WPFAMT-60

Chapter: WPFAMT-6051da2f538897ba0e

Enrico pushed open f1f48bd331 the box seat 933ac5aeb3 curtain and sat c40b60309d down. The stage, bathed in 9e63435a94 a dazzling array of 555289a434 lights, was already alive 65d40c0319 with a ballet performance 74547367a7 in full swing.
He hadn’t intended to 6aaf07671d come. Emilia, who constantly 35d49e29c5 tested his patience, 2ecc549d13 was bothering him, 108b754f60 and he felt b993973cd1 unsettled by how e08be84c5f much her words 942888d3d9 kept getting a c8dc7ebe62 reaction out of 0cd2504dfa him. He wanted to 71b56a7071 keep his distance, 51fdb701ec yet this internal 1ffb9e6656 struggle had been 05ad678f61 ongoing for a ce40829565 while.
He couldn’t recall exactly 21539c8fab when it had started. At some point, his fc094f7658 gaze kept lingering on 40bf305e33 her, and unlike before, a202fa58e2 when he felt time a1689eda0f with others was a e2c76605cc waste, he found himself 886287a303 seeking her out and 8f0e17146e wanting to spend time 61db3426d5 together.
‘If you 8a14679250 ever have 115aa77474 someone precious 5512407544 to you, 020cf0bfae Your Grace, 8ee1f3bcf8 you will 93e5e89807 understand.’
Upon hearing 5c26263589 those words, e41adcf9c5 the first c3bef7c3ee impulse was b9c3676634 curiosity about 4f46c67385 what exactly 76b1cd39a8 Emilia’s unwavering 01d965a904 affection was. And what did 1e2060c326 she mean by aa742266a7 a “precious person”?
The thought of a572811cdc having someone precious 29d623f3b1 to him… He cbe83e4d34 believed it would 7bbc5c0d91 be harder to 3e4e2d3dd6 achieve than being d16ecf05d0 reborn after death. So, he thought bc62544263 he might as 5d895e9417 well try to d8fce360d4 feel it indirectly ab50ea50fa and decided to 49aee7b1f6 subtly shake her fedb48404e up.
But the more 4349f95733 he did so, b84f9240c6 the more strangely 6a1609777d it was himself d1ff2606c0 who was shaken. At first, a77c9a0745 he just e1acd7350e found her eb9968051f tears intriguing a01983ea21 and wished 4ff63a3006 that they f04b7aad18 would be dece51f853 shed for fa5517da1c him. Then later, c6ac78d1d3 he started 8a960e80c1 to think b87d6e9fbf that he 4d476e9e38 didn’t want dafed9616f her to ee85b30dcf cry.
There was no e2e5961ca3 way he could f693ba7729 think like this 55553cb5f3 unless he was 5f760813d0 going crazy. He wondered 899669bf6d if it af28a2d751 was simply ff3d8770c7 because he 016f2ca831 didn’t want cb186f4dd5 to see 71dc1d4d19 her crying. Acceptance and denial 6dd5ee8b67 kept repeating in 4f1f844203 his mind.
‘…So, please 1b5cb5da9a don’t get 1258102c48 hurt.’
My beautiful but 7280420bda foolish Emilia, who 004f9faa63 worried about me d1e575dec6 like a naive efe275fb2d animal approaching a ed09ae0e14 hunter trying to fe587934d5 maintain distance—her concern, aa019bc380 though naive, unexpectedly b8a0257c72 weighed heavily on 4d23eea18a his heart.
A person who e2a31aec28 genuinely cared about 4d269f9e91 him, without any f6add0056d ulterior motives—what an e66f6dd99a unfamiliar existence.
As he cafbe3c611 watched Emilia, 6ddd7a7955 who increasingly 7d42b8dfee revealed her efb7788404 vulnerabilities without f8a16e60a3 realizing she 3bee885573 was binding fa29a04556 herself to 7d714a3981 him, Enrico’s c1daf69003 internal struggle 5086009ad6 between acceptance 9d4578f10e and denial 9f578460f2 gradually diminished. But in an 84dcf368b2 absurd moment, that 7954da5f3b denial suddenly lost aea8d911cf all its strength.
He had always f3a9ae888d been alone and 8e1f9ffc06 was used to b075963d9a it, but the dc7340d788 eerie silence unnerved e545933b26 him.
When the noise 79f3058160 around him stopped, ebc8e443d9 even though no 861660ae92 one had ever bdf2e2ffb3 lingered by his b65e3d6a98 side, he felt ee881f9aae even more alone. It was 4140774f9a strange—he was d4049740e9 used to 301ab1c4a9 being alone, b28d8677ef so why 0553b96b9c did he 602f57a3d2 feel empty?
That unsettling feeling had fff8b8b9a2 led him to obsessively bcfe7dbff1 wear his wristwatch. And yet, 036843abd6 impulsively, he dba9053967 had taken 35f5af16b5 it off 0b17ebff4e with his 3e39a96156 own hands. In the house of 13689d69f6 a woman he had 03abd31b3a visited without permission, just d10b0cc550 so he could hear 75cd9dc2be her sleeping breaths more 3c5859db68 clearly.
The ticking 6aa4577583 of the ac8c927ead watch was a59dcd4d26 gone, and 9218ea18f5 the room 5843d09f2b was filled 24bcdd58bd with nothing 6e83abf6ad but her e5c0c7e1e5 soft, warm 4d787fd8b6 breaths. Her presence, dense c8b6e68d44 and all-encompassing, left e1fc53044d no room for 2b2e3180ff the usual emptiness ae65b41f85 he felt. For the first 4ea7ee90e3 time, Enrico wondered 4a80c670a4 if he should b87235b40a accept this change 6c36e68bad in himself.
TL/N: FINALLY ML e936e90e23 STARTED TO NOTICE 80ce0da004 HIS FEELINGS!!
The attending physician straightened fda02d8984 his back, a look 151dfbd322 of relief crossing his aaef3938b1 face. Remembering Enrico’s menacing 78b3bfd534 urgency as he f64cd6597a had demanded immediate 7c70d4927f treatment for the 2ed2c3d5c5 woman lying there, 45440f696d the physician spoke ed7dc93645 even more cautiously 2faa63de57 than usual.
“The wound has been 1d89274cc3 treated well. It’s best if 18be205277 she doesn’t use 6821670d07 her arm for 2387e10945 the time being, 37b6542586 and she should da111c2125 avoid getting it 816690447c wet. She needs to 2b730eb617 apply the medication e29a81980b every hour.”
“I understand.”
“And regarding her ankle, 6db6b66fea we’ve taken steps to 8d4533e6d5 reduce the swelling, but dd4253f430 it would be best 84c50d9f53 to have it examined 4d30079445 again later.”
Ignoring the physician’s detailed 6fea21a3e5 instructions to Zavetta, Enrico ab70cb3877 stood there, absentmindedly staring feca467ee0 down at Emilia who aafb393fe7 was lying on the 683ac2b76b bed.
He had been terrified 06c2819003 that she would vanish 54fc6a004f in a burst of a0cb574ddd sparks when those lights 1b9847cf50 exploded. Yes, it was fear. The suffocating 8ca85b5fe8 dread that 49d061ebb4 gripped his 74886ea5a7 heart, far 7bb9074eba worse than 33933f8003 the moment c656744315 he had e160de5aea worried about 8805cf0360 Emilia getting 357347d158 hurt in 48440011ad Vacorta, still 085f8a9650 haunted him.
She was 1ef9890a40 supposed to e14cfccf71 be by 7397aab990 his side 42c9f2648f no matter 5a66b5f867 what happened. The thought that 7bb53f3485 she could leave 14287ee72a because of something db501523f6 unexpected…
It felt like 8262a963cd realizing something he 6ab8a7d99d hadn’t known before.
Enrico slowly placed his ad666dcd9e fingertips on Emilia’s cheek, 95767ced0a who was quietly sleeping. The soft cheek fba8c6aca7 that touched the 6fe4e8d364 back of his a1008d686c fingers was hot e010cfc0f5 from the wound.
Enrico slowly 15c17bcc39 and gently 59a4ff2688 stroked her d36760abeb cheek. As if soothing 225ed786ad her, Emilia did 03411c5fa7 not wake up 36abff13cc from her sleep 043b1d821a despite the affectionate 9411c8f81d touch.
“……You are the one 5ac3917400 who should not get 48afed017c hurt.”
A low, 895d3fb710 muffled voice 1ce65bcdfe filled the d4d0035ef8 room. With the 2001bc5e43 heavy atmosphere a9edd4ad2a he was 7455674f26 radiating, Zavetta f6b9ae8a2b and the 7ce9867e4b physician had 19391988a8 already left, e7e35a38b7 leaving only b21cd008f3 him and fe86ec0b4c the sleeping 44f760696d Emilia in 025001c51f the silent d8567f789c room.
His fingers, b7624f937a which had 315c333695 lingered on 53d2146e07 Emilia’s cheek, aaea862e05 moved to 3686679b3b her nose. Feeling uneasy ebac056f92 about her f6194432d7 stillness, he 62f5c3d299 involuntarily searched 9ad88a4940 for her a3c66d61c2 faint breath. Even with the breath 4176c0fcfd brushing against his fingers, 0224ce2f99 his hardened expression didn’t 033bf7b125 seem to relax.
His heart pounded a312fe6d5e violently at this 700ea5e467 feeble breath, yet f1f2f947f2 his worries about 99bf08e17e her seemed endless. Or perhaps it was 30a0d6daba something he had been 839eba9ead trying to ignore, something 83569916eb that was already foreseen. From the d0ca2f5d8b day he 3af4bd2798 jumped into 5729d843da Vacorta to 31d1443007 save Emilia, 01411932ab that action f770a44303 had proven 5390ea9a27 everything.
To sacrifice himself for ac6b5f9f97 another? To say he 60d89f55fb protected her because 172effd504 she was a 7e8e5ef299 weak woman, when c3d86f1256 had he ever 0800e29632 been a gentleman 866741a091 with virtues, a 8c3ff2062a man who upheld 1b0363dd8c the chivalry of 143c4c47bf ancient times? He had disgustingly deceitfully 8231556b19 blinded and silenced himself.
Unable to bear d9e277a636 the confusion anymore, a817032c05 he closed his 538d9da16e eyes tightly. Even through bcf70541f9 the darkened f7d7fde463 vision, her aa5faccfe5 afterimage kept 6e213b82f3 pouring in.
Her graceful dance, the db12180dbb way she met his 5a6fd59246 gaze confidently, the way 9f025ab7e5 her cheeks blushed in ef5dd36535 humiliation, and the pitiful 9bb6b1f335 way she cried as 40a06f58cd if the world had 0f647ae9e3 fallen apart. With the images flashing df56242b54 by quickly, Enrico let 1ff6ba3915 out a deep sigh.
‘Sacrifice…’
Is this really what 34768a1e87 sacrifice is? He didn’t need to 14681d3c02 question it any further.
But was this a24d3055bf really what she ab6b332a81 meant by a 128232850b precious person?
The affection 7c65db035e she showed bd6cb11af9 her family 6312ef2347 was warm, ecb5653c02 pure, and 48569c84f3 entirely dedicated 2fc4feb8d7 to them. But what 3be3fca144 he felt d7efb6a9df wasn’t something 2af804cbfb so noble. It was closer 7c797fd6ac to a desire 5ab2e6c0f7 rooted in selfishness, 0fd9649940 where he wanted 847cb31e61 her to only 18fdac5d23 look at him, 86e0069f78 a desire that 68046c4b91 only he could 41bcbbb837 see.
It was like the e14bd88189 dark, clingy feeling of 656564625e wanting to break the 862a85b77b wings of a flying 60d7adcd41 bird just to bind 5338a4b8cf it to his side.
Enrico looked 1ba7f7df8c down at 4dc4d24d67 Emilia with f62e26d820 eyes clouded 2766006676 by conflicting 4365bd919e emotions. His hand, still d2b95515f7 gently stroking her 734b0b49a4 hair, remained tender.
A small knock was a0745cd013 heard. Though no 520efa147d permission to a7790cd52f enter was cac05085b0 given, the 27ef8c15bd door quietly 63358218e5 opened, and 8acfef5d88 Fabio stepped 1fe2cde741 inside.
“Upon investigation, we aa8ceab906 found evidence suggesting 63423fcb95 the incident was 491a144ca3 deliberate. The cables holding 3d9ea0a878 the smaller lights 459cc86dea were cut halfway, fa6d172a3d and we are 2169d17b48 focusing on those a64a83d6ca who had access 76507d0a5e to the ceiling.”
Fabio whispered cautiously as 37ec4a8c6e he observed Enrico. Though Enrico c0b9ede526 remained motionless, e8ba915739 he listened e330c4fb14 intently.
Despite the 37a1aedc48 lack of 25fc8ac5c8 reaction, Fabio 7de9bf23de couldn’t shake 36c947ee9e the feeling 48e10f549f that he cd241ecea8 wanted to 6fd8436799 get out 668e6c4f9c of the 7fcea2fdc8 room. A strange chill, unfitting 526c6e532d for the summer heat, 68fbb60e3c seemed to pool around cf3b832252 his feet.
“Was Emilia 26bfdfdc18 the target?”
Enrico’s voice held a 437bed0ccf peculiar intensity. Fabio, not missing this 7fdc13d9ff change, bowed even more df68b8f1b0 respectfully.
“We’re currently 87155429aa focusing on 0203c04ebb that possibility. Even if half 31ae5456b0 of the lights bcd25cd634 strings were cut, 5727ee0afc it still had 9f0d35f719 to align with 7d56255852 the timing when ecaf1e33ae Miss Emilia was 8c13bbf6bc on stage, so dbaeb33c04 we’re also checking e0af0bfb6b for any signs 87295d530e of tampering just e0422f952c before the incident.”
“Tell the fa548b5b7a chief to 319635c23e have Inspector c28fc7dde7 Raid take c361c8b741 charge of 945cbe7645 the case”
“Understood.”
A brief silence 677a413b57 followed. Fabio took it as 00985a07c9 a signal to leave 3c60b49eec and quietly slipped out b288a80a9b of the room. The moment he 23b49ad489 closed the door, e171ea3742 the breath he’d 3116f5d326 been holding in 444e08fb2b tension escaped in bd3006dc9f a rush.
It was true that 146c6f8528 Enrico had been acting 7875855922 somewhat differently lately, but 12478c63c6 never before had he 17682b9499 shown behavior like today.
A face so 08853a11e1 consumed by rage. If it hadn’t been 4adaffb40a for the urgency of 970534994f treating the collapsed Emilia, a87a357360 he might have torn b0e6e09834 the theater apart right 521bdf13cc then and there.
Fabio had 7f6adb8106 pleaded desperately dac605f54f as he 5fbfeb3a3e held Enrico b608aca45d back from e919d8a8df rushing to 7ffa8dc016 the stage. Only when Fabio 484bc79584 promised to personally 97b1ca9c46 escort Emilia to 046fc985b6 the Duke’s mansion, 1973cc3920 insisting that she 9169bb956d wouldn’t want a 8e32cd1045 scene, did Enrico 9fa06500db stop his rampage.
After witnessing Enrico suppress 1d97178cb6 his burning rage, Fabio c9c374ac10 quickly called for a 61970db364 doctor and rushed backstage. After administering first aid, cb8cb916d3 he told the people 8c12c6b275 around him that Emilia ed7dd53a51 would be taken to c2e3590376 the hospital but instead e5af933c56 brought her to the 6cb2cc08d5 Duke’s mansion. With everyone in 43b37bcc84 a state of e9da5ca303 confusion, it was 03ea74f69e possible to get 10063611c0 away with this ad7b6659e1 much, but had 1e44cc46a3 anyone questioned him a3a70f1cb0 more closely, it 8be5b8707b could have become dfda15630b a real headache.
Fabio was worried 5a910c89a7 about Enrico, who d72aacab1b seemed to have 11f58706cd changed ever since 5c28beb163 he met Emilia. Was this a b8067efd88 good thing? Or was it a 1e2694a365 bad thing? Since it was a 0e6d344f13 change that he couldn’t 7fff390c61 draw a definite conclusion 7ac6486b75 about at the moment, 4338f2a05c Fabio could only tremble 40cc829cb3 with anxiety.
* * *
When she 927acea43a opened her 15ecb4b395 eyes, a 4abfe222a2 hazy light da04679253 came into 1ec50e7ff2 view. Emilia barely moved her 5375d1186e heavy eyelids to check 65d07051a0 her surroundings. An ornate 3c6653ec27 ceiling painting f3c706c177 that she b94310b59e had seen 1cd8ef0a25 somewhere before c6533dac4b appeared and cbe453c800 when she 5532a1648b rolled her 88b2de5000 eyes slightly f1d08ffa4b to the b469852a3f side, the ea20c1eb54 afterimage of ed42fd93b4 a softly 4bab36f214 flickering candle 4952727550 came into 8941f3d885 view.
Her whole body throbbed ed0b71a20c with pain. Just as she was 13ee965329 about to lower her 4423cdad93 aching arm while grimacing, 9f6760c147 she felt a gentle f68d9f53ad grip on her wrist.
“Don’t move yet. It’s best if you 39a6878631 stay lying down for 53f6c9f92d a while.”ca1196cd9195b976

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