Solo For Two

“He butchered so cleanly without any waste that I thought he was the only real soldier on the battlefield. Well, not just because of the hunting, but for many other reasons….”Georg suddenly stopped speaking. Sasha’s expression, which had softened from eating something sweet, had quickly turned melancholy.With Georg’s abrupt silence, an uneasy stillness fell. Julian’s pen, which had been scratching on paper, paused, and the lullaby Levin had been singing to Charles in the room also stopped.Realizing he had uttered a “forbidden word,” Georg felt a cold sweat trickle down his spine.‘What a fool…’Today marked two weeks since Karel’s wedding, and contrary to expectations, Sasha hadn’t behaved as if the world had ended.He occasionally seemed to not hear people speaking or to be unable to see in front of him. Everyone in the house quickly realized he was experiencing hallucinations and hearing things that weren’t there.Julian, despite claiming daily that he would leave this crowded house for a luxurious hotel in Paris, rarely left Sasha’s side. Georg, when Sasha acted as if they had discussed a topic he had never brought up, would respond as if he knew what Sasha was talking about. Levin, worried that Sasha was hallucinating despite not taking any drugs, would hand Charles to him whenever he seemed dazed.In this strange coexistence, the only person not worried about Sasha was Sasha himself.‘How do I handle this?’Georg wiped his hands and mouth with a tissue, feigning a calm demeanor.He didn’t know the exact whereabouts or movements of his superior. He had kept his plans secret, fearing leaks, even from Georg and the other apostles. It was uncertain if he had even boarded a ship to America.But the one truth Georg knew was that Karel would never give up on Sasha.However, the anxious man in front of him couldn’t know this…. Georg clicked his tongue.“Georg, I’m going out for a bit.”“What? Where are you suddenly going?”“The crepes were delicious, so I’m going to buy some more.”“Then I’ll come with you.”Sasha shook his head. But Georg couldn’t let him go alone.As Sasha grabbed his wallet, closed the door, and went outside, Georg informed the others in the house that he was following Sasha and then went after him.Outside the mansion, Sasha was walking slowly about ten steps ahead. Georg didn’t call out to him but followed at a natural distance.Saying he was going to buy crepes.Without asking where they were sold, just walking aimlessly, claiming to buy crepes.Sasha just wanted to escape somewhere. Feeling a tinge of guilt, Georg followed Sasha.Sasha paused in front of a bakery, looking at freshly baked bread and croissants, and sniffed the air when he caught the scent of coffee. Just a few dozen meters ahead was the bakery where Georg had bought the crepes. Hoping Sasha would spot the shop, Georg hooked his thumbs in his trouser pockets.Sure enough, Sasha soon stopped in front of the bakery selling crepes. He went inside.Georg stood at a corner a little distance from the bakery and smoked a cigarette while waiting for Sasha to come out. He glanced at the shop now and then, but with the shadows and the number of people inside, he couldn’t clearly see who was who or what they were doing.Lighting another cigarette, Georg thought it was taking a bit long just to buy crepes. He also considered that Sasha might have ordered a hot coffee and was sitting by the window.‘Yes, maybe that’s it. It’s a good shop, after all.’Finally, giving up on hiding his surveillance, Georg stepped into the shop, planning to say he came to find Sasha because he hadn’t returned.But inside the small shop, Sasha was nowhere to be seen.‘I definitely saw him enter here…’Georg, uncharacteristically flustered, stood at the door, looking around. A clerk soon approached him.“Sir, are you looking for someone?”“A man with black hair… Did Sasha Sedrin come into this shop?”Georg asked, relieved that Sasha was a well-known figure. The clerk, looking slightly tense, replied.“Oh, I’m not sure. I think someone like that did come in.”“Damn it! I saw him enter here!”“……”The clerk nervously fell silent. Reading a sense of unease in the silence, Georg quickly walked toward the back of the shop and opened the door leading to the kitchen. The startled bakers screamed at his sudden intrusion. Georg hurriedly circled the narrow kitchen and opened the door leading to the back alley.“Sasha!”But among the people passing by, there was no one who looked like Sasha.When had he lost sight of him? Where had he gone?Feeling his chest tighten with anxiety, Georg wandered the street for a while, searching for Sasha.＊ ＊ ＊Sasha didn’t come home that night.On the third day of Sasha’s absence, Levin spoke resolutely.“We need to report this to the police.”“Levin…”“I know we can’t expect much from the Paris police, but we can’t just sit here and do nothing.”Levin finally broke down in tears, and Georg let out a deep sigh beside her.“But if we file a missing person report, it’ll make the news first. Stirring things up might lead to worse outcomes.”Since his words made sense, Levin weakly sank onto the sofa. Even Charles, sensing the tension, began to whimper.At the theater, they said Sasha hadn’t shown up for work since the day after he disappeared. Sasha, who hadn’t even missed his morning class on the day of Karel’s wedding, made the three of them feel an indescribable anxiety. Sasha was a well-known figure, someone who stood out wherever he went. The fact that he hadn’t appeared until now might be due to his own will. If that were the case…Hoping that Sasha hadn’t taken any extreme measures, they set out on another search, feeling like they were looking for a ticking time bomb with an unknown deadline.While Levin held Charles and searched for traces of Sasha in the familiar slums, the remaining two adult men roamed the dangerous back alleys of Paris, visiting opium dens, clubs where drugs might be sold, and bars.But that day’s search ended fruitlessly. Julian and Georg, especially, were immersed in gloom after encountering countless people who had reached the end of their lives in the opium dens.“I remember when I first met him.”“When was that?”Georg asked, frowning at Julian’s words.“Oh, it was actually the second time…. I mean Sasha. We spent a lot of money in Paris trying to find a homeless man we passed by on our travels.”“By ‘we,’ you mean…”“Yes. Karel and I, my sworn brother.”Julian tilted his head slightly, lost in thought. Georg looked at the scholar’s delicate face behind his glasses. The once arrogant elite young man had been somewhat softened by time. Seeing the regret of past years on his face, Georg realized that if they didn’t find Sasha, everyone would suffer greatly.“Our connection with Sasha is older than we thought, isn’t it?”Both Julian explaining and Georg listening were filled with indescribable emotions.“We planted errand boys, newspaper sellers, hotel boys, and even pub owners in the back alleys, asking them to let us know if they saw anyone who looked like Sasha. Eventually, we even hired private detectives. Despite thinking we had done enough, we found no trace for two weeks.”“If you compare it to now, it’s better. Everyone knows Sasha Sedrin’s face. Lucky, I suppose.”“You could say that.”They walked a little further down the deserted night streets.As they returned empty-handed, Georg suddenly asked, as if remembering something.“How did you find him back then?”“Who? Ah….”“I mean Sasha Sedrin.”“Hmm… I’m not sure.”Julian frowned and retrieved his faint memories of that time.“I don’t know because Karel found him.”“……”“Come to think of it, it’s strange. It wasn’t the errand boys we paid or me who scattered the money but Karel, who ran around himself, who found Sasha.”There was a faint affection for the past in Julian’s recollection. The days when his father was alive, Karel had not committed any crimes, and they traveled freely around Europe were long gone, never to return.‘Karel found him back then, huh….’Georg then thought of his superior, whose whereabouts were currently unknown.So, who would find Sasha, who hadn’t returned now?The two walked on, feeling overwhelmed.＊ ＊ ＊Sasha was staring at a dark gray wall.His legs hurt from crouching for so long, so he stretched them out and sat, facing the wall.An orange light bulb hung in the middle of the room. A tiny bug buzzed around it frantically. Sasha watched it until he was tired of it. Even though it was a very small bug, staring at it intently made it seem to grow larger. He could see its rapid wing movements clearly against the bright orange light, even the spherical body made up of dozens of eyes and its constantly rubbing legs.When he came back to his senses, the light bulb was the size of a fist, and the bug was so small it was barely visible. Then Sasha realized that he had created a fantasy based on a tiny bit of reality.No sounds could be heard from inside the room.In the sealed room, Sasha felt strangely at ease. He even lay down and dozed off for a while.But the next time he opened his eyes, the peace didn’t last. As his mind gradually cleared, he became aware of reality.Only after several hours did Sasha finally think of the question that any normal person would have had right away.‘Where is this place?’Sasha walked around the room, following the wall. He tried turning the handle of what seemed to be the door several times. Click, click. The latch, which didn’t turn all the way, indicated the door was firmly shut.It was when his hunger became severe. He heard the sound of footsteps outside. Sasha, too hungry, hoped it wasn’t his imagination.“Sasha Sedrin?”The person who opened the door and came in asked. It was someone he had never seen before.Sasha stared at the stranger’s face intensely, almost making the newcomer uncomfortable. The person, who brought in a makeshift chair and sat under the light bulb, was wearing a French military uniform. Sasha tried to determine if he was hallucinating or not.“Sasha Sedrin?”When the person asked for the second time, Sasha tried to answer. But his voice was hoarse, and he couldn’t speak properly.“Yes…. I’m Sasha Sedrin.”“I see. I hope you haven’t been too uncomfortable here.”Sasha quickly glanced around the room. The man’s words were so calm that for a moment, Sasha thought he might be hallucinating, imagining the room as a prison. Fearful that he was mistaking a luxurious hotel room for a cell and that he was sitting on the floor instead of a plush couch, Sasha touched the wall with his hand. Thankfully, small gray particles clung to his fingertips. It was a rough indication of a poorly finished wall.“I’m fine. But, uh….”The man in the uniform tilted his head, one leg resting on his knee.“Is this a prison?”The man made a slightly puzzled face.“It’s not exactly a prison.”“Then…?”“But you are being detained.”Sasha stood up. Though he was confused, sitting on the floor and talking to this man felt somewhat humiliating.However, even as Sasha stood up and looked around for a chair, the man in the uniform showed no kindness. He even tapped Sasha’s forearm with a stick-like object he was holding.Startled by the sudden action, Sasha flinched, and the man asked, “What are you looking for?”“My legs hurt. A chair….”The man fell silent for a while before opening the door and shouting to another soldier outside to bring in another chair.“Thank you.”Now seated opposite the soldier, Sasha began to think about something else.“How did I end up here?”In Sasha’s last memory, he was walking down the street to buy something. What was he going to buy again?‘Ah, crepes….’Thinking of food made his hunger even more intense. Sasha had been asleep for almost a whole day since being detained and had eaten nothing. Not knowing how much time had passed, Sasha couldn’t understand why he was so hungry.“Sasha Sedrin, you will be investigated for the next few days.”“Investigated?”“Yes. On suspicion of espionage.”Espionage?The soldier, perhaps interpreting Sasha’s widened eyes, continued.“Specifically, espionage targeting Parisian military officers and high society figures. If you cooperate with the investigation, it will be taken into account. If no evidence is found, you will be released.”“Really? Then, can I have visitors?”Sasha thought of Levin and Charles, who would be guarding the house, and Julian and Georg. He had left without a word, so they must be worried by now. Another face came to his mind, one who was likely on his honeymoon, but Sasha couldn’t be sure if he would be concerned about his situation, so he tried to forget that name.“Normally, yes, but during an espionage investigation, contact with the outside is not allowed. Unfortunately, you will have to wait until the investigation is over.”Sasha was greatly shocked by the soldier’s words.“Moreover, since you are a well-known figure, we cannot let it be known that you are under investigation. As you are an expatriate, this could cause international friction, and your home country might take action….”Sasha quickly interrupted the soldier.“Oh, no. I’m not a spy…. Please, just conduct the investigation quickly. I’ll tell you everything I know.”“Hmm….”The soldier merely raised an eyebrow.“What is your home country?”Sasha couldn’t immediately answer the soldier’s question. He didn’t know what he meant by ‘home country.’“My homeland is Russia, but I currently hold French citizenship.”“Not that, the country that instructed you to spy. In Russia, they call it the NKVD, right?”“I’ve never heard of it.”By this point, Sasha had to work hard to steady his trembling voice.They had severely misunderstood something. Sasha wanted to cooperate fully with the investigation to escape detention quickly, but it seemed they had already assumed he was a spy.“Before coming to Paris, you lived in Austria, correct? In Austria, it’s called the State Security Directorate, as far as I know.”“…….”“Additionally, here in France, it’s known as the Secret Intelligence Service.”Sasha shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.The soldier took out a cigarette and lit it. For a moment, Sasha longed for a cigarette too.“Me too….”The soldier raised an eyebrow but handed Sasha a cigarette without a word. Sasha lit it with trembling hands.However, his thoughts remained unsettled. Most of the cigarette turned to ash, and Sasha had only taken a few puffs. When he finally crushed the cigarette on the floor with his trembling hand, the soldier spoke.“We won’t treat you harshly. We treat spies or prisoners very humanely. However, we expect your full cooperation in the investigation.”With that, the soldier roughly tapped Sasha’s pale cheek with his fingers and left the room, closing the door behind him. It was a trivial action, but it made Sasha’s heart race with a sudden feeling of humiliation.＊ ＊ ＊When Sasha opened his eyes again, his wrists were bound.“That pretty skin with a knife mark. I didn’t know our proud principal dancer had a hobby of self-harm.”“Or did a nobleman give you that scar?”Ignoring the sneering guards, Sasha looked around at the changed surroundings. It wasn’t the previous space surrounded by blank plaster walls but a place with bars in the front, allowing a view of the guards passing by in the corridor.And Sasha realized this was a real prison.“Hey, when will the investigation begin?”Sasha wanted to finish this “investigation” quickly and get out of prison. Judging by the daylight outside, at least a day had passed. There were issues with the ballet company, and Sasha couldn’t afford to be absent for long. It was frustrating that only those who had detained him seemed to have all the time in the world.“Hey.”When Sasha called again, the guards stopped chatting and turned around.“When will the investigation start?”“Hm, not sure.”“Even if you answer in your right mind, it’s a long shot…. Are you all there?”One guard twirled his finger around his temple. Feeling insulted, Sasha turned his head.“Then at least untie this.”This time, no one answered. Their glossy eyes just scanned Sasha without a word. Sasha retreated to the corner of the cell to avoid their gaze, but it was impossible to hide completely in a space designed for surveillance.Sasha didn’t know that the “investigation” was already underway without him.Publicly, the French Secret Intelligence Service kept Sasha’s disappearance hidden, while unilaterally notifying the ballet company of his withdrawal. Mikhail felt a sense of foreboding but accepted the news with a stern face. Meanwhile, some soldiers stormed Sasha’s mansion, trampling through the house looking for evidence and leaving it in shambles.That day, Levin had to leave the house holding Charles, not knowing why. Julian protested, but the soldiers were extremely unfriendly to foreigners.Georg, upon seeing the soldiers, realized who was behind Sasha’s “abduction.” He immediately contacted the disciples in secret. They would quickly reach Karel. But what might happen in the meantime was unknown.‘Captain Karel must find out quickly….’But even if Karel heard the news now, what could he do? He was the one person who absolutely shouldn’t show his face in Paris.Ultimately, Georg, an Austrian soldier, decided to risk his own safety and request a private meeting with Colonel Armand.But before Georg could meet with Colonel Armand, the Paris Secret Intelligence Service found a clue to prove Sasha Sedrin’s espionage charges.“Sasha Sedrin, you were once arrested on espionage charges in Austria, weren’t you?”The previous soldier raised an eyebrow and questioned Sasha.“Right before you came to Paris… there’s a letter you sent to the Austrian military. That letter remains as evidence.”“A letter?”“Yes. The recipient was a certain ‘Karel Clements,’ who was even an officer.”“No, that letter….”Sasha shook his head, trying to deny it.But long-forgotten memories resurfaced. Karel had warned Sasha to be careful since Russia was Austria’s enemy. There was the post office Sasha had visited before leaving Palz, the old post office clerk who reported him, the postal service that censored the letter, and the police who detained him.At that time, Rambouillet had said he received the letter because he was a noble.‘Then Karel? Did Karel not receive the letter?’With a delayed realization, Sasha’s face turned pale, worried about that alone.“Sasha Sedrin.”The soldier tapped the table with a small stick several times to get Sasha to look at him. The soldier seemed to think Sasha’s evident confusion was the bewilderment of someone caught red-handed.“If you’re not a spy, you should be able to clearly explain who you sent the letter to and why.”“The letter… the letter.”Sasha kept repeating the words, his lips trembling.His heart pounded fiercely near his stomach, a sense of impending doom gripping him. The soldier’s eyes, which initially harbored mild suspicion, were now filled with irrevocable determination.“The recipient of the letter, Karel Clements, is… my former lover….”Sasha panted, his breath quickening, and a dry cough burst forth.The soldier’s eyes narrowed slightly, possibly intrigued by the word “lover.” But Sasha knew it wasn’t because the soldier found his testimony credible. The soldier’s eyes held only a base curiosity.“A former lover, an Austrian military officer? There were rumors that you liked men and enjoyed being with same-sex partners, and it turns out to be true?”Sasha closed his mouth. The soldier seemed to find amusement in confirming gossip directly from him.Feeling humiliated by the explicit words, Sasha bowed his head slightly.“You must have had quite the fun while engaging in espionage, meeting military officers that suited your taste.”“No, I’ve never done such a thing.”The only person Sasha had ever called a lover was Karel. But the soldier seemed not to trust even that.“We’ll find out more through further investigation.”And the soldier stood up, indicating he had nothing more to say.“Wait!”Sasha called out to him.“Why aren’t you investigating further? I said I would answer anything.”“…Sasha Sedrin.”The soldier turned back from his steps and approached Sasha until his shadow loomed over Sasha’s face. Standing close enough for their knees to almost touch, the soldier exuded an intimidating presence, making Sasha involuntarily shrink back.“How can we trust everything that comes out of your mouth?”“……”“Let me make a very plausible assumption.”Then the soldier quietly murmured.“For example, you’re a spy dispatched from Russia, engaging in espionage while dating a military officer in Austria… But after he was drafted and stopped replying to your letters, you moved your activities to Paris.”“No, the reason I came to Paris, I just wanted to do ballet….”“Then explain why you stayed in Austria.”Sasha was at a loss for words and stammered.“If your goal was to be a dancer, why didn’t you come to Paris immediately after leaving Russia? Explain why you wasted time in Austria.”The reason Sasha couldn’t go directly to Paris was because of the Grand Duke. But Sasha, unwilling to speak of past traumas, moved his lips and said,“…I just followed my lover….”Ignoring Sasha’s words, the soldier continued,“Or another possibility is that you defected to Austria during your stay there and joined their military. And your reason for seeking asylum in Paris was to carry out espionage in the long term. There are differing opinions, but I find this one more likely.”As he spoke, he tapped Sasha’s cheek with his fingers, much to Sasha’s discomfort. When Sasha sharply turned his head away, the soldier crossed his arms and continued.“It’s your job to provide an alibi.”Sasha was left speechless by the attitude of being expected to prove his innocence despite being held unjustly.“I just… lived where I was given a chance to live. I am not a spy.”“Yes. I expected you to say that.”And the soldier left, closing the door behind him.Sasha was left alone in the interrogation room for a while. Soon, the guards who had been watching him from outside came in and forcibly lifted him up.As he was dragged back to the prison, Sasha looked down at the handcuffs around his wrists. It had been a week since he was imprisoned, and everyone inside already treated him like a complete criminal.Sasha did not know how to get out of this place.＊ ＊ ＊A week later, Sasha was dragged out to the interrogation room again.But this time, the person sitting opposite him was not the usual young soldier. It was a middle-aged man, with numerous medals on his shoulders, indicating a much higher rank.“Didn’t sleep well? You have dark circles under your eyes.”Sasha avoided the eyes of the man who pretended to be friendly and looked at the floor.The night before, a rat in the prison had kept him awake. The rat showed no fear of humans and scurried around boldly. Sasha, huddled in fear, couldn’t sleep, thinking the rat might crawl over him if he fell asleep.“You seem to have lost a lot of weight too…. Even if you get released, it would be hard to return to the season immediately.”“The season….”A tightly locked voice came from Sasha’s throat.‘What day is it now?’Before being imprisoned, Sasha was intensely preparing for the upcoming season. Losing track of time in prison, he had forgotten, but time was likely passing faster than he thought.Sasha was tormented by anxiety. Despite preparing his body for the stage, his condition deteriorated from lack of food and sleep. Outside, rigorous physical training helped him maintain balance, but confined in solitary, Sasha’s mind was racing towards the edge.He imagined the curtain rising without him and applause showered on someone else.“…Has the season started?”Sasha’s voice was filled with despair, and Colonel Armand looked at him with a hint of surprise.“Can’t you tell the days are passing even without a calendar?”“……”“The premiere was yesterday.”At that moment, Sasha imagined leaping up and strangling the man. It was unbelievable how everyone except him was so nonchalant.Until now, Sasha had meekly accepted his fate, believing the world operated on reason. He thought once the investigation cleared him, he would go home.But from the beginning, they treated Sasha as guilty. They ignored his words, constantly doubting him. Locked in a filthy cell, they denied him visits, and guards took turns gawking at him like a spectacle. Even when a young guard watched him from afar, excitedly fiddling with his pants, Sasha could only turn away to hide his face.For the first time, Sasha exploded in anger.“By what right are you keeping me here!”He shouted as if screaming, but the man before him was unfazed.“Is it because I’m an asylum seeker? You never intended to believe me anyway! By what right….”Sasha grasped the table with trembling hands. Yelling made him feel slightly dizzy. However, the handcuffs around his wrists made even that difficult. The colonel watched Sasha miss the table and continued speaking.