Git: --git-dir shows all files as missing

Question

I have two very similar repositories with the same submodule. Directories structure:

vss
vss/rcv-nginx
rgw
rgw/rcv-nginx

When request status from the rgw directory (only it!), it shows that all files are deleted. This does not happen for other similar projects.

Here come the git status commands:

# On vss
peter@peterpc:~/git/vss$ git --git-dir=rcv-nginx/.git status
On branch dev
Your branch is up-to-date with 'origin/dev'.
nothing to commit, working directory clean

# On vss/rcv-nginx
peter@peterpc:~/git/vss$ cd rcv-nginx/
peter@peterpc:~/git/vss/rcv-nginx$ git status
On branch dev
Your branch is up-to-date with 'origin/dev'.
nothing to commit, working directory clean

# On rgw:
peter@peterpc:~/git/rgw$ git --git-dir=rcv-nginx/.git status
On branch feature-rcv-11870_openresty-nginx
Your branch is up-to-date with 'origin/feature-rcv-11870_openresty-nginx'.
Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add/rm <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)

        modified:   .gitlab/merge_request_templates/Bug.md
        modified:   .gitlab/merge_request_templates/Feature.md
        deleted:    .idea/runConfigurations/Render_Dyrka_Configs.xml
        ...
        (all files marked as missing)

# on rgw/rcv-nginx
peter@peterpc:~/git/rgw$ cd rcv-nginx/
peter@peterpc:~/git/rgw/rcv-nginx$ git status
On branch feature-rcv-11870_openresty-nginx
Your branch is up-to-date with 'origin/feature-rcv-11870_openresty-nginx'.
nothing to commit, working directory clean

P.S.

I've checked out this question (git --git-dir not working as expected) and I know the workaround, but the question remains -- why git behaves differently for the similar projects?

Answer 1

Probably, it could happen because of the earlier in this directory only rcv-nginx was a symlink, and later I changed it to be independent, but the Git cache remains.