WPFAMT-60

Chapter: WPFAMT-6085dd1efd9d0816ef

Enrico pushed open the 6246532543 box seat curtain and c0f036ab88 sat down. The stage, bathed in 24faefe12a a dazzling array of 95c64bfc99 lights, was already alive cf4bd1f9bf with a ballet performance 6c3a12cddb in full swing.
He hadn’t 9c195eec79 intended to e04d291272 come. Emilia, who constantly tested 91144962d8 his patience, was bothering af90215c27 him, and he felt 638aaadfd7 unsettled by how much 404e24ec27 her words kept getting 43ec2b4566 a reaction out of b536b5bcde him. He wanted to keep bf9d03e208 his distance, yet this 691d53c2b9 internal struggle had been 7bf07822fc ongoing for a while.
He couldn’t recall f6300283dc exactly when it 97921eec3a had started. At some f4cf020019 point, his 29691cfead gaze kept c9082f00f7 lingering on d3f228e984 her, and de3de036a6 unlike before, 217738d95e when he f2c2d51fb9 felt time fa9b267e90 with others 7839db5239 was a 7d666da789 waste, he 7bffa9b292 found himself c8e2b835e4 seeking her 2da685f023 out and 7783a7b6d0 wanting to dda1e9899b spend time ba62787f66 together.
‘If you ever c5c6dd2c90 have someone precious 6aa01c035f to you, Your 76c63d0893 Grace, you will 5d6640f083 understand.’
Upon hearing those 45f97913a8 words, the first 9d96c6ab0e impulse was curiosity a4d716a729 about what exactly 2a623f14f4 Emilia’s unwavering affection 87ae1ddc51 was. And what did 09804692ee she mean by 05b3b76eb8 a “precious person”?
The thought of f7a1cd4ab6 having someone precious 2cc929b292 to him… He b75f4fba0a believed it would c6fa755637 be harder to 912e963cdb achieve than being 6eb74bcc55 reborn after death. So, he thought he 766e66d4c4 might as well try af9b222322 to feel it indirectly 9a26f5e53a and decided to subtly 51fc7f7707 shake her up.
But the more he 34c5108689 did so, the more e8158f7b84 strangely it was himself 0256090bd0 who was shaken. At first, he just e92741c985 found her tears intriguing a562dea206 and wished that they b3ffa5c563 would be shed for 0ad7409f74 him. Then later, 8cfc5744fc he started 7a6d12c4ae to think 374cf75384 that he 494f687a8e didn’t want b566daf581 her to eebc62ae5b cry.
There was no de4f61a23b way he could ce65404d1f think like this dca7d5dfb7 unless he was f16c76d85b going crazy. He wondered if it ad63797ee7 was simply because he 2ba904be62 didn’t want to see ca5d47e662 her crying. Acceptance and denial cb3c54d18e kept repeating in 76d01d247a his mind.
‘…So, please d8da5c0b1c don’t get e5e1e70868 hurt.’
My beautiful but foolish 61262f74f6 Emilia, who worried about 8952382515 me like a naive ff8f4bb950 animal approaching a hunter e0dce54aee trying to maintain distance—her 47a4a989f8 concern, though naive, unexpectedly 78999c0069 weighed heavily on his 8e97ee8030 heart.
A person who genuinely 15646c643d cared about him, without 547dd4ab19 any ulterior motives—what an b058a33b80 unfamiliar existence.
As he 9866b521d3 watched Emilia, 0fc5270fc5 who increasingly 2e40980c95 revealed her 203f793bc7 vulnerabilities without 3e9d2fc21c realizing she 54d0acf53c was binding 2910d8dec7 herself to ee203889a7 him, Enrico’s 143ba0f92d internal struggle 8d97e35904 between acceptance e57c07871a and denial 330cf4f8c7 gradually diminished. But in an absurd 68103f0471 moment, that denial suddenly 6722e85744 lost all its strength.
He had 4c90e0bf44 always been c29576523b alone and fe78452a07 was used 518e8f1fdf to it, 29decfe769 but the 9c81b3376a eerie silence 8972634b4c unnerved him.
When the noise around d10368dbab him stopped, even though a22ba27882 no one had ever 6034a2ee8e lingered by his side, d9d3edfbe8 he felt even more bf9759d2fc alone. It was strange—he was 4fc20ea94b used to being alone, d66a7ea99b so why did he 712d31e74b feel empty?
That unsettling feeling 3a78110a72 had led him 965488a7c4 to obsessively wear bd3daa59a2 his wristwatch. And yet, impulsively, he 30a1eba902 had taken it off 62495eff24 with his own hands. In the a7873021d6 house of 0674f0c80b a woman 63bc399293 he had c317c0f41c visited without 802c444ffe permission, just 3a735bde0e so he ba6781177b could hear b0a119be45 her sleeping 9825b47eef breaths more 70311acfe5 clearly.
The ticking 5cff6d8ae6 of the 89427d54d2 watch was e1f020be68 gone, and cac6f9e799 the room c2c50443b7 was filled ffbd5e3edf with nothing 7d615cbe03 but her 91905ca0a6 soft, warm 38e3157fa9 breaths. Her presence, dense and 97dcb61390 all-encompassing, left no room 1fa1295148 for the usual emptiness 203dbb6cfd he felt. For the first aa5a2bb1e4 time, Enrico wondered 65c720fa45 if he should 42149fe2a3 accept this change 826ae14575 in himself.
TL/N: FINALLY ML STARTED 1ab2f4b621 TO NOTICE HIS FEELINGS!!
The attending e2cf8ba5fb physician straightened bbd566b711 his back, 7f182e841a a look a8bcbbad99 of relief b576b2a2b3 crossing his c582d4763b face. Remembering Enrico’s menacing 6601c27aef urgency as he 5a7efe1df5 had demanded immediate 970167a01b treatment for the 05c619759a woman lying there, 49ba7a68f5 the physician spoke 2912e7bfdf even more cautiously 45ba21ac83 than usual.
“The wound has been 15f3dfd5f4 treated well. It’s best if c97d039d69 she doesn’t use 47a911cdb5 her arm for f97451d42d the time being, d837992e22 and she should bd34e59e54 avoid getting it 370dbbce0e wet. She needs e90891ea76 to apply 6405bc3528 the medication 1ccf0161c5 every hour.”
“I understand.”
“And regarding her c6b9573a5f ankle, we’ve taken ae25526411 steps to reduce fef2e49c2f the swelling, but 9cba4f1e50 it would be 6c847f8ebb best to have c600d24b1b it examined again 5951c644fb later.”
Ignoring the physician’s detailed 52ae292376 instructions to Zavetta, Enrico 0cedb1a183 stood there, absentmindedly staring 65680620a2 down at Emilia who 239be43b75 was lying on the 6e75c1718b bed.
He had 3c9df75cd6 been terrified c987fa495e that she 3cdc0eb3df would vanish 1640054905 in a 82620c5eb9 burst of cd4ff3a596 sparks when 225df1c307 those lights 3b924ef646 exploded. Yes, it bfd034305e was fear. The suffocating fda1c3799b dread that 69fd035505 gripped his 1bd5ebdec0 heart, far 406703380c worse than b62f754d78 the moment 168aaebe2e he had 0af8dcf373 worried about 593e96b1d4 Emilia getting 7de27e965f hurt in 81154e3e05 Vacorta, still d92871bdc2 haunted him.
She was supposed 8641a7eeaa to be by fac26f0e1c his side no 62752da076 matter what happened. The thought a5d64a1829 that she 78ff360aca could leave 39108afa45 because of e93a095757 something unexpected…
It felt like 312a9d6e5d realizing something he b3f3c62d92 hadn’t known before.
Enrico slowly e81df02e19 placed his c09e29f108 fingertips on 2a8715016a Emilia’s cheek, 4950aa064a who was 007108f95f quietly sleeping. The soft 60f9493f6e cheek that fb37381e90 touched the 53c53f1a8a back of c008e785af his fingers d182c2e8a6 was hot a7533a340b from the c18aaaf3c6 wound.
Enrico slowly and 696880a80d gently stroked her 512d572e07 cheek. As if soothing f0f9c4aeb2 her, Emilia did ded3826337 not wake up 47f3ada8c5 from her sleep 58f867bab6 despite the affectionate 1c9038e242 touch.
“……You are the 8a4edcd9ec one who should a5d232f55f not get hurt.”
A low, muffled 4783f689dd voice filled the 4d064f55a4 room. With the 590ed3936c heavy atmosphere d398c0995c he was dc233df3e1 radiating, Zavetta d08f46d729 and the 72c6579e19 physician had 409f5a94df already left, 7587976dde leaving only e0c0b610fd him and c55241fb9b the sleeping 9ea898d8fe Emilia in 1fd829a9ea the silent 14ac6bbe4c room.
His fingers, 1877eafc21 which had 5cac565bb8 lingered on 342c344849 Emilia’s cheek, 63db262748 moved to 090c3ca640 her nose. Feeling uneasy 857988054a about her 46a0b4bcc6 stillness, he 62c036b808 involuntarily searched 6dc296d2f9 for her 8c8a73ba06 faint breath. Even with d27c94c2db the breath 223dd4f915 brushing against 7f15256172 his fingers, d390a285e3 his hardened dd97f3584a expression didn’t 3b2a9b55d9 seem to 23d8cd4956 relax.
His heart da942dcf8a pounded violently d252cd23b2 at this 2fd924c953 feeble breath, 242681deff yet his 8bcc0ef97c worries about 98388d3f15 her seemed 7ebfa70426 endless. Or perhaps it was eda153bc51 something he had been cd56f0fc90 trying to ignore, something 350fb06c20 that was already foreseen. From the day cd4c7f2e54 he jumped into 344a122ae4 Vacorta to save 4cd26c6dc3 Emilia, that action 0a9e6b705a had proven everything.
To sacrifice himself for cd25e863a2 another? To say 56e0773c1b he protected fb98c6a79c her because ca7cd37a31 she was 60677e33b2 a weak 7a2d786e6c woman, when 5197fb08d9 had he 473df0f325 ever been 5e4b3b0f73 a gentleman adfd72f23f with virtues, c9337b4945 a man e0fb229ff0 who upheld 44b2a116b7 the chivalry 4de502bf53 of ancient 903db86a98 times? He had disgustingly 1c7592f381 deceitfully blinded and 3a111ab0d5 silenced himself.
Unable to bear the 69efd07ed6 confusion anymore, he closed c6e52c8d49 his eyes tightly. Even through 853cc1e304 the darkened c5e589747d vision, her e2068addf1 afterimage kept cf860010b3 pouring in.
Her graceful 37e6bc1639 dance, the e98da8bfe6 way she 1956b9523f met his 3ca83340b1 gaze confidently, 4369c3028b the way 5a4c39ea85 her cheeks a036492fbf blushed in 3a9227cc99 humiliation, and 6f542d2285 the pitiful fa8b4d836f way she 632c6bba6c cried as 5d9145e72b if the 22ac619c26 world had 23aaa625bd fallen apart. With the images flashing d7c1ad1a6f by quickly, Enrico let 4e69a9dc25 out a deep sigh.
‘Sacrifice…’
Is this 7b0f248082 really what bfe2a6a9d0 sacrifice is? He didn’t need 29ea6e3d62 to question it 4588d901d4 any further.
But was a7b8b0a629 this really 31fc3e4cb8 what she 2563b6d7b9 meant by 1353039152 a precious e027d9b0a4 person?
The affection she showed c4554681d2 her family was warm, da933fc916 pure, and entirely dedicated ed4f792f73 to them. But what 6ed11bdc6e he felt 53fa357668 wasn’t something 0279981ac7 so noble. It was closer to aeddca00c5 a desire rooted in 6a6ba13b07 selfishness, where he wanted 3580dcc1f1 her to only look af4a333321 at him, a desire d8b795aa9b that only he could 7ff9f33f61 see.
It was like 25b86b05c4 the dark, clingy 3eb7bee371 feeling of wanting c42362a498 to break the afb60ad540 wings of a c035eedf4e flying bird just ece93c6713 to bind it d0ab16e06d to his side.
Enrico looked 2955da8c06 down at e32fd335ca Emilia with cbb7574c82 eyes clouded 1e6d40498b by conflicting eb145ed35a emotions. His hand, 08218b5566 still gently 9ac4946fc4 stroking her 7af103248d hair, remained f4d94dd5a6 tender.
A small knock was 5ac79d5853 heard. Though no 307643cadb permission to 936d9f0d65 enter was 6f93242732 given, the bfd78c6434 door quietly 8a62353ed3 opened, and c738a3fa8b Fabio stepped eb9a382d3e inside.
“Upon investigation, we 2b47aec911 found evidence suggesting ed7a0eaebc the incident was dfdc789b82 deliberate. The cables c886d2cb64 holding the 1b24107f99 smaller lights bed92a52ff were cut 7a663746dd halfway, and f8a1a5fc7f we are 0a1d0781ce focusing on 2a180d9b7c those who 0f68c3c14d had access 8971795910 to the be9469cd81 ceiling.”
Fabio whispered 28eed1af87 cautiously as e0e83a7525 he observed c0d3ea0aa0 Enrico. Though Enrico remained motionless, ab8c410f83 he listened intently.
Despite the lack of 2d6a6142e4 reaction, Fabio couldn’t shake 4d52c3cafb the feeling that he 81c3b3cbe7 wanted to get out f6eaf061e2 of the room. A strange chill, unfitting 3b979089dd for the summer heat, 84a351fced seemed to pool around 9c3146e714 his feet.
“Was Emilia 663029e55e the target?”
Enrico’s voice held a 2016d90e61 peculiar intensity. Fabio, not missing f55652f4b2 this change, bowed a684366c83 even more respectfully.
“We’re currently b4173c84fd focusing on ee59c0a555 that possibility. Even if half of bf96791d14 the lights strings were f50283c023 cut, it still had e33966d6a0 to align with the 111c62dc58 timing when Miss Emilia ebe3d6cc95 was on stage, so bdc73a3fbc we’re also checking for e73c63c62d any signs of tampering 47ee4783eb just before the incident.”
“Tell the chief to e97dfcb1d0 have Inspector Raid take 48b0f4e0cc charge of the case”
“Understood.”
A brief silence acc9565ca1 followed. Fabio took it as 79687a9bd9 a signal to leave 0f90921a7b and quietly slipped out 4c9d9ea91d of the room. The moment he closed 7dcb56f14d the door, the breath 911645e9a6 he’d been holding in 573ade7c5e tension escaped in a 93d86156ed rush.
It was true 48accdf0e6 that Enrico had 76dce525d6 been acting somewhat 71381e8dba differently lately, but d3438e9a58 never before had e58f323c86 he shown behavior 6f0fe7a480 like today.
A face so c1c1653213 consumed by rage. If it 1c32e06670 hadn’t been c17d42a8f8 for the 16f376fde7 urgency of 85d6c99f4a treating the afca4e1dac collapsed Emilia, a070344191 he might 92611a6ee4 have torn a55499b354 the theater 821ea7616a apart right 99c50f1a2a then and 714f445dfd there.
Fabio had 959e0cc66c pleaded desperately 1f8199bff6 as he 6bcbe93e1a held Enrico 3a7723889b back from a8d8cea312 rushing to ec54871db0 the stage. Only when Fabio promised f57047e0a1 to personally escort Emilia d4163b1a0c to the Duke’s mansion, d15923ce4c insisting that she wouldn’t 92dd74f10d want a scene, did 6677fb2ded Enrico stop his rampage.
After witnessing 9fcafc1de3 Enrico suppress d5765152dd his burning 79f67fc257 rage, Fabio e624b214fe quickly called 4f9afa5f21 for a 712ea3a845 doctor and ba85bae256 rushed backstage. After administering 6eddc19c6b first aid, c942668d51 he told 83a9ce70c0 the people 9901e0e655 around him 94294df832 that Emilia b042412593 would be f578d57cf5 taken to b4d71deae8 the hospital 7b00807f05 but instead 4b7c3a39cb brought her 1dcbd570e7 to the 0eec5d6ef4 Duke’s mansion. With everyone in a 3368d5e7f3 state of confusion, it bc397619de was possible to get 5252dd1b33 away with this much, 84afa3fcb6 but had anyone questioned 1693e11ce8 him more closely, it 1e6197ec8c could have become a b853ace53a real headache.
Fabio was 94f6958f91 worried about 675c8840d6 Enrico, who 7f8dce81b6 seemed to ec2dfb9843 have changed 66d73df24c ever since 6de472fc28 he met 2a135ddfde Emilia. Was this a 7206297422 good thing? Or was it a 9a3892f603 bad thing? Since it 23a35f17bb was a b86db6c3a4 change that fa23dcdb81 he couldn’t 8632132cf8 draw a c609e7f13d definite conclusion 5fcaf85790 about at 31240f9771 the moment, e140c8b0a6 Fabio could 14c16bf7ce only tremble 3bde9b96fe with anxiety.
* * *
When she opened her 3774a7cf92 eyes, a hazy light 49a7bbc0e7 came into view. Emilia barely moved 5de0faff5a her heavy eyelids dc429e96e5 to check her 0fbe633357 surroundings. An ornate ceiling painting 690f9e177f that she had seen 450b8b45de somewhere before appeared and d90474beab when she rolled her 1fd89ee2ee eyes slightly to the e403630ee0 side, the afterimage of 143aa4155f a softly flickering candle 606fd2e22e came into view.
Her whole body throbbed d4cb2480c6 with pain. Just as she was 7dad20e122 about to lower her a8aee0cf20 aching arm while grimacing, 7f7ea00f1b she felt a gentle 2f50924cc3 grip on her wrist.
“Don’t move yet. It’s best ad2153fd49 if you adf73047b1 stay lying 6248930264 down for 9572b9c354 a while.”e79dbced5fb23643

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