Chapter 123

"What's wrong?"

I asked, puzzled by the sudden shadow over his expression. Friedrich hesitated—then bit down on his lip.

"You brought me all this way."

"Hm?"

"...And still."

The moment he opened his mouth, Friedrich's eyes filled with tears.

"You're going to leave me, aren't you?"

"What—what?"

"...What?"

"That wasn't—no, that wasn't a response. That was just—"

I waved my hand quickly and calmly took him by the shoulders.

In that moment, a single large tear slid down from one of those wide eyes and fell.

I grabbed his face in both hands, pressed my thumb over the path the tear had taken, and asked:

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

"I knew a day like this would come."

Friedrich said it, face on the verge of falling apart again.

"You've always had divorce on your lips."

"That was—well, it was a promise. So I said it."…