Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 125, Section 41: Even the grandest funeral cannot bury a deeply etched pain.

June 3rd, cloudy and rainy.

A torrential downpour fell from the sky, drenching the city of Greeley. What should have been the brightest and most vibrant summer day was instead shrouded in a gray and gloomy atmosphere, with hardly any pedestrians or vehicles on the streets.

This rare downpour extinguished the summer heat and made everyone in the city feel a chill from the bottom of their hearts.

Reports from major newspapers indicate that the death toll from the riots two days ago has reached over two hundred. The majority of those killed were police officers from various departments under the National Security Bureau, with a smaller number of civilians caught up in the unrest. The rain, which began yesterday, has been relentless, like a dam bursting open, flowing torrents. Many say this heavy rain is God's tears. In fact, as early as last month, scholars from the Royal Meteorological Service predicted that June would bring unusually heavy and continuous rain, lasting for several days, thus bringing the Coni Beach Festival forward.

But no matter how you look at it,
This kind of atmosphere is sad.

The cool raindrops slid down the eaves of the church, and the gray drizzle bathed the historic white church, where an informal memorial service was being held.

Rows of formally dressed police officers sat on the dark brown benches, their heads slightly bowed or sighing, at the very back. At the very front were the families of the deceased, their grief-stricken cries echoing beneath the magnificent murals of the church dome, falling like the cool rain to the ground and into their hearts.

Most of the officers from the nine districts under the Sheriff's Office attended, even though the memorial service lasted only two hours. The service wasn't for any specific individual, but rather for all the Sheriff's Office officers who perished in the chaos of the battle.

Standing at the very front of the church is Isabel.

She wore a clean and tidy police uniform, her eyes lowered as she quietly looked at the light pages of paper with names copied down in her hand. Slowly, she closed her eyes, her silver hair fine and delicate. Her usual tranquil and elegant demeanor was now tinged with a sense of sorrow, making her appear so fragile.

"The following is a list of police officers who died on May 30: Sergeant Hans Müller, Sergeant Jean Dupont, Sergeant George Smith, Sergeant Mikhail Ivanov, Sergeant Mario Rossi, Sergeant Karel Novak..."

Wherever the voice passed, people trembled.

Isabel read slowly, her voice as gentle as a choir. At this informal memorial service, people stepped forward to offer white and yellow chrysanthemums. Bouquets slowly piled up at her feet, until they almost submerged the marble coffin like a sea of ​​flowers.

Isabel paused again as before, but this time when she saw the next name, although no one noticed her abnormality, a sigh came from her heart.

Corporal Leon Rossi.

"No way……"

Hearing that name actually spoken, Brooke felt his legs go weak and he almost collapsed, his eyes glazed over. Beside him were his bandmates, equally stunned and grief-stricken. The four of them couldn't bear to imagine how to face little Nicole; she hadn't come to the memorial service, and no one had seen her in the past few days. Wasn't she supposed to be going on a long voyage? How could she just lie here, never to wake again? What would become of that innocent little girl?
At this moment, someone stepped forward.

Officer Laun's lips trembled and even turned a little pale, carrying two bunches of chrysanthemums. Behind him was a blond youth with red eyes, Yuri holding a full armful of chrysanthemums, the scent of the petals filling his nostrils, as if he could barely hold them all.

Lucia simply sat with her head down. Yuri had delivered her bouquet along with the flowers. Among the chrysanthemums in the bouquet were a few white carnations, a sign of respect for her elders.

The mourning service continues; two people have already had their funerals held in this historic church.

……

Even in the brightest month of June, the rain is still falling.

The cool rain fell on the national cemetery. The cemetery, surrounded by lush green trees, was so peaceful. As far as the eye could see, the neat rows of tombstones stood in the wind and rain, with only the sound of rain remaining.

Loris stood quietly, rain streaming down her face, her already soaked clothes dripping heavily. She didn't move, just staring blankly at the newly engraved tombstone in front of her.

"Hey, Loris, you've been standing here for almost an hour. You're really going to catch a cold if you keep going like this... Can we wait until the rain stops before we come back?"

Nitil stood helplessly a short distance away, holding her umbrella, and called out with worry and sadness. Loris didn't want to hide from the rain or use an umbrella; she wanted to get wet, as if that would make her feel better, and Nitil wouldn't be able to tell whether the drops sliding down her cheeks to her chin were rain or tears.

"You go first," Loris said softly.

Nitil fell silent for a moment. She knew that Leon's death had hit her hard, but one must live on, mustn't one? She had become so thin these past few days that she looked like a sick person, and she wouldn't be able to hold on if she continued like that.

"Listen to me... promise me, okay? Let's go back together."

Nitil walked to her side and, in a pleading tone, slowly took her cold fingers. Even Nitil was so saddened that she almost cried and couldn't bear to watch.

Why is this happening?

Nitil didn't know the specifics of what happened, only that the spies had kidnapped her and Leon. Later, Loris escaped and returned with her men to try and catch the spies, but all that was left in the abandoned building were bullet casings and bloodstains, which was both terrifying and heartbreaking.

They didn't even find a body.

While this excuse might convince someone they were still alive, it was impossible for them to survive in that situation. Nitil could guess that the murdered body had been thrown into the river and flowed eastward, disappearing into the sea off the east coast.

Loris turned to look at her, her eyes dim.

Nitil wanted to make her face reality, but the words faltered at the last minute, and she could only offer words of comfort:
“You don’t need to be so sad, Loris. Maybe Leon isn’t dead, is he? Who knows, you might meet again at that street corner someday, and he’ll jump out and ask if you miss him, smiling slightly as he puts his arm around your shoulder.”

"..." Loris thought so too. She nodded but didn't have the strength to speak. She felt Nytil, who was holding her, slowly reach out and bury her warm hand in her chest.

“Right? So don’t be so sad anymore.” Nitil gently patted her head. “You have to live well, eat well, and rest well. Promise me we’ll go back now, and you can come visit me tomorrow or the day after, anytime. But it’s raining heavily right now, let’s take shelter from the rain, okay?”

"..."

"..."

“But I can’t sleep…” Loris finally bit her lip and spoke slowly, her voice choked with sobs, “When I close my eyes, I remember that night. He pushed me away, a bullet hit him, and I couldn’t say a word. I felt so cold and so uncomfortable. Why did this happen?”

Feeling Loris gradually tighten her embrace, Nytil's choked voice made her eyes redden slightly.

After a while, the sobbing gradually subsided.

“I want to get a little more rainy,” Loris said softly.

Nitil fell silent after hearing this. She really didn't understand why she was standing in the rain. Didn't she just say she believed she wasn't dead? If that was the case, she should have been strong. Wasn't she so strong before? No setback had ever defeated her.

"why?"

Loris didn't want to speak anymore; she reverted to her sorrowful state, rain streaming down her face as she looked down. She bravely refrained from crying, though the embrace she had just received had given her a sense of warmth.

She recalled that loud laughter in the rain, as if being soaked in the rain could transport her back to that night with him, so touching and beautiful. But when she looked back and realized it was all an illusion and a memory, her nose would sting with sadness.

She was never one to cry easily, but this person had made her shed more tears than her mother.

Nitil had no idea what to do.

Just then, she saw someone walking towards her with an umbrella.

Nitil understood and slowly backed away, leaving only Loris standing there.

The torrential rain seemed to soak the gray sky, splashing water everywhere, and the surroundings were a white blur, like fog, like an illusion.

Suddenly, the rain stopped. An umbrella was held over Loris's head.

Isabel stood beside her, holding two bouquets of condolence in her left hand and an umbrella in her right. Her eyes were calm, but the fact that she was there to mourn alone was anything but calm. The hem of her dark blue police uniform coat was soaked by the rain, and the olive branch on her shoulder was dripping wet, but Isabel simply held the umbrella firmly to shield her from the rain.

Winston, dressed in a black uniform and holding a black umbrella, stood at a distance with a slight frown, a hint of doubt about that person, but now it was insignificant, so he slowly closed his eyes and waited.

In front of the newly inscribed tombstone in the National Cemetery is the name of Leon Rossi, who died on May 30, 1922.

The two stood in silence in front of the tombstone for a long time.

"He is dead."

Isabel said calmly, but it made Loris's heart ache, like a priest reading a proclamation to a person being buried in a church, extinguishing any remaining hope.

Loris wanted to argue, but she was so weak, she wanted to squat down, she wanted to cry.

But in the end, she stood there with her fists clenched.

“No…” Loris uttered.

“You know this fact too.” Isabel interrupted her, not looking at her but simply setting down the bouquet with gentle movements.

Suddenly, a storm arose, scattering flower petals everywhere.

"What do you want by coming here?" Loris bit her lip. "To mock me?"

Isabel remained silent, the umbrella still tilted towards her petite yet stubborn younger sister, her silver hair fluttering in the wind. She brushed a fine strand of hair behind her ear and whispered:
"We don't have many leads on those spies yet. They seem to have inside information, but we can catch them as long as we're in this city. The ship that left the dock is a smuggling vessel, and its destination is the city of Viseni. I've already contacted the people there, and they will ambush us the moment we disembark."

Loris was taken aback and even loosened her fist.

“You don’t need to blame yourself for Leon’s death,” Isabelle said softly. “No one wants to see something like that happen; it’s a tragedy. He was a selfless police officer. That morning, he even handed me his resignation letter. Normally, there are many procedures for a police officer to leave their post, but I approved it because he said that after the incident in the Cobolo neighborhood, he realized the importance of life and wanted to see other places and enjoy life. I regret his change of heart, but in the end, that was just my limited understanding.”

Loris suddenly felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She wanted Isabel to stop talking. Luckily, it was raining, otherwise Isabel would have seen her tears.

Isabel sighed softly as she finished speaking:
Why do you feel he's still alive?

Loris took a deep breath and said angrily, "Shut up."

“You can be angry with me, I don’t mind,” Isabel said calmly. “I just hope you don’t get discouraged. Some things, if kept inside, will only become a knot of resentment. I don’t want to hear bad news about you because of this one day.”

Upon hearing this, Loris's vision blurred. She abruptly pushed Isabel's hand away and drifted away. She didn't want to hold that umbrella anymore. Why not let herself get wet in the rain?
A chilly wind mixed with rain caused an umbrella to roll to the side.

Nitil picked it up, but hesitated and didn't go forward.

Isabel's clothes were getting wet quickly, but she didn't flinch; she just stood there, her hands in the pockets of her dark blue coat, waiting for her response.

Loris could no longer hold back her tears, and she clenched her fists as she said sadly:
“I know it’s my fault, I’m the one who killed him. I shouldn’t have come out with them. I was their target, and I was too conspicuous in my police uniform. Those spies kidnapped me and him too, but he was innocent.”

"But he did it for me..."

"...He saved me twice."

Loris stopped choking back tears, unsure of what to say.

“But he’s already dead,” Isabel said after a moment of silence. “You can grieve, but don’t let yourself be unable to get out of this predicament.”

Loris wanted to argue, but she knew Isabel was telling the truth; the dark-haired youth she knew no longer existed in this world.

“But if he’s dead… I don’t want to admit he’s dead. Why are you forcing me to admit it?” Loris’s voice was so choked with sobs. “I still have things to say to him. I haven’t thanked him yet. I haven’t heard his answer. Why? Why?”

As Lolis spoke, it was as if she were questioning herself, clutching her chest tightly with her hands, making even breathing painful.

Why wasn't I honest back then? Why did I arrogantly wait for his answer? If I died, everything would be gone. I hadn't even expressed my feelings. He probably didn't realize I liked him...

if……

Before……

It would have been better if you had just said it...

But there was no chance, no way to meet again, only regret filled my heart, as if it were sealed off by a thick layer of dust.

Loris had never lowered her head like this before. Tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably. Even the rain couldn't hide her tears anymore, and she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Isabel slowly approached, reaching out her hand, but in the end, it hovered in mid-air without patting her back.

So you like him that much.

"Loris".

"..." She was in pain and didn't look up.

Nitil couldn't bear to watch, so she went to the side and held up the umbrella for her.

“I understand your sadness, and I feel grief for his death. So now, I should tell you not to dwell on the past,” Isabel said softly, her hand finally resting on her back. “He was killed by those spies, and the other officers who sacrificed their lives died because of them. All we can do is find them, eliminate them, protect the peace of this city, protect the peace of the world… and protect the people around us.”

Upon hearing this, Loris's grief did not subside, but she no longer wept so weakly. She stood there, staring blankly at the name on the tombstone.

She clenched her fist, then slowly relaxed it.
He clenched his fist again.

A sudden downpour, accompanied by strong winds, swept across the dark, cloud-covered sky like a floodgate opening, unleashing thousands upon thousands of tons of torrential rain upon the city. The violent storm swept through the forest and raged in the national cemetery, causing coats to flutter like wet, dancing leaves in the air.

"I will."

Lorice's voice sounded so light, but the unwavering determination made her clench her fists tightly—her eyes were as firm and sharp as blades, no longer soft, and every word, every pause was solemn as a vow, the most solemn and strict vow that could never be violated.

“I will find all the spies and avenge him until the day I die. We are sworn enemies, no matter what.”

A fierce wind and torrential rain, with dark clouds covering the sky.

The hottest month of June is followed by icy rain. Some people vow to make up for their regrets with a determination that lasts until the very end, leaving an indelible mark on their hearts.

(End of this chapter)