Julia could tell Ludwig was worried by the expression on his face and the tone of his voice when he, rather hurriedly, came to recount his experience. Though she would love to share the wisdom she acquired from being almost 700 years older than him, it didn’t seem to exist a problem to begin with.

“… but don’t you?”

Oh, but it had been an absolute disaster.

“You don’t get it,” he said while covering his beet-red face with his hands, his words getting muffled in the process. “She’s really nice, don’t get me wrong, but I panicked when she told me and she ran off crying…Ii can’t help but feel bad about it.” Like most things, Ludwig had misinterpreted the woman’s advances entirely. Recently Ludwig had been talking to one of the friendly women who worked at his favorite café. She was nice and funny, and he thought that he had been making a new friend. One thing led to another and suddenly Ludwig had looked up to see her declare her love for him and with sweaty palms he had only choked out that awful, awful response.

Erzsi blinks with a slight shake of her head after opening the door, this was not who she was expecting but she wasn’t about to have her hospitable reputation tarnished, “Julia, what a pleasant surprise. Come in.”

“Here.”

“I have a question!” Hui Fang lifted her hand high up as she looked over to Julia who was trying on some clothes in the mall that they went in together. Once she got the go-ahead from the other girl, she folded her hands neatly in her lap.

The envelope is the color of burned rose leaves and the paper inside is expensive. A seal rests atop, showing a flower and cyrillic letters, right beside the name “Julia”.

“Dear Julia,

if you read this I am gone from this world. I don’t know how it will happen or why, if you’re still there to read what I want to tell you or if you left before me. Any way, I feel like I need to apologize to you.

Dear Julia, we’ve been through so much together. Or rather, against each other. I still remember the first time we met. It was in a little forest, the birches just turned green and it was warm. Oh, you’ve been so annoying, bragging about your new religion. But you’ve also been interesting. White like snow.I had never seen snow that made me feel warm. It was new and exciting.Thank you for that, my dearest Julia.

And thank you for all those years you fought with me, against me. I always looked up to what you created from nothing. I want you to know that. And I want you to know that I’m sorry for all the things I did to you in the wars and afterwards. There’s nothing to justify what I said and did. I know that and I don’t want to ask for forgiveness, because I know I don’t deserve it. Still I want you to know, because it’s the truth…

I am sorry for everything.

If you’re willing to take anything from me, you’ll find a gift in my safe. The code is my birthday. You’ll find a folder inside with all papers you’ll need to take Kaliningrad back and make it Königsberg again. I know it’s not enough to make anything good again, but it’s a start for a new empire. I guess.

There’s another thing you can take if you want. It’s a ring with a ruby on top. It has been yours from the moment I bought it, but I never managed - never dared to give it to you myself. I regret I was too afraid until now. I would have liked to see your face once I had put it on your finger. However now it’s too late and I hope you’ll be able to sell it or keep it or do with it whatever you feel like.

What else can I say? This letter is already too long and still I think I could write much more. I regret never telling you what I told you now. I regret that there’s so much more I’ll never be able to tell you.But maybe, one thing is left.

Please become happy, Julia.

Become happy and strong again. That’s all I want to see from wherever I will be.Be strong and brave and happy.

And farewell, my beloved Julchen. Ya lyublyu tebya.