[Yesterday I climbed the hill until I reached the source of the valley to see the flowing waterfall.
The heat of the day forced me to play in the water, so I regained my long-lost childhood.
I will come back when I am satisfied with this bliss!
I love water in all its forms: playing in streams and swimming in lakes.
But my father got angry and said: 'A mature girl does not deserve such recklessness!' Isn't it considered fossilized?
Lieutenant, can you swim?
Despite my love for water, I can barely keep myself from drowning!
I don't discriminate between sports, but I also like fishing.
Aren't they simple concerns, far from noble?
Last fall, Green, the mayor's son, and I caught our fill of trout!
Have I revealed anything about myself to you?
If you want more, do not hesitate to ask, and if you do not respond, I will remain silent.
August 6, 1878.
-Lintree, who has given up hope of improving your vulgar nicknames.]
Damian read the letter suspiciously.
Her question was sensitive, but he understood that going into detail was unnecessary.
This is just a passing correspondence, and excessive curiosity about private affairs is inappropriate.
He doesn't want to revive painful memories.
[-Madam Lintree is more childish than I thought!
I am not married, and twenty is an early age for marriage.
As for my family, it is a depressing subject that I do not wish to discuss.
I am not one of the fools who flee from the warmth of their families into the hell of war!
It was not my failure to answer, but rather your choice of the question itself.
Don't blame anyone but yourself.
I never thought about my love for water, but today it is better than the fire of the battlefield.
If I had a trip, I would choose the river over the mountain.
My swimming skill is no better than yours, otherwise I would have enlisted in the Navy!
Speaking of which, if I had been in the Navy, I might have preferred water over fire.
My thanks to the land army, which made our tastes similar.
I don't hate hunting, but I excel at it, especially when supplies are in short supply.
By the way, how old are you?
August 12, 1878.
-Lieutenant McCord.
Note: Are you satisfied with the new call format?]
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[Lieutenant McCord, who only cares about my age!
Oh, my God!
The rank of 'Lieutenant' made me imagine you as an old man, not a young man in his twenties!
I think the academy's graduates are at least in their mid-twenties.
You're only one year younger than me...
Amazing isn't it?!
Yes, I am 21 years old.
Satisfied your curiosity?
But why are you only asking about age?
I do not reject, but I am surprised!]
Damian raised his eyebrows.
He did not expect her to be this young.
While reading, he expected her young age, but he never thought she was this young.
He preferred to keep company with older people, as people his age sometimes confused him, even though he was also young.
However, it cannot keep up with the vitality of those who have transitioned from childhood to youth.
He was young, but he was different from them.
With thoughts like these running through his mind, he continued reading and found a sarcastic objection:
[Childish?!
No one told me that before you!
Tell me you're kidding, you shocked me in just a few messages!
If you sleep anxious tonight, it's your fault!]
Damian laughed lightly.
She must be spoiled because she's never had anything like that said to her.
But as he continued reading, he soon found her apology:
[Sorry for asking about your family, I realized I overstepped my bounds.]
"Good, she understood."
[Another question: Why are you going to war?
You say it's hell, yet you fight in it!
If it were your war, I would understand, but it is a conflict between countries that you have nothing to do with!
Many fighters defend principles, or stand in solidarity with the oppressed, except for those who are forced to do so.
May I know your reason, and if you don't want to, forget the question.
You must have a secret to hide.
August 18, 1878.
-Lintree, who is waiting for a new title from you.]
Damian bit his lower lip, the question stinging like a sword.
'Why do I fight?' What is the benefit of revealing this?'
An inner rage filled him, but he didn't dare blame her.
If it were her, I wouldn't hesitate to ask.
How do you understand a crazy person who fights aimlessly?
“Why do I fight?
While the bullets are almost penetrating my head, and the blood of others is being shed, I am almost forgetting my humanity...
What justifies all of this?”
No reason.
I fight because I have no purpose.
Whoever has a cause must live to achieve it.
As for me, that emptiness belongs to those who want to live.
Let him fight for them and shed his blood so that they may remain alive.
That's enough for him.
“Let the nation live by those who fight for it.
If everyone dies, who will build the future?”
He wrote back three days later:
[Oh, my curious lady!
My high rank is not a distinction for me, but because my superiors die faster than the usual rate of promotion.
The leadership vacancy pushed me to the rank of lieutenant.
I studied military tactics at the academy, and started as a corporal.
I received my medal for bravery as a non-commissioned officer.
Nothing special about me.
I asked you your age for a simple reason: a young man of twenty-one?
Stay away from him!
The most dangerous foolishness comes from people like him.
Yes, I don't know Greene, and I apologize if my words seemed insulting to him.
But believe me, the stupidest creatures are males between 19 and 23 years old!
Physically they are adults, and mentally they are children.
Even my cousin calls me an idiot!
I do not forbid your friendship with him, but beware of meeting him alone.]
Deep down, he wanted to scream: Cut all ties with him!
A young man at this age does not waste his time with a woman without any goals.
But since she is persistent, too much warning might make her stubborn.