CH 152

Chapter 152

Translator: Yonnee

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He sat Radis back down on the sofa, unable to speak further.

Robert’s gray eyes lingered on Radis, who was bowing her head like a sinner.

Letting out another low sigh, he stared at her well-trimmed glossy red hair, and her clean, pale hands clutching her knees.

Suddenly, his gaze stopped on her wrinkled collar.

It was near the shoulder that he had grabbed.

He wanted to straighten the hem that he had crumpled, but this time, he couldn’t touch her easily.

Giving up on the thought, Robert sat down on the sofa again.

“…It already happened, let’s just leave it at that. There’s no turning back the past. No, I don’t even know if we can call it the past anymore.”

“……”

“Wouldn’t it be better to think, now that we’re here, it’s a relief?”

Raising her head a little, Radis looked up at him.

Robert was covering his face with both hands, and when he spoke again, his voice was more calm this time.

“When I opened my eyes once more… I only thought that I must have gone mad. But when I realized that this truly is real, I… I thought this might be an opportunity to make up for the mistakes I had committed in my past life.

Mistakes?

Questions danced behind Radis’s eyes.

Did he have regrets?

Robert took his hands off from his face and looked at her.

“Dee.”

“…Yes, Captain.”

“Let’s fix that first. I’m no longer the captain of the subjugation squad.”

Not knowing what to say to that, Radis’s mouth opened and closed like a carp.

A faint smile came to Robert’s lips when she finally called him by his name.

“…Robert.”

“That’s right.”

“……”

Then, hesitating, he spoke again.

“…Radis.”

Though it was her own name, it sounded so awkward to her ears.

And the awkwardness of it all made Radis shrink a little.

Her defensive attitude erased the smile that was on Robert’s face.

He let out a brief sigh.

For a moment, an uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

After a while, Robert opened his lips again.

“I think there must be a reason why we went back in time like this.”

“……”

Radis neither hastily agreed nor disagreed.

Until she met Robert, Radis actually never thought deeply about what reason there was behind her regression.

She just thought that something mysterious had happened to her, or perhaps it was a trick of a transcendent being.

But she wasn’t the only one who went back in time.

What did this mean?

“It’s not that I don’t have any guesses.”

“…What?”

Radis’s eyes went wide.

“What is it, Cap… I mean, Robert?”

“I’m not quite sure yet, it’s really only a guess.”

“A-A guess…”

Robert glanced at Radis, but he shook his head.

“No. I don’t want to put you in danger anymore.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you once I’ve confirmed it. Until then, it would be better if you forget what I just said.”

Abruptly, Robert stood up from his seat.

Dazed and confused, Radis just watched Robert walking towards the door, but she snapped out of it and quickly ran forward to grab his arm.

“Captain…!”

Robert looked back at her with a cold gaze.

No. It was only cold at first glance. Radis knew what that gaze meant.

It was the same gaze that he’d have whenever he was at the vanguard of the squad, and they were heading into a perilous zone, without the safety net of an advance scouting group.

Every time this happened, this cold gaze was what dissuaded the other members of the squad from stopping him.

Though she was almost discouraged, Radis did not let go of his arm.

“You must be very confused. That I was a woman all this time…”

Her words made Robert freeze.

“But, Captain. Nothing has changed. I’m still alive.”

“…You…!”

Robert wanted to tell her something—anything—to make her let go.

His other hand was free to forcefully take her hand off from his arm, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Rather, he reached up and rubbed his eyes.

Radis continued.

“Do you think I forgot about it? What usually happens when you give that look?”

Still holding his eyes with one hand, Robert was barely able to answer.

“…You’re really clinging hard, aren’t you.”

After hearing him say this, Radis smiled.

Now, it truly felt as if she finally met the Robert who she knew.

“Captain.”

“……”

“If we live, we’ll live together. If we die, we’ll die together.”

Had he gotten tired of her impudence? Robert didn’t turn his head at all.

But after a long time, Robert eventually replied.

“…When the biggest moon rises.”

Radis nodded, then answered back with a firm tone.

“That’s when I’ll see you again.”

“……”

“Captain.”

Robert was still not looking at her.

Still, Radis was pleased.

Much had changed, but Robert was still Robert.

Moved by this fact, she smiled brightly and said,

“I don’t know how you feel, but… Captain, I’m really happy to see you again.”

“……!”