...YOU'RE BACK, HEINER.
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING WITHOUT EVEN SAYING HELLO?
YOU COULD'VE COME INTO THE HOUSE.
...WELL, IT'S NOT THAT I CAME TO THE HOUSE...
THAT IS, THE HOUSE IS ONE OF SEVERAL PROPERTIES I OWN IN SANTAMOLI.
I JUST CAME TO CHECK ON THINGS.
AND WHILE I WAS AT IT, I WANTED TO SEE THE HOUSE I GAVE YOU MYSELF.
...WHAT PATHETIC EXCUSES...
...HEINER.
AS YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I WAS QUITE OBSESSED WITH THE IDEA OF FATE.
MY PHILOSOPHY TEACHER TOLD ME THAT FATE DIDN'T EXIST.
THAT THE MOMENT SOMEONE ACCEPTS A PAST COINCIDENCE AS SOMETHING INEVITABLE,
THEY BEGIN TO INTERPRET IT AS FATE.
SO I USED TO BELIEVE THAT FATE COULD NEVER EXIST BETWEEN US.
BECAUSE, AS FAR AS I KNEW...
...THERE WEREN'T ANY INCIDENTS BETWEEN US THAT COULD'VE BEEN MISTAKEN FOR FATE.
EVERYTHING HAD BEEN PLANNED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
BUT IF THAT'S TRUE...
...THEN THAT DAY, WHEN YOU LEFT A BOUQUET BY THE WINDOW OF MY PRACTICE ROOM...
...THAT LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE TODAY'S...
...WAS THAT A COINCIDENCE, OR WAS IT FATE?
I NEVER IMAGINED... THAT BOUQUET WOULD END UP IN ANNETTE'S HANDS.
I NEVER ONCE THOUGHT SHE'D STILL REMEMBER AFTER ALL THIS TIME.
IT WAS JUST A BOUQUET, SUCH A TRIVIAL GIFT.
SHE MUST'VE RECEIVED GIFTS FAR MORE GRAND AND EXTRAVAGANT.
SO I THOUGHT... I MUST'VE MEANT NOTHING TO HER...
PERHAPS IT ALL STARTED WITH A COINCIDENCE.
I JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE ON THAT ISLAND...
...AND ENDED UP GOING TO THE ROZENBERG ESTATE.
AND YOUR PIANO PRACTICE HAPPENED TO BE AT THE SAME TIME...
...WHICH LED ME DEEP INTO THE ROSE GARDEN.
AND THE MELODY YOU PLAYED ON THE PIANO WAS THE SAME ONE THAT USED TO COME FROM THE MUSIC BOX I CHERISHED AS A CHILD.
AND WHEN I FIRST MET YOU LIKE THAT...
...YOU WERE SO PRECIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL, IT LEFT ME IN AWE.
...IF MY WANTING YOU WAS INEVITABLE...
...THEN IT WAS A FATE THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEGUN.
HEINER, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN UNDO.
ALL WE CAN DO IS BUILD THE ROAD AHEAD.
JUST LIKE HOW YOU GAVE ME THAT BOUQUET OF HYDRANGEAS AND STATICE AGAIN.
THANK YOU, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
BACK THEN, AND EVEN NOW.
AH, THAT'S...
THE BROOCH I GAVE HER AS A HOLIDAY GIFT WHEN WE DIVORCED...
...SHE STILL KEPT IT.
...THAT REMINDS ME.
...ANNETTE, I...
THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO TELL YOU.
YES?
I WANTED TO WEAR THE SCARF YOU GAVE ME WHEN I SAW YOU AGAIN...
...BUT I LOST IT WHILE EVACUATING DURING AN AIR RAID.
AH...
YOU STARTLED ME. I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING SERIOUS.
WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU'RE SAFE.
I CAN ALWAYS MAKE ANOTHER SCARF.
BUT IF I START NOW, IT WON'T BE FINISHED UNTIL SPRING.
I GUESS I'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR NEXT WINTER.
WHEN THAT TIME COMES, YOU HAVE TO SHOW ME HOW IT LOOKS ON YOU.
...NEXT WINTER.
MY FUTURE HAS JUST BEEN EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
ANNETTE WROTE IN HER LETTER...
...THAT EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T BE TOGETHER...
...SHE STILL WANTS US TO WATCH OVER AND ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER...
...AND GO ON LIVING IN THE SAME WORLD TOGETHER...
IF IT'S LIKE THIS... MAYBE I CAN KEEP EXTENDING MY LIFE, MAYBE EVEN FOREVER.
...ANNETTE. THE HAPPINESS AND GOOD FORTUNE YOU GAVE ME... I'LL RETURN THEM TO YOU.
I DON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE.
LITTLE BY LITTLE, I'LL BE ABLE TO CARRY ON WITH MY LIFE, AS SHE WISHES.
ALL I WANT NOW IS TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD FOR YOU.
SO EVEN IF THAT TAKES A VERY, VERY LONG TIME... WOULD YOU PLEASE...
LET ME...
I'LL WAIT FOR YOU.
AS LONG AS IT TAKES.
I'M GLAD YOU'VE COME BACK.
AFTER A LONG AND TRYING TIME, EVEN IF IT'S NOT QUITE WHERE I STARTED...
I'M TRULY HAPPY YOU'RE BACK.
HEINER.
I'VE FINALLY COME BACK...
TO THE PLACE WHERE MY WHOLE WORLD ONCE BEGAN...
Episode 74
AFTER THE CONTINENTAL WAR, THE WORLD WAS SWEPT BY A WAVE OF GREAT CHANGE.
HEINER WALDEMAR SUBMITTED A PEACE PETITION, CALLING FOR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF WAR AND SECURE LASTING GLOBAL PEACE.
IN RONCHESTER, THE CAPITAL OF PADANIA, A PEACE SUMMIT WAS HELD TO PROMOTE DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGE.
THE PETITION WAS PUBLISHED IN BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL NEWSPAPERS, EARNING WIDESPREAD GLOBAL SUPPORT.
...AND PADANIAN WAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
EVEN AMIDST THE CHAOS, THE TIMES MOVED ON.
AN INTERNATIONAL LEAGYE WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED, AND THE CONFERENCE CONCLUDED WITH PLANS FOR INTERGOVERMENTL COOPERATION
ALL FRANZEAN SOLDIERS INVOLVED IN THE HUNTINGHAM MASSACRE WERE SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT WITHOUT PAROLE OR PARDON.
CITIZENS CLAIMED THAT THE SENTENCE WASN'T ENOUGH AND DEMANDED THE DEATH PENALTY.
PUBLIC OUTRAGE ALSO TURNED TOWARD THE RESTORATION FORCES WHO HAD FLED TO FRANZE AND AIDED THE ENEMY.
FIGURES BEHIND THE RESTORATION, INCLUDING ANSGAR STETTER, WERE BRANDED AS NATIONAL TRAITORS AND FELL INTO COMPLETE SOCIAL RUIN.
EVERYTHING CONTINUED TO CHANGE.
ALL THAT REMAINED WAS TO KEEP FORGING THE PATH AHEAD.
ANSGAR TOOK HIS OWN LIFE...
WHEN HE LEFT PADANIA, HE HAD ALREADY LOST MOST OF HIS WEALTH.
HE MOVED TO A SMALL VILLAGE IN FRANZE...
...BUT WAS HOUNDED BY REPORTERS AND EVENTUALLY DISAPPEARED INTO A MORE REMOTE PLACE.
AND THERE, HE...
I FIGURED HE WAS PROBABLY LIVING WELL SOMEWHERE.
HAD I KNOWN THIS WOULD HAPPEN, I WOULD'VE REACHED OUT AT LEAST ONCE, AS A FRIEND...
...AND HE LEFT A LETTER FOR ME...
HE ASKED ME TO PASS A MESSAGE TO YOU.
I'LL JUST READ IT AS IS.
TO MY LONGTIME FRIEND, ANNETTE.
I WRITE THIS HOPING THE PERSON DELIVERING THESE WORDS ISN'T YOUR ONLY SALVATION.
I'M SORRY.
BUT WHEN I SAID I WISHED FOR YOUR HAPPINESS, I REALLY MEANT IT.
PERHAPS MY MISTAKE...
...WAS THAT I REMAINED TRAPPED IN THE PAST.
YOU KEPT MOVING FORWARD, ANNETTE.
I HOPE THE WORLD YOU SEE AT THE END OF YOUR PATH IS A BEAUTIFUL ONE. FROM ANSGAR STETTER.
DO YOU THINK I SHOULD VISIT ANSGAR'S GRAVE?
THERE'S NO NEED TO FEED THE PRESS MORE GOSSIP.
RIGHT, OF COURSE.
ANYWAY, WHAT'S JOSEPH DOING RIGHT NOW?
HE'S DOING HIS HOMEWORK.
HOMEWORK? WHAT KIND?
HIS TEACHER APPARENTLY TOLD HIM TO WRITE AN ANALYSIS ON A BOOK HE LIKES.
HMM, THAT'S A BIT MUCH...
I HOPE HE'S NOT GETTING TOO STRESSED OUT. WHY DON'T YOU GO AND HELP HIM OUT?
TELL HIM TO ASK YOU IF HE GETS STUCK.
HOMEWORK IS SOMETHING YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO ON YOUR OWN.
GO ON, HURRY.
WHY AREN'T YOU HANGING UP?
I DON'T WANT TO.
...I MISS YOU.
HEINER, SPRING IS COMING.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?
...MY SCARF MUST BE ALMOST READY. I'LL HAVE TO GO PICK IT UP.
DO YOU HAVE TIME TO COME TO SANTAMOLI?
IF YOU'RE BUSY, DON'T PUSH YOURSELF.
NO, BUT THE SCARF...
I CAN BRING IT TO YOU. IF YOU'RE FORCING YOURSELF TO COME, I'LL KICK YOU OUT.
NOW GO HELP JOSEPH WITH HIS HOMEWORK.
I'LL MISS YOU.
WHY DOES MY FACE SUDDENLY FEEL SO HOT...?
HOW EMBARRASSING.
WH-WHAT IS THIS?
THIS ARTICLE...
IS THIS... TRUE?
HEINER...
Heiner returns to the house in Santamoli and gives Annette a bouquet of hydrangeas and sea lavender. The two talk about fate, coincidence, and the piano melody from the past; Annette shows that she has kept the divorce brooch. Heiner tells her about the lost scarf, and they make a promise for next winter. They learn of the post-war peace petition, the Huntingham sentences, and Ansgar Stetter's suicide. The chapter ends with hope for spring and a new scarf, closing on a surprising article.
