Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 4

[Translation By Divinity]

[Yesterday, I went up to the upper reaches of the valley and saw a waterfall. The weather was warm, perfect for playing in the water. I had a lot of fun for the first time in a while. I’m thinking of going back there when I get bored. I love water. I like swimming, and I also enjoy boating on the lake. But my father was horrified. He nagged me, saying a grown woman shouldn’t be so reckless. He’s so old-fashioned, isn’t he?

Second Lieutenant McCord, are you a good swimmer? Despite loving water, I can barely stay afloat. I enjoy all kinds of water activities, including fishing. It’s not a very ladylike hobby, is it? But last fall, Glenn and I caught a lot of huge trout and ate our fill, which was very rewarding. Oh, Glenn is the village headman’s son I mentioned earlier.

So, have you gotten to know me a little better now? If you have any more questions, I’ll gladly answer them, but I won’t tell you anything else until you answer mine.

August 6th, 1878. Always wishing you the best of luck,

Lintray

P.S. I’m a bit disappointed that the way you address me in your letters is so cliché.]

Reading Lintray’s letter, Damian couldn’t help but frown. She had touched on a somewhat uncomfortable topic for him.

But on second thought, he didn’t need to go into too much detail. She was just a pen pal he’d never meet, and it would be rude to pry into someone’s family and personal life. Lintray probably didn’t want a detailed answer anyway.

[To Lady Lintray, who seems to be quite a tomboy.

I’m not married. Twenty is a bit young for marriage, don’t you think? As for having other family… it’s not a pleasant topic for me, so I’d rather not talk about it. And I’m not a fool who would volunteer for a dangerous war while leaving behind precious family.

You happened to ask about family, so my answer is short. It’s not my fault; it’s yours for choosing this topic out of many other possible questions, so please don’t blame me.

I’ve never thought much about liking water, but now that I think about it, it’s definitely better than fire. The battlefield is full of nothing but fire. Come to think of it, if I were to go on an outing, I’d prefer water to mountains. I don’t think my swimming skills are better than yours. If I were a better swimmer, I might have joined the navy.

Oh, now that I think about it, if I were in the navy, I’d probably hate water more than fire. I’m glad I’m in the army, so I can share this preference with you.

I don’t dislike fishing either. I’m quite confident in my skills. I’ve become adept at catching fish myself when food supplies are scarce.

By the way, how old are you, Lady Lintray?

August 12th, 1878. Second Lieutenant McCord

P.S. Are you satisfied with the way I address you now?]

[To Second Lieutenant McCord, who only seems to be curious about my age.

Oh my! You said you were a Second Lieutenant, so I didn’t expect you to be so young! I naturally assumed you’d be in your mid-twenties, having just graduated from the military academy! You’re twenty years old, a year younger than me… That’s impressive. Yes, I’m twenty-one. Does that satisfy your curiosity? But there are so many other things to talk about; why did you only ask about my age? Oh, I’m not complaining, I’m just curious why you asked so suddenly.]

Receiving Lintray’s letter after two weeks, Damian raised an eyebrow as he read it. He had expected Lady Lintray to be young, but twenty-one was younger than he thought.

Damian was more comfortable interacting with people a few years older than him than those his own age. He couldn’t keep up with the youthful exuberance of people transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.

Even though he was the same age, they were different from him.

‘No wonder she seemed like a tomboy.’

As he continued reading, he encountered a protest in the next sentence.

[And what do you mean by ‘tomboy’? No one has ever said that to me before! Are you joking? I’m a bit shocked by your unexpected assessment of me, considering we’ve only exchanged a few letters. If I can’t sleep tonight, it’s all your fault.]

Damian couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘No one has ever said that to her? She must have been quite pampered.’ But he immediately retracted his thought upon reading the next part of the letter.

[I apologize for asking about your family. I understand you didn’t want to talk about it. I was being careless.

That’s all I needed to know.

Why did you join the war, Second Lieutenant? What is your reason for fighting, even though you call it a dangerous pit?

This war has nothing to do with you; it’s a conflict between other countries. People who jump into a war that has nothing to do with them usually do so for a great cause, for people in the same situation as our country, or for their own beliefs. Of course, some are simply dispatched by orders from above.

So, I became curious about your reason. But as I said before, please forget about it if you don’t want to answer. I’m sure you have your reasons for not wanting to talk about it.

August 18th, 1878. Lintray, who wants you to use a different form of address.]

Damian bit his lower lip. Lintray’s question made him uncomfortable.

‘The reason I joined the war? What does she need to know that for?’

A sense of irritation welled up, but he couldn’t get angry at her. If he were in her shoes, he’d be curious too.

She was merely trying to understand a madman who rushed into the battlefield without any cause or justification.

‘Why do I fight?’

‘Even though I wish for bullets to graze past my head, I pierce the hearts of others, witness their blood, and turn a blind eye to humanity. Do I have a reason to fight, even after doing such things?’

‘No. I fight because I have nothing else to do. Those with a cause and justification need to survive and see it through.’

‘So, someone like me, who has no desires or knows how to live, should fight and bleed in their place. Those who remain can live on because of my sacrifice.’

‘Isn’t that enough? Shouldn’t those who take up arms for their country and future be the ones to survive so that the country and its future can brighten?’

‘If everyone dies in the war, who knows what the remaining people will do.’

Usually, Damian would write a reply on the same day he received a letter and send it the next morning. But this time, he didn’t start writing until three days later.

[To Lady Lintray, who seems particularly inquisitive today.

The reason my rank is high for my age is that my superiors were dying faster than I could get promoted normally. With the higher positions becoming vacant, they had to hastily promote lower-ranking soldiers, and somehow, I ended up with the Second Lieutenant armband.

I also took military-related courses at the Advanced Academy, which allowed me to start as a sergeant. And the two medals I received during my time as a non-commissioned officer probably helped too. I’m not particularly outstanding.

The reason I asked your age is nothing special. Men around the age of 21 aren’t good company, Lady Lintray. Most of the ones who cause the most trouble are in that age group.

Yes, I don’t know Glenn well, so I apologize if it seems like I’m badmouthing your precious friend. But as a man in that age group, trust me. I can confidently say that the most idiotic creatures in the world are men between the ages of 19 and the early 20s who have just become adults.

They can do many things now that they’re adults, but their mental age is still stuck in adolescence. What kind of trouble do you think they cause? Even my cousin calls me an idiot. I’m not saying you shouldn’t interact with Glenn. I’m just advising you to be cautious about being alone with him, so he doesn’t do anything foolish.]

Honestly, he wanted to advise her not to see Glenn at all.

There was no way that guy didn’t have ulterior motives towards Lady Lintray. Men that age wouldn’t spend so much time with a woman they weren’t interested in. He was definitely up to no good.

But he was already being firm; being any stronger might cause Lintray to become defensive.