Escape - Chapter 4.2
Chapter 4.2
“Ugh. I thought you’d mellow out after getting married, but I guess not.”
“Oh, thanks for the compliment.”
Lilith grumbled for a while longer, emphasizing her supposed losses before finally wrapping the gift. As Adeline turned to leave, Lilith called out, “Oh, Adeline.”
“Yes?”
“You know you can get a refund if you don’t use it, right?” Adeline waved a dismissive hand without turning around. She always said such pointless things. She’d never once asked for a refund.
Finishing her shopping spree, Adeline felt a surge of happiness. It wasn’t the bargains she’d snagged, but the image of Damian’s delighted face that brought her such joy. Giving love, she mused, was far more rewarding than receiving it. Anyone who thought otherwise simply didn’t understand what true love was. Love wasn’t about expecting something in return.
Damian must have felt the same way when he bought her those clothes. He simply wanted to see her happy; that was his only desire. This simple realization sent a warm, tingling sensation through her chest. She was happy, unbelievably happy. She couldn’t ask for anything more.
Come to think of it, what happened to the couple in that book Lilith had mentioned? She vaguely remembered reading it as a child, but the ending was a blur. Had the man been happy, knowing the depth of the woman’s love? Or had he been saddened by the sacrifice she’d made, giving up her beautiful long hair for him?
Lost in thought, Adeline paused, her contemplation broken by a newsboy, his face flushed with excitement. “Extra! Extra!” he shouted.
Adeline had been in remarkably high spirits since morning. Perhaps that was why she felt a flicker of curiosity about the city’s happenings. Stopping, she picked up a discarded newspaper and began to read. ‘Outside’ patrol unit: 47 of 52 members dead, 5 injured. She read the headline again, and then once more.
***
Her husband was dead. They’d come and explained everything, but it all boiled down to that single, devastating fact. Her husband was dead.
Damian had been devoured by ‘those things.’ The specialized unit sent to recover the remains had found only his severed left arm. They identified it as Damian’s by the wedding ring on his finger. They’d handed her the ring, explaining that the body wouldn’t be released until after the joint funeral service.
But it couldn’t be true. Damian, a survivor of the massacre, couldn’t have been taken down by Serpientes. He had more experience ‘outside’ than anyone in the patrol unit, more than those incompetent fools who’d been sent to clean up the mess.
He would walk through that door any minute now, his face etched with its usual weariness, unbuttoning his gold-epauletted uniform in that way he had when he felt constricted. And she would run to him, recounting this absurd episode, explaining the ridiculous mistake those inept idiots had made, detailing the on-site blunder.
A piercing headache gripped Adeline, and she buried her head in her lap. Then, a knock echoed from the front door. Adeline flinched, slowly lifting her head. ‘Damian?’
Another knock.
‘It’s Damian.’
At the sound of his voice, Adeline shot to her feet. Without even asking who it was, she rushed to the door and flung it open. “…Oh.” Disappointment washed over her.
Instead of Damian, a small woman in uniform stood there, looking apprehensive. She wore the patrol unit uniform, but her face was unfamiliar. Adeline didn’t recognize her.
Suffocating disappointment flooded her lungs, constricting her chest. Her voice cracked as she spoke. “Who are you?”
“Good morning, ma’am. I’m Sergeant Catherine from the General Administration Department. I… I have something to deliver.”
Adeline’s shoulders slumped. She’d thought it was Damian. Of course, he never knocked, but still, she’d been so sure. No, she’d needed it to be Damian.
“…What is it? Just leave it.”
“Well… these belong to Lieutenant Damian Reynardor…”
Adeline’s face hardened. Even if they believed Damian was dead, sending his personal belongings on the very same day was incredibly insensitive. Her displeasure was evident.
Averting her gaze, the woman hesitated, then offered a nervous explanation. “His other belongings will be delivered after the joint funeral, but… this was found later at the scene… and it’s a valuable item…”
“A valuable item?”
“Other unit members confirmed it belonged to the Lieutenant. If it’s not his, we can retrieve it.” The woman’s voice trailed off. Adeline’s eyes fell to the small, palm-sized box the woman held.
‘Don’t tell me…’
Adeline clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She pressed harder.
“…What’s in the box?” she asked, forcing her voice to remain calm, trying not to anticipate the answer. The woman offered a strained smile.
“A gold pocket watch. It has an eagle engraved in the center.”
“A gold pocket watch.”
A long silence hung in the air. Neither woman spoke. Or rather, Adeline didn’t.
‘A gold pocket watch.’
She took her time processing the words, blinking several times. Ah, yes, the watch with the eagle. The one with the elegantly decorated rim, the one Damian carried without a chain.
A laugh finally erupted from her. “Ha… ahaha, haha, ahahahaha…”
