Solo For Two

A few days after Karel’s wedding, an unexpected visitor arrived at Sasha’s mansion.“Sasha Sedrin! You need to take responsibility for me!”Sasha, who was stirring a cup of cocoa Julian had given him while wearing a shabby sweater, was startled by the furious outburst of the unexpected visitor and asked in confusion.“Georg…? Weren’t you supposed to follow Karel?”After the ceremony, Karel immediately left for his honeymoon by ship. Sasha knew that Georg had accompanied him as an assistant and bodyguard, so it was baffling why he had shown up at his house. Sasha approached Georg, who had barged into his home in a fluster. Georg even had a not-so-small suitcase with him.“Scar discovered that I let you into the wedding venue.”“Oh…?”“I’ve been fired. Until now, I’ve had my pay cut numerous times, but this is the first time I’ve been dismissed.”“Are you joking?”“Does it sound like I’m joking right now?”Georg’s sharp gaze made Sasha unable to respond.“Since I was fired because of you, you need to take responsibility for my living. If my weekly pay stops immediately, I won’t be able to pay my rent.”“How is that possible? I’m barely making ends meet, too….”However, Georg firmly insisted that Sasha not make excuses about money. Sasha thought that if Julian or Levin had been home, they might have been able to argue against Georg. However, since the two of them were out shopping, Sasha felt swept up in a whirlwind and was persuaded by Georg.The decisive factor was Georg’s claim that he wouldn’t be able to pay rent immediately. In the end, Sasha offered him an unused room in the mansion.“You can live in my house, but don’t bother Levin too much. She’s already having a hard time with the baby and our guests….”Sasha said this as he closed the door and left.“…Thank goodness Sasha Sedrin isn’t as strict as the captain.”Relieved that he could now protect Sasha from close quarters as his superior had intended, Georg let out a sigh that no one could hear. He could finally provide legitimate “protection” rather than “surveillance.”Georg recalled his superior’s final words before leaving him to board the ship.‘Please stay by Sasha’s side until I can arrange things.’‘When do you expect that to be?’Karel didn’t answer that question. Georg realized simultaneously that his superior wouldn’t make empty promises and that this mission could be very lengthy. Until Karel made contact, even guessing his survival would be difficult.Reflecting on the journey disguised as a honeymoon, Georg let out a deep sigh.＊ ＊ ＊Karel was staring at an enormous ship that seemed to be over 200 meters long.Even in the bustling harbor, the ship stood out. This vessel departed from a port in southern France and crossed the Atlantic to America.The time to be spent at sea until reaching the destination port was ten days.During the voyage, more than two thousand passengers and crew members would stay on board. Passengers ranged from first-class nobles enjoying a leisurely cruise to third-class illegal immigrants heading to America. The thousand crew members included navigators, engineers, sailors, and hundreds of firemen.At that moment, Rambouillet approached Karel.She seemed to have finished the last preparations as Karel had hinted earlier.“Shall we board?”Rambouillet took Karel’s outstretched hand. Her hand trembled slightly, a sign she hadn’t managed to hide.“No need to be so nervous.”Karel whispered quietly. But there was no reply from her, who had covered her face with a fan.Whether it was the threat of impending death or the sadness of a marriage that ended before it even began, Karel couldn’t guess. Instead of comforting her, Karel chose to remain silent.The two followed a young sailor through the bustling deck to the uppermost boat deck for first-class passengers. Along the corridor, adorned with beautiful carpets and chandeliers like the lobby of a hotel, were long glass windows overlooking the sea.The corridor had grown quiet, with no signs of people. There were only four of them: a sailor, Karel, Rambouillet, and Rambouillet’s personal maid. After confirming that no one else was around, Karel spoke.“How many people use this corridor?”“There are four first-class cabins here, so the total number of passengers is less than ten.”“Good, I’m not fond of crowds… especially since we’re on our honeymoon.”“Oh! Of course, I understand. Only designated crew members are allowed to enter, and the promenade, smoking room, and private bath that you’ll be using are off-limits to others. It will be comfortable for you.”“I like it.”Karel nodded to the sailor.After a moment, the sailor guided them to their designated cabin and briefly explained the room’s layout before trying to leave. Karel quietly gestured for the sailor to stay.“Wait a moment. I have something I’m curious about….”“Yes, sir?”“I’m involved in shipbuilding in Paris.”The young sailor’s eyes lingered on the gold-embossed business card Karel handed him.“I’d like to tour the ship’s structure if possible…. Could you spare some time?”Then he handed over a significant amount of crisp bills. With the bribe for silence, the sailor eagerly nodded.Even though Rambouillet and her maid seemed a little uneasy, they quietly watched Karel from behind.Ten days before the wedding, Karel had revealed his secret to Rambouillet.Until the very end, Karel didn’t disclose all the information. However, knowing that the lives of innocent people were at stake, he decided he had to explain things so that she could choose her own course of action.‘For the first and last time, I am speaking honestly to someone other than myself….’Rambouillet’s expression had already hardened at Karel’s words, as if fearing that Karel would suddenly turn cold, emphasizing that this was a marriage of convenience.‘I am a spy for Austria.’‘A spy?’At Karel’s quietly spoken words, she first looked as if she didn’t fully understand. However, her expression soon turned into one of mild realization.‘Ah, so that’s why….’

Karel didn’t confess that he was a double agent. However, she seemed to quickly grasp why Karel was living under a different identity and name, and why he had approached her to marry. Until now, she had thought that Karel was merely trying to erase his past as a commoner after accumulating wealth.Listening to his confession explained the discomfort she had felt.‘But that’s not the confession I want to make.’‘Then what do you…?’‘My home country has ordered me to return. They have also instructed me to use your corpse as proof of my complete return. This means severing all ties with France.’At those words, Rambouillet turned pale, as if she had swallowed poison.She realized what Karel’s behavior, which had momentarily excited her, ultimately led to. It was not something to be happy about that Karel had coldly prioritized her over his lover, Sasha Sedrin. It was all because Austria mistakenly believed she was Karel’s weakness.‘I thought you were going to say you don’t love me when you said you’d confess honestly.’Karel only smiled bitterly. In an ordinary life, that would be the greatest tragedy.‘Then are you going to kill me and return?’At Rambouillet’s question, Karel raised his eyes to look at her.He couldn’t say he had never considered it….Karel shook his head.A brief sigh of relief escaped her. She seemed to realize that if Karel had decided to do so, her life would already be over.‘I have to find a way to end this life.’‘So… this was all going to happen eventually?’At her words, hinting at the end, Karel nodded.‘Is there a way for us to survive?’Knowing that she wanted to choose “life,” Karel nodded and quickly explained his plan.‘We have to escape to an entirely different continent by sea.’And the most critical part of this plan was “creating a reason for departure.” Austria would be constantly wary of Karel’s escape and would keep an eye on his whereabouts.If they boarded the ship disguised as a honeymoon, they would at least have a reason for departure. For the ten days confined on the ship, both Austria and France would likely be under the illusion that they knew Karel’s whereabouts. By completely exceeding the deadline set by Austria, Rambouillet would stay in America, and Karel would erase Scar’s traces there.This was why Karel had pushed forward the wedding. To secure an escape route before the return date.‘Once we arrive, you should disembark at the port and head straight to the East. You have relatives from your family there, right? Before going, it’s okay to inform them you’ll be visiting with your husband.’‘Then you….’At that point, Karel clammed up about his subsequent plans. He had shared this much with Rambouillet because it was something she had to execute herself.He had no intention of revealing his whereabouts to anyone.And on the wedding day,The bride in the veil looked back on her past.Her former husband, Grand Duke Nikolai, was torn apart by angry mobs during the Russian peasant revolution. At that time, she had already been separated from him and had been relying on her family away from Russia for a long time. Ironically, it was because she hated him that she could survive. Had she stayed by the Grand Duke’s side, she might have met the same fate as him.‘You might think otherwise, but I’m not Russian. I have no patriotism. And I’ve fulfilled all my duties as Nikolai’s wife. He couldn’t force love and devotion from me.’These were words she had once directly said to Sasha. Rambouillet somehow felt like those words were coming back to her. Even if Karel operated in Paris and married a French person, one shouldn’t expect patriotism from him. Affection and devotion even more so….Feeling the inexplicable cause-and-effect of life, Rambouillet prepared to stay in America for a while. Then, as soon as the wedding was over, she headed to the harbor with only simple luggage and a maid.As she set foot on the stairs leading to the ship and stepped off French soil, Rambouillet thought,‘This is how I survive again.’＊ ＊ ＊After following the sailor, Karel inspected the lower deck, mostly consisting of storage, and the boiler room and engine room below. Hundreds of stokers were sweating profusely in the depths of the ship, where hot fires blazed.“Isn’t it hard because of the heat? You should return after just a look.”The young sailor frowned, sweating heavily. The environment, mixed with rough workers and various languages, seemed intimidating to him.But Karel only left the boiler room after taking a closer look at the interior and the passageways.Blending in as a stoker didn’t seem difficult at all. Managing the workforce of over hundreds of stokers was a mess, and since their work hours didn’t seem systematic, some stokers delayed their work, took naps, or gambled in third-class cabins.He also met the restaurant staff and musicians, but Karel ultimately chose to disguise himself as a stoker who wouldn’t have to interact with passengers.And late at night, Karel finished his preparations and knocked on the first-class cabin door.A maid soon opened the door. Rambouillet was waiting for Karel, looking well-composed and as if she hadn’t been sleeping, as if she had anticipated this to be their final meeting.Instead of offering any greeting, Karel quickly relayed his urgent message.“There might be news that Scar is dead. But don’t believe it and return home immediately. It’s likely a trap by Austria.”“I am aware.”“Madam, this is as much as I can do for you.”“I understand that as well.”Karel then handed his expensive suit jacket and vest to the maid and removed his tie and gloves. Left only in his shirt and suspenders, he tousled his hair until he resembled a third-class passenger.After a slight disguise, Karel lightly bowed to Rambouillet.Behind him, it seemed the waves reflected in the moonlight.“Take care of yourself.”“You too.”The door closed.After that, Rambouillet did not see Karel again on the ship.Among the more than two thousand passengers and crew, it was perhaps natural not to find a single man. This enormous ship had ten floors, and first-class passengers had limited areas they could access for safety.Rambouillet occasionally found herself unconsciously following men dressed similarly to Karel with her eyes.“Madam, you have been looking at me for some time, haven’t you?”Approaching was a tall blonde man, as tall as Karel. Rambouillet almost shook her head but then remembered Karel’s advice.To make another companion of certain status.“Yes. Please call me Madame Rambouillet. Your name is…?”＊ ＊ ＊During the ten-day voyage, only once did an illegal whaling ship approach very close to their ship. The next day, rumors began to circulate that a few illegal immigrants had boarded the ship overnight. It was said that they had lowered a long line from the deck to pick up their comrades, but some had fallen into the sea as the whaling ship couldn’t keep up with the speed of their vessel and they lacked the strength to hold onto the line.At that moment, Rambouillet thought the reverse might also be possible. The method of transferring from this ship to the whaling ship. Perhaps Karel had escaped into the vast sea this way to evade pursuit.One day, looking down from the deck, the sea seemed endlessly vast and suffocatingly wide, with the enormous ship cutting through the dark water at a frightening speed far below.‘If someone missteps here, they might never be found again.’A few days later, the ship safely docked at the Manhattan port. Rain was falling steadily at the harbor.When she first set foot on the harbor, Rambouillet received an impression completely different from France. The harbor was chaotic with mixed races, and even the buildings seemed to rise chaotically at various heights. The weather was gloomy, with occasional showers from the sky.“Let me hold the umbrella for you, Madam.”“Thank you.”Following Karel’s advice, Rambouillet disembarked the ship accompanied by a tall nobleman she had befriended at the first-class lounge.The tall blond gentleman resembled Karel in stature, so the crew seemed to suspect nothing seeing the two together. Even the courteous young crew member who initially guided Karel and Rambouillet wished her a happy honeymoon, waving them off.In front of the giant ship, at the center of the harbor, the gentleman suddenly stopped. He took Rambouillet’s hand and spoke.“Meeting you on this journey has been an exceptional pleasure.”“The pleasure was mine as well.”“I am reluctant to leave you now.”At that moment, Rambouillet saw, behind the gentleman who bowed his head, a fireman with a scar on his hand carrying timber out of the harbor.But she pretended not to notice and simply watched the man kissing the back of her hand.＊ ＊ ＊Disembarking at the harbor, Karel, disguised as a fireman, immediately created another false identity. With the abundance of illegal immigrants in America, it was quite easy for Karel to assume multiple identities.“Why do you need so many identities?”“Hmm… It’s not just for me.”Identities needed to be well-aged to extend their stay. Though he didn’t know when, Karel never gave up hope of meeting Sasha again. Thinking of the future, he had to prepare spare identities to last until then.The next task was to wash at an inn. After being soaked in the heat and coal dust at the lowest level of the ship, Karel groaned out loud for the first time. Having posed as Scar for so long, he found the labor exhausting. His right arm, touched by the hot shovel, ached and bore a small burn mark. Though not large, it wasn’t negligible, so Karel left the inn to treat the wound immediately. Without resting, he then boarded a train heading west.Crossing the seemingly endless desert landscape by train, Karel thought.Finally, he had found freedom.He had evaded his homeland and reached a new land.But having lived so long as a tool of the state, even the sense of liberation didn’t feel his own.He pondered for a while how to spend the remaining spare life until he could meet Sasha again.Karel repeatedly changed trains and carriages, crossing the continent. He discarded and renewed identities, retrieved funds hidden during his espionage activities, converted the money to gold, or purchased large tracts of land as he moved. The period before returning on the ship after the honeymoon was the best time to hide from the eyes of both France and Austria. And during this time, he had to accomplish the most.Ten days after leaving the port, Karel reached the western edge of the continent, San Francisco.Upon arrival, Karel sent a coded telegram to the “Apostles.” This would enable them to resume their espionage activities. For the time being, they would spread false rumors about Scar and Rambouillet’s whereabouts, increasing confusion on the Austrian side and slowing down their pursuit.Before leaving the post office, Karel pondered for a long time whether to send an unscheduled telegram.In the end, he decided not to contact Georg.As long as he was staying by Sasha’s side in his stead, it was better to maintain silence. He did not want to ruin the plan with any lingering regrets at the final moment.Still, Karel thought, it was fortunate that his beloved was a famous person.Occasionally, Karel managed to procure newspapers from Paris and read about Sasha preparing for the new season. Foreign newspapers were expensive and took more than ten days to arrive by ship, but Karel felt grateful even for that.The news of Sasha in the papers brought Karel some relief. The happiest news was that Sasha had significantly recovered from the pain in his left leg and had returned to the stage.At the time, the doctor had said that if the leg was left untreated, it would never recover, and Sasha would end up limping permanently. While Karel was angry that Sasha had neglected his body to that extent, he also felt he could not stop him if he truly wanted to continue dancing.Karel still remembered Sasha’s face when he tearfully said he wanted to delay his retirement.A face that desperately pleaded to be on stage for just two more years.‘…If he’s alive, someday.’Karel kissed Sasha’s face in the newspaper.He genuinely did not want to invade the only realm Sasha had, his life on stage.In the past, when Karel was invisible, Sasha had realized what he truly wanted and carved out his future on his own. This time, too, Sasha would walk in the direction he truly desired. And even if that destination was not himself, Karel didn’t mind.If Sasha came down from the stage and no longer wanted him when they met again, Karel decided to accept that.It was something he had been prepared for from the start.‘Hopefully, someday, we can meet again.’Despite being apart for four of the eight years, his love had not faded. Karel decided to trust his patience until the day they would meet again.＊ ＊ ＊It was the seventh day since Karel arrived in San Francisco. It was also the day he was officially supposed to board a ship from New York to return to southern France.Rambouillet was probably listening for news from home across the Atlantic in the East, and the Apostles of the secret club were busy preparing to spread gossip about Scar and Rambouillet’s honeymoon in the tabloids. Ten days after that ship’s voyage ended, if he didn’t appear at the harbor, the pursuit from both France and Austria would begin immediately.Karel stubbed out his shortened cigarette.The castle and mansion in the suburbs where the Apostles used to gather had been bought under another person’s name from the start and had been sold off before his departure. Georg said his career as a soldier was over, but as an Austrian nobleman and with his father’s influence, he would at least preserve his life.And Sasha…Even if Armand widened the investigation, there was no evidence to arrest Sasha for espionage. He was truly innocent of those charges. Moreover, it was fortunate that their sponsorship relationship was rumored to be initiated by Sasha himself. It was a relationship that could end at any time without surprise.Karel briefly recalled Sasha running toward him at the castle. That unexpected reunion. And he blamed himself for hurting Sasha under the pretense of ensuring his safety. Wanting to meet him again someday was just his selfish desire, and he had no excuse if Sasha hated and blamed him.It was at that moment of self-criticism that Karel heard a voice breaking his reverie.“Mr. Karel! Mr. Karel!”A frivolous voice called out, breaking Karel’s thoughts.Turning his head, he saw Jim, in a loose-fitting suit, panting as he ran up the hill. Recently, Karel had been using Jim as an errand boy, paying him a decent wage.“I thought you were at the hotel, but they said you left early this morning, so I ran here.”Panting, Jim spoke as he reached Karel.“I told you, I have an appointment with the real estate agent today.”“I know that, but…”“You should have taken the tram.”Just then, a red tram passed by them, ringing loudly. Jim, embarrassed, glanced at the two-story house behind Karel. It was a decent house with a fairly large yard inside and a few ornamental apple trees planted in front.“Do you like this house?”“Well, the garden is too small. And there’s no swimming pool… I need to think about it more.”“A swimming pool? It’s too cold to use a swimming pool in fall, winter, and spring, and the maintenance costs would be huge!”“Still, I must have a swimming pool in the new house.”Karel replied, indicating that he was not entirely satisfied with this nice house.Jim looked a bit disheartened. Recently, the city’s property prices had skyrocketed. Even with his ten years’ worth of wages, he might not be able to afford a house like this. And now a swimming pool? If there were land for a swimming pool, it would be better to build more buildings on it.‘European nobles, they don’t understand “practicality.”’Still, Jim felt a pang of envy at Karel’s wealth, comparing several such houses and considering whether to buy them.“By the way, why were you looking for me?”“Oh! I almost forgot. I brought the newspaper. You told me to bring French newspapers without delay.”At Jim’s words, Karel nodded and handed him a few bills. It was a tip worth twenty times the price of a cheap newspaper. This generous tipping was why Jim always hurried to deliver the newspapers as quickly as possible.“A ship from Paris arrived this morning. I got the newspapers from the passengers.”As always, Karel started reading the newspaper from the back. He skimmed past the pages with announcements of noble families’ events and soon reached the cultural section. But there were only trivial articles about crown displays and equestrian competitions.Karel glanced at the date. The newspaper was exactly ten days old. Feeling strangely anxious, Karel quickly skimmed through the paper, turning the pages. It was only after passing through all the pages that he reached the front page with the headlines.And then Karel momentarily forgot to breathe.“Mr. Karel? Mr. Karel… are you okay?”Seeing him quickly flipping through the newspaper and then suddenly freezing, Jim asked in concern.“Give me the other newspapers.”“Excuse me?”“The ones you’re holding.”Karel snatched the newspapers from Jim as soon as he handed them over. But the headlines of the other newspaper, despite their different political slants, contained the same news. And the third newspaper Jim brought also…The headlines of all three French newspapers published on the same day were the same.<Principal Dancer Sasha Sedrin, Announces Sudden Withdrawal from New Season.>＊ ＊ ＊Two weeks earlier.Since his first arrival in Paris, Sasha had been living in an old mansion located in the heart of the city.This mansion, having stood for 80 years, had undergone numerous plumbing replacements, and frequent repairs to the stairs and exterior walls made living there quite inconvenient. However, it was a beautiful building with Romantic-era traditions and an excellent location, making it a place everyone wanted to stay at least once.Of course, the rent was correspondingly high, so for the first year after joining, Sasha had to spend most of his salary on rent. But not knowing the proper balance between living expenses and rent, Sasha paid the money even while starving, and later, when his income increased, he bought a room in this old mansion because he found paying the rent bothersome.In a way, it was the first space in Paris that Sasha recognized as his own.Currently, this house, consisting of two small rooms, a large room, a living room, and a kitchen, was bustling with numerous guests. It was like a fully occupied inn.A male professor and scholar, a former soldier-turned-secretary, a live-in housekeeper, and a newly walking baby…Sasha, who had never lived in such busyness, felt confused. The bathroom was always occupied, and the living room, kitchen, small room, and even his own bedroom were often unexpectedly occupied by someone.“Sorry, Sasha. Sir Julian is writing letters in the living room, and Sir Georg is having a meal in the kitchen, and the small room is full of guests’ luggage. I’ll put Charles here for a while.”Sasha had to sit on the bed waiting until Charles fell asleep when he entered the room, intending to take a nap. By then, his sleepiness would have disappeared.Forced to leave the room, he would find…“Sasha, would you like to try this?”There was always someone.Georg, having shed his neatly combed hair and stiff tailor-made suit, would sit comfortably with disheveled black hair, always eating something.“No, I’ll eat what Levin prepares later.”“That’s a meal, and this is dessert. I bought this because it’s famous downtown. Sit down. When I lived in the suburbs, it was too bothersome to do this, but living here is great.”Georg would lead him to the dining table, forcing a cream-filled crepe into his hand. This reminded Sasha of the ice cream Georg had bought him before. Trusting Georg’s taste, Sasha accepted the crepe. After a cautious bite, Sasha was shocked by its sweetness and softness, quickly finishing the crepe before Levin saw, fearing she would scold him for skipping meals to snack.“Georg, you seem to know good food.”“Really? Though I’m Austrian, when it comes to food… hmm… in terms of food… France is a bit better, I think.”“Austria is heaven compared to London.”It was Julian, grumbling from afar. He claimed he was losing weight because of the infamous island nation’s food.“I wish I could bring Levin to London. Her cooking skills are amazing…”Recently feeling uneasy about Julian’s repeated comments, Sasha contradicted him.“…Levin has many family members, including parents and siblings, so she won’t go to another country.”“Yes, I know. I was just saying.”Georg then asked Julian.“Julian, won’t you have some crepes?”“I’m fine.”“Hmm, then…”Georg tore the remaining crepe and handed half to Sasha. Reluctantly, Sasha’s fingers got smeared with white cream. He had been subconsciously worried about who would eat the last crepe, so receiving it felt like an unexpected gift.Georg and Sasha, both with cream-covered hands, ate the remaining crepe.“Anyway, I guess I became greedy for food after those awful rations on the battlefield.”“I see.”“Canned beans always seemed spoiled from the factory, and the soup had a constant stench of spoiled meat due to improper preservation… Water supply was inconsistent, so we often had to filter muddy water. I couldn’t drink the water because of the dirt smell, so I always made strong coffee or tea.”“……”“Even the officers suffered the same hardships. I adjusted better than others, but the antics of the others were amusing… In noble circles, being a soldier is the most honorable job. Seeing the young noble officers crying for their mothers while starving was quite something.”Georg licked the cream off his hand. Sasha, having felt slightly embarrassed about wanting to lick his own hand, followed suit after seeing Georg do it.“Whenever someone caught a deer or rabbit in the forest, we’d all rush to eat it. Back then, I was grateful Captain was with us.”“……”