“So, if I inherit this disease, my life will be entirely in your hands!”
“Don’t worry, my Sleeping Beauty,” Angela said confidently. “My name will be engraved in gold on the obelisk in the Imperial Red Cross Square. Medical students will come to pray under my name before exams. Hahaha!”
Her laughter was interrupted by a sharp alarm.
“Emergency assembly!” The girls jumped out of bed, quickly putting on their shoes and caps, and rushed downstairs.
The instructor was waiting on the playground, giving severe looks and reprimands to every student.
“Hurry up! Run! Too slow! Girls, this is military training, not a palace ball. Put away your delicate steps!”
The harsh words brought tears to several noble girls. Wilhelmina and Angela exchanged a glance and stood quietly.
The instructor’s gaze swept over the new students without lingering on Wilhelmina.
“You learned about military discipline during the opening ceremony. I won’t repeat nonsense. This is your first emergency assembly and military training. Next time, I don’t want to waste time waiting for you to fix your hair and put on shoes. Here, discipline and obedience come first. What else?”
“Speed,” the students responded.
“I can’t hear you!” the instructor shouted.
“Speed!” the girls raised their voices.
The instructor looked dissatisfied and pursed his lips. “As your first lesson today, reaching this speed is barely acceptable. Now, everyone turn right, two rows side by side, and run five laps around the playground!”
“What?” the girls cried out. “Weren’t we already acceptable?”
“Fifteen laps!” the instructor roared. “Remember to obey! Lift your head and start running!”
Sighing, the girls had no choice but to begin. The playground wasn’t large, and fifteen laps were challenging for new students. By halfway through, one-third had already given up. The instructor urged those who could to keep running.
Wilhelmina found it difficult, and by the tenth lap, her lungs felt like they were burning. She slowed her pace, following Hans Borg’s previous breathing instructions. By the twelfth lap, although she felt she could persist, she chose to give up.
Wilhelmina returned to the formation flushed and out of breath, her sweat-soaked hair sticking to her neck. Despite her exhaustion, her eyes remained resolute. She stayed quiet among her complaining classmates. The instructor gave Wilhelmina an extra glance.
