Chapter 20 – Episode 20. A Woman Who Can’t Be Seen as a Man, a Man Who Can’t Be Seen as a Woman
“… Ah, ah.”
In an instant, silence fell.
“… He knocked… But.”
A word like Astain’s excuse.
But that wasn’t really comforting in this situation.
Astrid’s eyes widened violently.
‘No, I didn’t mean to do this. I’m not saying to listen… ‘
I thought that far, but apparently this was gossip.
There is a saying that you shouldn’t say things in front of you that you can’t say in front of you, but now Astrid broke that very nicely.
To the extent that there is not even room for refutation.
Erania watched Astrid, then got up from her seat and lowered her upper body as much as possible, avoiding Astrid and Leopold’s line of sight as much as possible and moved to her door.
Elana went out into the hallway while almost pulling Astain’s wrist, who was at a loss between Astrid and Leopold, and soon Astrid in the room and Leopold outside the door were facing each other.
In a chilly mood, is Astrid right to apologize for this, or… At that time, when I couldn’t even figure out what to do, Leopold sighed and smiled.
“… Let’s go eat, squad leader.”
“Is that so?”
Meanwhile, Leopold didn’t say much.
Leopold didn’t say anything as he walked down the hallway and down the stairs to the dining area.
Rather, it was Astrid who was restless.
*
“I thought it was a week.”
“Yes.”
On the plate was white bread with raisins interspersed, yellow soup mixed with ground turnips and a few grains of corn.
It is said that the war diet is reproduced as a week-limited event, but what are you doing by reproducing something like this?
It immediately occurred to me that throwing soldiers in useless places is the same here and there.
‘No, am I a candidate for executive?’
As soon as I ate a spoonful of the soup, I felt the vague taste of whether it was really corn soup or corn beard tea. Even if Astrid doesn’t complain about food and eats well as she is given, I immediately wondered if this wasn’t the case.
‘But if I only have five more days… ‘
Isn’t it the 6th? I don’t know where the week starts counting, but I said that the beginning is half.
The atmosphere at the table where the meal was in progress could not be described as good even in empty words. Considering what happened right before the dinner gathering, it would be rather strange that the atmosphere was good.
After barely finishing a meal that doesn’t go well and returning the tray, when you come out, the squad members come out first and are waiting for Astrid to join.
Somehow, I ended up eating until the very end. It was a bit embarrassing for Astrid to eat the least amount and eat the slowest. For a while, I rebuked myself for making everyone wait while barely eating it.
After everyone gathered and moved to the dorm, they went back to their rooms and it was free time after that. Whatever you do, don’t interfere. There are no working set bells ringing from time to time, and there are no broadcasts in the barracks, so such a peaceful rest is guaranteed.
“Before Leopold… Pupil.”
Leopold, who was about to enter the entrance of the inn, was stopped by a weak voice.
Looking back, Astrid, the squad leader of the 1st Squad, with a white face and beautiful silver hair, was standing there, slightly averting her gaze.
“What is it, squad leader?”
Leopold was surprisingly calm at this moment.
He had heard it said to his face, but he felt nothing, which was a little strange even to himself.
Is it because the words aren’t particularly shocking, or–
Maybe it was because he didn’t see Astrid as a woman in the first place, but he couldn’t figure it out.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?”
During the moment of silence, Astrid’s words were as much as Leopold could have expected. Obviously, I thought Astrid would be mindful of what she said, but it seemed like that was the case.
“Maybe.”
It wasn’t really something to talk about in front of others, so it would have been better to sit somewhere quiet like a bench rather than at the dorm.
“Huh?”
And there was someone watching the backs of Leopold and Astrid walking towards the back of the inn.
“I was going to call you anyway… “
Akemilla’s eyes narrowed slightly.
At the end of it, the eye smile that hung with Jorangjo seemed pleasant, as if to prove that she had found something very interesting.
“Sit down.”
She was a bit harsh, to be honest.
She was what Astrid thought too.
It was also something she had heard many times before Astrid became like this.
– I’m sorry, but you don’t look like a man.
– Can’t we just be friends?
– Like a comfortable friend…
‘But I never thought the day would come when I said that… !’
Besides, I did it in front of someone other than myself.
She even took it further.
‘Auuuuu!!!!’
Moreover, the target is Leopold, her fiancé.
“Squad leader, didn’t you say you had something to say?”
There were no people around the benches.
It’s time to come back from dinner and rest at the inn most of the time, but it didn’t seem like they were going out and wandering around like Leopold or Astrid.
‘It’s fortunate.’
“That, Leopold Saint… No, Your Highness.”
“Please call me a cadet.”
It felt like a line was drawn.
Words could not draw the line, but Astrid felt it.
“Cadet Leopold. What just happened… “
“I don’t know what you mean if it happened earlier.”
Astrid slightly turned her head to look at Leopold.
As if Leopold hadn’t been looking at Astrid from the start, he was leaning back on the bench and staring straight ahead.
I suddenly thought that the figure of him sitting on the bench with his legs crossed was quite a picture.
‘He looks like a crown prince… ‘
Except for that bandaeng cowgalp.
Astrid let out a sigh inside her. It looked like a pout. It’s not the same thing, it’s obviously pouting.
Oh my gosh, this little guy is real.
“That, the story that you said you couldn’t see without seeing him as a man.”
“Ah… That.”
Leopold uncrossed his legs and sat up straight, this time looking straight at Astrid.
It was a little burdensome and embarrassing for the blue eyes to stare at her, so Astrid avoided her gaze as naturally as possible.
“Why do you feel sorry for me?”
Leopold’s words were quite unexpected.
In fact, he knew he was going to run wild. Being a fiancee, that’s what you’re talking about. Did you dare to say such a thing to me, the crown prince of a country? I thought so, but the current Leopold exceeded Astrid’s expectations and was quite decent.
“Isn’t it inevitable?”
“Yes?”
“Whether you are a fiancé or a fiancée. Leaving that relationship aside, Cadet Astrid.”
“Speak, I am listening.”
Leopold moved his body and sat next to Astrid.
When even that little space remained, Leopold sat closer.
Leopold said as he sat close enough to his hips to touch each other.
“Well, how are you? Can you feel anything?”
“… I’m not sure what you mean.”
‘What are you feeling? What do you want to say?’
Leopold’s fingers lifted Astrid’s chin up.
Those blue eyes peered into Astrid’s face.
Even if you move a little further, your lips are close enough to meet.
Leopold’s face came so close that he could feel his breath.
“How is it.”
“… No.”
“Astrid, my fiancee, my beloved Astrid.”
It was a random word.
‘Why is this child suddenly like this? Are you crazy?’
“Well, how are you? Don’t you feel anything like this?”
“I don’t feel anything, but… “
Leopold was staring at Astrid’s face as he said that.
If you can feel anything, in fact, Leopold wasn’t there either.
When a man and a woman sit close together like this, sitting so close together that their faces touch her, talking about my beloved Astrid or something like that, it’s obvious that there should be emotions like pounding or fluttering, but to my surprise, I didn’t feel anything.
Leopold smiled faintly.
‘Yes, it is. It can’t be.’
Neither Leopold, nor Leopold who was doing this, didn’t feel any particular emotion.
Astrid was like that too.
He just looked at Leopold’s face with an expression asking, “Why is this person like this?”, But there was no particular reaction.
‘Okay… It must be this much.’
“Cadet Astrid, do you understand?”
“What do you mean?”
Leopold let go of Astrid’s chin and sat her apart again.
Leopold, who crossed his legs and leaned back on his bench, looked at Astrid.
“Cadet Astrid didn’t see me as a man, and she said she couldn’t see me that way.”
“Yes… It is. But I also want to apologize for that part… !”
Leopold shook his hand and stopped Astrid from continuing his words.
He didn’t need to hear any more.
I didn’t even need an apology.
Emotions are a problem that can be solved with an apology.
“You don’t have to apologize. Because I am the same.”
Astrid looked a little taken aback.
There was a vaguely confused expression on his face, which had always been expressionless and cold as ice.
“It’s the same.”
“It is literally.”
Leopold took a deep breath.
It was not a childish idea to give back as much as he received.
Just telling the truth
“Do you know the meaning of the phrase that even if you feel the body temperature of your skin when they are so close to each other, even if you move even slightly, even if you come close enough that your lips touch each other, you will not feel any emotion.”
“What, what.”
“Cadet Astrid, literally. Me too, I don’t see Cadet Astrid as a woman. You cannot see it that way.”
To a woman who doesn’t see you as a man and can’t see you as a man.
Leopold also had no reason to regard her as a woman.
