《No, It was My Fault for Loving You》 CH 1 Chapter 1 : Tears Upon the Cheeks The knife swung down again and again. I felt the shock in my chest, my arms, and my shoulders. As she repeatedly plunged the knife into me, her brow furrowed sadly, and tears trickled from her eyes. It¡¯s strange. It seems to me that you, who was killing me, are much sadder than I, who was being killed. ¡°Why¡­ Why did you break your promise? You promised to give it back to me. No, you said you only had three years left to live¡­!¡± Natalia, I didn¡¯t mean to break my promise. Just because you¡¯ve been sentenced to three years doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll die in exactly three years. But you know what? I really couldn¡¯t move much anymore. ¡°I heard about the medicine¡­ they¡¯ve developed it, haven¡¯t they? How terrible, then you will never be able to die!¡± Are you referring to a new medicine that has been successfully developed in a neighboring country? That¡¯s right. If I had that medicine, my disease would be cured completely. But that medicine was developed by a neighboring country. It will take a long time to get it. So by the time it becomes available in this country, surely I will. ¡°Liar, liar! I believed in you and waited¡­!¡± I¡¯m glad you believed me, Natalia. Yeah, I wanted you to keep believing. Because I was going to give him away properly. Even if you hadn¡¯t done this, I was already at that point anyway. It wouldn¡¯t even take long. ¡°Die as you promised. You have to die! Give me back Leo, give me back Leopold¡­¡± Oh, Natalia. I¡¯m not going to give him back, he was yours from the beginning. You¡¯re a funny person. What were you so worried about? Because you and Leopold have been in touch with each other since your time at the academy. Leopold looks only at you, and you look only at Leopold. You¡¯ve always been loved from the beginning. You knew that, didn¡¯t you? I wasn¡¯t loved. I have never been loved. And yet, why? Why did you have to kill me? ¡°Natalia! What have you done?!¡± What I heard were mixed shouts and screams from the servants. The sound of approaching footsteps and his impatient voice. Oh, but¡­ There¡¯s something distant in his voice. ¡°What evil is this? There¡¯s blood everywhere! Stay with me, Beatrice!¡± ¡°Beatrice.¡± ¡°¡­Atie!¡± Who? The overlapping voices were drowned out by the shouting and clamor of the crowd. The screams of the maids. The butler¡¯s startled voice and the sound of breaking dishes and other things. In the midst of such confusion, my body was shaken along with a voice calling me with a hint of urgency. Is it you, Leopold-sama, did you just pick up my body¡­? ¡°Why? Because Trice is the one who broke the promise!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Natalia? Beatrice is¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! This is not the time to be talking about this!¡± Someone¡¯s hand gently caressed my cheek. The hand was trembling slightly. That¡¯s funny. Leopold would never do such a thing to me. He would never touch me gently. Something warm and light touched my face. It trickled down my skin. Ah, who was it that hugged me? I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t move a muscle anymore. Ah. No more. I can¡¯t hear anything. I can¡¯t see anything. Nothing. I¡¯m sorry, Leopold-sama. I couldn¡¯t be of any help to you in the end. I thought I could have done better. And I¡¯m sorry, Natalia. But I didn¡¯t mean to break my promise. Because. Because I really am. Even if you hadn¡¯t done anything, even if you hadn¡¯t bothered to kill me, I would have been dead soon. And then I¡¯ll do what I promised. Yes, just as I promised. ¡­No, it¡¯s all excuses. It¡¯s probably my fault. It¡¯s my fault that I fell in love with you¡ª CH 2 Chapter 2 : Awakening (Beatrice¡¯s POV) ¡°Good morning, milady. How are you feeling this morning?¡± ¡­eh? ¡°Lady Beatrice?¡± The one peeking at me with a worried look on her face is Martha, the maid. She is my personal maid, who has served me since I was a child and she followed me when I married Leopold-sama. I blinked my eyes. I don¡¯t know why I feel so uncomfortable. ¡°Milady?¡± Come to think of it, there¡¯s something wrong with the way she calls me. Because after I got married, Martha started to call me ¡°Madam¡±. ¡°¡­¡± By the way, I was stabbed. And I¡¯m pretty sure that Martha, who was near the door at the time, was also stabbed by Natialia with a knife. Martha hurriedly supports my shoulders as I sit up. ¡°Milady? You¡¯re up so suddenly¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Martha, are you hurt?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not injured, are you?¡± ¡°Me, injured? No, not at all.¡± I breathed out a sigh of relief when she said that while lightly waving her arms around. At the same time, a lot of questions came flooding in. Martha is not injured. And neither is my body. And this room is not the one I was in earlier. Because this place is¡­ This is the place where I grew up. But I don¡¯t know why. I was stabbed to death by Natalia with a knife. A dream? Am I dreaming? I can still vividly remember the sharp pain that hit my whole body. I still remember Natalia¡¯s tear-stained face and the sound of her sobbing as she held me in her arms. ¡°¡­¡± I closed my eyes and gently shook my head. Calm down and think it over. You¡¯re not in the Marquis of Rynalfa¡¯s house, but in the mansion where you were born and raised. Why is she called ¡°Milady¡± instead of ¡°Madam¡±? Why is it that none of my stab wounds remain? I wonder if I could just dismiss it all as a dream or my imagination. Then what was that? Are all these memories just a dream? The two who gazed lovingly at each other in the academy. A disturbing rumor, and him with a frustrated look on his face. The promise we made and the relationship I got in return. I¡¯ve counted the time with him as he strived to be faithful. I told Natalia to wait for me just a little longer. Yes. And that day. Natalia suddenly burst into the room, stabbed Martha who was near the door, and then¡­ And then¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Milady? Your face doesn¡¯t look good. Please lie down.¡± ¡°Martha.¡± I called out to Martha in a trembling voice as she laid me down and draped the blanket over me. ¡°What day is it¡­ now?¡± ¡°Do you mean today? It is the twelfth day of the third month.¡± ¡­I wonder if it would seem strange to ask about my age. ¡°If I remember correctly, it¡¯s been 1215 years in the kingdom, right?¡± I mentioned a year a little further back that I remembered. It was the year before I married Leopold-sama. ¡°Oh, my dear Milady.¡± A smile appeared on Martha¡¯s face, along with a tone of amusement and affection. ¡°Do you want to come of age so soon? It¡¯s still the year 1212.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I was surprised to find that time has gone back further than I had expected. This is the year I entered the academy. The year I collapsed and became seriously ill. It was also the year that Edgar-sama studied abroad. ©`©`©` Edgar-sama. When his name popped into my head, my heart ached a little. The one who took care of me as if I was his own sister. The one who suddenly decided to go to a neighboring country with high medical standards to study abroad to become a doctor and achieve great things. Edgar-sama, Leopold-sama, and I had been close friends with our parents and had known each other since we were children, but Edgar-sama¡¯s departure to study abroad created a distance between us. After Edgar-sama left to study abroad, if Leopold-sama and I continued to see each other alone, no matter how close our parents were, strange rumors would start. As Leopold-sama had no feelings for me, it was inevitable that the distance between us would increase. However, I felt very lonely because of the sudden distance between us, even though we had had many opportunities to meet before¡­ although it was just me. ¡­but I¡¯d been receiving letters from Edgar-sama from time to time. His letters were more like medical research reports, though. Perhaps the water in that country was too much, but Edgar-sama went to study there and never came back. Yes, even for our wedding. ¡°¡­that was a bit of a shock¡­¡± ¡°? Milady? Did you say something?¡± ¡°Uh, no. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Martha looked at me suspiciously, and I hurriedly shook my head. ¡­anyway, I don¡¯t know why time rewound, but I do know one thing for sure. It means that three years from now, I must not make that promise to them both. Yes, even if I find him in the same situation as before, I will never reach out to him. Because it wouldn¡¯t be of any help to them both. Because, I¡¯m sure, after that¡­ Well, after I died¡­ It¡¯s not hard to imagine what kind of future awaited those two remaining people. The happy ending that I had told them before they could get married would never come. Suddenly, I noticed the sound of the door closing. It seems that Martha, who thought I had fallen asleep, had left the room. ¡°If only Natalia believed in me and waited a little longer¡­¡± I shook my head, thinking that such words were just too foolish. ¡°Talking about what ifs won¡¯t change anything. I couldn¡¯t make them happy, that¡¯s all.¡± Natalia¡¯s scream and Leopold¡¯s shocked voice were still fresh in my mind. The mixed reaction of many other people¡¯s voices reached me. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s one h**l of an ugly story. I was the one who started it. Yeah. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m the one who offered to do the extra work. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s my fault for falling in love with him.¡± With those words, tears welled up in my eyes. So I won¡¯t make any more mistakes. This time, I will never love you. Also, I can¡¯t let you and Natalia be unhappy. CH 3 Chapter 3 : Edgar¡¯s Visit ¡°How are you feeling? Atrie.¡± At the sound of a voice giving permission to enter the room, the door opened and a familiar face appeared. ¡°Edgar-sama. It¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯m glad you came to see me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, huh? That¡¯s a funny thing to say, Atrie. We just met the day before yesterday.¡± In her previous life, she hadn¡¯t seen Edgar since he left to study abroad about seven years ago. She held herself back as she felt her true feelings overflowing. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you missed me so much.¡± Edgar shrugs his shoulders in a cheerful mischievous manner, causing her to let out a relieved laugh. ¡°¡­right.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve missed you so much, Edgar-sama.¡± Wasn¡¯t it because she hasn¡¯t seen him for over seven years? She replied in a joking manner, mixed with her true feelings. ¡°¡­Edgar-sama?¡± He stopped moving for some reason, so she tilted her head and called his name. ¡°¡­no. Nothing, it¡¯s nothing.¡± He was smart and kind, but he would freeze like this from time to time. As a person who only cares about learning, she was sure he was still thinking about something difficult in his head. Unlike herself and Leopold, who were of the same age, Edgar is two years older than Beatrice and the others. But this year, he would suddenly leave the academy to study in a neighboring country without waiting for graduation. Today, he came to inform her. In her life before the time went back, she had to listen to the sudden announcement that he was going to study in a neighboring country, which sounded somewhat unrealistic. ¡°Atrie. Don¡¯t¡­ be too casual about saying you missed me like that.¡± Edgar put his fist to his mouth and coughed a few times, but when he turned to face her, he suddenly said something like that. Beatrice tilted her head. She doesn¡¯t know what he meant when he described it as casual. She really, really wanted to see Edgar, and she was happy to see him, so she just said so. That¡¯s all. But right now, she¡¯s more concerned about the blush on Edgar¡¯s face. Edgar is slender, but strong. He¡¯s never caught a cold, but that doesn¡¯t mean he shouldn¡¯t be careful. Beatrice gently reached out and touched Edgar¡¯s cheek. Edgar¡¯s shoulder jolted. ¡°Edgar-sama. You¡¯re not feeling well, are you? Your face is a little red.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Edgar-sama.¡± Again. Again, Edgar froze. This has always been an occasional occurrence, so I¡¯m not surprised now. Edgar weakly glanced at Beatrice, who raised her eyebrows. ¡°Ah, that, Atrie. I¡¯m fine. You should be worried about yourself. You just collapsed two weeks ago, you know.¡± With that, he gently removed Beatrice¡¯s hand from his cheek. As for Beatrice, he was a childhood friend whom she had finally met again. She was so overwhelmed with nostalgia that she kept a closer distance than usual, but of course Edgar didn¡¯t know about that. ¡°You couldn¡¯t get up for two days before, you know? Even if you¡¯re feeling better now, don¡¯t let your guard down too much.¡± As Edgar spoke, he gently placed Beatrice¡¯s removed hand back beside the bed. ¡°If anything happens to you, everyone will be sad. Your family, me¡­even Leo.¡± Leopold, sama. Beatrice bowed her head when she heard that name. That, I wonder. That person will meet Natalia at the academy. And he will be blinded by nothing but Natalia. That¡¯s why. That¡¯s why at that time. I wanted to do something for those two. ¡°¡­Atrie?¡± At the sound of a doubtful voice, she came back to herself. Then she smiled hurriedly. ¡°Thank you for always worrying about me, Edgar-sama. It¡¯s very reassuring and¡­I¡¯m glad.¡± For some reason, Edgar looked surprised at the words she had just uttered. But she meant what she said. Edgar had always cared for Beatrice and taken good care of her. It was as if she was his real sister. Beatrice was also very fond of Edgar. Although in the end, she could only communicate with him through letters as he never came back from his study abroad. ¡°Atrie. I need to talk to you.¡± Edgar turned to Beatrice with a serious look on his face. But Beatrice already knew the words he was about to say. ¡°I¡¯m going to study in Driester this spring. I want to practice medicine in that country.¡± ¡°¡­that, I see.¡± That¡¯s right. In less than a week, you¡¯ll be leaving for a neighboring country. And won¡¯t be coming back. At least for seven years. ¡°There¡¯s a disease I want to study. I really want to make a cure for it. With the level of medicine in Driester, I can develop it faster than in this country. It will probably take nearly ten years, though.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be there for you anymore, but please take care of yourself.¡± Beatrice felt an inexplicable loneliness in those sea-blue eyes as she gently looked into them. Even though she was finally able to go back in time to meet him, this reliable childhood friend would be leaving for a neighboring country in a week. Then she would not see him again for at least seven years. Even if she prevented Natalia¡¯s murderous act in this life, seven years from now, Beatrice will still be dying from her illness. If that¡¯s the case, maybe she will never see Edgar ever again. Unknowingly, Beatrice¡¯s eyebrows lowered miserably. When Edgar noticed such a trivial change in her expression, he silently tilted his head in concern. ¡°¡­you¡¯re leaving. I¡¯m going to miss you very much.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t tell you not to go. It would just be too selfish of me.¡± Edgar¡¯s eyes blinked in surprise as her true feelings spilled out. When Beatrice came back to herself, she panicked and held her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t pretend that she hadn¡¯t said what she said. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I just¡­¡± ¡°Atrie¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to dissuade you from your honorable intentions of leaving for a neighboring country, Edgar-sama¡­¡± No matter how weak her heart was, she could not say anything that would affect Edgar¡¯s future. Tears slowly came out of her eyes, and she hurriedly wiped them away. Embarrassed and ashamed, Beatrice looked down, unable to look at Edgar¡¯s face. ¡°Atrie. I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so pathetic. Edgar-sama, I¡¯m really rooting for you to go and study in Driester. Please take care of yourself.¡± She already ruined Leopold and Natalia¡¯s lives in the past. She was fortunate to be able to come back to the past, but she couldn¡¯t let herself get in Edgar¡¯s way this time around. Beatrice, knowing it was impolite, interrupted Edgar and ended the conversation with a deep bow of her head. CH 4 Chapter 4 : Once, I ¡ª Before Rebirth (Beatrice¡¯s POV) ¡°Ne, can I call you Trice?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Trice¡¯s hair is beautiful. It¡¯s shiny and fluffy, and has a beautiful violet color.¡± ¡°Natalia¡¯s hair is beautiful too. It¡¯s like a reflection of the sky.¡± ¡°Fufu, thank you.¡± ¡­ First grade. Natalia and I became friends after she took me to the infirmary when I was sick. ¡°Ah, Alejandro. You saved me a seat, didn¡¯t you? Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was here to eat too. Ah, Natalia. You can thank me with a slice of pork cutlet from that plate.¡± ¡°Eh? Are you trying to take from me? I lost out thanking you~¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural. You are a hundred years too young to try to use me for free.¡± ¡°Geez, Alejandro is so mean! Hey, Trice, say something too!¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± ¡°Trice? What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just thought Natalia and Alejandro-san are as close as ever.¡± ¡°Geez! We are just childhood friends! Don¡¯t talk like that, Trice. Hey, Alejandro?¡± ¡°¡­sort of.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t have to call Alejandro ¡®-san¡¯. He is such a mean person.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You should be addressing me as ¡°-sama¡± instead of ¡°-san¡±.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Alejandro is rather frank. He is a childhood friend of Natalia. He is not a talkative person, but he takes care of natalia in any way he can. Although his tone of voice is a bit rough, he is also someone who cared for me, even though I am often absent from the academy. ¡­ ¡°Thank God, I guess we made it in time.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure that Trice¡¯s childhood friend is in it, too.¡± ¡°Eh. Here, see¡­¡± He came out to the training ground with a replica sword, was what I was going to say. ¡°That¡¯s him. The one who just came out for the mock battle. The color of his strip is the same grade, isn¡¯t it? I wonder who that is.¡± ¡°¡­ah, he¡¯s that person, ha.¡± Since we were in the regular course and Leopold was in the knight training course, and the buildings themselves were different, there had been few opportunities to encounter each other in the academy. But since I liked Leopold so much, I went to see him in the knight training department¡¯s mock battle, and Natalia came along with me. ¡°Um, that person. My¡­ childhood friend.¡± ¡°Eh? Really? Ne, what¡¯s his name? What kind of person is he?¡± ¡°¡­Leopold. He is Leopoldo Reinalpha-sama.¡± And Natalia fell in love with Leopold. Then the rest happened in a blink of an eye. ¡­ ¡°Natalia, come here.¡± ¡°Ah, Leo!¡± At noon, it became a habit to have lunch on a bench near the fountain there, in the courtyard just between the Knight Training Department building and the regular department building. Usually it is just Leopoldo, Natalia, and me. Sometimes Alejandro would come and go there as well. It started with me being there because we were mutual friends, but to be honest, it was hard for me to stay there as they just created a world of their own. And yet I kept going. Day after day, even though I knew I was only getting in the way. Still, I wanted to see Leopoldo with my own eyes. I am sure that for them, the day I got sick and took a day off was their reward. Still, it didn¡¯t stop me from going. Alejandro, who was sometimes invited by Natalia, would give me a foolish and somewhat cold stare. The three of them would usually spend lunch together, but eventually, Leopold and Natalia began meeting alone after school. Even after learning this, I still continued to go to the bench near the fountain with Natalia at lunchtime. Looking back, I think I was quite a fool. In Leopold¡¯s eyes, I was clearly an unwanted intruder. I knew that well, and yet, I took advantage of Natalia¡¯s lack of rejection and went along with her, while feigning innocence. ¡­ ¡°Do you want to get in their way or do you want to support them?¡± One day after entering the second grade, Alejandro asked me that. I still have lunch with Natalia and the others, but after school, on weekends, and other times, Natalia and Leopold were always together. The two were frequently seen together on campus, and were rumored to be a passionate couple. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to intrude¡­ I just want to be with them¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Alejandro snorted with dissatisfaction. ¡°Well, they¡¯re never going to be together, no matter what you do or don¡¯t do.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± Alejandro was astonished as he looked at me, as I blink my eyes in heartfelt surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t think of that? The status of Natalia and that man are too different. Natalia is a Viscount daughter, right? And they¡¯re not even wealthy; it is a poor Viscount family.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It was. Leopold¡¯s family is a Marquess. At the very least, he is expected to receive a wife from a family ranked at least a Count or higher. ¡°¡­¡± But maybe. Maybe, if Leopoldo strongly desired it, his lenient parents might consider it. It¡¯s unlikely to happen, but I told him that it wasn¡¯t without any possibilities. ¡°That¡¯s quite an optimistic outlook.¡± Alejandro still laughed at me through his nose. And he was right, what I said was really just an optimistic outlook. ¡­ Third grade. Leopold had said that he would surely persuade his parents, but when the Marquis of Reinalfa¡¯s business failed and he was burdened with huge debts, a political marriage with a family that would provide financial support became inevitable. Leopold just silently hugs Natalia, who is sobbing. Then I offered a suggestion. A proposal that, in the end, only brought everyone down to misery. But I really believed it. That both Natalia and Leopold would be happy. Now I understand it better. I believed that from the bottom of my heart at that time. But I was really stupid. ??? Sunnyshies: Nothing, just the list of ranks and order of noble titles in western nobility. King/Queen ¨C monarchs that outranks everyone else. Well, sometimes, the King is higher than the Queen, and vice versa. Well, it depends¡­on the novel settings¡­ Prince/Princess ¨C royalty, children of monarchs. Duke/Duchess ¨C ruler of dukedom or duchy¨C all have royal blood, well sometimes¡­ depends on the story? There¡¯s a story of a commoner general who becomes a duke, then marries an illegitimate daughter of a count. Marquess/Marchioness ¨C effectively the earl of an important border county. They are higher than count/earl since they were at the border¡­Cale Henitus!! Earl/Countess ¨C head of a county. It¡¯s Ciel¡­. Viscount/Viscountess ¨C below count. Administrators and judges who ruled over specific regions of a county. Baron/Baroness ¨C lowest noble title. They just own land. Call them landlords! Although they¡¯re just landlords, most barons¡¯ daughters became the Queen! ¨C acc. To otome game novels heroine and villainess knowledge ver. 101 ¡ª then below the baron are the knights! CH 5 Chapter 5 : An Unexpected Revisit After her rebirth, her confused memories were getting more and more organized. And so, it was already three days since Edgar¡¯s visit to Beatrice¡¯s mansion to talk about his desire to study in a neighboring country. Beatrice, who had recovered considerably, felt like breathing in the outside air, so she asked Martha to prepare tea at the garden¡¯s pavilion. But then a servant came and told her that she was called to the study by her father. She met her father on the day of her rebirth, and he came to see her many times since then. That includes, of course, Beatrice¡¯s mother and brother. She knocks on the door of her father¡¯s study, wondering what he needs from her, even going through the trouble of calling her. There, Beatrice was greeted by her father, who was waiting for her with a slightly mysterious look on his face, and Edgar, who was scheduled to leave to study in a neighboring country in a few days. Ara? Beatrice felt uncomfortable. Before her rebirth, after Edgar had told her about his plan to study in a neighboring country, there was no chance to meet him again. So why is he here? ¡°You¡¯re here. Trice, sit down.¡± Her father gestured with his hand for her to take a seat next to him, and Beatrice sat down with some trepidation. ¡°Edgar came to see you again. You two can go for a walk in the garden.¡± When her father said so, she glanced at Edgar, and he lowered his eyebrows slightly and smiled at her. ¡°Is that okay, Artie?¡± When Edgar, whom she admires like an older brother, offers his hand gently, Beatrice has no choice but to accept it gladly. Originally, she was prepared to never see him again for another seven years. Beatrice¡¯s cheeks flushed lightly with joy as she placed her fingers on his outstretched hand. ¡°Just in time, Edgar-sama. I was just about to ask someone to prepare some tea for me. Please join me.¡± ¡°That sounds good.¡± Walking side by side with Edgar as her escort, the two walked through the gardens, where brightly colored flowers were beginning to bloom here and there, delighting the eye even though it was still early spring. ¡°Sorry for the unexpected visit.¡± ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m actually happy. I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you again, since you¡¯re going to another country to study soon.¡± ¡°Yes, I was indeed planning to do that.¡± Sitting down on a chair, as the attendants prepared the tea and moved a little futheraway, Edgar continued to speak, looking a little nervous. ¡°¡­really. I was going to end it with a quick greeting the other day. But, Artie. You told me you were going to miss me.¡± Edgar turned to his usual gentle gaze on Beatrice. Beatrice¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw the sincerity and earnestness in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so happy.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± ¡°I was so happy to hear you say that you would miss me.¡± ¡°Edgar-sama? That.¡± ¡°Ah. It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry. I know you like Leo.¡± ¡°Leo¡­ Leopold, -sama?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Edgar nodded, as he should, which made Beatrice reminisce. That¡¯s right, I went back in time. At this time, I still loved Leopold. I loved him, and just loved him. All I could see was him. Towards Edgar, she could act selfish and be unreservedly spoiled by him like his little sister, but in front of Leopold, she was desperately trying to be taller and putting in unnecessary effort to show her good side. ¡­thinking about it now, I feel embarrassed because it was so disgraceful. Leopold had no more feelings for her other than childhood friendship with her, and she was the only one who felt that way, and dreamed of irresponsible dreams. But it¡¯s okay. That, too, is over. ¡°¡­I liked Leopold-sama, you know. Well, until the other day. But now, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Artie?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m already done with Leopold-sama.¡± ¡°¡­are you serious?¡± Beatrice nodded her head. Because she knows now. Leopold has Natalia. He will meet Natalia, who is about to enroll in the academy. She knows the meaning of that passionate look Leopold will give Natalia, and only Natalia, in the future. She had seen it up close and personal all her life. ¡°I¡¯m just like a sister to Leopold-sama, just like how Edgar-sama treated me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Edgard-sama?¡± ¡°Artie. I¡¯m going to ask you one more time. Are you serious about that?¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± She wondered what was wrong. Edgar has a rather complicated expression on his face. She was aware that Leopold only saw her as a sister, and she thought she understood her position correctly, but was she wrong in any way? Then it occurred to her. Edgar was overprotective of Beatrice. He even always chided Leopoldo to be more kind to Beatrice. But she was not really his sister. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have made that younger sister remark. Would that have been better? She can¡¯t put him on a lover¡¯s frame though, that much is clear. ¡°¡­I get it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped now.¡± While she was agonizing over this, Edgar seemed to have convinced himself of something. His eyebrows were still slightly furrowed, but the anger and confusion had disappeared from his eyes. Relieved at this, Edgar suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be back often.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± This time, Beatrice¡¯s mouth hung open blankly. ¡°I¡¯ll try to send letters often. I¡¯d like to hear back from you¡­ if you can, but there¡¯s no need for you to feel obliged.¡± ¡°Eh, that.¡± She can¡¯t understand. When in the world did they start talking about coming to see her or sending letters? She blinked, and Edgar smiled at her. ¡°Because you¡¯re lonely, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Uh, mm.¡± ¡°Artie said so. You said you¡¯re going to miss me when I¡¯m gone. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll try to come back to see you as much as possible. And I¡¯ll write you letters, too. Then Artie won¡¯t miss me anymore, right?¡± Edgar¡¯s smile was somewhat bewitching, and he looked completely different from the man who had always drawn a line in the sand up until then. He looks like a different person, Beatrice thought. CH 6 Chapter 6 : Pre-Admission Day How should I treat Natalia? Beatrice thought about that as she prepared for tomorrow¡¯s entrance ceremony. If it was the same as before her rebirth, they would be in class together. Inevitably, they will see each other every day. Last time, it was Natalia who took Beatrice to the infirmary when she got sick during the ceremony. This led to an immediate rapport between the two. ¡°¡­it¡¯s difficult not to get involved in such a small classroom. Alejandro will probably be in the same class. I wonder if we can keep our relationship casual.¡± She was often absent and had no one that she could call a friend except for Natalia and Alaejandro. The lovely Natalia. She is innocent, cheerful, and slightly prone to tears. She made a good pair with the willful and cynical Alejandro. After Natalia fell in love with Leopold, she did not spend much time with Alejandro, but he did not seem to mind and still remained aloof. And Natalia became more beautiful day by day, like a bud blooming into a flower. Next to Leopold, Natalia always laughed happily, and Leopold protected and cherished her as if she was a princess. That happy scene, which seemed to last forever, began to fade near the end of their third year. ¡ª¡ª ¡°they¡¯ll never get together no matter what you do or don¡¯t do.¡± Alejandro, who said that, was probably just making a simple prediction about the marriage of those two. But, being the clever little guy that she was, she proposed a contractual marriage to Leopoldo. While satisfying her own love, she was intoxicated by her tender self that acted for the sake of her friend, and then she sold her favor to her loved one, which was the worst thing she could have done. In a few years, after they were tied up together, she started whispering these to them. ¡ª¡ª ¡°It¡¯s all right. I was diagnosed with only a few years to live.¡± ¡ª¡ª ¡°If you enter as the second wife after I die, then you won¡¯t be ridiculed for your family status.¡± ¡ª¡ª ¡°You can help fund the Reinalpha family by marrying me.¡± ¡ª¡ª ¡°You don¡¯t have to love me. You can take me as your wife, even if it¡¯s only on paper.¡± ¡ª¡ª ¡°Therefore, you see¡­?¡± Ahh. Dirty. Dirty. Dirty tricks. She fulfilled her love by pretending to help the Marquis Reinalfa, who was struggling with money, and Natalia, who has low status. The dirtiest thing is me. I, who loved that man. What kind of face did I make as I smiled in front of Natalia, who was anxious but still waiting for the day she and Leopoldo would be together? To Natalia, who has passed the marriageable age and reached the age when she was ridiculed for delaying her marriage, but still had to resign herself to a position where she did not even have a fianc¨¦. Then when word of a cure from a neighboring country reached Natalia¡¯s ears, she was already exhausted. No wonder. That¡¯s why I was killed. I deserved to be hated and killed. ¡°No. I can¡¯t let Natalia look at me like that again.¡± She wanted to make them happy in return for giving her a bit of happiness. This was true. But, if she¡¯s the one who would end up ruining Natalia and Leopold¡¯s destiny, then it¡¯s better for her to stay away from them more than necessary. Natalia¡¯s crying face remains etched in her eyes, with a mixture of nostalgic memories of her school days, the pain she felt through herself, and the mixed cries of the others. All these things go round and round in Beatrice¡¯s head. Keeping a distance as a mere classmate was probably the best option for Natalia, Beatrice, and of course Leopoldo, Beatrice concluded. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure the two of you will meet somewhere without me.¡± To begin with, the two met through Beatrice. If so, would distancing herself from Natalia raise the possibility that the two of them would never meet? After thinking about it for a moment, Beatrice thought, no, surely that would not be the case. Although they are in different buildings, they are still in the same school. Sooner or later they will meet somewhere. Maybe like before, they will get to know each other during the mock battle observation, or they might pass each other in the courtyard or schoolyard. They might even have a chance to meet each other by chance from an acquaintance other than Beatrice. And surely those two will fall in love again in an instant. That¡¯s right. I¡¯d better not stick around. Because I tried to help my doomed love in a mischievous way. Therefore I was punished. This time, she will quietly watch from afar. She will do nothing. She will not help. She will not interfere. That¡¯s all right. Surely, that¡¯s for the best. That day, their future was closed in despair, and her own life ended a short while later, simply because she had conceitedly thought that she could do something about their situation. ¡ª¡ª ¡°Do you want to interfere with them, or do you want to support them?¡± She remembered Alejandro¡¯s dismayed look towards her now, and chuckled. He seemed to be smiling with a friendly smile, but in fact, in the depth of his eyes, there was a hint of mockery towards Beatrice, she can see it now. She didn¡¯t even notice it at that time, though. You were right, Alejandro. I should have taken your words more seriously at the time. I think I finally understand what you meant now. In the end, it was just self-satisfaction. She thought she was supporting their love, but as it turned out, she was no help at all. From the beginning to the end, she was, and her thoughts were, nothing but a hindrance to the both of them. ¡°But this time it¡¯s okay. Because¡­¡± I already stopped chasing after Leopold-sama. I won¡¯t seek him out anymore. I won¡¯t look for him. I no longer desire to be loved by him. No misunderstandings. She will never be by his side again, not even as a friend. ¡°Yes, you can¡¯t go wrong anymore.¡± Beatrice clasped her hands tightly around her chest. CH 7 Chapter 7 : The Encounter on the First Day ¡­she thought she had already decided to keep a proper distance as simply as their classmate. Beatrice was at a loss as to what to do early on the first day. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good, are you okay?¡± When Alejandro, who showed up late to the auditorium for the entrance ceremony, whispered this to her, Beatrice¡¯s shoulders jolted. Why are you here¡­? Beatrice was so surprised that she was unable to speak for a while. Because he sat near the center with Natalia in her previous life. At that time, Beatrice was certain that she was seated diagonally in front of Natalia and the others. That¡¯s why she sat at the very back this time. Since he had no way of knowing Beatrice¡¯s inner thoughts, he sat down on the chair next to her. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, I can take you to the infirmary.¡± ¡°¡­n-no.¡± She shook her head from side to side. But Alejandro, with his arm on his knees, rested his cheek on his hand as he looked intently into Beatrice¡¯s face. ¡°¡­really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. If necessary, I will, uh, call for the teachers in the back.¡± Even if she felt sick like last time, since she is in the last row, she can immediately call out to the teacher and ask for help. She chose this seat partly to avoid unnecessary contact with Natalia, and partly to protect herself in case she really got sick. That was the case, and yet. Why is this person, Alejandro, here? Why isn¡¯t he with Natialia? Alejandro, of course, couldn¡¯t hear Beatrice¡¯s inner voice. ¡°Hmm. Well, if you say you¡¯re okay with it, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± His aloof demeanor was still there even after her rebirth, she thought to herself at the time like this, and almost laughed. Of course, she will not commit the folly of laughing here. She just looked away from him and remained silent from then on. But eventually, about 10 minutes after that exchange. Beatrice was carried to the infirmary by the teacher behind her. And by the time she could finally return to the class to which she belonged, it was already the end of the homeroom. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here. Are you better now¡± ¡°¡­thank you.¡± Alejandro, who was leaning against the wall near the door and chatting approached her again. Worse past was, no, this was not surprising considering what happened before her rebirth, but right beside Alejandro was Natalia, who was looking at the two of them alternately with a curious expression on her face. ¡°Oh, you know each other, Alejandro?¡± ¡°No, we just sat next to each other at the entrance ceremony.¡± ¡°Ah, Alejandro did come late. Oh, I¡¯m Natalia, Natalia Olsen. We are in the same class, right? Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­my name is Beatrice Strydom. Pleased to meet you.¡± To avoid being rude, she passes by after making at least some basic self-introductions. The seats have already been assigned. She checked her table, just to be sure, then sat there. Fortunately, it¡¯s a seat a little away from Natalia. Sitting down in her chair, Beatrice unconsciously let out a sigh. This was too different from the plan she made. For some reason, she got tangled up with Alejandro, who was separated from Natalia as soon as he entered the school, but from here on out¡­ ¡­as little as possible. As little as possible. As she was repeating this over and over in her mind like an incantation, she heard a lovely voice from nearby. ¡°Oh, are you the one sitting here? You weren¡¯t here during homeroom, is something wrong?¡± Sitting to her right was the daughter of the Duke of Vertland. She only remembered the name of her house since she didn¡¯t have much interaction with her before. ¡°¡­it¡¯s embarrassing to say, but I got sick during the entrance ceremony. I have been resting in the infirmary since then.¡± ¡°Well, that was a tough break for you. Are you all right now?¡± ¡°Yes. I have always been weak and this happens often. So don¡¯t worry.¡± Lady Vertland smiled kindly and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t take it too hard.¡± It¡¯s a friendly, and comforting smile. Ah, come to think of it, Beatrice recalled. This person had many friends. But she doesn¡¯t have the impression of gathering an entourage and making them wait upon her. It seemed that she often saw her chatting happily with several young ladies. ¡­she should find a new friend to keep distance from Natalia. She knew that. Will this person become friends with her? She¡¯s sick and easily becomes ill. She gently removes her gaze from Lady Vertland, who still smiles at her, and turns her head slightly. She¡¯s always been a timid and withdrawn person by nature, and the memories she had before her rebirth further added to her timid nature. Don¡¯t be so modest, although she thinks she should be. Even though her intentions were good, and she thought that her offer was not malicious, and yet in doing so, she slapped the worst possible outcome on herself as well as Natalia and the others. The memory of those days were still vivid in Beatrice¡¯s mind. Naturally, Beatrice had no reason to be optimistic. ¡­again, if something goes wrong. Maybe this time she will involve different people. Maybe she will make them miserable again. It was at this moment, when she was about to fall into a deep depression due to the emotions tormenting her. ¡°My name is Vivian Vertland. Since we are now next to each other, I hope we can be friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Beatrice breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the gentle smile on the face of the person who looked up at her. It¡¯s okay. I am no longer in love with Leopold. I no longer desire happiness beyond my means. Therefore. ¡°My name is Beatrice Strydom¡­ although I¡¯m like this, please make friends with me.¡± ¡°My pleasure.¡± Vivian smiled happily. CH 8 Chapter 8 : How Long Will This Peace Last? On the first day, she had a little involvement with Alejandro, but after that, she spent her time at the academy peacefully without exchanging words with either of them in particular. Of course, Beatrice¡¯s health remains as good as ever. Whenever she rejoices that she is feeling well for a few days, her body immediately screams. She would then take a few days off from the academy, and when she felt well again, she would begin attending again. Beatrice, who came and went, would not have had a single friend without Vivian. It was just like how Beatrice only had Natalia and Alejandro as her friends before her rebirth. Surrounded by Vivian and the friends she made through Vivian¡¯s connection, Beatrice gently looked at Natalia. Friendly and cheerful, Natalia has a friendly relationship with everyone in the class. However, she is still especially close with Alejandro. Thus, from a distance, the two are usually seen together. Alejandro is Alejandro, and like a son of a wealthy merchant, he is very articulate in his speech. Although his tone is a little rough, he never makes a bad impression. ¡­before, I used to be there too. Natalia was sitting on her chair, while Alejandro was standing, leaning against her desk, laughing and chatting, which was a very common sight in this classroom. They were very friendly. She hadn¡¯t thought of it before, but now she was amazed at how she was able to mix with them with a nonchalant face. In fact, those two are now recognized as a couple in the class. This was not the case before. Perhaps it was because in her past life, Beatrice got involved with them, and the three of them were always together. That¡¯s why there was not even a rumor that they were together. But she wondered what was really going on. Natalia does not seem to have any special feelings for Alejandro. Or will Natalia and Alejandro become lovers this time because they have not met Leopoldo? If so, Natalia and Leopold should have met by now. As a matter of fact, the mock battle that led to their meeting is coming up next week. I wonder how it will turn out. Beatrice clenched her hands tightly. Beatrice, who has abandoned her love for Leopoldo, has no intention of watching next week¡¯s mock battle, of course. However, because of her behavioral changes, she felt a little guilty about the fact they will never meet again. Still, she didn¡¯t want her involvement to ruin their lives as it did before. It would be a traumatic experience for Beatrice to learn that the people she thought of helping resented her. ¡­in the first place, it was ignorant of her to think that she could handle it. It was painful to recall the day when she had enthusiastically proposed a contractual marriage to them, as if she had come up with the best plan. ¡°Trice? Can I do something for you?¡± Vivian voiced her concern about Beatrice, who had been quiet for a long time, which brought her back to her senses. ¡°Umn, it¡¯s nothing. Thank you.¡± Pushing aside her anxiety and hesitation, Beatrice smiled. ¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because she had thought about it in various ways. When Beatrice returned to the mansion, she was feeling a bit tired. Maybe I should lie down for a bit until dinner time, Beatrice thought as she left her bag with the maid who greeted her at the entrance. Then, the butler standing next to the maid quickly holds out an envelope. ¡°A letter has arrived from Edgar-sama.¡± ¡°Well, from Edgar-sama?¡± Just hearing that name made her spirit a little brighter. Edgar, who was studying in the neighboring country of Drieste, wrote to her quite often just as he promised. Moreover, it has only been about six months since he went abroad to study, and he already came back once to see Beatrice. Returning to her room, Beatrice hurriedly unsealed the letter and took out the letterhead. Then, a piece of pressed flower fluttered down from the inside along with the letterhead. ¡°Oh, such a pretty flower¡­¡± It¡¯s a small evergreen flower that she has never seen in this country. Beatrice gently placed the pressed flowers on the desk and read through the letter. As she reads, she occasionally bursts into laughter. ¡°¡­fufu¡­ then Edgar-sama¡­¡± The dizziness had somehow subsided, although the sluggishness was still there. Not to mention the frequency of letters, the content is also completely different from how it was before her rebirth. His previous letter, which was composed of a series of difficult sentences like a research report, did not make sense to Beatrice when she read it, and always made her wonder how she should write back. This time, it¡¯s just an ordinary letter. It begins with seasonal greetings, and the content describes what Beatrice can understand about life in Drieste. For example, the streets, the famous food and pastries, fashion, and others. Of course, there is also some information about Edgar¡¯s research, but it was only a bit, such as ¡°I have trouble with a few references¡± or ¡°I failed in my experiments¡±. And at the end, he will conclude it with humourous and kind words, ¡°Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t overdo it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll worry about you and it will interfere with my research¡±. And there was one more piece of happy news in this letter. ¡°Will you be back next month¡­?¡± Although Edgar¡¯s behavior, which was completely different from her previous life where they couldn¡¯t even meet, was very mysterious to Beatrice. However¡­ The deep relief she feels every time she receives a letter from Edgar, and even though he only came back once to see her, really calms Beatrice beyond measure. She hasn¡¯t even seen Leopold for almost eight months now. Beatrice was happy enough to accept such a fact for the second time, as if it was a matter of course, without any disturbances in her heart. CH 9 Chapter 9 : The figure I saw was not him It was only by chance that she discovered it. Recently, she has been feeling good and usually felt light, so she got carried away. As a result, shortly after the afternoon classes began, Beatrice felt sick and had to rest in the infirmary. She doesn¡¯t know how long she has been asleep for, though she doesn¡¯t think she slept for more than an hour. When she woke up, she got up to look at the clock. The public health doctor was out of his seat, and Beatrice was alone in the room. She checked the time and learned that it¡¯s now break time. She was thinking about whether she should go back to the classroom or just rest here for the rest of the afternoon, when she suddenly glanced around. ¡°Oh¡­ that is¡­¡± Natalia appeared under a large tree at the back of the school building, exactly where she could see by looking down from the infirmary window. The break time between classes was 20 minutes. Although a little extra time was allotted to allow for classroom movement, not many people come out to the back of the school building. As she stared blankly at this unusual sight, a shadow running from another school building appeared at the corner of her vision. ¡°¡­¡± No way. Even though there is no one in the room. Beatrice, for some reason, held her breath and shrank back. She decided not to get involved. And yet, anxiety, anticipation, and bewilderment hit Beatrice. But it was only for a moment. The man who came to see Natalia was not Leopoldo, but someone else entirely. However, there was no doubt that he was probably a student of the Knight Training Department, because his uniform was a different color from that of the regular department. It¡¯s not good to spy on people, she thought, but she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off them. A student from the Knight Training Department was talking to Natalia about something. Natalia nodded at him with a smile, and he returned to the original Knight Training Department building with a happy expression on his face. It only took a few minutes in time. Natalia also left immediately, probably because she still has her next class. Beatrice watched and breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°¡­it wasn¡¯t Leopold-sama¡­¡± She muttered to herself, and then realized that it was still before the mock battle. There¡¯s no way that they have met already. However, she misunderstood, anticipated it, and became anxious. ¡°¡­ah¡­ I feel like a fool for getting nervous all by myself.¡± She felt weak and just fell onto the bed with a plop. ¡°I wonder if¡­ they will ever meet without me by their side¡­¡± When she remembered how those two were happily embracing each other before her rebirth, she felt pain in her heart. I loved Natalia¡¯s smile. Leopoldo¡¯s voice made my heart tremble. I was disappointed that I was not chosen. But I wanted to be kind and congratulate them. She wanted to be remembered by the two of them. She wanted them to remember her as an irreplaceable friend, who led Natalia and Leopold to a happy future, even after she died. She would have done anything for that. I think I¡¯m an idiot. But all throughout until that moment before she was killed, Beatrice had truly, sincerely, and without a doubt, wanted Natalia and Leopoldo to be happy. She wanted them to live happily after her death, even if it was a lie, even if it was a pretense, even if it¡¯s just a cold white marriage1 where she did not even receive a single kiss, even if it was only a contractual relationship, she wanted to at least be allowed to live a married life with the person she was in love with, at least she wanted to die happily. As a result, she was brutally stabbed to death by Natalia, but even though it was painfully agonizing, bitter, and everything was tinged with despair. I still wish them happiness. Because. Eventually. In the end. That¡¯s right, what happened that day. It was her who sowed the seeds. It was her who caused that tragedy. ¡°The mock battle is tomorrow¡­¡± After murmuring quietly, Beatrice got up. At this point, she¡¯ll probably be late. But she didn¡¯t feel like she could rest even if she lied down now. So Beatrice returned to take her last class, but after school, it was surprisingly Vivian who suggested that she should watch tomorrow¡¯s mock battle. ¡°I heard it¡¯s a championship match. It¡¯s a mock battle between students who are neither knights nor candidates yet, but it has a reputation for being quite spectacular.¡± In addition to Vivian, two other ladies who became her friends nodded. Perhaps these ladies had already attended the event before, but she was unaware of it. As she was thinking this, she heard a voice from behind that was familiar to her memory. ¡°That¡­ if you¡¯re going to the mock battle, can I go with you¡­?¡± She turned her head and saw the beautiful sky-blue hair that was once alway by her side. ¡°Oh, Olsen-sama? Are you also interested?¡± ¡°Eh, yeah.¡± When Vivian and the others asked happily, Natalia responded a little shyly. ¡°Actually, I was approached by a student in the Knight Training Department to come and watch the mock battle¡­ but I was nervous about going alone¡­¡± ¡°Well, I see, you¡¯ve been invited. Wonderful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think I can go there alone. If it¡¯s okay, let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Ah, but is that person okay? I mean, what about Alejandro-san. Aren¡¯t you that person¡¯s lover?¡± ¡°Alejandro is not like that. He¡¯s just a childhood friend.¡± Hearing that the invitation came from a student of the Knight Training Department, Vivian and her friends, although they accepted it at once, remembered Alejandro¡¯s existence, but when she denied that and said they were just childhood friends, they did not pursue the matter any further, saying that the rumor was just a rumor. Beatrice, who had been waiting for a moment to break off the conversation, opened her mouth to decline at this point. Occasionally, she will go to the infirmary because she was not feeling well, and she just went today. So if she refused on that basis, no one would think it was strange. But with this, Natalia should be able to meet Leopold without her involvement. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Beatrice left her circle of friends and headed for the door to go home. But then she noticed Alejandro standing behind the door. ¡°¡­¡± No words came out. No, she was unable to get them out. She just quietly and silently passed by him. Alejandro also said nothing to Beatrice. No, perhaps Beatrice was not in his line of vision in the first place. Alejandro just turned his dark eyes to Natalia and the others, who were still talking about the mock battle. But that was all. CH 10 Chapter 10 : A person named Alejandro Alejandro Reyes. He was the heir apparent of the Reyes Trading Company. Alejandro is now a commoner, but according to her past life, about six month from now, his father will receive a title of Baron from His Majesty the King and become a member of the House of Barons. Reddish brown hair, and amber eyes. His long, gentle wavy hair was tied lightly in a single strand and swept down his back, giving him a somewhat aristocratic appearance even before receiving a noble title. Although he has an ordinary face, he is the son of a wealthy merchant family, and he had already helped the family business and accumulated achievements, so even as a commoner, he was popular among girls regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners. But when she thought back, Alejandro was always by her side. Always on their side. That¡¯s right, mainly on Natalia¡¯s side. ¡­she had never really thought about it before because there was no romantic atmosphere between the three of them when they were spending time together. Beatrice remembered Natalia happily talking with Vivian and the others about going to watch the mock battle, and Alejandro watching from behind the door. And Alejandro¡¯s dazed eyes at that moment. Even though it was not directed at her, her body trembled just remembering it. Two weeks have passed since that day after school. As promised, Vivian and her friends went with Natalia to watch the mock battle, and Natalia apparently received a confession from one of the students in the Knight Training Department there. But it was not from Leopoldo, as Beatrice had expected. For that matter, though, Beatrice was seized with a strange sense of guilt. The man who confessed his feelings to Natalia was the male student whom Beatrice had witnessed that day through the infirmary window and who had invited Natalia to watch the game. The male student was apparently a third son of the same family of Viscountship as Natalia. Since he has no title to inherit, he apparently chose to become a knight. Natalia did not have any particular fondness for the male student, and she had only turned up that day because she was called. The result of his confession did not result in a relationship as it was, and Beatrice felt a bit complicated about this as well. They decided to be friends for the time being, and they have met several times since then during lunch time or after school. Incidentally, it was not an uncommon event to hear a student from the Knight Training Department confessing or being approached by a student on the day of the mock battle. Vivian, now Beatrice¡¯s friend, was also one of those who was confessed to. ¡°But in my case, he had already asked me to marry him.¡± Vivian¡¯s cheeks blushed with shyness. That¡¯s right, this seems to be the time of year when all the daughters of the nobility are eager to find a good marriage partner. It was common practice in this country for students to decide on a partner and become engaged by the time they entered the academy and graduated, or by about a year after graduation. Even in those cases where the two households have already privately discussed it, they use the opportunity to observe their personalities and compatibility at the school, as Vivian¡¯s case this time. Through it all, it¡¯s usually normal to find a fianc¨¦e while still enrolled at the school. If a student is about to graduate and still hasn¡¯t decided, it is often because there is some problem with the student or his/her home. That¡¯s right, for instance, like Beatrice, who is suffering from a disease that has no hope of being cured. For example, like Leopoldo, the household that would be in a massive debt. In a sense, Natalia, whose family is poor, is also classified as rather problematic. However, from the point of view of someone who aspires to be in a knighthood for a lifetime, such as the person to whom she received a confession this time, or the son of a commoner, the presence or absence of a dowry would not be a major obstacle. The lower the title, the less likely you are to find a partner, and the less likely you are to find someone later on. And if a high-ranking nobleman has some problems, if he finds a good match early on¡­ After thinking about it, Beatrice suddenly realized something. Wait. So why, before her rebirth, did Leopold approach Natalia instead of a lady of a wealthy family? Is it a matter of right timing? Even if he had no money, even if the Marquise¡¯s family went under, he still couldn¡¯t resist love at first sight? Would Leopold even think of such a thing even after they were in a relationship, let alone before they were lovers? Something caught Beatrice¡¯s attention, and she was lost in thought. But a simple answer was soon found. It is so simple that she could not help but relax her shoulders. When they met and confessed to each other in the mock battle, Leopold¡¯s family was not in trouble at all. It was at the end of the school year that his father¡¯s business began to falter. It was around the middle of the second grade that the business began to experience a full-blown downturn in earnings. And by the time they entered the third grade, they were pretty much hopeless. There was hardly any room to even think about marrying Natalia to a family who had no resources or financial resources of any kind. Ah, I see. So when the mock battle came around, there was nothing alarming about it, and they felt safe enough to start dating. Rather, he probably intended to do much to help the financially impoverished Viscount Olsen family in the future. If only the business of the Marquise of Reinalpha had been going well as it was. If things went well, surely they would be as well. Even if there was some opposition from Leopold¡¯s parents, they could still get married and be happy. She didn¡¯t have to offer that contractual marriage, and she didn¡¯t have to be killed by Natalia. The medicine would not have been available in time, although it would not have changed the future of her death. But still¡­ No one, no one, ever had to feel that way. Unpredictability and matters of timing. There was nothing anyone could do about it, Beatrice thought at the time, and tried to make sense of it. I thought I was convinced. No, I was indeed convinced. At this moment. CH 11 Chapter 11 : Fleeting ¡ª Before Rebirth ¡°Hey, Trice, what should I do? He confessed to me.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± Beatrice momentarily froze at the words from her only friend, Natalia, and eventually blinked slowly, then finally opened her mouth. ¡°Ah, that person might be¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s your childhood friend, the prospective knight. It¡¯s Leopoldo Reinalpha-sama.¡± Natalia has a happy smile on her face, and her voice cannot contain her excitement. Her hands were wandering restlessly from here and there as she told her how she was experiencing such bliss. Before her rebirth, Leopold, whom she always always loved, confessed to Beatrice¡¯s only friend. Leopold, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, was looking at Natalia with blushing cheeks and feverish eyes. As a pure love that transcended family differences, the love between the two beautiful people quickly became known throughout the school. ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together with Trice and the others. It¡¯s more fun with lots of people.¡± Unable to resist the heat of her unrequited love, she would selfishly show up at the lovers¡¯ trysts, only to be hurt by the sights she saw there. She despaired at the fact that her beloved, whose eyes never reflect her own image. And yet the next day, as if being held together by an invisible rope, she clung to him again. Then, once again, she saw the lovers being happy again, and she despair alone. I just wanted to be with him. I just wanted to see his face, even if it was just for a moment. It was that mock battle that I went to see with such a casual attitude. Even from a distance, she thought, it would be enough if she could see Leopoldo swinging his sword. She knew that his heart would never turn to her. It was natural, because Leopold knew about her illness. A disease in which blood cannot be produced normally. With only symptomatic treatment, no established cure has yet been discovered, and she was diagnosed at an early age that she would not make it past the age of 20 if her condition continued. Therefore, there was no way that she could have been chosen as a lover and future spouse in the first place. Not only by her beloved Leopold, but also by any of the other gentlemen as well. She will also never allow herself to be chosen as someone¡¯s wife. So I knew, I thought I knew. She never thought she would be able to it turn around. There really was no such expectation, not even a bit of deceitful lie. However, she was certain that he was not even aware of the fact that she was secretly in love with him. Because otherwise, why else¡­ Why am I feeling this way? The sight of her loved one whispering love to someone who was not her made her feel conflicted, and it was even more intense when that ¡°someone¡± was her own dearest best friend. She wanted Leopold and Natalia to be happy. This was never a lie. And yet, knowing the fact that there was no room for her in that happiness, she felt sad. That¡¯s why I was glad. When I realized that there was something I could do for both of them, and that I could be there with them, even if it was only for a short time. I had hope. In the third grade, when Leopoldo¡¯s family¡¯s financial situation continued to deteriorate and his marriage to Natalia was doomed. When both of their faces were stained with despair. Beatrice stated. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell Natalia this. I was told that I couldn¡¯t live past twenty because of this congenital disease.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡± Beatrice wrapped her hands around Natalia¡¯s hands. She then chuckled at Leopold, who was standing next to her. ¡°That¡¯s why I had given up on getting married. My father also told me that there was no choice. Since there was no point in having a daughter who would die in a few years after marriage¡­ but Leopold-sama. I don¡¯t know if you would.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Beatrice?¡± They tilt their heads together. Beatrice bitterly smiled at the idea of them being so close to each other. ¡°You take a wife who is meaningless to you. For the sake of making one last memory of poor me, you ask my father to take me to be your wife.¡± Natalia and Leopold¡¯s faces paled quickly. ¡°Trice, that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that my father will give the Marquise of Reinalpha financial support in return. If he marries me, who is useless as a wife. And I¡¯ll be gone in a few years¡­ and then, Natalia, you will marry Leopold-sama as his second wife.¡± ¡°After¡­ as¡­ wife¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Beatrice nodded emphatically. ¡°By then the Reinalpha household¡¯s economic situation should have improved. At least it should at least be getting to the point where things begin recovering. And if you¡¯re a second wife, fewer people will find fault, blaming you for the huge disparity in family gap, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± As soon as they understood what she was talking about, a light flashed in both of their eyes. ¡°Surely, then¡­¡± ¡°But Trice, wait. No matter how desperate I am, I can¡¯t let you do something like that for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Natalia.¡± Beatrice, who thinks she has found her mission, smiled kindly at them. ¡°It¡¯s a life that will dissipate in a few years anyway. So, you know? Let me at least do something for my dear childhood friend¡­ and friend.¡± ¡°Trice.¡± ¡°And you know what, Natalia? Don¡¯t worry. As you can see, because of my body, even if I were to get married, it would still leave me in a clean relationship with Leopold-sama. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s a white marriage.¡± ¡°White¡­ marriage¡­ is that really what you want? I¡¯m so sorry I let Trice get to that point¡­¡± It¡¯s okay, Natalia. But you know, I can¡¯t tell you exactly how long I have left to live. I will see my doctor later, but until then, can you wait for Leopoldo-sama? Your father needs to be persuaded, too.¡± ¡°¡­yeah! Of course!¡± ¡°I hope that¡¯s alright with you, Leopold-sama. You don¡¯t have to love me. I would be your wife, even if only on paper.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. Beatrice, thank you. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.¡± It should be Natalia and Leopold who rejoice. And yet, as they talked, Beatrice was also shaking with joy. She could be Leopold¡¯s wife, even if it was only a formality. I thought it was all over. I thought this love would never come to fruition. Even if it was a position as a wife that she would surrender in just a few years. Even if Leopold¡¯s love was not directed to herself until the end. Even if it was a loveless marriage where she would never get an embrace or even a kiss from him. Still, this desire of hers can be accomplished in a certain way. And after her death, they can weave a happy future together. She made the best offer she could for both of them. Beatrice, at that time, did not doubt this belief. She never thought that anyone¡¯s malice existed there, not even a little. CH 12 Chapter 12 : Sense of Discomfort ¡°¡­Artie?¡± Beatrice came back to herself with a start as she was called out in concern. I couldn¡¯t do it. I just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. She forced a smile, pushing aside the anxiety that has been plaguing her for some time now. Of course, Edgar would not be fooled by such a smile, but he was not the kind of person who would force someone to talk if they were not willing to talk. Edgar chuckled and patted her on the head, ¡°Don¡¯t let it build up too much.¡± Not only did Edgar send letters frequently, as he said he would before he went to study abroad, but he has returned home three times to visit Beatrice. That¡¯s about once every three months. Although she was worried that she might be pushing him too hard, Edgar just laughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s good to have more energy for my studies.¡± With one year left before graduation, Edgar went to the neighboring country of Drieste to study medicine, and it seems that he had already earned the credits necessary for graduation. He quickly pursued a specialized course in medicine while studying abroad, and was busy with his daily life. He is serving an apprenticeship under a renowned doctor and spends three days a week studying and researching while performing miscellaneous duties on the field. Despite his extremely busy schedule, he comes home once every few months to see Beatrice, and she really doesn¡¯t know how he manages it. She felt sorry for him, but at the same time, she was happy to see Edgar whom she adored as her own brother. Another interesting point was that Edgar, who has acquired some medical knowledge, treated her as if he were her doctor, taking her pulse and checking her nutritional status whenever he saw her. Rembrandt. Beatrice¡¯s older brother, who was usually busy with his work at the Palace and was rarely seen at the residence, showed up at the residence on the day of Edgar¡¯s visit for some reason. He was grinning and was making a knowing face. Rembrandt warned his father and mother not to make fun of him too much, but they were all over the place. But such scenery made her strangely happy. Yes, I am happy now. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that she was ever unhappy with her previous self. Because even then, she and Natalia laughed, and the three of them, including Alejandro, chatted, and had lunch together. The world was small, and she still tended to miss school, but she never felt that it was a terrible experience. She can no longer have the time she had back then, at least not with Natalia and Alejandro. And as much as she remembered being happy, it was still something to be sad about. Now Beatrice has Vivian. And both Kaitlyn and Ashley too. But Vivian is Vivian, Kaitlyn is Kaitlyn, and¡­ Natalia is Natalia. No one can replace someone else. So, even if she felt happy, her heart still ached from time to time. And here comes another factor that makes Beatrice uneasy. ¡°¡­Un. Your pulse is getting unstable. Is Artie worried about something? Or did you find something stressful?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edgar chuckled at her too honest reaction, which took her breath away reflexively. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you to confide in me, but if it would make Artie feel better, I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d talk to me.¡± If he tilted his head as if he was at a loss for words, Beatrice¡¯s feelings would easily waver. What should I do? She wants to put her trust in Edgar¡¯s words. She will certainly reach her limit if she continues thinking in circles like this alone. But¡­ What should I tell him? This unspeakable anxiety that I am feeling at the moment. There was too much strangeness to be put away as a mere coincidence. Why him this time? No, not like that. Why has nothing happened to Leopold¡¯s family this time? She hesitated for a few moments, then opened her mouth softly. The key parts were blurry all together. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never met him in person. Apparently, his family has fallen into financial difficulties.¡± ¡°¡­umm?¡± ¡°So, you know, there are rumors that he¡¯s going to, you know, leave the academy and get a job, and I¡¯m a little concerned about that.¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re curious about that person?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ eh?¡± Edgar raised his eyebrows in query, which made Beatrice wonder if she had said something wrong. But that was quickly countered by Edgar. ¡°Oh Artie, it¡¯s okay. You didn¡¯t say anything weird. Well, that¡¯s right. Is this rumored person a female student?¡± ¡°¡­? No, a male student. From the Knight Training Department.¡± ¡°¡­is that so.¡± ¡°Edgar-sama?¡± ¡°Well, I think that working without graduating from the academy will be a disadvantage for a long time to come. But that¡¯s just a rumor, right? I don¡¯t think Artie needs to worry about that.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ you know¡­¡± For some reason, Edgar seemed a bit unhappy, and Beatrice became concerned. She wondered if he was tired from coming back so often. She regretted that she just said something unnecessary, but Edgar continued talking. ¡°Hey, Artie. That person is a stranger to you, isn¡¯t he? But you seem very concerned about it.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m curious. Because it could happen in any house.¡± Yes. Leopold¡¯s house was also under a cloud from around this time. ¡°I don¡¯t think Artie¡¯s father or Rembrandt would s***w up like that, though.¡± Beatrice smiled back at Edgar, who laughed at her. Edgar was right, because nothing will happen to the Marquise of Strydom. But the Marquise of Reinalpha is now on the verge of falling, supposedly. But for some reason, after her rebirth, she did not even see any sign of it. ¡°¡­¡± Which was a good thing. If nothing happens to Leopold¡¯s house, it¡¯s for the best. And yet. This time, why him. Maybe I just don¡¯t know it and it has happened before? ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Beatrice, who remained downcast, Edgar was about to say something, but kept his mouth shut. Instead, he gently held Beatrice¡¯s hand. While Beatrice felt deeply sorry for making Edgar¡¯s thoughtfulness so impertinent after he had come all this way, she still thought that she could not talk further just yet. Still, the doubts that once welled up made Beatrice uneasy to no end. Because of him. The son of the Viscount in the Knight Training Department who had invited Natalia to come and watch the mock battle behind the infirmary that day. After that, Nicholas Trad confessed to Natalia, and although they were not officially dating yet, they often met after school. She can¡¯t believe that the business that Nicholas¡¯ family was involved in has failed, and as a result, they are now in big debt. Not Leopold¡¯s house. CH 13 Chapter 13 : And the Encounter of Two Lovers Eventually, Nicholas Trad left the academy before the end of the first school year and joined the Royal Order of Knights. In contrast to the enlistment after graduation from the Knight Training Department at the academy, the recruitment process is open to the general public, with only a practical sword test, which is mainly for the commoners. You will first be trained as a candidate, then you will become a knight¡¯s apprentice. Finally, you become a knight. In terms of subsequent career advancement, the difference between those who graduated from the academy and those who did not is quite significant. Although he is the son of a Viscount, Nicholas is in the same bracket as the commoners, so he had little hope for advancement. And¡­ Nothing has happened in Leopold¡¯s family, where he still has not met Natalia, as he did before. This week, the first school year will end. Before her rebirth, there was already quite a lot of uncertainty appearing in Leopold¡¯s family at this point. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just overthinking things, still¡­¡± In a carriage on the way to the school. Seeing that no one else is around, some disturbing words almost burst out of her mouth, and Beatrice hastened to keep her mouth shut. Don¡¯t make assumptions without any proof. No matter how ¡°similar¡± it may seem. Now that she is looking at it as a stranger from a distance, not as someone involved, she feels that something is wrong. Maybe it wasn¡¯t just a misfortune brought by my own self-indulgent kindness, she thought. And this may be the reason why she was murdered. ¡­no, I don¡¯t know about that. Because that was the moment when Drieste succeeded in developing the medicine. Beatrice let out a sigh. Right now, she doesn¡¯t know anything yet. Making herself anxious by thinking about it won¡¯t help with anything. Isn¡¯t it a good thing that nothing happened to Leopold¡¯s family? And so she convinced herself. However, such carefree thought dissipated as soon as she arrived at school. ¡°Hey, Beatrice. Long time no see.¡± ¡°¡­Leopold, sama.¡± Beatrice shuddered as she wondered why Leopold had appeared before her. It was easy to get involved. Just as what Nicholas Trad might have done. You step on a landmine without knowing what you¡¯re doing, and the next thing you know, you¡¯re blown to pieces and your life itself changes forever. Even so, before her rebirth, Beatrice was not only involved in it, but went to involve herself voluntarily. But this time it was different. Knowing that her life will end after six years from her worsening disease, she doesn¡¯t want to get caught up with anyone else¡¯s misfortune anymore. That¡¯s why she decided to end this love that she thought was the root of it. ¡­and yet. Beatrice raised her eyebrows slightly. Leopold tilted his head curiously at this sight. Today was the first time Beatrice has ever shown any signs of unhappiness when she meets him. But that was not much of a concern for Leopoldo. Therefore, he quickly went about his business. ¡°Well¡­ I have a favor to ask Beatrice.¡± Leopold scratched his head, looking embarrassed. She has some idea about what he was going to say. Though, she hoped that she was wrong. However, such predictions were more likely to come true. ¡°Well, there is a girl named Natalia Olsen in Beatrice¡¯s class. Actually, I¡¯ve had my eye on her for a while, but I couldn¡¯t talk to her before because she seemed to be dating someone.¡± ¡­ah. The way he blushed, his eyes wandering around, and the tone of his voice, overlapped with the scenery of the past. If these two were really destined lovers, then perhaps they should be congratulated, and they should be happy. But now. I knew this would happen, this was the only thing that came to her mind. Relief, anxiety, anticipation and frustration. Natalia and Leopold. A young girl with sky-blue hair and a young man with flaxen hair. I wanted them to get together this time and be happy. But she decided that she wouldn¡¯t do anything to upset the wheels of their destiny anymore, and would just sit back and watch. But if. If her guess was correct, if Leopold makes a move, something will change again. It will change. The Marquise of Reinalpha, which was now safe and sound, may possibly face some kind of crisis. Just as it was before her rebirth. And maybe. Maybe, just maybe. If Beatrice helps Leopold¡¯s love, would something happen to the Marquis of Strydom? Was she thinking too much? Maybe so. But really? Was it all right to think this way? Such words passed through her mind, but they were only her guesses or delusions. Then Beatrice. The answer that Beatrice can give was. There was only one. ¡°¡­indeed. Natalia-sama is a classmate of mine. But we are not close enough for me to say anything. If you have feelings for her, I think it would be better for you to speak directly to her.¡± ¡°Ah, ah. That¡¯s right¡­ I should do that.¡± That shy and downcast expression on his face was the one Beatrice once longed for. But strangely enough, Beatrice doesn¡¯t feel much anymore. ¡°Sorry for keeping you here, Beatrice.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t help you. You see, I often miss school. So I don¡¯t have a lot of people I know¡­ I¡¯m sure they would be surprised if I tried to talk to them.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I thought of something unmanly, too. I suppose I¡¯ll talk to her in person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. You should do that¡­ it is from none other than Leopoldo after all. I am sure Natalia will be pleased.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope so.¡± Beatrice smiled back at him as he said this. It¡¯s okay. Natalia will surely fall in love with you again, but this time with you at first sight. Because that¡¯s the only thing I¡¯m sure of. But I¡¯m sorry, Leopold. I no longer believe that my hands can save anyone. So I won¡¯t help, but I won¡¯t hinder either. I¡¯ll just pray from afar. May the happiness you desire come to you both, and may the future you fear never come. ¡°See you later, Beatrice.¡± ¡°Good-bye, Leopold-sama.¡± Beatrice bowed her head lightly. Goodbye, my beloved. Someone who was never nice to me. Straightforward, blunt, bright, and a person who has no front and back. He never singled her out because she was sickly and weak, and he never held anything back. Being with you made me forget that I was sick. Maybe that was why I wished to stay by your side. I know, I¡¯m stupid. You were the same too, Leopold, even though you didn¡¯t choose me as a marriage partner because of my illness. But this time I will not reach out to you. Therefore, you. You, who could only see Natalia, do your best. This time, protect Natalia properly. Beatrice quietly watches Leopoldo¡¯s back. She has a bad premonition that is closing in on her, and she doesn¡¯t want it to come true, but¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± She was really scared. She wondered why. I wanted to see Edgar, Beatrice though. CH 14 Chapter 14 : The wheels of fate are set in motion. Later that week, Leopoldo confessed to Natalia, and unlike with Nicholas, Natalia accepted on the spot. During the vacation period at the end of the school year, which eventually began, the two met repeatedly. And as the second school year began, the usual scene she used to see before her rebirth seemed to be still visible. Two people having a friendly lunch at noon. Two people walking in the courtyard, and cuddling after school. They held hands, smiled at each other with a blush on their cheeks, and they gave each other a slightly shy look. It wasn¡¯t long before the two beautiful students became a rumored couple of the school. Beatrice watched them quietly. While praying in her heart that the bad premonition would not come true. Beatrice still exchanges letters frequently with Edgar, who has been studying in Drieste, and they meet every few months. Edgar is as kind as ever, and whenever he sees her, he observes Beatrice¡¯s condition and gives her a lot of advice. Sometimes he would bring back things like nutritional supplements and medicinal herbs from Drieste for Beatrice. Beatrice once asked Edgar if spending time with her would hinder his studies. And she said that she was willing to just write letters to him if she was a nuisance. At that time, Edgar replied that he would rather meet with Beatrice in person so he could check on her physical condition. He said that when he was stuck in his research, the conversation he had with Beatrice made him realize, and it helped him change his perspective at that time. She was glad to hear Edgar¡¯s sentiment, even though she knew it was probably just a comforting thought. ¡°Thanks to you, my research is progressing well.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing, really.¡± Saying that much, she almost inadvertently misinterprets it as if she were being helpful in some way. ¡°It¡¯s true. This is much faster than planned. I thought it would take ten years, but it might take seven or eight.¡± Beatrice thought that Edgar is really good at giving compliments, even though she could hardly believe that she is that helpful to Edgar¡¯s research. But seven or eight years, though certainly shorter than ten years, is still a long time for Beatrice. Once again, she felt a slight tingle in her chest when she thought that she would not live to see Edgar¡¯s official return. ¡°That guy, Edgar. He was here again, wasn¡¯t he? Really, I don¡¯t know how he does it. I mean, there¡¯s a fair distance between here and the Institute of Medicine in Drieste.¡± Rembrandt, who had stopped by the residence after Edgar left, as usual, told her this in amazement. ¡°And this time? Did you get any souvenirs from the institute?¡± ¡°Eh? Eh, eh.¡± Beatrice nodded, a little puzzled by her brother¡¯s casual inquiry. ¡°This time I got a new herb. I heard it has a lot of nourishing and tonic effects. For the time being, he wants me to improve my strength.¡± ¡°Well, sure. You can¡¯t do anything without basic physical strength. You¡¯re so quick to get a fever and collapse in bed, this is a pre-treatment issue.¡± ¡°There is no cure for what ails me in the first place, brother.¡± ¡°¡­well, that¡¯s right. Currently, that¡¯s certainly true.¡± Rembrandt scratches his head. ¡°Anyway, you should keep a certain level of physical strength so that when a treatment is found, you can immediately receive it. Strong medicines are poison to a weak body. Even if a medicine is found, you will not be able to take it if you are too weak.¡± Beatrice nodded her head in agreement with her brother, who spoke in an unusually strong tone of voice. The older brother must be worried about his younger sister, who is often bedridden since childhood. In fact, before her rebirth, although the doctor told her that she could still live over 20 years old, Beatrice ended up dying less than six years from now. But still, Beatrice thought. It is rare to talk about Beatrice¡¯s illness with her brother under the assumption that she will be cured someday. This is an incurable disease where the cause is known but a cure has yet to be established. It is an incurable disease that is said to place you among the lucky ones if you live until 20 years old. Rembrandt never treated his sister specially. But he never offered easy comfort regarding her illness. How could such an older brother treat his sister so? These lingering concerns were instantly dispelled when one of the attendants brought an decoction of Edgar¡¯s medicinal herbs. However, it seems that the effect of nourishing tonic is certain. After that, Beatrice¡¯s physical condition improved a little. Her parents were so pleased that they reported it to Edgar, and Beatrice has been drinking the bitter medicine ever since. Beatrice was hoping that everything would pass without incident, while cheering from afar for the pure loving couple who were the center of attention at the school, as she lived such a peaceful life in a sense. Yes. She hoped that her own inaccurate speculations would not come true, that no one would suffer any more misfortunes, and that time would pass peacefully. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that wishing such a thing would only be futile. Even so, she couldn¡¯t stop wishing. That¡¯s how much she longed for happiness. Even if my own death is inevitable, this time, it is all for those two. For Natalia and Leopold, who have been led into an irrevocable situation by her own shallow suggestions. This time, this time, I want them to be happy. So please. Let me know that all this foreboding premonition is just my imagination. Even though she knew somewhere in her heart that it would be futile. Beatrice could not stop praying. CH 15 Chapter 15 : That day, that time, the three of us ¡ª Memories before Rebirth ¡°I¡¯m so glad I became friends with Trice.¡± When was the last time Natalia said that? That¡¯s right. It was that day. It was a weekend, when the three of them went out for a walk in the city. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it, too, Natalia. I really want to thank you for being my friend. Thank you.¡± Although she said those words, she felt a little embarrassed and turned her head down. ¡°What are you two blushing and giggling about? You¡¯re not a kid.¡± Alejandro, who was ridiculing Beatrice and her friend, who were still holding each other¡¯s hand tightly, while thanking each other for their friendship, was standing just by their side. ¡°Don¡¯t put tea1 every time. Alejandro doesn¡¯t understand my feelings. I¡¯m really happy.¡± ¡°Ah~ yes, yes, good for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Alejandro should be silent for a moment.¡± Alejandro laughed at Natalia, who puffed out her cheeks. While Beatrice, who was also chuckling, was caught in the act. ¡°No, why did you even say that line here in the first place? And isn¡¯t Beatrice too tired to move?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll feel better if she continues to rest under the shade of the tree. Because the weather is so nice, we ended up walking without taking a break. Hey, isn¡¯t that right? Trice.¡± ¡°Eh. I think so too. It had been a long time since I had walked around town, so I guess I was a little too eager. I¡¯m not good at this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, Trice. I¡¯m so happy I¡¯m the one who took you around. I should have realized it earlier. Oh, hey Alejandro. Can you go get us a little something to drink?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I understand, princess.¡± On that day, Beatrice and the others walked around the city to see what the city had to offer. A memory of the time when Natalia, Alejandro, and Beatrice were always spending time together. Still before Natalia met Leopold. Probably when the three of them, including Beatrice, were at their most peaceful. It was late spring, the sun was a little too strong, and the frail Beatrice felt sick. Supported by Alejandro and Natalia, their conversation was held during the time they were resting under the shade of a tree. As Alejandro headed towards the stall to buy a drink, Natalia spoke again to Beatrice. ¡°Alejandro makes fun of me like that, but I really mean it. I am so grateful to have met Trice.¡± Natalia had such a pretty face and she said such pretty words. I¡¯m happy too, was what she wanted to say the moment she looked up at Natalia. But Natalia seemed to be sad for some reason. ¡°Natalia¡­?¡± With her eyebrows lowered into the figure of °Ë, Natalia hid a little. ¡°Because, you know. I¡¯ve never been this close to anyone before.¡± And then she said something along those lines. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯ve never been able to make close friends in all my life.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ no way.¡± Beatrice couldn¡¯t believe it when she heard that. Natalia is bright, friendly, vivacious, caring, and endearing in every way. She always remembered the sight of her chatting amiably with everyone in class. So it was very surprising that such words came out of her mouth out of all people. Because it was Beatrice who had no friends. For Beatrice, who was often confined to the mansion because of her illness, the only people she had ever called friends were Edgar and Leopold. Moreover, Leopold¡¯s relationship with Beatrice was so superficial that he didn¡¯t even bother to visit her when she fell ill. So she didn¡¯t understand what Natalia was saying. It was Beatrice who had no friends, not Natalia. And she was honest enough to raise such a question. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you don¡¯t have any friends. Natalia is very popular in class, you know?¡± What she told her was neither flattering nor guessing, but she really meant it. That¡¯s why she considered it a miracle to become Natalia¡¯s friend. And yet, Natalia shakes her head with another forlorn look on her face, ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always been that way. I¡¯d get to know them in a certain way, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be good friends¡­ but before I know it, they¡¯re all leaving me.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°So Trice is the first one I¡¯ve ever encountered. The first person who¡¯s been my¡­ real friend like this.¡± She remembered that Natalia was smiling when she said that. The sun was shining when she tilted her head, casting a shadow on her face, but she was certain. The hand that was squeezed so tightly was very strong. And Beatrice¡¯s hand was just as strong. ¡­ ¡°Hey, Trice. I¡¯m happy. I¡¯m so happy to see Leo.¡± After meeting Leopold, Natalia was happy all the time, and she was smiling. ¡°My father told me to marry into a rich aristocratic family somewhere after I graduated. But most of the proposals that came my way were either from the wives of older gentlemen or people with some other reason.¡± Natalia muttered quietly, staring off into the distance somewhere. ¡°I was about to give up, and even after telling myself that I need to face reality¡­¡± Natalia continued. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe my good fortune. I can¡¯t believe I met someone that nice and that he likes me.¡± Natalia¡¯s happy appearance was admired throughout the school. The time she spent with Beatrice and the others naturally decreased. But they could not help but dismiss it as inevitable. Even so, Beatrice only went along to lunch because she wanted to see Leopold. And Alejandro seemed to be more disciplined in keeping his distance. When Natalia asked him out, he pretty much turned her down, and Beatrice can¡¯t count the number of times she met with Leopoldo. And so, more and more days go by when she finds herself not seeing Alejandro at Natalia¡¯s side. Even though she had to leave her friends and childhood friends in this way, Natalia was still full of love with Leopold. Then, Leopoldo leaned in close to Natalia as if he were a knight protecting a princess, smiling warmly next to her. It was something Beatrice had always dreamed of, but at the same time, she knew very well that it was something she could not afford to give herself. Therefore¡­ Beatrice thought to herself. ¡ª¡ª¡±I¡¯ll never, ever, ever have any of these.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡±So at least you can have that, my favorite Natalia¡± Yes, she thought sincerely. Because the ignorant Beatrice believed at the time that everyone wanted Natalia to be happy. Unaware that she was remembering in a dream, Beatrice burst into tears. To a nostalgic and sad past. In reality, the moment everyone fell into despair, it all vanished. Beatrice let out an incoherent mutter. Hey, Natalia. My first friend. I wanted to protect your smile. I really wanted to protect you. ??? Sunnyshies: Beatrice seemed to like Natalia more than Leopold, I wonder why it didn¡¯t become a GL. ??? Ryuubii: With this sort of cast, it would just turn into one sided love. Anyway, the author is probably not really into GL, seeing that he made this sort of setting yet still went for boy x girl, even though most if not all males in this story seem like b******s in one way or another, especially the named ones. CH 16 Chapter 16 : Is it reality that looms? The second school year was nearing its end. It was around this time that Natalia and Leopold¡¯s amicable relationship had become a well-known feature of the school. The time was almost a year off from when it was before her rebirth, but the event still happened. One of the merchant ships owned by the Marquise of Reinalfa sank off the coast of the ocean. The large quantity of goods purchased, the skilled sailors, and the large sum of money from the earlier business meeting all sank to the bottom of the sea. When the news arrived, Beatrice was hardly surprised. The only words that came to her mind were, Oh, I knew it. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m sure. But it was a half-expected news. So she was not surprised, and yet Beatrice felt dizzy at the news. Not because she was struck by the news, but because she was simply overwhelmed by the reality that confronted her. When Beatrice wobbled and fell to her knees on the floor, the maid who had been waiting by the door rushed to her. It¡¯s okay, she tried to say, but she couldn¡¯t speak well. Eventually, Beatrice was taken to her bed, where she was left alone with her thoughts. Until now, she had thought that she was the cause of that tragedy. She thought it was all her fault, that she had meddled and made things worse. So if she can take her share. If only two people in love with destiny could take each other¡¯s hand and let them overcome their own difficulties. Beatrice believed that even if there were some twists and turns, the worst ending could be avoided. And yet. ¡­It wasn¡¯t as simple as giving up my love for Leopold. If there was an entity with clear intentions to destroy the love between Natalia and Leopoldo, Beatrice¡¯s choice to watch them from afar probably has no meaning. Whether Beatrice is involved in it or not, their love will surely be thoroughly crushed sooner or later. What should I do? What should I do? Until now, she had always felt vaguely that this might be the case, but somewhere along the way, she had been unable to grasp that it might be a real thing. It¡¯s impossible. No one would go that far, was what she kept telling herself. It would be a lot easier to just continue to watch and wait until the end. She doesn¡¯t have to get involved in anything, she just has to see the hidden truths that will eventually be revealed at the end. But is that really enough? ¡°No. No, that¡¯s¡­¡± Because who knows? What if, perhaps, the two of them might be corrupted by despair once again. ¡°Ah, but¡­¡± Even if Beatrice panics now, it does not mean that she has any power. What could a naive, sickly, weak young lady do? She remembered Alejandro, who was staring at Natalia with those dazed eyes that day and that time. If it was Alejandro. If he had orchestrated all of this, both before and after the rebirth. ¡°¡­¡± Calm down. Don¡¯t make assumptions without looking into it. But then, if she were to look into it, what would she do about it? Beatrice placed her hand on her chest and repeatedly took deep breaths, trying to control her impatience. But the more she thought about it, the more Beatrice¡¯s suspicions about Alejandro grew. Alejandro is a man of many faces, has money to burn, and even joined the aristocracy six months ago. He could be more audacious. ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± There was no way Beatrice could compete. If anyone tries to touch her in a bad way, he will surely, or certainly, take some measures against Beatrice as well. Nicholas Trad might have been done in by him. In that sense, she felt that what happened at the end before the rebirth was also a set-up. ¡°But I was weak because of my diseases to begin with¡­¡± That¡¯s why at that time. When she felt her body weakening little by little, Beatrice was beginning to realize that she was dying. It was almost a year longer than the three years she had expected. However, that made the position of Natalia, the unmarried lady, even more delicate. Leopold, who was strangely disciplined, never laid a hand on Natalia during his marriage to Beatrice, and remained respectful of Beatrice, who was only a decorative wife. The marriage was well financed by Beatrice¡¯s family, the Marquise of Strydom. Although there were still occasional accidents and bandit attacks that shook up the business of the Reinalpha family, the situation was still improving steadily. Come to think of it, Beatrice recalled something. She remembered, about two weeks before she was killed, Beatrice met Natalia. Natalia had come to visit Beatrice when she was nearly bedridden. That¡¯s right, she was certain about that one. ¡ª¡ª¡±Are you okay? Trice. You look like you¡¯re in a lot of pain.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡±I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m used to this. I¡¯m sorry, Natalia. Three years have already passed, and I¡¯ve kept you waiting for this long.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡±No, it¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t matter. I have hope because of you.¡± That¡¯s right. Indeed, that¡¯s what Natalia said at the time, there was hope. ¡ª¡ª¡±Hey, Trice. If you hadn¡¯t helped me, I¡¯m sure I would be dead by now.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡±Eh?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡±Because, you know. I, all this time.¡± Natalia looked like she was about to cry. Even though her face was definitely smiling. ¡°Every time I had it, every time I found it, I lost it. My friends, my precious things, my hopes, my dreams, everything. Yes, all this time.¡± ¡°I was empty.¡± Even now, She can recall it vividly. That clean, beautiful, smiling face of Natalia. ¡°But Trice became my friend. And she helped me in this way so that Leo and I could get married in the future. So now I have hope.¡± She didn¡¯t want to think that what she said at that time was a lie, but¡­. ¡°Trice is the reason I¡¯m still alive today.¡± ¡°So¡­ thank you, Triche.¡± So said Natalia. After she said that, Natalia stuck the knife into Beatrice two weeks later. CH 17 Chapter 17 : I knew it, I was stupid Soon, with a knock at the door, her parents appeared with worried expressions on their faces. ¡°Trice, you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, Beatrice.¡± When Beatrice woke up, her mother was gently holding her hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing really well for a long time now, I was so surprised when you suddenly collapsed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Trice. It¡¯s because I mentioned the Reinalpha family inadvertently in front of you, isn¡¯t it? I wasn¡¯t considerate enough.¡± ¡°No, Father, Mother. I¡¯m all right now. I¡¯m just a little¡­ well, surprised.¡± Beatrice has been in love with Leopold since she was a child. Her father and mother were right to be concerned, as she collapsed immediately after hearing the bad news about the Reinalpha family. Although, they were a little off the mark. But there is no way Beatrice could tell them that. Just in case, she told her parents that she was going to rest today, and they left the room with a little disappointment. Beatrice wondered if her brother and her parents were getting used to her having a good physical condition. She felt as if their expectations were too high these days, despite the fact that her disease has no hope of being cured. Five more years. Five more years until Beatrice dies. And yet, Beatrice thought that any hope of her being cured someday is not good for anyone. Everything would be fine if it wasn¡¯t for her. She knew how it ended, and holding onto hope until the end was also an option. But for those who are going to be left behind¡­ To them, who loved Beatrice so much, cared for her when she often collapsed on the floor, showed her compassion, and allowed her to continue her expensive symptomatic treatment for many years¡­ She doesn¡¯t want to do something that causes unnecessary grief. Lost in these thoughts, Beatrice¡¯s ears once again heard a knock at the door. She answered, and to her surprise, the person who appeared this time was Rembrandt, Beatrice¡¯s brother. Did he come all the way back from the royal palace after hearing that his sister had fallen ill? That is something my elder brother wouldn¡¯t do. Well, I¡¯m sorry about that. Beatirce then invited him inside quickly. ¡°You¡¯ve been in good shape as of late.¡± Beatrice laughed at her brother, who said the same thing as her parents. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you, brother. But it¡¯s all right now.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t rely on your words.¡± Saying so, he poked his sister¡¯s forehead a little, and the expression on his face was slightly stiff. ¡°He said he¡¯ll be here in five days.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Although he didn¡¯t say who it was, she knew who he was talking about right away. That person was, of course, Edgar, who visited her three weeks ago. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you have fallen asleep like this so I told him¡­do you understand? That¡¯s how he reacted. Rembrandt chuckled. ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t feel safe until he saw Beatrice¡¯s condition with his own eyes.¡± Rembrandt, her brother, who was five years older than Beatrice, has one year difference from Edgar. Rembrandt, who did not like Leopold as much, was often with Edgar and loved him like a little brother. They were both bookish and studious. Maybe that¡¯s why they hit it off. ¡­ Edgar chuckled as Rembrandt looked somewhat coldly at Beatrice, who opened her mouth and followed Leopold more adoringly than her own brother. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point in rushing here. But you¡¯ll have to start building up your strength again.¡± Why was it that her brother seemed more disappointed than the person who collapsed? ¡°¡­was brother really that concerned about me?¡± Her voice was faint, but it was enough for the person in front of her to hear her words. ¡°Damn. You¡¯re so rude. I thought you¡¯ve gotten over your stupidity a slight bit recently, but I guess a stupid person is still a stupid person.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be so ridiculous. It¡¯s hurtful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth, well, it can¡¯t be helped. I thought you were finally on the right track when you entered the academy.¡± When Beatrice tilted her head and wondered what he meant, Rembrandt snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but didn¡¯t you get over being Leopold¡¯s fool when you first started school?¡± ¡°¡­Leopold¡¯s fool?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nickname. I called you that since since you¡¯re all about Leopold.¡± ¡°¡­well¡­ I used to be all over Leopold-sama in the past.¡± Still, her brother¡¯s treatment towards Leopold is still the same as ever, making Beatrice sigh secretly. ¡°He looks like a prince. And I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that he has a bad character, but his bottom line is too shallow. I was amazed at your lack of discernment. There were better men right beside you.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± ¡°What is it? You still don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s just too sad, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Umm, what has big brother been trying to say since earlier?¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s enough.¡± With an exaggerated sigh, Rembrandt brushed his hair back. Then, he glared at Beatrice. ¡°¡­so? You¡¯re still not going to tell anyone?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Edgar told me. He said that you¡¯ve been acting strange for the past year or so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Edgar said that you were either troubled or stressed.¡± Rembrandt stared into Beatrice¡¯s eyes. Then he chuckled. ¡°Not even your kind and wise brother could tell you that. If there¡¯s anything I can do to help you, I will.¡± ¡°Brother¡­¡± Everything was no longer in her control, at least she understood this much. There is no harm in staying quiet, and perhaps Beatrice won¡¯t be hurt this time. However, she wondered if that would be the right thing to do. Someone who would not even consider Natalia¡¯s feelings, who would just be obsessed with her own self, putting Natalia¡¯s happiness second. The pain of that last moment before her rebirth, the last moment before she went back in time, flashed past Beatrice¡¯s mind. She thought it was all because she loved Leopold. It was my fault for loving that man. But what if it wasn¡¯t. If it wasn¡¯t because of her infatuation that destroyed their future. Maybe she could do something about it. ¡°¡­brother, you know.¡± Her voice trembled with anxiety. She wondered if her brother would listen to her without making fun of herself to the end. About her life before her rebirth. The unusual events in the Reinalpha household, the love between Leopold and Natalia, the developed medicine, her proposal of marriage contract, and the fact that she died being stabbed to death by her best friend. I wonder if this overly pragmatic brother will believe me. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to say something very strange now.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Rembrandt raised one of his eyebrows in amusement. ¡°However, I want you to hear me out without saying any word until the end.¡± Rembrandt stared at Beatrice and eventually nodded. ¡°I get it. Okay, just say it.¡± Rembrandt sat down on the edge of the bed, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. Then he gestured for her to speak. Even at a time like this, Beatrice couldn¡¯t help but smile at her brother¡¯s normal response. Yes, I know. I know that my brother is a very sharp man. Beatrice exhales a big breath or two. Then¡­ She started talking. What happened to Beatrice a long long time before she went back in time. CH 18 Chapter 18 : The Story¡¯s Credibility ¡°¡­he.¡± That was the only word Rembrandt said after hearing the story. You¡¯re lying, that¡¯s impossible, or maybe you¡¯re crazy. Not a single one of the words Beatrice had expected came out of his mouth. Beatrice then opened her mouth to speak to her brother, who had fallen silent. ¡°Does brother, um, believe me¡­? ¡°Hmm? Yeah, well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s entirely a lie.¡± ¡°What? Why? Brother, is your head okay?¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re asking me?¡± ¡°No, no, because¡­¡± Beatrice started mumbling Beatrice, who had somehow uttered the words she had feared her brother would say, could not hide her surprise at how easily he had accepted the story. After being stabbed to death by a friend five years from now, she went back in time seven years ago. And a suspicious person seemed to be eyeing that friend, and that suspicious person might be the cause of the sinking ship. She said so directly. What a stupid thing to say, and yet it was the only thing a stupid person such as herself could think of. ¡°I¡¯d like to laugh it off as nothing short of ridiculous¡­ but there¡¯s something strangely plausible about your story.¡± ¡°Eh? Is that so?¡± When Beatrice asked what part of the story he was referring to, she was told that he will have to talk about it later. ¡°Anyway. I have a lot to say about what you just told me, but let me take care of this for now. You¡¯ll at least give me a little time to think about it, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Of course. Thank you for listening to me, brother. But, um¡­¡± Beatrice was grateful that he listened to the end without assuming it was a lie. But in her impatience, Beatrice continued her words as if she was really desperate. Rembrandt seemed to immediately sense what his sister was thinking. He chuckled and patted Beatrice on the head, saying, ¡°I know what you mean.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s stop talking about your rebirth. Alejandro, right? I¡¯ll look into it to see if he¡¯s really the one behind it. According to you, he may have had something to do with the ship that sank and the near fall of Viscount Tradd¡¯s household, right?¡± ¡°Wah, yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Sure, it was sudden on both sides, and that¡¯s a weird story.¡± Rembrandt held his chin and began talking to himself. ¡°If it¡¯s something that happened recently, it¡¯s not that hard to find out. Especially if there¡¯s another case¡­ well, and other things.¡± Rembrandt looked up and ruffled Beatrice¡¯s hair again, this time he did it vigorously. ¡°Eh, hey, brother?¡± Beatrice¡¯s soft cat hair quickly becomes tangled and looks like a bird¡¯s nest. ¡°Enough. Geez, oh, brother.¡± ¡°Take it easy for a while. I¡¯ll have my thoughts together by the time he gets here.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Rembrandt smiled when he saw Beatrice, who was stunned and grateful to her brother at the same time, with disheveled hair, and then he opened his mouth as if he had just remembered something. ¡°And I¡¯d like to share this story with him.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I think he needs to hear it too.¡± ¡°Is it necessary¡­ to Edgar-sama?¡± ¡°Yes. Okay?¡± ¡°Uh, if Brother says so.¡± ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± With these words, Rembrandt left the room, and this time he turned to his father¡¯s office. Rembrandt began talking to Noyce Strydom, who looked up at his son¡¯s sudden appearance with a puzzled look on his face. ¡°I have some urgent matters I need to look into. I need about five shadow guards1 to help me.¡± Noyce was slightly dazzled. ¡°Five people, very greedy aren¡¯t you? What¡¯s the trouble?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t give you the details right now. Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯d like to put a few shadow guards here and there.¡± Being smiled at, Noyce let out an exaggerated sigh of dismay. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll give me a proper report later.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m borrowing one of your best men.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rembrandt was clearly not in the mood to be looked at with a stinky expression from his father. He stared back at his father with a smile pasted on his face. After watching Noyce, who had lost his patience first and waved his hand, saying, ¡°That¡¯s enough, I¡¯ll allow you to go,¡± Rembrandt then left the office. He had just sneaked out from work to check on her, but he had no idea that he was about to hear such an outrageous story. In the carriage back to the palace, Rembrandt pondered over what he had just heard. ¡°A contractual marriage to Leopold with a one-year engagement period after graduation, in return for our financial support to the Reinalpha family¡­ Well, that¡¯s exactly what she would have done since she used to be Leopold¡¯s fool.¡± Beatrice¡¯s best friend called Natalia being Leopold¡¯s lover, the crazy guy who is flickering over the woman, or the Reinalpha family being in financial trouble because of a set up. All of that stuff honestly doesn¡¯t matter to Rembrandt. After all, Beatrice being murdered by Leopold¡¯s lover was something he would normally dismiss as delusional. But¡­ ¡°Five years from now, the cure for Beatrice¡¯s disease is going to be developed¡­¡± Beatrice was unaware of the ongoing development of a new drug in a neighboring country. ¡°Edgar¡¯s initial assessment was that it would take ten years. Now he said the pace has quickened and it will probably take seven or eight years.¡± Hmmm, Rembrandt reflected. ¡°I mean, they are already going at that pace right now. But even then, Trice wouldn¡¯t make it, would she?¡± Rembrandt closed his eyes, letting the vibrations of the carriage shake him. Trice said Edgar¡¯s behavior was different too. He used to go and not see her for seven years. Rembrandt¡¯s right hand rubbed his chin as if in contemplation. ¡°I remember he told me that the research is progressing faster than expected, probably because he is observing Trice¡¯s condition every time he returns to the country and trying everything he can. Does that mean that there is a possibility that the drug will be completed earlier this time than before?¡± Here, his lips gently arced. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ Trice, you might be saved, right?¡± To be honest, when Beatrice first told him the story, he thought, what the h**l is this idiot talking about? Sleep talk in your sleep, dream in your sleep, he commented. But at the end of the story¡­ At the very end, Beatrice mentioned a medicine made in Drieste. Rembrandt decided to take his sister up on her offer with one word. Rembrandt knew it. Beatrice has accepted her death from an early age. Even if she was delusional, there was no way she would talk about the development of drugs. Moreover, according to Beatrice, that very drug was developed in the neighboring country of Drieste. If it¡¯s Edgar, then Rembrandt, his father, and mother, are currently waiting with a gleam of hope. He had to keep it a secret from them, since it wasn¡¯t the right time yet. But they have been waiting for a long time for the news to reach them. And Beatrice knew this. ¡°¡­Interesting. I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± In the carriage to the royal palace, Rembrandt made up his mind. The shadow guards that he had requested from his father, Noyce, would be ready by nightfall. A new drug developed by Drieste. That one word was enough to make him decide whether to get on board or to turn against it. ??? Sunnyshies: Oh, I like this brother. I like his reaction! And he¡¯s a sister-con inside! CH 19 Chapter 19 : Quiet story: The day when I found the treasure (Alejandro¡¯s POV) By chance, the six-year-old Alejandro had found it. He was in the corner of the park, where he had run away from his studies with his tutor because he was too lazy to study. There, a small reddish-brown striped kitten had been put in a box and was abandoned under a not-so-large tree. ¡­and there was a girl, crouching in front. She was a pretty girl with hair the same color as the sky that day. ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡± When Alejandro called out to her, the girl¡¯s small shoulders jumped. While wondering about her strangeness, Alejandro asked again. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Still silent, the child shook her head from side to side. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fine, she just didn¡¯t want to talk. So Alejandro, too, just sat down in front of the box without saying a word. They did not speak to each other, and the silence continued for a while. The only sound left is the mewling of the creature in the box. The girl, who had only been looking at the kitten for a long time, eventually reached out with her small hand. But, perhaps frightened, the kitten attacked with its claws out. A single red streak appeared on the girl¡¯s white hand. ¡°Aww¡­ it hurts¡­¡± A small wound, with just a smear of blood. Just lick it and it will be fine, or if anything, it was just a graze. It doesn¡¯t really matter if anything was done to it. And yet, the child was so shocked that she started to cry. Her crying face momentarily overlaps with the one he remembered. ¡°¡­¡± Alejandro¡¯s chest throbbed loudly. What came to his mind was his sister, whom he adored. Two years younger than him, with a cute crying face, a girl who had always been Alejandro¡¯s favorite. Her crying face overlapped with that of the girl in front of him. I wonder why, Alejandro thought. Their hair and eye color were different, and even their facial features were not similar. And yet, for some reason, the child¡¯s crying face reminded him of the tears of his favorite sister, who he missed so much. Would she cry more if I pushed her? Should I prod her or not? Should I just push her hard, or just let her fall? Maybe twisting up her hand. Ahh, and perhaps throwing her in the fountain. I¡¯m sure she will cry with a good face. Alejandro liked his idea about the fountain, and tried to take the girl¡¯s hand and lead her to it. But then he once again noticed the thin line of blood oozing from the back of her hand. If he touches her like this, he¡¯ll get his own hand dirty with this blood of hers. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± A white color suddenly appeared in her line of sight, and the curious voice of the girl sounded. Alejandro, a germaphobe, offered a handkerchief to wipe up the blood. Of course, the handkerchief with the dirty stuff on it was to be burned later. ¡°Uhm.¡± For a few moments, the girl¡¯s gaze moved back and forth between the wound on her hand and the white handkerchief. ¡°Just take it.¡± ¡°¡­ah.¡± The girl reservedly reached out her uninjured hand to take the handkerchief and gently pressed it to her wound. ¡°Um, thank you.¡± The girl who had been crying bitterly before smiled at Alejandro. ¡°¡­!¡± Alejandro¡¯s chest tightened. ¡°¡­?¡± What was that? Alejandro wondered, and touched his own chest area. He checked to make sure he was not hurt or bleeding, and before he knew it, the girl in front of him returned her gaze from himself back to the kitten. Alejandro, not liking this in any way, tugged on the child¡¯s hair. ¡°Ouch¡­!¡± Sure enough, that alone brought tears to the girl¡¯s face, and Alejandro¡¯s mood immediately soared. It¡¯s much better than my sister¡¯s crying face. And this girl has a cute smile. No, I¡¯ve never seen my sister¡¯s laughing face, so I don¡¯t know how to compare. Satisfied that her attention returned to him, Alejandro quickly released his hand that was gripping her hair. Then, while pulling himself together, he smiled and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± The girl nodded in confusion, and Alejandro then offered her a candy ball from his pocket. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll give you this.¡± What was the point of giving it to her? But there was no way that this girl, who was the same age as Alejandro, would have such wisdom. And apparently this girl is very straightforward. Seeing a candy ball in a cute wrapping paper, she immediately regained her good mood and smiled happily. Alejandro laughed along with her. Her crying face made Alejandro feel good, just as it did with his sister. And this girl¡¯s smile made him feel somewhat uplifted just by looking at her. I found a good one. So thought Alejandro. Good. I¡¯m glad I found a replacement. I¡¯ve been bored ever since you disappeared. It was lonely as if there was a gaping hole in my chest. I was bored. Everyday without her, it was tinged with gray. Ah, but here we go. Now I can enjoy it again. And this girl was not like her sister. Crying face isn¡¯t the only thing that¡¯s cute about her. Alejandro stared into her face. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Natalia.¡± ¡°Natalia. Natalia, huh? I¡¯m Alejandro.¡± ¡°A-re¡­?¡± ¡°Alejandro. Alejandro.¡± ¡°Are¡­ Are¡­ handoro.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Later, when Alejandro learned that Natalia was the daughter of a nobleman, he was disappointed that things got a bit messy. Alejandro was a commoner and Natalia was an aristocrat, albeit a lower class one. His father, a merchant, had told him that it was the commoner that would be punished even if it was the nobles who were at fault. But then he could not make Natalia cry easily. ¡°Haa¡­ bummer.¡± But, I was happy to finally have found a treasure to replace her. ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to do it. Well, I¡¯ll just do it without them finding out.¡± Alejandro, now seven years old, left the house today with great excitement. He has an appointment to play with Natalia. From that day on, Alejandro began to take his classes seriously. As long as Natalia was around, Alejandro could lead a happy, normal life without being frustrated. Moreover, although poor, Natalia is a daughter of a Viscount. Her company was just what Alejandro¡¯s parents wanted. Now he can go visit Natalia with a big smile on his face. ¡°I loved the way you cried when you learned that your cat was gone.¡± Alejandro stepped lightly and went to see Natalia. I love her, I cherish her, I really can¡¯t bear it. My little treasure. Both her crying and smiling faces are so intriguing that it is hard to choose his favorite one. And now, Alejandro thought, it was probably a good thing that she had the restraints of being an aristocrat. Because people break easily. Like my sister. CH 20 Chapter 20 : Pitch Black ¡°I¡¯m relieved that your symptoms were less severe than I thought.¡± ¡°I am sorry for worrying you, Edgar-sama. It¡¯s not easy to just come here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I just barged in on my own.¡± Saying so, Edgar smiled softly, being as gentle as ever. Like he¡¯s always been. He was quiet, calm, and someone who loved books. He was completely the opposite of Leopold, who liked to move around in his spare time. Beatrice liked to watch Leopoldo quietly from the shade of a tree as he wielded a tree branch and imitated a knight. While Edgar always sat beside Beatrice like this, quietly turning the pages of his book. Even though she and Edgar didn¡¯t exchange any words, the silence was comforting. She would always enjoy this kind of peace. Therefore, she assumed that Egard would always be by her side. She was spoiled by him and he would make sure to put her first. Because of this self-serving assumption, Beatrice was terribly upset when she heard about the news of him suddenly going abroad to study before her rebirth. Beatrice thought that she was really lousy and selfish at that time. She could neither cheer nor congratulate her childhood friend who was heading for a neighboring country with great ambitions, and as far as she was concerned, she couldn¡¯t even say goodbye to him. Still, Beatrice can see now that Edgar must have been a man of considerable character to write to her from where he was studying abroad. The content of the letter at that time was similar to a research report, which was not at all enjoyable to read, and there was no doubt that Edgar was much, much nicer now than he was before. ¡°¡­what is it? It seems like you¡¯ve been staring at me since a while ago.¡± ¡°¡­eh? Uh, well, um.¡± ¡°Un?¡± Edgar, who curiously tilted his head slightly with his eyes wide open, stared back at her straight. Although he was not as eye-catching or good-looking as Leopold, Edgar also has quite a distinguished face. He exudes an inner serenity and intelligence that makes her feel at home with him, or perhaps, more accurately, he has a mature and receptive personality. Edgar is surely a man who will cherish the woman he loves to the end. His lover must be very happy. ¡­If Beatrice would still be alive at that time, she would surely miss him, and would find it unbearable. She has been with Edgar¡¯s since she was little, and now she was stuck by the question of why she didn¡¯t see the best in him. Ahh, I see. ¡°¡­because I was Leopold¡¯s fool.¡± ¡°Artie? What did you say?¡± He explained to Edgar, who looked at him with a puzzled look on his face, about the once-disgraced name, which his brother had told him only five days before. Unfortunately, Edgar said he has no choice but to agree with that. ¡°But the fact that I only looked at Leopold, to that extent¡­ no, I knew it¡­ oh, I don¡¯t know¡­ do I?¡± Edgar can only smile back at Beatrice, who wants to deny it but can¡¯t. ¡°Well, Artie couldn¡¯t help but be like that, after all, Leo is really handsome.¡± ¡°That may be true, but I think it¡¯s Edgar who¡¯s the good one¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Ah, and, oh, oh, my brother¡­ yes, I think he¡¯s also cool.¡± ¡°¡­ahh.¡± Surprised by the sudden mention of his own name, Edgar somehow seemed both relieved and a little sad at the declaration of ¡°my brother is cool¡± that followed. ¡°I agree. I remember that Artie used to tell me that. Rembrandt and I are the big brothers you can count on.¡± Edgar smiled as he continued. ¡°¡­¡± But Beatrice couldn¡¯t nod back to it. That¡¯s right. Indeed, Beatrice used to say those words often in the past. The older brother, who was not very talkative but takes good care of Beatrice in any way he can. And Edgar, who was always quietly by Beatrice¡¯s side. She said he had two dependable older brothers. However¡­ Something was different. Rembrandt was as reliable as ever, a mean but kind brother. But Edgar is¡­ Kind, gentle, and always worrying about Beatrice. This bookworm only treated himself second to Beatrice. Whenever and wherever this overprotective person hears that Beatrice has fallen, he rushes to her no matter what. She always said that he was like an older brother, but he was clearly not her own brother. Then, Edgar is¡­ ¡°Artie?¡± Edgar¡¯s usual gentle and concerned voice fell on Beartice, who had fallen deep into trance as she silently stared at Edgar¡¯s face. ¡°Nothing¡±, Beatrice replied. There was nothing else she could do but to reply. Because Beatrice herself did not know what was going on. She still didn¡¯t know the identity of these slightly bitter, sad, and ticklish feelings she had, which she had never felt before towards her family or her favorite Leopold. ¡­ ¡°Rembrandt, sorry to keep you waiting.¡± ¡°Ah, no. I just got back here too.¡± After spending five days returning from the neighboring country of Drieste, Edgar went straight to Rembrandt¡¯s private room after checking on Beatrice¡¯s condition. He was called in to talk to him. ¡°Listen, about what you told me before¡­¡± Rembrandt opened his mouth as he poured brandy into a glass. ¡°What did I say?¡± ¡°You know, the thing about Trice having something in her mind.¡± ¡°Ah, about that.¡± ¡°She told me about it just the other day. So I thought I should tell you about it.¡± As soon as he said this, Rembrandt took out a bundle of papers from his bag that he had left by his side. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty messed up story, but I think it¡¯s a story you can trust. No, it¡¯s a story that you might be particularly angry about, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d calm down and listen to it.¡± ¡°Angry? Me?¡± Edgar, who was aware that he has lived a life that has had little to do with anger, repeated that word curiously, but Rembrandt nodded back with a wry smile. ¡°No, as expected, I think even you would be offended if you heard this. Because, you know¡­¡± He fluttered and waved the bundle of paper he had just taken out. ¡°Beatrice told me about this¡­ And even though I¡¯ve only partially investigated this guy, it was already pitch black.¡± CH 21 Chapter 21 : Unknown Second Cousin ¡°Good morning, Trice. I see you¡¯re with a lovely person this morning.¡± ¡°Good morning, Vivian. Um, this is, uh¡­ my¡­¡± Seeing Beatrice hesitant to speak, the ¡°lovely person¡± took over and opened his mouth. ¡°Good morning. I am Trice¡¯s second cousin, Marquez Selm. I enrolled this year, but since our territory is far away, I have to go from Trice¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s why you were in the same carriage.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be going in the same carriage with Trice for the entire year until she graduates.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Ah, I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. My name is Vivian Bertland. Nice to meet you, Marquez-sama.¡± ¡°I am very pleased to meet you too, Lady Bertrand. I am relieved to know that Trice has such a wonderful friend. I was worried that she might be timid about socializing, perhaps because of her frail health.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s amazing, this guy. I can¡¯t believe he can talk like that. Beatrice watched with half admiration as Beatrie¡¯s self-proclaimed second cousin, whom she had just met for the first time last time, prattle on and on. ¡­ ¡°Escort¡­ for me, brother?¡± ¡°Oh. His name is Marquez. I¡¯ve decided to keep him by your side under the guise of being your second cousin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Marquez. Pleased to meet you!¡± ¡°Se, second cousin¡­¡± It was the night before the third school year at the academy would begin. Beatrice was invited by Rembrandt to visit his personal room, where she was introduced to a brown-haired boy with a pretty face¡ª as her second cousin. Of course, there was no such thing as Beatrice¡¯s second cousin. But Rembrandt told her to go to the academy with this self-proclaimed second cousin (as he claimed?1) with the same carriage from tomorrow onwards. ¡°He¡¯s going to be a new student at the academy.¡± ¡°New student¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Starting tomorrow, I will be attending the same school as Beatrice-sama as a first-year student. Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°E, eh. Nice to meet you¡­¡± Beatrice nodded her head with a tight-lipped smile as Marquez greeted her cheerfully with a sparkling evil smile. ¡°Marquez¡¯s job is to escort you to and from school and around the campus.¡± ¡°That, but, brother. The carriage is already accompanied by an escort apart from the coachman, right?¡± ¡°One person may not always be enough. Besides, that escort is not allowed inside the academy.¡± ¡°In the academy¡­ yes, indeed.¡± A few weeks after Beatrice confided in him about her life before her rebirth, her brother put Marquez on her as soon as she advanced to the next grade. A beautiful boy with fluffy curly hair, Marquez does not look like much, but according to her brother, he is a master swordsman. ¡°Some of the freshmen this time are related to the Reyes Chamber of Commerce. I asked Marquez not only to escort you around the school, but also to do some investigation there.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Apparently, he has many roles to play, but she wondered if he was asking too much from such a young boy. ¡°You¡¯re a bit rough around the edges, Rembrandt-sama. I¡¯ve come all the way here to spend a second time at school, but if I have to do so much work, I won¡¯t be able to enjoy it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤second time?¡± Beatrice reacted to these unexpected words. It can¡¯t be helped, no matter how she looked at the man in front of her, she could only see a boy not older than 14 or 15 years old. Rembrandt snickered at that. ¡°Is there any need for someone who graduated long ago to enjoy school life again?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s been nine years. I was really looking forward to it. What a pity.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t call you here to give you another chance at school. You¡¯re here because you¡¯re the right person to protect Trice. Now shut your annoying mouth.¡± ¡°Ye~s, I understand. Rembrandt-sama is really stingy. I took this job because I thought it would be fun.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a shadow guard of the Marquise, and you don¡¯t get to pick and choose your jobs, fool.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m scared.¡± Beatrice was stunned by the content of the conversation going on in front of her. Her head can¡¯t keep up with all the information. The beautiful, neutral-looking boy in front of her, who gives the impression of being very young, actually graduated from the academy nine years ago. Eh? Wait a minute. Then how old is Marquez really? Graduation in the academy is at seventeen, so¡­ She was pondering about something completely different. Therefore, from then on, Beatrice heard nothing about the conversation between her brother and Marquez. Then, this morning, she found Marquez standing there in his uniform. He was actually an escort, but introduced under the guise of her second cousin, and was chatting with Vivian smiling right next to Beatrice. ¡­escort, I guess. He was now a student, so it was not surprising that he didn¡¯t have a sword. He doesn¡¯t look muscular. Rather, he was slender and skinny. He was taller than the average freshman, but that was also expected. After all, he graduated nine years ago and was now a grown man. Beatrice couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he could not feel out of place among the students with his age. She never really thought of anything happening to her, but if something really happened to her, would this person who looked like a 15 year old really be able to protect her? ¡­but why does she have to have an escort now? Beatrice is concerned about that first and foremost. But her brother never does anything in vain. After all, he is the ultimate realist. Beatrice couldn¡¯t help but recall the word ¡°shadow¡± she had heard in a conversation involving her brother, and came to the conclusion that Rembrandt must have been the one who had initiated this. And yes, she was sure that it was related to Alejandro. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Trice. I¡¯m going over there for the entrance ceremony.¡± He definitely had brown hair last night, but this morning it was now a bright reddish purple. Beatrice wondered if he had dyed it in a close color to give credence to the setting of a distant relative, which was a very careful thing to do. Beatrice also waves back at Marquez, who in turn waves back at her. Then she remembered her brother who saw Beatrice and Marques off this morning. He was sending a secret message to Beatrice by puckering his mouth and saying, ¡®Good luck¡¯. Ah yes. That¡¯s right. My brother has made a move. Alejandro was really doing something, is what I mean. Even now, somewhere in the back of her mind, she still wished, regretfully, that maybe things would be different. She wished that Alejandro¡¯s blunt kindness was true. She hoped that her guess was wrong. But as she thought, it didn¡¯t turn out that way. In this life, she did not have much to do with Alejandro. In her previous life, however, they were quite close, though not as close as Natalia. If that Alejandro was really an enemy as assumed¡­ Really¡­ truly, the struggle to avoid that future has begun, and Beatrice finally realized it. Surely, she can no longer be so naive. Alejandro. I can¡¯t believe that the time I spent with you and Natalia was so precious in my life at that time. But that¡¯s not the case anymore. CH 22 Chapter 22 : Knowing you didn¡¯t make it in time ¡°Oh, back already, Edgar-kun. This time, you suddenly went home, is everything okay?¡± Upon his return to the Royal Institute of Medicine in Drieste, Edgar was approached by Cartier, his immediate supervisor and assistant chief. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all right. I apologize for imposing on you.¡± Cartier smiled softly at Edgar, who bowed lightly and apologized for his sudden request for leave. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind. Your reports have been very beneficial to us. It¡¯s been very helpful for us to know the actual results of taking ingredients that have been proven to work. It has helped us to find the optimum ratio.¡± ¡°No, it is I who wants to thank you. I am happy to see that she is getting better these days. That¡¯s thanks to your kindness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that it¡¯s working. There are so few cases. Normally, we wouldn¡¯t be able to do it so efficiently.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you say that. I wanted to hurry as much as possible¡­ I don¡¯t want it to happen again.¡± ¡°Edgar-kun?¡± When his name was called in doubt, Edgar shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡±. ¡°I will now return to my post.¡± ¡°Oh, please.¡± With a bow, Edgar entered the department he was in charge of. Several colleagues who had already started working noticed Edgar and greeted him. One of them, Ronald, a fellow student, smiled at him ridiculously. ¡°Yo, Edgar. You left in quite a hurry this time. Did something happen to your beloved Artie-chan? Always with this usual lighthearted pleasantries. Every time he returned from his country, they would exchange these words as if it were a ritual. Normally, it would end with a single word: nothing. Normally. Today, however, Ronaldo rolled his eyes when he saw Edgar¡¯s face as he looked back at him. It was the same smiling face as usual. However, there was a hint of anger in his eyes. ¡°E, Edgar?¡± Edgar spoke to the flustered Ronaldo with a smile on his face. ¡°You know, Ronaldo. I¡¯d appreciate it if you stop saying that name so familiarly. I¡¯m the only one who can call her Artie.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Do you get it?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes!¡± Hearing his affirmative response, Edgar chuckled once more and hurried to his desk. ¡°T-that¡¯s scary¡­ I¡¯ve never seen him in a bad mood before¡­¡± Although he heard such a mutter, today¡¯s Edgar didn¡¯t seem to care about it. I have to hurry. Edgar was just a lowly third-year member of the institution. There is not much he can do. He could only be responsible for preparing materials, comparing data and selecting the most effective medical herbs, being in charge of ordering and managing medicinal herbs, and participating in experiments. Just half a year ago, he finally discovered one highly effective medicinal herb, and he was proud about that achievement. There was no doubt that the pace was faster than expected. Everyone agreed on that, however¡­ But, still¡­ I can¡¯t believe I can¡¯t make it in time. For such a matter¡­ Never again. ¡­ ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± The night he came back to the country, after taking an unscheduled vacation because he was worried about Beatrice¡¯s condition¡­ He visited Rembrandt, who uttered incomprehensible words, and Edgar couldn¡¯t help but ask back. He knew what he said, but didn¡¯t understand what he meant, so he asked back. ¡°So. The medicine was completed seven years after you studied abroad. That is, about five years from now.¡± ¡°¡­Rembrandt? What are you talking about?¡± What Rembrandt next uttered was unbelievable. How could time turn back? Did Leopold have a girlfriend at the academy? His girlfriend was Artie¡¯s friend, but then Leopold¡¯s family was about to fall and they gave up on their marriage. But it was a trap set by his girlfriend¡¯s childhood friend. And¡­ ¡°Artie and Leo were contractually married¡­¡± ¡°Yes. And it seemed that Trice was the one who came up with this idea. And in return, we gave him financial support.¡± The story up to that point alone was shocking enough. But the most shocking words for Edgar were the ones that followed. ¡°I heard that the medicine was successfully developed, but it was right around the time she died.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edgar clenched his fists tightly. I have to hurry. Quickly, as quickly as possible. He couldn¡¯t get Rembrandt¡¯s words out of his head. ¡ª ¡°I heard that after you studied abroad, you never came back.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even come back for Trice and Leopold¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡ª If it has, if time had really gone backwards, and that really happened in the previous life, then he really would never come back. He had no confidence that he would be able to smile in the sight of such a scene. In the first place, even now, he shouldn¡¯t really have gone back. Because that was his plan all along. At least that was his intention when he first went to Artie to talk about studying abroad. He was determined to use all the time he had to help them complete the medicine as soon as possible. But Artie said¡­ ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m so sad to see you go.¡± ¡°But I mustn¡¯t say anything to dissuade Edgar-sama from leaving for a neighboring country with such noble aspirations. It¡¯s my selfishness.¡± ¡ª And because she burst into tears¡­ He found himself saying that he would come back often. He knew that he would be on a tight schedule if he was to do it. But he was happy enough to be willing to commit to it. All along, he knew that she only thought of him as a kind older brother. So at least he has made an effort to act on that thought. But then, for the first time, Edgar thought. I wish¡­ I wondered if it might be possible to beg her for a rare chance. Not as an adored older brother, not as a childhood friend to be close to, but simply as a man. Artie, I wonder if I could ask you for it. CH 23 Chapter 23 : There¡¯s just no reason The sixth month of the year 1215 of the Kingdom¡¯s reign. It was about three months since Beatrice had been assigned a personal bodyguard, Marquez, who called himself her second cousin. The incident happened not to Beatrice, but to the Marquise of Reinalpha, Leopold¡¯s family. A cargo cart carrying goods purchased for their business was attacked by bandits in the mountains on the western border of Reinalpha territory, and all the cargo it was carrying was taken away. The cargo cart robbery that followed the sinking of the merchant ship four months earlier. This was the second time they lost the goods they had purchased. The economic blow to the Reinalpha family was not small. ¡°Brother, what does this mean¡­?¡± Perhaps because she collapsed the last time she heard news of the shipwreck, it was already five days after the incident when Beatrice heard about it through others. When Beatrice asked for an explanation, Rembrandt coolly replied with a question. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Brother is secretly taking countermeasures, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you arranged an escort on me. But the target is Leopold-sama, not me. To prevent further damage, rather than allocating personnel to me, it would be better to protect that household instead¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Why would I do that?¡± Rembrandt interrupted Beatrice by raising his hand. ¡°¡­eh?¡± ¡°Why should I protect Leo¡¯s household?¡± ¡°Eh?¡­ because they¡¯re after Leopold-sama¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why should I work for him? I¡¯m a member of the Marquise of Strydom.¡± Beatrice peeked at him in response. ¡°He found someone he likes, and because of that, he gained a person who resented him and wanted to destroy his household. What reason would I have to protect his household?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ because¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the person who should be working to save that house the one who caused it?¡± A good argument, Beatrice thought. This time in particular, Beatrice was not even involved in their meeting. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m convinced. Beatrice confided in her brother about her rebirth in order to get a correct understanding of the current situation of the Reinalpha family. If Alejandro was doing what she assumed he would do, she wanted him to help out. But her brother was not such a good-natured person. He would not do anything that would not benefit the family, nor would he have any intention of doing so. Therefore, the escort her brother put by her side was just an insurance in case she wanted to probe into Alejandro¡¯s situation. Beatrice bit her lip, feeling that she had discovered her brother¡¯s true intentions and had to find a solution on her own. Then again, Natalia is still Natalia this time, and Leopold is still Leopold. Will it end with Alejandro tearing them apart again? Without her, they would still get together without any obstacles and would have become the next Marquis and Marchioness. Leopoldo has neither the good standing nor the cunning of her older brother. He is simply straightforward. He is also not a detail-oriented person. Sometimes, if he is not told, he won¡¯t even realize it until the end. If he is compared to her brother and Edgar, he is really too clumsy and too lacking for an aristocrat. ¡­so when he smiles, I know that he is truly happy. When he is in a bad mood, the cause is usually lying plainly in front of him. He is such a simple and straightforward person. Many people laughed at the sickly Beatrice behind her back, some even mocked her by pretending to pity her. In front of Beatrice, they would smile kindly and weave words of comfort, but behind her back, they would sneer at her as a defective product. He would not be a pawn in a political marriage, nor would any of his relatives, nor anyone else associated with the Marquise family. Therefore¡­ So I really feel at ease when he is smiling. Whenever Leopold was laughing, I felt relieved and felt that there was nothing wrong with me, and that I was okay. Yes. I easily released my breath in front of him. He doesn¡¯t care about Beatrice, he doesn¡¯t hesitate, he doesn¡¯t scorn her, he just laughs at her when they are having fun. ¡°¡­¡± Rembrandt let out a sigh in front of Beatrice, who remained silent while biting her lip tightly. ¡°¡­well, calm down.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am not obligated to help Leo¡¯s family. As a successor, Leo himself is the one who should be doing it. But to be honest, this is a heavy burden for him to bear. If it were a head-to-head match with a sword, that would be a different story, but unfortunately, they will not use such an easy-to-understand method.¡± ¡°Are you sure Alejandro is up to something¡­?¡± It was a question that was now too late, but Beatrice has yet to hear a definite answer from her brother. Rembrandt nodded his head and continued his words. ¡°We¡¯ve already confirmed that he was acting suspiciously before and after the previous shipwreck. There¡¯s not enough evidence to catch him, just a whiff of involvement¡­ but the same goes for Nicholas Trad, and there is no doubt that a man named Alejandro was involved.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rembrandt took one big breath and looked at Beatrice¡¯s face. Then, after making firm eye contact, he continued speaking in a low, well-defined voice. ¡°As I said before, it is this family and you, Beatrice, that I should be protecting. It¡¯s not my responsibility to protect the Reinalpha family. It is not my responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­I understand that, but Leopold-sama, he¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s not that good at it. He is not such a dexterous guy, is he? In a normal case, he would be no match for a snake like that.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But he¡¯s the one who should be making some actions. The next head of the family is Leopold. If Leo insists on making a move, I¡¯m willing to help him a little.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She raised her head from her prone position and looked at her brother. Rembrandt chuckled. ¡°I have some affection for him as a childhood friend, too. I don¡¯t hate him. Well¡­ sometimes he was too thoughtless, and it pissed me off.¡± ¡°¡­oh, brother¡­¡± ¡°What, is that such a surprise?¡± Rembrandt lowered his eyebrows and cheeks as if embarrassed. ¡°Well, anyway. I have to meet him and talk to him. First of all, we have to prepare a place for that.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Beatrice nodded significantly, and Rembrandt continued. ¡°And so. Trice.¡± With a smile. ¡°You, get sick and fall ill.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Such things¡­ CH 24 Chapter 24 : If you are willing to do so ¡°Rembrandt, the son of Marquise of Strydom, has sent a message asking you to visit Lady Beatrice Strydom.¡± Leopold was surprised to hear that from the butler. Although he has known Rembrandt for a fair amount of time as a childhood friend, he has never been called upon in this way. Rather, if anyone would call for Leopoldo, it would be Beatrice, not Rembrandt. In fact, this was the first time Rembrandt has called him. ¡°¡­that, Beatrice isn¡¯t feeling so well?¡± The butler looked saddened by Leopold¡¯s muttering, which was dropped after a moment of thought. ¡°The young lady is suffering from an incurable disease. Something unforeseen may have happened to her.¡± ¡°Well¡­ then I¡¯ll have to go see her. Pen, could you give them an answer? Tomorrow evening, after the school is over, I will visit her.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Frankly, it seemed like the worst possible time to take time off. He had just been the victim of a robbery while the effects of the shipwreck four months ago were still fresh in his mind. Leopold¡¯s father, the Marquis Reinalpha, was scrambling to deal with these cases and to make up the losses and raise funds. Leopold himself helped with some of the office work while he was studying. He didn¡¯t even spend much time with Natalia now, they would only eat together at lunch time. The impact of the first two incidents was too great to be dismissed as bad luck. The current Marquis was still holding up well, but if accidents and incidents like this keep coming, it made him wonder if this was a curse, or if something like this would happen again in the future. It was a very demanding and busy time for Reinalpha. However, when his childhood friend¡¯s condition worsened, it was only natural that he should rush to the hospital. After all, he had received an unprecedented call. After thinking that much, Leopold suddenly thought. Come to think of it, they haven¡¯t talked much in the last few years. Edgar went to study in a neighboring country, which further reduced the opportunities for the childhood friends to see each other. Although they were in the same grade and the same school, he rarely saw Beatrice because they were in different departments. The last time he spoke to Beatrice was when Leopold thought about telling Natalia about his feelings for her and asked her to pass the word. After the male student in the Knight Training Department, who was close to Natalia, left the academy for family reasons¡­ he was in too much of a hurry to ask Beatrice to become his matchmaker in front of the school building before another man approached her. She always laughed and nodded at Leopold¡¯s request, but only then did she unusually say she could not help. Moreover, he was a little surprised that she did not give him the usual clinging look, but simply encouraged him, saying, ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine.¡± Beatrice is a frail woman. Unlike himself, who liked to be physically active, she preferred to sit quietly and read or embroider, and even then, if she pushed himself too hard, she would collapse immediately. Always by her side was another childhood friend, Edgar. Beatrice, who had been loved and protected by her family since she was a child, naturally received Edgar¡¯s priceless kindness as well as family¡¯s affection, which Leopold found strange and unbearable. Why didn¡¯t I notice this? Edgar is a kind guy, but he is exceptionally sweet to Beatrice. Even Leopold, who is a swordsman and not interested in love, can see it, but Beatrice is the only one who didn¡¯t notice it. So when he heard that Edgar was going to study abroad, he was extremely surprised. I wondered why Edgar had decided to leave Beatrice. Beatrice would probably be sad. She will miss him very much. Even though he knew this, he did not think he could say anything as thoughtful and comforting as Edgar did, and as a result, their communication had completely ceased. ¡°I understand. Rembrandt even called me out. She must be in a very bad state. Let¡¯s go and prepare something for her.¡± ¡­ He prepared a few things to visit Beatrice, wondering what her favorite was. It was then the evening of the next day, when he had promised to visit her. He found himself in the drawing room of the Marquise of Strydom, a room that had been cleared of people. After hearing Rembrandt¡¯s words, Leopold was shocked. ¡°W-well, can you repeat that to me again, Rembrandt. It makes no sense¡­¡± ¡°So.¡± Contrary to Leopold¡¯s pale face, Rembrandt lifts his cup of tea with an extremely calm expression on his face. Then, as if to announce a season¡¯s greeting, he reiterated the words that had shocked Leopoldo. ¡°They¡¯re targeting your household.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After asking twice, he still doesn¡¯t know how to respond to that. Leopold is better at moving his body than thinking. That¡¯s why he chose the Knight Training Department at the academy. Even so, as the next head of the Marquise of Reinalpha, it was not that he didn¡¯t study for it. Although he was far inferior to the man in front of him, Rembrandt, in terms of offical skills, he was not so stupid as to be completely unaware of what he was being told. The Marquise of Reinalpha is being targeted ¡ª being told this, two things came to his mind. The sinking of the merchant ship that happened four months ago, and the cargo robbery that happened about eight days ago. They are targeting us, my Reinalpha family. But why? And who in the world would do that? To what end? Are you suggesting that the Marquise did something to provoke a grudge from someone? If the last two accidents were the result of being targeted, surely there¡¯s no way that something like that will continue to happen¡­ ¡°¡­probably, it will still continue.¡± As if reading Leopold¡¯s thoughts, Rembrandt¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°¡­Rembrandt, what do you mean? You¡­ how did you know that?¡± Rembrandt laughed at Leopold, who spoke with a slight tremor in his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m just kindly sharing the results of my investigation with you at the request of an anxious Trice.¡± ¡°¡­Beatrice¡­¡± Several sheets of paper were dropped in front of Leopold¡¯s eyes. ¡°These were the investigative reports. It describes the suspicious activities before and after the accident. The circumstantial evidence is conclusive, but there is no definitive evidence. If he was a commoner, we could have handled it, but unfortunately, he is an aristocrat. We cannot move without regard to the law.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Until you have proof, you can only defend ourselves a little bit, but that means you¡¯re still fvcked.¡± Leopold¡¯s complexion was getting worse and worse as he looked down at the documents shown to him. ¡°No way. Our household would be in it for the worst.¡± ¡°Hey, Leopold.¡± Leopold¡¯s voice was interrupted by Rembrandt, who just spoke up. ¡°What are you going to do about it? Are you planning on doing something about it?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I thought since I had nothing to do with it, I could just leave it alone, But Trice worries about that.¡± Rembrandt looked at Leopold as if challenging him. ¡°And then? I¡¯m going to ask you one more time. What about you? Are you willing to take the responsibility for the fire that¡¯s been set?¡± CH 25 Chapter 25 : Resentment Beatrice is really stupid. That is what Rembrandt thought. She has been Leopold¡¯s fool since childhood. People have their own preferences, so no matter how much he may be her older brother, he doesn¡¯t have the right to tell his sister which man she should like. He didn¡¯t say anything because that was what he thought. I really, really couldn¡¯t understand it. I¡¯m not saying that Leopold is wrong. His personality is honest, straight-forward, unbending, and, well, he¡¯s usually one of the good guys. But he can¡¯t even read the back of things. Leo may not even know there is such a thing in this world to begin with. It was probably easier to deal with such a man because there is no need to probe his feelings. But a woman who becomes the wife of such a man needs to be more capable to compensate for her husband¡¯s inadequacy in this area. And Beatrice is not good enough. With a sister who always wishes for good and even wants to return bad will with good will¡­ They would both be devoured, swallowed, squeezed and finished off for good. Jeez, and they even brought the Marquise of Strydom into it. These complaints by Rembrandt were not about the current situation. He was referring to their previous life, when she mentioned the assistance he received through that contractual marriage. Rembrandt has no reason to complain, since he has no recollection of the event, but for some reason, he was very angry. After giving herself as a bride on the premise of white marriage, helping him with money, he wondered how much his younger sister would sell herself off just to help him out. And if she did such a thing, he was sure that man would definitely¡­ would have done something to the household after she did that. Trice would never have thought of that now because she¡¯s out of the loop. Alejandro was the person who attacked the entire Viscount Trad family when Nicholas took a liking to a girl named Natalia or something. The marriage between Beatrice and Leopold would have been very much welcomed, but it would have been a waste of time to rebuild that household. And yet, three years later, she would give up her wife position to Natalia. Absolutely, absolutely, that crazy man would have attacked our house, and I¡¯m sure I would have been made to play a big part then, Rembrandt thought. To that extent, Rembrandt was angry about the past that Beatrice had told him. Because she said, after becoming his wife and went to help him, in the end she was stabbed to death. Moreover, his younger sister still wanted to help the person who stabbed her. Well, I am sure that the obsessive guy is involved in that case too, and I am sure that he is the most unforgivable person in the world. Such a thought almost made him angry again, but Rembrandt held it in. The clock then entered his field of vision. ¡°¡­and now it¡¯s time to go.¡± Sigh. Rembrandt then grabbed the necessary paperwork and strode into the reception room. He probably shouldn¡¯t tell the whole story to that man, Leopold, who can¡¯t do belly tricks. Leopold¡¯s favorite partner is a woman named Natalia, and Alejandro is right next to Natalia. With this in mind, he examined every information that he should tell him. ¡°Seriously¡­ don¡¯t they know that political marriages have their own meaning?¡± Marrying the person you love is fine. But it is only after compatibility and conditions are met. Marriage is not a goal, it is only the beginning. Two people who loved each other were finally tied together, and they lived happily after that¡­ you could only find such an ending in a story. In reality, there was a daily routine that went on and on after the wedding. That was exactly what a couple does with their lives until death do they part. No one can do it with love alone. People need money and things to survive. Unless, of course, you claim to be a special kind of person whose stomach can be filled with just the words ¡°I love you¡±. ¡°Well, anyway, I¡¯m glad Edgar¡¯s getting serious now, though.¡± Rembrandt was relieved to learn that, and his dreamy sister has grown up a bit, too. Rembrandt wanted Beatrice, Edgar, and even Leopold to be happy. He really didn¡¯t know what he was thinking and doing before the time went back. But he would really like to believe that he must have been doing the same thing at that time. Standing in front of the reception room door¡­ He was told that Leopold had already arrived and had been shown to the room. Ha, he exhaled loudly. In fact, he would like to blurt out some things to Leopoldo as well. Tell him to think more about the character of the person before choosing a partner, to be more firm, and not to underestimate marriage. Rembrandt also wonders if Natalia, who, according to Beatrice, was ¡°the lover of destiny,¡± would also be a good match for Leopoldo. He doesn¡¯t know how beautiful, clean and honest she is, but Rembrandt wanted to tell her that she has been followed for years by a perverted stalker, who made him sick just by reading those reports. And yet, she still doesn¡¯t realize how abnormal he is, or maybe she is too ignorant to know how to doubt. But if she was with him from an early age, she was less likely to notice. Such a woman would probably end up as a sucker for a couple, unless she ended up with a man who is somewhat black-hearted enough to read behind the scenes. His hand gripping the doorknob tightens involuntarily, and he hurriedly takes another deep breath. He didn¡¯t have to give them relationship advice, that much was out of his jurisdiction. He told himself that, and opened the door after the blood in his head had gone down a little. Rembrandt, a man who doted on his sister, smiled at Leopold, who looked at him with a puzzled look when he was shown into the drawing room instead of Beatrice¡¯s room, and saw that it was Rembrandt who had appeared. And then he got right down to business with a quick greeting. ¡°They¡¯re targeting your household.¡± CH 26 Chapter 26: At that Time (Alejandro¡¯s POV) ¡°Zakarias, have you finished handling all the cargo you stole?¡± Alejandro, who was drinking tea in his room, asked this question as soon as his attendant entered the room. ¡°Yes. All seized items have already been handed over to the buyer. Here is the amount of the sale.¡± Zacharias responded, holding out the report in his hand. ¡°Hmm.¡± Alejandro nodded as he checked the list of item names against the numbers written next to them. ¡°It seems that the cargo we took from the merchant ship did not sell as high as it should have, but I guess that can¡¯t be helped. It is natural that foreign goods are sold at a higher price because they are more rare. Yes, that¡¯s good. Not bad.¡± Alejandro threw the document, which he had just checked, directly into the fireplace and lit it on fire. The documents quickly burn up and turn to ash. After making sure everything was reduced to ashes, Alejandro turned to Zacharias. ¡°Just split the money as you always do. Fifty percent of the profits, minus necessary expenses, will be divided equally between myself, 30 percent between you, and the rest between those who worked this time.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Now. What shall we play next?¡± Folding his arms behind his head, Alejandro muttered happily. ¡°If we have too many similar accidents in a row, people will be wary of us. Let¡¯s try something different next time.¡± ¡°That might be a good idea. It would be a nuisance if they took action against us.¡± Leaning against the backrest, with a creaking sound, Alejandro spoke his mind. ¡°Now let¡¯s get it secretly from the inside. If it¡¯s embezzlement or misappropriation of goods, it would be low profile and would take a while to notice. I know you had a couple of guys lurking around, could we use them?¡± ¡°Of course. Whenever Alejandro-sama instructs me to do so, I can move them. It would be enough to do some damage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to choose the right people. But make sure to punish anyone who tries to mess with my toy, Natalia.¡± ¡°I understand, leave it to me.¡± ¡°I have to get him to the point where he won¡¯t be able to marry her before graduation¡­ well, this time, I don¡¯t think anyone is going to come to offer him a helping hand.¡± After the attendant bowed and left the room, Alejandro looked up at the ceiling in a daze, lost in thought for a moment. ¡°¡­Natalia really never learns. There¡¯s nothing left in her hands after all this time, and she¡¯s still dreaming. But that¡¯s what I like about her, she¡¯s such an idiot.¡± A cat, a little bird, a hair clip given as a gift, a brooch that belonged to her mother, a few photos of parents and their children, a potted plant of her favorite flower, and a friend. No matter, both men and women. There were probably more things that he took from Natalia, but Alejandro does not remember every single one of them. Because there was no point in remembering. Natalia needed only herself and Alejandro, that was all that mattered. Still, he playfully dug into his memory to try to remember a little more to pass the time. ¡®And then¡­ what else? Pressed flowers, lace ribbons, dolls¡­ hmmm, no good. There are so many, there¡¯s no end to them. First, there¡¯s that one, that picture book.¡¯ Right, that was Natalia¡¯s favorite picture book. Alejandro first took it from Natalia. He took it away from her directly. Because at that time he still didn¡¯t know that she was a daughter of the Viscount. He tore it to shreds in front of her and she cried so hard. She blinked her eyes wide in disbelief and then burst into tears. It was like seeing his sister come back to life, and it was thrilling to watch, he was very happy. It was good up to that point. But after that, it was a hassle. Then, for a short while, whenever he tried to get close to her, she would run away. Moreover, he learned that his toy, Natalia, was an aristocrat, albeit a lowly one. Well, her father was the kind of guy who didn¡¯t care if Natalia cried or not. That was where she differed from his sister. Natalia could easily escape from him if she wanted to. If she or those around her were aware of it, she could easily escape from him. When Alejandro realized this, he then changed his approach. Do not lay your hands directly on the person in question. Execute it where no one is looking or move the people around her. It was a bit time-consuming and, to be honest, seemed tedious at first. But manipulating people was interesting and surprisingly effective. Natalia, who loses everything she holds in her hands whenever he takes it, eventually comes to believe that it was her fault. Natalia, who did not receive enough love at home, gradually became accustomed to it, longing for love, but with a flickering sense of resignation somewhere in her heart. Alejandro, who has remained by her side, has become her emotional anchor. Alejandro himself indulges her as much as he can in Natalia¡¯s presence. Natalia was so adorable, as she smiled with relief after she got the warmth she was looking for. However, the look in her eyes was the same as that of his parents and siblings. He thought it wasn¡¯t bad to see such a face, but¡­ Alejandro was happy but unsatisfied with her gratified and dependable gaze. He felt that it wasn¡¯t enough. He wanted her to be more entangled with his hands. He wanted to dye her whole body with despair and resignation. ¡°That woman, Beatrice Strydom. That one was surprisingly useful, so I kept her by Natalia¡¯s side.¡± In anycase, in the previous life¡­ she was so sick that she couldn¡¯t come to the academy right away. He may have comforted Natalia, who was lonely, but soon Beatrice was able to attend the academy again. However, she soon collapses again, much to Natalia¡¯s dismay. Without Alejandro having to do anything, Beatrice appeared and disappeared by Natalia¡¯s side on her own, raising and lowering Natalia¡¯s emotions in interesting ways. And that woman will soon die anyway. There was no cure for her disease she was suffering from at that time. Alejandro just needed to be amused. Just be with them and pretend to be concerned. It was then that it began to go haywire. That¡¯s right. Since that time when a man, Leopold, got his hands on his toy. Natalia, who was dependent on Alejandro and also on the presence of Beatrice, gradually became less and less needy of the two of them. Because he was a high-ranking aristocrat, it took him a long time to get his hands around. But even so, at that time, he had already taken the necessary steps. Nevertheless¡­ Of all people, Beatrice, the woman who was supposed to be a convenient pawn, got in the way. No, it was fine that they got married. But the subsequent financial support after that was beyond acceptable. And that household, Marquise of Strydom, was quite nasty. The father and the brother were so strong that it was hard to belive that they were relateed to that dumb Beatrice by blood. It was pretty tricky, and they almost pushed him into a corner, so he finally decided to move Natalia. But Natalia did something unexpected. He may have gotten the dosage a bit wrong, but he was really surprised at that point. I almost lost my precious toy forever. My gut is still boiling over when I remember it now. ¡°¡­Beatrice Strydom. I¡¯m going to let you off the hook this time, since you seem to be quiet this time.¡± His murmur rang in the room occupied by Alejandro¡¯s presence alone. it was not for anyone to hear. ¡°If you ever get in my way again¡­¡± Subtle, but surely, he uttered these words in a spur. ¡°Then, at that time¡­¡± CH 27 Chapter 27 : I don¡¯t even know why ¡°Edgar-sama, you have terrible dark circles. You haven¡¯t been sleeping much, have you?¡± Edgar, who used to come to see her exactly once every three months, visited Strydom house this time approximately three months and two weeks later. He has terrible dark circles around his eyes, but in contrast, his face displays a big smile. ¡°Ahh, I got a little carried away with my research. Don¡¯t worry, I took a nap in the carriage on the way here.¡± That¡¯s not very okay, Beatrice thought, but she knew that Edgar is quite stubborn at times, just like now. It would be better to end the conversation quickly and let him rest than to argue, she thought, as she kept her mouth shut. ¡°I want you to try this. I¡¯ve tried a combination of things that have worked for you so far.¡± Despite Beatrice¡¯s concern, Edgar furtively rummages through his bag. He then placed a small vial on the table. It was a vial containing a dark brownish-green liquid that looks bitter in color. Although Beatrice was accustomed to taking medicine, she still couldn¡¯t help but twist her mouth, she held it back every time, though. ¡°Uh, Edgar-sama. Is this¡­ new medicine? Perhaps the entire contents of this vial?¡± Beatrice opened the lid and smelled it, and was terrified to ask. The fact that it was odorless was scary to say the least. ¡°That¡¯s right. I brought that one for Artie.¡± In contrast, Edgar nodded confidently. Normally, she would be relieved by his benevolent smile, but today, she felt helpless. I can tell you this is extremely bitter, Beatrice thought, and almost cried. However, Edgar had brought it to her from the neighboring country despite his terrible dark circles, so she told herself that she had to drink it up no matter what. ¡°Well, wait a minute. Artie¡­!¡± With an impatient voice, her hand holding the vial was restrained and her mouth was covered with something warm. She blinked her eyes in surprise, and right in front of her was Edgar¡¯s bewildered face. ¡°¡­!¡± Beatrice¡¯s mouth was covered by Edgar¡¯s large palm. His breath touched her cheek. He was breathing a little hard, perhaps because he was in a hurry. Beatrice gasped at the heat. His hand still covers Beatrice¡¯s lips. She didn¡¯t know how this happened, but now her cheeks were starting to turn red. Edgar¡¯s face was too close. Meanwhile, Edgar, who breathed a sigh of relief after covering Beatrice¡¯s mouth, finally realized her confusion at this point, and hurriedly removed his hand while mouthing a quick apology. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to be rude¡­ I mean, the medicine is all for Artie, but you only need to take one spoonful at a time. You seemed like you were going to swallow it all, so I panicked¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was in a hurry¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I covered your mouth.¡± Edgar, who usually spoke in a calm tone of voice, was talking with great vigor. Edgar¡¯s face was bright red. ¡°I know you were surprised because I held your mouth all of a sudden. I¡¯m really sorry. I washed my hands and everything.¡± What is this person so worried about, why is he apologizing so desperately, even though there is no way she would think of Edgar¡¯s hands being dirty or anything like that. Beatrice found that somewhat strange. But perhaps it was because she usually sees Edgar calm and unperturbed, so it was refreshing to see him in a panic. He looked pretty cute. ¡­I can¡¯t believe I just thought a man three years older than me was cute. Beatrice came back to herself and looked elsewhere. Edgar¡¯s gaze wandered around as well, as if he was restless. The silence that followed was unbearable, and Beatrice brainstormed about what to say. And so the topic that came to her mind was the events of two days ago. ¡°Ah, well, speaking of which. Two days ago, actually.¡± We knew each other¡¯s commonalities, and this is a good topic of conversation, she thought. ¡°Leopold-sama came here to talk to my brother. The two talked for quite some time.¡± Even if the real reason for his visit was kept secret and they used her fake sickness as an excuse, seeing those two together was really rare. Well, the content of their conversation was about that subject, so they have no choice but to talk alone. Her brother said that he was going to tell Edgar about Beatrice¡¯s rebirth. So perhaps he already knows about it. She spoke about it as she thought it. But Edgar¡¯s reaction was not what she expected. ¡°¡­Leo and Rembrandt talked?¡± Edgar¡¯s tone of voice was lower than usual. What¡¯s happening? Beatrice wondered. Has, by any chance, her brother not yet spoken to Edgar? But that can¡¯t be true. It has already been several months since she confided in her brother. And during that time, Edgar had visited the mansion twice. ¡°Umm, well, my brother has something important to tell Leopold-sama.¡± ¡°¡­really.¡± Despite her attempt to continue as though she was trying to hint it, Edgar did not ask any further questions about the subject, and eventually silence fell again. The heat that she had felt so certain just a few moments before, and the throbbing of her heart, now took on a different form, one that was more unsettling. Somehow, some way, Edgar seemed to be angry. After that, Edgar never mentioned the subject of Leopold. Other than that, he returned to his usual calm demeanor and checked on Beatrice¡¯s condition. And as usual, he stayed for a full day before returning to Drieste. The bitter, bitter medicine Edgar brought worked so well that Beatrice felt lighter than ever for some time afterward. Edgar would be pleased to hear the report two weeks after the letter arrived. ¡­ At this time when Beatrice welcomed Edgar, it was the weekend. The day before yesterday, she was absent from the academy, using her temporary illness as a reason to call Leopold. Beatrice will not be going to the school until tomorrow, and it was also the end of the week. So it was too late now. However, Beatrice and Leopold have different departments and school buildings. And now that she is maintaining some distance from Natalia as well, not to mention Alejandro. Therefore, Beatrice did not know about it until much later. Yes, it was almost a month later. ¡­Leopold had disappeared from the academy. CH 28 Chapter 28 : Thread of Attachment (Natalia¡¯s POV) He was not in the classroom today. Natalia staggered back to the General Education Building. Her heart was filled with nothing but anxiety. Because she hasn¡¯t seen her lover for almost a month. The day after tomorrow, it will be summer vacation. At this rate, she won¡¯t be able to see him until the end of the holiday. She didn¡¯t even know what happened. What¡¯s wrong? Just what is going on? Why did you suddenly stop coming to the academy? Suddenly, without saying a word to me. ¡­why? Leo. Uhn. Maybe this is¡­ A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu struck Natalia, and her body shuddered. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s¡­ again.¡± Lunch break at the academy. The whole campus, both inside and outside the school, was crowded with students moving to have lunch, and no one picked up on Natalia¡¯s little murmur. ¡­ What came into her mind were the words she didn¡¯t even want to remember. ¡°How did you find it, Natalia? I just searched for it there earlier.¡± ¡°True. It¡¯s always like that. I can¡¯t help but wonder.¡± She just wanted to help a friend who was in trouble because of something he had lost. That was it. And yet¡­ The moment she found it, when it fell by the table, or the other time when she saw it on the shelf, and when she picked it up and handed it to him, he said something different than she had expected. ¡°Hey, was that really there? You didn¡¯t hide it?¡± She froze, not understanding what was being said. Why, why, I always have no idea why they would take it that way. The cat she found was dead in the bushes in the park. Her small bird had its feathers plucked, and had fallen miserably to the bottom of the bird cage. I don¡¯t know why. The things I hold dear always, always disappear. I wonder why. Why is it that even when I think I have found a friend, they always hate me? Yes, always. People and things, everything. Some die, some disappear, some will be ruined, and some will hate me and leave voluntarily. ¡°I hate people like you.¡± ¡°You pretend to be innocent like this, but behind the scenes, you¡¯re sneaking around doing nasty things¡­¡± ¡°You are such a jerk. I¡¯ve never met someone like you before.¡± What are you talking about? What is this about? What have I done to you people? What did I do? Am I making people feel bad about themselves without even realizing it? Is that why everyone is disappearing around me? So¡­ Leo stopped coming to the academy, too? So, if I go to the Reinalpha Family, will they let me see you? Hey, what did I¡­ what did I do? A clear drop of tear trickled down Natalia¡¯s cheek and landed on the back of her hand. ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Natalia?¡± As Natalia sat alone and ate her lunch, a voice suddenly fell above her head, but it was not the person she had been hoping for. However, it was the childhood friend, who has always been by her side. It was the voice of a dear friend who always chose to be by Natalia¡¯s side, no matter what anyone said or what happened. She looked up, and called that one and only name. ¡°¡­Alejandro.¡± In response to Natalia¡¯s voice, Alejandro squinted his amber eyes. ¡°You¡¯re always alone these days. That man¡­ what happened to your lover, is he not with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. He hasn¡¯t been to the academy for a long time¡­ and I can¡¯t go to the Marquise¡¯s house to see him.¡± ¡°So¡­ he¡¯s at his house?¡± Natalia, who replied with a dejected expression, didn¡¯t notice Alejandro¡¯s probing look. ¡°I think he¡¯s there. The butler always comes out and refuses, saying, ¡®The young master is too busy to spend time with you¡¯. If he wasn¡¯t there, he would say he wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­hmm.¡± ¡°I wonder if I was hated¡­¡± ¡°What, did Natalia do something?¡± To this question, Natalia shook her head weakly. I don¡¯t remember doing anything. But it is true that, even until now, I¡¯ve been accused, ignored, and avoided by people I don¡¯t remember doing anything to. If so, then, this time, too. Before, I knew it¡­ maybe I did something to offend Leo. The first person of the opposite gender whom I ever liked. Yes, I¡¯m sure. ¡°Maybe I did something that Leo doesn¡¯t like without knowing it¡­¡± As she muttered this, her eyes slowly grew hot. I had never, ever intended to intentionally hurt anyone or anything. And yet I was always told that I did. Even I was surprised, and even doubted myself. I hated myself for hurting someone so badly and not even realizing it. I hated myself for always making the same mistakes, no matter how much I tried to pay attention and be careful. I knew I was no good, but I couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong with me, and I couldn¡¯t forgive myself for being such a pathetic person. Therefore, I was trying to keep a reasonable distance from people. I took one look at Leo and thought he was like a prince, and I had hope that he would love me even if I was like this. ¡®I love you, I won¡¯t let you go no matter what¡¯, I wish those words were true. And yet, again. Maybe I made the same mistake. If I knew what was wrong, at least I could try to fix it. Tears welled up and she hurriedly wiped them away with her sleeve. Alejandro then softly caressed Natalia¡¯s head with his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help you.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re not alone. I¡¯m here. I will never leave you.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ thanks¡­ Alejandro.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know you¡¯re a good girl.¡± Natalia did not notice the distorted pleasure in Alejandro¡¯s eyes as he said this. ¡°Because you are my precious, precious, princess.¡± It was this obsession that surrounds Natalia, like a spider thread that entangles her wholly, without knowing who put it up. Natalia felt relief at Alejandro¡¯s words. CH 29 Chapter 29 : Interaction ¡°Is that true? Edgar-kun.¡± Cartier, the chief assistant at the Royal Institute of Medicine, asked as he leaned forward. To which Edgar nodded significantly in return. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what the letter said. Of all the medications I have given her, this one seems to have worked the best.¡± ¡°Hmmm. It seems that the formula has worked very well. I believe you upped the amount of cidra grass in the formula?¡± ¡°Yes. And I also added a small amount of lendoran peel, which helps enhance the potency of the cidra grass.¡± ¡°Ho, lendoran? I see. You came up with it well.¡± ¡°I just happened to come across a report written about Lendoran. I guess I was lucky.¡± ¡°Haha, still as humble as ever, you.¡± Beatrice sent Edgar a letter. When Edgar read that she had taken the brown-green medicine in question and was feeling better than ever, he was so happy that he almost screamed. She said that it was too bitter and even a spoon was too difficult for her, and that they should improve the taste as much as they could in the future. But it was already difficult to find a medicine that was highly effective, so the combination of the two would be an extremely difficult task. It was now the third year and a half. Edgar calculated the months and days in his head. According to Rembrandt, before her rebirth, Beatrice¡¯s body finally became immobile in the seventh year¡­ and she was killed when she realized that she was already dying. Those were the words I hate to even think about. Edgar shook his head silently. It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t let you die this time. Perhaps she is in a much better physical condition now. And at the current pace, it won¡¯t even take seven years. Perhaps next year or the year after that, I will complete it. Therefore¡­ therefore, Artie will live this time. She¡¯ll live, and she¡¯ll live on and on and on. Then she will be able to think about the future just like any other girl. She would be able to dream of her own happiness, not just a contract marriage to support someone else anymore. And if it¡¯s possible, I want to be by Artie¡¯s side at that time. Yes, next to her. ¡°¡­I¡¯m totally in a hurry. I need to move my head and hands instead of thinking about that right now.¡± Edgar shook his head to stop his thoughts, which seemed to flow endlessly. If you want to dream, you need results for that. ¡°¡­okay.¡± Next, he has to consider combining it with herbs that have been shown to have hematopoietic properties. Edgar went to work. Everything is for the future of an important friend and the girl who he has been looking at since he was a child, wanting to protect her. ¡­ ¡°Zakaraias-sama. You wanted to see me?¡± It is a weekday afternoon. His master, Alejandro, has gone to the academy. Zacharias, who rang the bell and called his men, looked up from the ledger he was holding. ¡°Ah, Thesus. I have a little favor to ask you.¡± As his subordinate bowed deeply and waited for instructions from his superior, Zacharias turned his attention back to the ledger and began to speak. ¡°I¡¯m a little short-handed. I¡¯d like you to send me someone reliable. I¡¯d like someone who¡¯s tight-lipped and won¡¯t risk leaking the wrong information.¡± ¡°A stiff-lipped fellow, huh? If so, I have just the one for you. He is a slave I acquired just the other day.¡± ¡°Slave? Which part about him is just right?¡± Thesus grinned and continued speaking. ¡°The man is actually mute.¡± ¡°A mute? He can¡¯t talk?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I also checked, but it seems that he is unable to produce any speech to begin with. He can barely produce a gravelly sound from his throat. He can read simple letters, but he cannot write. So there is absolutely no worries about any information leaking out from that person. When we do give instructions, it¡¯s only verbally.¡± After a cursory explanation of the slave from Thesus, Zacharias nodded his head in approval. ¡°I see. Well, it¡¯s perfect for protecting information. All right, bring him in.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Thesus then left his seat, then he later returned with a young man. The slave man who was brought in was a lean, well-built man with an eye patch over his left eye. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s him.¡± ¡°Yes. His name is Leon.¡± ¡°I see. Okay, Leon. Come here. I¡¯ll give you a job.¡± The slave called Leon walked towards Zacharias, dragging his feet slightly. ¡°What the h**l is this guy? Not only his eye but also his leg is injured? If it were only for his physique, he could have been a knight.¡± ¡°Ha. There seems to be an old injury on his right knee. It seems that the bandage still couldn¡¯t be removed until now. But don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t interfere with his work.¡± ¡°Hmph. Listen to me, Leon. You¡¯re going to separate the papers here by date, like this. Look here, and put the ones with the same thing on them on top of each other.¡± Leon nodded. ¡°These were the documents pertaining to a report that I will give to Alejandro-sama. Make no mistake about it. Also, after I¡¯m done transcribing, burn everything and dispose of it.¡± When he saw that Leon nodded again, Zacharias resumed the bookkeeping process. Thesus then said to Leon, who had begun quietly sorting through the documents behind him, ¡°Make sure you do it right.¡± All the while, Zacharias kept his eyes down on the ledger. That¡¯s probably why. He did not notice that the corners of Thesus¡¯ mouth turned up slightly as he left the room to return to his post. CH 30 Chapter 30 : Proof of Promise Four days into the school¡¯s month-long summer vacation, Alejandro was picking out clothes for a day out. Alejandro was in a good mood as he was now scheduled to meet with Natalia. In the end, Natalia did not get to see Leopoldo even until the last day before the summer vacation. Both interpersonal trauma and object trauma that Alejandro had carefully imprinted on her was enough to frighten Natalia and amuse him. As a reward for this, he thought that he should take her out to the theater today. He had enjoyed the look of anxiety on her face for more than a month. What he missed now was Natalia¡¯s smile. That man too, this time¡­ he gave up Natalia so unexpectedly. He thought he¡¯d stick around a little longer. When he went to pick up Natalia after getting ready, Alejandro felt a sense of discomfort as she greeted him with a bright smile, the sense of her melancholy had vanished. What the h**l? The bright and cheerful expression on her face was so bright and sunny that it was hard to believe that she had been living in tears until the other day. Alejandro soon learned why. She said she received a letter from Leopold. Alejandro asked, while suppressing the irritation that welled up inside him. ¡°I see. What did he say in your letter?¡± ¡°¡±Um, let¡¯s see. I¡¯m sorry I made you feel so lonely. I¡¯m having a hard time at home right now, so I won¡¯t be able to see you for a while, but I hope you¡¯ll wait for me.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°It was written that he would definitely pick me up¡­¡± Saying this, Natalia swept her sky-blue hair and smiled happily. ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad to hear that. Good for you.¡± Natalia nodded her head, not even noticing that he had replied with a flat tone with no sincerity at all. He used to like this kind of stupidity, but now he rather hates it. What are you smiling about? Alejandro kept the corners of his mouth gently curled up, but his heart was full of poison. Words like that¡­ Natalia felt happy easily at such trivial words from such a man. You¡¯ve been anxious and crying all this time for the past month and a half. During that time, it was me, not him, who was by Natalia¡¯s side. Do you like that guy so much? Is that man really that good? So much that you want to escape from my hands. Ahh, I feel uncomfortable, and I don¡¯t even know why. Something black and hazy welled up inside Alejandro. This was an emotion that hasn¡¯t been around for a long time. It was something that he has been able to forget for a long time since he found Natalia. You¡¯re my little toy that cries and laughs at my every whim. That¡¯s you. You¡¯re only there for that. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to see Natalia smile. But not in this way. Never. I was supposed to make her laugh. I was supposed to make her laugh today. But now that smile makes me want to vomit. I want to hit her right now. I want to make her face wet with tears. I want to paint her face, which has been filled with joy because of him, with the color of despair. I wanted to snatch that letter, or whatever it was in Natalia¡¯s hand, and tear it to shreds immediately. I could stomp on it, burn it to ashes, and then pour sewage all over it. But I don¡¯t think that would have made me feel any better. But even Alejandro, in his current agitated state, was able to determine that this was not possible. It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll give up for now. But sooner or later, I will. With a look of possessiveness and obsession, Alejandro looked at the letter that Natalia was holding in her hand. But he did not notice that the letter was not the only thing that her hand was holding at her chest. It¡¯s hung from Natalia¡¯s delicate neck under a buttoned blouse. She was instructed not to let it be seen, and she chose to hide it under her clothes. ¡­ The letter was delivered to Natalia three days before Alejandro¡¯s visit, late in the evening on the day the school went on summer vacation. The curtains in her room shook, and Natalia stiffened with fear as a figure appeared. But in an instant, she was held in place. ¡°¡­quiet. Don¡¯t make a sound. I¡¯m not a suspicious person. I¡¯m just here to deliver a letter to you.¡± She was about to scream when he covered her mouth and whispered to her. Nodding silently, the shadow easily took his hand away from Natalia¡¯s mouth and held out a letter. ¡°It¡¯s a letter for you. I¡¯m sorry it took so long to get back to you, he said¡­ Leopold Reinapha.¡± ¡°Leo¡­?¡± She received the letter with trembling hands. Without regard to the man in front of her, Natalia opened the envelope and took out a piece of stationery from inside. ¡°It¡¯s definitely his handwriting¡­ surely you can see that, right?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± Natalia nodded, but kept her gaze down on the letter. It said that he apologized for worrying her by taking a sudden leave of absence from the academy, that he would still be taking this leave for a while to help out at home, and that he would pick her up after the matter was resolved. Tears of joy slowly welled up in Natalia¡¯s eyes. But the man in front of her opened his mouth with a cold stare, in contrast to Natalia. ¡°It was a dummy letter. Of course, it was written by the real Leopold, so there¡¯s no lie in it.¡± ¡°Dummy, huh?¡± Not understanding the meaning of his words, Natalia asked back with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°Well, umm, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It means it was written in anticipation of being lost. Take another good look inside the envelope.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She was unsure of why, but she did as she was told and looked into the envelope. Then¡­ ¡°Memo¡­¡± On a small piece of paper, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, were written simply the words, ¡°I love you¡±, in Leopold¡¯s handwriting. ¡°That¡¯s the real deal. Put it between your textbooks or novels. It is much safer than keeping it in a drawer.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°It will be taken away immediately, anyway¡­ it¡¯s always been that way, hasn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve heard that nothing important ever stays in your possession, is that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A look of confusion came into Natalia¡¯s eyes. She understood half of what was being said, but she didn¡¯t understand the other half. ¡°Take away¡­?¡± The man snorted in response, apparently satisfied with her response. ¡°Oh, you still haven¡¯t realized it, have you? You¡¯re just as easy going as he is¡­ oh well. It seems you can¡¯t do belly tricks either. I won¡¯t explain any further. Just trust Leopold and wait.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Leopold¡­ trust Leo¡­ and wait.¡± ¡°Ah yes. Can you do it?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± ¡°Then put the note between the books like I said. Don¡¯t let anyone see it. And then¡­ there¡¯s this.¡± The man took out a small box from his pocket. ¡°It was a gift from him. He wants you to always wear it until he comes to pick you up.¡± The man then continued. Keep it on you at all times, in the bath and when you go to bed. And then¡­ Hide it under your clothes and don¡¯t let anyone see it. CH 31 Chapter 31 : Suspicion Marquez, standing guard, welcomed Rembrandt as he emerged from Natalia¡¯s room at the Viscount Olsen¡¯s mansion. ¡°Rembrandt-sama doesn¡¯t need to trouble himself to come here.¡± While bowing to Rembrandt, his tone was somewhat reproachful. ¡°¡­I just wanted to make sure.¡± ¡°May I ask what you are confirming?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Behind Rembrandt, who had silently climbed into the carriage, Marquez, who was serving as a guard and escort, raised his eyebrows. ¡°It was already such a big deal that we borrowed the shadow guard from the Marquis, but it¡¯s been four months, but I still don¡¯t really understand what he¡¯s planning to do. Well now, I¡¯m stumped.¡± And Marquez stared into Rembrandt¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you working to achieve, Rembrandt-sama?¡± ¡°¡­well, I wonder what it is.¡± Rembrandt was the one who had asked Marquez to work for him, even if it was only temporarily. Yet, in front of Rembrandt, Marquez let out a huge sigh. ¡°What part of this mission involves the Strydom family? I was ordered to guard Beatrice at the school, but now I don¡¯t even know what that means. I mean, the young lady hardly associates with the son of the Chamber of Commerce, does she?¡± ¡°¡­for now.¡± ¡°I work for the head of the Marquise of Strydom, in other words, Noyce-sama. I have the responsibility to report this matter to Noyce-sama as well. However¡­¡± ¡°So far, it looks to you like I¡¯m moving the shadow guards for personal reasons, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid so.¡± Marquez quickly adjusted his posture and looked at Rembrandt. ¡°A twisted love triangle between a Viscount¡¯s daughter, Natalia Olsen, a Baron¡¯s son, Alejandro Reyes, and Leopold Reinalpha, a Marquis¡¯ son. From an outside perspective, there is no element of the Marquis of Stydrom that should be involved there.¡± ¡°It is true that Miss Natalia and Alejandro are schoolmates of Lady Beatrice, but they only greet each other occasionally. Although she has known Leopold since he was a child, he was as close to her as Edgar-sama, even to you. So, why did you take action? You even used us, the shadow guards.¡± Marquez¡¯s normally cheerful demeanor was replaced by a frown, and he then turned to his temporary master with a very serious expression on his face. He was probably considering whether he should continue to follow orders as a shadow guard, or whether he should report to his true master, the head of the Marquis of Strydom family. ¡°¡­tonight made you uneasy? Are you wondering if I¡¯m in love with the daughter of the Viscount?¡± ¡°I just want the certainty that it¡¯s for the Marquise of Strydom. Otherwise, there would be no point in going on these missions as a shadow guard.¡± ¡°Then let me just say¡­ all of this is for Beatrice.¡± Apparently, the name was unexpected for Marquez. His eyes widened. ¡°Beatrice, sama.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± In order not to have Beatrice¡¯s life taken away from her like the last time. This time, they will do everything in time. ¡°I should add, the only reason I haven¡¯t brought up the report to my father until now is to gather evidence to see if Beatrice¡¯s claims are correct.¡± His own misbehavior must have made Marquez excessively anxious. Certainly, one might conclude that he had a fantasy, breaking into a single woman¡¯s room in the middle of the night. But still¡­ I wanted to meet her just once. I wanted to see her to make sure. His sister Beatrice, the same person who stabbed and killed his sister, and also the friend who reached out to her. Still, she¡¯s a kind person, the woman Beatrice insisted on. I wanted to find out what kind of woman she really was. Perhaps Alejandro already put his people in Viscount Olsen¡¯s residence, and also in the residence of Marquise of Reinapha. So, since he already decided, he could only move at midnight, and that¡¯s the reason why he came at this time of night. Well, one might wonder why he was so concerned about Natalia, there is one reason. ¡°Sorry about that, Marquez.¡± I may have underestimated the loyalty of the shadow guard to our Marquize. With that in mind, he candidly apologized. ¡°¡­no, it¡¯s not my place to intrude.¡± ¡°No, I think my father must be getting tired of it by now. When I return to the mansion, I will report to him. Depending on his judgment, I may explain the situation to you as well.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s even more confusing if you ask me.¡± Then Rembrandt chuckled. At that time, though, Marquez did not quite understand the meaning of what Rembrandt had said. ¡­ ¡°Wait a minute¡­ rebirth?¡± ¡°You can think of it as ¡°having a precognitive dream¡±, but either way, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that it sounds fishy.¡± Rembrandt, who had made an appointment with Noyce as soon as he returned, went into his father¡¯s office to talk with him for a while. Later, Marquez was called back in and went inside as well. Here, Marquez realized the meaning of Rembrandt¡¯s words earlier. Noyce also had a subtle expression on his face. Certainly, they would not have been inclined to listen to Beatrice¡¯s claims until they had some evidence of the suspicious activities of the Reyes¡¯ Chamber of Commerce. That¡¯s how ridiculous it sounds. Even so, for Marquez, and perhaps for Noyce as well, the explanation of ¡°rebirth¡± was still difficult to accept as a reality. However, the fact that Alejandro¡¯s behavior was reported as confirmed, was enough to suppress their desire to refute it. Noyce also seemed to doubt Beatrice¡¯s sanity at first. Certainly, as Rembrandt claims, he would not have given permission to lend his shadow guard if he had been told about it first. At this point, Noyce temporarily put the matter of lending the shadow guard on hold and turned his gaze on Rembrandt as the head of the family. ¡°Then, let¡¯s leave aside the story of Beatrice¡¯s life threatening event in her so-called ¡°previous life¡± for a moment. This time, is it in Marquise of Strydom¡¯s interest to side with Leopold, or perhaps, more importantly, the Reinalpha family?¡± ¡°¡­does that mean apart from Beatrice¡¯s wish?¡± ¡°Yes. Our family is not so good-natured as to move five shadow guards to do charity work for the Reinalpha family.¡± ¡°Of course. I have discussed this with Leopold.¡± ¡°Well. Say it.¡± ¡°When everything is settled, our Marquis family intends to absorb the largest trading company in the country, the Reyes Trading Company. The Reinalpha family will not interfere in this matter. This is the condition for lending Leopold a hand.¡± Noyce raised an eyebrow. ¡°So¡­ not only the son, but also the current head of the family is black.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure yet, but the son did all those things. I don¡¯t think we can say we don¡¯t know anything about it. At the very least, we could put them under our control.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Leaning against the back of the sofa, Noyce pondered for a while. ¡°¡­but then again, isn¡¯t it a bit much to sneak into a young lady¡¯s room?¡± I guess that was still a concern. Indeed, he could have just asked the shadow guard to give her the letter and gift from Leopold. There was no need for Rembrandt to go out of his way to do so in any way. Rembrandt, however, apologized for his behavior. ¡°I am sorry. I was a little concerned about the fact that Trice had opened up so much to her and that Alejandro was so obsessed with her.¡± ¡°Leopold¡¯s love interest, you can¡¯t get anywhere near that. What he was interested in was someone Alejandro was obsessed with.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Then, after a pause, Rembrandt continued. ¡°His sister, whom Alejandro had been obsessed with in the past, seemed to have been killed by him.¡± CH 32 Chapter 32 : Unfavorable Character ¡°First of all, I apologize. Rembrandt-sama.¡± After the discussion, Marquez bowed deeply. ¡°No need to apologize. I¡¯m the one who sent you on this mission without telling you what was going on.¡± ¡°No, but still, you had your reasons for not telling me. If I had been informed first, I might have refused the assignment.¡± ¡°Well, my father wouldn¡¯t have lent me the shadow guard in the first place.¡± Noyce also laughed at these words. ¡°But, Rembrandt. I can¡¯t believe that you believed Trice¡¯s story. Well, to tell you the truth, I still have a hard time believing it. But it¡¯s a fact that she was able to guess the movements of the Reyes Trading Company. I have to admit that.¡± ¡°¡­I just thought it would be nice if the medicine would be ready in time, that¡¯s all. I guess it¡¯s just wishful thinking. If you can just say that we can start all over, then we will.¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s quite a dream for you.¡± Rembrandt shrugged his shoulders in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s all right. In fact, it looks like we¡¯ll make it this time.¡± ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Edgar is doing his best at his own risk. He¡¯s desperate to keep Trice alive too.¡± Rembrandt¡¯s eyes narrow slightly, then become serious again. He took off his hand from his cheek and stared straight at his father, Noyce. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to do everything, so I can keep Trice from being killed this time. We want to get everything done while his eyes are looking somewhere else entirely. We don¡¯t know when Alejandro will turn his attention to Trice, so we don¡¯t have time to sit on our laurels in peace!¡± Noyce tapped his fingers on the armrest of his office desk chair and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°¡­if what you said earlier about your sister being killed is true, then you may be right.¡± Marquez also nodded in agreement. ¡°I see, so you had a good reason for ordering me to be her escort¡­ my deepest apologies, Rembrandt-sama.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s too much.¡± Marquez was very apologetic for questioning this assignment. After being apologized to over and over again, Rembrandt, who was getting annoyed and tired of it, interrupted him with a wry smile. Then, Noyce once again raised a question. ¡°So? Is it your idea to have Leopoldo stay in his house now?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s someone else in the Reinalpha residence. He is in training at a certain place.¡± ¡°¡­in training at a certain place¡­?¡± ¡°Yes¡± As both of them looked at each other, Rembrandt nodded his head, biting back his sigh of relief. It was already around midnight. Rembrandt, who has been busy giving instructions to the shadow guards and compiling reports everyday recently, has indeed begun to feel sleepy. Still, he did not have the disrespect to leave the room in the middle of a conversation. His tone became a little slower, but he still continued his report. ¡°We have to make sure that he will never bother the Marquise of Strydom again. Since he is the next head of the Marquise of Reinalpha, he should be able to pay for the sparks of fire that fall on him, or else they will be in trouble.¡± Noyce nodded his head nonchalantly at these words. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. This time, with what happened with Trice, and the fact that it looks like we¡¯re getting a fair return, I¡¯m willing to go ahead with it.¡± ¡°So I wanted to make sure they learned that there are two sides to every story.¡± Rembrandt gave a dark smile. ¡°I told him to go gather his own evidence then tossed him in.¡± Where, may I ask? The two, who had a slightly ominous premonition, hesitated to ask a word. But Rembrandt was quick to speak up there. ¡°By now, he should be working for Alejandro as a slave.¡± ¡°¡­wah?¡± Maybe because of his lack of sleep. He didn¡¯t add his usual logical explanation. Therefore¡­ ¡°¡­what do you mean? Report a little more properly.¡± In the end, further explanations were required, and Rembrandt¡¯s long night still to continue. ¡­ ¡°¡­I see what you mean.¡± Noyce Strydom muttered, holding his temples after hearing Rembrandt¡¯s explanation. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s also Thoman¡­ does the Marquis of Reinalpha know?¡± ¡°Yes. Leo went directly to the Marquis of Reinalpha. In exchange for the evidence, he asked him to approve his engagement to Natalia when all was said and done.¡± Rembrandt continued, ¡°Leo put conditions on the solution, even though his love for Natalia was the reason the business was going down the drain.¡± ¡°And Thomas¡­¡± ¡°He agreed. As long as they can get out of this situation.¡± A loud sigh spilled from Noyce¡¯s mouth. ¡°He has a soft spot for Leopold, too.¡± ¡°Well, I think they will do well for themselves at best. For him, it¡¯s a desperate situation.¡± Rembrandt then tells him aloofly, while Noyce still looks uneasy. ¡°Leopold is not incapable, but he¡¯s just a simple man¡­ he¡¯s going to get ripped apart pretty quickly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve let the show guards sneak in, but¡­ well, if something happens, that¡¯s it, right? I¡¯ve given them instructions, and as long as they follow them, there should be no problem. I can¡¯t take care of him any more than that.¡± ¡°¡­indeed. Probably Thomas would have let some of them slip through the cracks.¡± Noyce then fell silent for a few moments and let his words slip out in an unintentional manner. ¡°It must have been very hard for you to arrange all these by yourself, Ren. I¡¯m sorry for your hard work.¡± With a mouth full of absentmindedness, Rembrandt shook his head and said it was nothing. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. It¡¯s more convenient for us to take him out before he turns his attention to Trice. Well, I¡¯ll let Leopoldo do the rest while I give instructions from a safe distance.¡± Noyce chuckled at his son, who only speaks in a twisted way. ¡°Absolutely¡­ Although it¡¯s a detrimental personality, you don¡¯t have to go out of your way to be hateful. Leopold would have been grateful for your help in letting him infiltrate them as a slave.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fix my personality at this point, and I didn¡¯t do what I did because I wanted to be thanked in the first place.¡± Nonetheless, Rembrandt was unable to return anything but this and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed, I¡¯m at my limit,¡± and got up from his seat. CH 33 Chapter 33 : A Quiet Story and a Quiet Sister (Alejandro¡¯s POV) ??? Author¡¯s note: This is the story of Alejandro¡¯s childhood. There are expressions related to mistresses and abuse. ??? Alejandro Reyes has five younger siblings. No, it would be more accurate to say ¡®had¡¯, because there were four now. Of his younger siblings, only his second younger sister, Milch, was born from the same mother. Alejandro¡¯s father, McKay, was an aggressive, bold, and dynamic man who ran the country¡¯s largest trading company. His aggressiveness was not only demonstrated in business, but also with women, and he had three mistresses in addition to his legal wife. His wife had no children. Therefore, Alejandro, the eldest son, was appointed as his successor. Alejandro was the son of one of his mistresses, Regala. Regala was McKay¡¯s first mistress. When she was pregnant with Alejandro, it greatly pleased McKay, who had not been able to have a child with his legal wife for five years. What was more, it was a boy. Later, when Milch was born, McKay increased the number of mistresses to two. No children were born from the second mistress, bringing McKay¡¯s mistresses to three. The third one gave birth to Alejandro¡¯s three remaining younger siblings. Alejandro has a sister ten years younger than himself, another sister thirteen years younger, and a younger brother fifteen years apart. But the truth was that there might have been six of them. If only that child had been born safe and sound at that time. ¡°¡­I wonder what it would be like. Would it have been as cute as Milch?¡± Thinking of the unborn baby, Alejandro muttered something to himself. If only it had been born safe. If only Regala had not fallen that day. Yes, the day that I will never forget, the day Milch died. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Milch, come here.¡± When Alejandro called his sister¡¯s name and held out his hand, Milch placed her hand on top of his without expression. Alejandro was the only person in the house who willingly approached Milch. Milch was born with hearing problems. She could barely hear sounds, which resulted in vocal problems. Alejandro was supposed to have a younger brother or sister about six years younger than him. Regala, who had been flattered for giving birth to her first son and heir, Alejandro, was overtly disappointed when she learned of her daughter¡¯s disability after Milch¡¯s birth. In fact, Milch¡¯s presence threatened her husband McKay¡¯s favor. It was at that moment that McKay began to surround himself with a second mistress. As a result, Regala disliked taking care of Milch and left her to the servants. On the contrary, she had kept Alejandro by her side at all times. ¡°Alejandro, my sweetheart. You are the heir to the Lord¡¯s trading house, and you are very important.¡± Morning, noon, and night. For most of the time between when Regala woke up and when she went to bed, her son Alejandro was expected to stay by his mother¡¯s side all the time. But that doesn¡¯t mean that her mother does anything for him. She just kept him by her side and whispered to him, ¡°You¡¯re important,¡± when she felt like it. Other than that, she leaves him alone or ignores him. And yet, she does not allow Alejandro to go anywhere. She doesn¡¯t allow a young boy, only two years old, to do anything, to talk, nor to go to different places. She ordered him to just stay still and be by his mother¡¯s side, and he did so for a year. When Alejandro turned three years old, McKay arranged for his son to have a tutor. This allowed Alejandro to be away from his mother for a few hours a day. I didn¡¯t dislike studying. But I didn¡¯t like it either. I didn¡¯t hate it because it kept me away from my mother during that time. The reason I didn¡¯t like it was because this tutor was interested in my mother. ¡­ Everything seemed to fade away in Alejandro¡¯s world at that time. Everything in the world was black and white, or shades of it. He was afraid that something would destroy him, so one day Alejandro, with his mother out of sight, went out into the garden and squashed a small insect he found there. Then, for some reason, he felt lighter. He felt that the heavy, dusky thing in his chest, which was definitely there before he did that, had disappeared a little. After he realized this, he just wanted to feel comfortable and lightened up a little, so he kept hurting something as if he was obsessed. Beautiful butterflies, a swarm of ants crawling along the road, fish in a pond, a mouse caught in a mousetrap¡­ Although he knew that it was only a momentary release, he still desperately wanted to have a taste of it. Once, one of the maids saw him do so¡­ The maid turned pale and immediately took him inside the house, saying that he should not do such a thing. After that he was even more careful not to be found. One day, as he was taking care of a wild bird he had trapped, he heard a crackling sound behind him as if stepped on a branch. He turned around and saw a strange child standing there. She was much smaller than his mere four-year-old self. She has the same amber eyes and reddish brown hair as Alejandro. Alejandro wondered if this could be the baby that his mother had given birth to. A child who was bound to his mother, and a child who was hated and kept away from her. They never had a chance to see each other for a long time, and when they realized it, more than two years had passed. As I recall, her name was¡­ ¡°¡­Milch.¡± As the sound spilled out of Alejandro¡¯s mouth, the shoulders of the child in front of him twitched. But the sister in front of him does not reply. Alejandro did not know at this time that this was not possible. No, the problem was what was in Alejandro¡¯s hands before she could not speak at this time. He still had the knife in his hand with the blood from when he took care of the bird. He only noticed this when he saw tears in Milch¡¯s eyes. Tears began to well up and spill out. Bathed in sunlight, her spilled tears shimmered like pearls. She opened her mouth and was about to scream out loud. And yet, the only sound that came out of the child¡¯s mouth was a gravelly little moan. ¡°Milch¡­?¡± He threw the bloody knife to the ground and called his sister¡¯s name again. But still, there was no reply. But he didn¡¯t care about that anymore. The tears of the child, who could not speak, kept flowing, and were as solemn and beautiful as a religious painting. Alejandro felt peace that was greater than any of the peace he had gained by harming the lives of others. I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m thrilled. And¡­I feel terribly relieved. ¡°Milch¡­ it¡¯s Onii-chan.¡± Alejandro gently reached out his hand. On this day, Alejandro did indeed find a treasure. Little did he know that just two years later, he would lose this precious treasure forever by his own hands. CH 34 Chapter 34 : Rat (Natalia¡¯s POV) ¡°Zak, zak, zak¡± (chattering sounds) It was not even dawn yet. In the small garden of Viscount Olsen¡¯s mansion, a woman was digging with a gardening shovel under a large tree planted near the wall there. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Natalia has been dreaming of a prince since she was a little girl. Her father has no interest in her. He didn¡¯t go as far as abuse her, but he didn¡¯t show affection for her either. He spends part of his small income on household chores and the rest on his hobbies and interests ¡ª¡ªmainly gambling. Even if he lost some money, he won¡¯t lose a lot of money, would you call that lucky? Then she has a mother who was used to her husband¡¯s little interest, and a serious older brother. There was one old butler and one maid who had worked for Natalia since she was a little girl. What they lacked in hands, Natalia and Natalia¡¯s mother would make up for by working. Someday, someone like a prince will appear. He is kind, handsome, and smiles like the sun. Natalia¡¯s own prince who is strong, always by her side, and protects her. Natalia was confessed to by many men. In the end, they still walked away from Natalia, but there were still a good number of people who told her that they liked her. However, she was always afraid to take that hand, and while she was having a hard time taking the next step, before she knew it, they were gone from her sight. So did that man. Nicholas Trad. They have the same Viscount title, but Nicholas said that since he was the third son, he would be knighted and receive a knighthood. ¡°It was love at first sight, please go out with me¡±, he said, holding out his hand, but Natalia couldn¡¯t take it right away. But it looks like I made the right decision. Because at the end of the school year, that person had left the academy. There is no prince. There is no prince in the world who will save, love, and protect you. That¡¯s just as it should be, because I am not a princess. Even so, I still have a friend of my own. Alejandro. Someone who will never see me as a woman, but will always be by my side as a permanent friend. If there is one such person¡­ then, that¡¯s fine. While I was telling myself all these, that man appeared. Shining golden hair, bright blue eyes like the blue sky of summer. He was in the same Knight Training Department as Nicholas, and had a tall, toned body. He was so beautiful that one might have thought the sun god had given birth to a son on earth. And yet there was nothing extravagant about him. He laughed shyly, then cleared his throat and said, ¡°I¡¯ve always liked you.¡± He had seen Natalia when she came to cheer for the mock battle and had been thinking about her ever since. He didn¡¯t say anything since he didn¡¯t want to take anything away from Nicholas, who seemed to be very close to her. It would not be surprising if there was a white horse behind him. In fact, it would look perfect with him. ¡­ahh. She found herself nodding. They were walking, holding hands. They were cuddling. I¡¯m sure he will protect me. I thought so. With that in mind, she spent a happy, dreamy year, until¡­ Leopold stopped coming to school. About two months before the summer vacation. I was so anxious and worried, it was unbearable. I was afraid that I would lose someone I cared about again, and I was afraid of that. That night, with such uneasiness, I started my summer vacation. Then, a strange man suddenly appeared in my room in the middle of the night. I was about to scream, when he covered my mouth and told me that he had come on an errand for Leopold. That person gave me a letter from Leopold and a beautiful glasswork pendant. And that the letterhead was just a dummy and the real deal was a small note. She hid the pendant under her clothes and was told not to take it off when she bathed or went to bed. She was then asked whether she had ever attempted to keep anything important at hand. Three days have passed since then. Natalia had been thinking. ¡ª ¡°Catch the rat at your own house.¡± Who was that man who spoke to me that night, after all? ¡­ Natalia woke up on the bed and gently pressed her hand to her chest. There was a pendant there that was said to be from Leopold, brought by the man whose name she did not know. He was a strange man. He seemed to have scolded Natalia, worried about her, but also somewhat dismissive. In terms of time, he probably didn¡¯t even stay for half an hour. But what? I feel like he was teaching me something important, Natalia thought. ¡°¡­rat.¡± In the empty room, Natalia muttered to herself. ¡°A rat, a rat animal¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be. So, it must be¡­¡± That man knew that everything precious to her has always disappeared all the time. So he told her to hide this pendant under her clothes as well. ¡ª ¡°Think. Don¡¯t wait for someone to give you a helping hand. Start acting by yourself first.¡± The person left only words that were like riddles to her. He never once raised his tone. But for some reason, in Natalia¡¯s eyes, he seemed to be angry. Yes, he was angry with Natalia. That¡¯s why he left her with last words like that. ¡ª ¡°Remember. I¡¯m not going to let you.¡± Natalia shook her head from side to side. Now, rather than thinking about that, first¡­ ¡°Think and work on your own¡­¡± Meditate and think for a moment. Then she slowly got up and took a book from the bookshelf. It was a different book from the one in which she had tucked the note. In this one, she kept the letter that had been given to her as a dummy. She then took an envelope from between the pages and walked out of the room. Then two days passed. A faint sound reached Natalia¡¯s ears. It was from the courtyard facing the bedroom window. She quietly approached the window and peeked out from the edge of the curtains. It was now the early morning hours, before dawn had even arrived. There was a woman crouching under a tree, doing something behind her back. ¡°¡­¡± Natalia wrapped a shawl over her nightgown and left the room and went through the back door that led to the garden. Then she approached the maid who was digging hard in the dirt. ¡°Nora.¡± The maid¡¯s shoulders jerked as her name was called. ¡°What are you doing here early in the morning?¡± Nora slowly turned around. Then she spotted Natalia. ¡°Ah¡­ young lady.¡± ¡°Hey, Nora.¡± Natalia asked the maid, who was digging deep into the roots of the tree with a shovel in her hand. This person had cared for her since she was a child, whom she also loved like a sister. ¡°Why are you digging there? Is there something buried there?¡± ¡°Ah, no, that.¡± ¡ª ¡°Think. Don¡¯t wait for someone to give you a helping hand. Start acting by yourself first.¡± That¡¯s right, Natalia thought about it. All her important things kept disappearing from her own home as well. I thought it was due to poor management on my part. Or maybe my father took it and tried to sell it, she thought. She was so used to losing everything that she didn¡¯t even think about it deeply. However¡­ ¡ª ¡°Catch the rat at your own house.¡± That man taught me. He got mad at me for not thinking. He said that he would never come again as an errand boy, and went out from the balcony, that man. Surely it would not be possible to let that person know. Natalia¡¯s subsequent frantic thinking. Then one thing came to her mind. What she found out as a result was a very sad fact, though. It was Natalia who pretended to bury the box with the envelope here two days ago. Tears were threatening to well up in her eyes as she struggled to keep them from falling, but Natalia managed to keep her voice down. ¡°Nora.¡± I don¡¯t want to remain unaware. But once I came to know, it was a very painful reality. The rat was you. CH 35 Chapter 35 : Scuffle ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? Even if you don¡¯t get to keep your share of the profits?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Alejandro nodded back to Zacharias with his cheek resting on his hand. ¡°We don¡¯t want our involvement to be exposed when the diversion is discovered.If all the money we cashed in goes into their pockets, that would be the end of the investigation.¡± ¡°Understood. Then I¡¯ll tell him that can spend all the money he cashes in as he pleases.¡± Alejandro took one look at the report that Zacharias offered, then threw the paper directly into the fireplace and lit it on fire. Summer or winter, regardless of the climate or temperature, Alejandro always burns documents related to his backroom work on the spot after he checks them. And this time, after making sure the ashes were clean, he opened his mouth again. ¡°I guess the amount of money you stole is substantial. Well, it¡¯s a matter of course, since the purpose is to harass them, isn¡¯t it? Oh, yes. I want you to make secret accounts of the Reinalpha family.¡± ¡°Secret accounts, is it?¡± ¡°Yes. Keep it in the bottom of the accountant¡¯s desk drawer. If an investigation were to take place and the books were discovered, neither the accountant, the administrator, and of course the head of the Marquise family would be able to explain the books. What kind of decision would the royal family¡¯s tax department make in such a situation? Wouldn¡¯t that be interesting?¡± Zacharias put his hand on his chin, pondered for a moment, and then opened his mouth. ¡°¡­all right, sir. I¡¯ll create it soon.¡± ¡°In that ledger, you should write down the details of the goods on the sunken merchant ship and the robbed cargo wagons. The Reinalpha family was secretly selling them behind their back while claiming to have been victimized. Fufu, vicious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zacharias was about to open his mouth to answer when he noticed the noise outside and looked back behind him. Alejandro also seemed to have noticed it. A doubtful look appeared on his face. Zacharias, who hurriedly peeked back through the door, said, ¡°Excuse me. It seems that one of the slaves has been roughly beaten, and I am trying to discipline him,¡± he reported to Alejandro. ¡°Ah, slaves. Oh, by the way, you¡¯ve brought in a few new ones recently. I remember one of them used to work at your office.¡± ¡°Ah, Leon. He¡¯s a very easy guy to use. He¡¯s not very talkative, so you don¡¯t have to worry about him leaking unnecessary information.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to take care of it. You have to physically check when they come in and out.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ isn¡¯t Alejandro-sama going to Natalia-sama¡¯s again today?¡± As he was about to leave the room, Zacharias, who had his hand on the doorknob, then turned around and asked. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to go today. Maybe I¡¯ll show up tomorrow or the day after.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right, sir, I¡¯m sure she misses you.¡± ¡°¡­I hope so.¡± Then the sound of the door closing rang. Alejandro, who remained alone in the room, muttered to himself. ¡°Natalia, I don¡¯t have to be the one to do it.¡± In the fireplace, he stared at a bundle of reports that had burned out and turned to white ashes. ¡°I will, Natalia has to be the one.¡± ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the fuss? You¡¯re still exercising discipline.¡± ¡°Ah, Zacharias-sama. No, I¡¯m already done with that one, and now this one.¡± One of the servants, who had been spotted by Zacharias, hurriedly pointed at the man lying on the floor. Nearby was an empty bucket, a rag, and a piece of paper strewn all over the wet floor. ¡°We were carrying papers to Zacharias-sama¡¯s workroom when we bumped into him, and thanks to him, you see, we¡¯re all drenched.¡± ¡°This is terrible¡­ and it¡¯s a pre-processed document.¡± From the looks of it, he was walking with tools in his hands, probably after cleaning, before bumping into her. ¡°I can¡¯t just destroy it before I report it to Alejandro-sama. So pick up each piece carefully and let them dry.¡± After a quick word to the servant, Zacharias¡¯ gaze then turns to the slave crouched on the floor. ¡°You must be punished for causing all this trouble.¡± As he said this, he looked down at him coldly, then he heard a familiar voice from behind. ¡°What is it, Zacharias-sama? Did your slave do something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Theseus, huh? No, it¡¯s this one.¡± His eyes informed him of the devastation spreading over the floor. Buckets rolling on the waterlogged floor, and a slave crouching. The servants carefully peeled off each piece of paper that stuck to the floor. Theseus nodded his head as if he had guessed what had happened. ¡°I see. This is not right. I must punish him properly. We must not let this happen again.¡± ¡°¡­can you do it? I have urgent business to attend to.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯ll tell you exactly what I¡¯m going to do.¡± Zacharias has the job of forging the secret accounts, which he was assigned to earlier. Leaving the preservation of the wet documents to the servants and the punishment of the slaves to Theseus, Zacharias returned to his office. ¡°Come on, get up. Come here.¡± Theseus grabbed the hand of the slave, who was soaking wet himself, and roughly helped him to his feet and took him to his room. He entered the room, locked the door behind him, and approached the slave with the whip in his hand. Then he swung the whip down in front of the slave, making a loud noise. He swung the whip down two or three more times. The sound was so loud that it could have been heard by anyone outside the room or down the hall. But the whip never hit the slave. ¡°That should be enough for the guys outside to hear.¡± Then Theseus tossed the whip to the floor and the slave bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you for coming in. Unukan-dono.¡± ¡°Call me Theseus here¡­ as I suspected, you are a shadow guard sent by the Reinalpha Family.¡± The slave, soaking wet all over, nodded in response to Theseus¡¯ words, which came pouring out without questioning anyone. ¡°My name is Barthe, and I¡¯m here because I needed to stall for some time.¡± ¡°I know. If it was him, he had already left the room while Barthe-dono was stalling time.¡± ¡°I see. I am glad to hear that. When we received word that an unexpected person was on his way to the room, both Leopoldo and I were in a panic.¡± We owe the Strydom family again, Barthe laughed bitterly. CH 36 Chapter 36 : Knowing that You are Immature (Leopold¡¯s POV) Leon was dragging his right leg trying to get back to the room he was given. After turning into the corner, it was almost the room where he will be sleeping, but he tripped over something and his body hit the wall. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my bad.¡± It seemed that his leg was caught by something, and because of his narrow field of vision caused by the eye patch, he didn¡¯t see it. The fact that he could not speak up as quickly as he wanted to was not the result of effort or intention, but simply because of the medication he was taking. Thanks to this, the setup of being a mute has not been exposed until now. This setup was purposely designed for the clumsy Leopold, who can only wield a sword and was not even good at making an argument. Before I came here, I honestly thought that I didn¡¯t need to reach that point. But I was wrong. Perhaps if they had not followed Rembrandt¡¯s instructions, they would have been exposed sooner or later. That was how strict Alejandro¡¯s inspection was, and Leopoldo¡¯s performance was too poor. ¡°¡­¡± Bowing his head, while slowly raising his body, he walked past the grinning person in front of him. ¡°Tsk¡­¡± He heard someone clicking his tongue behind him. Perhaps he thought it was not enough, but he seemed to stop here. Leopold breathed a sigh of relief secreelty, Although he had already become accustomed to these contemptuous stares, ridicule, and unjustified violence, he still liked to be away from such treatment. The servant who smile and bow before Alejandro and Zacharias act stout and arrogant before Leopoldo, who took the position of a slave. Sometimes with violence as well. This change of behavior was almost refreshing. ¡­ People can be so dirty. It was this kind of somewhat otherworldly impression that came to his mind many times when he came here. As the next head of the Marquise of Reinalpha, he was cherished by his parents, his subjects, and his servants. He was loved and respected. He was aware that his appearance was better than others. However, he was unaware that this alone was unconditionally elevating his reputation among those around him. People smile at Leopold because he was born with status, power, and good looks, all of which he possessed. They gave him respect, consideration, and what he wanted. Leopold is not a deep-thinker by nature. So honestly, I thought the world was just like that. That every part of the world is always warm to me. Every favor, every smile, every kindness that is directed toward him, all of them are the truth without any pretense, but he had no idea that they could turn into the exact opposite when he was not around. ¡ª ¡°Leopoldo. You¡¯re no match for that man right now.¡± When Rembrandt told him about the person who was attacking the Marquis of Reinalpha behind his back, the first thing he told him was¡­ He said that Alejandro, who was good at playing complicated games, was the worst match for him, as he only receives the visible side of the game and doesn¡¯t check it out. At the mock competition in the first grade, Leopold fell in love at first sight with a pretty girl who had come to watch the competition. Beautiful hair like a clear blue sky. Round, large, slightly droopy, and lovely green eyes. The way she stood there, absentmindedly in the midst of so many people, made him want to take care of her. Upon hearing that a classmate had feelings for her, he gave up his plan then. However, when that classmate left the academy, he gathered up his courage and confessed his feelings for her. And he learned that she was an innocent girl as he thought she was. She was unsuspecting, kind to others, and never failed to smile. She was not confident of herself, and always looked at Leopold with anxious and clinging eyes. I miss Leo, I¡¯m anxious without Leo, such words gave him confidence. Don¡¯t worry, we are a marquis family. I will help you no matter how poor your family is. Natalia laughed happily when he told her this, which made Leopold happy. To Natalia, Leopold is a prince. I do not have the sharp wits of Rembrandt, nor the gentle wisdom of Edgar, and I can only wield my sword in a foolish manner. But if Natalia says so. If you want me to stay as your prince, I will do so as much as you want. ¡ª ¡°If we could accomplish what we thought we could, everyone would love it.¡± No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s not like that. If Natalia wants, or because Natalia wants, I can be anything she wants me to be. Yes, even Prince Charming on a white horse. ¡ª ¡°That man, in a way, knows more about reality than I do.¡± It can¡¯t be. A man would use such dirty tricks. With that in mind, I accepted Rembrandt¡¯s proposal and lurked here. The man who knows the real world better than himself, and Alejandro, who clings to Natalia like a winged insect, wanted to remind him of the reality of the situation. ¡­ He entered the room and sat down on the bed in front of him. The room given to the slaves was only large enough for one person to barely lie down. Such reality was shocking at first, but now he was completely used to it. Leopold takes out one of the contents of a medicine bottle placed under his pillow and throws it into his mouth. He has to take this at night so that he will not be able to speak the next day. He then rolled up his pants and unwrapped the bandage around his right knee. Inside was a weight resembling a supporter, there was a hidden pocket underneath it. Leopold then took out a few pieces hidden in it. Looking at it sullenly, a self-mocking smile appears on his face. ¡­I can¡¯t believe that after such a big statement, I¡¯m still being helped by the shadow guards just to take a few documents. And that¡¯s not all. Hair dyes, drugs that make them unable to speak, creams that make their eyes look like they are burning, tools to produce foot injuries, and shoes with slightly raised soles. It wasn¡¯t me who arranged them. I just picked them up and used them, which were already lined up in front of me. Here, of course, it was not Leopold who thought of proceeding actions. No, it¡¯s not like that. Natalia, it¡¯s not me. At the time, I felt terribly ridiculous for arguing with Rembrandt that way. I believed I could do anything with just the words, ¡°I love you.¡± That was why he wrote his love in his letter to Natalia, which he entrusted to Rembrandt. I knew nothing. I didn¡¯t know anything. How much of a man he is, and even that fact that he was now gathering evidence for the Marquise¡¯s family, which began to fall as a result of his own love affair. It may not be possible to do this satisfactorily alone. Indeed, it was. That man, Alejandro, knows much more about the real world than he does. He may be the same age as Leopold, but he had already driven Leopold to this point with only his own strength and brain. ©`©`©`¡±I don¡¯t know if this is the right way to do it or not.¡± CH 37 Chapter 37 : It¡¯s Irreplaceable (Alejandro¡¯s POV) I¡¯ll go see Natalia tomorrow or the day after. Alejandro¡¯s leisurely thoughts were blown away by an unexpected early morning visitor. ¡°Nora.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ the young lady has noticed¡­¡± The person bowing deeply was the maid of the Viscount Olsen family, whom he had bribed. He had ordered her to try to steal the letter from Leopold, but was instead tricked into a trap. That Natalia¡­? He was more conscious of Natalia¡¯s improbable change than his own pawn¡¯s blunder. Alejandro¡¯s cute little toy who accepted what was given to her as it was, like a doll, never doubting, giving up on everything, and allowing herself to be swept away. ¡°¡­did you talk to her?¡± ¡°Hii¡­ N-no.¡± The maid, who was caught by his angry glare and fell flat in front of him, let out a small scream as if frightened. ¡°I ran away the moment I was found. Young lady Natalia has not yet done anything¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Alejandro kneeled down and gently patted Nora¡¯s head. ¡°Well done, Nora. You¡¯ve done well.¡± ¡°Alejandro-sama¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go back there. I¡¯ll give you another job. I¡¯d like to keep you close to me, but that can¡¯t be done. Natalia would find me out.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell Zacharias to show you around. Wait here for a moment.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you very much.¡± Relieved, Alejandro left the room, leaving the maid tearful and grateful. He left Zacharias, who just appeared, whispering to him as they passed each other, ¡°Deal with her at the place where you would take her.¡± Then he quickly walked to his room. Right now, Alejandro had only one thing on his mind. Natalia. Natalia, Natalia, Natalia. My, my Natalia. My lovely toy, carefully handcrafted over a decade. You¡¯re a puppet, you¡¯re not supposed to set a trap for me. Natalia should have just waited, trembling and frightened, without noticing anything, until they finished hunting down and killing that man. Did the opposite happen and she trapped Nora instead? That¡¯s funny. Because that¡¯s just like¡­ It¡¯s just like what a human being would do. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Something is wrong.¡± Last time, the reason why Natalia didn¡¯t move as he expected was because that woman, Beatrice, had sidetracked her. No way, not this time again? No, it can¡¯t be. I have had regular reports about that woman. I have not received any reports of Beatrice approaching Natalia. First of all, I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes at the academy. ¡°Then it¡¯s the other guy¡­? No, not even Leopold. First of all, I haven¡¯t even seen Leopold for the last two months.¡± That Leopold has been holed up in the Reinalpha mansion. Reportedly, though, he was helping his father with his affairs and trying to reduce his debts. Something is not right. There is something strange about both Leopold and Natalia. But what? Alejandro¡¯s brow wrinkles as he feels discomfort but does not know what it is. ¡°¡­¡± Maybe I am missing something. Also. Could it be that something precious is slipping through my hands again? ¡°¡­Milch¡­¡± He found himself saying the name of his dead sister. ¡°Milch¡­ Milch, Milch¡­¡± A sister who died without ever smiling at anyone. Alienated by her own mother, despised by the servants, and never once seeing her father¡¯s face, the poor child lost her place in the world. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to appeal to someone, but she can¡¯t even utter a single word. There was no room for her to live except in clinging to the kindness that her brother would show her on a whim. I loved Milch¡¯s crying face. Milch¡¯s tears healed me. But then I realized at the last, last moment. Milch¡¯s smile, which I saw only for a moment, was as beautiful as a dream. No, maybe that was really a dream. Milch was a child who never laughed. I couldn¡¯t grab it, I couldn¡¯t reach it, I didn¡¯t have enough power. I could only watch in amazement as Milch slowly fell away. After the sound of water in the distance. The world once again becomes black and white. Tears rolled down Alejandro¡¯s cheeks as he came to a sudden realization. Money, possessions, and the heir position. He could only get what he didn¡¯t need. What he really wanted, only what he really wanted, always overflowed and fell out of his hands. No, no. Not this time. When Milch died, he found Natalia, Milch¡¯s replacement. But he was so afraid of losing it again, so he put it in an ambiguous position. He can reach it right away. But he won¡¯t seize it in his arms. He put it by his side. But let the person choose it. Make it the only choice. I kept it by my side, but did not try to get it. But I was happy with that. I was satisfied. It was a perfect world. Yes. Until Leopold, the prince on a white horse, showed up. He has no such power or ability, but he was a cunning man who deceived Natalia as her prince just because of his good looks. How can you protect my precious toy, when he only knows how to whisper love at ease. He was bold enough to say that he will protect her. You can¡¯t do it. ¡°Yes¡­ no time to stand still here.¡± Alejandro got up and prepared himself. There is much work to be done. He doesn¡¯t have time to stumble around here. That¡¯s my toy. This time, I will take good care of it, cherish it, and carefully build it into something that is irreplaceable. I don¡¯t want to lose Milch/Natalia again. I¡¯d rather than lose her once. That¡¯s right, just once. CH 38 Chapter 38 : A Quiet Story : The First and Last ¡°Come on, Milch.¡± Alejandro reached out to his sister. Milch puts her own hand over it. It was the usual scene. Alejandro was the only person in the world who approached Milch like that. She can¡¯t hear, so she can¡¯t reply. So no one calls out to her or anything. Even if he told her, she wouldn¡¯t understand anyway, and there was no need to ask her about the pros and cons. If he wanted to do something, it was enough to just grab her by the shoulder or arm and make her turn to face him. But Alejandro continued to call out. Whether it was reaching out to her, walking with them, patting her head on a whim, or letting her fall down on her own while he took her hand and helped her to stand up. Because Alejandro knew. Milch was not totally deaf. It would be correct to say that she almost can¡¯t hear. The truth is that everyone in the mansion knows it, but they ignore this fact. Whenever Alejandro talks to her, Milch¡¯s eyes would light up slightly. So, surely, Milch followed Alejandro wherever and whenever she was invited. Alejandro was the only one who called her by name, Milch, even though she knew he would hurt her every time he did so. Yes, that day, too. When the news reached the Reyes family, no one was saddened, whether at the main house or at the mistress¡¯s house. Even when the death of his daughter Milch, who was treated as someone who was never there from the beginning, was reported, none of them were. A daughter who cannot hear or speak could not even be a pawn in a political marriage. But that doesn¡¯t mean she can work as hard as other people, and it would be bad for his reputation if he threw her away. To McKay, the head of the Reyes family, Milch was just a failure. For Regala, the first mistress and mother of Alejandro, Milch¡¯s existence was a stain on her life. If she could, she would wish she had never been born. So even if they received the news of their daughter¡¯s death, they would not think anything of it. There was no way they would be sad, surprised, or disappointed. And yet, it was not Milch¡¯s death itself that shocked Regala to the point of miscarriage, but the fact that his beloved son Alejandro was there that led her to speculate. However uninterested a mother may be in her son¡¯s condition, she can still see him by chance if they live in the same house. The back of a person trampling an insect, a knife in a butterfly, or the feathers of a bird left behind after he walks away. The cute little son, who she thought was quiet and obedient, turned out to be a little monster that Regala could never understand. For some reason, Alejandro took a liking to Milch, and they often played with her from time to time. When Regala received the report from the maid, she did not like it and scolded Alejandro. But contrary to Regala¡¯s expectations, Alejandro simply looked up at his mother in silence. ¡°Are you listening, Alejandro.¡± When she got frustrated and finally raised her voice, she was instead frightened, as she was stared back by his cold eyes. ¡°I can hear you.¡± ¡°Then you understand. That thing is no longer¡­¡± ¡°Well, would my mother like to take over?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Will you replace Milch?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± She was about to say, what a stupid thing to say, when Regala fell silent. She then pondered the implications of those words, when she came to a conclusion, she turned pale. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen her recently. I was relieved to see that that girl had calmed down, but maybe. ¡°Hey, mom.¡± Alejandro chuckled. ¡°Would you please take her place?¡± Innocently, he laughed. His smile sends shivers down Regara¡¯s spine. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll allow you to stay with that thing.¡± From that day on. Regara stopped saying anything to Alejandro. ¡­ Then, that day. Alejandro had come to the river behind the mansion. Unlike the main residence in the center of the capital, the separate residence where Alejandro and his family live is located on the outskirts of the capital. It was a great place for children to walk a short distance and quickly find a place rich in nature. The river that runs through the center of the royal city is large and wide, sometimes there are even passing small transport ships. Alejandro liked to watch the water flow from that bridge. The bridge crossing both banks of the large river is solidly built and has railings to prevent falls. Alejandro made Milch sit there. Then he climbed up and sat down next to her. The bridge was empty and Alejandro and Milch were the only two people on it. Milch had a partially healed scrape on her right knee, three bruises on her left arm, and one blue bruise on her right arm. All of them were there because of Alejandro. Every time she spent time with Alejandro, Milch¡¯s body became scarred. But even so, Milch never refused Alejandro¡¯s hand. Alejandro never thought about why, but it didn¡¯t matter. Whatever the reason, Milch chose to be with Alejandro. That was enough. Milch¡¯s tears put Alejandro at ease like nothing else. His tingling and aching heart is so much easier to bear. Milch was the medicine that healed Alejandro. It was this precious toy that taught him that there were colors in this world. ¡°The wind feels good. Milch.¡± He didn¡¯t care if she heard him or not. Even though he know that she won¡¯t respond, he just kept talking to her because he wanted to talk to her. ¡°This is my favorite place.¡± Six-year-old Alejandro has no idea how dangerous it was to sit on a railing that prevented him from falling down. Not to mention four-year-old Milch. He just wanted to get as close as possible to this magnificent scene spread out before him. There was no malice or ill intent, he really just genuinely wanted to enjoy the view. That¡¯s all. In fact, Alejandro was leisurely pondering as the wind caressed his cheeks. How shall I make her cry today, or something? So he didn¡¯t expect it. As the wind was blowing, it was pushing Milch¡¯s skinny body a bit, and her sister, off-balanced, almost fell off the railing. ¡°¡­Milch¡­!¡± He reached out his hand. He grabbed his sister¡¯s wrist. Milch¡¯s body was dangling and swaying. Far below was a vast amount of water flowing slowly and without sound. The scenery, which until then had provided only refreshment, was transformed. ¡°Milch, Milch, Milch¡­¡± He grabbed her by the wrist, swaying in the air. Then she looked up at Alejandro with her mouth open, as if to say, what are you doing? Alejandro¡¯s other hand grasped the railing. He was unable to offer it to her. But he can¡¯t lift Milch up either. He couldn¡¯t afford to think much about whether Alejandro, who was only six years old, had such power. Alejandro hooked his foot on the railing. After making sure it was firmly latched, he reached out with his other hand. With both hands. I¡¯m sure. But before he could reach it, Milch¡¯s arm slipped out of the hand that had been holding on to her. He hastily reaches out his free hand. But he can¡¯t reach her. Both hands caught only an empty air. He raised his voice. And could believe what he was seeing in front of him. Slowly, she fell away. Milch, but Alejandro¡¯s precious toy was falling. The medicine that healed Alejandro¡¯s heart, the treasure that was by his side more than anyone else. Milch was wide-eyed for a moment, then¡­ ¡°Milch¡­?¡± She smiled softly. Beautiful and ephemeral like a dream. It was the first and last time Alejandro saw Milch smile. It¡¯s a lie. This is a dream. A nightmare. Far, far away. He heard a splashing sound below him. CH 39 Chapter 39 : Is it fate or coincidence? Edgar brought his improved medicine with him every time he returned home and visited Beatrice. They are not yet effective in curing Beatrice¡¯s disease as a whole, but it was only intended to improve and stabilize some of her functions or to restore her failing strength. Beatrice¡¯s condition has certainly stabilized, and the period of time she has been bedridden decreases more than ever before. Edgar, who usually stayed at the Marquise of Strydom for a full day before heading back to the neighboring country, unusually stayed for three days this time. Half of the reason was concern for Edgar¡¯s health, and the other half was that Beatrice was on summer vacation, so they decided to get to know each other better. Of course, it was from the Strydom family. ¡°¡­un. Your anemia has improved a lot. Your pulse is also normal so far.¡± Of course, it is Beatrice herself who is most pleased with the gradual but definite improvement in her symptoms, but her family and Edgar cannot hide their happiness either. I am not yet completely cured, nor have they developed a cure. Therefore, it is still too early to be reassured, she warned herself. As for those people who had watched her fall more and more often as the years went by, the fact that she was falling less and less often was enough to make them want to leap for joy. ¡°Thank you very much. I owe this to Edgar-sama.¡± Smiling, Beatrice¡¯s cheeks appeared brighter than ever. Was this due to her improved physical condition, or was it due to the emotions that were welling up inside her? ¡°Take your time as well, Edgar-sama. You always come back in a hurry, don¡¯t you? The dark circles under your eyes are getting darker and darker, I¡¯m very worried about you.¡± Even if she told him to take it easy, surely this gentle man would not stop. Instead, he will just push himself to the limit in places where they couldn¡¯t see, trying not to be noticed by Beatrice. Knowing this, she could not say anything easy. Beatrice knows that his unreasonableness was also for her own good. Edgar, however, was embarrassed, scratching his cheek with his finger and mumbling something. Beatrice tilted her head and waited patiently for him to continue, wondering if he was having trouble with the word ¡°Take your time,¡± or if she shouldn¡¯t have said ¡°I¡¯m worried about you¡±. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°For me, it¡¯s a great opportunity for me to do something with you.¡± ¡°With me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Beatrice turned her eyes, and Edgar¡¯s cheeks continued to blush. ¡°Since Artie¡¯s feeling a little better, and, you know, maybe we could go to town together.¡± ¡°The town¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Artie. I know you haven¡¯t been there much, right?¡± Indeed, Beatrice has hardly ever been to the town. As much as possible, she only stayed inside the mansion, unless something special happened. After entering the academy, she used up all of her energy just to attend school, and the opportunity to go out was even further away. She probably hasn¡¯t been to the town for more than three years now. Ah, but before her rebirth, Beatrice recalled. I once secretly went to the town after school without telling my family ©`©`©` with Natalia and Alejandro. That time, too, she immediately felt sick and had to rest in the shade of a tree, which worried them both. Natalia fans Beatrice¡¯s face with concern. Alejandro runs to buy fruit juice with ice. In the end, she was sent home immediately after that little tour of the town. She was taken in a carriage that Alejandro had arranged. ¡ª ¡°Take care of yourself, Trice.¡± ¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Get some rest.¡± Even though her last memory stopped the moment she was stabbed to death, even though her brother informed her what he was doing behind her back, still. It was unmistakably those two who were kind to Beatrice at that time. Beatrice¡¯s eyebrows droop as a nostalgic, yet sad, memory comes back to her. Perhaps taking this as a rejection, Edgar hurriedly apologized for his mistake. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I just said it suddenly. Let¡¯s just stay at the mansion after all.¡± Realizing that she had caused a misunderstanding, Beatrice hurriedly grabbed Edgar¡¯s hand. ¡°I want to go out with you. I would love to go out with you, Edgar-sama.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah? Artie?¡± ¡°I want to go to town with Edgar-sama. Hey, is that okay?¡± Beatrice squeezed both of Edgar¡¯s hands in hers. Although Edgar¡¯s face is still covered with a question mark, he has no time or room to think too much when Beatrice, the woman he is in love with, is staring directly at him. Edgar simply nodded. ¡­ And so the next day, they took a carriage to the town square. They disembarked from the carriage at the square and enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the town. Edgar, the worrywart, remembered to take a break here and there to make sure Beatrice didn¡¯t get tired. ¡°Delicious. I didn¡¯t know skewers could taste this good.¡± The skewers, bought from a roadside stall, had a subtle aroma of charcoal in the mouth. Beatrice enjoyed the hot skewers. ¡°Fufu. Is this the first time Artie tried grilled skewers?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve never eaten street food before. I was surprised at how good it tasted.¡± ¡°That will make you thirsty. Here, I got you some fruit juice, too.¡± ¡°Wow, thank you.¡± With that, Edgar handed her a lemon-flavored fruit juice The one she remembered was definitely grapes. Beatrice laughed bitterly at the fact that she was troubled by the chain of events that reminded her of Alejandro, even though she was not consciously aware of it. She thought to herself, I¡¯m not going to give up. As a realist, no wonder her brother is very angry at her. She still wondered if his kindness and smile at that moment might not have been all a lie. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Artie?¡± Edgar called her name, as if concerned about Beatrice¡¯s sudden silence. Nothing, Beatrice smiled. It must have been around this time that she enjoyed walking around the Royal Capital for a few hours, when gray clouds began to form in the sky, which had been fine up to that point. It looked as if it would rain at any moment, so they returned to the carriage stand and headed home. As expected, a while after the carriage started moving, the rain began to drizzle and the sound of the rain gradually became louder. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to stop for a while.¡± ¡°Yeah. It was a good decision to go back. If we had stayed there, we would have gotten caught in the rain¡­¡± Suddenly, Beatrice¡¯s words are cut off. The reason was that she spotted a certain someone sheltering from the rain behind a carriage window, under eaves of the house¡¯s roof. She must have rushed in in a panic because of the sudden rain. However, the eaves did not seem to be long enough. Although the rain was somewhat blocked, she seemed to be very wet. ¡°Excuse me, please stop¡­!¡± ¡°Artie? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Edgar looked at Beatrice in surprise as the carriage slowed down at the sound of her voice. But Beatrice¡¯s gaze remained fixed out the window. The person who was looking at her was the one person Beatrice had avoided getting close to for the rest of her life. And who was closer to Beatrice than anyone else at the time before. The person who enjoyed laughing, talking, and the one who always spent time together with her. Beatrice¡¯s mouth was full of the person¡¯s name. Natalia. CH 40 Chapter 40 : Nowadays ¡°Nata, lia¡­?¡± Edgar doubtfully asked back. Then he too looked out the window. ¡°She¡­¡± With that line, Beatrice realized that Edgar has also been told the complete story of her regressions by Rembrandt. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Edgar muttered something, then the carriage had come to a complete stop. Then the coachman said, ¡°excuse me,¡± as if he was asking a question. But neither of them could say anything yet, only silence fell. The rainfall is getting heavier and heavier. The small roof did not provide much shelter from the rain, and perhaps it was chilly, so Natalia rubbed her arms as she held her body with her entire luggage. ¡°Um, Edgar-sama.¡± Squeezing the courage out of her, Beatrice turned her gaze to him. ¡°May I bring her to the carriage?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to catch a cold if I don¡¯t. I want to take her home.¡± ¡°¡­are you sure?¡± Edgar gently held Beatrice¡¯s hand. ¡°Ren already told me as well. She¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°She was my friend¡­ now we¡¯re just classmates. But, I¡­¡± ¡°Artie.¡± ¡°She was my one and only best friend.¡± Now it¡¯s different, though. Somehow that fact makes me very sad, even after all this time. ¡°¡­okay.¡± After muttering only that, Edgar opened the door. ¡°Artie, wait here. You mustn¡¯t get wet.¡± With these words, he ran toward Natalia across the street in the pouring rain. ¡°Ah¡­¡± From the door, which was left ajar, Beatrice watched as Natalia and Edgar talked. A little later, they came running in the rain to the carriage. ¡°Natalia, sama¡± With her previous memories, she was about to call her by her name, so she hurriedly added the honorific title at the end. ¡°Lady Strydom¡­ Thank you for your kindness.¡± But the words uttered by Natalia when she reached the carriage were far more distant than what Beatrice had called her. That is no surprise. Beatrice and Natalia have only spoken a few times during the last two and a half years at the academy. In fact, it would be the correct etiquette for Beatrice to call her by her family name, Olsen. In this case, they are only acquaintances. This was only natural in reality. But she felt heartbroken and disgusted at herself after he led her personally into the carriage. ¡°Lady Olsen. You¡¯re soaking wet. Please put this underneath.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. It was helpful. I¡¯m in trouble because the rain just gets worse. If this gentleman didn¡¯t tell me that he was acquainted with Lady Strydom, I would have been stuck as I was.¡± Edgar, who had been sitting across from her, moved next to Beatrice and sat across from Natalia. Natalia was carrying a large paper bag in her arms. It too was wet and about to be torn. ¡°Na¡­ was Lady Olsen out shopping or something?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A little embarrassed, Natalia nodded. ¡°Vegetables and fruit and some meat for¡­ well, for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Oh, dear.¡± No wonder she looked embarrassed. Natalia, even if she was a daughter of a Viscount, had gone shopping for dinner as if she was a servant. But neither Beatrice nor Edgar dared to poke at that. As she nodded silently, Natalia continued to speak. ¡°We are¡­ poor, so we do most of the things ourselves. Still, we had one maid who usually went shopping for us¡­¡± Sadness was added to her embarrassing expression, and Beatrice was involuntarily dragged by her memory and almost grasped her hand, but stopped in the air. Edgar was silently watching them as if observing them. ¡°The maid left suddenly this morning and has not returned.¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re worried about her. I hope she comes back soon.¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalia shook her head at the words of comfort she had unintentionally spoken. ¡°Nora¡­ I¡¯m sure that maid will never come back.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Yeah, surely never again.¡± When Natalia said this sadly, Beatrice recalled a conversation they once had. ¡ª ¡°Everyone is leaving me before I know it.¡± ¡ª ¡°Every time I had it, every time I found it, I lost it. My friends, my precious things, my hopes, my dreams, everything. Yes, all this time.¡± ¡ª ¡°I was empty.¡± Is this¡­ too? And the maid suddenly disappeared? I don¡¯t know. It could just be a coincidence, though. Right in front of Beatrice. Natalia held her baggage with a smile while looking absent-minded. This time, Natalia talks like this with such a look on her face, even to Beatrice, who is merely an acquaintance. She looked terribly distressed and lonely, and Beatrice felt a pang of pain in her chest. I decided to stay away this time because I knew it would interfere with your happiness. I don¡¯t want you to have to make that choice again. I don¡¯t want to see you cry like that. All, all because I loved Leopold, I thought. That was just the beginning. But then I learned about Alejandro¡¯s dark side. But, that being said, it was already too late. I don¡¯t even know what to do with myself after all this time. Either way, I always find that I¡¯m not much help. It was true then and remains true today. ¡­ After that, no one opened their mouths. Silence reigned over the place, and soon the carriage arrived in front of the Olsen residence, the place Natalia had told about. ¡°¡­thank you very much. I¡¯m sorry I wet the seat.¡± ¡°No, then, Lady Olsen. I¡¯ll see you at the academy after vacation.¡± ¡°Yes. See you at the academy.¡± Carrying a paper bag that is about to be torn, Natalia walks into the house. Beatrice and Edgar looked quietly behind her. CH 41 Chapter 41 : Clumsy ¡°Welcome back, Ren.¡± Late in the evening, Edgar visited Rembrandt¡¯s room upon his return from his duties at the royal palace. ¡°Edgar, you haven¡¯t slept yet. You¡¯re leaving tomorrow afternoon, right?¡± ¡°Ah. I just wanted to talk to you, so I waited.¡± ¡°Me? What, are you going to tell me about your love story? You had a date today, didn¡¯t you?¡± Edgar chuckled at Rembrandt, who grins and makes fun of him. ¡°¡­on the way home from that date, we met a young lady named Natalia.¡± ¡°What?¡± At the unexpected name, Rembrandt¡¯s hand halted from loosening on his cravat. ¡°We saw her in trouble because the rain was so bad. And Artie couldn¡¯t let that go.¡± ¡°That idiot¡­¡± ¡°Artie is very concerned about her, as I had heard from you. Therefore, I went and observed the two of them for a little while.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rembrandt gestured with his chin towards the low table. ¡°Sit down for now.¡± ¡°Ren. According to the story you told me, that lady named Natalia stabbed Artie to death during her life before her rebirth.¡± Rembrandt nodded. ¡°But why does Artie neither hate nor resent her, rather she goes around blaming herself for her own inadequacies? You said it was because she was a good-natured person.¡± ¡°Why else would you be here?¡± Rembrandt asked back quizzically, and Edgar continued slowly, as if confirming each word. ¡°¡­I think subconsciously, she saw her as a replacement for herself.¡± ¡°¡­wah?¡± Edgar continued to talk, not caring about Rembrandt¡¯s slightly lowered tone of voice. ¡°Artie knew from an early age that she did not have long to live. So she never talked about her dreams or hopes for her own future. Not once, not even her most childish dreams.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even though she had feelings for Leo, Artie never even made a pretense of confessing them to him. That¡¯s surely not because she lacked courage.¡± ¡°¡­because in the not-too-distant future, she¡¯s going to die.¡± ¡°So I am sure that she tried to bring those two together, even going as far as to offer them a white wedding. Maybe Artie was just trying to fulfill her own love that way. To Artie, Natalia is her other self.¡± ¡°¡­what the h**l is that?¡± Rembrandt brushed his hair back irritably. Then he let out one big sigh. ¡°No matter how much she can¡¯t have a dream for her future, that kind of thing¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so. But I think it¡¯s very¡­ very much like Artie. Rather than being resentful or envious of someone, she¡¯d rather put herself in their shoes and wish them happiness.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that she still has to worry about her even after she was killed.¡± Although he does not show it openly, Rembrandt is very family-oriented. He is especially worried about his younger sister, Beatrice, who is ill, to the point of being overprotective of her. ¡°¡­I think Ren is right too. But that¡¯s our idea, not Artie¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t force Artie to think otherwise, but I¡¯m sure eventually she¡¯ll come to dream of her own happiness. ¡° After a pause, he cut off his words, put his hands together, which were resting on his lap, and gripped them tightly. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re trying to do. Aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­ah. That¡¯s right.¡± Exhaling a choked breath, Rembrandt leaned back against the back of the sofa. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been working so hard all this time without a fianc¨¦e to show for it. You even have dark circles under your eyes, and you go back and forth between here and the neighboring country, you know, Edgar.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t like it? You don¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e, either, right?¡± Chuckling, Edgar retorted back. ¡°I turned down numerous offers of marriage because I couldn¡¯t be the only one happy in front of my sister, who couldn¡¯t even dream of a future.¡± ¡°¡­it doesn¡¯t matter. Father has agreed to this.¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± His eyes narrow softly as he looks at his childhood friend, who turned his head away in a bad mood. ¡°You are so¡­ clumsy when it comes to yourself.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t speak for others. You couldn¡¯t tell Trice anything for a long time, either.¡± Rembrandt retorted in retaliation, and Edgar cowered his shoulders, as if he was offended. ¡°Under the circumstances, I knew that even if I had made an offer, it would have been turned down out of concern for my future. There was no way to move forward without removing the root cause of the problem.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why you wanted to study abroad at Drieste to make a special medicine. Well, it seems you still couldn¡¯t make it in time last time¡­ but¡­¡± Rembrandt gave Edgar a meaningful look. ¡°This time¡­ it¡¯s going to be okay, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Edgar continued, his chest heaving. ¡°I¡¯ll make it. I promise.¡± The two laughed as their gazes, tinged with determination, crossed. ¡°Well, I¡¯d better get back to my room. I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s so late.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. When the medicine is complete, let¡¯s take it slowly together.¡± ¡°Oh, by all means.¡± Edgar left the room, and Rembrandt put his hand on the bathroom door to take a quick bath. But then there was a sound of knocking on the wall, making Rembrandt turn around. ¡°Come in.¡± On cue, a man appears out of nowhere. ¡°I apologize for the abruptness. A report has come in from the shadow guard, and I must hurry to inform you.¡± Rembrandt was lightly dazzled. ¡°Shadow guard means¡­ a report about Alejandro. Was it from the surveillance of the mansion, or was it the one who was assigned personally to him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from the man who monitors the mansion.¡± The person who took over the report continued in a straightforward tone, without changing his expression. ¡°Alejandro left the mansion during the day and has not returned.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± He placed his hand on his chin, thought for a moment, and then opened his mouth again. ¡°Did the shadow guard we put on him report back to us?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°Then, no one belonging to my Marquis Strydom is involved.¡± Rembrandt¡¯s neat eyebrows rose slightly. He hesitated for a few moments, but eventually he spoke. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll give it to my father¡¯s ear for now. Follow me.¡± ¡°Hmn.¡± It was quite late at night. The lights on the corridor wall illuminated Rembrandt¡¯s backside fantastically. He silently strode to his father¡¯s office. CH 42 Chapter 42 : For Whatever Reason. ¡°¡­okay, you¡¯re not hiding anything. You can come through.¡± After completing his assigned work, Leopoldo, aka Leon the slave, underwent a body check before leaving the room, and slowly exited the room, limping. It is a rule here that before returning to your own room, you must undergo a physical examination. ¡°¡­¡± Only a snuffed breath was expelled from his throat, where the medication had rendered his voice ineffective. Dxmn¡­ I have scars all over my body. The daily harassment of the slaves by the servants, which was akin to passing the time, continued, and Leopoldo was also a target. When things get too bad, the shadow guards of the Reinalpha family, who infiltrated with them, help out, but it happens too often and it would be too suspicious for them. Leopold also prepared himself to go undercover. Therefore, he ordered them not to interfere unless his life was in danger or the infiltration itself would be in danger. Above all, these shadow guards, like himself, are infiltrating the site as slaves. There is no doubt that they are in a similar situation. But¡­ Leopold muttered in his heart. Still, it was worth persevering. Everyday, the evidence documents were brought out little by little as he passed through the rigorous body checks. They were wrapped in bed sheets and placed in a laundry basket, which was then carried out by the cleaning staff. Of course, that cleaning staff is also from their side. In this way, the evidence is passed on to the head of the Reinalpha family by the infiltrators. The evidence that they have been steadily securing little by little for more than two months should soon be enough. Thomas, the head of the Reinalpha family, is also doing a lot of work outside based on information obtained here. Now that he was aware of his enemy and knew exactly where he was and what he was doing, the situation was changing. The people involved in embezzlement and theft are being kept in the dark for now, but he heard that Thomas has already solidified the evidence that they are all connected to Alejandro. Once he has safely handed over this document that he now has hidden away, he will be busy gathering a few more pieces of evidence, and then it would just be a matter of finding the right time. So ends this short but long undercover life. He was fully wounded, but there was much to be gained. Above all, he realized how immature he was. He also realized how much he had been blessed and protected. That people have a dark side, that not every word uttered is as it seems, and that some people can bring others down with a smile. He was ashamed to say that he had never noticed such a thing before. He confesses his feelings to the young lady he fell in love with at first sight, never dreaming that it would lead to a situation that would tilt the Marquise family. Without Rembrandt¡¯s advice, he probably would not have realized it even now. Perhaps he would have fallen. Rembrandt, for some reason, received advice from Beatrice. Beatrice. A childhood friend who was told that she would not live long into adulthood due to an incurable disease. She is calm and peaceful, always laughing quietly. It was only recently that I wondered how she, who was cherished and loved by her childhood friend Edgar as well as her brother Rembrandt, became aware of such a secret plot. In hindsight, I wonder why I did not question this when Rembrandt told me about it. Leopoldo¡¯s thoughts wandered as he walked slowly to protect his right knee, which was heavily weighed down. But he still doesn¡¯t know. Oh well. When this undercover life is over, let¡¯s talk to Rembrandt and the others again. Let¡¯s express a lot of gratitude and think about what I can do to return the favor in my own way. And Natalia. Leopold¡¯s lover whom he promised to protect like the princess in the story. I have not been able to do anything for her since I sent her a letter once. Thinking of her face made Leopold feel some anxiety and a sense of elation that was not appropriate for the occasion. It has already been more than two months since he has not seen her. I wonder how she is doing. That weak, fragile, vulnerable person. I wonder if she is still waiting for me. I left her alone for more than two months, despite my bold words that I would protect her with my own hands. I am aware that I have grown up a little, yes, just a little, but I am sure of it. I wonder if she will be pleased or surprised to see me like this. Or will she cry that she couldn¡¯t wait? I wonder what you would look like, Natalia, if I told you that I would no longer talk about things I can¡¯t do, or make promises I can¡¯t keep. You, a vulnerable person with no way to protect yourself, probably deserves a man who is much smarter than I am, like Rembrandt. Even if I could stand on my own two feet, I could never be like him. I still think that wielding a sword is more suited to me than using my head. Still. If¡­ If I whisper my love to you one more time, will you nod your head? ¡°¡­¡± The good thing about this man, Leopold, is that he is honest and open. Although he had learned that human beings have genuine thoughts, and also many pretenses, his innate straightforwardness and simplicity remain the same. But these virtues can also be his weakness at the same time. There was probably some relief when the job was done and he was out of body checks. Perhaps it was the prospect of almost ending his life as a slave that made him relaxed. Or perhaps it was a sense of accomplishment, or perhaps his carelessness. Whatever the reason, he smiled a somehow hopeful and exuberant smile, which is disproportionate for a slave after a full day¡¯s work in a state of on which his body was full of wounds. It was just a minor difference. But it was a little unnatural. Under normal circumstances, it would have been easily overlooked, but someone had spotted it. Alejandro¡¯s confidant, Zacharias. ¡°What are you so happy about, did you steal money from the safe?¡± He shook his shoulders jerkily. He hurriedly tried to fix his face, but there was no way he could make it in time. He noticed that Zacharias was now standing in front of him. Even if he asked Leon something, he would not get an answer from this mute slave. The fact that he was mute had been persistently tested over and over again. There was supposed to be no more doubt there. And yet, Zacharias, who should know better, dared to ask Leon. With a brutal light in his eyes. CH 43 Chapter 44 : I won¡¯t allow you to run away ¡ª Before Rebirth ¡°I¡¯m sorry to call you out of the blue. I was just wondering how Natalia is doing.¡± Alejandro said as he gave a concerned look on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t feel well¡­ Well, that¡¯s understandable. With the way things are going right now.¡± With that, he quickly offers the drink he ordered for Natalia in front of her ¡°So, how is Beatrice?¡± ¡°I went to visit her the other day. She looked very sick. She had always been skinny, but now she¡¯s even skinnier¡­ she can¡¯t even get out of bed for a very long time.¡± Natalia, in tears, took the drink that was handed to her. ¡°¡­I see. Yeah, but should I congratulate you? The moment you¡¯ve been waiting for is almost here.¡± ¡°¡­Alejandro?¡± Natalia was puzzled by the words he said and put the glass she was sipping on the table. Making a slightly louder clanking sound. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m not looking forward to Trice¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that Trice is alive. I was so grateful when Trice made that offer to us, and I certainly put my faith in it, but I¡¯m still glad she¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°Even if you can¡¯t be his wife?¡± Natalia looked down and pressed her hands, which were folded on the table. ¡°¡­of course I still love Leo. But that doesn¡¯t mean I ever wished Trice would die.¡± ¡°I see. Then I have no problem giving you this.¡± Alejandro nodded happily and pulled a small package from his pocket. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a medicine that has recently been successfully developed in Drieste. It¡¯s a cure for Beatrice¡¯s disease.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Natalia was blindsided. Alejandro¡¯s smile deepened further. ¡°It¡¯s not too late. It will save Beatrice¡¯s life¡­ well, it will kill any hope you have of becoming his wife, though.¡± ¡°This is¡­ medicine. Triche¡¯s illness.¡± Natalia touched the package with a trembling hand. There was a slight hesitation. But Natalia still took the package. ¡°¡­thank you.¡± Then there¡¯s a whispery little voice. ¡°You even took the trouble to get such a precious thing for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to deliver this to the Reinalpha house. The money¡­ I¡¯ll pay you later, I promise.¡± When Alejandro saw Natalia standing up after saying this, he let out a big exhale. ¡°¡­are you really going to deliver it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± When she responded, she squeezed the package in her hand against her chest as if it was a treasure. ¡°¡­because if I had this, it would save Trice, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes. After all, it is a new medicine that Drieste, a country with advanced medical technology, has succeeded in developing after years of research.¡± Natalia didn¡¯t notice Alejandro¡¯s probing words and gaze. ¡°I¡¯m okay with that. Because, after all, I don¡¯t want Trice to die. I¡¯ve given up on the idea that if it¡¯s an incurable disease, it can¡¯t be helped, but if they¡¯ve made a medicine, I want her to live.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just going to give up on him?¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s right. If that happens, I¡¯ll have to give up. But I don¡¯t want to fall in love for a while. No, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be able to. I¡¯m already a damaged lady¡± ¡°¡­hey, don¡¯t tell me you two had a physical relationship?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say something so embarrassing¡­there¡¯s no such thing. Leo is not like that. He said that since he has taken Trice as his wife, it is not good to continue a relationship with a woman other than his wife, even if it is a white marriage contract. I thought so too, so for three years upto now, we¡¯ve kept our distance as friends. And when I say ¡°damaged lady¡±, I mean, well, everyone knows I liked Leop, and I¡¯m past marriageable age, that sort of thing.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Alejandro¡¯s dark gaze pierced through Natalia, who was smiling sadly. ¡°Then I have an idea. What do you think, Natalia?¡± After saying this, Alejandro sat Natalia down in the chair again and spread a document on the table, which he pulled out from his breast pocket. ¡­ The carriage rattles along. They were now in a carriage on their way to the Marquise of Reinalpha. At least, that¡¯s what I instructed the carriage to go. Natalia, who was still sane, was going to deliver the medicine. When we got to the Reinalpha house, I gave the coachman an instruction, and let him go to my mansion. While thinking about this, Alejandro checked the expression on Natalia¡¯s face as she sat next to him. Her eyes were terribly blank. Seeing this, Alejandro confirmed that the drug is working. Alejandro¡¯s fingers brushed against Natalia¡¯s face, her eyes unfocused. ¡­stupid and naive Natalia. I wonder when you will learn to listen to me properly? Alejandro muttered to himself. He told her about the development of a new medicine and was one of the first to order it. He told Natalia about it and crushed any of her remaining hope. If she gave up being that man¡¯s future wife, he would have given her his signed marriage certificate he had prepared for her, and that would be the end of it. That was the way it was supposed to be. And yet Natalia refused. She should not have refused. Alejandro¡¯s brow furrowed as he recalled their earlier exchange at the caf¨¦. ¡ª ¡°Thank you. You said that out of concern for me. But I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡ª ¡°Alejandro is the heir to a respectable trading company. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a nice bride.¡± ¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t take advantage of you like this, I am very sorry.¡± Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If I let you go now, you will go back to that man. And this time you will belong to him. The medicine Alejandro showed was real, unmistakably a cure for Beatrice¡¯s illness. But its potency is so strong that Beatrice¡¯s body cannot withstand it now. Alejandro was briefed by a pharmacist in Drieste, where he had ordered it. He said that unless the patient has regained some strength, the medicine will only shorten their life span in the end. Now Beatrice is in no condition to take the medicine. In other words, even if she took the medicine with her, she would not be able to take it. Then it¡¯s obvious what will happen: in a few weeks, Beatrice will die at the end of her illness, and the position of wife of her beloved man Leopold will be vacant. If that happens, things will be as that dxmned Beatrice said. ©`©`©` ¡°Natalia is to be married to Leopold as his second wife.¡± I won¡¯t allow it, I won¡¯t allow it, I won¡¯t allow it. To prevent this, he informed Natalia of the medicine she could not take. In despair, Natalia gives up her marriage to Leopoldo and has her sign the marriage deed with Alejandro. And in a few weeks, I would have created the perfect situation where she was already the wife of another man, Alejandro, even though the position of wife of the man she loved, Leopold, was now vacant. The despair of knowing this, the tears that are shed at that moment. I wanted to see that. I wanted that. And yet, this toy¡­ In frustration, he grabbed Natalia by her chin and turned her toward him. I won¡¯t allow you to run away from me, Natalia/Milch. Alejandro whispered in Natalia¡¯s ear as the effects of the suggestion drug he had mixed into her drink made her feel faint. ¡ª ¡°Your best friend has betrayed your trust. The medicine has been developed, and that b***h will no longer give up being that man¡¯s wife.¡± ¡ª ¡°That woman chose to save herself and leave you to the depths of despair.¡± Natalia¡¯s eyes flicker. Then tears welled up in her eyes. Without caring, Alejandro continued to whisper. ¡ª ¡°Poor Natalia. Betrayed by her best friend and her lover.¡± There¡¯s nothing left for you. There¡¯s nothing left. CH 44 Chapter 44 : I won¡¯t allow you to run away ¡ª Before Rebirth ¡°I¡¯m sorry to call you out of the blue. I was just wondering how Natalia is doing.¡± Alejandro said as he gave a concerned look on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t feel well¡­ Well, that¡¯s understandable. With the way things are going right now.¡± With that, he quickly offers the drink he ordered for Natalia in front of her ¡°So, how is Beatrice?¡± ¡°I went to visit her the other day. She looked very sick. She had always been skinny, but now she¡¯s even skinnier¡­ she can¡¯t even get out of bed for a very long time.¡± Natalia, in tears, took the drink that was handed to her. ¡°¡­I see. Yeah, but should I congratulate you? The moment you¡¯ve been waiting for is almost here.¡± ¡°¡­Alejandro?¡± Natalia was puzzled by the words he said and put the glass she was sipping on the table. Making a slightly louder clanking sound. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m not looking forward to Trice¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that Trice is alive. I was so grateful when Trice made that offer to us, and I certainly put my faith in it, but I¡¯m still glad she¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°Even if you can¡¯t be his wife?¡± Natalia looked down and pressed her hands, which were folded on the table. ¡°¡­of course I still love Leo. But that doesn¡¯t mean I ever wished Trice would die.¡± ¡°I see. Then I have no problem giving you this.¡± Alejandro nodded happily and pulled a small package from his pocket. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a medicine that has recently been successfully developed in Drieste. It¡¯s a cure for Beatrice¡¯s disease.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Natalia was blindsided. Alejandro¡¯s smile deepened further. ¡°It¡¯s not too late. It will save Beatrice¡¯s life¡­ well, it will kill any hope you have of becoming his wife, though.¡± ¡°This is¡­ medicine. Triche¡¯s illness.¡± Natalia touched the package with a trembling hand. There was a slight hesitation. But Natalia still took the package. ¡°¡­thank you.¡± Then there¡¯s a whispery little voice. ¡°You even took the trouble to get such a precious thing for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to deliver this to the Reinalpha house. The money¡­ I¡¯ll pay you later, I promise.¡± When Alejandro saw Natalia standing up after saying this, he let out a big exhale. ¡°¡­are you really going to deliver it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± When she responded, she squeezed the package in her hand against her chest as if it was a treasure. ¡°¡­because if I had this, it would save Trice, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes. After all, it is a new medicine that Drieste, a country with advanced medical technology, has succeeded in developing after years of research.¡± Natalia didn¡¯t notice Alejandro¡¯s probing words and gaze. ¡°I¡¯m okay with that. Because, after all, I don¡¯t want Trice to die. I¡¯ve given up on the idea that if it¡¯s an incurable disease, it can¡¯t be helped, but if they¡¯ve made a medicine, I want her to live.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just going to give up on him?¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s right. If that happens, I¡¯ll have to give up. But I don¡¯t want to fall in love for a while. No, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be able to. I¡¯m already a damaged lady¡± ¡°¡­hey, don¡¯t tell me you two had a physical relationship?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say something so embarrassing¡­there¡¯s no such thing. Leo is not like that. He said that since he has taken Trice as his wife, it is not good to continue a relationship with a woman other than his wife, even if it is a white marriage contract. I thought so too, so for three years upto now, we¡¯ve kept our distance as friends. And when I say ¡°damaged lady¡±, I mean, well, everyone knows I liked Leop, and I¡¯m past marriageable age, that sort of thing.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Alejandro¡¯s dark gaze pierced through Natalia, who was smiling sadly. ¡°Then I have an idea. What do you think, Natalia?¡± After saying this, Alejandro sat Natalia down in the chair again and spread a document on the table, which he pulled out from his breast pocket. ¡­ The carriage rattles along. They were now in a carriage on their way to the Marquise of Reinalpha. At least, that¡¯s what I instructed the carriage to go. Natalia, who was still sane, was going to deliver the medicine. When we got to the Reinalpha house, I gave the coachman an instruction, and let him go to my mansion. While thinking about this, Alejandro checked the expression on Natalia¡¯s face as she sat next to him. Her eyes were terribly blank. Seeing this, Alejandro confirmed that the drug is working. Alejandro¡¯s fingers brushed against Natalia¡¯s face, her eyes unfocused. ¡­stupid and naive Natalia. I wonder when you will learn to listen to me properly? Alejandro muttered to himself. He told her about the development of a new medicine and was one of the first to order it. He told Natalia about it and crushed any of her remaining hope. If she gave up being that man¡¯s future wife, he would have given her his signed marriage certificate he had prepared for her, and that would be the end of it. That was the way it was supposed to be. And yet Natalia refused. She should not have refused. Alejandro¡¯s brow furrowed as he recalled their earlier exchange at the caf¨¦. ¡ª ¡°Thank you. You said that out of concern for me. But I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡ª ¡°Alejandro is the heir to a respectable trading company. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a nice bride.¡± ¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t take advantage of you like this, I am very sorry.¡± Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If I let you go now, you will go back to that man. And this time you will belong to him. The medicine Alejandro showed was real, unmistakably a cure for Beatrice¡¯s illness. But its potency is so strong that Beatrice¡¯s body cannot withstand it now. Alejandro was briefed by a pharmacist in Drieste, where he had ordered it. He said that unless the patient has regained some strength, the medicine will only shorten their life span in the end. Now Beatrice is in no condition to take the medicine. In other words, even if she took the medicine with her, she would not be able to take it. Then it¡¯s obvious what will happen: in a few weeks, Beatrice will die at the end of her illness, and the position of wife of her beloved man Leopold will be vacant. If that happens, things will be as that dxmned Beatrice said. ©`©`©` ¡°Natalia is to be married to Leopold as his second wife.¡± I won¡¯t allow it, I won¡¯t allow it, I won¡¯t allow it. To prevent this, he informed Natalia of the medicine she could not take. In despair, Natalia gives up her marriage to Leopoldo and has her sign the marriage deed with Alejandro. And in a few weeks, I would have created the perfect situation where she was already the wife of another man, Alejandro, even though the position of wife of the man she loved, Leopold, was now vacant. The despair of knowing this, the tears that are shed at that moment. I wanted to see that. I wanted that. And yet, this toy¡­ In frustration, he grabbed Natalia by her chin and turned her toward him. I won¡¯t allow you to run away from me, Natalia/Milch. Alejandro whispered in Natalia¡¯s ear as the effects of the suggestion drug he had mixed into her drink made her feel faint. ¡ª ¡°Your best friend has betrayed your trust. The medicine has been developed, and that b***h will no longer give up being that man¡¯s wife.¡± ¡ª ¡°That woman chose to save herself and leave you to the depths of despair.¡± Natalia¡¯s eyes flicker. Then tears welled up in her eyes. Without caring, Alejandro continued to whisper. ¡ª ¡°Poor Natalia. Betrayed by her best friend and her lover.¡± There¡¯s nothing left for you. There¡¯s nothing left. CH 45 Chapter 45 : And Beatrice was Killed ¡ª Before Rebirth Tears welled up in Natalia¡¯s eyes. Perhaps her consciousness began to surface little by little. Her expression, which had been emotionless like a puppet until then, became slightly distorted. ¡°Stupid, cute Natalia. Give it up already. You have been betrayed. Leopold will never be yours.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°That cunning little b***h took it all. She knew the medicine would be complete, and she tricked you.¡± ¡°Wro-ng¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When you get to my hideout, all you have to do is sign these papers. Just forget about everything and stay by my side.¡± Alejandro thought that her tears that continued to trickle down were as beautiful as diamonds. I have seen Natalia cry many times before, but this is definitely the best. ¡°Lie¡­ Trice isn¡¯t that kind of person. She is¡­ my friend.¡± ¡°A person who betrays you behind your back is not a friend.¡± ¡°Le¡­Leo I love you¡­I, am¡­¡± ¡°But he took Beatrice as his wife.¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± ¡°He, didn¡¯t, choose you.¡± I didn¡¯t let him choose, Alejandro added in his mind. ¡°He didn¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alejandro¡¯s smile deepened. The suggestion drug seems to be working. ¡°Beatrice betrayed you.¡± ¡°Fa-false.¡± ¡°The medicine that has been developed will make Beatrice well. That person will never give up his rightful wife to you.¡± ¡°Trice, get well¡­ she, won¡¯t give, Leo to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Lie.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Trice would do something like that.¡± ¡°Beatrice is that kind of person.¡± ¡°Trice is such a¡­ person¡­¡± Her speech, which had not been smooth, was gradually becoming clearer and clearer. That¡¯s it. Now all he has to do is go back home and get her to sign the certificate. With that in mind, he was about to imprint the story one last time about the signing of the certificate on Natalia¡¯s consciousness when suddenly he heard something. The carriage slows down. ¡°We will soon arrive at the Marquise of Reinalpha.¡± The coachman¡¯s dumb voice echoed. ¡°Ah, wait a minute. I¡¯m going to Reinalpha house¡­¡± Stop, go straight to my mansion, is what he was about to say, but he was interrupted. ©`©`©` by Natalia¡¯s voice. ¡°Reinalpha, the Marquise¡¯s house¡­ Leo and Trice¡¯s house¡­ I hate it, why?¡± As she was mumbling that slowly, Natalia¡¯s eyes suddenly snapped open. The impact of that scene frightened Alejandro for a moment. Natalia reached over to Alejandro and pulled a knife from the back pocket of his chest. It was one of the items that Alejandro proudly showed off to Natalia, saying that he carried it for self-protection. ¡°¡­Natalia¡­!¡± With a clunk, the carriage stops. Natalia opened the carriage door and took off at a brisk pace. ¡°Wait, what¡­ Natalia!¡± Alejandro hurriedly chased after her. The Marquis of Reinapha had a guest. Apparently, the entrance of the door opened while the butler and an unfamiliar man were talking. Several maids of the mansion are waiting by the side. Natalia passed by them without a glance and headed straight for the stairs. Natalia ran up the stairs with great speed, while people were surprised and stiffened at the unexpected appearance of a person. She was heading to Beatrice¡¯s room. ¡°Wait, Natalia!¡± Predicting Natalia¡¯s future behavior, Alejandro turned pale. Alejanro screamed desperately, but his voice didn¡¯t reach Natalia. No, even if it did reach her, it did not echo in her mind. Mouthing Natalia¡¯s name, Alejandro also passed through the entrance and was about to head for the stairs when Leopold appeared in the first floor hallway. He didn¡¯t know whether to be suspicious of the commotion here, or whether he should greet his guest, who had been standing stunned there since earlier, but he was certainly puzzled. Alejandro shouted to Leopoldo, who was closer to the stairs than he was. ¡°Leopold, stop Natalia! Her destination is probably Beatrice¡¯s room! She¡­ she has a knife¡­!¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡­!¡±¡±¡± All those who were present froze in place as they all gasped. The first to run upstairs was Leopoldo, who was closest to the stairs, followed by his guest who was unexpectedly there. Alejandro and the butler follow behind them. A beat later, the servants who had come to their senses followed suit. With a high-pitched voice, Natalia¡¯s scream echoes from the end corridor on the second floor. ¡°Liar, liar, liar! I trusted you, I waited for you¡­!¡± Leopoldo, the guests, Alejandro and the others ran forward. Eventually, they saw the room they were aiming for¡­ and saw a woman in a maid¡¯s outfit lying at the entrance. ¡°Martha¡­?¡± Curiously, it was the guest who called the name of the fallen maid. Arriving at the entrance of the room. Upon seeing what was going on inside, the movements of those who had reached it stopped for a moment. ¡°Die like you promised. Die like you promised. Die like you promised! Give Leo, give Leopold back to me¡­¡± Natalia mounted on top of Beatrice¡¯s body. She brandished the knife she took from Alejandro. With tears streamed down her face. Again, and again, and again. Towards Beatrice¡¯s body. CH 46 Chapter 46 : That¡¯s the Real Story A room in Alejandro¡¯s hideout. Natalia is still being held in Alejandro¡¯s arms. She learned about the horrific sins he had committed in the past, which never happened. ¡°I think I did a good job of rationalizing. The suggestion drug worked better than I expected, and you ended up going off the rails. I¡¯m sorry about that. I apologize.¡± ¡°¡­Alejandro. What the h**l are you¡­¡± ¡°Shut up and listen to me, Natalia. Then why isn¡¯t this happening right now?¡± Natalia still did not understand what he was saying, but Alejandro continued. ¡°Beatrice died and you were thrown into prison. It¡¯s natural, You, who were nothing more than a Viscount¡¯s daughter, intruded the mansion in daytime and stabbed the marchioness to death. The anger of the Strydom family was especially terrible. At that time, I finally finally got to see the faces of her parents and brother when they were ready to chop your head off right then and there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Natalia continued to shed tears, and Alejandro looked at her with an emotionless gaze. His hand gently wiped Natalia¡¯s tears and stroked her hair, even though it was Alejandro himself who was hurting her. ¡°¡­I had a hard time. I really had a hard time. I had to pay a lot of money to a dubious sorcerer. I was so disgusted by the greed of the outlaws, who had to be paid a hundred gold coins just to rewind one year. Seven hundred gold coins to rewind back to the time before I entered the school. I blew all my reserves.¡± Natalia blinked her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? I rewound the time. Because if I hadn¡¯t, you would have been executed.¡± ¡°¡­wha-what are you saying¡­ you can do that?¡± ¡°Of course I couldn¡¯t do that. Well, the guy I asked said he needed some kind of medium, so he dug up Beatrice¡¯s grave.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Natalia shook her head violently from side to side, as if to say she doesn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t make any difference whether you acknowledge it or not. I just wanted to tell you that I couldn¡¯t stand to see you executed as you were.¡± As he said this, Alejandro¡¯s body suddenly covered Natalia¡¯s. Alejandro¡¯s reasonably tall body lay on top of Natalia¡¯s petite body. But perhaps he was supporting his body at some point, so Natalia did not feel the weight of his body. ¡°¡­ah, you¡¯re alive and well.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± His words dropped so abruptly, it hit her in the face. Just like this, he shakes things up with unexpected words at unexpected times. That¡¯s why Alejandro is so cunning. To Natalia¡¯s bewilderment, Alejandro continued as if a thought had just occurred to him. ¡°By the way, you said earlier that Beatrice might have a lover. I thought it was impossible, but maybe he was the man who was the guest at that time. That guy was crying that time too, holding a bloody Beatrice in his arms. Yesterday I couldn¡¯t see his face because I was looking at him from a distance.¡± ¡°¡­I-I see.¡± I don¡¯t know why. I¡¯m being told a very messed up story since a while ago. I was taken away to a place I don¡¯t know and accused of a crime I don¡¯t remember. But what I felt for Alejandro is not anger, not fear, but just sadness and tears at the words I hear. It¡¯s as if my heart is being ripped out of my chest. All the while, she couldn¡¯t stop crying. And yet, Natalia was not even sure what she was sad about. What Alejandro was saying was still not clear to Natalia. He said that she was a close friend with that daughter of the Strydom Family, that she had always loved Leo, and that she stabbed her to death because she hated that she married Leo. Moreover, it all started when Alejandro drugged and implicated Natalia. But being told that someone had rewound the time for him just confuses her. It was true that she was somewhat attracted to Beatrice and wished they could be friends. But in reality, they have been in the same class for three years and have barely even spoken to each other. She wanted to talk to her, but she couldn¡¯t even get the chance to do so. And she always kept distance. ¡­ah. Distance, taken. She was taken. It¡¯s as if she was taken. That¡¯s because. Could it be. ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want to believe it. I don¡¯t want to believe it. I don¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°¡­hey Alejandro. Are you crazy? Or have I gone crazy?¡± When she asked this tremblingly, with a tearful voice, for some reason she heard a muffled noise sounding in her ear. ¡°Alejandro?¡± ¡°¡­I guess you¡¯re still the same even if time went back.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re not even conscious of me when I am on top of you on the bed. You really don¡¯t have any crisis management skills.¡± ¡°Because I¡­¡± They, a man and a woman, in a peculiar age, lying on top of each other on a bed, albeit with their clothes still on. Indeed, from the outside, it is an extraordinary sight. But strangely enough, there is not the slightest hint of a romantic atmosphere about it. Or perhaps this is because the atmosphere that Alejandro exudes, as well as Natalia, is also colorless. So Natalia said it honestly. ¡°Alejandro would never do such a thing.¡± Alejandro said that he would never look at her sexually. At these words, Alejandro¡¯s head, which was buried in Natalia¡¯s shoulder, jerked. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know why. You were drugged and kidnapped from the mansion, taken to a house where you were pushed down on the bed, and all I¡¯ve been doing is talking about things that make you cry. In your view, I¡¯m a crazy man. Where¡¯s the reassurance in that?¡± ¡°But Alejandro wouldn¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t think you would.¡± I don¡¯t know why. But somehow I think so. The way Alejandro looks at herself was never the way she looked at the person one was in love with. It¡¯s more subdued, but with a certain amount of compassion, if not vanity. ¡°¡­¡± Ha, Natalia heard a huge sigh in her ear. ¡°¡­you¡¯re just like that person, to the point where you never learn, no matter how long it takes.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± ¡°¡­nothing.¡± Once, Alejandro put his arms together in an effort to get up, but stopped halfway. He then thought for a moment and leaned over again, saying, ¡°I knew it, just a little bit more.¡± ¡°¡­heavy.¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. I¡¯m supporting myself with my arms.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Hey, Alejandro.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is what you just said true? Or are you just making fun of me like you always do?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alejandro, who remained silent for a while and did not speak back, eventually put his own hand on her head, patting Natalia. ¡°Trust whichever one you like. I don¡¯t really care about anything anymore.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± With this answer, Natalia understood. Alejandro made a story that was out of the blue, a story with no proof, but still, surely¡­ Maybe, no, probably. That is true. In fact, really, Natalia actually killed Beatrice Strydom, who he said was her best friend. Alenhandro said that he made a deal with someone so that time could rewind, so that he could pretend that the crime had never happened. CH 47 Chapter 47 : Be Cornered In a forest on the outskirts of the royal city. Inside a house built to hide from the public, the heir to the country¡¯s largest trading company and a girl kidnapped by the man¡­ They were lying on top of each other on the bed, but it was not an affair. The story that he had told to her, which lasted well into the night, was about a time that had already disappeared due to this very same man. It was about a crime that this girl had committed, which she had no recollection of. It was the moment when it seemed as if such a mysterious time would just continue. ¡°¡­Natalia.¡± Alejandro¡¯s voice suddenly lowers, as if he is covering Natalia, who is finally aware of a sin she did not know she was guilty of, and is gently stroking her hair. ¡°¡­you, what do you have here?¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± Natalia blinked her eyes. Alejandro quickly pointed a finger on her chest and narrowed his eyes. ¡°You got something here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was Leopold¡¯s gift, given to her by a man whose name she does not know, who told her to keep it to herself and not let anyone know about it. Natalia¡¯s eyes wandered, wondering what to do, unable to find the words quickly. Alejandro snapped out of it and violently ripped Natalia¡¯s collar. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Alejandro was dazzled when he saw this blue color, which appeared a little below her neck and a little above her soft bulge. ¡°¡­a pendant.¡± A glass ball of deep, clear blue, just like Leopold¡¯s eyes. It was obvious whose gift it was It¡¯s been found, she thought, but that was all that came to Natalia¡¯s mind at this time. For Natalia, Alejandro is in a way a symbol of trust and security. He resembles a place to belong, like a nest for a bird. Although he was mean, twisted, and somewhat cynical, foul mouthed, and sometimes violent, but in the end, he is always and absolutely on Natalia¡¯s side. Although Natalia has identified Nora as the rat that has been taking her prized possessions at her own mansion, she has no idea who released the rat. And Alejandro has never shown his cruel face in front of Natalia, except for that one time when he was a child. I have always assigned the role of the antagonist who made Natalia cry to someone else, and I have always played the role of someone who comforts and encourages her. So Natalia wouldn¡¯t dream of it, nor would she suspect it. She had no idea that it was Alejandro himself, the person standing right in front of her, who had taken everything from Ntalaia until now. She was unaware that the dazzling blue color immediately reminded Alejandro of Leopold and ignited his intense obsessive desire. ¡°¡­this is from him, right?¡± A low and deep voice pricked Natalia¡¯s ears. ¡°U-un¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps from the time when you were so happy because you got a letter from him before?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alejandro took her silence as an affirmation. And the same to the fact that she deliberately did not mention this pendant at that time. ¡°I see, you hid it here on purpose¡­¡± Aejandro muttered as if to ask why. It was very similar to when he asked about Edgar, the man who had been in the carriage with her a few hours earlier. And although Natalia doesn¡¯t remember, it was also the same as when he gave her a suggestive drug. Now, in Natalia¡¯ eyes, he was making a terribly distorted smile. He was smiling, but it was a painful smile, as if he was about to cry, as if he had just tasted h**l on earth. Alejandro then continued. ¡°Too bad. You¡¯ll never see him again.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Natalia blinked in wonder, even though she had seen enough signs of such things in the past. He hooked his finger on the chain, and with a bit of force, with a snap, he broke the chain. The pendant then easily left Natalia¡¯s chest. Natalia was stunned by what she saw, and then Alejandro informed her. ¡°Because you¡¯ll stay here for life.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ A servant used a knife to tear through the clothing and the eyepatch and others, and when he saw a piece of paper emerging from the inside, he raised his voice. ¡°Zakaraias-sama, I found it! This guy hid it in a place like this¡­¡± Alejandro ran his back-office operation in the basement of his mansion. That was the first thing Leon, or Leopold, uttered when they discovered the documents he had slipped into a hidden pocket behind the supporter he was wearing. Immediately after Zacharias took Leopold into custody, his room was also searched, but nothing was found there, and Zacharias, out of frustration, threw Leopold into the basement. He then ordered a thorough physical examination and torture, including flogging. Unlike the usual body check, which is usually done visually, in response to Zacharias¡¯ instruction to be careful, everything Leopold wore was removed, including his clothes and underwear, as well as his eyepatch, bandages, and supporters. The supporter, which is the hiding place, is also double and triple-crafted so that an ordinary check would not reveal anything. Therefore, even after checking them all, no one noticed anything at first. When Zacharias had finished his investigation and was beginning to wonder if he had been imagining things. Then one of the servants poured cold water over Leopoldo¡¯s head as he was knocked unconscious by a whipping. ¡°Mm¡­?¡± Leopold¡¯s left eye, which was wearing an eye patch, was slightly stained with color as water trickled down its burnt reddish-black mark. ¡°¡­¡± Wordlessly, Zacharias approached and stared at the burn scar. When the water running down from his hair passed over his left eyelid, the water still had a faint color. Zacharias reached out and roughly wiped Leopold¡¯s eyelids with his fingers. And his fingers then turned reddish-black. ¡°¡­I see. Well disguised.¡± Zacharias turned around and ordered the servant who was conducting the interrogation to re-examine his belongings. ¡°I doubt that he is mute at this point. But when I poured hot water before, he didn¡¯t make a sound¡­ Am I thinking too much?¡± Zacharias muttered as he stared at Leopold, who was still tied up and passed out. ¡°¡­no, he¡¯s a guy who disguises himself so meticulously. He must have done something to make his voice mute.¡± He ordered a servant to pour cold water on Leopold two or three times. Soon, Leopoldo¡¯s long flaxen lashes quivered and slowly opened. In his hazy vision, he saw Zacharias, Alejandro¡¯s chief of staff, staring at him with a cold smile on his face. Several hours had already passed since Leopold had been detained. CH 48 Chapter 48 : At Best After pouring water on his head and wiping it with a cloth, Leopoldo¡¯s well-defined face is gradually revealed. ¡°¡­well, well, well, what a beautiful man we have here.¡± When Zacharias saw Leopold¡¯s true face, he couldn¡¯t help but let out an exclamation. ¡°Your hair¡­ did you cut it yourself? What a waste. If only it had been done beautifully, he would have sold for a princely sum.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zacharias shrugged his shoulders at Leopold, who remained silent with a firm glare at him, and continued his speech. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to give up and start talking. You¡¯re lying about not being able to talk anyway, aren¡¯t you? Tell me, who hired you?¡± As he said this, Zacharias slowly grabbed Leopold¡¯s hair and shook his head wildly. The chains which were attached to both Leopold¡¯s wrists clanked in reaction. ¡°¡­¡± But Leopold still did not utter a word. No, he tried not to. The effects of the voice-eliminating drug had already worn off. ¡­it¡¯ll be fine. Leopold told himself. Perhaps the shadow guards are already moving. Once he becomes a suspect himself, they will not be able to continue the undercover investigation any further. If so, they should move at this point. A good amount of evidence had already been passed to the outside world. All that¡¯s left is¡­ well, that thing. If we can get that thing. Zacharias released Leopoldo¡¯s hair, this time, he slapped his cheeks, and then kicked him in the stomach. Leopold gritted his teeth and held on. Even if his hands were chains, and he was forced to stand, he would not fall down no matter what was done to him. ¡­I¡¯m okay. Almost there. This place is heavily guarded, but I¡¯m sure the shadow guards will be able to find him now that they are stretched thin. So just bear with it a little longer. I am sure that news has gone out to the Marquise of Reinalpha. They will come soon. I am sure they will come. So, until then. That¡¯s right. You should take care of the mess you¡¯ve created. That¡¯s what you said, Rembrandt. ¡°¡­!¡± He almost jumps out of his consciousness again after being doused with cold water from his head. Drops of water fell from his hair. Leopold shook his head lightly and brushed off the water. ¡°¡­¡± Leopold was pleased to find that he was able to analyze the situation more calmly than he had expected, even at a time like this. Rembrandt called me an idiot and a fool for a long time. But I guess that means I¡¯ve gotten out of it a little bit. I hope so, he thought, and the corners of his mouth almost turned up, which really seemed out of place, so he hurriedly tightened his facial expression. To begin with, this situation was also caused by his failure to hide his facial expression. It would have been meaningless if all the previous plans had failed because of it. If that happened, he would really end up being just a fool like Rembrandt said. ¡ª ¡°Good luck with that.¡± The words spoken by Rembrandt when they parted came to his mind. He was his childhood friend who treated him like a fool, but still took care of him to the very end. For Leopoldo, Rembrandt was a bit of a nuisance, troublesome, scary, and headstrong opponent. If you ask me if I like him or not, I like him, but I don¡¯t really like being with him. There is no envy or jealousy at all, but we just don¡¯t get along with each other, like water and oil. So I didn¡¯t bother approaching further, and it was also the same for Rembrandt. How about that? Even though Beatrice asked him to do it, and it was Marquise Reinapha who was in trouble, Rembrandt reached out to him. He provided information to the Marquis of Reinalpha, made arrangements for Leopoldo, and told him what to do and how to do it. And yet, Leopoldo was caught in the middle of a mess in about two months, and now they have to deal with this. ¡ª ¡°Good luck with that.¡± Keep your back to me. But Rembrandt did say so. Leopold bite his lip. ¡­of course, Rembrandt. I¡¯ll do my best. At least I can get these guys¡¯ attention here. Yeah, I¡¯m a decoy, too. ¡°¡­you¡¯re pretty stubborn. Do you like to get hurt so much?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leopoldo replied in his mind, ¡°That can¡¯t be true,¡± and glared at Zacharias. At that moment, there was a knock at the door. With a clunking sound, a man peeked out from behind the door, saying, ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Zacharias, this is Barthe. Theus wants me to see if that slave has confessed to anything.¡± ¡°¡­oh, Barthe. No, this guy¡¯s still saying nothing.¡± Zacharias turned around to answer Barthe and showed his back to Leopoldo. ¡­Barthe¡­! Suddenly, the corner of Leopold¡¯s mouth goes up. Finally, they came. They came. Leopoldo gripped the chains connected to his wrists with great force, and then, putting all his strength into his legs, he swung as hard as he could toward Zacharias. At the same time, as he kicked Zacharias against the wall, Barthe subdued the two servants in the room with his hidden weapon. CH 49 Chapter 49 : Not Yet Barthe rushed to Leopold, who had been stripped and bound, and quickly removed his chains, handing him something to wipe his body with and a change of clothes. ¡°Sorry for the delay. It took me longer than expected to find the fake ledger.¡± Barthe apologized, and Leopold shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I screwed up and it caused you a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad they reduced the number of guards. Well, it would have been bad to treat the Lord¡¯s son as a decoy.¡± Chuckling at his words, Leopold prepared himself quickly. In the meantime, he heard a report from Barthe. It seems that he has already taken control of the whole area. Apparently, Barthe and others, who were dispatched from the side of the Marquise of Reinalpha, and the shadow guards from the side of the Marquise of Strydom, collaborated together. A forged secret account book belonging to the Marquise of Reinalpha, which they have been wanting to obtain for a long time but have been unable to. It took more time than expected to find it, as it was well hidden, but it was a good thing that it was midnight and most of the servants were resting, and that Zacharias and his men were in the basement for Leopold¡¯s interrogation. Still, they said it took them quite a while to find the hidden safe embedded in the wall and open the door. Around the time they obtained the forged account book, the private army of the Reinalpha family, which had been informed of the situation, arrived. They thus suppressed the entirety of Alejandro¡¯s detached house. At the same time, they rescued Leopold. Rembrandt, from the Marquess of Strydom, first went to the Reinalpha family after receiving the news from Unukan, aka Theseus. There, he issued instructions together with Thomas, the head of the Marquise of Reinalpha, who had also received the report. Rembrandt, who appeared leisurely when the private soldiers he had sent out had seized the servants in the detached house, took one look at Leopold, who was fully wounded. ¡°They¡¯ve been very rough with you.¡± The first thing he said was that. ¡°Ah, it was pretty terrible.¡± ¡°You look surprisingly good for a guy who says that.¡± He was bruised and swollen from whip marks and was battered all over, but Rembrandt still laughed at his good looks. But the look on his face told him that it was neither sarcastic nor anything else. In fact, it was probably a compliment. Very Rembrandt-like, Leopold thought. At that moment, Barthe and two other shadow guards of the Marquise of Reinalpha stood beside him. ¡°Leopold-sama.¡± In the shadow guard¡¯s hand is the forge account book that Alejandro had ordered to be made. They first give it to Leopold, the son of the Lord. Then Leopold gave it directly to Rembrandt. That was the agreement made between Leopold and Rembrandt. ¡°Mm, sure.¡± Checking the contents, Rembrandt nodded in satisfaction. ¡°The goods that were supposed to have gone down with the ship, the goods that were supposed to have been stolen by the bandits, the exact items and names of those items are somehow listed in this forged account book prepared by the people of the Reyes Chamber of Commerce. It¡¯s as if they have already confessed that they orchestrated the whole thing.¡± It is obvious that he would win if he took the case to court, but it would be too much trouble to do so, and Rembrandt¡¯s argument is that if he could get the same thing without spending money or time, he would do it with the least amount of effort. With this evidence, he intends to go to Mackay, the head of the Reyes Chamber of Commerce, to negotiate after this. However, even Leopold was aware that this was a threat in the name of negotiation. Either way, this is it©`©`©` ¡°¡­I guess that settles it.¡± Leopold said with a sunny expression. Finally, they could cut down Alejandro¡¯s power. He could no longer touch them, it was a remark that he had thought so. The night sky has already begun to turn light. Leopold was especially exhausted from lack of sleep, fatigue, and injuries, as were the others. He wanted to return to the house and rest as soon as possible. Nevertheless¡­ ¡°No, not yet.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± Rembrandt returned to Leopold, who had lost his mind, with a straight face. ¡°Take a good look. You don¡¯t see the important guy, do you?¡± Leopold is puzzled by what he meant, but Rembrandt points to the servants whom he had just detained with his right hand. He looked at the faces of each of the slaves and the servants in the backroom he was using for work, and then¡­ Leopold also noticed. ¡°He, Alejandro, is gone¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯s not even at the villa. He hasn¡¯t been back here since yesterday.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rembrandt glanced sideways at Leopold, whose eyes widened, and let out an obvious, exaggerated sigh. ¡°¡­I thought you would attach it to the stone.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I went out of my way to tell you how you got in here. If that had been the case, there would have been a person who should be protected first.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± Leopold blinked his eyes a few times, not immediately grasping the meaning of his words when it was pointed out to him with dismay. Leopold ruminated on the point he had just received. How we came to sneak in here, that is. Because I was sabotaged by that man who is obsessed with Natalia in order to get rid of his conspicuous self. I was her lover, and I was in the way¡­ There would have been a person who should be protected first©`©`©` ¡°©`©`©`¡­!¡± ¡°¡­yes. Your girlfriend, that girl.¡± Rembrandt gave a quiet look at Leopold, who turned pale in an instant. ¡°I heard Alejandro took her last night.¡± CH 50 Chapter 50 : The Extraordinary in Everyday Life Beatrice squinted at the morning sun leaking through the curtains. Although she went out of town yesterday for the first time in a long time, her physical condition was not so bad, she was just a little sluggish. Beatrice herself was impressed by the remarkable turnaround in her health recently. This was probably due to Edgar¡¯s care and attention. Before her rebirth, it was difficult for her to even attend the academy when she was about to graduate. And now, she can¡¯t believe she can walk around town and not fall down. Beatrice got up from her bed, and here she noticed that the room looked different from usual. Usually, during bedtime, she was alone. And yet there are people here, two of them. On the chair by the bed where she was sleeping, the maid was asleep, leaning back against the backrest. And leaning against the window leading to the veranda, sleeping with his sword in his arms, was Edgar. ¡°Er¡­ well, what does this mean¡­?¡± This situation normally didn¡¯t happen, and to top it off, the mild-mannered Edgar is holding a sword in his hand. It was a very strange and disturbing situation. No matter where you look, it¡¯s obvious that they were on the lookout for intruders or something. ¡°¡­¡± In other words, there was something going on that she just didn¡¯t know about. Having concluded this in her mind, Beatrice quietly slipped out of bed. She approached the door without making a sound so as not to wake them. She quietly opened the door and peeked into the corridor, and as she had expected, there was another guard standing there. It was Marquez. This one, though, is indeed a professional and does not seem to be sleepy. But Marquez is one of the shadow guards of the Marquis. Normally, he would not be used this way. ¡°¡­¡± Marquez gave a silent bow once towards her and then returned his gaze to the front, not even looking at her. It was clear that he had no intention of telling her what had happened, so Beatrice had no choice but to close the door. Beatrice was absolutely convinced that there was some incident that had occurred. But she couldn¡¯t figure out what had happened. As her anxiety grew, Edgar¡¯s sleeping figure, leaning against the window, came into her view. He was scheduled to return to Drieste this afternoon, and it was not good for him to spend the night like this without getting a good rest. With that being the case, she should wake him up and tell him to go back to the guest room and get some rest. With this thought, she kneeled beside Edgar as he laid asleep. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder and rocked him gently. ¡°Hmn¡­¡± Then a lazy, slightly gravelly voice escaped Edgar¡¯s thin lips. The scent of his masculinity made her heart jump unintentionally. To begin with, the scene before her is unusual in itself. Edgar and a sword is a combination that even Beatrice, who has known him for a long time, has never seen before. Edgar is a scholar, that was the obvious truth. Besides, Edgar was right in front of her. ¡°¡­¡± Beatrice glanced down. His hands were resting on his sword, which was propped up on the floor, and his shirt was unbuttoned three times, exposing his collarbone. His white collar bone made Beatrice¡¯s gaze wander. She didn¡¯t know where to look, which was a little troubling and unsettling. His eyelashes were clearly visible because of his head-down position, and the morning sun created shadows on his cheeks. Straight silver bangs fell unprotected over a familiar, intelligent, broad forehead. Beatrice involuntarily reached out and gently scooped up a lock of his bangs. She had never touched Edgar¡¯s hair, even though she had known him since she was a child. Edgar was always the one who stroked her head. Touching it, she knew for the first time. The straight, shiny silver hair, which looks like silken threads, is surprisingly firm and a bit stiff. She was impressed in a strange way, he is a man after all. Yes. Edgar is a man¡­ As she thought absentmindedly about this, his silver eyelashes fluttered. Ah, she thought, and then saw his indigo eyes in front of her. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­? Artie¡­?¡± He seemed to be still half-asleep, he blinked his eyes a few times, and then smiled softly at Beatrice. His clear indigo eyes, like a deep sea, which she knew very well, were softly narrowed. They were the same as always, gentle and calm. And yet Beatrice froze, unable to say anything. After a moment or so, Beatrice¡¯s cheeks turned red, and she backed away from him with great energy. Edgar, seeing this, finally realized that this was not a dream and his cheeks turned red as well. The two people, both somewhat absent-minded, remained like that for a while, staring at each other for a few dozen seconds more. After that, the two came to their senses, they straightened up, and faced each other again at the breakfast table, but the situation was a bit awkward. Beatrice was somewhat restless, feeling somewhat faint, but she noticed that here, too, the seeds of discomfort had fallen. Apart from Beatrice and Edgar, the only people in the dining room were her mother and her father, the head of the Marquis of Strydom, Noyce. There was no Rembrandt, the older brother who should always be there. She casually asked him why, but he replied that he was only out of the house on a personal business. He¡¯s been gone since this morning, but it¡¯s not work, it¡¯s personal business. Beatrice felt caught off guard, but apparently Noyce was not going to tell her anything more. The conversation about Rembrandt was considered over. Then, after a quick nap after breakfast, Edgar said he would postpone the date of his return to Drieste. He said that he would stay by Beatrice¡¯s side until Rembrandt comes back. CH 51 Chapter 51 : Impossible I see. The head of the Marquise of Reinalpha did not recognize Natalia as his son¡¯s future wife, Rembrandt concluded. When Leopoldo decided to infiltrate the Reyes Trading Company, he took the matter to his father Thomas for permission and cooperation. Rembrandt went along with him. Of course, he did not inform them about how time rewound. Leopold did not know about it either. Thomas was reluctant to allow the heir to the head of the family to join the undercover investigation, but Leopold refused to budge, claiming that his own love affair had brought him to this point. In the end, the head of the family relented and sent several people from the shadow guards of the Marquis of Reinalpha to accompany him. Leopold had no idea that Natalia should be guarded. It was quite easy to say, ¡°He¡¯s a knight in training, but he just couldn¡¯t read the situation that deeply,¡± but that was just the simple-minded Leopold. Leopold was not his own brother, and he had no obligation or duty to discipline him to that extent. But Thomas should know about it. He was absolutely aware of the need for it, yet intentionally did not include it, that¡¯s all. All of this started with a disturbance caused by the man who is obsessed with Natalia. From his point of view, it is no wonder that Natalia herself is seen as the culprit. The daughter of a poor viscountess with a low title and no fortune, influence, or prestige. To Thomas, she would have been simply detestable and disturbing. Frankly, it was none of Rembrandt¡¯s business what happened to Natalia. But this was a bad move, Rembrandt thought. I don¡¯t mean to meddle in the affairs of the Marquise of Reinalpha family, but I don¡¯t think Leopold will change his mind in this way. In fact, he will only become even more stubborn and move to protect Natalia. Recklessly and without second thoughts. Yes. Like now, for example. This scene unfolding before his eyes. Rembrandt was leisurely contemplating such things in front of his childhood friend, who was about to run off somewhere, yelling at Barthe and the others who were trying to stop him. ¡­after that, it would have been over once they had given McKay Reyes all the evidence of his son¡¯s crime and they received the entire rights to the Chamber of Commerce. Rembrandt rubbed his temples with his fingers, then glanced down at the forged account book he had obtained as a condition of cooperation. From the perspective of Barthe and the others, the shadow guards of the Marquis of Reinalpha, it is unacceptable to move without the orders of the head of the family. Moreover, protecting Natalia is against Thomas¡¯ wishes. In fact, he probably even wants her to die. That said, they cannot leave Leopold, the Lord¡¯s son, alone. If Leopold goes out of control here and now, what is the right course of action for Barthe and his team? They must be in a great deal of agony right now. ¡°¡­it¡¯s stupid. Very silly indeed.¡± Rembrandt muttered. It was a small voice, but I am not sure if the men struggling over there heard me. I don¡¯t care if they heard me, and I would rather Thomas tell it to him. Thomas is also generally lenient with Leopold. He¡¯s too soft on everything, whether it¡¯s handling, stuffing, or discerning. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to get the whole Reyes Chamber of Commerce. We have to renegotiate.¡± Rembrandt, who was not hiding his reluctance, took a step forward. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ It was well past noon when this Rembrandt returned to the Marquise of Strydom. He seemed to be in a hurry to get into his father Noyce¡¯s office, but soon after that, he went to his room, cleaned himself up quickly, changed his clothes, and went outside again immediately to straddle his horse. As he was about to leave again, Beatrice popped out in front of him. Beatrice recognized her brother through the window of her room and rushed downstairs to talk to him. Beside her, Edgar, who tried but failed to stop her, and a stunned-looking Marquez were waiting a short distance away. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Stay in the house, Trice.¡± Rembrandt looked down from his horse as Beatrice stood in front of him. ¡°You want me to just sit back and relax and not know what¡¯s going on? Is it because I¡¯m sick and useless?¡± ¡°¡­what nonsense.¡± ¡°Artie, that¡¯s not true.¡± Beatrice interrupted their hasty attempts to deny the question with her own momentum and continued speaking. ¡°No, that¡¯s what I meant. If Marquez and my brother are working, that means Alejandro is involved, right? No, or Natalia. Either way, it¡¯s my fault that my brother is so busy.¡± ¡°Trice.¡± ¡°Please, brother. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re worried about me. I know you¡¯re concerned that something might happen to me again. But this is different. Don¡¯t tell me to just wait and see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to take me there. But at least tell me what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t want to regret that it was all my fault for loving Leopold.¡± ¡°¡­Trice.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve gotten over the whole thing. I don¡¯t love Leopold now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rembrandt was slightly dazed, and was at a loss for words for a moment. ¡°Really¡­ so that¡¯s the case.¡± Rembrandt exhaled heavily and scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Trice. It was bad news, and I thought I¡¯d tell you after it was resolved¡­ but it¡¯s reasonable to be more anxious if you don¡¯t know anything.¡± Then he looked straight into his sister¡¯s eyes from his horse. ¡°We have evidence of Alejandro¡¯s crimes, but we can¡¯t find him. He seems to have disappeared, but then he took that young lady, Natalia Olsen, with him.¡± ¡°¡­eh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of gathering information. In the meantime, I¡¯ve come to report to my father and change my clothes. I think the results should be coming out soon. As soon as I hear of it, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± ¡°Alejandro and¡­ Natalia.¡± ¡°At Leopold¡¯s request, I did not inform the police. But the Marquise of Reinalpha has been uncooperative. It was decided that Leopold and I would work with the shadow guards and soldiers of our respective house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The word ¡°uncooperative¡± reminded Beatrice of what happened before her rebirth. Come to think of it, even at that time, the Marquis of Reinalpha was against the marriage between Natalia and Leopold. But such recollections were clouded by Leopold¡¯s continued remarks. ¡°I¡¯m going to get her out, but I can¡¯t guarantee it. Alejandro¡­ might even kill Miss Natalia, in my opinion.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Beatrice blinked. I didn¡¯t understand what he meant. Alejandro to Natalia? He is obsessed to the point of attacking the men who approach Natalia, but that doesn¡¯t mean he would kill Natalia. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Alejandro cares about Natalia. He loves to make her laugh and annoy her. Alejandro will only protect Natalia. He would attack everything else, but Natalia.¡± He¡¯s not going to kill her, she tried to say. But Rembrandt opened his mouth faster than her. Information about the death of his sister Milch, a fact that all parties involved in the case, except Alejandro, believe to be true. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. Although it is being treated as an accident, he still killed his own sister in the past.¡± CH 52 Chapter 52 : Blue Shards As her head was being stroked, she seemed to fall asleep. Before she knew it, Natalia had fallen asleep again in Alejandro¡¯s arms. Really, this fellow. Alejandro muttered his dismay to Natalia in his mind. She was always so defenseless. He wondered if she had already forgotten about the fact that she was kidnapped by him to be brought here. ¡°¡­¡± After gently retrieving his arm out from under Natalia¡¯s head, he stood up from her bed and left the bedroom. Then, after his gaze wandered a bit, he muttered, ¡°Come out,¡± without focusing anywhere. ¡°You¡¯re here, aren¡¯t you?¡± There was no reply to that. But Alejandro didn¡¯t care, and continued. ¡°I knew you were following me the whole time¡­ just come on out. I need to talk to you.¡± Still, the room remained silent. Alejandro took a self-defense knife from his chest. Then he opened the door, aimed it at Natalia, who was sleeping in bed, and opened his mouth again. ¡°Should I proceed on throwing it?¡± ¡°¡­wait.¡± A man then appeared as he spoke. He is a tall man with a thin but well-muscled body. His eyes are fixed on Alejandro without averting their gaze. ¡°¡­what do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Are you from the shadow guard of the Marquis Reinalpha family? That man has become quite attentive, hasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­no.¡± The man shook his head. Alejandro¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at his words. ¡°Not that man? Then you¡­ don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re working under the Marquis of Strydom, are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened in surprise for a moment when he heard the name of the family, but as expected he did not say anything. Still, he took this silence as an affirmation. Alejandro nodded his head affirmatively. ¡°So the Strydom family interfered this time, too, huh? I knew something was wrong.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d like to ask you something too. About the story you told to the young lady a few minutes ago.¡± ¡°Ah. You¡¯re talking about the fact that time went back? No, that¡¯s not it. The part about her killing your young lady?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s not a very good joke.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Alejandro was surprised to hear this line of words delivered with such reluctance. ¡°Well, you are free to believe what you want, so judge as you wish.¡± After a brief laugh, Alejandro continued with a straight face. ¡°I knew that the Marquis of Strydom had laid their hands on me, since I was certain that Beatrice also had her memories¡­ I had thought it was strange since the entrance ceremony. It was different from the last time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, yeah. I wanted to ask you about this place. Have you reported it yet?¡± ¡°Ah, just a few minutes ago. I had been keeping an eye on you for a while, thinking there was a chance you might try to escape, but I decided that there was nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°I see. Well then, I¡¯d better get going. I thought I could stay with her a little longer.¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re not going to run away, are you?¡± ¡°No, I just want to go somewhere. I have no intention of running away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The shadow guard looked alarmed and stepped back slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not far from here. You can follow me if you want to keep an eye on things.¡± ¡°¡­then this young lady.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to let her sleep here. Help will be here in a little while anyway, right? Then it¡¯s okay to just leave her alone here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Without waiting for a response from the shadow guard, Alejandro turned on his heel and opened the bedroom door. He approached the sleeping Natalia and patted her head one last time. ¡°Natalia.¡± It was a quiet and small whisper. ¡°He said your prince will be coming to save you soon. It seems that you still can¡¯t manage on your own, the same as before¡­ no, you were able to move at this stage, so that means you¡¯ve made some progress. Oh, and I won¡¯t apologize for the pendant.¡± Alejandro then dropped his lips to Natalia¡¯s cheek. ¡°¡­so long, my little princess. I wish I could have stayed with you forever, but this is goodbye.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Rembrandt and his team rode their horses to Alejandro¡¯s hideout, which they had identified through information from the shadow guards. There was no change in the weather in the center of the capital city, but it seemed to have rained on the outskirts of the city. It seemed to have ended shortly and the roads were not so muddy. In fact, this level of muddiness made it easier for them because there was no dust. The destination was a small wooden house quietly built near the border of the capital, further into the forest behind the villa where Alejandro lives. It was late afternoon when Leopoldo, Rembrandt, a few shadow guards, and private soldiers arrived there. The shadow guard reported that Natalia was still safe, yet Leopold¡¯s expression was tense and stiff. However, when they arrived at the house, they found that there was no shadow guard waiting there. Driven by anxiety, they went inside, but the house was empty. Neither Alejandro nor Natalia were there. There were no signs of people anywhere, although there were signs that someone had been there and used the place, such as sleeping quarters and tables. ¡°¡­Unukan, Lestrade, search the perimeter of the house. Nicholas, you¡¯re on guard duty. Leo, you and Ron will look inside the house with me. Even if he escapes, the shadow guard must have left something behind. We¡¯ll find it.¡± Holding Leopold¡¯s arm as he tried to run outside in the darkness, Rembrandt gave instructions to the shadow guards and private soldiers. ¡°Shadow guard¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve put a shadow guard on that guy. He¡¯s the one who called us to tell us where he is. If Alejandro and the others have moved somewhere, he must have left something somewhere to let us know.¡± ¡°¡­I, see.¡± Leopoldo grunted, clutching his hair in frustration. ¡°I really¡­ I¡¯m no match for Rembrandt, no matter how far I go. I hate myself for being so dumb.¡± ¡°Comparing yourself with others is futile. Compare yourself with your past self. Then you will see that you have changed a little.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Leopold looked up to see Rembrandt staring straight back at him. ¡°I hear you did a great job on this undercover operation. Even to the point of getting ripped to shreds as bait.¡± ¡°¡­no, I wasn¡¯t aiming to be a decoy.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Rembrandt chuckled at his awkward answer. ¡°Well, still, you did your best in your own way, didn¡¯t you? For the sake of the woman you fell in love with.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not good enough, but you¡¯re better than how you used to be. That¡¯s good.¡± Leopold nodded awkwardly, and Rembrandt continued, ¡°But.¡± ¡°If you still intend to take the girl, you need to convince your parents, not push them. They don¡¯t like her from the start, and now that she¡¯s been kidnapped, she¡¯s damaged goods. If you can¡¯t protect her, it¡¯s much more loving to let her go than to get her hopes up.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Ah, you do that, and don¡¯t bother me anymore. Even if there was a reward, I would never do it again.¡± Despite his coldly uttered words, his mouth is gently arched. When Leopold¡¯s shoulders finally relaxed, Ron, who had been searching the room, came downstairs with something wrapped in a handkerchief. ¡°Rembrandt-sama. It was on the floor near the bed.¡± Leopoldo saw it and turned pale quickly. It was a shard of shattered blue glass. It was something that Rembrandt, who handed it to Natalia as an errand boy, as well as Leopold, remembered. CH 53 Chapter 53 : Beautiful enough to make you want to cry When Alejandro looked down from the bridge, he saw the same large, slow-moving stream of water that he had seen that day. The people and the circumstances around them have changed, but nothing has changed here. That day, the day it swallowed Milch. Yes, nothing was left. As usual, the scenery here remains beautiful, making him want to cry. ¡°¡­did I end up coming with a tail?¡± He heard a rustling sound and turned around just to see the shadow guard of the Strydom, who had not been visible since he left the house. It seems that the priority of the mission is to locate Alejandro rather than to rescue Natalia. When he turned around and called out to him, the man shrugged his shoulders. ¡°The ground is still wet¡­ it¡¯s easy for them to follow even if they¡¯re still a distance away.¡± ¡°¡­ah, I recall. It did rain a little earlier.¡± Even if the ground was not muddy enough, there¡¯s still some footprints that would be left behind. I see, then it will not be long before the pursuers come here. They are too serious, not even letting him enjoy the last taste of this scenery. But it¡¯s only natural. After all, this is the Marquis of Strydom. Even before, he also had a lot of trouble because of them. They were so fierce that it was hard to believe that they were related to that good-natured Beatrice. Her father was great, but his brother was also very tough, and the damage to the Reyes Chamber of Commerce was quite severe. ¡°¡­Alejandro. Why are you here?¡± The man asked Alejandro, who was lost in thought. Why? Speaking of which, why not? Yeah, that¡¯s probably it. ¡°¡­it¡¯s my most precious place¡­ I guess¡­¡± This is the place that comforted me as a child, a place where my precious toy was taken away from me. And the place where I realized my helplessness and foolishness. It¡¯s also the place where Alejandro is willing to give up everything in the world. Oh, yes, there was. There was one thing, and only one thing, I was not willing to give up in this world. My new toy, Natalia, who gave back the colors of my world. Only her. ¡°¡­this is where my sister died. She fell into the river right here.¡± Staring at the water current. With a slight smile on his face, he uttered. Yes, she was. She was swallowed by this majestic stream of water. Milch died. Everyone, everyone who knew Alejandro and Milch, had no doubt that he was the culprit. He thought that he had twisted his sister¡¯s life in the same way that he would have killed a butterfly or a bird. Everyone around him looked at Alejandro in horror. The father, whose only concern was chasing women¡¯s asses and making money, never made eye contact with Alejandro again. His mother, who had been a nuisance to him, stopped even the minimum contact with him. The servants and the maids simply did their jobs without even looking at him. None of them asked Alejandro. Without asking, they were convinced that Alejandro had killed Milch. ¡°¡­you can¡¯t possibly¡­¡± The shadow guard of the Strydom family only said that much, then kept his mouth shut. What comes after that line goes unspoken. ¡­see, I knew it. The corners of Alejandro¡¯s mouth go up in a distorted manner. I feel like laughing out loud. I am sure I look hideous right now. ¡­ah. I miss her. I want to see Milch. I want to see my treasure Milch, who held my hand, looking me straight in the eyes all the time. I could breathe easily beside Milch. But she is no longer here. and I already said goodbye to Natalia a while ago, who became the treasure that replaced her. So it¡¯s gone. There is no place in this world where I can breathe anymore. ¡°¡­I could have won if the house of Strydom didn¡¯t intervene. That house always gets in my way.¡± It¡¯s true. That man, Leopold, should¡¯ve been the one to do it. If he was the one to take Milch/Natalia away from me, then he could have accepted it. Beatrice Strydom. You are too soft on Leopold, the man you fell in love with. Well, but that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. If there¡¯s really no place for me in this world, then there¡¯s no need to force myself anymore, Alajendro thought. Because no one wants his life anyway. Like that day, I put my hand on the railing of the bridge. At that moment, there was a sound from another place of rustling grass and trees. The pursuers. He thought so, as he sat on the railing, and then turned around. And when he turned his gaze¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Why is it you? The question that popped into Alejandro¡¯s mind was unspoken. The lovely, silly Natalia who filled in Alejandro¡¯s missing world to perfection after Milch disappeared. There was Natalia, ignorant, innocent, and unquestioning. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ale, jandro.¡± Natalia recognized Alejandro sitting on the railing, and a look of relief came over her face. ¡°My Lady! Why are you here¡­ I told you to stay in your room and wait for help¡­¡± The shadow guard in the distance shouted in an impatient voice. ¡°¡­ah.¡± Alejandro nodded his head in agreement. I thought the shadow guard came to me very easily. Well, it would normally be the right thing to do, just in case. But¡­. But, he doesn¡¯t know the depth of the connection between Natalia and Alejandro. He should have thought that a kidnapped victim would be grateful and wait for help on the spot as they were told to do. ¡®¡­is this what you call being a schemer and falling for tricks?¡± He knew it¡¯s not true, but he still dared to say it. Such an outcome would be incomprehensible to these Strydoms. Ah, but. I think only Beatrice would understand this. Natalia would go after Alejandro. Natalia would, even if no one else would. ¡°I said goodbye with all my might. But you¡¯re really a bad girl.¡± Alejandro was sitting on the railing, his arms outstretched, smiling gently. ¡°Alejandro¡­¡± ¡°Come here, Natalia.¡± ¡°No, miss¡­!¡± Slipping past the shadow guard that moved to stop her, Natalia ran¡­ to Alejandro. CH 54 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. ¡ª ¡°Not likely. Alejandro cares about Natalia.¡± ¡ª ¡°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. CH 55 Chapter 55 : Just for the sake of it. ¡°Hey, Edgar-sama.¡± After seeing her brother off, Beatrice, who anxiously checked out the window again and again after seeing him off, opened her mouth in a reserved manner. ¡°What is it, Atie?¡± ¡°Well, well, you know. As far as my brother is concerned, I don¡¯t think you need to worry about me anymore. You don¡¯t have to guard me anymore.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You see, Edgar-sama was actually scheduled to leave here this afternoon. If we prepare now, you can still leave before the evening.¡± ¡°No, Atie. I won¡¯t leave your side until things are settled properly.¡± ¡°But, Edgar-sama¡­¡± ¡°Atie.¡± Beatrice knows clearly how busy Edgar¡¯s life is. And that the demanding schedule is almost entirely Beatrice¡¯s fault. So now, she feels sorry for Edgar, who stays in this mansion just to reassure Beatrice. Of course, Edgar is aware of Beatrice¡¯s feelings, but he is not so callous that he would just leave. Gently patting Beatrice¡¯s head, he lifted his lip to her favorite gentle smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure that even if I went home now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate on my work because of what¡¯s going on over here. So I¡¯m going to stay here and watch over you until everything is resolved.¡± After a pause, he continued as if he had made up his mind. ¡°I want to be there for Atie¡­ in fact, I don¡¯t even want to leave you, even if it¡¯s for research.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Beatrice¡¯s mouth is full of gibberish. ¡°Already¡­ I think you¡¯ve already noticed it.¡± Edgar scratches his cheek in embarrassment. Still, his gaze caught Beatrice straight on and he continued his words. ¡°That¡­ I like Atie very¡­ very much.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always liked your smile since you were a child. I always thought that one day, I would make you feel better, and I would make you smile all the time. That¡¯s why.¡± Am I dreaming? Beatrice wondered absentmindedly. Edgar had a soft spot for Beatrice since childhood. Beatrice, who was not strong, always read a book under the shade of a tree, and Edgar was next to her on a regular basis. Edgar was as quick as Rembrandt to notice the changes in Beatrice¡¯s physical condition. He was so sensitive to the subtleties of Beatrice¡¯s emotions that she wondered if he had the ability to read her thoughts. He is kind, dependable, and is also her other reliable brother. ¡°¡­¡± No, no. He is an important person whom I felt safe to be with. A precious, very precious person. ¡ª ¡°I like Atie very¡­ very much.¡± ¡°¡«¡«¡«¡«!¡± ¡°A-Atie?¡± Like. By like, do you mean you like me? Now it sounded like he just said that, but maybe I got sick and heard an auditory hallucination? Because, no way. Edgar-sama is¡­ He is kind, smart, witty, kind, and gentle. We have similar tastes in books, and he is always worrying about me and always putting himself aside. Such, such a person. ¡°¡­lie¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m just hearing things?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my imagination. It¡¯s what you really think.¡± ¡°Really, mean¡­ really mean it? Edgar to me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, it¡¯s true, it¡¯s true. Atie, I love you¡­ ever since I was a child, only you.¡± She couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying and asked many meaningless questions, but Edgar patiently answered her. Still stunned, Edgar held Beatrice¡¯s cheeks in his hands and looked into her clear eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to watch you give up on your future since you were a little girl. I couldn¡¯t help but want to share the future with you. But I couldn¡¯t irresponsibly ask you to think about the future.¡± ¡°Edgar-sama.¡± ¡°Then I thought, I¡¯ll be the kind of person who can offer you that kind of future. If we don¡¯t have medicine to cure your disease, then I should just make one myself. That¡¯s how I decided to come to Drieste to study.¡± Edgar¡¯s palms were warm as he cupped her cheeks. His eyes were hot, as if they were lit by fire. ¡°I was going to keep quiet until the medicine was finished. I wanted to offer you a secure future. I confessed in such a preemptive manner, but the prospect of the medicine being completed was clear. Soon¡­ no, I think it will take at least another year, but I will definitely complete the medicine. So¡­ at that time¡­¡± Edgar held his tongue for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you¡­ I¡¯d like you to consider a future with me.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was only then that Beatrice had an inkling of his somewhat unusual way of life. Edgar has no fianc¨¦e. He is the third son of the same marquis family and is much older than his two older brothers. He grew up in a peaceful and loving family, with a good personality and a good brain. If one wanted to be assured of a noble position, one would normally find a suitable marriage partner in a noble family at an early age, and the brilliant Edgar could easily have done so. He is now twenty-two years old. He was born a nobleman, but his current position is that of a commoner. Because he was not groomed by any noble family. He did not even look for a fianc¨¦e. All for Beatrice. To cure Beatrice¡¯s illness, to complete a medicine that they don¡¯t even know if it can be made or not. ¡­just for the sake of her. Last time he got that far, but Beatrice died. He did not make it in time. What would Edgar, who was twenty-six at the time, have thought? How despairing would he have been? When the only wish you sought was not fulfilled, when you conceal your feelings of love, when you did not seek status, family, or power. ¡°Edgar-sama¡­ well¡­¡± And yet he still only says things like that¡­ As long as it¡¯s okay with you. ¡°T-Thank you¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I, I did this to you¡­¡± ¡°I did it of my own will, so don¡¯t think of it as a burden. I just wanted you to get well, that¡¯s all.¡± Tears welled up in my eyes. I was tickled by the love that enveloped me, and I was so happy. I never envisioned the future. I never dreamed of anything or anyone. I liked Leopold. But that didn¡¯t make me do anything about it. I had no intention of confessing my love to him, let alone getting married. I didn¡¯t think we would have a future together, even if I wished for it. So I thought it was a good idea. Even if it was a contractual white marriage. I was lucky if I could taste married life as much as others, even if it was a lie. But no. True love, real love, is so warm. It¡¯s painful and sad, like having your heart squeezed. ¡°Edgar-sama.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­am I allowed to dream about the future¡­¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re going to have to dream about it.¡± Edgar¡¯s large hand slid down to caress her eyes and wipe away a tear. ¡°Because I¡¯ve worked so hard all my life just for that.¡± Then he smiled softly. Edgar¡¯s gentle smile, similar to the sunshine found in the middle of winter, slowly melted Beatrice¡¯s heart without her knowing it. CH 56 Chapter 56 : What I should have protected: What I wanted to protect Leopold and the others who ran to the bridge looked down from the edge. At about the same time, there was a loud splash of water below. ¡°¡­!¡± On impulse, Leopold reached out to place his foot on the railing, but stopped himself, and first unsheathed the sword at his waist. When Rembrandt saw him start to take off his jacket, he guessed what he was going to do. Immediately, Rembrandt looked around at the soldiers around him and raised his voice. ¡°We need one person to rescue them. Someone come and go with him.¡± ¡°©`©`©`I¡¯m coming.¡± At Rembrandt¡¯s request, a soldier in armor volunteered. ¡°¡­Nicholas. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nicholas quickly started to remove his armor. But when Leopold looked at the soldier who had volunteered to jump in with him, he saw his face as he took off his hood and he stopped moving. ¡°¡­Nicholas, Nicholas Trad¡­?¡± A voice filled with astonishment escaped from his mouth. He was the former classmate who had left school at the end of the first year because he loved Natalia and fell into the trap Alejandro set up for him. ¡°¡­¡± A heavy clang echoed in the place, and the armor Nicholas was wearing was thrown to the ground one after another. Then Nicholas, wearing only a light shirt and slacks, also stepped onto the railing. ¡°¡­I thought you joined the Royal Guard.¡± Leopold swallowed the question that came out of his mouth mid-sentence. Now is not the time to talk about this. Rembrandt stood by the railing and stopped Leopold and the others who were about to jump into the water with great vigor. ¡°If the rescuer gets hurt, the whole point of it is lost. Get into the water as safely as possible. Go over the railing and hang down outside the bridge. Lower your body to the very edge. Remember to check the position of the rescue targets before you let go.¡± They nodded and hung outside the bridge as Rembrandt instructed, looking out over the water below. They¡¯ve checked the position of Alejandro and Natalia. Both have not drifted very far yet. ¡°The current in the summer season is less severe than in the winter season. But it¡¯s still going to be difficult¡­ be careful. We¡¯ll be going to the shore now. ¡° They nodded back at the instruction and took one deep breath. Leopold and Nicholas both let go of their hands gripping the foundation of the bridge. The sound of Rembrandt and the others stepping onto the ground echoed in their ears, and then was followed by the floating sensation in which time seemed to have stopped. This river is deep, and there is no danger of hitting the river bottom. With arms raised, they threw themselves into the water with a big splash. After sinking deeper and deeper, he held his breath and aimed for the surface. With no time to follow Nicholas¡¯ signal, Leopoldo frantically kicked the water toward the light above the water. ¡°¡­ha-ah!¡± He sucked in all the air he could and hurriedly looked around. It would be meaningless if he missed the target of his rescue. He glanced towards the spot he had identified before taking his hand off the bridge. He saw what appeared to be the figure of a person in the distance, and at the same time recognized his companion floating slightly ahead of him. ¡°¡­Nicholas..!¡± When he called out with a loud voice, Nicholas also responded by lightly raising his right hand. Leopoldo¡¯s right leg is in pain as he kicks the water. He seemed to have been hurt by the impact when he landed in the water. I wonder if Nicholas will be okay. I hope it is only a minor injury like myself. He looks up from below at the bridge he jumped from and exhales at the height of it. Then, both Leopold and Nicholas looked at the rescue target drifting far ahead. My right ankle is throbbing. But not so bad that I can¡¯t kick the water. The cold water of the river tingled and stained the scars that had been inflicted on his entire body last night and at dawn. His wounds were only treated briefly, and now he has a low fever. But the pain made Leopold¡¯s mind cool down. Floating up and down while being swept along, Leopold and Nicholas struggled hard to reach the distant mass that is slowly drifting away. Natalia. Why, oh why, did you follow him instead of listening to the shadow guard? Why did you choose to run up to him, climb the bridge, and fall into the river with him? His body was cold, and his right ankle and whole body had wounds all over, complaining over the dull pain. Now this seemed to be proof that Leopold was alive. I don¡¯t understand. What was Natalia thinking and how did she make the decision to do what she did? Even though they are lovers. The person you promised to share your future with. Leopold had never seen Natalia like that. He never knew she had that side of her. Natalia, whom Leopoldo knew well, was a sweet girl with a lovely smile. She was a cheerful girl who was not shy and could talk to anyone. She was lonely and easily became anxious when left alone. Her face was so cute, and this made him want to protect her. Natalia is Leopold¡¯s princess and Leopold is Natalia¡¯s prince. So I promised myself that I would always protect her. I thought, I thought I would be able to overcome any difficulties, I would crush them, so I accepted Rembrandt¡¯s proposal and even pretended to be a slave, and I promised myself that I would expose his schemes. ¡ª ¡°She¡¯s too much for you to handle.¡± Rembrandt¡¯s voice came to him. What nonsense, he thought at that time. What part of Natalia, an innocent woman who had not yet lost her maidenhood, was beyond my control? ¡ª ¡°Not everyone is what they appear to be.¡± ¡ª ¡°If you are going to be the head of the Reinalpha family, if you still want to take that girl to be your wife, you must change. A man, who can¡¯t do anything without help, is unconvincing.¡± ¡ª ¡°In a way, that man knows more about reality than you do.¡± I want to laugh at myself for being so green at that time when I countered that it was not true. That¡¯s right, Rembrandt. I didn¡¯t know then. I didn¡¯t understand anything. Rembrandt, you were wrong, or so I thought. I was immature to the point of being blind. And that there¡¯s a certain scope and depth of people, both front and back, and a hidden side that even my parents and siblings don¡¯t know about. I knew nothing about any of it. You were right about everything. Because I don¡¯t know what Natalia is thinking. She was supposed to be by my side more than anyone else. ¡­ When Leopoldo and Nicholas finally caught up with the two rescue targets, Alejandro, who had lost consciousness, was still holding Natalia in his arms. Alejandro¡¯s body was curled up, holding Natalia¡¯s petite body firmly in his arms and covering her. Grabbing their arms, Leopold and Nicholas swam in between them and headed for the shore. Leopoldo and Nicholas kept on kicking and stirring the water, silently, just to keep going. CH 57 Chapter 57 : Salvation comes from an unexpected source ¡°Good work.¡± It was Rembrandt¡¯s voice. Rembrandt, who had been waiting on the shore, threw a rope, and pulled Leopold who grabbed it, along with the others with him. When Leopoldo finally reached the shore, he put his hands on the ground and let out a huge sigh on his shoulders. Alejandro and Natalia, who had lost consciousness, were transported by the soldiers after a brief treatment. ¡°You dared to jump in head first with such a battered and bruised body? For a woman who embraced another man and fell into the river right in front of her lover no less.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t stop you because you seemed to really want to go, but you¡¯re injured now too.¡± He then tossed a towel over Leopoldo¡¯s head and moved over. He nodded silently and wiped his hair. His head hurts, perhaps from lack of sleep or perhaps from exhaustion. ¡°¡­well, I was kind of surprised.¡± Rembrandt¡¯s voice fell from above his head. ¡°At that time, you didn¡¯t just dive in impulsively. If it was the past you, you wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to dive in with all that mess attached to you. You could have drowned quickly.¡± I wonder if he thinks he is praising me, but, on the other hand, I can only think that he¡¯s humiliating me. ¡°Rembrandt told me to think¡­ to think before I move.¡± Rembrandt chuckled, then cleared his throat. He looked up, and saw that Rembrandt was laughing happily. ¡°I see you¡¯ve changed a little bit. That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rembrandt tilted his head at the figure looking up at himself with a gaping mouth. ¡°? What is it? You look dazed.¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s because Rembrandt is smiling.¡± Rembrandt¡¯s brow furrowed almost immediately. ¡°¡­it¡¯s just me laughing normally.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you laughing like this before.¡± ¡°¡­that;¡¯s not true. How many years do you think I¡¯ve been your childhood friend? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve at least seen me smile.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Leopoldo continued his words, nodding his head as if to confirm what he felt. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say it, but it seemed different from the smiles I had seen before. You know, Rembrandt always had this kind of sarcastic smile, or a cold smile, or a kind of nasty smile. ¡°¡­nasty smile, huh.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± After his words were repeated, Leopold realized his gaffe. Before he can open his mouth to apologize again, Rembrandt beats him to it. ¡°Well, it could have been.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t very good to you.¡± Leopold¡¯s heart ached a little when he heard him reply with a straight face. Leopold calmly ponders, I knew that a long time ago, so why now? I had a hard time with Rembrandt myself. But I don¡¯t have that feeling anymore. Yet Rembrandt is different. I am a man who does not understand the subtleties of things, and I am aware that I am giving him a lot of trouble. Normally, anyone would have probably looked honestly hurt here. But Leopold smiled. ¡°Ah, as I thought. Well, I had a feeling.¡± I could change, and could even decide by myself. I can even talk lightly now, pretending not to be hurt. ¡°Well, you noticed. You seem to be a lot more attentive than I thought you¡¯d be.¡± ¡°Rembrandt was just being obvious. Even I noticed that you hated me very much.¡± Still, as expected, I couldn¡¯t see Rembrandt¡¯s expression. But I¡¯m relieved that I could say it without losing my cheerful tone. And yet. Rembrandt let out a sigh of exasperation. ¡°I take back what I said before. You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°¡­eh?¡± I look up in surprise. My eyes meet Rembrandt¡¯s, who is looking straight down at me. ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t good at you, but I didn¡¯t hate you. I mean, I never hated you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to say anything about it. It¡¯s just¡­ I simply reviewed it for a minute, and this is what I got.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hate¡­ you don¡¯t hate me¡­¡± ¡°I just wasn¡¯t very good to you.¡± ¡°¡­haha, I see¡­ you weren¡¯t very good at me¡­ well, good¡­¡± ¡°Why is it good? You¡¯re weird.¡± A voice then came down from above, as if dumbfounded. But just from the voice alone, Leopold had a vague idea of what Rembrandt¡¯s expression was right now. His chest feels lighter. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Despite Rembrandt¡¯s complaints, Leopold repeated his words once more. He had to think about Natalia, Alejandro, the discussion with his father, how he should move forward, and what decisions he should make. There were so many things to think about. When Leopoldo first heard about Alejandro from Rembrandt, he was furious. He hated Alejandro as he was a selfish, arrogant, and an unforgivable scoundrel. He despised such a way of life from the bottom of his heart, saying it was unforgivable and unacceptable as a human being, and that he was an evil man. He went undercover with a new resolve to protect Natalia, the innocent princess, from such an abominable man. And yet, things were not as simple as Leopold had thought. The pendant he gifted to Natalia shattered and scattered on the floor. And without hesitation, Natalia kicked the railing and jumped into Alejandro¡¯s arms. Alejandro held Natalia in his arms as if he was protecting her with all his might even after he lost consciousness. I thought everything had been cleared up nicely, but then I realized that only one of them had been resolved. The image of Alejandro, who treats Natalia like a treasure, even though he is obsessed with her and hurts her¡­ And the image of Natalia, who feels attached and hurt, but still cannot leave Alejandro¡­ I couldn¡¯t get it out of my head, my mind was in a mess. In the midst of all that, Rembrandt¡¯s words strangely reached deep into my heart, and I was somewhat happy and relieved. Leopold felt a little, just a little, saved. CH 58 Chapter 58 : Then you¡¯re just a stranger. Later, after returning to the Marquise of Strydom near evening, Beatrice¡¯s joy at Rembrandt¡¯s safety was short-lived when she received a report about Alejandro and the others, which made her go pale. Alejandro and Natalia were taken to the hospital for further examination. They have yet to regain consciousness. As for Alejandro, who has to be dealt with in the future, he said that the Baron of Reyes family has been notified through a letter. Rembrandt will visit McKay Reyes at a later date to discuss various matters, including compensation and punishment. Of course, the Marquis of Reinalpha will be with him. As for the Viscount of Olsen, they told him that they had taken Natalia into their custody, and that they were still keeping the details under wraps. No one except the younger brother was really worried about the whereabouts of Natalia, who had been missing since last night. Not to mention the father, who had always been indifferent to Natalia, but the mother was similar. She voiced her displeasure at Natalia¡¯s absence, but it was only because she was dissatisfied with having fewer people to do the household work. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ they say you can¡¯t choose your parents, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s one of them.¡± Rembrandt said as he placed the investigation sheet on the table with a snap. ¡°No wonder she was mentally unstable. She wanted to be loved and couldn¡¯t help but be dependent somewhere.¡± Beatrice, who was sitting on the couch across from him, lowered her eyebrows pitifully when she heard that. She recalled Natalia¡¯s forlorn remark before her rebirth that her parents were not interested in her. Even then, she did not ask for more details. Natalia did not want to talk further. ¡ª ¡°I was happy because I had Alejandro and Trice, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡ª ¡°After that, though, I met Leopoldo and smiled happily next to him.¡± ¡°¡­and that¡¯s why she dreamed of Prince Charming on a white horse.¡± Leopoldo¡¯s body was bandaged here and there as he muttered to himself. After that, Leopold was also treated at the hospital. That¡¯s how he ended up with the bandages he has now, but for some reason, Leopold still wouldn¡¯t go straight back to the Reinalpha house after that. He was also somewhat conflicted about his father, Thomas. He was aware of these issues, but he didn¡¯t even want to provide Natalia with an escort, and he didn¡¯t know what to tell his father about his plans for the future, so he followed Rembrandt to the Strydom house. ¡°You have three days. Don¡¯t expect me to be lenient beyond that.¡± Beatrice was more than a little surprised to see her brother giving his permission for him to stay as if it was a matter of course, while looking as if it was a hassle. The same seemed to be true for Edgar. The two had always been at odds with each other and had always somewhat avoided each other. Beatrice and the others do not know what happened between them in the past two months. However, Rembrandt and Leopold, who had never been close, began to talk to each other in various ways. It was a joy to see their relationship change to the point where they are now more like an older brother taking care of his younger brother, who is not doing so well. ¡°Something has changed about Leo.¡± Edgar uttered this as he sat next to Beatrice and watched the two of them. Edgar plans to leave for Drieste tomorrow. Since his departure was delayed for three days, he had to be absent without leave for three days, but despite Beatrice¡¯s concern, Edgar was quite calm about it. He told her that he would be fine because he would honestly say that he couldn¡¯t leave because he was worried about Atie. Beatrice has no idea which part of that reason is okay. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Then, the day of the discussion with McKay. The Marquise of Reinalpha visited the Baron of Reyes, bringing with him his son, Rembrandt, and several guards. Rembrandt stepped into a different mansion than the one they had entered, namely the main house. The head of the family, McKay Reyes, nervously greeted the two old, high-ranking noble families. His well-fleshed body hunched over, sweat beading on his forehead, as he offered his apologies. But the visitors¡¯ attitude toward him is indifferent. The documents that proved the results of the undercover investigation were laid out in a row and held up in front of McKay¡¯s eyes. McKay, who somewhat resembles Alejandro, turned pale. McKay told everyone that he did not know anything and that he had nothing to do with the case. ¡°No matter how much you claim to not know, he is your son. People and things move in their own way to do something like this. And you didn¡¯t even notice it?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I am truly ashamed to say this, but it is true.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rembrandt took out a sheet of paper from his bag. ¡°I thought we could settle this case privately, but if you want to make it black and white, we can go to trial. Well, you won¡¯t win, but if you want to give it a try, by all means.¡± ¡°I-imposible.¡± If everything were to be exposed in court, the household itself would suffer immeasurable damage, not to mention the Reyes Chamber of Commerce. It would probably be impossible for him to recover as a merchant. ¡°I don¡¯t really care either way. I¡¯ll get what I want in the end¡­ but¡­¡± Rembrandt pointed to the papers on the table. ¡°If you sign here, I¡¯m willing to let you stay here as the head of the Reyes Chamber of Commerce. You will become a hired employee, but your official position will remain the same¡­ in other words, you can keep up appearances.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We ask that you give us all of the profits of the Chamber of Commerce, and we will pay your salaries from there. In that case, the name of the Reyes Chamber of Commerce will continue to exist. But the rights and title will belong to the Strydom family.¡± In the end, it took less than an hour for McKay Reyes to sign the document. Rembrandt confiscated all the land and houses of the Reyes family except their main residence. The money from those disposed properties was used as a consolation payment for the damage done to the Marquise of Reinalpha. When the entire procedure was completed, McKay was stunned. He held his head and muttered to himself as if he were groaning. ¡°¡­I should have gotten rid of that thing. I should have gotten rid of that thing at that time. I should have gotten rid of that thing too¡­ but I showed mercy after he killed his sister.¡± Rembrandt sighed heavily. ¡°¡­he said that he didn¡¯t kill her.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He said that he didn¡¯t kill his sister.¡± ¡°¡­ha! What nonsense.¡± He seems to have forgotten about courtesy to the higher nobility. McKay snickered at Rembrandt¡¯s comment. ¡°You say that because you don¡¯t know him. He¡¯s a real piece of work.¡± ¡°¡­I won¡¯t deny that, but at least I think I know him better than you do.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°When was the last time you spoke to your son?¡± ¡°¡­well, I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been more than a decade since you¡¯ve spoken to him and he¡¯s as good as a stranger to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Alejandro was a piece of trash. But you accuse him of that? You think you¡¯re in a position to do that?¡± He stood up to face McKay, who fell silent, indicating that he was finished with his business. ¡°I hope you will work hard from now on¡­ for the Strydom family, and for my Chamber of Commerce.¡± Rembrandt looked down at him with cold eyes and told him so. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Natalia regained consciousness on the second night. She had dislocated her right shoulder, but that was her only injury. They waited for her to recover and interviewed her as well. Leopoldo also wanted to talk with her. Alejandro was still unconscious. Alejandro had a broken neck. CH 59 Chapter 59 : Better than standing still The interview with Natalia was to be conducted by Rembrandt. Guillaume reported the conversation between Alejandro and Natalia at the hideout. Guillaume himself judged it to be nonsense, but still he reported all the contents of their conversation there to Rembrandt. Natalia¡¯s murder of Beatrice before the so-called ¡°rebirth¡± and what happened then, as well as the reasons that led to the regression. Guillaume and Rembrandt decided to have Leopold present to record the statements made during the interview. However, he is present through a special glass that has been crafted. Natalia cannot see Leopold. Until now, he had not told him about the regression or the actions Leopold took at that time. However, Rembrandt thought that Leopold would be okay with telling him about the regression. He also decided that it would probably be necessary for him and Natalia, who had also learned about the regression, to talk about it in the future. As for the Reyes Chamber of Commerce, everything was taken over by his father, Noyce. Rembrandt¡¯s action against McKay, who had been receiving a substantial monthly stipend from Alejandro, was deemed reasonable by Noyce. And McKay was again notified that he would be given the position of acting president in name only and a salary equal to that of a regular employee, plus an additional allowance based on his workload. Even if he had tried to pretend that he had no knowledge of Alejandro¡¯s activities, McKay was siphoning off half of his profits. It was too much to pass off as irrelevant. It was a very typical idea of Strydom that this father and son would think that it would be more useful for the Marquise to have him work for them than to put him in jail. Rembrandt was thus relieved of some of his chores, and while working at the royal palace, he monitored Alejandro, who had not yet regained consciousness, and interviewed Natalia. ¡°¡­Alejandro turned back time?¡± Rembrandt, unusually forgetting to hide his emotions, uttered a startled and obvious statement. In the silence that followed, only the sound of a pen¡¯s nib scratching the paper echoed faintly in the room. Guillaume, who had been faithful to his duties, concentrated only on his writing and never expressed any doubts or objections. Leopold, on the other hand, stood silently behind the special glass, overwhelmed by what he had heard for the first time since his arrival. After a moment of silence, Natalia finally spoke up. ¡°¡­Alejandro said that he needed a medium to do so. The magician dug up Beatrice¡¯s grave¡­¡± A moment later, the air in the room became even more tense. Natalia kept her mouth shut in mid-sentence. ¡°¡­¡± Guillaume¡¯s writing hand stopped. Leopold, still unable to wrap his head around it, just stared petrified at those exchanges through the glass. Rembrandt rubbed his temples, then he exhaled slowly, and muttered in a flat voice, ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Hence the regression.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°What¡­what was that all about, Rembrandt?¡± ¡°What was what?¡± ¡°I was thinking about what Natalia said earlier about Alejandro turning back the time or something like that. Why were you listening to that nonsense?¡± ¡°Nonsense?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. I mean, I took Beatrice to be my wife, I promised to take Natalia as my second wife when she died, and then Natalia stabbed Beatrice to death. That¡¯s impossible. And what¡¯s more, what¡¯s with the turning back time? Why did you take that story seriously all the way through? It¡¯s very unlike you, especially with that smart brain of yours.¡± After the first interrogation, on the way to the carriage, Leopold chewed Rembrandt, as if he didn¡¯t understand. Leopold stood there with his mouth hanging open throughout the entire interrogation, forgetting to sit in his chair, even though he was in such high spirits at that moment. He was that upset. Rembrandt pretended to be thinking, putting his hand on his chin with a blank expression. ¡°No wonder you say it¡¯s ridiculous. It¡¯s hard to believe under normal circumstances, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right? Knowing that, why?¡± But I already knew about it from another person who told me about the same ridiculous story. Well, the only thing I couldn¡¯t figure out was why the regression happened, but the rest of it was a new story to me.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Leopoldo stopped. Rembrandt, who had also stopped, turned to Leopold, who was walking a little behind him. ¡°Who do you think it was?¡± ¡°From who? From what?¡± ¡°I mean, that stupid story. Who do you think I knew about the regression?¡± He tilted his head as if to say, ¡°Think about it,¡± and waited for an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? Have you forgotten why I decided to help you?¡± Leopold was puzzled and thought silently for a while, then looked up with a start. ¡°No way¡­Beatrice?¡± Rembrandt nodded. ¡°I told you before. I told you before that there is a man named Alejandro who wants to destroy your house. I have decided to help you even though the Marquise of Strydom has nothing to do with it.¡± Cutting off his words, Rembrandt shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s because Trice asked me to.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leopold¡¯s body trembled. It was a ridiculous story, a mere nonsense, a rambling tale of delusion, those words that he had thought to be nothing more than that. That story that could have been taken as a slander that seriously defamed him. ¡°You don¡¯t really think¡­I¡¯m going to have a white marriage, that kind of thing, to Beatrice¡­?¡± ¡°If you had been the same person you were then, instead of the person you are now¡­if you had taken everything that was said to you and everything that was done to you at face value¡­¡± When Beatrice first told me the story, I wanted to knock Leopoldo over the side of his head. But that was you then, not you now. That¡¯s what Rembrandt muttered in his mind. If you are capable of changing little by little, this can be another stepping stone for you to climb up. No, I want you to go up. Move forward instead of standing still. ¡°¡­that¡¯s what you did then, Leopold.¡± CH 60 Chapter 60 : Even if it¡¯s not for Beatrice. Rembrandt watched his back as he entered the residence of the Marquis of Reinalpha, then motioned to the coachman. The carriage departed at a leisurely pace. Rembrandt let out a sigh and leaned back against the backrest. ¡°One hundred gold coins per year, seven hundred gold coins to reverse seven years of time¡­¡± Rembrandt contemplated. This time, as a token of gratitude and apology for stopping Natalia from being kidnapped and Leopold from going out of control, Alejandro¡¯s personal property, which was originally promised to belong to the Marquis of Reinalpha, was given to Rembrandt. The amount was roughly five hundred and fifty gold coins. Even though he is the son of the largest merchant in the kingdom, and a baron¡¯s son, he is still a commoner and it¡¯s still too large for him to hold. ¡°¡­and a few years from now, even more than that amount. Seven hundred gold coins, lavishly paid to a magician¡­¡± Rembrandt shook his head after speaking to himself. No matter how much he thinks about it, he can¡¯t understand Alejandro¡¯s thought process. If that girl, Natalia, is so important, why hurt her? Pull her close to you, then push her away, and when she cries, pull her close again and comfort her. One might think that it¡¯s just for fun, but he also tried to protect her even if it meant damaging his own neck bones. And in the house where he kidnapped her, there were no signs of assault except for the shattered pendant. Alejandro showed an undeniable obsession. Still, it appears distinct from the love between a man and woman. Rembrandt gave it some thought, and finally gave up on the futility of thinking about it. There are people who can¡¯t understand each other no matter what. Some things are beyond comprehension. ¡°¡­Alejandro, that man, I guess he only showed his better side to Trice.¡± So in my sister¡¯s mind, she only has good memories about that man. It was not necessarily a false appearance, but it was certainly one of Alejandro¡¯s personalities. ¡°I feel like I owe him. I don¡¯t like it¡­¡± While lost in thought, the carriage arrives at the Marquis of Strydom¡¯s house. In order to reduce the number of days he has to go to the royal palace, he brought home the work that can be done to his room at the residence. Therefore, there are piles of papers on the desk. Even though the Reyes Chamber of Commerce case has been settled, there is still a lot of work to be done. ¡­ Ten days had already passed since the kidnapping. In a week, the school¡¯s summer vacation will be over, and Beatrice and the others will begin attending school again. Natalia has regained consciousness and the pain from her dislocated shoulder is fading, but Alejandro is still in a coma. From the outside, Natalia is merely involved in the case, but it would be an outrageous scandal if an aristocratic daughter was kidnapped and spent the night with a man who was not her fianc¨¦. Although it has not become a public incident, there is no telling when or where it might leak out. Leopold was furious with his father on this point, and the argument was still on a stand still. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Welcome back, brother. Why do you look so troubled?¡± He¡¯s glad his sister is feeling well enough to pick him up every day, but he really wanted to tell her that his face looked like this because of all the problems she threw at him. But since it would be a long story if he told her what he meant, Rembrandt, who was both tired and busy, said, ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°You look tired. Oh, yes. I have some tea that is good for building up your strength.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± He rejected it immediately. ¡°Huh, why? I was worried about my brother¡¯s health, that¡¯s why I¡¯m offering them to you.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re just trying to be nice, but you know me. I know it¡¯s the stuff Edgar sent from Drieste. You know, that incredibly bitter herb that they make you drink every day and make you look funny.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the effects are amazing, you know?¡± ¡°I know that too. And I also know that herbal tea is the reason why you don¡¯t collapse anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been healthy! So please have some, Brother.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it. You should be the one to drink such potent tea every day.¡± ¡°¡­Brother. You¡¯re pretending to care about me, but the truth is, you just don¡¯t want to drink it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s saying that. It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s you who wants to drink a little less yourself.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Rembrandt¡¯s mouth naturally relaxes as he and Beatrice talk lightly. He knew that she certainly never saw such a scene before her rebirth. When Beatrice was born, before they could rejoice, they learned that she had a congenital blood disorder, and the whole family despaired. Still, the ignorant baby cried when she was hungry and laughed when she was making a fuss. If his tiny little sister, who was just born and knew nothing about anything, loosened her mouth with a pout, it was enough to bring tears into his eyes. Eventually, she grew into her own self, recognizes her brother, and smiles angelically and innocently at the Buddha-faced Rembrandt. She waddled and clutched at him. She climbed onto his lap and asked him to read her a book. Each time she did, his chest ached. How long. How long will she live? Will she be able to attend school? Will she be able to become an adult? Will she be able to fall in love like other people, will she be able to enjoy her own time as a young girl? Yeah, but surely she can¡¯t get married, can she? I felt sorry for having a healthy body. I couldn¡¯t help myself because I could draw the future easily. Once, I cried in front of Edgar. And then I told my parents that I would not get married while Beatrice was still alive, even though I knew that this was just self-indulgence. I can¡¯t show a happy married life in front of my sister, who can¡¯t envision the future. I don¡¯t want to show it. And if I don¡¯t want to be seen being happy and yet I welcome a wife, it would be disrespectful to the one who would be my wife, or so I thought. I¡¯m fine. I still have plenty of time. But my sister. Trice is¡­ ¡°¡­really. Brother takes too little care of himself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°It is. So let¡¯s have a drink?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn. Then together. Let¡¯s drink together. That would be good, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­it can¡¯t be helped. Just one drink.¡± Beatrice¡¯s pouty face, her begging sweet eyes, her happy smile. Rembrandt thinks it is a miracle that such an interaction is even possible. This time, I think they will make it in time. Yes, I am sure they will make it. But last time. Last time, I learned that they didn¡¯t make it. Even if his decision to turn back time was not for Beatrice¡¯s sake. Even if he was only thinking about his own little Natalia¡­ Still¡­ If he hadn¡¯t done that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see this smile now. Every time I feel this pain, my thoughts waver. I could not think properly. My inner self cries out, ¡°How can I be thankful to such a man?¡± and begins to ask inane questions as to why it was not me who invested 700 gold coins to do it. CH 61 Chapter 61 : Then and Now Leopold exchanged words with the butler who appeared to greet him at the entrance and went straight to his room. He sat down on the couch and ruminated on what he just heard in the morning. He recalled it over and over again, chewing it over and over. It¡¯s an incredible story of going back in time. And then there¡¯s Rembrandt¡¯s words. ¡ª ¡°That¡¯s what you did then, Leopold.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it. I don¡¯t want to believe it. However, if Alejandro had continued to beat him, the Reinalpha family would have forced him to marry into an influential family. What if he really did marry into an influential family to survive? And if, at that time, Beatrice reached out to him, he is sure that he, himself, would have accepted it. If she told him that it was okay to hold a white marriage, and that he would not have to betray Natalia, and that he could have Natalia as his future wife when Beatrice¡¯s life is over¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He clenched his fists tightly. His nails dug into his palm. Rembrandt told him that he, Leopold, had changed. A little bit, just a little bit, but still a decent change, he said. But that¡¯s why I understand. Indeed, I¡¯m sure what happened in the past¡­ I am sure that he would have accepted Beatrice¡¯s words as they were, and without any doubts, I would have simply indulged myself and be happy that I did not have to pretend to be something I was not. ¡°¡­at that time, I¡¯m sure that Rembrandt felt more disgusted at me than he is now¡­I must have looked like the worst kind of a5sh0le.¡± He leaned back and let out a deep sigh. What were you thinking back then ©`©`©`Rembrandt saved me a bit when he said that. ©`©`©`¡±You have changed, I felt that I should tell you that.¡± He squeezed his eyes shut. Don¡¯t get frightened here and don¡¯t stop thinking. Beatrice has memories, and Rembrandt knew about those memories after he heard about them. It was no wonder that Beatrice and Rembrandt both lent a hand to him, even though they hated him and avoided him so much. Then, at the very least, all I can do now is respond to it. I want to change a little, a little more. I want to change. What should I do? What can I do? Before the regression, Natalia had chosen him instead of Alejandro. He guessed that the story revolved around that. If Alejandro wanted to use drugs to prevent himself and Natalia from remarrying¡­ So why wasn¡¯t that the case when she was kidnapped? Why did Natalia follow Alejandro, jump into that guy¡¯s chest over his own voice of protest, and fall into the river with him? Did the period when he went undercover, during which they couldn¡¯t meet, changed her mind? Or was it that letter and pendant that he gave to dispel her fears? He gently stroked the wounds, which had almost healed, over the bandage. He hadn¡¯t seen her for a long time¡­ when he saw her through the special glass, she looked somewhat like a different person from before. ¡­ When she saw Rembrandt entering the room, she was surprised and bowed her head, then she heard him say that he was the messenger from that time. At times, she was mumbling, at other times, she was stammering, still desperately searching for the right words. ¡°In the world before regression, I killed Beatrice-sama.¡± She said sadly. ¡°Even though I was drugged, I still commited that murderous act. It¡¯s still terrible to stab someone to death with a knife¡±, She said to him in a self-mocking tone. ¡°I heard that he, Beatrice, and I were good friends. Alejandro told me so.¡± Natalia, who is a crybaby, was still full of tears as she said that, but her appearance was somehow different from the Natalia he knew. When Natalia learned that Rembrandt was Beatrice¡¯s brother, she was even more horrified and bowed again and again to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing so much trouble.¡± She said. ¡°Thanks to your advice, I was able to catch the rats in the house, but that was as far as I could go, and this is what ended up happening.¡± She said with a tearful smile on her face. ¡­ Leopold didn¡¯t understand half of what Natalia meant when she mentioned those things. His ears were only picking up their sounds, but his head refused to comprehend them, and while doing so, before he knew it, everything was over. He snapped at Rembrandt without knowing why and was easily confronted with the facts. That was no delusion. It¡¯s about a memory of a time that was erased. It was about a stupid decision that I would have made again if I hadn¡¯t changed. Think. What should I do? Think. Now I know what I¡¯m missing. I don¡¯t want to make mistakes anymore. So¡­. ¡°¡­¡± Leopold, who had been sinking into an abyss of thought, came to himself when a knock on the door announced that dinner was ready. Before he knew it, the sun had set and it was pitch black outside the window, where the curtains had not even been drawn. ¡°¡­okay.¡± He straightened his posture and stood up. That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s start here. I have to start from here. There are some things that only I can take care of. He opened the door and asked the butler, who was standing there, to deliver a message. ¡°Tell my father that I need some time with him after dinner.¡± I have something I want to talk to you about ©`©`©` CH 62 Chapter 62 : It¡¯s my fault, I loved you. Alejandro¡¯s body, with its damaged neck bone, will surely end up crippled. Still, because Alejandro had not yet regained consciousness, it remained impossible to determine exactly where the problem was. It has been two weeks since the kidnapping. Tomorrow, summer break will end and the school year will begin. A long absence for both Alejandro and Natalia would naturally raise questions and unnecessary speculation. Natalia, who was beginning to feel better, needed to return to her normal life. And so, when Natalia was organizing her personal belongings to return home. Leopoldo appeared in the ward. ¡°Leo¡­¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s been a long time. Natalia.¡± He glanced at the packed luggage and then continued his words. ¡°I need to talk to you. Can I have a few minutes of your time?¡± ¡­ Sipping the tea, Leopold¡¯s gaze wavered as he thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡­ is what I want to say, but I actually saw you during the interrogation.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Rembrandt said that I have the right to know what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Yes, uh¡­¡± Natalia looked down awkwardly. ¡°I heard about the whole turning back in time thing. I was very¡­ surprised.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done some pretty terrible things too, I hear. Like white marriage, it¡¯s so bad that it¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Natalia was at a loss for words and the conversation was cut short. It was Leopoldo who broke the silence that lasted for a while. ¡°¡­sorry¡± ¡°¡­eh¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I disappeared for no reason. I made Natalia lonely.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I went undercover at Alejandro¡¯s mansion to get proof of what he was doing behind the scenes. Natalia, you are his childhood friend, so I didn¡¯t think it would be a good idea to talk to you about it beforehand.¡± Then he continues his words with a wry smile. ¡°Because you would never lie to Alejandro.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I knew you were worried. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Leopoldo continued speaking to Natalia, who remained downcast the whole time. ¡°I contacted you once through a friend, and then I stopped coming to school, after which you never heard from me again for almost three months. After that, I only gave you a letter and a pendant once through Rembrandt. When I think about it now, it¡¯s just outrageous.¡± At the mention of the pendant, Natalia unconsciously put her hand on her chest. She clenched her fist tightly there, as if remembering how it had been broken. ¡°No¡­ no. I was worried, but I was happy to receive the letter and the pendant with Leo¡¯s eye color. That person, Rembrandt-sama, gave me a lot of advice, and I was able to gather the courage to take action. ¡­I also thought that maybe I could become stronger little by little. Then I felt happy, thinking that, one day, I might be able to stand next to you with dignity.¡± ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Leopold nodded quietly. He had already come here with his own answer. Still, the reason he was listening to Natalia now was to understand his own feelings, and also to confirm the depths of his lover¡¯s heart, which he hadn¡¯t known until now. ¡°Thinking about it, that person¡­ Rembrandt-sama told me, ¡®Don¡¯t wait for someone to help you, you have to act first yourself¡¯¡­¡± Leopold suddenly smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve also been told that by him a lot¡± ¡°Leo too?¡± ¡°Ah. He told me many times to think first, don¡¯t just take words at face value, and anticipate the true meaning behind them and the consequences of acting on them. I¡¯ve heard it so many times.¡± ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s amazing¡± ¡°Ah. He¡¯s like an educator. He didn¡¯t even have that kind of duty.¡± As if he lost some of his nervousness, the hint of awkwardness in his smile faded a lot. ¡°So that¡¯s why I feel that Leo is different than before. I mean, I feel that you¡¯re more composed than before.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. You did your best, Leo.¡± When Leopold tilted his head, Natalia affirmed it and continued. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it. I couldn¡¯t do it like Leo. No, I knew I shouldn¡¯t try anymore. I shouldn¡¯t try so hard to be the kind of woman that Leo¡¯s parents would approve of¡­¡± ¡°Natalia.¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought so.¡± ¡°¡­and why is that?¡± Leopold asked back gently. As if he already knew the answer. ¡°I¡­ killed Beatrice-sama so that I can be with you. I killed my best friend¡­ who was kind enough to offer a white wedding so that you and I could be together.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s what I would do just to get something I really want.¡± Tears welled up in Natalia¡¯s eyes. But Natalia held them back and continued. ¡°So I knew I shouldn¡¯t try to do my best for you. I shouldn¡¯t try to stand next to you¡­ It¡¯s my fault for loving you. I shouldn¡¯t keep loving you the way I do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So let¡¯s just¡­ say goodbye.¡± ¡°¡­Natalia.¡± ¡°Farewell, you will fall in love with the one who is worthy of your family status. And then you will be united with that person. And then¡­ and then¡­¡± ¡°Natalia.¡± ¡°Please be happy with her.¡± The tears she had been holding back fell from Natalia¡¯s eyes. CH 63 Chapter 63 : Instead, I¡¯m going to make amends. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been thinking about it ever since, what we should do now, after we made our mistake.¡± Natalia¡¯s tears made him feel even more protective of her than usual. But there was no way the two of them could let their emotions get in the way of their conversation. Live honestly with yourself without deceiving your heart©`©`©` Because Leopold now knows that it¡¯s just an excuse that only looks beautiful on the outside. ¡°I accept your words. But I need to talk to you, too.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Wiping her tears, Natalia looked up. ¡°You were kidnapped this time by that man, albeit a childhood friend, and you spent a night in the same house with him. I know that nothing happened to you, but the world won¡¯t see it that way.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve kept quiet, but we can never be absolutely sure. So, Natalia, there is always the possibility that you will be exposed to some unpleasant news in the future, but this is something the Reinalpha family could have prevented.¡± ¡°Um, what do you mean?¡± For a moment, Leopold¡¯s mouth tightens as if enduring something. Then, slowly, word by word, he began to speak as if he were chewing. ¡°I had neglected to give you an escort. And my father¡­ he was aware of it and didn¡¯t care. He doesn¡¯t care what kind of harm is done to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have suffered wounds you should not have had to suffer, because of my blunder and my father¡¯s malice.¡± ¡°Leo¡­¡± Natalia was slightly blindsided, as if she had been struck dumb, and then lowered her eyebrows as if she was troubled. ¡°Leo, why are you such a¡­ if you hadn¡¯t said that, that would have been the end of it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I have already discussed this matter with my father. Natalia, I want to make amends to you as a part of the House of Reinalpha. ¡° ¡°Amends¡­?¡± ¡°You will have to decide what to do with yourself by the time you graduate from the school at the latest. I promise you that the Marquise of Reinalpha will fully support your wishes for the next few years so that your father will not be able to take advantage of you until that time.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°If you want to leave your parents, we will take care of it. If you want to study, we will find a school for you. Of course, we will pay for it. If you want to work, I¡¯ll find you a safe place to work¡­ if you want to get married¡­ it¡¯s hard to find a high ranking noble, but¡­ I¡¯ll surely find you a good partner.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will do whatever I can with the power of the marquise. Although you¡¯ll be a commoner, you¡¯re already an adult, so after cutting ties with them, you can leave immediately. The power of the marquise is not all-powerful, but I will do everything I can to make your future a little easier.¡± ¡°¡­oh, Leo.¡± Natalia¡¯s mouth fell open, even though she meant to be talking about something serious. Leopold¡¯s beloved soft smile appeared before her eyes. As she gazed at him, Natalia bowed her head deeply. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m very happy. I was sure that as soon as my father found out¡­ that Leo and I had broken up, he would come to me immediately with a marriage proposal.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°I know I should probably decline your offer, but I¡¯m going to accept it brazenly. If I can decide, I would like to decide my own future.¡± Natalia laughed as she said this, looking somewhat flustered. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be right here.¡± ¡°Thanks, Leo. For everything.¡± Natalia looked up dazedly at Leopold, who had finished his discussion and stood up from his seat. They exposed their innermost feelings to each other. And they talked for about an hour. He promised to support Natalia in exchange for giving up his marriage with her and accepting an engagement to a young lady recommended by his father. Leopoldo hopes that this will at least help Natalia. I can¡¯t be her prince anymore, because I failed to be one. I had originally come here with the intention of saying goodbye. I had no idea that Natalia would tell me that before I had the chance to say it out loud. ¡°This is¡­ I guess you could say I¡¯ve been dumped¡­¡± Leopold leaned against the door of the ward and muttered to himself, then suddenly noticed a commotion across the hallway. He looked around to see what was happening, only to find a familiar face there. It¡¯s Unukan, one of the shadow guards in the service of the Marquise of Strydom, who sneaked into Alejandro¡¯s mansion ahead of Leopoldo. While the nurses were hurriedly moving around, Unukan was talking to the doctor. ¡°Thes1¡­Unukan. What¡¯s the matter, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Unukan looks up upon recognizing Leopold¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh, Leopold-sama, I didn¡¯t know you were here. As a matter of fact, I have just received word that he has regained consciousness.¡± ¡°¡­Alejandro?¡± Unukan nodded. ¡°I have just sent the news to Rembrandt-sama.¡± ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s why the doctors are in such a panic.¡± ¡°Yes, they are examining him now.¡± Two weeks later, after he jumped off the bridge to the river. Alejandro, who had sustained a serious neck injury, remained in a coma for the entire time. And that Alejandro finally woke up just now. Leopold gulped in anticipation of what the doctor would tell them after the examination, which was never going to be a satisfactory result. CH 64 Chapter 64 : Where your gaze follows ¡°Alejandro-san, Alejandro-san. Can you hear me?¡± Alejandro slowly moved his gaze towards the doctor who approached him. ¡°You have damaged a bone in your neck. We think you have a disability somewhere in your body, so let me check it out.¡± Having said that, the doctor first took Alejandro¡¯s right hand. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alejandro looks at the doctor examining his right hand, somewhat dazed. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt a little bit.¡± The doctor then pressed the tweezers lightly against the palm of his right hand. ¡°¡­¡± Alejandro frowns slightly. The doctor checks it and then moves the tweezers, this time to the fingertips. Probably a sensory check to see if there was any sensation, followed by making him grip things to see if his hands are moving normally. After checking the right hand, the doctor proceeded with the left hand, and then started checking the right leg. ¡°¡­apparently, you can¡¯t feel your legs.¡± The doctor muttered a few words and hurriedly applied tweezers to the left leg as well. ¡°¡­¡± After the doctor returned the instruments he was using to the tray, he nodded to Unukan and the others. Leaving Alejandro and one of the nurses there, the doctor leads Unukan and the others to another room. When they opened the door, they found Rembrandt, who slipped out of the royal palace after receiving the news, already waiting there. ¡°Paraplegic1?¡± The doctor nodded to Rembrandt, who asked back. ¡°He has no feeling from the arms down. He will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.¡± ¡°I see.¡± With that said, Rembrandt leaned back against the back of the sofa. ¡°¡­now, what should I do¡­¡± No one answered the words that came out of his mouth. Alejandro apparently protected Natalia as he fell into the river. As a result, Alejandro alone took most of the impact of the water landing, leaving Natalia with a relatively minor injury of a dislocated right shoulder. The fact that he was unconscious for two weeks indicates that he must have received a considerable head injury. Alejandro was still only giving a probing look and did not speak nor give any reaction, so the diagnosis was a bit half-hearted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he¡¯s on guard that he doesn¡¯t speak¡­ but he doesn¡¯t seem like Alejandro to me.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. He has a tendency to smoke people out with his words.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t he talk, or is there some reason he doesn¡¯t want to¡­ not even to the doctor or the nurse?¡± ¡°It seems that way. His response was the same for both men and women.¡± ¡°What about when he saw your face? You were undercover as well, he should know your face right?¡± ¡°¡­he was unresponsive to me too. The same was true for Leopold, who was standing next to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rembrandt put his hand on his chin and looked thoughtful, but settled on the idea of waiting and seeing after a while. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Two more days passed. The original plan was for Natalia to be discharged from the hospital and return to her own residence, but because of her father, she was forced to stay in the staff room while helping out at the hospital. She goes to school during the daytime on weekdays, and after returning, she helps with hospital work until midnight. She often works as a menial laborer, carrying medical equipment, taking records, checking medicine, and other such things while securing food and shelter at the hospital. Leopold¡¯s offer of assistance was considered a last resort, as Natalia was still unable to reach a decision. ¡°Even at home, when I come back from school, I would clean the house and prepare meals.¡± When asked by the nurses if it was difficult to balance schoolwork, Natalia answered in that way and laughed that nothing much had changed. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Alejandro, still silent, was taken out of his ward today for what they call a walk. A nurse pushed his wheelchair down the hallway. When offered food, he would eat and respond to medical examinations. However, he did not seem to want to do anything, nor did he stubbornly try to speak. And yet, when he steps out of his hospital room in his wheelchair, he looks around as if searching for something. Then, he would let out a sigh. They once thought that perhaps he lost his voice. But once Alejandro spilled his soup, he made a small noise, and that suspicion disappeared. But he was still silent for some reason. Rembrandt made a decision accordingly and placed several shadow guards around Alejandro, disguised as nurses. Whether he was aware of such surveillance or not, Alejandro was still in his wheelchair, his gaze wandering from place to place during the journey. The destination is the hospital courtyard. The lawn is expansive and sunny. It is a recreational area where many patients often enjoy taking a walk in. At that moment, Natalia, who was carrying a basketful of freshly washed clothes, appeared from the corner at the end of the hallway. Today is the weekend. Natalia spent the morning helping with hospital chores. No one told Natalia that Alejandro has already regained consciousness. Therefore, this was the first encounter between Alejandro and Natalia since they fell into the river. Alejandro recognizes Natalia. With eyes wide open, he opened his mouth. Then he uttered¡­ With a small, faint whisper. ¡°Milch¡±, he said. CH 65 Chapter 65 : Alejandro Cried Rembrandt was on his way to the Reyes Chamber of Commerce. And it was to meet a certain someone. Entering the living quarters for the live-in staff, he headed to a small room in the basement, which is usually used as a storage room. There is a man who was under house arrest for refusing to continue working for the Reyes Chamber of Commerce, which had replaced its top management. The Reyes Chamber of Commerce is now owned by Noyce Strydom, and despite a few hiccups, all existing employees were basically retained. Only the wage structure was slightly modified in order to create a system in which, in addition to a base salary paid equally, compensation is added based on the amount of work performed and the number of deals concluded. It is a position that guarantees a certain level of livelihood to employees, but also allows for higher salaries depending on the work of each individual. Competent employees were paid more, and naturally, this increased the morale of the employees as well. However, he was the only one among them who refused to work. It was Zacharias, the man who had the audacity to say that his master was Alejandro, and that he would serve no one but Alejandro. Arriving at the front of the room, Rembrandt opened the door and turned his attention to the figure inside The man inside, Zacharias, also returned a provocative look. About a month has passed since Alejandro was brought to the hospital. Zacharias worked quietly at the Reyes Chamber of Commerce for the first week, but he became frustrated when Alejandro did not return anytime soon and asked McKay what was going on. Only McKay, the former president, and the treasurer knew that the top management had been replaced. Therefore, Zacharias distrusted McKay, who was reluctant to say anything. He wondered if he was holding Alejandro, his successor, in his hands. When McKay told him to shut up and continue working as before, Zacharias replied that Alejandro was the only one who could order him to do so. It would have been easy to fire him, but he would have sniffed around even if they let him go. Letting him go would be more troublesome, so they tried to persuade him but failed, leading to the current situation. Here, McKay finally reported up to Noyce, who was amused and told Rembrandt about it. Rembrandt then found a use for Zacharias and came here. ¡°¡­look who it is, the son of the corporate raider. What do you want? As I told you before, I serve no one but Alejandro-sama.¡± This loyal subordinate, who stubbornly believes that Alejandro has been dealt with, is probably plotting some kind of revenge for his master. He seems to think he is dead, but he has no intention of going after them. He does not go on any hunger strike and eats all the food served to him. He also seems to be exercising reasonably well in this confined space. ¡°No, no, no. I thought that since you are so loyal to Alejandro, you could take care of this.¡± Rembrandt sat down in his chair, seemingly unperturbed by the murderous glare he was receiving. ¡°You would only work for Alejandro, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re threatening me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯d rather ask you to do this willingly. After all, we were having trouble finding the right person for the job.¡± With Zacharias staring at him doubtfully, Rembrandt chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see Alejandro. I will then explain the job I want you to do, and you can tell me then whether you will accept it or not.¡± With that, he stood up, turned his back to the surprised Zacharias, and headed for the door. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ He kidnapped Natalia and was pursued; he jumped into the river himself; he protected Natalia in the process and suffered an injury to his neck; he was unconscious for a long time; and now the lower half of his body is paralyzed. And. ¡°He can only remember up to the age of six¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, from where he thinks his sister is still alive, I¡¯d say he remembers precisely up to before she drowned.¡± ¡°¡­such, a thing¡­¡± ¡°¡­Alejandro-sama¡­? This is¡­¡± Rembrandt told Zacharias about the incident a month earlier upon his arrival at the hospital. Zacharias stared at Alejandro, who sat in his wheelchair, stunned. Alejandro also looks back at Zacharias curiously. There was no emotion in his gaze, as though he was looking at a stranger. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ That day. Alejandro found Natalia in the hospital hallway and began to cry as he spoke his sister¡¯s name. Alejandro, who had been psychologically abused by his mother as a child, seemed to look for a face he knew as soon as he regained consciousness in the hospital. However, there was no one there, including his mother and servants, who knew Alejandro, and as a result, he decided to keep his mouth shut and see what would happen. He doesn¡¯t remember anything, but apparently he was injured. He couldn¡¯t move the lower half of his body, and he was in a wheelchair wherever he went. He was not consciously aware of the fact that his body was older. Meals are served regularly and his body is also wiped periodically. He was reassured that he was apparently not going to be treated badly. Yet, his eyes still inevitably searched for someone he knows. At that moment, he finally saw the face he knew across the hallway on his way to his walk. It¡¯s also the face he wanted to see the most. His heart ached with nostalgia, and when he tried to call out her name, the words did not come out properly. Tears welled up. His heart ached as if it was being squeezed. Alive. She¡¯s alive. She was alive. An important, precious, treasured possession. He wondered to himself with such thoughts. Why would I think that? Because we played together just the other day. Yeah, but. ¡°¡­Milch¡­¡± Why does it feel like we haven¡¯t seen each other for a long, long time now? I missed you. I missed you. With that thought, Alejandro cried out loud. CH 66 Chapter 66: Who is the right person for the job? ¡°¡­so? What do you want me to do by showing Alejandro-sama¡¯s current state?¡± Zacharias glared at Rembrandt. ¡°I will not be involved in anything that will harm Alejandro-sama, even if he¡¯s in such a state.¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re really loyal. Well, listen to me. You¡¯re the only one who is suitable for this kind of guy.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± After smiling at Zacharias, who looked at him doubtfully, Rembrandt took out the thing he prepared from his bag. It made a heavy sound once it landed on the table. ¡°Zacharias, I want you to handle this.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ It was eight years ago that Zacharias went to work for the Reyes Chamber of Commerce. Alejandro was ten years old then. So in the beginning, he knew nothing about the Milch case. Alejandro was already helping out the Chamber of Commerce since that time, so they had several opportunities to see each other, but they rarely exchanged words. After working for four years as an accountant for the Reyes Chamber of Commerce, he became Alejandro¡¯s direct subordinate when he set up his new division. At that time, Alejandro was fourteen years old. Fifteen years younger than Zacharias. Yet he had an excellent sense of style that did not suit him, and the products he purchased were always the talk of the town. Under McKay¡¯s orders, half of Alejandro¡¯s earnings went into his father¡¯s pocket every month as a monthly allowance, but even with such exploitation, it was still enough to cover the needs of the department and pay the salaries of the employees. Zacharias thought McKay¡¯s demands were absurd, but the man himself, Alejandro, did not seem bothered. He just did as he was told, without hesitation, and continued to earn money and gave it to his father. He didn¡¯t even speak to his father or mother, and his only communication with them was in writing or through other people. Furthermore, it was almost always about money. The relationship between them was so cold that it was worrisome to watch from the side. Alejandro showed no interest in anyone, and when he deemed them unnecessary, he would immediately dismiss them without mercy or regret. He thought that Alejandro was very dangerous. And he was afraid that he would just explode at some point. The only time Alejandro expresses anything resembling emotion is when he is alone with a girl named Natalia. And the only object of his obsession is also Natalia. After several years of working in the Chamber of Commerce, Zacharias had heard about the Milch case. There were always kind people who would tell him such backstories. At only six years old, a horrible child pushed his sister into the river to her death. The eldest son is a demon in Reyes¡¯ family, who the chairman had no choice but to keep as his heir because no other boys had been born to succeed him. Some merchants ridiculed Alejandro for this, while others praised his skills and claimed that he was more qualified than McKay to be the head of the Reyes Chamber of Commerce. Zacharias was the lead member of the latter group. So when he learned about the Milch case, he didn¡¯t think much of it. Rather, I was completely convinced. So that person is not attached to anything. Parents and younger siblings are just bothersome to that one. There¡¯s only one person that he needed, and that is Natalia-sama. Even though he was told that the boss had killed Milch, he did not avoid the boss, who he admired. Rather, he was relieved to know that Alejandro was also a normal human being, knowing that he has such fragility. He supported his young boss, sometimes advised him, to be recognized for his worth, and at some point, he set his heart on having him as his only master. He did whatever pleased Alejandro. No matter how outrageous or backhanded the conduct. I swore to accompany you even to h**l. For Alejandro, who only has memories of his life up to the age of six, Zacharias, whom he met at the age of ten, has become a man he has never met. Alejandro, who is in front of him, looked up at Zacharias with empty eyes that had no purpose or intention. ¡°Now there are only two categories of people in his eyes: Milch and the others.¡± Rembrandt¡¯s voice rang out in a rather annoyed tone. ¡°But still, I don¡¯t want to leave him alone while still having things I owe him.¡± Rembrandt looks at the pile of bags placed haphazardly in front of him. ¡°I was thinking that when he wakes up normally, I¡¯d just push this on him quickly, and then he¡¯d pay for his crimes.¡± Then he continued with a light tone, ¡°But when he came to, he was in such state.¡± ¡°¡­what do you want me to do with this?¡± He asked with a hoarse voice. ¡°I don¡¯t care how you use it. I don¡¯t care how you spend it. Seven hundred gold pieces, this is not my money anymore. It belongs to Alejandro.¡± ¡°¡­ah?¡± ¡°Once upon a time, I was unintentionally helped by this guy spending so much money. Well, I guess Alejandro doesn¡¯t care about my business, but that doesn¡¯t make me feel good¡­ I don¡¯t want to leave him while I¡¯m still in his debt.¡± ¡°¡­but I haven¡¯t heard of Alejandro-sama having spent so much money on anything.¡± ¡°There are situations even you don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°While that may be true¡­¡± ¡°Giving money to Alejandro in this condition is not going to help.¡± Rembrandt lightly poked at the pile of bags on the table. The top bag fell aside noisily, and gold coins poured out of it. ¡°Now he is broke. His parents refused to take care of him. They said, ¡®If he has nowhere to go, throw him out on the streets¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Whether he continues his treatment here at the hospital or goes somewhere else, all he has are the contents of these bags on this table. But he can¡¯t even manage them right now. If that¡¯s the case, he has to leave it to someone else. So who¡¯s the right person?¡± With a glance at the silent Zacharias, Rembrandt stood up and carelessly shoved his hand into the bag. ¡°¡­? Hey!¡± Not caring about the criticism in his voice, Rembrandt took the three gold coins in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take this money for the treatment I¡¯ve paid so far. He can stay here until the end of next week.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do what you want with the rest. I don¡¯t care if you embezzle money and go into hiding, or if you invest it diligently for this guy. Anyway, I repaid my debt to this man. That¡¯s all.¡± Rembrandt turned his back on Zacharias, as if saying there was no need for further conversation, and left the hospital room without further ado. The only one left in the room was Zacharias, standing speechless in front of the pile of bags filled with gold coins. But except for two people, Natalia and Milch, Alejandro won¡¯t see anyone. CH 67 Chapter 67: For Whom is Your Salvation? Rembrandt exhaled deeply as he stepped out of the hospital. ¡°Now I can finally¡­.¡± At Natalia¡¯s hearing, when he first learned that it was Alejandro who had orchestrated the reversal of time, Rembrandt was overcome with an unexplainable frustration. No matter how she defended him, Alejandro is a man who sees Beatrice as his worst enemy. How could this man, of all people, be the one who paved the way for Beatrice to continue living? Of course, he knew that Alejandro never thought about Beatrice in the slightest. But he still felt indebted to him, so he couldn¡¯t help it. It was certain that the seven hundred gold coins paid by Alejandro led to the survival of Beatrice, who was now in good health. And he also found out that he had nothing to do with that before the regression. He couldn¡¯t help it, he was so frustrated. He felt sorry for himself, and he was angry. But even Rembrandt knew. ¡°¡­returning the money doesn¡¯t change the fact that he was the one responsible for reversing the time.¡± Rembrandt couldn¡¯t help but mock himself. These are nothing but comforting thoughts. Yes. It¡¯s just a comfort, a trivial self-satisfaction. However¡­ He just couldn¡¯t help it. He felt like he had to draw the line at least once to move forward. ¡°¡­Zacharias. What would that man do with all that money?¡± Will he use it for Alejandro? Or will I end up misjudging in choosing that man? ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Just as he uttered the words he didn¡¯t want anyone to hear. A shadow guard fell in front of him along with the sound of footsteps. ¡°Rembrandt-sama.¡± ¡°¡­ahh, Nicholas. You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you very much for your understanding.¡± ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s go back to the villa.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± They went into the carriage bearing the flag of the Marquis of Strydom, which was parked at the carriage dock, and the coachman urged the horses. The carriage drove off slowly. ¡°¡­did you have a successful conversation with that man?¡± ¡°Ah. I gave what I wanted to give to him. Now I¡¯ll let him do whatever he wants with it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°How about you, did you meet her?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You went to see her, that girl. Didn¡¯t you find her?¡± ¡°¡­no. No, I saw her. She was in the backyard, hanging up the hospital bed sheets.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The rattling sound of the running carriage echoes throughout the carriage. ¡°¡­you never asked me what we talked about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my place to ask. It¡¯s not my business. I don¡¯t have the temerity to get involved in the private lives of my subordinates.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Well, if you want my advice, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Rembrandt smiles wickedly at the guard sitting across from him. ¡°¡­I beg your pardon, but Rembrandt-sama is twenty-two years old and not yet engaged to a fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really rude.¡± Rembrandt shrugs his shoulders as Nicholas chuckles. ¡°You are on your own now.¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Silence fell over the carriage. The scenery outside the window drifted by gently. The early autumn scenery colored the townscape with serenity and glamour. Nicholas looked at his employer, who was looking out the window, with a contemplative expression on his face for a long time, and then he opened his mouth as if he had the best of intentions. ¡°Rembrandt-sama.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I am truly grateful to you, Rembrandt-sama. I really¡­ I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± ¡°¡­what are you talking about?¡± ¡°I am grateful to you for picking me up. I couldn¡¯t graduate from the academy, and I had no chance of rising in the Royal Order of Knights. No matter how hard I tried, I had no choice but to be a common knight for the rest of my life.¡± Nicholas bowed deeply as he said this. ¡°It¡¯s a lousy system. Since it¡¯s a knighthood, it should be measured only by swordsmanship. It gives too much preferential treatment to the nobility.¡± ¡°I know, But even after knowing that, the only way for me at that time was to join the Royal Knights. So when I was approached to come to the Marquis of Strydom¡¯s private knight order, I thought it was a dream. Not only because of the salary, but also because the quality of the knights was famous. Normally, there was no way they would hire someone like me.¡° ¡°Well, I doubt that.¡± Nicholas kept his mouth shut, a little puzzled, and hesitated for a moment before opening it again. ¡°Me too¡­ Alejandro did it to us, too, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that the reason our house is on the rocks is because that man did something similar to what he did to the Reinalpha family this time, right?¡± ¡°¡­why do you think that?¡± ¡°I understand¡±, Nicholas chuckled. ¡°I heard that Leopoldo was in love with Miss Natalia. After he started seeing her, their family¡¯s business started to fall apart¡­ the same pattern as ours. I, too, began to show affection for Mistress Natalia, and then our business started to fail.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And you approached me. I have only completed one year of knight training and my swordsmanship is still inexperienced. Yet you asked me to join the prestigious Marquise of Strydom¡¯s knight order.¡± Nicholas looked straight at Rembrandt. ¡°Still, I never knew what caused it in the first place, you know? Not until I saw you pursuing Alejandro with my own eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rembrandt was silent and just titled his head slightly. ¡°The Strydom family had nothing to do with it, but you fought that man as if you were a part of it¡­ and then you bailed me out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal. I had my own personal situation. I just gave you a ride, and you just got on board, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Even if it was.¡± ¡°Besides, you have a talent with swords.¡± ¡°¡­Those are priceless words.¡± Nicholas stood up with a start and kneeled on the floor of the carriage. Then he lowered his head again and placed his right hand over his heart. ¡°I thank my benefactor, Rembrant-sama, from the bottom of my heart. And as long as I live, I, Nicholas Trad, pledge to be completely loyal to you.¡± Rembrandt laughed dismissively at this sudden initiation of the knight¡¯s oath in the carriage. ¡°¡­I have not done anything of that magnitude to help you. However, I appreciate your sentiments. I look forward to your future work.¡± ¡°Yes. I will serve you wholeheartedly.¡± He said that with all his heart and soul. It¡¯s not that big a deal, Rembrandt stated. But for Nicholas, it was truly salvation. Their family business, which had been doing well, suddenly took a turn for the worse. I could no longer afford to pay for my schooling. I no longer had the opportunity to meet the woman I loved, and I no longer saw any hope for the knight order I had aspired to. I did not know that there existed a man¡¯s influence there, nor did I know that the woman I liked was being obsessed with by that man. And that he had orchestrated everything. Things were more complicated than I had thought, and even the reasons were difficult for me to understand. I was lost, confused, and troubled. So now I can¡¯t get a grip on my own mind and don¡¯t know what to do. At first, I was puzzled by the sight of the woman I once had a sincere love for and coveted, now fleeing her family and working while attending school. I wonder if it is also a delusion to think that the feelings I have given up and abandoned are still lingering. I remember the day when I despaired that I could no longer even hope for knighthood, and that I would never be able to one day say that I would come for her, the daughter of an aristocrat. And then there is the part of me that asks if this is really the right thing to do. CH 68 Chapter 68: The Result of Struggling Natalia and Leopold¡¯s breaking up was the talk of the school for some time. The whole school was aware of their relationship, and even now, a month after the summer vacation, the rumor has not disappeared from the students¡¯ mouths. After class, Natalia rushes home without so much as a greeting. In fact, she is in a hurry to help out at the hospital, but there is no way that the students would know that in detail. And Leopoldo, who had been absent from the school for two months prior to the summer break, returned to school. His beautiful blonde hair was cut short and he had a few unhealed scars. He was said to have gotten injured during sword training. However, how many people would really believe such an excuse directly? In addition, Alejandro, who was close to Natalia, suddenly dropped out of school. It was hard not to associate them together. Unspoken rumors erupt, and rumors lead to more rumors. Beatrice was terribly distressed by the situation, but Natalia surprisingly seemed unaffected by it. Natalia remained calm in the face of cold stares and whispered words that she didn¡¯t want to hear. She takes her classes seriously and leaves the classroom immediately, as if she didn¡¯t hear anything. Natalia was such a strong person, very much so that Beatrice was surprised. Beatrice, who only knew Natalia before the regression and who spent time with her as her best friend, still doesn¡¯t quite understand. She heard from Natalia herself, that she had been constantly losing everything all her life, but Beatrice herself had never actually seen it. The friends she thought she had hated her, and the more she cared about them, the more they would call her an eyesore. The more important she thought it was, the more it would slip out from her hands. For Natalia, it¡¯s just back to the same situation as before. And Beatrice just has no idea about it. Nothing more. As for Leopold, she doesn¡¯t know how he is now since he was in a different department from the start. Still, it is usually the women who would be put at a disadvantage in such cases. In other words, Natalia is at a huge disadvantage. Beatrice is well aware that she probably shouldn¡¯t take this opportunity to speak to Natalia, who is already a popular figure. Still, she was curious, and Beatrice couldn¡¯t help but follow her with her eyes, wondering if she was okay. Her birth family, the Viscount Olsen Household, now completely disowned Natalia, and the Viscount refused to pay even her last semester¡¯s tuition to the academy. Natalia thought about quitting school, but Leopold stopped her. He said that even though she was undecided about what she would do with her future after this, she should still strive to continue since she will graduate in another six months or so, and as a part of his assistance, the Reinapha Family will pay for her tuition. Leopold, too, will be meeting his political marriage partner next month. The other woman is Melanie Bertland, the daughter of Duke of Bertland and the sister of Vivian, who has become Beatrice¡¯s friend in this life. She is three years younger than Natalia, so she did not witness Leopoldo and Natalia¡¯s meeting at the academy. However, her sister is in the same class as Natalia. Even if Vivian had not told her, Natalia and Leopold were famous at the school for their pure love for each other. It would not be surprising if she had heard the story from somewhere. There are always those kind people everywhere. But Beatrice was caught in a strange feeling, wondering if those two had really broken up. Beatrice has always believed that Natalia and Leopoldo were destined to be lovers. So she wanted to support them even if it cost her own life, and she also wanted them to be tied together. Whether it is before her rebirth or after, of course. And yet, it never occurred to her that the two people who she really hoped to be together would break up. Beatrice watched Natalia¡¯s back as she left the classroom as soon as the bell sounded at the end of the class, and she let out a sigh. Leopoldo parted ways with Natalia and chose political marriage. Natalia has decided to leave her family, become a working student, and live her life as a commoner after graduation. She is currently in the process of gathering the necessary documents to leave her aristocratic status. Alejandro has paralyzed his lower body and was confined to the wheelchair, and his memory has regressed to the age of six. He is always looking for his sister¡¯s shadow and says that he was always relieved whenever Natalia showed up. Beatrice was bewildered by the way each of their lives turned out. It was so different from the way they lived in her previous life. Beatrice was happy that she was able to come back. Now she was able to attend the academy in a much healthier state than before. But why not Leopold, why not Natalia, why not Alejandro? No, no. I am sure that life before the regression was never what they wanted either. I know that, but still, still, somehow¡­ I wonder what could have been done. I wonder if it really has to be this way. Is it because I am happy that they are now suffering? I am really tormented by these thoughts. I know that this is the result of my desperate struggles, so I have no choice but to accept it. CH 69 Chapter 69: True Love ¡°¡­no, I think you¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Weekend afternoon. Rembrandt, who hadn¡¯t had a day off in a while, was having tea with Beatrice. He sat across the table at the arbor in the courtyard of his mansion. This was Rembrandt¡¯s renaissance when she told him that she felt distressed because it seemed that only she was happy. ¡°Is that so? You really want her and Leo to get married, but just because two people like each other doesn¡¯t mean they will be happy together.¡± ¡°Such a thing¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise, the divorce rate for commoners, who mostly married for love, would be almost zero.¡± ¡°¡­mm-hmm.¡± ¡°You know, Trice.¡± Rembrandt continued in a voice full of dismay. ¡°Cases like yours and Edgar¡¯s are rarer.¡± He patted Beatrice, who still looks unconvinced, on the head. ¡°If the person you¡¯ve fallen in love with also loves you, there¡¯s no difference in status or financial problems between the two of you, and you know each other well and nurture a relationship where you can support each other¡­it¡¯s kind of a miracle to have someone like that. Not everyone can fall in love like that.¡± Rembrandt stared at Beatrice, who looked up at her brother with a gaping mouth. ¡°What¡¯s that look?¡± ¡°No, I just thought that when my brother talks about love, he makes it sound a bit mysterious¡­¡± As she said that, both of her cheeks were pinched. ¡°¡­how could this mouth talk so much?¡± ¡°H-hursh! Oh, oh, bru-broshter, hit hurtsh.¡± ¡°Exactly. Maybe it¡¯s because your body is feeling better, even your cheeky talk is doing great?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Beatrice apologized with tears in her eyes, and the hand that was pinching her cheeks finally let go. ¡°Brother.¡± Beatrice then continued to speak, rubbing her hand across her cheek, which had just been pulled by her brother. ¡°You said this earlier, but aren¡¯t the status of me and the current Edgar-sama also different? Edgar-sama was born into the same Marquess family, but now he¡¯s a commoner.¡± ¡°¡­ahh, that. That wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem, either.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Scratching his head in a troubled manner, he continued to speak as if he had no choice. ¡°Edgar is currently participating in the research and development of a drug that will cure your illness. If he succeeds in developing it, he will most likely be awarded a knighthood for his achievements.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s worth a lot of money. But even if he is not ordained, we have an extra viscountship. If Edgar takes the viscountcy and you take him as your groom, there will be no problem.¡± ¡°¡­huh.¡± ¡°You could become a commoner, but there¡¯s no way you¡¯d be able to do all the housework. Unless you say that falling in love automatically makes you a better cook. But the world is not so easy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re too clumsy.¡± Beatrice had even mentioned before that Edgar was probably a better cook than she was, and she felt defeated somehow. But for some reason, her brother, who spoke lightly like that, seemed very happy, so she decided to leave him alone for the moment. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel guilty about your happiness.¡± Rembrandt said in disgust. ¡°¡­is that so.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not like you were entrusted with a mission and went back in time. Alejandro, who planned the reversal, only wanted to avoid the execution of that girl. Then the purpose has been fulfilled. Where is the need for you to feel responsible?¡± ¡°That¡­ may be true, but¡­¡± Until now, I had never envisioned a future for myself. I knew that I would eventually weaken and die. So all I ever wanted was for the people around me to be happy. Perhaps that¡¯s why, when it comes time to me being surrounded by happiness, I don¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Hey, Trice.¡± Rembrandt smiled as he looked at Beatrice, who was thinking with a troubled look on her face. ¡°You have memories from before the regression. Perhaps it was because they used your body as a medium. But don¡¯t feel responsible. You were involved in this, too. I just don¡¯t remember, but it¡¯s the same for me, Leopold, and the girl that got caught up in the mess. Whether you know the future or not, we all have to take responsibility for our own lives.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know, even if Edgar doesn¡¯t know anything, he has been trying. He wants to help you, and he wants to make you his wife someday. And it looks like he¡¯s going to do just that.¡± ¡°¡­brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of him. I¡¯m just saying what¡¯s normal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ normal.¡± It¡¯s okay to be happy from your own happiness. You can wish for it. And I will do so. Rembrandt gently stroked the head of his little sister who was muttering softly. ¡°Yes, Trice. You deserve to be happy.¡± At these words, Beatrice looked up. In front of her eyes was the smile of her kind brother. ¡°I mean, by all means, be happy. Beatrice.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ The next day, a letter from Edgar arrived. As usual, she saw some fresh flowers he had collected which was then made into a bookmark. When she first heard that he decided to study abroad, Beatrice did not know that Edgar had decided to travel to a neighboring country for her medicine. So, not wanting to worry Edgar, who was in a distant land, she wrote only good things in her letters as much as possible. She didn¡¯t mention anything about her health or worsening symptoms, but filled her letters with only good things, even if she had only heard about them, and only about interesting and enjoyable things. In the end, Edgar was never fooled by it, and he came to see her every three months, revealing her symptoms and such. But when she later found out that he was trying to develop a drug for her, she tried to write about the truth as it was without being stubborn or pretentious. Even small changes, such as palpitations due to irregular heartbeat, worse dizziness when standing, weight loss, loss of appetite, and other such things, were all written in detail. It was very good, Edgar said. According to him, the medicine he is trying to make could, in a way, be too strong instead of being very effective, and could be too much for people who do not have a certain level of physical strength. Therefore, he would always send her medical herbs that would increase her strength, which were not directly related to her illness, or herbs that would help her sleep well. They even created a medicine that temporarily improves symptoms. Now, Edgar and his team are searching for ¡°something¡± to sustain the effects. They hope to complete it next year. Edgard told her that she should never fail to drink herbal tea to improve her constitution, so even though it was very bitter, she would drink it immediately when the medicine was successfully made. Atie, I will always think of you. This added sentence at the end made her cheeks blush. Edgar¡¯s recent letters have been getting sweeter by the day. He is really looking forward to a future with Beatrice, so much that every time she reads about it, she realizes that she¡¯s also looking forward to it. ¡°I can¡¯t wait¡­ to see him.¡± Beatrice gently held the letter from Edgar to her chest and muttered quietly. The next scheduled visit from Edgar is still a month and a half away. Someone who is important, who I love, who I don¡¯t want to leave, who makes my heart ache just by thinking about him. Beatrice is now really in love. CH 70 Chapter 70: Autumn Chrysanthemum ¡°I looked forward to meeting you today. My name is Melanie Bertland.¡± ¡°Thank you for coming, Lady Melanie. My name is Leopoldo Reinalpha.¡± Under a high, clear autumn sky, Leopold and Melanie met for the first time in anticipation of their engagement. She had blonde hair and purple eyes like her older sister Vivian. She was a petite girl with a slender body and wore a soft muslin dress that suited her well. When she and Leopoldo, who also has blond hair but has blue eyes, stand side by side, they look like a pair of dolls. The weather was fine, and the two took a walk in the garden after tea. Melanie seemed to have a quiet personality and was looking down shyly all the time. She gently lays her slender fingers on Leopold¡¯s proffered hand and quietly walks next to him. ¡°¡­¡± Leopold is not a great talker either. Melanie, however, seems to have a quieter personality. Nevertheless, an awkward but not uncomfortable silence descends between the two as they walk through the garden. Nothing, I won¡¯t say anything. Such words were floating in Leopold¡¯s mind. ¡­ About ten days earlier, Leopold had been summoned by Melanie¡¯s sister Vivian to the school and met her in the backyard. Vivian showed up at the agreed-upon location with her fianc¨¦ Aquinas on the scheduled lunch break. Aquinas, who is in the same Knight Training Department as Leopold, is the second son of the Knight Commander and a classmate of Leopold. After graduation, he is to be groomed by the Duke of Bertrand, who has no legitimate son. ¡°Reinalpha-sama. I apologize for calling on you so suddenly. Please allow my fianc¨¦e to accompany me.¡± ¡°No, Aquinas¡¯s presence is probably necessary to avoid misunderstandings among those around us. So, what is this about?¡± ¡°Yes. This, of course, concerns my sister Melanie.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes then turned her strong-willed eyes straight to Leopold. Leopold recalled Vivian¡¯s gaze at that moment. Then he looks over at the languid Melanie, who looks like her but never quite has the same toughness. ¡­the older sister seems to be sociable and expresses her opinions clearly. The younger sister, on the other hand, is more reserved and rarely speaks. Melanie, out of Leopold¡¯s line of sight, smiles and gazes at the beautifully blooming flowers. ¡ª ¡°I was not supposed to say anything about you.¡± Vivian, whom he met in the backyard, said as she lowered her eyebrows ¡ª ¡°I wanted my sister to cherish the impression she herself had on Reinalpha-sama when she actually meets him. That is why I kept my mouth shut.¡± But, Vivian continued. ¡ª ¡°It seems that everywhere in the world, there are people who like to extend extra kindness.¡± It was to be expected. One cannot put a door in another¡¯s mouth. When I decided to leave Natalia, I was prepared for it to be unpleasant news. But Melanie was in a position where she was not originally associated with such abominations. She could have been. ¡ª ¡°It seems that someone went to the trouble of telling her about the relationship between Reinalpha-sama and Miss Natalia.¡± Vivian stood as if troubled, and Aquinas put his hand on her shoulder as if he was trying to help her. The two of them cuddling together reminded him of how he and Natalia had been months ago, and this made his heart ache. ¡­no, that¡¯s not it. Leopoldo shook his head. Next to him, Melanie looks up curiously. It is Lady Melanie¡¯s feelings that he should be thinking about now. And not a love affair that he has decided to abandon. Leopold, in his clumsy way, desperately tried to wrap his head around this idea. How can I remove Lady Melanie¡¯s concerns? How can I reassure Lady Melanie when she is being engaged to a man who, just a few months ago, was in a relationship with another young lady? ¡ª ¡°If¡­ she is rude to you, please do not be offended.¡± Vivian bowed her head, and Leopold also hung his head deeply. That was the end of the conversation. ¡­ So I came today prepared to be told something. I was going to respond with sincerity and wholeheartedness, even if she cursed at me, was sarcastic, or made fun of my relationship with Natalia. But contrary to expectations, Melanie said nothing. The subtleties of the subject are still too difficult for Leopold to understand if he should bother to talk about it when he is not asked. ¡­I should have consulted Rembrandt. Leopold, who has complete trust in Rembrandt, is deeply remorseful, but it didn¡¯t occur to him that Rembrandt doesn¡¯t actually have a lover, let alone a fianc¨¦e. Just smile. I want her to know that I enjoy being with her and that I am comfortable spending time with her. To convey that I have no negative feelings about having Lady Melanie as my fiance. ¡°¡­Lady Melanie.¡± Leopold smiled and turned his head towards Melanie. ¡°Do you like flowers?¡± When she looked up when her name was called, Leopold spoke softly to her, and Melanie nodded her head, a little embarrassed. ¡°¡­I love to look at them and take care of them.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s great. I¡¯m not familiar with them, I don¡¯t really know the names of these flowers or what species they are.¡± Yes, it was hard to give her a bouquet of flowers because I couldn¡¯t even tell the flowers apart. I didn¡¯t know what to give, so I just asked Natalia to tell me some of her favorite flowers¡­ He then came back to himself at this point. What am I doing? I¡¯ve already broken up with Natalia. ¡°Well, did any of these flowers happen to be a favorite of Lady Melanie¡¯s?¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± Melanie looked around and eventually indicated one flower with her hand. ¡°If it were a flower of the season, it would be over there.¡± Her hand points in the direction of a pure white flower. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. What kind of flower is it?¡± ¡°It is called autumn chrysanthemum. It is also called autumn peony. I like it because it is very elegant and gorgeous, but not too assertive.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m learning.¡± Leopold chuckled. Melanie looked up at Leopold and smiled at him a little sadly. ¡°Lady Melanie. Thank you for being so forthcoming about your engagement with me. I hope to be able to spend more time with you like this next time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Melanie blinked slightly and stumbled over her words. Then she replied ¡°Yes¡± in a feeble voice. CH 71 Chapter 71: The reflection in his eyes is not me nor his sister. The door to the hospital room opens. The face that peeked through it made the bed¡¯s occupant¡¯s face light up. ¡°Milch.¡± Chuckling at the name, Natalia placed a tray with food on a small table next to Alejandro¡¯s bed. ¡°Alejandro. It¡¯s time for lunch.¡± ¡°Milch, at last. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I have a lot to do. I can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Uh, and¡­¡± Natalia could not say that she will leave right away. ¡°¡­well, I¡¯ll just sit here and watch until you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The sight of an eighteen-year-old man with a reasonably solid physique having difficulty speaking with a slurred tongue is somehow very disturbing. Is Alejandro himself convinced, or is he not conscious of that? The fact that he has the physique of an adult, that the woman in front of him whom he believes to be his sister is a stranger, that Zacharias, now a stranger to Alejandro, comes by from time to time to take care of his needs, and that he cannot see his father or mother at all. They all seem to be trivial matters. However, Alejandro seems to wonder why Natalia/Milch calls him by his name. In the first place, if Alejandro really thinks she is Milch, he should be wondering why she can exchange words with him. Alejandro would sometimes ask her why she didn¡¯t call him ¡°Big brother¡± as if reminiscing. Natalia will then call him ¡°big brother¡± to accommodate Alejandro, but next time she will go back to calling him by his name, and it will repeat itself. Maybe it¡¯s because the conversation is more conversational, or maybe it¡¯s because the Alejandro of today is different from the Alejandro of the past, but even with Natalia in front of him, who he believes to be ¡°Milch,¡± Alejandro¡¯s behavior is different than in the past. He does not abuse, cuss, or make fun of her. He just calls her name happily, nostalgically, and lovingly. He begged her to stay by his side. That¡¯s all. But that¡¯s just the thing that makes Natalia feel both amused and sad at the same time. The current Alejandro¡¯s emotions are aimed at her, but it was not purely her. And it certainly wasn¡¯t directed only at his real sister, Milch. Natalia wondered how long she has been wearing Milch¡¯s appearance. At least as far as she can remember, Natalia had never heard Alejandro mention his sister. Not until that moment on the bridge, just before she jumped into the river, when the name came up in an argument between the man who was chasing her and Alejandro. She looked at Alejandro, who was drinking soup, with this thought in mind. His mannerisms are still those of Alejandro before he lost his memory, sophisticated and mature. What¡¯s even more strange about him was that he could only remember up to a certain time when he was six years old. But that¡¯s another thing that puzzles Natalia. Because six years old is also the age when Natalia and Alejandro met. The Alejandro she remembers was not such an innocent-looking boy. He was mature, pompous, a bit rough around the edges, but also kind, and extremely confident. That is the Alejandro that Natalia knows. Always has been, always will be, ever since they met. ¡°Hey, Milch.¡± Alejandro pokes at the vegetables with his fork and looks at Natalia as if he is asking her a question. ¡°Can you play with me later?¡± ¡°Is there something you want to do?¡± Although he was willing to accept the care of other nurses, Alejandro prefers to have Natalia come to him when possible. It was as if he wanted to be pampered by his sister or mother. It is so cute that it reminds her of her little brother that she left at home. So Natalia is not clear on this. Back then, Alejandro was not such an innocent laughing child. He was never this honest about his wishes. He was only six years old back then. Alejandro, who Natalia met at that time, was a genuine six years old child, both in mind and body. He had dark eyes. And nothing was reflected in those eyes. When I first met him, I was afraid of his eyes, but at the same time, I felt like he was my companion, and was somewhat attracted to him. I thought that this boy in front of me might understand the feelings I had inside. The despair of not being wanted by anyone. ¡°Hmmm.¡± When asked what he wants to do, Alejandro tilted his head. ¡°I want to go outside in a wheelchair.¡± ¡°A walk. I think I can find time for that.¡± ¡°Really? Alright!¡± ¡°But, I have to clean up the dishes that the patients have eaten. I will help them with the dishes, and when I¡¯m done, I will come back here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Even though Alejandro is speaking like a child, Natalia responds in a very normal way. Not in the language of children, but in the exact tone in which she used to speak to Alejandro. But again, Alejandro doesn¡¯t care about that either. Only Alejandro¡¯s childish way of speaking floats strangely, and that is how the conversation is established here. ¡°Then, Milch. Come here when you¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± So, when Alejandro finished his meal, she went down with his tableware, and Natalia went around to the other wards to collect the dirty dishes as well. Today is Saturday, which means it¡¯s the day when she helps out at the hospital in the morning. Instead of helping out all day, she has free time later in the evening. It is already the tenth month of the year and autumn is deepening. In five months, she would graduate. With the help of the Reinalpha family, she would be able to graduate from the academy without incident, but she is still worried about what to do after that. It was the only opportunity given in Leopoldo¡¯s favor. It was not an easy decision. The process of removing her aristocratic citizenship and disassociating herself from Olsen¡¯s parentage is underway, with some trouble from that side. Once that was successfully completed, Natalia would become a commoner. Although she has no desire to remain in aristocratic society, she could not say that she did not feel a vague sense of uneasiness, no matter how she tried to cover it up to herself. Then, as promised, she put Alejandro in his wheelchair and took him outside. But just when she thought that she was feeling a little better in the crisp autumn air¡­ She received news of an unexpected visitor. CH 72 Chapter 72: Even if you don¡¯t remember When Natalia first heard she had a guest, the first thing she thought of was her father¡¯s face. Before she was stripped of her nobility, he had once come to the hospital and he planned to send Natalia to his second wife in exchange for a large sum of money. However, contrary to her expectations, it was Beatrice, daughter of the Marquise of Strydom, who appeared before Natalia. ¡°Good day, Natalia-sama.¡± Beatrice Strydom, with one of her attendants behind her, smiled and said a few words of greeting. ¡°You must have been surprised by my sudden visit. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She was so surprised that she was unable to return the greeting, and this made Beatrice lower her eyebrows, troubled. Natalia came back to herself and bowed her head. ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°I just came by today to give this to Natalia-sama.¡± After saying this, Beatrice took a package from the attendant and handed it directly to Natalia. ¡°¡­what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I was hoping for Natalia-sama to use it.¡± When she opened the package, the first thing she saw was a jar of cream. Below that would be a bag of tea. ¡°I heard that you are now helping out at this hospital. You know, washing sheets, washing dishes, that sort of thing.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes¡­ oh, could this bottle be¡­¡± ¡°Ah. Yes, it¡¯s a moisturizing hand cream that works well for rough hands. It seems to be a favorite of our maids as well, so I¡¯m sure it will work well.¡± Natalia takes the jar of cream and opens the lid. Then, a floral sweet fragrance softly rose up and gently tickled her nostrils. ¡°Is this for me?¡± ¡°I thought that if you work with water every day, your hands would probably get rough. In that case, it¡¯s okay to have as many as you want, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ of course.¡± In fact, Natalia¡¯s hands are chapped. It is a little better now because it is still autumn, but she was prepared for it to be even worse in the winter. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I also went to a store that sold them, and they seemed to be very popular because they were recommended by a maid of honor. There were three different fragrances, so I had a hard time deciding which one to choose.¡± ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t tell me you went to buy it yourself?¡± ¡°Of course I did. Because it was a gift, I wanted to choose it myself.¡± At these words, Natalia involuntarily looked up. Then, for the first time, her eyes met Beatrice¡¯s and her eyes shook. ©`©`©`I stabbed this person with a knife. She was unaware of it until Alejandro told her, and even now, somewhere in the back of her mind, she wished it was all a lie. But surely, this person who was said to be killed by her also knows this. Otherwise, after being in the same class for three years, she would not have distanced herself so much from her. And now that she knows everything, how could she appear in front of her like this? Until Alejandro told her, Natalia had always secretly wanted to be friends with Beatrice. But now she was afraid to even look at her because she was afraid that she would be crushed by guilt. Natalia just stood there, unable to avert her unintentionally entangled gaze. Perhaps noticing Natalia¡¯s state of mind, Beatrice was the first to open her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your busy schedule. I just had to¡­ see you. I wanted to give you this at least.¡± ¡°Oh, no, no.¡± ¡°Excuse me. This packet of tea leaves is a relaxing herbal tea. Drink it before bed for a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°¡­thank you.¡± Natalia clutched the package she was given tightly to her chest and barely uttered a word of thanks. ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Natalia looks at Beatrice, who is smiling softly, with blurry eyes. The reason she went through the trouble of bringing it to the hospital was probably out of concern for Natalia, who has become the target of rumors at the school. She even chose and bought gifts herself. I stabbed you to death with a knife. I was the one who killed you. I have always wanted to talk to her. Even now, I find myself still wanting to exchange words with this person. She held her tongue and was about to bow her head to invite her for tea, but¡­ ¡°Thank you so much. I will take good care of it.¡± I wanted to be friends with you and even talk to you. Please forgive me. I am not qualified to say such a thing. How can I ask for forgiveness for a sin I don¡¯t even remember from someone who remembers it well? That kind of thing. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± That¡¯s just self-satisfaction. ¡°¡­I hope you have a safe trip home. Beatrice-sama.¡± Beatrice laughed when she invited her out, and then she turned away and walked out. The attendants followed behind her. Natalia quietly watched their backs. In the time, which was gone, I could say that you¡¯re my best friend. I felt like I could finally understand what I was feeling at that time. The atmosphere surrounding her is somehow pure, untainted by greed, and clean like a recluse. Just being near her makes me breathe much more easily. I thought she hated me. It could be said that it¡¯s inevitable for you to hate me. Yet, here you are. ¡°¡­¡± Without knowing it, she held that small package with strength, straining it. CH 73 Chapter 73: Lilac is your color ¡°¡­welcome, Leopold-sama.¡± ¡°You must have been surprised at my sudden notice. I¡¯m sorry, Lady Melanie.¡± ¡°No, not at all. I was a little surprised to find out that our next meeting was two weeks away.¡± Melanie greeted Leopold at the entrance and smiled absentmindedly. It is clear that she¡¯s wary of what Leopoldo says and does. The old Leopold would not have even noticed such an atmosphere. Should I thank Rembrandt for training me, or would I have been happier if I didn¡¯t notice it? ¡­after all, if I suddenly said I wanted to visit, people would probably be wary of me. Leopold had such thoughts, but still smiled. He had a lover whom he described as having a pure love with until a few months ago, and his whereabouts have been unknown for almost three months. Regarding the second matter, he pretended that he was staying at the mansion to help his father handle the business, but no one would believe such a transparent excuse. If he were to lose his diploma from the Royal Academy, his qualifications as an aristocrat would be questioned. There is no way that any aristocratic sons would take such a risk and stay at home to help their father. If so, that would mean that Leopoldo was doing something during that time that he couldn¡¯t tell people about. And since this is true, there is no doubt that he is a shady potential fianc¨¦e for the House of Bertland. Probably, the Marquise of Reinalpha would not have been a worthy partner until half a year ago, when the economy was in a slump. He teamed up with Rembrandt to expose Alejandro¡¯s misdeeds, and the Marqu¨¦s of Strydom acquired the Reyes Chamber of Commerce, and the Marqu¨¦s of Reinalpha acquired almost all of McKay¡¯s personal assets. The money obtained from the sale of three villas and their land, excluding the main house where McKay lived, as well as several other land and buildings, was quite significant. That was at least enough to compensate for the losses incurred by the Reinalpha family due to Alejandro¡¯s scheming. But even so, it doesn¡¯t mean that the human casualties of the dead sailors did not happen. They will never come back. Still, they were able to ensure the livelihood of their remaining family members, hire new staff, and start another business. The Reinalpha family became strong enough to afford these things. And it was the Dukes of Bertrand who joined forces as partners in this new venture. The Dukes of Bertrand had no reason to refuse an offer from the Reinalpha family, whose financial and human assets are now abundant, even if they have shown no trace of it six months ago. Even if Leopold, the marriage partner, had a lover who was rumored to be passionately in love with him until recently. Because Leopoldo claimed that he had properly broken up with the woman. ¡­but that did not stop the family from worrying about the second daughter of the Duke of Bertrand, who had been chosen as a potential match for him. That¡¯s why Leopold came here today, in order to remove as much of that worry as possible. ¡°¡­since you¡¯re here, please come to the salon.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t bother you with my sudden visit. I¡¯m just here to do my business, so I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± The atmosphere is tense. Leopold realized he had misspoken. He rushed to open his mouth. ¡°Oh, no, I just, uh¡­ I just came by because I have something to give Lady Melanie. So¡­¡± ¡°¡­something you want to give me?¡± The tension in her shoulders was gone, but Melanie¡¯s eyes still showed a hint of uneasiness. Leopold hurried back to the carriage he came into, then opened the door, and took a bouquet of flowers from inside. Melanie¡¯s eyes widened. Several of the servants behind her gasped in surprise. ¡°Here.¡± Melanie stared dumbfounded at the lilac flower offered in front of her. It was a bouquet of autumn chrysanthemums, which Melanie claimed to like at their first meeting two weeks ago. ¡°For me¡­¡± ¡°Yes. You said you liked this flower. But I chose the color according to my preference.¡± Melanie reached out and gently accepted the bouquet. Her eyes were round with surprise, but her mouth was slightly parted. ¡°Yeah, I knew it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Leopold nodded happily when he saw Melanie holding a bouquet of flowers to her chest. And now Melanie, seeing this, tilted her head curiously. ¡°I thought it was your color. Just as I thought.¡± ¡°My, color?¡± ¡°The one I saw with you the other day was a white autumn chrysanthemum. And then I thought it would be a nice gift for you. But if I were to give it to you, it would be this color.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± ¡°When I saw it, it reminded me of you. It was the color of your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Melanie turned her head down. She¡¯s holding the bouquet of flowers as if she¡¯s burying her face in them. This gesture warmed Leopold¡¯s heart. At least, this bouquet made her happy. That much he knew. ¡°Today, I happened to see these flowers on my way out the door, and I just had to give them to someone. I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to give them to you. So even though our appointment was still two weeks away, I suddenly wanted to see you.¡± ¡°¡­so that¡¯s how it was.¡± Melanie still had her face buried in the bouquet. Leopold¡¯s eyes narrowed as he wondered how much she liked them. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it. I look forward to our tea party in two weeks.¡± ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± ¡°Ahh. I don¡¯t want to trouble you any more than I already have. ¡°¡­no trouble.¡± Not at all, Melanie said, but her words were too small to reach Leopold¡¯s ears. ¡°I am satisfied today because I was able to give you a bouquet of flowers. Next time, by all means, let¡¯s find an opportunity and visit the botanical garden together. Please tell me the name of the flowers again. See you in two weeks.¡± ¡°¡­yes. Please take care on your way home.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After greeting Melanie, who finally looks up, Leopold turns to the carriage. His heart was pounding wildly with nervousness. But his face was still trying desperately to look calm. He went into the carriage, closed the door, and exhaled as hard as he could. ¡°¡­haa.¡± She smiled at me. Lady Melanie smiled at me. His back was drenched with cold sweat. The stinging stares from the servants made his hands sweat profusely. ¡­but. ¡°She smiled at me at the end¡­¡± Not a fake smile, not a facade that had to be put on. It was a shy, but sincere smile that overflowed unintentionally. CH 74 Chapter 74 : Similar but Different ¡°¡­so why do you keep coming to me for reports?¡± Rembrandt returned to the Strydom residence after finishing his duties at the royal palace, and was greeted not only by his usual butlers and attendants, his mother and sister Beatrice, but also by Leopold, a son of another family. ¡°This is not your home.¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± Leopoldo is not put off by such a rejection. ¡°Because Rembrandt always gives me sound advice.¡± ¡°¡­I told you before, I can¡¯t help you with your love life. Unlike you, I don¡¯t have a potential fianc¨¦e, nor have I ever had a girlfriend.¡± It¡¯s probably not something to be proud of, but he proclaims it so proudly and exuberantly that everyone present is almost convinced by the seriousness of his face. Beatrice, who in a sense is invincible because of her pure culture upbringing, is the one who can speak up at a time like this without a care in the world. ¡°I am sure that my brother can answer any question. Perhaps you secretly have some experience in love that you can¡¯t tell anyone about¡­¡± ¡°¡­and again, this mouth is always saying unnecessary things.¡± ¡°Nyohhh¡­¡± Beatrice is beginning to regain her strength, and Rembrandt, who is now able to care for his sister with ease, has become familiar with this sight lately. ¡°Hi-t ohkay, dyon¡¯t you think? Even if chuu dyon¡¯t have any, you dyon¡¯t nyeed to be afraid, nyoo.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Speak a human language. So that I can understand.¡± These days, Rembrandt has no mercy. He pulled his sister¡¯s cheeks without hesitation. Their mother happily watched this happy scene and quickly told the butler to lead Leopoldo to the parlor. ¡°¡­so?¡¡What the h**l did you come here today to say?¡± And somehow, the kind Rembrandt listens to him in this way after all, so Leopoldo reports the truth honestly about what happened today. The bouquet of flowers he gave to Melanie today was originally inspired by Rembrandt¡¯s advice to give gifts frequently. Even so, it was Leopold¡¯s wise decision to choose lilac autumn chrysanthemums. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Rembrandt responded disinterestedly, with his hand on his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lady Melanie smiled when she got the bouquet, right? Then there¡¯s nothing to worry about. There¡¯s no need to come all the way back to me for a report.¡± Rembrandt sips his tea and stares at Leopold. ¡°You¡¯ve had a girlfriend for almost two years, so why are you always so insecure when asking me?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s only recently that I¡¯ve discovered I¡¯m a man who can¡¯t be bothered with a lot of things, so I worry about that. I know you¡¯ve been counseling Edgar on his love life, so why not mine, too?¡± Rembrandt rubs his temples as if he had a headache. ¡°..in edgar;s case, it¡¯s mostly about how he was feeling. So I was able to talk to him. But with you, it¡¯s different. You¡¯re more concerned about Lady Melanie¡¯s feelings than your own. I can¡¯t have you asking me what a woman thinks.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Indeed.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re looking for that kind of advice¡­¡± Having said that much, Rembrandt sends a meaningful glance to his sister, who is sitting right next to him. ¡°¡­?¡± Leopold caught it and also turned his attention to Beatrice. They both stare at her at the same time, and Beatrice fumbles to put her cup down on the table. ¡°Wah, me?¡± ¡°Well, Trice, you¡¯re a woman, too, you know what it¡¯s like to be a woman. You know what it¡¯s like to be a woman.¡± ¡°Surely¡­you have to ask a woman to know what women are thinking.¡± Leopold, who was basically obedient, turned to Beatrice, taking advantage of Rembrandt¡¯s words, who probably just wanted to throw the whole thing at Beatrice. ¡°Please, Beatrice. I want you to enlighten me on the woman¡¯s heart. I want to make the woman who will become my wife happy, even though I am marrying for my family. How can I help her?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Beatrice tilts her head and ponders. She is also basically quite straightforward. ¡°Why is Leopold so worried in the first place?¡¡Is there something wrong with Melanie-sama?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but I originally¡­¡± Just as he was about to mention the name of his former lover, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. He thought that now that he knew about the regression, Natalia was, in a way, Beatrice¡¯s karmic counterpart. Rembrandt, who was quick to notice this, interjects, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°This girl went to see that girl last weekend.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± ¡°She was worried about her body, so she went to get some hand cream and relaxing herbal tea.¡± To Leopold¡¯s surprise, Rembrandt further adds, ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t have to avoid talking about her in front of this girl. Even if she killed her, she really can¡¯t hate her. I¡¯ll never understand it, though.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Leopold muttered distractedly. Rembrandt clearly seemed to dislike Natalia, so naturally Beatrice did, too, Leopold thought. After all, Beatrice was the victim. Facing Leopold who was muttering, Rembrandt shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Emotions can¡¯t be so easily explained by logic. If she feels that way, then so be it. It¡¯s not something you can change.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right. That¡¯s right, but¡­¡± Leopold¡¯s eyebrows dropped pitifully. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t be like that. Even if I can¡¯t hate Natalia¡­I can¡¯t love her. If I¡¯m going to remain celibate, but still have to take another woman to be my wife, my heart must be with her.¡± He held his clasped hands tightly. ¡°I know it¡¯s a political marriage and that Lady Melanie doesn¡¯t really care about me, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m being unfaithful by taking Lady Melanie as my wife and having feelings for Natalia at heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This reminds Beatrice of Leopold on one occasion. This is what Leopold looked like when he once, as a contract, made a white marriage with herself. ¡ª ¡°Beatrice. You knew about my feelings for Natalia and offered me this contract so that I could make her my wife later on.¡± He is no longer the Leopold of those days, he has changed a lot. She knows that very well. The expressions he had now, whether good or bad, were similar to those of that time. At that time, too, Leopold lowered his eyebrows as if he was troubled, but he did not avert his gaze and spun his words as if he were chewing each word. Beatrice misses that clumsy straightforwardness, even though it¡¯s still there. I wonder how Melanie, who would truly be his wife, would feel if she knew that Leopold was so worried about her. ¡ª ¡°Now that I have you, I don;t think I should continue be Natalia¡¯ lover while we are married. Because that would be very disrespectful to you.¡± At that time, he broke up his relationship with Natalia, but his heart was still for her. That was the way it was. I didn¡¯t even think it was unfaithful, since I had initiated the white wedding. I was even surprised that he had not gone that far in declaring that they would no longer be lovers. But now. Now it is different. He looks like Leopold at that time, but he is completely different. Leopold truly wants to cut off his feelings for Natalia sincerely and wholeheartedly, and focus all of his heart on Melanie. That is what he is saying. CH 75 Chapter 75 : Who you were and who you are now. ¡°Totally. Has Leo got some kind of disease that makes him lose track of the family he was born in? You come here too often.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve grown quite fond of your brother.¡± Beatrice can¡¯t help but laugh at his complaining. Leopold adores her brother so much now that now she thought she could see his tial, which should not be there, wagging. This is far cry from her past life, when they kept a certain distance from each other. ¡­ ¡°¡­I wonder what will happen with Leopold-sama and Melanie-sama.¡± ¡°The other lady doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of refusing, so if Leo doesn¡¯t make a bad move, there will be a reasonable result.¡± Leopoldo¡¯s consultation was closed for now with Beatrice and Rembrandt giving their opinions. ¡°But he was right to bring a bouquet of flowers. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d turn out to be such a witty guy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your brother¡¯s education, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It was supposed to be parents or the teachers. But I have no choice. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to ingratiate myself with the Marquis of Reinalpha.¡± After saying so, Rembrandt looks at his sister with an unreadable expression of emotion. ¡°¡­don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­feel bad, after all you remember your previous life? He married you under a contract while thinking about another woman, right?¡± ¡°¡­oh, brother.¡± Sometimes I wonder if my brother can read people¡¯s minds. That is how sensitive he is to the subtleties of others. ¡°Is that so? I am reminded of that a little bit. But not in a bad way.¡± ¡°¡­is that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She smiled at him, thinking that she made her brother worried again. It¡¯s her way of saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°I think our positions were a bit similar, but today¡¯s Leopoldo is very different from the Leopoldo-sama of that time¡­oh, I mean in a good way, of course.¡± Rembrandt silently prompts her to continue. ¡°In fact, even at that time, Leopold-sama temporarily cut off his relationship with Natalia. Even though, its a white marriage, he said that it won¡¯t be unfaithful to his wife.¡± ¡°But he was supposed to take her as his second wife after you died.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But that was the deal from the start, and I was the one who initiated it in the first place. So don¡¯t look so scared, brother.¡± Beatrice giggled, and Rembrandt rubbed the wrinkles between his brows with his fingers. ¡°My health was really terrible back then. I missed almost a third of my class after I started third year, and I spent more than half of the six-month engagement period after graduation in bed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So even if there had been no promise of a white wedding, I couldn¡¯t have fulfilled my role as a wife anyway, brother.¡± ¡°Trice¡­¡± Her brother was about to say something. But she didn¡¯t dare listen to him and continued speaking. ¡°I could never have been anyone¡¯s wife in the first place. But Leopold-sama left Natalia to take me as his wife. I really thought it was just like Leopold-sama.¡± ¡°Well, that sounds like something Leopold would do, clumsy as he is, but he doesn¡¯t know how to bend to things.¡± ¡°You know? He¡¯s really not very flexible, that one.¡± Then they looked at each other. ¡°So, when I heard the story, I thought the situation was a little similar. But with his decisiveness, it was really different this time. Leopold-sama really, really, really meant it, and he said goodbye to natala. Not temporarily or with any desire to get back together, but completely and permanently.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I hope Leopold-sama and Melanie-sama will be able to work things out. Of course, it depends on their compatibility, but I hope they can overcome any strange misunderstandings or rumors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you said those things to Leo.¡± ¡°Maybe so.¡± Remembering her conversation with Leopoldo earlier, Beatrice smiles. ¡°Brother. It¡¯s me.¡± She cut off her words, and let her gaze wander a bit. ¡°¡­at that time, even if Leopold-sama had seriously broken up with Natalia like he did to Melanie-sama, I would have had nothing to give back. I had no such power left. I couldn¡¯t be anything other than a decorative wife from the beginning. And yet when I heard her story, I felt a little envious.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Its not that I still have feeling left for Leopold-sama. I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know how to say this, but I¡­¡± ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to put it into words. I can kind of understand.¡± When he casually interrupted his younger sister¡¯s faltering words, Beatrice was relieved and consoled. ¡°Oh, but please don¡¯t tell Edgar-sama, okay?¡± ¡°I know that, too.¡± Rembrandt chuckled softly at his sister, who shyly put her index finger to her lips. I know. She never felt envious because she still thought of Leopold. It must have been because his sister, who could not hope for anything and wished for nothing, just wished that she could leave her legacy of life somewhere in the world, only to realize that she was instead rewarded by retribution. It¡¯s just a pity for his sister, who has finally been able to see her own happiness in her mind recently, and for her previous self, who is already gone. It¡¯s never a feeling of guilt. So Rembrandt tells his sister. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Trice. The old you and the new you are the same you. If you are happy now, the old you will be saved as well. So, trust Edgar and wait for him. I am sure that in less than a year, the medicine will be ready.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± Rembrandt muses to his bashful sister. You didn¡¯t know that before. You didn¡¯t know that there was a man in a neighboring country who was single-mindedly devoted to you, to you alone, and dedicated himself to the research of a new medicine. Perhaps Edgar broke down in tears when he heard the news of your passing, that he could not make it. And perhaps it was me, as well my father, and my mother, also. So, now that the time has been rewound by this mysterious fate. When will you realize that your happiness is not just your own? You, the man who loves you, your family, and even the girl who killed you, Natalia, probably realize that you are not the only one who has to be happy. I wonder if you will someday realize that your happiness will surely make me feel saved. Rembrandt squints at Beatrice¡¯s smiling face as she drinks tea in front of him. She was a sister who was just waiting to die and indifferent to her own happiness. Rembrandt was so satisfied with this current situation that he even felt like thanking the evil man for turning back time. CH 76 Chapter 76 : Still a little more to go. Every day, day after day, I dream of the same view. Behind you is a forest and in front of you is a large stream of water. Alejandro was standing on the bridge. The wind ruffled his hair softly. How could this be a dream? My skin can feel the coolness of the wind. The sound of water running gently and faintly, the rustling of leaves on the trees. I don¡¯t know why, but I only feel nostalgia for this scene, and I feel that something is missing, but I am afraid to find out what it is. Alejandro always stands on the railing of the bridge in this dream. And then watch the river flow below. Struggling to look hard, as if searching for something. But at the same time, he knows he won¡¯t find anything there. The current is terribly slow and there is not a single disturbance on the surface of the river. It is obvious that nothing is hidden there. Yes. So this is all in my mind. The same reddish-brown hair and amber eyes as him, he felt like he could see them in his field of view. The image of a young child smiling softly and being swallowed by the water calmly and lightly, as if heading out for a walk, is only a moment away. Alejandro shook his head violently. He held his chest, with deep wrinkles on his brow. ¡­no. That¡¯s not Milch. Because my Milch. My Milch was right there. Alejandro thought of the face of the woman who often shows up in his hospital room. Yes, my Milch has the same color as the sky on a clear day. And she has beautiful, clear, green eyes. So that¡¯s not Milch. What I see there is not Milch. That child who is sinking into the water is not my Milch. Because, if she wasn¡¯t¡­ If not, where is Milch? Where is the real Milch now? Alejandro bit his lip. It was a dream, but he felt pain, and the thin trickle of blood. ¡°Milch¡­¡± Alejandro¡¯s mutterings are carried on the wind. In a dream world where no one exists but him, no one would pick up on his mutterings. Not a single person answered his call, not a single person was horrified by Alejandro¡¯s name, not a single person stabbed Alejandro with an icy stare. ¡°No, no, Milch¡­¡± Alejandro actually knows the answer. I know, but¡­ But I never pay attention to it. Knowing this, I dared to avert my eyes. Only Alejandro in his dreams is aware of this. Even after he wakes up, he doesn¡¯t know it. So it¡¯s all right. The only time I suffer is now, in this dream. If he does this, if he gets by this way, he can dream in the real world without noticing anything. That he has really lost everything. He can spend the rest of his life not knowing that he has nothing left in his hands. I, over there, haven¡¯t noticed anything yet. It¡¯s enough, if only one suffers alone, night after night, on this beautiful stream. That¡¯s the end. So it¡¯s okay. Even if it hurts like my heart is about to burst, even if my vision is blurred by tears. No matter how many times I suffer from the phantom of that young child being swallowed up in the water at the edge of my vision. I can still endure. Just a little bit more. Just a little bit more. Let me dream a little more happily in the reality of the world beyond. Let me believe that such a world may have existed. ¡°Milch¡­¡± Was it the other side or this side that let out the last mutter? It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Because when Alejandro wakes up, he no longer remembers anything from his dream. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤? that¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± But still. Every time the morning sun envelops him in his hospital bed, Alejandro feels bewildered. Every morning, yes, every morning, every time I wake up. I am just puzzled as to what this is all about. Because when he woke up, Alejandro¡¯s pillow was soaked with tears and his lips and palms were smeared with blood. CH 77 Chapter 77 : The Boy with the Sky-blue Hair ¡ª ¡°I hate girls like you. Natalia¡± ¡ª Her slightly moist eyes narrowed sharply. The girl who, just yesterday, had laughed at each other and said they were friends, raised her verbal knife. No, no. Nina. I didn¡¯t break that. There was no way such words could reach her straight away. A small bud of friendship, which had only existed for about two months, was easily trampled. Ah, there it is again. Why always? Why do they always hate me? She questioned herself in front of the mirror while crying, but the reflection in front of her didn¡¯t give her an answer. We can get along better this time. I¡¯m sure of that with this girl. Every time I think that, I am immediately confronted with reality and eventually come to realize it. You don¡¯t have to get close to them. Just say hello and talk to them once in a while. If you don¡¯t build a relationship that will break, then you don¡¯t have to cry either. Not knowing what or who was causing such a thing, Natalia had no choice but to protect her heart that way. ¡ª ¡°Natalia. It was the others¡¯ job to make you cry directly, and mine to make you laugh. All you had to do was cry and laugh along with it.¡±¡ª No way. It was you, Alejandro. You. You, for everything you¡¯ve done. ¡°¡­ahh¡­¡± When she woke up, Natalia¡¯s bangs were sticking to her forehead with sweat. Looking up, she saw the grey ceiling that she¡¯s become quite accustomed to seeing recently. This is a room in the staff dormitory that Natalia is renting. Natalia got up on her bed and slowly caught her breath. ¡°¡­I was starting to dream about it less and less these days¡­¡± The colors seen through the curtains are still dim. It was just before dawn. Brushing back her sticky bangs, Natalia exhaled deeply. Her body was exhausted from daily labour, and was still craving sleep, but she didn¡¯t feel like sleeping when she lay down again. The day Alejandro kidnapped Natalia and took her to his hideout in the woods. That day. Natalia learned about everything that had been happening around her, which she did not know about, all those years before. Why do all her important things disappear? Why all the people she thought were her friends left her. What Alejandro saw through Natalia. The crime that Natalia committed during the time that had disappeared. And even why Natalia should not be tied to Leopold. When she was kidnapped to his hideout in the woods and told about events before time went back. Alejandro said that even then, after drugging Natalia, he intended to bring her there. He said he wanted to prevent her from signing the marriage contract and become Leopoldo¡¯s future wife while she was still unable to make a decision. ¡ª ¡°Before that, though, you ran off to Beatrice¡¯s room¡± ¡ª Alejandro laughed at her, while she tilted her head, not understanding why he was so obsessed with herself. But if, as Alejandro said, this moment was a second chance and a start over. When asked what should be done first, only one answer came to her mind. Alejandro¡¯s unusual obsession, the cause of the plight of the Marquise of Reinalpha, how Natalia became jealous of Beatrice, and how Beatrice ended up losing her life in the first place. It¡¯s Natalia¡¯s love for Leopold. But for Natalia, it was nothing but hope. With a father who sees her only as a useful pawn, a mother who only responds opportunistically, and an innocent young brother who knows nothing and relies on his older sister. As she lives out the days ahead, doing household chores alongside her maid, she still has to smile and laugh. She passed the days by telling herself that she had a prince and that she would be all right. It was this thought that allowed her to get through it. But I can¡¯t dream anymore. I can¡¯t go back to those arms. That¡¯s why, at that time, I couldn¡¯t make the choice to stay in the hideout and wait for rescue, so I went after Alejandro. I wanted to fall together with him. And yet. ¡ª¡°I won¡¯t let you die too¡­¡±¡ª The person in question said these words while standing on the railing and watching the water flow. Alejandro quickly pushed Natalia to safety. Then, on his own, he slowly leans himself off the railing. Natalia decided to jump over the railing, kicking it as hard as she could and diving for Alejandro¡¯s chest as he slowly fell. She didn¡¯t listen even if she was told no. Because. I didn¡¯t feel like I could hang on anymore. I just wanted to be relieved already. It is much more painful to live. I didn¡¯t want them to tell me to live in such a world where my very existence is a sin. But Alejandro is still Alejandro, even in times like that. His hands embrace Natalia tightly. His body covered Natalia. Important, very importantly. He held her tightly. And so they fell. As a result, Natalia was not seriously injured except for a dislocated right shoulder, but Alejandro was unconscious for two weeks. When he finally regained consciousness later, he had lost all memory of his life after the age of six. ¡°Milch.¡± Alejandro, who saved Natalia¡¯s life, began to call her his sister Milch. He happily, nostalgically, and a little wistfully mentions the name of his sister, whom everyone had believed and doubted had been killed by Alejandro. After losing his memory, Alejandro began to laugh with an expression Natalia had never seen before. Whenever Natalia sees the soft expression on his face, as if he is happy, she feels a pain as if her heart is being squeezed. Because Natalia knows that she is not the one to whom this smile was directed to. Because of this, she finally realised that he had been pursuing his sister figure in her since they met. She felt as if she had lost everything, yet she still did not want to go back to that house if she could. She doesn¡¯t see herself having a future with Leopold, but if she had a choice, she would not want to be made to be someone¡¯s second wife just for money. Is it extravagance? Is it selfishness? She thinks so, but still, she can¡¯t help it. So she nodded her head, holding on to a glimmer of hope at Leopold¡¯s suggestion that she could at least choose her own path ahead. She rented a room in the hospital¡¯s staff living space and began helping out and attending the school every day. And just like that, four months had already passed. The use of the aid money from the Marquise of Reinalpha has been decided and their wishes for the future have been conveyed. The procedure for expulsion from the Viscount Olsen family has been completed, and the official notification will be sent out next week. Then she will officially become a commoner. Her position at the school will become even more tenuous, but she will graduate in about two months, so there won¡¯t be much trouble. No, I don¡¯t care even if it happens. I¡¯m used to it. Thoughts go round and round in her head, yet her body subconsciously takes out the sheets one by one, which have been washed, and hangs them on the overhanging rope. She looked down and saw her fingertips, she could see that the wounds in her fingers healed considerably thanks to the cream Beatrice had given her. I wish I could thank you. Yeah, but. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get that chance. Natalia looks distant for a moment. ¡­yes, I know. I must also give a proper reply to Nicholas-sama. He said it to me like that, but I¡¯m still me after all. I am already guilty just for living, and I feel so bad for him. While thinking about this, she already took the last sheets out of the basket. Then there was a small hand hugging Natalia¡¯s back. ¡°Sister¡­ I found you¡­¡± Natalia turned around and blinked. ¡°Fritz¡­?¡± He had the same sky-blue hair as Natalia. The face of the nine-year-old boy with short-cropped hair shone with the joy of seeing his beloved sister for the first time in a long time. CH 78 Chapter 78 : Reason for Running ¡°You left so suddenly, I missed you so much.¡± Natalia smiled at her brother, who spoke in a slightly sultry tone. After taking a break, Natalia and Fritz sit side by side on a bench in the courtyard, reunited for the first time in a long time. ¡°Fritz. How did you get here¡­?¡± ¡°Father told me. He says my sister works here.¡± ¡°¡­yes. Did you come alone?¡± She already knows the answer, but she still dares to ask. Sure enough, Fritz shook his head from side to side. ¡°Father sent me here. He said it¡¯s a little far and was worried about me going alone. Father is waiting for me outside.¡± I knew it. Natalia bit her lip. Is father going to use Fritz this time? The Reinalpha family told her that they had given her father a substantial amount of money in order to get him to sign her expulsion papers. But from the looks of it, that money has probably already been spent. No, it¡¯s too soon for that. Maybe they came up with the idea of using Fritz as a last ditch effort, since they would no longer be able to touch Natalia after the official notice was given. At any rate, if Natalia would come back voluntarily, she would not have to pay back the money they had received from the Marquise. Natalia exhaled quietly as her father¡¯s intentions became transparent. It was true that he was concerned about Fritz, after all. Even though he would not be treated like Natalia because he was the heir to the viscount¡¯s throne, it was his sister Natalia whom he admired the most. Naturally, Natalia also cares for her brother, even now that she has left the registry. Once this brother looked at her with tearful eyes, her guilt was undeniably aroused. ¡°Hey, sis. Why don¡¯t you come home all this time? I asked Father, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°¡­Fritz. You know, your sister¡¯s house isn¡¯t there anymore.¡± Natalia opened her mouth, wondering how she could make him understand. Previously, his father, Viscount Olsen, himself came to the hospital and caused a commotion. Fortunately, he was immediately stopped by the hospital guards. Furthermore, he was given a bride by the Reinalpha family, which made him more quiet. Fritz, not knowing this, lowers his eyebrows sadly at Natalia¡¯s words. ¡°If you had a fight with Father, I will apologize to you. So, sister, please come with me¡­¡± ¡°Thanks, Fritz. But¡­¡± Fritz¡¯s trusting eyes were unbearable because he didn¡¯t know anything about the situation. So she dared not hear his brother¡¯s words to the end, but interrupted him mid-sentence. ¡°I am no longer a member of the Olsen family. Everything has been done and all I have to do is wait for the notice to come.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Fritz blinks his eyes. It was probably too much to confide everything to a nine-year-old, but considering that her brother was being successfully used by her father in this way, she couldn¡¯t help but talk to him to some extent. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a commoner. And I¡¯m going to work by myself.¡± Fritz¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Umm¡­what does it mean? Will my sister stop being my sister¡­?¡± ¡°On paper, yes, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are your sister¡¯s little brother. ¡° Fritz¡¯s eyes flicker violently, probably due to his bewilderment. Tears began to well up in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Sister, you don¡¯t like us¡­?¡± Natalia shook her head in panic. ¡°No way. How could I not like Fritz?¡± ¡°Then why?¡± Natalia¡¯s heart ached and sadly lowered eyebrows. Yes, truly. Natalia¡¯s father knows Natalia¡¯s weak spots. But I can¡¯t give in here. Even if I decided to leave here, I would not be able to live with Fritz. ¡°Your sister loves Fritz. That will never change. But she can¡¯t live in that house anymore.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like that.¡± Tears trickled down from Fritz¡¯s eyes. ¡°Father said that my sister was being stubborn, so he told me that I should pick her up and bring her back¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Natalia was speechless. As Natalia hesitates, Fritz then opens his mouth again. ¡°I want to be with my sister¡­¡± ¡°¡­Fritz.¡± Natalia hugged her brother, whose teardrops had already fallen down. If she told him what happened, he might be more saddened, but¡­ Natalia opened her mouth with her determination. Of course, there are more stories that cannot be told, including regressions. Nevertheless, she can still tell him about the expulsion procedure and the accompanying story of the support she is receiving from the Marquise of Reinalpha. And that part of the money that has already been given to the Viscounts Olsen. And another thing. ¡°¡­my sister is going to be a second wife¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. It was about two months ago. Your father was here once. He told me that he had a marriage proposal with a man named Count Gimlouis.¡± ¡°Um, sister?¡± Fritz opens his mouth hesitantly. ¡°You said he had a wife before, right?¡¡But why? My sister is only eighteen¡­¡± ¡°He says he¡¯s sixty-five over there.¡± Natalia¡¯s mouth twisted sadly. ¡°Sixty¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Fritz moved his mouth in disbelief. ¡°The Marquis of Reinalpha must have given quite a bit of money when they asked him to sign the papers. I wonder if it¡¯s already gone.¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± Fritz clung to his sister with trembling hands. Natalia gently patted his back. ¡°After my sister left, my father and mother started buying food and clothes as they pleased. They even bought me new clothes¡­¡± Having said that much, Fritz stopped speaking once. ¡°¡­so that money was all thanks to you, sister. But our father wasn¡¯t satisfied with that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is that why father sent me here?¡± Natalia bit her lip. Fritz¡¯s shoulder in her arms was shaking. ¡°Father said¡­ if I asked you to come back, I¡¯m sure you would.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he told me to pick you up.¡± ¡°¡­Fritz¡­¡± ¡°But if my sister comes home for me, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll soon¡­¡± ¡°¡­yes. I think I¡¯m going to marry the Count soon.¡± ¡°¡­such a thing.¡± Once more, Fritz¡¯s body trembled violently. Sorry, Fritz. I really wish I could have left home with you. Natalia hugged her brother¡¯s back tightly. It was then. ¡°¡­?¡± From the corner of Natalia¡¯s vision, a man appeared. They didn¡¯t get to see much of each other. But it was a face that Natalia recognized in her own way. Why are you here? No, it would not be surprising if he was here. After all, this is a hospital. But Natalia was talking to Fritz on a bench in the courtyard.And then she saw the man in the direction where the service entrance used by the staff is near the backyard where Natalia had just hung the sheets. He proceeds to the hallway, looking around warily. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Fritz. Can you wait here for a minute?¡± She desperately suppressed her voice from trembling and showed a smile. But even so, it seems that she couldn¡¯t hide her unnaturalness. Fritz looked up at his sister anxiously. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. I¡¯ll be right back. I just forgot I had to talk to the hospital staff for a minute.¡± Fritz hesitated for a moment and then nodded his head. Seeing this, Natalia patted her brother on the head and then turned to the hospital wing. She looked back once before she was out of her brother¡¯s sight and waved reassuringly. Then, turning a corner, Natalia ran at full speed, paying no attention to her surroundings. I had a bad feeling about this. CH 79 Chapter 79 : Hidden Agenda ¡°I finally found you. There you are, Nicholas.¡± As he was swinging his sword in the training hall, he heard such a voice from behind him. It¡¯s Leopoldo, who has been in and out of the Strydom household for a while now. The other knights look back, but he is already a familiar face. Perhaps that¡¯s why, as if nothing had happened, they were soon back to their usual practice routine. Nicholas also resumes his practice with a light bow of his head. But Leopold stepped inside the forge and stood in front of Nicholas. ¡°¡­you¡¯re in the way¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so cruel to me. I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± ¡°No, we met. We jumped into the river together.¡± Leopold scratched his head in annoyance when he replied curtly, without even stopping to pretend. ¡°We didn¡¯t get to meet, though. We didn¡¯t get to talk much.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything to say.¡± ¡°But I have.¡± Nicholas exhales at Leopold¡¯s insistence. ¡°I¡¯m in training, albeit voluntary training.¡± He knew Nicholas because they were former classmates. Leopold is not a bad guy. Rather, he is a straightforward guy without any hidden motives. However, he was not familiar with the subtleties of human emotions. Even with this air of unwillingness to talk, Leopold shows no sign of concern. Nicholas shook his head lazily. What a sad thing to have to make small talk with the ex-girlfriend of a girl he liked. He was still sulking over the fact that he couldn¡¯t forget her. Just when Nicholas was thinking about it. Leopoldo returns to the entrance and stands in front of him again, holding one of the imitation swords from the shelf. ¡°Then it wouldn¡¯t be a bother if we¡¯re training, right?¡± Then, he quickly holds up his sword. ¡°¡­you¡¯re looking down on me.¡± Although it was only one year, they were indeed students of the same knight training department, and their abilities were very comparable at that time. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not a trainee anymore. I am a knight in my own right. And even though I was recruited out of mercy, I am working as a member of the prestigious Marquis ff Strydom¡¯s private order of knights. And I¡¯m expected to compete with you, a student?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not looking down on you.¡± When he glared at him with murderous intent, he replied with a quick smile. ¡°But you won¡¯t talk to me unless I do this, will you?¡± As soon as he said this, Leopold raised his imitation sword to the highest position and struck Nicholas. ¡°¡­!¡± He quickly took it from below. ¡°Nicholas. Where do you live now?¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Nicholas¡¯ voice deepened as they crossed swords, and he was asked a question that was out of place. But Leopold, without caring, continued. ¡°How big is the house? Is it in a good location?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s just a place to go to sleep. It¡¯s just a small bedroom with a kitchen.¡± As he answered, the sword struck and he received it with all his might. ¡°Whoa¡­!¡± With a dry clank, the imitation sword rolls to the ground. ¡°I never thought about location. I just wanted to be able to get here as soon as possible. That¡¯s the condition I chose.¡± Leopold, who is still a student, even though he is a knight, is no match for Nicholas, who has been working as a knight for nearly two years. But Leopold picked up the fallen sword, raised it again, and asked the next question. ¡°Well, if push comes to shove, you can just move. Then what¡¯s your rank now?¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± Leopold again urges Nicholas, who is frowning, to respond. With a high-pitched ¡°thump¡± sound, the two swords crossed. Perhaps amused, even the surrounding knights, who were supposed to be practicing on their own, stopped and began to watch. ¡°Nicholas has been here for over a year now, right? Is he ready to move up the ladder?¡± ¡°Come on. Are you picking a fight?¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Bullsh!t!¡± Leopold, who thought it was absurd but still dutifully replied to Nicholas, continued to ask him more questions. No matter how many times the sword is flicked away, nothing changes. He did not try to make a connection with the answers he received, but asked one question after another with a serious expression on his face while wielding his sword. His irritation towards Leopold grew, as if he was being interviewed for a job. ¡°Okay, last question. You don¡¯t gamble or anything, do you?¡± ¡°¡­enough of this!¡± How many times had I flung Leopold¡¯s sword away? I had even hit him hard, but Leopold never tried to stop me. Nicolas was getting frustrated, but Leopold still asked the same question, hoping for a response. ¡°I¡¯m not gambling.¡± Nicholas replied, as if trying to spit it out. ¡°I see. Good.¡± Leopoldo laughed, as if in relief. ¡°¡­?¡± As Nicholas stared at Leopold, bewildered and unsure of his intentions, there was a laugh that burst out at the entrance. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard angry voices echoing through the mansion, so I wondered what was going on.¡± ¡°¡­Rembrandt-sama. I apologize for the disturbance.¡± Rembrandt nodded his head quickly to Nicholas, who bowed quickly and respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about it. From the looks of it, Leo just caught you and forced you to play with him, didn¡¯t he?¡± Rembrandt then lightly poked Leopold in the head with his knuckles ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°God. Are you an idiot? You act like a father who marries off his daughter. You¡¯re hot and bothered.¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± ¡°Not because. You have your own marriage proposal. You should worry about yourself first, not others. Miss Melanie is your first priority.¡± ¡°Ugh. Well, maybe I¡¯ll take my time?¡± ¡°I understand your concern, but you don¡¯t have much time left. You need to make sure your future is secure first.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Leopoldo is getting angry in front of him, but Nicholas doesn¡¯t quite understand what it means. A father who marries off his daughter? Is there no other way to do this? What does this have to do with the pointless question he had just asked me? Although he thought so, Nicholas, who could read the air much better than Leopold, stood silently by his side. Then Rembrandt looks at him. ¡°Nicholas. You were off duty today.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a little tense. When you can relax, rest properly.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t really take a rest, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When his words continued in a tone of disapproval, Nicholas blushed unintentionally. That¡¯s right, every time after Rembrant left, he was still planning to go for a run, ¡°Sigh. Nicholas. Come hang out with me for a minute.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out. I need your help.¡± ¡°¡­yes, sir!¡± ¡°Ah, Ren! Me too!¡± ¡°You go home and think about your next gift for Lady Melanie.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to make a quick stop at the palace. I forgot something. I don¡¯t like the idea of going all the way out there when I¡¯ve just taken a vacation, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Then, leaving a reluctant Leopold at the training hall, Rembrandt added Nicholas to the guard he had with him today and headed for the carriage. He then ordered those who had been his guards from the beginning to guard him from outside the carriage with their horses, and told Nicholas to go inside the carriage. ¡°Now sit down.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± In the comfortable carriage, Nicholas sat opposite him and bowed his head in trepidation. This should mean that they should rest their body while traveling. Rembrandt¡¯s mouth relaxed as he leaned back and relaxed. ¡°And while you¡¯re at it, go straight to sleep.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. Just close your eyes for now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Jeez. I am not a match for this man. While trying desperately to keep his mouth from loosening as a personal consideration expressed by the man whom he looked up to as his master, Nicholas did as he was told and meditated.