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.