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Chapter 54 : You can’t die twice.
“Rembrandt-sama, that way. According to the sign left by Guillaume, Alejandro went in that direction…”
“We’ll be right behind you.”
“I’m sorry, what about the young lady? You said that you let her stay behind, but I don’t see her…”
“It can wait. There are no tracks in any other direction. We can protect her as soon as we find her, and even if we can’t, we can immediately find out as soon as we secure Alejandro and question him. Hurry up.”
“Yes!”
Rembrandt, who gave instructions to the shadow guards and private soldiers, patted Leopold, who was upset by the discrepancy between the information left by the shadow guard and the current situation.
“Leo, stay with me. Don’t stop.”
“…ah.”
“I know you’re worried about your girlfriend who is supposed to be here, but standing around here isn’t going to solve your problems. Think and move.”
“…ahh”
After a brief hesitation, Leopold nodded.
Because the shadow guard’s signs and Alejandro’s footprints were left on the ground, it was easy to track him.
But as Rembrandt followed the tracks, his expression grew more grim.
“Beyond this point…”
Leopold, who was running alongside, noticed the situation.
“What is it, Rembrandt? Something on your mind?”
“…I told you before how dangerous that man, Alejandro, is.”
“…? Yes, I remember. He was suspected of killing his sister, right? He pushed her into the river or something…”
“Ah, that’s right. That place is…”
But then Rembrandt held his tongue.
Leopold, who had finally begun to regain his composure, found this information unnecessary.
Leopold is still unaware of the faint sound of the water stream coming from where he is heading.
With each step he takes, it gets a little louder.
The river has a slow current in spite of its enormous volume of water.
Yet, it is deep enough and wide enough for small boats to come and go.
This is the reason why, despite the calm current, only a very skilled swimmer could save a person who fell in.
“Hey, Rembrandt.”
Leopold called out to Rembrandt, who was lost in thought, expecting the worst.
“The fact that there are no other tracks means that Natalia is headed this way, too.”
“Ahh.”
“The shadow guard that was keeping watch made Natalia stay in that house, didn’t it? So, why…?”
“Why did she try to go after him?”
“Oh. I just don’t understand. She had a chance to escape, but I don’t know why.”
“If you, the lover, can’tunderstand it, how can I, a complete stranger… no, Trice can.”
“Beatrice? Why her?”
“…it was just a slip of the tongue, don’t worry about it.”
The place where Alejandro’s sister once died, Alejandro’s intention to go there, and Natalia, who dared to go there herself.
For Rembrandt, who always wondered about Beatrice’s unreadable behavior and thoughts.
Now he recalled the words of her sister’s desperate plea for help as they were about to leave.
The words he just laughed off as nonsense.
— “Not likely. Alejandro cares about Natalia.”
— “Alejandro will protect only Natalia. Even if he attacked everything else, he would only protect Natalia.”
“…”
How can you be so sure?
Just what kind of bond could there be between those three people? Rembrandt, who never sees them together, can’t imagine it.
No, I don’t even want to think about the bond between my sister and them.
But I just hope it won’t happen.
I hope that Trice’s words are true.
…
…
…
“You’re an idiot. Natalia, you’re… really stupid.”
Alejandro held Natalia’s head in his arms and placed the knife he pulled from his chest against her back.
Because he saw the shadow guard reaching out for a weapon in his hand.
“I’m not stupid.”
“No, you are.”
“I’m not stupid. Because that person…”
Natalia, who had spoken back, replied with more words. The exchange is not heated, but it does not stop.
“…because that guy said something like that about capturing Alejandro.”
“…”
“I don’t like the idea of you getting caught.”
Alejandro looked into the distance and saw a shadow guard looking for a chance to send his hidden weapon flying, and suddenly burst out laughing.
“Haha, I knew Natalia was an idiot. Yeah, no doubt.”
As she said this, he squeezed his arm around Natalia’s back as she tried to refute him.
Then Guillaume, the shadow guard, stepped forward with a hidden weapon in his hand.
“Alejandro, don’t do unnecessary tricks. The Strydoms will arrive shortly and you will be surrounded. There is no escape.”
“Unnecessary tricks? What is that?”
“…you know what I mean. What do you intend to do to the unsuspecting young lady? Is it not enough that you have your own sister in your clutches?”
“…your sister?”
Natalia, who had heard Guillaume’s line and disapproved of it, repeated the same words.
“Natalia. He thinks I killed my sister. He says I pushed her off this bridge.”
Alejandro gave a pale smile.
“Yeah, but it’s not just this guy. Everyone who knows what happened thinks so.”
“Hey, don’t make any more moves.”
While speaking, Guillaume slowly drew closer to Alejandro.
Alejandro held his knife menacingly against Natalia’s neck. Natalia, facing Alejandro, cannot see the blade.
“I just let you get away. You’re a fool, Natalia. I can’t believe you went through all the trouble to come back into my hands.”
Alejandro’s expression was softer than ever as he said this.
“Alejandro?”
“…really. You’re the one who saved my life.”
“Eh?”
“You can’t die. You can’t die twice, Milch.”
“Who’s Milch? What are you talking about, Alejandro?”
“Oh, no, you are not my sister Milch. You’re not my sister Milch, you’re Natalia. My precious Natalia.”
“Huh… kya…!”
“Young lady!”
With a thud, Natalia’s body was pushed away.
Alejandro pushed her. Natalia fell on her butt on the ground.
A knife flew at Guillaume as he tried to move. Guillaume deflected it with his hidden weapon.
The knife fell at Guillaume’s feet with a clunking sound.
“I didn’t… I didn’t kill her. There’s no reason to do that. I wouldn’t be able to do that. Milch was my only sister who saw me properly. “
“…wait, Alejandro…”
“Natalia⁉︎ Are you okay…!?”
Leopoldo and the others who had been chasing them emerged from the trees.
They saw Alejandro standing on the railing of the bridge, Natalia reaching toward Alejandro while sitting on the ground, and Guillaume holding a hidden weapon a short distance away.
Leopold and the others, unsure of the situation, stopped in their tracks.
Natalia got up.
Alejadro was laughing.
“Natalia… bye-bye.”
Alejandro’s body slowly fell backward as it was.
Natalia rushed to him.
“…! Stop, don’t go, Natalia, what are you…”
Alejandro’s eyes widened when he heard Leopold’s words just before his feet left the railing.
Guillaume rushed forwards.
Natalia climbed the railing.
Leopold and the others also kicked the ground to run to them, but the distance was still too far.
Alejandro’s body floated down.
Guillaume reached out hard as he ran.
Natalia sharply kicked the railing.
Alejandro’s eyes caught a glimpse of Natalia, who was diving toward him.
Unexpectedly, he spread his arms.
It was frustrating all the while they gradually suffocated.
Alejandro held Natalia in the air.