This Betrayal Is to Protect You, Episode 19

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Chapter 2: Wandering Heart

8. To Eticaria Once More

Clay acted quickly.
The next morning, Clay arrived with a car, saying he had borrowed it from a friend.
I felt reassured.
I held onto the hope that perhaps I might find something that could help me regain my memories.
But at the same time, my heart ached with the complicated feeling of whether it was right to drag him into this.
We packed our bags and left Clay's apartment at dawn.
Fanrose sat in the passenger seat with a tense expression.
“Let’s go.”
Fanrose nodded at Clay’s words, and the car began to move.
After driving for about an hour, we reached the border between Sveria and Eticaria.
We stopped the car in front of the checkpoint.
Fanrose caught sight of Clay handing over their two certificates as ordered by the two soldiers waiting there.
“Where are you going?”
“To Linsentz. We are heading to her parents' home.”
“And what about the young lady?”
The soldier leaned in to compare the certificate with Fanrose’s face, as if to verify it.
“She is my wife.”
Fanrose’s face turned pale instantly.
What was Clay thinking?
Wouldn't telling a lie that would be discovered immediately only make the situation worse?
As expected, the soldier narrowed his eyes.
“She’s quite young for a wife. And it seems your surnames are different.”
The soldier looked back and forth between Clay’s and Fanrose’s certificates once more.
“Yes, we haven't officially registered our marriage yet, but, well... my wife is pregnant. So, we thought we would stay at her parents' home until the baby is born and things settle down.”
Clay laughed sheepishly and touched his head.
The soldiers followed suit with a wry smile and returned the certificates to Clay without further questioning.
They assumed he was just a fast-moving man who had gotten his girlfriend pregnant before marriage.
If they thought Fanrose was looking down out of embarrassment, they wouldn't be suspicious.
The soldier signaled Clay to go with an arrogant gesture.
Only when the soldiers were out of sight in the rearview mirror did Fanrose finally exhale the breath she had been holding.
They had cleared the first hurdle, the border, without any danger—in fact, they had passed through quite easily—and the car they were in had safely entered the country of Eticaria.
“Are you okay?”
“My heart is still pounding.”
Fanrose placed a hand over her chest.
She had expected them to be questioned more persistently about their reason for entering, so it was anticlimactic how easy it had been.
“I heard from an Eticarian who came to the shop that this border is strict on those leaving, but lenient on those entering. Plus, a bit of money helps.”
Clay winked.
It seemed he had slipped some money to the soldier along with the certificates.
“I never thought we would pass through the border that easily.”
“Really? If you act confident, it’s surprisingly nothing. It’s even less likely to be suspicious if you’re a married couple. Especially when they hear you’re pregnant.”
Is that how it works?
Fanrose stared at Clay in wonder as he spoke so casually.
Was Clay always like this?
Fanrose could not hide her surprise at his unexpectedly bold personality.
“Also, where did you get my certificate?”
Fanrose did not have a certificate.
It had been taken by the soldiers who appeared on the train when she defected.
“Ah...” Clay gave a wry smile.
“Your certificate is a forgery.”
“A forgery?”
“I have an acquaintance who is well-versed in such things, so, you know.”
It was also surprising that Clay had such an acquaintance.

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