I'll be calling you in a hundred years
Be sure to notice it then
He was in a bad mood when he heard someone singing a popular hated that song.
The lyrics, taken together, tell of a man who can't marry the woman he loves because of a difference in status or family problems, and he wishes he had been like that, wishes he had been like that, but he wasn't, so he'll meet her again in a 's a love song everywhere. It's neither a poison nor a medicine.
It's hard to put into words when asked what is so annoying about such an ubiquitous lyric and melody, but after hearing it so many times here and there, he hates it. It's irresistibly off-putting.
Maybe it was just a conditioned reflex. Levi was usually in a bad mood when this pensive, minor song sounded merry.
Maybe it's still that way. The situation wasn't enough to make him angry yet, but just when he was about to get a push, he heard the song just in time to give him a reason to be offended.
Attending a party hosted by a nobleman doesn't make him happy, no matter how many times he's done it.
He should feel that he's getting a little something out of this rare opportunity to get some attractive, lavish food and expensive drinks for free, but it's almost all blown out of proportion by the aristocrats' bad perfume and trivial stories that consist mainly of bragging and verbal praise.
He didn't get angry until he heard the song, partly because it was easy to perform the duties of greeting people in return for funding, and partly because he was aware that he should be grateful as long as he was paying for the Corps, no matter how boring the talk was.
Money is money, no matter what intentions are included in the investment. And not all of the nobles have a human nature that they don't like. Some have something of interest to talk about, others bring useful information to the party. However, the man who had spoken to Levi after entering the hall was boring.
As he was standing by the wall, trying to keep his bad mood out of sight, Hanji approached with a light step, holding a glass. Hanji used to dress like a lady for these evenings, with Moblit or Mike, or even Erwin as her escort, but since taking over as Commander, she has been dressed in the formal attire of a soldier, just like Levi.
She was advised that her position as Commander required her to wear a very expensive dress, if she was going to wear a dress when meeting the nobility, and she had escaped because she didn't want to be corseted up and suffer from shoe sores in high heels. She takes a bath, her silky hair is in a chignon, she wears makeup, and her glasses are thin-rimmed and colored and elegant.
"Historia is coming to the venue soon. ...Why are you so pissed off about?" She said.
"I can hear this shitty song here too."
"This? Wherever we go now, isn't that the song someone is singing?"
"disgusting song."
"Yeah? I think it will be out of date in another month. Just look at Her Majesty the Queen and you'll be in a better mood."
"...How does seeing Historia make me feel better?"
"Don't people feel more at ease when they see something beautiful?"
Hanji said cheerfully, and Levi thought of Historia. Is she beautiful? Right. Objectively, she is beautiful. She has clear golden hair, blue eyes that look like they are dripping with a little bit of melancholy. Levi has no doubts about Armin's reply of 'pretty' when he was asked by his senior officer about her features. When they first met, she was still a child, but growing up a lady is a frightening thing, and she now exudes a graceful sexiness as well.
"Oh," Hanji understood. "Levi has never seen Historia in a dress before."
"I saw it at the Coronation and at the Medal of Honor ceremony."
"It's not that simple, it's a dress like the ladies in this hall are wearing. It has ruffles and lace embellishments, a corset to accentuate the breasts, and a fluffy skirt."
He had never seen that before.
Historia is both a Queen and an active soldier. In order to strongly appeal to her people, she often wears the formal dress of a soldier in formal occasions.
To also promote the recognition that she is a Queen who does not like extravagance, she wears a very simple white dress, even when she wears a dress.
"Dressed up Historia, you look amazingly beautiful. See, she comes." Hanji sets her glass on a nearby table and ready to receive the queen, who is to be paid her respects. Levi also postures up a bit.
Historia was escorted by the host nobleman.
People are talking less and less, and their attention is drawn to them.
Historia and the aristocratic man were slow in their steps. Historia might find it difficult to walk because the length of her puffy skirt reached the floor, and her toes didn't even come out of the hem when she walked.
The power of such a non-functional dress to adorn the queen was unparalleled.
The fabric is white silk. The heavy and precise embroidery of roses from the chest to the belly, the twinkling beads that reflect light with every step, and the lace that is lavishly layered and delicate. All of them are gorgeous and elaborate by top-notch craftsmen.
One of the most desirable things in Levi's eyes was the ribbon tied at the back of her neck.
The left and right sides of the expanse were symmetrically different in color. It was like a wing that stretched its wings in black and white. They were definitely tied to imitate the wings of freedom. The costume was tailored for Historia, the only soldier and Queen in the world, who stands in this strange position.
Her skin, visible from her décolletage to her shoulder blades, is as smooth and white as her dress, and her made-up beauty is as radiant as a flower.
Sighs of admiration resounded from the hall like the morning bird's song. Some of them said, " Oh," aloud.
"Well?"
"You make it sound like you raised her. ... Well, it's brilliant."
"She was just an 'ordinary pretty girl' until just a few days ago, but she's now a perfect beauty. It's scary how girls grow up. It wasn't that long ago that I got to know her, but it's very moving.
Are you in a better mood now?"
Good.
But he thinks that if he just admits it, he's going to be suspected of having ulterior motives for Historia, and he adds.
"The singing has stopped."
"Historia would be happy if you gave her more praise."
"She won't be happy to hear me praise her."
"That's not true. Because Historia is working very hard. ...Well, Levi doesn't know that."
"What?"
"Your belt, just the right size?" Hanji points to the belt at his waist.
"Don't change the subject by completing it on your own." Levi complains.
"I didn't change it. Does it fit?"
"? Yes."
"The corset a woman wears under her dress, for example, is tightened about four holes tighter from that state."
Levi touches the surface of his belt. "It won't be so tight. crush the torso?"
"Crush it." Hanji painfully pats the side of her own stomach. "The corset tightens the ribs so that they don't spread, which normally would spread from the chest to the belly. Hard. It's so damn painful! The bones of aristocratic ladies who usually wear corsets are even deformed. But if a lady is going to wear a dress, it's more beautiful if she's wearing it. Fashionable is patient, as they used to say."
"You didn't look so distressed when you were wearing the dress."
"I had it loose, of course. I can't breathe. I'm glad Nifa isn't like Calya."
Calya is the soldier who is now assisting Hanji. The assistant is not for practical purposes, but for personal care. Her specific duties are to make sure Hanji is wiped down every day, changed into clean clothes, and bathed at least twice a week, preferably at least three times a week, no matter how busy she is or how much she dislikes interruptions in her work.
Levi didn't want the Commander of the Survey Corps to get a reputation for being dirty, so he inquired of some of them, "Who is the merriest of the recruits?" and they all nominated Calya, so Levi asked her in person.
When he gave her permission to do anything she wanted if Hanji refused to take a bath even twice a week, she showed great resourcefulness. She raids the Commander's office and labs at exactly the same time every day and has never failed in her mission to bathe Hanji, who doesn't want to interrupt her paperwork or research.
Calya caught Hanji as she threw herself on the floor and resisted, and the sight of Hanji's legs under her arm and dragging her gallantly along was the talk of the barracks for a time.
Levi asks. "Perhaps, is that why you haven't been wearing a dress lately?"
Hanji replies. "That's one of the reasons! She'll tighten my ribs until break! You brought me a girl in trouble!"
Calya, who can do anything she wants, doesn't care if she kicks her boss in the back with her heels with every step she takes, so Hanji, who has to scream at the friction with the floor and the back kick, catches herself on the floor and breaks a nail, And after Pixis, who saw Hanji being taken away, told her to at least take a bath, she's just pushed back and heads straight for the bath.
"I'm very sorry that I can't give her a bonus."
"Someday I'm going to find someone to put a nightgown on Levi sleeping in a chair and throw you in bed." Hanji is chagrined. "Oh, it doesn't matter to me. So, you know, I just wanted to say that Historia is working very hard just standing there like that, without looking like she's in pain. I'm sure she'd be happy to be complimented on how beautiful she is."
"... I'll think of something to compliment if I get a chance to talk."
"Levi usually doesn't get it when you try to say something clever, so you can just say, 'You're beautiful.'"
"..."
The host man began his speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today. Tonight is a most wonderful evening. We are grateful to have the honour of hosting Her Majesty the Queen ..."
It goes on sluggishly.
Levi looked at Historia standing near nobleman. Three young men of the SS are beside her, seamlessly keeping an eye on the Queen's surroundings. When the thugs appear, one of them returns to fight back, one uses his own body as a shield to protect the queen, and one of them is organized to secure the retreat. There doesn't seem to be any security issues.
But Levi didn't look away because he wasn't worried about the security or eager to enjoy Historia's beauty, but because Historia's expression was somehow vacant.
It wasn't just her torso tightening up and making it hard to breathe, but if there was trouble, he'd have to talk to Hanji about dealing.
Eliminating Historia's difficulties was their job, among others in the Corps. Unless they could let her escape from one, inexorable role, it was a constant duty.
The change was momentary.
Levi doesn't need to think about what he should be doing to know. Before he could think about what to do, he ran.
A series of surprised cries came from the person who pushed him away. "What!?" He could hear Hanji's voice well.
Levi's arms went around Historia's body just before the light disappeared from her eyes and the strength left her knees. A man's confusion and a woman's cheer. He hears this stupid misunderstanding and curses in his chest, "idiot!"
But he ignores it and takes Historia's hand. Cold.
"Historia. If you can hear me, just grab a little bit."
No response.
"Captain."
One of the SS, the blond kid, calls out to him strongly. They didn't try to get rid of the man who suddenly embraced the Queen, even if he was a captain of soldiers, because they correctly recognized the need to do so. They get jobs stolen, but are confused because it's Captain Levi.
"Her Majesty's presence is over."
He picks up Historia in his arms. He doesn't need to wait for a stretcher to carry such a small body.
"Levi!"
He turns his face as Hanji catches up. "She's passed out. There's something wrong."
"I was surprised. You start running out of the blue and I thought Historia is too beautiful and you couldn't resist and propose publicly. I thought you were, and then you put your arms around her waist and took hand, so I thought you were going to try to dance, but then I thought, 'Now!?'"
After saying too many 'I thought', Hanji exhales, calms down, and asks seriously.
"Okay?"
"I don't know."
"Captain, this way please."
He walks down the path to the door that the Red-hair and Black-hair soldiers of the SS had made by pushing people out of the way.
Historian's breath is too thin to hear.