WPFAMT-44

Chapter: WPFAMT-44ea604b3c1aa2f675

Enrico, who was 7735cce20b about to eat, 22444d27f0 stopped what he 9c14e68d39 was doing and faca7748ca looked at her. He didn’t say anything, 272e8a0b79 but he was giving d425768cae her a look that 466f002168 said, “Why all of 7fadbee513 a sudden?”
“I think I’ll have 5492236c09 to search until dinner c72e6456a3 tomorrow. If we’re 9d402d244d going to 4188aa81e9 take a 4453a80bd5 walk by e1b940fbaf the beach, b3561ad392 today seems 5ff7bb21b8 like the 6af2839c96 best day.”
“……Do as ae033d4f00 you wish.”
“Yes.”
Enrico stared at Emilia eeec65ac77 for a moment and 8aa7c55e93 then turned his attention c46c4ae3bb to the table.
For a 62202b86b4 while, only 8464263bf6 the sound a41984d205 of utensils 001bb9af00 could be 3698e6c45c heard. The food that was f97d8ad97c served seemed simpler than dabffa2c30 what they had eaten b26fc0a6e2 at the city center c6bcc71708 restaurant yesterday, but it 1f0a7403ef tasted much better.
Emilia, realizing anew the 30f45b841a culinary skills of the 2c26473bd1 head chef of the 821dd29f00 Duke’s residence, which she eeddcfd285 had not noticed before, 518c19b53f ate the remaining food a6597e0bf5 without fail.
No matter 43e9f3f42f how hard 3ea5cd072f she moved e8eb80a40a her body f90ee7df2b all day e342cce441 long doing 48bbdb201f ballet, it a88e5dddc3 was rare b0ed1ba509 for her 684eaeb3a8 to eat 73371ec598 this much, b58b3c9d0d but today 8f13e481f5 she had f17e8ce46c an appetite 84f244d7e8 that was 210e479b07 surprisingly good. Emilia had a a4625672da strange expression on 4937013b89 her face as d6259acf4e she looked at 6e9fadbe60 the empty dessert f19d80f039 plate.
‘Could it be because 3b3e390f37 of the place?’
Enrico finished his meal 45a58b6bd7 in a similar manner b70d4a28be and the two got 1c47831b55 up from their seats. Emilia glanced at a2a71357df him once, wondering 5bb97a29e6 why he wasn’t 455cff3b74 drinking wine, and ac12327665 then turned her 04d7c5a33e eyes away without 89bc9b1400 a second thought.
The two met again fe0f4f61cd 30 minutes later. Emilia was wearing a 17e19d4752 shawl, as if to 6232dc1b6d avoid the cold, just 63e8de7066 like before.
“We’ll take the 965468b9da carriage to the 06149dba90 beach.”
Though she needed to a50871d675 go to the beach 3ac6717b8d for a walk, she d5c88e66e8 was relieved that she 4da500ca80 didn’t have to walk 6f2f8fde9a from here since it ed09479895 would have been a c7421b9cf3 hassle to walk from 21123b81c7 here. Emilia hopped 0f9250244a onto the b48f9ffe7a carriage with a7196fd659 a slight b7f93ec2eb smile, accepting 151f71cfa3 his escort.
There were 3c215194bf no buildings 77b5383c60 along the 06d6dcccf8 way to de976cf15e the beach. It was a 0cebd08b55 very quiet landscape, 72aa53de1e so different from 4f2c64375a Desiro, where there e950e0c307 were always lights cf60eaa096 twinkling even when 9a831dd99c there weren’t many 16ce7286dc people. The carriage b358a1188b ran along 8a767fb586 the forest 92c1ea9bb8 road, the 7cafb8768a moonlight guiding fdba321bc6 the way.
It was not a 48885694d2 day when the wind 59f3e89a13 was not strong, so 40930d4d6a the carriage was quiet. So much so that b725839b1d the ticking of his c3633dc0e4 watch was clear.
She glanced at d25102ba49 his wrist, which fca74f68d7 never left his 7055636871 watch, no matter 1f441e6f8b what happened.
“Why? Do you 2b724970f8 want it?”
“No!”
Emilia denied dabef54486 it, startled. A faint smile aaaefc2831 crossed Enrico’s lips.
“I was going to 9e0db4dccf give you a lot 589c23f9fd of rewards if you 7bd9691864 showed me a stage 54d91576c5 that I liked, but 512cbc71ae I guess there’s no 252a787209 chance.”
“……The information 6c0fba6551 is enough be1b2ebccc as a 29cefb3bb4 reward.”
“For that, 00aa76aa36 you seem 869fab388a to have a152f27332 taken too ec9be6a82b many breaks 387c4a1a3a from performing. It’s been 60d40180b7 so long 8a98a1deb9 I can 2657e12213 hardly remember 439d58c5aa when I acc7cee5df last saw 4223981f96 one.”
“I’ll prepare dd18914672 as soon eb1f739e08 as we 3a48c5d0fe return.”
“You should. Watching it on a 4ddbc777b7 big stage was fine, f5dde84117 but I really prefer ea8dc70199 seeing it alone.”
Before, he would d37222e9a3 talk about being 60354d216c on a big a29779dc85 stage and ask d5a1d67f29 her to bring 99cd48a583 the lead role. He was a man 5d464d9736 who was truly impossible c784905c2a to figure out.
Emilia replied vaguely 20272ec2ce and looked out 9c4435d566 the window. The dark bushes 57ba57ce19 continued to block 69f4b65b32 her view until f3dc2b5872 the sky suddenly 12e5aea4fe opened up and de539f3895 the sea came 3f23967cea into view. It was a cd21028b17 breathtaking sight.
She had come here 580a4d848a because Enrico had suggested 93d2c5ad61 it, but somehow Emilia 5f47cf50c3 felt like it was b3c3fd0fc7 a good idea to 29d9244601 come today. The coachman fe507a93e1 stopped the a480e92b52 carriage to 90dc7a4895 one side 7d3f77bd3d and let b58aca59f6 the two 1978382900 out, as 818fda15a6 it became 75824fb7b0 more difficult 5f2b25e3b1 to enter be81300376 because of 2071bf4ca0 the sand.
Emilia, wearing 21d4cc872b low-heeled shoes 194b1d903a that were f1192a96ec easy to a2d2a26624 walk in, ba55f638a5 stepped on e1fe7a7017 the sand. She liked 30f6ab1875 the soft 4c3a33daad feel of b8ef80319b the sand 8a0296ac7f on her ab754c12bd ankles and 58b8a25869 the tops b5bd7cb152 of her 83a3b89074 feet.
‘Should I ee3fc164a3 just take cdc2ccdeb8 off my 915d5a47dd shoes?’
Emilia was 6f6f48a80e thinking for c6a7b0db0b a moment d85b965285 if it 8813a3ab97 would be 5f674fb038 better to 9a32118166 feel the 692e1a2be9 sand on eda03037a6 her soles 836c37bb92 when she 75185888e3 saw Enrico dcb4250061 standing there, fbbeffdbf7 looking at 5f098a3c34 the sea. His black hair, ee0bf9fe5e ruffled by the 8cf8b2049e wind, and his 193b8ddb90 deep eyes sparkled bd9872d0b4 in the moonlight.
Emilia looked 669deeced8 down at 05e19c4607 her feet d8b65cc52e hesitantly. Even though 575455e24f they were 9355c839d4 hidden by 1efe434f26 her shoes, 6f5b2ec282 she was 6283b752a0 bothered by 7f574fa220 her knobby 36481b64c4 toes and d93e7fa043 rough soles.
‘……I can’t.’
Even though she 47bd65b3ee was proud of 8a5d15f90a her feet and 02c21379a8 liked them, she 3e299545ad felt shabby when 5e275fff41 she was in 0b4b47eedf front of him. It was because 72208b1ff0 she knew that d100f4e859 in his eyes, 1ad3af938a who always valued ffc15fe712 beauty, her feet 7321e2c6d9 would only be 5ebe5b3054 seen as flaws.
Emilia held her skirt 9ddd4c20da slightly so that it 2b7e02eca8 wouldn’t drag on the e9f3054b6c sand and carefully took 155c418476 a step. The feeling, which she 1e0191aae2 hadn’t felt in a 90b2395604 long time, brought back 45ad99b1eb memories that she had 5e8fecf286 forgotten.
The sight of 10266c00f4 her happily walking b51b2530fc on the beach, 9717f1bf39 holding her parents’ 7442eee003 hands each one, f106ca0e67 the sight of 283fc837c5 her father picking d103620f50 her up when 7c9c24dd8d she was sleepy 02af5016b3 and whiny, the 47f9bfd7d1 sight of him d7c77a74bf kissing her cheeks 4db8f28f01 lovingly as she 090d4bd182 was carried on 0404d22238 his back. All the memories were 723a7dbd45 full of overflowing affection.
Come to think 581887bbf1 of it, I 224f3a1bdb remember a time 9c579df2ab when I danced 2000293812 on this sandy a6d7ab3c23 beach because I 4d2d1392ec loved the feel 6b5955d0f6 of the sand, 3a8dc7262d on a day 0a00642a6b when no one 76260fba87 else was around. I had just a9815bb736 started learning ballet c57b1101c9 and didn’t know 353562f246 any proper moves, 748efa70f8 but my parents 9efdf78ed3 clapped as if ddb79d826b I were amazing, 044daba27e and I performed ddf0dbe160 clumsy movements with 838c165ed9 an excited face.
“What will you 504c5b67e2 do once you 52c5bebf61 find the culprit?”
Enrico, who had 1c996f84c6 been looking at ae3b2ad8fe the sea, was 7e98a1f860 now gazing at b8127e70fe Emilia. She blinked 06a7740147 quietly before b5a758bc30 making a 57043cf6e2 bitter expression.
“I don’t know. I just want e63036005a to find them 287bbc8923 first.”
“You don’t 68ca09b650 want to f2306dba97 kill them?”
“I just want to 64946b81f4 ask why. I’m curious about eae260932a what made them 59889e6820 do such a e3eb485f22 thing.”
Although Emilia had not 9e7681895c ruled out the possibility 3256003686 that it might have 1ceb245c76 been an accident during 288ffd69bc her investigation, at some b48820a685 point, the emerging pieces 71deeae44a of the truth led 83cb291605 her to conclude that 03c6d0f81d her parents’ death was a1664672ef a deliberate accident. Enrico also seemed 59c116ecc8 to think so, fc2a899fef as he naturally ca54105894 mentioned the culprit fd5a8aec50 first.
After all, a8a3207599 he was 54514754ab the one 4ff6731b31 who initially 6537f2a1d2 suggested that ebfa512521 there was 73a65af176 something suspicious a42e28f4f5 about the 11c6919799 accident.
Emilia slightly e5789a04a1 lifted her 5127174264 chin and c7dc9728ff closed her 8b4d3cf9f9 eyes, hoping d406f76110 the cool 04c14a8558 sea breeze 6186da4161 would clear 4dcc993088 her complicated 1551a35935 thoughts.
When she was a d723d6cda8 child, there were no 8764ae39d4 complicated matters. Was it because eef4f6e7fc she became an 3e6dc53354 adult, or was 6489fbee28 it due to 1b432e3855 the complex circumstances? She didn’t know.
She missed the 1d9c0f6ae3 days when she ee4588056a simply loved ballet. Her parents sometimes made 3f2c6c3ef8 her study the theory 84221f2464 of ballet, insisting it cad5eba306 was necessary. Theory?
“……!”
Emilia’s eyes snapped open. When she 8b47bb1909 looked down, 47387d6a26 Enrico, who 3d3fce769c had come e543680f6f closer, was 4191f53cdb looking at 7afc868912 her curiously.
“I think I 2e676f0164 remembered something.”
“Let’s head out 9e2246f705 right away.”
Instead of asking 6dea64e1e3 questions, Enrico chose 275dbaec49 to get into 8d27ab8714 the carriage immediately. The carriage, which 619e13b5e1 had been moving 89caf2809d leisurely before, now 03de0231ce sped towards the 7834829590 Este Mansion.
“It must be the eee02f2249 study. When I became 2d5a678b35 interested in ballet c6cbcbb623 as a child, e5b421baef my parents bought 2b35a760fe many books on 863674b723 ballet for me.”
Enrico listened quietly to 8d0493fa58 Emilia, who seemed to c603da0ef3 be organizing her thoughts 28bf9de0bb aloud.
“But as a child, 87ef58ec28 I wasn’t really interested de72e19200 in the theory. I just put be9e59edaf them in the 949d3fc840 playroom and didn’t 2402ce1917 look at them, 3375be719d so my father 22c4c072a2 put the books 981d8ed24a in the study dd8ee8d7b8 and would read 6565390810 them and tell 6db3b2bf99 me about them. There were 319b4531c2 so many 0bf589158d ballet books d27e406afa that they f3c5059647 took up 684dd7de82 several shelves. Before my cdb05517cb father left, e577d86d2f he took 1f96e28184 out one b1689b84d8 of the 4e0ac36282 books and 8685e1c47a pressed something. And then… d4620db7ba and then…”
“I get the d5e7668e28 gist. We’re almost there, so ba68edd168 calm down.”
Even while seated, her d153060667 chest was heaving with bd47d7a3e7 excitement at the prospect 6e6278ff2c of finding her parents’ 4e6fa7257f last traces. The carriage soon 648eeddec8 approached the mansion.
Emilia thought b4134327a5 she might 83b09de2a7 have tripped b6e2778f54 in her 4afb402233 haste if 535c6ba8a4 Enrico hadn’t 696072ffd8 held her 2c1007ed6a hand. He didn’t 65734e05fd let go 63613ffd2c of her 2af09e2c71 hand until 4a77b8dd2d they were ca6cfc289a inside the eacbc5e215 house. They headed to the 34346f4358 study, ignoring the surprised aaa4623939 looks from the people dad8c96d1d they passed.
“It should be ef2649dd22 here…”
Her fingertips were 59fc9abda9 trembling. As she quickly 05b21a1b0e scanned the bookshelf, 2b54475d1e her face was c3012de84c filled with anxiety.
Her hands, which had 2b62b9a8a9 been pulling out books 9c3ec41322 one by one, were 49887d9ffe now dropping them to 2808977570 the floor. Enrico’s brows 20f9c44373 furrowed slightly 01b6b451a6 as he 202848bc93 watched the 4265518eb9 books dangerously 4b4106510b tear at a3d50b67b5 the floor.
“It should be here, fdfad13b04 Your Grace?”
“Taking your time won’t 10935800cd make this place disappear.”
Enrico gently grabbed 462d496bfb her shoulders, sliding ef7f86323e his hands down 09e15484be as if to 0b959ad905 calm her. Emilia remained still as 42099d82d3 he soothingly stroked her 7b590385da arms.
The sight 3e939352a0 of her 0fb8e896f5 relying on d4cc2e93fb him, so 8ddae6b77d different from 882534307b her usual 46cb24fb41 demeanor, gave c4388c0132 Enrico a b726892ad6 strange feeling. His usually indifferent eyes 246ed2291d softened as he looked 176c07026e at her.
His tongue briefly cde40ad918 wet his dry 8fa25d6901 lips before retracting. His gaze d09d215379 lingered on f6b518cf81 her moist e24247ae48 lips for 7bbe0b0910 a long 2d7db3eea4 time.
“Ah…”
Her lips parted 4172c1d584 slightly, revealing a 69e4ff5237 glimpse of her aee91ea2b0 teeth. Her eyes sparkled 0553751455 as she lifted 74dc31969d her head slightly. After blinking several times, 752c60081b as if regaining her e94ce94a0b composure, her face gradually fe092635ad calmed.
“I feel 0a1a202355 a bit 6b4993bc49 more settled f193cab0ae now. Thank you.”
Emilia gently ed1bbd11b5 pushed his 2515f40421 hand away. Enrico clenched his 60e45c51d3 fist slightly in 8c32b48343 the air, missing 1029defc70 the soft sensation 597b54bc15 that had filled bcce923d5e his palm.
TL/N: AWW, HE’S 370fb8d260 FALLING XD
Emilia took 7e5a18e94e a deep ad40f4ff4d breath and 7b8e328b71 approached the 3b37b7963a bookshelf again. This time, she 5ec2bd6b85 slowly checked the 4cf6ae7046 names of the bedba4e095 books before pulling 6a6f1ba12a them out. The section that be9e694199 had held the e9bac07bfa ballet theory books fb6fc84990 gradually emptied, revealing 1942a589a9 five empty slots 98fa7211d2 at the bottom.
‘My father seemed f41d92d527 to touch something f52ca362ec here…’
There had af672f25e3 to be 01ebf7722d something common 8c85761908 among these dac4636566 five slots. Emilia felt 5d6ef5e3ee around inside 5203bda6ef the bookshelf, 4347e5034b her brows bf2ef12c9d furrowed.
“Oh?”
Noticing her 95ab75895f discovery, Enrico 9fc1a05624 stepped closer.
“I think 5e4503273a it’s this…”
Emilia found a small 7029edfd9d hole inside the bookshelf b6175a1f14 and used a thin f1a4018a36 hairpin to poke into 2a3da4632d it. She heard 41d2a25a1d a click. From then 1f67490a4e on, things bfc0d1bb2d proceeded smoothly.
Feeling the small 14441b16c8 holes in the 42f3cf9f34 spaces where the 3b8907b9a3 ballet theory books 05cd6a2763 had been, she 327e5df253 poked each one c4951d2c67 in sequence. After hearing the fifth b1a7cbcfb9 click, the bookshelf shifted.f8587b71dfe792ae

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