Please Forget Me - Chapter 123
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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‘…Could that really be the reason I was interrogated by the military officer?’
While I’m curious about that, it’s not particularly important now that we’re all safe. What I truly want to know is something else: the very first words Johann said to me.
‘What did he say?’
I’ve tried all day to recall it, but my memory cuts off at that moment and doesn’t continue.
‘If that filthy demon hadn’t interfered…’
It’s utterly absurd that he pretends to be a savior while providing no real help.
“Ask the one who claims to have given you that ring what the engraving inside means.”
Despite the numerous ridiculous things he said today, this particular line suddenly came to mind because Johann was holding my left ring finger.
“He probably can’t answer, can he? There’s no way it would be a secret from his wife, so he shouldn’t have anything to hide. But why isn’t he answering?”
What if Johann did answer? Should I have made a bet on it?
I became curious about how the Major would react if we met next time and I revealed the meaning of the engraving. To be honest, I was also genuinely curious about the engraving on the wedding ring.
“Johann.”
I asked him while he was trimming the edge of my nail.
“What’s engraved inside our wedding ring?”
At that moment, the scissors paused mid-snip against my nail. I thought he stopped to answer, but he didn’t.
Johann resumed trimming. I expected he would tell me once he was finished, but after shaping the last corner, he moved on to my pinky nail. He couldn’t have not heard me.
“But why isn’t he answering…? Because he doesn’t know.”
Ah, no. The Major can’t be right. I wanted to pull my hand away from Johann’s grip and chew on my remaining long fingernail.
“Why won’t you answer? Do you not know what it is?”
“I do.”
See? He knows. I shot a glare at the Major in my mind before asking Johann again.
“What is it?”
Johann stared at me intently for a long moment before finally speaking.
“Don’t you remember?”
“…Are you teasing me?”
To calm me down, Johann showered my face with kisses, but it didn’t improve my mood at all. I felt even more upset, as if he viewed my shortcomings as mere fodder for lighthearted jokes.
“How could you say something like that?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Do you think saying sorry means I’ll automatically forgive you? Have you changed? Or were you always this kind of man? How can you mock me for losing my memory…”
“I’m not mocking you.”
“Then what are you doing?”
Johann didn’t answer my question but instead asked me.
“Rize, do you want to live happily with me?”
His eyes conveyed an apology, but his voice and question felt like a push against me, making the contrast quite bewildering.
“Of course! That’s a given.”
“Then I hope you won’t ask me again if I don’t answer.”
Could this also be a trick? It’s absurd.
This is our wedding ring, after all. I must have known what was engraved here before I lost my memory, so how could it make sense that I shouldn’t know it now?
“Why not? It’s engraved on our wedding ring, so I shouldn’t be unaware of it.”
“Rize, how do you feel knowing I’m a deserter?”
I blinked, struggling to understand the intent behind such a sudden question.
“Don’t you want to go back to the time when you didn’t know?”
“Ah…”
“Now every time you see the Major—or anyone in military uniform—you’ll feel tense and worried.”
I couldn’t deny it.
“For you, knowing is poison, and ignorance is a remedy.”
As Johann held onto my hand, his fingers lightly tapped the ring on my ring finger.
“If you find out what’s engraved inside, you won’t be able to handle it. And if you find out, I won’t be able to handle it either.”
What on earth could be engraved there? A wave of ominous thoughts began to flood my mind, already heavy with the burdens I was carrying.
I couldn’t completely ignore the absurdity of my incomplete love; it felt like a precarious tightrope walk.
While I hadn’t fallen into the abyss so far, every step I took on that rope required immense effort to avoid slipping. What if I had to carry even more burdens? I didn’t think I could withstand it.
“So please, don’t ask.”
So, I could only nod in agreement with Johann’s request. Ignorance is bliss. As I repeated his words in my mind like a scripture, his hands cradled my cheeks.
When I looked up, I found a pair of dark green eyes, heavy with concern, staring at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that those eyes were penetrating deep into my soul.
“Do you still love me?”
“Of course! How could you even doubt that?”
“You’ve changed, after all. Is it because of the Major?”
“No…”
I reflexively tried to deny it, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Perhaps I had been foolishly swayed by the Major’s conspiracy and had become obsessed with questioning Johann about the ring.
“You promised you wouldn’t doubt me because of the Major’s words.”
“Ah…”
