Chapter 101 - I’m Telling the Truth

Chapter 101 - I'm Telling the Truth

The morning sun rose gently over a narrow bank of clouds, casting soft rays that bathed the small town of Lavaz in a pale, rose-colored light. As Laurent drove steadily into town, Charles looked out at the familiar streets and neighbors waving warmly at him, feeling a wave of nostalgia.

Simple, kind, peaceful, harmonious… Charles had always taken these qualities for granted, like the air he breathed—unnoticed, yet essential. But after returning from Antwerp, he realized that not everyone lived with such simple comforts.

The car came to a halt in front of his house, where Camille was smiling, waving to him. Hearing the car, Deyoka also stepped outside. Normally, Camille would be out shopping and Deyoka would have left for the factory, but today they both waited at home, knowing Charles was due back.

Deyoka looked at Charles as he climbed out of the car, a hint of confusion in his gaze, eyes drawn to the golden braid newly sewn onto Charles's sleeve.

"So!" Deyoka asked as Charles approached. "You leave for two days, and you're promoted from lieutenant to captain?"

"Captain?" Camille, less attuned to military details, only had eyes for her son. "Is that right?"

"Yes, Father," Charles replied, his tone modest.

Neither of them knew yet about Antwerp. In fact, no one outside the military did; Gallieni had ordered a media blackout under the guise of "national security," worried that leaked information would confirm Charles's presence in Antwerp and put him in further danger. Gallieni considered Charles's safety a matter of national security itself, as vital to France as to his own family.

Now that Charles was home, however, Gallieni intended to lift the news embargo. When Charles was leaving headquarters, Gallieni had advised, "They'll hear about this sooner or later, so you may want to tell them yourself. If you need me to explain anything, just call, and I'll be happy to."

"Thank you, General," Charles replied. "But I'll manage—it was nobody's fault. No one could've anticipated how things would go."

Gallieni nodded with relief. If anything had happened to Charles, he would never have forgiven himself. In fact, Gallieni now couldn't help smiling at the "little rascal"—after all, wherever Charles went, it was the enemy who wound up unlucky.

Charles sat down at the breakfast table with Deyoka, who took note of the breakfast Camille had prepared, including the apples that were Charles's favorite.

"Now, tell us, what happened?" Deyoka asked, nodding toward the gold stripes on Charles's sleeve. "Promotions from lieutenant to captain don't usually happen overnight—unless you did something extraordinary. So, what did you do?"

Camille's face tensed, noting the fatigue in Charles's face. "They haven't had you up all night, have they? Or was it training?"

"No," Charles shook his head. "I just… went to Antwerp, helped them beat the Germans. That's all!"

He was telling the truth. Sooner or later, the whole thing would be public, so why not just say it?

For a moment, Deyoka and Camille just stared at him before breaking into laughter.

"Oh, if that were true," Deyoka chuckled, "they wouldn't just make you a captain. They'd probably make you a major, maybe even a colonel!"

Camille played along, smiling. "So where's this medal, then, Captain? Can we see it?"

"Actually," Charles admitted with a bit of embarrassment, "I left it in Antwerp… when I had to escape."

Deyoka laughed, shaking his head. "Didn't you just say you defeated the Germans? And now you're saying you had to run away?"

Camille ran her fingers affectionately through Charles's hair. "Careful saying things like that, Charles. You know how reporters love to twist stories. If you're not careful, they'll turn your words into some wild tale."

Charles exhaled with relief. "If that's what you think, then I won't worry."

"Of course," Deyoka assured him, smiling. "You're here with us now—what's left to worry about?"

Just then, the roar of engines erupted from outside. Within moments, a convoy of cars skidded to a halt in front of the house, and several dozen reporters sprang from the vehicles, their cameras snapping furiously as they pushed their way inside.

"Charles, can you tell us about the Battle of Antwerp?"

"We've heard that you saved Antwerp and destroyed three Big Bertha cannons. Is that true?"

"They say you invented a cannon for planes and used it to bring down a Zeppelin! Could you tell us how that works?"

Deyoka and Camille were dumbstruck.

After a long silence, Camille gasped, "My God, it's true! It's all true!"

She turned toward Charles, eyes wide. "They sent you to the battlefield? To Antwerp?"

"I told you already," Charles replied.

"But Parliament assured us they'd never do such a thing!" Camille's voice grew angry. "You're only seventeen, Charles! They lied to you, got you into the army, and now they've even dragged you into battle!"

"It was an accident…" Charles tried to explain.

But Camille wasn't listening. Before Charles could finish, she'd picked up a broom and was shooing the reporters outside. Seeing his opportunity, Charles darted up the stairs, shutting himself in his room.

From downstairs, Camille's voice floated up, indignant, "Charles, you owe us a full explanation!"

"I'm too tired, Mother!" he replied.

Camille had just started up the stairs when his words stopped her in her tracks. Deyoka placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Charles just spent two days fighting, Camille. He destroyed Big Berthas and took down a Zeppelin, then barely escaped back home… maybe we should let him rest?"

Camille hesitated, ultimately lowering the broom and heading back down, though her face was still set with determination.

"But this isn't over!" she replied sharply. "They've defied Parliament. They can't just lie and get away with it. If we don't fight back, they'll only do it again!"

(Image above: Leica Portable Camera, invented in 1913, weighing approximately 500 grams)

(End of Chapter)

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