10 - 10
Your Ryan
<Episode 10>
“Eloise!”
Mrs. Serverton hurriedly went to her daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder.
The wife knew her daughter's temperament better than anyone.
She had been raised indulgently due to her childhood illness, and grew up fearless.
Belatedly realizing the seriousness of the situation, she tirelessly taught her about the manners of a lady, but it was impossible to soften her already established strong personality.
Still, as she got older, she seemed to understand her mother's heart, and at least took enough care to avoid being pointed at in front of others.
But now, if someone had a different opinion on something she thought was right, she would jump into the conversation and have a debate.
She had told her so many times to leave that to the gentlemen.
“This is a conversation for gentlemen. What do you know about war that you can speak so carelessly?”
With that, Mrs. Serverton turned her back to the guests and glared at Eloise.
Eloise, can't you just let it go?
It was a look that conveyed a clear meaning, as if her voice was ringing in her ears without her even speaking.
Still, out of respect for her mother, Eloise would pout her lips but keep her mouth shut when she was glared at like that.
But Mrs. Serverton was overlooking one important fact.
The fact that her daughter admired Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave so much that she had a portrait of him commissioned and hung up separately.
“Why can't I talk? My father and Pastor Harrison read about the battlefield in the newspaper in Feltham, just like me, didn't they?”
Sir Burton rubbed his forehead at Eloise's sudden sharpness and participation after remaining silent.
He wondered why she was so quiet even when Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave's name came up, but she jumped in so quickly when she heard something she didn't like.
Mrs. Harrison, even though she had been the first to disapprove of Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave, closed her mouth when Eloise came on strong and turned her head as if to say she would not participate in this conversation any further.
An awkward silence flowed. The first person to break the silence was Thornton.
“I have seen Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave much closer than Miss Serverton thinks. So, wouldn't I be more qualified to evaluate him than Miss Serverton, who has only encountered him in print from this distant place, as you said?”
In other words, it was a polite scolding, asking what she knew compared to him, who had seen him directly.
But Eloise did not back down.
“If the distance between people was a measure of judging them, strategy would not exist in the world, Sergeant.”
“……”
Ryan was speechless for a moment at Eloise's answer. She was right.
“However, that is not a reason to ignore the information that can be obtained up close. I'm not trying to deny that the first thing you need to do to understand your opponent is to approach them.”
“Of course not. But!”
Eloise took a step forward, stood in front of him, and met his gaze directly.
“At least when it comes to the Ingon Battle, I can confidently say that I understand Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave's thoughts better than you, Sergeant.”
Ryan sighed as he looked at Miss Serverton, who did not back down and faced him.
What does this woman know?
The Ingon Battle was a battle that the Disciplinary Committee was still holding him accountable for.
A battle in which four infantry battalions were on the verge of annihilation due to a dull commander. Seeing the approaching enemy, he had to choose.
To fight the enemy as a glorious Albion soldier and die, or to recognize the deep defeat and quickly retreat to save his life.
A soldier should choose the former. But he chose the latter.
It was a completely flawed tactic from the start. No matter how many times he thought about it, if they charged in like that, all that would be left was a dog's death.
If he were alone, he might have chosen the former. He hadn't felt particularly attached to his life at the age of twenty-nine. In that case, dying honorably wouldn't be so bad.
But he wasn't alone.
Charles, who said he would definitely go back home and have a wedding this year, Henry, the adjutant who said he could see his daughter alive if he just followed the lieutenant colonel, Rob, who had already lost two fingers but still had to stay in the army to earn money for his family to live on, and so on.
Unlike his desolate life, all the comrades who made him feel alive belonged to the 57th Infantry Battalion.
So, in the end, he disobeyed the orders of the higher-ups. He quickly retreated the battalion, replacing the former commander who had stepped forward to show his courage and died.
Of course, the battle was lost. A complete annihilation, with only the battalion he led remaining properly.
Many people pointed fingers at him for that. Even the people in the same battalion reproached him for making them dishonorable.
In the meantime, he caught a spy and saved the prince's life, and the queen ordered him to be decorated. She even recognized the battalion's independence.
As a result, he became more active and was soon called a war hero by the people.
Naturally, the Ingon Battle was rarely mentioned. It was only natural to welcome news of victory rather than news of defeat.
But those who were not happy with him continued to harp on the Ingon Battle.
At first, he tried to explain. That the best choice he could make was to retreat, given the tactics and the state of the unit, which were already doomed to fail.
But those with malice did not listen to him.
No matter what he explained, they would find fault and insist that their opinion was right.
Talking to such people would exhaust him.
Having to prove his innocence to everyone he met, that his actions were right, was a terribly tiring thing to do.
So, Ryan had developed a habit. Whenever someone talked about the Ingon Battle, he would say that they were right, that he was cowardly to retreat, and that he hoped there would be a punishment for it.
When he said that, the other person would shut up.
For months, the Ingon Battle had become his biggest sin.
So much so that others thought so, and Ryan himself unconsciously thought of himself as a coward.
But now, a woman who didn't even know who he was was defending him in a place where no one knew.
Even with a truly upset and agitated look, as if it were her own business.
“Eloise, I know how you feel about Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave, but……”
Mrs. Serverton, who knew her daughter's affection, hurriedly intervened.
The dinner had just ended on a pleasant note.
Besides, Thornton was a more learned and cultured man than she had expected, so she wanted to maintain a good relationship with him if possible.
“Do you think I'm just blindly praising the lieutenant colonel and making these claims?”
Then Eloise went to the bookshelf in the living room and took out a pile of papers.
They were folded maps and newspaper clippings. Of course, they were all related to Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave.
Eloise placed the troop deployment map that had been marked in the newspaper on the map and explained.
How messed up the Ingon Battle operation was from the beginning, what the terrain of the battlefield was like at the time, and what the state of the battalion's advance was.
Eloise's explanation was so kind that even Mrs. Harrison, who was ignorant of this field, could understand it.
At the same time, it was so detailed that everyone could understand why he had to make such a choice and what the consequences would have been if he hadn't.
After finishing her explanation, Eloise, unable to hide her excitement, said to Thornton.
“Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave saved the soldiers who were destined to be sacrificed by the wrong orders. He walked the path of a coward himself to save others, even if it meant he would be brought to trial. So!”
Eloise slammed the map shut and walked up to Thornton, looking him straight in the eye.
“I hope you, as well as the soldiers of the battalion and their families, will be more grateful to the lieutenant colonel, who protected their peace!”
The moment Eloise finished speaking, Pastor Harrison, who had been listening blankly, almost applauded before finally coming to his senses.
“……”
Ryan, at Eloise's words, only touched his chin, which had been cleanly shaved before coming here, and said nothing.
“Then I'll go up now. I hope you all have a pleasant conversation.”
Eloise bent her knees slightly, gave a more polite and perfect greeting than ever before, and turned around and went to the second floor.
While the remaining people exchanged awkward glances, he looked at the stairs Eloise had gone up for a moment and then turned his head.
The conversation ended shortly after.
It was because Mrs. Harrison, who was old, could not resist her sleepiness as the night deepened and kept nodding her head.
Knowing that it was time to leave someone else's house, the guests got up and left Sir Burton's house.
“How are you going back?”
“I left the horse I rode at the inn. It's a night road, but the moon is bright, so I should be able to return safely.”
Sir Burton, hearing Thornton's answer, hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“I'm sorry about today. Our daughter is very sensitive when it comes to Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave. She even has a portrait of the lieutenant colonel on the wall!”
“Ah…… so you knew his face.”
“His face?”
“No, it's nothing. Rather, please tell Miss Eloise.”
He said, looking at the second floor where the lights were on.
“Thank you for understanding Lieutenant Colonel Wilgrave.”
