEN IN SPRING-
Y-YOU'RE RIGHT, IT FINALLY FEELS LIKE SPRING.
AH, HEINER, I MEANT TO ASK... HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE GROTHS?
I COULDN'T REACH THEM BY PHONE.
HM... THAT'S PROBABLY DUE TO THE BOMBINGS AT SEINSHIRE.
I WASN'T IN TOUCH WITH THEM THIS YEAR, SO I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING.
IS THAT SO...
I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO VISIT THEM MYSELF...
AH...
YOUR EX-HUSBAND CALLED ME RIGHT AFTER HE FOUND OUT YOU JOINED. HE WAS FURIOUS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE...
HEINER.
HAVE YOU... BEEN IN TOUCH WITH CATHERINE AFTER OUR DIVORCE?
WE WERE IN CONTACT SINCE YOU STARTED LIVING WITH THE GROTHS.
...SO FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
I... I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ULTERIOR MOTIVES.
YOU WERE UNSTABLE THEN,
SO I WAS JUST TAKING PRECAUTIONS-
NO, I UNDERSTAND.
I'M NOT TRYING TO CRITICIZE YOU.
ANNETTE.
AFTER YOUR DISCHARGE... WHERE WILL YOU GO?
HM?
AH, I JUST... IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU NEED...
THAT IS, DO YOU WANT TO SEEK ASYLUM IN ANOTHER COUNTRY...
NO, I WON'T BE DOING THAT.
...BUT IF YOU LEAVE, YOU MIGHT BE HAPPIER THERE.
...EVEN IF THAT MEANS WE WON'T MEET AGAIN.
WHEN I SIGNED UP AS A MILITARY NURSE, I MADE A DECISION.
I DECIDED NOT TO RUN AWAY ANYMORE.
I DECIDED THAT IF THIS IS MY BURDEN, I WILL BEAR IT.
I'M NOT TRYING TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE.
I'M TRYING TO LIVE A BETTER ONE.
SO, IT'S OKAY.
...BUT WHY?
YOU CAN BE HAPPIER.
...HAPPIER?
WHEN DID I FEEL THE HAPPIEST?
I FELT PEACE AND SECURITY AT CATHERINE'S HOME,
BUT IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT I WAS "HAPPY."
WAS I HAPPY AT THE ROZENBERG MANSION?
OR DURING OUR FIRST YEAR OF MARRIAGE,
BEFORE THE REVOLUTION?
EVEN SO, NOT ONLY CAN I NOT GO BACK TO THOSE DAYS,
BUT I ALSO DON’T WANT TO.
THAT LIFE WAS A BROKEN, FALLEN WORLD.
MY HAPPINESS WAS BUILT UPON SUCH A WORLD.
IF PEOPLE ARE BORN WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HAPPINESS,
I BELIEVE I ENJOYED ALL OF MINE IN THE PAST.
AT THE VERY LEAST, I WON'T BE UNHAPPY.
THAT'S ENOUGH.
AND YOU?
WHAT WILL YOU DO AFTER THE WAR?
AFTER THE WAR...
I SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE CHASING AFTER HER,
USING UP EVERYTHING I HAD CLUNG ONTO ALONG THE WAY.
AND NOW, THERE'S NOTHING LEFT FOR ME TO DO.
...I'LL KEEP LIVING. JUST LIKE I HAVE UNTIL NOW.
UNDER THE SHADOWS OF YOU THAT HAVE CLOUDED MY LIFE.
BUT I'M FINE NOW.
THAT NIGHT,
UNDER THE SHINING MOONLIGHT, MY LIFE WAS COMPLETED.
EVEN IF I'M UNHAPPY FOREVER,
AND CAN'T ESCAPE FROM MY MISFORTUNES,
I'M NOT IN PAIN ANYMORE.
I WOULDN'T CARE IF I DIED RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, TIME WAS FLYING BY.
WE MET AGAIN AT THE WARFRONT DURING A COLD, HARSH WINTER,
AND WE'RE NOW WALKING NEXT TO EACH OTHER IN THE MIDST OF SPRING,
PREPARING ONCE AGAIN TO SAY OUR NEW GOODBYES.
The chapter opens with a cheerful memory of Annette and Heiner by the riverside in Padanya, about their dream of playing instruments; Heiner's attempt at playing a reed flute ends in laughter and leads to a kiss. In the present day, Annette, waiting to be discharged from the hospital, tells Heiner during a walk that she couldn't reach the Groths, and that she refused his offer of asylum and decided not to run away.
