Chapter 226: Leave Now, Never Look Back
Despite a few twists and turns, Arthur finally got Mary’s brooch back.
He didn’t even bother exchanging pleasantries with Mac, hurrying off the moment the matter was settled.
“Well, look at you,” Mac muttered with a helpless shake of his head as he watched Arthur leave. “Always like this when it comes to women.”
In the same alley as before, Mary Linton was waiting.
When she saw Arthur approaching, the sadness lingering on her face eased slightly.
“Where did your father go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you still need me to look for him?”
“No.”
“Then… would you like to take a walk? I can walk you to the tram.”
“Thank you.”
...
Saint Denis Land Mansion.
“Oh, Davey, you’ll never guess who I ran into.”
After Arthur left, Mac headed straight back to the mansion.
“The only person who could make you rush back like this is Arthur, right?”
Sitting in the mansion’s main hall, Davey picked up a cigar and tossed it to Mac. He clearly wasn’t surprised.
“Well, Davey, you got me.”
“Did you plant someone around me to get that information?”
“Oh, no. I was the first one back. Even if you did plant someone, they wouldn’t be faster than me.”
“All right, you win.”
Mac sat down on the sofa opposite Davey, muttering under his breath, clearly annoyed.
He hated dealing with people who were too smart.
In front of his older brother, he always felt like an idiot, as if nothing he did could ever be kept secret.
“Arthur showed up in Saint Denis,” Davey said calmly. “That means Dutch and the others must be nearby too.”
“I heard Dutch has already made contact with Bronte. That bastard is definitely planning to use him.”
“The mayor is preparing a reception soon. I expect they’ll show up.”
“Looks like we’re going to run into our former family again.”
Davey took a draw from his cigar, smoke curling slowly through the air.
He knew the original course of events—the so-called Golden Birdcage chapter.
But that no longer mattered to him. From the very beginning, the fate of the Van der Linde gang had already been sealed.
Maybe Dutch would even end up killing Bronte for him. All Davey had to do was wait, and it would save him a lot of trouble.
And if, because of his interference, Dutch failed to deal with Bronte… then Davey would simply do it himself.
“Damn it,” Mac said, frowning. “Dutch isn’t going to team up with Bronte against us, is he?”
Mac didn’t know how things would unfold, but as someone who had once been family, he still paid attention to the Van der Linde gang.
In his eyes, Bronte was already a major problem. If Dutch worked with him, it would be even worse.
Deep down, Mac didn’t want to stand against Dutch either.
“Don’t worry,” Davey replied calmly. “Dutch won’t do that. And even if he wanted to, the others wouldn’t support him.”
“At the very least, Hosea and Arthur wouldn’t agree.”
“And without Arthur, that’s enough.”
Davey’s expression was steady and confident.
The current Van der Linde gang was essentially being held together by Arthur alone. Without him, they were nothing.
Who knew how far Arthur had already grown in this last savage age—especially without tuberculosis holding him back?
Maybe the two brothers could still match him now, but before long, Arthur would probably become truly unstoppable.
“Yeah,” Mac nodded. “Without Arthur, we don’t really need to worry about Dutch.”
“Oh, right. Arthur just went to the Saint Denis Grand Hotel. Looked like he was helping Mary Linton get back a brooch.”
“That brooch was originally meant as a gift for you from a merchant. I gave it to Arthur.”
Mac briefly explained what had happened earlier.
They all knew about Mary Linton. Back in the Van der Linde gang, it had never been a secret.
Davey thought for a moment.
He knew that, at this stage, Arthur was at his most miserable.
“Later tonight, go find Arthur,” Davey said. “I want to talk to him about what comes next.”
“Have him come see me.”
“Of course,” he added. “Give it at least two or three hours. He probably doesn’t want to be disturbed right now.”
Mac nodded.
“Alright. But I don’t think he’ll leave Dutch.”
“Hosea’s still there, after all.”
Mac understood better than anyone the bond Arthur shared with Hosea—and with Dutch.
Davey simply smiled.
“I just want to talk. He may not be willing now, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be later.”
After enough failures, Dutch would only grow more unhinged.
Even without tuberculosis pushing things along, Dutch wouldn’t abandon Arthur too quickly—but in the end, they were bound to part ways.
...
Saint Denis, Théâtre Râleur.
Mary didn’t want to leave so early, so she invited Arthur to the theater with her.
In the game’s storyline, the player could choose whether to accept or refuse. But the real Arthur? There was no way he could ever turn Mary down.
Inside the theater, Arthur barely paid attention to the performance on stage. His eyes never left Mary.
Several times, he felt the urge to reach out and hold her, but each time he stopped himself.
When Mary linked her arm through his, it might have been the happiest Arthur had felt in years.
After they left the theater, Arthur walked Mary to the tram stop. She was about to leave.
Arthur felt a tightness in his chest.
So did Mary.
“Is it already too late for us, Arthur?”
She stopped in front of the tram.
“I can’t lie to you,” Arthur said softly. “I’m a wanted man.”
“Mary, if… if someone stays too close to me, they’ll be wanted too.”
“I can’t drag you into this.”
“But it’s almost over. This time, it really is.”
Arthur spoke with a mix of insecurity and urgency.
He trusted Dutch. Once they pulled off this last job, they’d have enough money to leave for good. They’d go to Tahiti—the place Dutch always talked about—buy some land, grow mangoes, live a quiet life.
And of course, Mary would be there.
That was his dream, and his greatest source of strength.
“Come with me, Arthur,” Mary said softly.
“Leave now. Don’t ever look back.”
She didn’t argue with him anymore. Arthur had said things like this to her countless times before, and she was tired of clinging to those words.
All she wanted was for Arthur to leave with her—to escape this brutal, chaotic world.
She looked at him, her eyes full of hope.
More than anything, she wanted him to say yes.
“Mary.”
Arthur took her hands, his gaze gentle.
“This is what I want most in the world.”
“But there are people I still have to look after.”
“When they’re free, I’ll be free too.”
“Then I can disappear.”
Dutch. Hosea. The rest of the Van der Linde gang.
Arthur couldn’t bring himself to leave them now.
“But Arthur—”
Mary tried to speak, but Arthur cut her off, his emotions spilling over.
“If we’re going to leave, we need money.”
“And I’ll have it soon.”
Mary turned her head away, disappointment heavy in her voice.
“I know you won’t leave.”
Just then, the tram’s horn sounded.
Mary pulled her hand free and walked toward it.
“But the dream really is beautiful,” she said quietly.
Arthur followed a step behind.
“It really is. And once I have the money, I will.”
“I had it once, but some idiot left it in town and couldn’t get it back.”
“And I can’t go back for it.”
“That’s another story.”
Mary didn’t respond much. Her eyes dimmed.
“I’ll write to you.”
“Alright.”
Under Arthur’s reluctant gaze, Mary boarded the tram.
At that moment, Arthur’s mind was still filled with visions of a beautiful future.
He didn’t know that, in the original course of events, this would be the last time he ever saw Mary.
What he would eventually receive was a farewell letter.
And the ring that had once been their token of love.
Author's Note
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