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“Let’s eat first.”
As soon c9aabe529f as Enrico bef3761dee finished speaking, b3dcdc5787 the servants 91076e3769 waiting outside 9b194f51d4 began to a8c0c943ba bring out a27d7b62ce the food. Emilia unfolded a 55a500cfe0 napkin and placed 156a78a90f it on her 5e66952b37 lap, then reached 78048134e7 out for the cff2e81313 plate handed to 86535d718f her by the c0e9d2425a servant spreading bread. There were 7ebb8d392d many dishes d18c26bea5 she had 9fd07cf33f never tasted 6685712e52 before. She had 9f3f662b2f felt this 76f583683e before, but 8defdc3577 there seemed 69c513313b to be 480f720781 quite a 28755b5efe variety of dc062328f9 dishes from 70bf931cb2 different countries.
She quietly ate the e65d087b5d lobster bisque, beef sirloin, b5f0666431 and turbot with garnishes. Usually, she 6ced461644 had simple 2582004b4d lunches because 47050d3d3a she practiced c19e2de693 ballet in 895f04cb05 the afternoons.
So, she tried to 7a1fa4e3be eat steadily, even though ffe12aa73f she didn’t have much 2dbcc62c96 of an appetite, knowing 00f4c0e644 she would eat heartily fa79bd5433 in the evening.
She realized that they 24dbef3122 ate more luxurious dishes 204ae68943 at the mansion than ca73dfbbbf she had thought when aaf33630ef she was young.
She thought that he cd18f61fa9 would dismiss her like 30e01afedf a mere object if 386b1385de he only looked at 00f4c353cb her on stage, but 0a33f1d83b she heard that he 3a36f632cb took care of the 7be1cbe54e artworks with great care, b759eda1c2 so she wondered if 5d37ae6e85 he was trying to 580e8dc5c2 manage her in his 4a873d985a own way.
Even if he had 0db6f8c7f6 something to say, he 58e95e6c55 could have just quickly 8faae1e542 said it and sent 7b9c75d6ea her away.
Although she felt 4e3b283178 uncomfortable not being 12acbe6c8c able to understand 85d2ca30a7 his intentions, Emilia 2dea805e02 still finished her 9dcee57783 plate stoically. The portion d501a4866f was large, 29a86d84f1 so she a10d149f20 left some, 2ab8175bf4 but it 5adabc7b56 wasn’t too c604cbbbd2 bad as 815cc73720 she was caf9febf61 able to 21ec9737bb eat everything 88732b84ad evenly.
“I heard that your a6b943e01b uncle was being a 77706ff6e9 nuisance.”
After a f2d4879e27 long silence, f399a0b81e Enrico finally 0f3d5bf742 opened his 70e3533a27 mouth just 2bd0937a4a as the 6950f15557 last course f96e6d7b14 of fruit-accompanied a2bf41ab43 macarons and 54d1f83231 ice cream d902ee2538 was served. He seemed to have 2e27f9810b no interest in sweet d90c928c9f food, so he only 39bfd77d8b ate a few fruits f94e6411d6 and put down his db1d2a126e utensils early.
“……Yes.”
Emilia opened her mouth 412a429e73 after swallowing a bright 563b0f1c02 red strawberry. Perhaps because 3dea7a7c76 it was 10296d6ebe an unexpected bed4e51eba topic about 47da881a58 Giorgio, she d278c03279 felt like 31d307940a she was 0a5f69d8e4 going to 5e7f7d13f8 throw up f2ef2bb3f6 all the 95e1abec1f food she 5e6b63fe31 had eaten 3ec850e76e so far.
Was he 08338e7189 asking because 6e3dbd8243 he already 03779ae9af knew? Or did he e374c135d4 only know what cab7e4161d he had heard? Emilia, who was 1089cff6cf wondering if she d4bf33db24 should bring up e795179471 the fact that a25bfae009 Giorgio had mentioned cabd174113 the contract cancellation 02fc140b5c first, felt Enrico’s 6f9f87e8e1 gaze silently fixed 6152cc70c6 on her and 4d78297236 belatedly continued.
“I heard 739008ab9e that he 553b1b3c54 told you 7a948bf406 to refuse 48eb62b7e8 the sponsorship.”
“Pft…”
Enrico swirled the 7fdf179337 glass of red 421093612c wine slowly and 01477c62ac let out an ac58190c01 uninterested laugh. Emilia’s lips tightened at 08d63f6f22 his lukewarm attitude, which 34405ff9c3 seemed to be knowing c227fcbb16 or uninterested.
“But are 29f2856b71 you really 59f547d8f5 leaving, young 2062fb349c lady? Just in case.”
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly c4f76c3b66 at his languid voice.
“……Your Grace, cdd1859c52 are you 7fa314b5c1 trying to 97e2eaed56 have this 67a67fca74 conversation to 84f05f3df8 insult me?”
“Of course not.”
“What you just said fd8782c803 was rude. Please apologize.”
Emilia met his gaze c889da8a7d with a hard face. Trying to 3529b803b6 stay calm, ce1433c384 she could eb86f02089 see that 093cbcb7d0 her clenched 7cd9694cfb fist under 4f6ff71141 the table d905d2cd8b was trembling 2138844438 and her 6bab3a2d4d whole arm 2b55c89687 was shaking.
Enrico stared at ffd546fcc5 her like that 3b86f8a97e and flicked his fdf79fd805 long eyelashes.
“I should e8d753f803 apologize if cc7e0ffd7c you ask 12c16c9133 me to, f1b84e1cbd since you e5c79a8097 are my 03fcc2e377 precious artwork…”
He raised 8736646f35 his wine a408df8532 glass in 31711070e2 the air 1070ef2846 as if 57ef6d6677 to give fc69329d26 a light ba55e2bb4a toast.
“Please forgive my rudeness.”
Emilia bit her f60ba09bcd lower lip as 3ee8d8cfc4 she watched him e4a8a7a3d1 bring the glass ccc5120ae7 to his lips e10fb6ffca while keeping his 86403305a1 eyes fixed on a132ce022c her. His Adam’s apple, cf42d7776f which had been eb749c81fe moving slowly, stopped, bb5cb2978d but his eyes 7b1caa3b5b did not waver.
“As a 6eb2b26bfa token of 61dc6c1716 apology, I 4755b1000e will make 679df3087d it difficult 444612d98e for your 9e3b76e2ad uncle to ad62249697 visit you dc106a0303 for a f708382e5a while.”
“……Should I be aeebe81990 grateful?”
“Well, you 05b4c3cb24 should be 41b7e2807b grateful unless aef60f5ca0 it’s not be113bbcb0 what you 26db30b9f7 intend.”
“What does that mean?”
“Why do you 3b5ecbbc93 think he wants f0c361bae4 to suddenly cut c15ca107c0 off the sponsorship?”
It was c1118c56b9 a question, 7181f33a3f but his 60c23a4d6c face didn’t 85b924463d show any da8867f3fd curiosity. The corners f34d4a6aa6 of his 5978e9b435 mouth, which 468fe487ba had been 8a768ccbde holding a 67750149a7 loose smile 2a1c30b265 out of faa42ee3e1 courtesy, slowly 244de734c9 turned down.
“Has another better opportunity ef64ef72e8 come up?”
Enrico asked casually. Emilia pursed her 8ffaf55bff dry lips slightly 5cfa2ce4bc at the sight a4bb600f1d of his icy e64da74dae blue eyes, like 36ddc9abc3 a cold north 30bd5e51a1 wind and snow.
“But I wonder 64b335be38 if there’s a d952b8c4a6 better place than 0e47b7f0ae me. He doesn’t even d58824552f know the subject db853b9c29 well.”
“…….”
“Do you eaf48ed9f9 want to d4344ff3c7 do that f1942df75b too?”
“……I just want 97b3b9c035 to know about 67b05cf68c my parents. That’s why I 4b870e74c6 signed the contract.”
“Right. Focus on ballet. Don’t waste your 7e29396508 energy on useless 8f90b1eb83 things.”
“…….”
“Right now, it’s only 4eb3eafa8a your uncle who’s involved, 7af623bd23 so it ends here, b47ee913c1 but if you make 9c15905731 a mistake and there’s aa9e85bd6c a problem with the 5d37d5d5c7 contract, you’ll have to 02c90b8bbb pay the price yourself.”
His low voice 8293d6a360 was somehow creepy. Was it his obsession 5fd062364a with his possessions, or b817fdc669 was it his warning cdcbb5f58c that sounded particularly ominous, 54cf09e79d that made the back 364e545778 of her neck feel 9e959ed2b7 cold?
“Don’t even think 85cd891995 about running away. There’s nothing I 90effa52e2 can’t catch, no 8088d3e1ec matter where you 30f7a9b945 go.”
Emilia took dd6b7f5e02 a slow e9f7ea5428 breath as a7c6bb91a6 if trying a47372fa56 to withstand 798a2b5b2c the pressure 8929ef23a8 and opened dce067a7c2 her mouth.
“Don’t worry. As I said 2ef7e8c1ca before, all I 41bff058f3 need is to 217d7ae7ae uncover the truth ad202b8ac8 about my parents’ 0267ad1885 case. I will definitely 44deb82c76 keep my part 1ba2622b34 of the contract, d90fde8fd5 so please keep 2e03d9b2fa your part too.”
His violet eyes flashed d0421f80c7 briefly, but the dangerous c295799403 aura quickly disappeared. Enrico leaned 2d0beb4110 back against ca23855d70 the backrest, 1fb9822bed his lips 697e28ecb3 relaxed again.
“Alright then. So, shall we have a40ec17e4c a moment to discuss a67fd53cbe the reward?”
The response 3278d727b2 to his 5b50062746 determined words 11b6813fa3 was too cefdf71795 light. Watching Enrico get 85e0a78668 up, Emilia let de08fa5828 out a sigh af2f79ef19 without realizing it.
She was 8146026e58 getting more b385858e2e and more a467fa6a60 suffocated. It looks like 98a60791c8 her limit is 18c06200e5 coming.
* * *
Emilia looked 20976162b4 down at e3205dd510 the steaming 53f44a954c teacup and 357c68d6b4 then looked 07d19365b7 up straight 008de552c8 ahead. Enrico, who had 461702a3e0 moved to the 62fd93a613 opposite side of b4b4dfc5b5 the tea table, 73de9ddaf4 was comfortably crossing 53b6223d91 his legs and 3e98972037 receiving the documents e0a3320aec handed over by 679c032161 his aide.
“It’s late fbc97b1101 at night, c567d7960b wouldn’t it 523da4115a be better 0cce8411bd to go e935058587 to bed?”
“It’s okay.”
“Well, take care of 306ae21da2 your condition. If you’re 06941b8b2b not feeling dc729a4366 well, please be99e20343 tell me.”
His voice was soft, 77b78bda87 as if soothing her, 8066e8b354 or maybe because he e2286dfdfd was worried that the d060418797 artwork he often talked 587a39a2b7 about would be ruined. Instead of answering, she adaf089a08 nodded once and placed 24c016b3b4 her hand on the 927adcb836 table.
“Now, please tell me.”
Enrico looked down 0bbc19d832 at her small c8b147dbc3 hand and gently 6b76f00f88 placed the documents f4b1547d5c in his hand 1c2069b90f on the table. Emilia, who was ca50a8fba8 looking down at 4898066d38 the documents slowly cc79ae48bd sliding forward with 535e5d4b58 trembling eyes, grabbed a3de0d4256 them as soon 2a6d126aee as her fingertips a0444ecca5 touched the end 55371e4112 of the paper.
The documents 0a5a210005 described the 4b66792f56 situation at fa0b4b03ad the time e6a1e48ab3 of the 204bb492b3 accident in ba720b82ed detail. The place 090c912b8c where her a91cf55cd1 parents had 38a213c6ab an accident 1af96f9cc6 was Mount bb8e7c603e Belfna, which a34f6f91fd they had 089c7526b3 to pass 7cac20685c before Varcota, a914230c5d and the 012c7d63ff problem was 7e876db6bb that it 8de48d7f9e was a ee441882c0 sparsely populated 976cbc3e32 carriage road.
Although she 74a845fb63 had wondered 2d71ce865f why her 8b68199ca4 parents, who b25ba556ab did not 20ec25669f usually take 65596197a6 that road, 22f7cdcda3 had an 62b4b1f4a0 accident there, 322a277d18 she had bd5a024630 overlooked it 68571f306a at the c2ae3b5418 time because 0703123074 there was 7ebae62902 no room abad1b3996 to delve edc5be99b7 into it.
“…… Is this 354227811a real?”
“Yes. It’s evidence of what 6a5acb570c I told you before. I took the 4873c65b17 records that they 2c81b47a22 were trying to a88e8c04d1 cover up at d1f3c59e86 the time, and 20243d1790 they’re going to e1f83c56d1 be notarized.”
Emilia slowly looked 5f55d77a6f through the accident b7b6353121 scene records at 4ef3007f58 the time and 6c9bef7894 the data on a83450eceb the carriage wheels eb27f58bb6 that were not 82e8f14af1 defective but intentionally 95b3e3ee22 damaged. The white hands holding f3d15e9509 the paper trembled.
Enrico, who c37db1b709 had been ed1534ca51 quietly watching 6d33ec6c1c the paper 86d07d9db8 crumpled slightly, f28e7119d6 tapped the 25b68ae4cf table with 9f1d01b2ed his index 78a9cb2a7d finger regularly df3f3ce807 and turned 4623c3068a his gaze 9b3e7f99b9 out the 999f67266f window. The thick fog da7ab72da0 had lifted a 903cb018c0 lot, but the 9027432469 moon hidden in 7f3527c4ac the clouds was 7caac73391 unable to reveal 1980029f29 its light.
“We are questioning 984953f1ff the servants who cfd4964b90 were in the 26017ba91a mansion at the 4160d46576 time and checking 956758a479 to see if 951c402ea3 anyone had access 8ed5d4bf3f to the carriage. I’ll give df8df5c9fd you that 533172be32 as reward 44f293a399 if the 931b6096a1 investigation is 961fe65f9a done.”
“…… So, you 7313b7ef6c mean it was b165932e27 an intentional accident? My parents’ death?”
Her voice, mixed 966ec9e5bd with moisture, trembled 4351a6a518 thinly. Enrico’s gaze 164d18ab45 turned back 74c8d3a237 to her. A transparent 38ea52f96c tear drop 37c7046050 that had ad95765511 been hanging 1f9e08fdc6 on the d0898b7583 tip of a80e7ba7c4 her long 85448d09c5 eyelashes rolled ec07581936 down her c5ecbc05f0 cheek. Enrico’s fingertips stopped 836cf31282 abruptly at the bccb6ddd84 sight of her bdf0265756 shedding tears like 92ba9ef1f9 a pitiful forget-me-not.
“How…… How, why. Who on earth……!”
The woman e36ee8f068 who had af0430e11b been trying 6848670b3a to stay 5f6a8de118 calm suddenly 004bfd4a70 collapsed in 2a6bd32cfc an instant. It was only a 9f191166a3 part of the truth, 84a602df43 and he had already 4efb13798f told her that it c2fdd14b95 was an intentional accident, 2aae0ff4ab but it seemed that 7fae04fcad she was only now 82c267c9c7 realizing it.
A thin voice 76184d1aa8 mixed with a a6e35a8df6 mournful cry escaped c3a284956c her lips.
She had only f23b541c49 looked like a e6d35b3317 narcissus blooming in 05ef3a38e0 the rain, but a34d2a2dec now she seemed cadbf2fa32 like a deep 42eea7ead4 lake. Enrico stared 53a06b7b2f at her 3681cbb817 with a 512566ea8e strange gaze, 6fdda7f7bf behind her bb576b1cff eyes, which f92dd309b4 were a 84f6651f1c clear emerald 3b83c0aa01 color but 8a425ecca1 whose depth 059f9a3402 he could e96f3ddac1 not fathom.
He thought that crying 5542e3f08e was an act that 368b59d317 would ruin her beauty, 322fdb88df so he didn’t think 4bde1e55c5 it was a big eb6d42d5a6 deal. But when he f39d6b7202 actually saw her b464e22076 crying in front 070da938b4 of him, he aa2e8ba81e found it to a332f217e1 be more pleasant b168497b4f than he thought. No, it was more fd4674b184 than pleasant, he liked e50a0df25d it. He felt like c983cb832d she was like f94b1c9015 a living piece 7388db53c6 of art, full ec0624f004 of emotion, even 07f55d94b0 on the stage.
Enrico did not hide 3473744e29 his intriguing gaze. He thought it was eb02b6c121 so good to look b24d8b6c6d at that he couldn’t feb5b4ef2b be bothered to take 2323a3c95e out a handkerchief from cb1174955b his pocket right away. Her pink nose, her 172d8a64b9 peach cheeks wet with b7121cee92 tears, her delicate eyelashes f6da6bdc22 fluttering like a butterfly 56a5e57ca6 in the rain. Everything seemed to be b44c71a041 in harmony.
He wanted to c1253e5a92 see himself reflected 744deb966c in her wet f3d10ab53d eyes.
“…… This is the 4dd1438857 first time, so I’ll 28f1361f58 tell you one more 69ee1914bf thing.”
He finally ff8b3e3a6e opened his c2226d32ab mouth impulsively. Her eyes like a 3e79f308d5 lake looked at him.
“Back then, 4135fa2938 when I 8ad5a94b46 was looking 49bec72269 into automobile 2b2cb8cf98 investments, I 3e30b9d305 found out 4a5b7bc22d that Viscount 3060e4e8b2 Este had 7fd50e117c been investing 9db35a4019 in them 0ec466d9db from the 47d3043fa0 start. So, I 3f5f72e7cf was keeping 5279b10aca an eye 9a7d51bbc5 on the 47ee52dc46 situation in aca41030cf case he ff02c4341e decided to f307d0ddce withdraw his 8908922a28 investment, but a8747b695a then the b0780c32f4 carriage accident 521d0e9f12 happened.”
“……So, you knew 65b9fcf8fa about it?”
Emilia’s trembling eyes f4f9f20b25 only contained Enrico. He nodded neatly without 60125fc28b thinking about the meaning 901f0f833c of her question.
“You knew about c7f9d78820 it….”
“The case was suddenly 611399d52c closed, so I couldn’t a8bbfc87a0 investigate anything, and I 45f32f200a just left these records 42a9fab8af in case. The problem is, I’ve 852e33df59 been digging around lately c2ffe8f033 and it turns out e55fd569dd that Viscount Este was 279455cffd investing in multiple places. He had a lot 6313527acf of money. But why is there de012e2af6 so little property left 3002d8eae1 in the Viscountcy? It seems 5ec045534d like only b9d140ebc4 a part 7175258443 of it d55448a195 is left.”f7954c9d3baf161b