WPFAMT-60

Chapter: WPFAMT-6056518d23028b46a3

Enrico pushed open the e964c26876 box seat curtain and ef42814db9 sat down. The stage, bathed ca77ec93ff in a dazzling f9df4f7c88 array of lights, b57290d287 was already alive 7ab4938d4a with a ballet 660d6cb1ff performance in full f62becddfb swing.
He hadn’t intended 401d93ce25 to come. Emilia, who constantly tested a689bb338f his patience, was bothering 82bb4255d5 him, and he felt 744b6f28e8 unsettled by how much 3c0b8bc786 her words kept getting 4b4f8c25c2 a reaction out of f6d74006fb him. He wanted to 2167c1b275 keep his distance, d48d588017 yet this internal 52f7e505e5 struggle had been 573bd30ab1 ongoing for a 7fb8930a0a while.
He couldn’t cab58b1836 recall exactly de34dbb3b0 when it 93bce241fc had started. At some ee87ac6607 point, his 98c4d38f3d gaze kept b9efa98e6c lingering on 01981260cb her, and ec00f3c670 unlike before, 1a8175f4b9 when he 4e429337c2 felt time 5ca1127bb1 with others d54cd2e39e was a 440f90fa5e waste, he 0668d73f3d found himself 5701416ba8 seeking her 4e7e4da52f out and 0bd6d0855e wanting to ea7464506c spend time 80cc367e68 together.
‘If you ever d1d2561002 have someone precious aabaa4a7d0 to you, Your 4325a0a813 Grace, you will 427efb1808 understand.’
Upon hearing adee1f1ccd those words, 0a658394ca the first edd7408b95 impulse was 92941addda curiosity about da0a2f9265 what exactly 49dcf78ba0 Emilia’s unwavering 52f53c86ac affection was. And what ab9461f8d2 did she e6c35d1178 mean by 6716ebcaa1 a “precious 30eb6356f9 person”?
The thought of ba8d5476a7 having someone precious 7e412f2d37 to him… He 69f4b8518b believed it would 54ae5d3797 be harder to 735e2025df achieve than being e11398da66 reborn after death. So, he thought b7fb8fa228 he might as 0315cd41c9 well try to 7fbe96ae7f feel it indirectly 64e70aa31c and decided to 4a2689cfa2 subtly shake her dd20424e05 up.
But the more he 3c9153c5e6 did so, the more 5bdbbe2e13 strangely it was himself 3786704942 who was shaken. At first, he 08e15a39e1 just found her c83a122a74 tears intriguing and cb6a70b4bc wished that they 981bf954b0 would be shed 6bc7caba59 for him. Then later, he started 933c765c4c to think that he 0b675cb226 didn’t want her to cc504d1a94 cry.
There was no b9badae9b4 way he could c50134d8cf think like this f11dc46800 unless he was 7943b3943e going crazy. He wondered if it e8d3bfd99c was simply because he dd0a6fc85c didn’t want to see 700e90b9f5 her crying. Acceptance and denial kept 8ec24afb9f repeating in his mind.
‘…So, please don’t get 615844116d hurt.’
My beautiful but foolish 1f8c956e8e Emilia, who worried about 78f0a09807 me like a naive 96b7477006 animal approaching a hunter 0590d14ee7 trying to maintain distance—her 6e4e98142e concern, though naive, unexpectedly db9b09b186 weighed heavily on his a293cb114b heart.
A person who bbfa4c5c8d genuinely cared about 88c98e8551 him, without any 799c7b94cb ulterior motives—what an ab11685b70 unfamiliar existence.
As he watched Emilia, 40825bd7f6 who increasingly revealed her 9336ab4022 vulnerabilities without realizing she 1f49572b95 was binding herself to a94b037e18 him, Enrico’s internal struggle 90cf2d3103 between acceptance and denial a85b0eba5e gradually diminished. But in an ee2b6fc7dc absurd moment, that 6c4b7e4b3e denial suddenly lost 6fc93c3d97 all its strength.
He had always been 16e7fca306 alone and was used 59b2c02365 to it, but the 243b0754cd eerie silence unnerved him.
When the noise around cc2fdc370e him stopped, even though df9ffebf8e no one had ever 4a698cffd4 lingered by his side, c329f4270f he felt even more 21817a38ad alone. It was strange—he 4e08117a30 was used to ab5ede3ceb being alone, so 581aa676a8 why did he 6fac0518aa feel empty?
That unsettling 00df5ed8a7 feeling had ec06bb9e2c led him 489d31b3e0 to obsessively d4fbe5d95a wear his 8a7c2762c6 wristwatch. And yet, e8967e5d97 impulsively, he 5d13b53078 had taken 5975bbb19a it off 390bb0be41 with his 40e91c5c65 own hands. In the house of a2deea752e a woman he had ab5ae25953 visited without permission, just a0eb82badc so he could hear 6a2656951d her sleeping breaths more e0e1403019 clearly.
The ticking of bd78c8a95e the watch was 37e2545999 gone, and the 2705f73bf2 room was filled bac248295b with nothing but 3d28bb1dd3 her soft, warm 7f481d659c breaths. Her presence, 8db25f7a4c dense and 7d8f465787 all-encompassing, left 2a614038ed no room 5ec843d26c for the 5ab2eb2d31 usual emptiness 7cf485068f he felt. For the first time, 62192d99c7 Enrico wondered if he 19fcd2dc08 should accept this change 0a1a1bd925 in himself.
TL/N: FINALLY 2b4d1336b2 ML STARTED e35081b91e TO NOTICE 4fb44ca4c6 HIS FEELINGS!!
The attending physician 0c4841449a straightened his back, 0523bfa247 a look of a53597e635 relief crossing his 2ec2e19211 face. Remembering Enrico’s menacing 6d56d7a5d3 urgency as he ecebbf0ab2 had demanded immediate 64dd49f9c8 treatment for the b8e607a302 woman lying there, 52529cbb47 the physician spoke 632999d10d even more cautiously 54cb86b470 than usual.
“The wound has 919618b0a4 been treated well. It’s best if 707b40af4a she doesn’t use 4e93abdfae her arm for c403f20617 the time being, 2d7d3c34d3 and she should 4c7ba908eb avoid getting it 6e05ed4110 wet. She needs d21074f7fd to apply 05a7c062f7 the medication 1c7a24670c every hour.”
“I understand.”
“And regarding her 2fbd68cc54 ankle, we’ve taken e0999045df steps to reduce c2e1194e02 the swelling, but 1efaf4913c it would be 40217d09b3 best to have 71bec911b7 it examined again ba702e2fe1 later.”
Ignoring the physician’s 2eee385821 detailed instructions to d0a5379479 Zavetta, Enrico stood b5489ca3a2 there, absentmindedly staring 3e8f8e5598 down at Emilia f320bed173 who was lying 57105e7633 on the bed.
He had been 2a0545d3d5 terrified that she 021cb10aad would vanish in a071d01783 a burst of f9cc8c3da7 sparks when those ba682149d4 lights exploded. Yes, it 74c736dd44 was fear. The suffocating dread that 0b101cb89c gripped his heart, far 4a9e3c88fe worse than the moment 342d291bab he had worried about c0e0d17606 Emilia getting hurt in 8fd3348a9f Vacorta, still haunted him.
She was supposed b0fc751bfe to be by cdc45c2761 his side no 11771d50fe matter what happened. The thought that she 14755734b8 could leave because of 196f1a335b something unexpected…
It felt like 92585b14d1 realizing something he 3737faf026 hadn’t known before.
Enrico slowly 54a7ab3a95 placed his 72f7484a43 fingertips on c34744356f Emilia’s cheek, e9d8ac4173 who was baa891b801 quietly sleeping. The soft cheek 3433ec3872 that touched the 4fb038b25b back of his ae0486264f fingers was hot 160c594283 from the wound.
Enrico slowly and gently cfcb72ebbb stroked her cheek. As if a8bc25e68d soothing her, cc15624802 Emilia did 9d304d0323 not wake d4de8bb22e up from 918b43c738 her sleep cf7ac145eb despite the e5efd9c6cd affectionate touch.
“……You are the one 915be56d57 who should not get 483fd9ef1c hurt.”
A low, muffled c42c8450bd voice filled the 3accff54cf room. With the heavy 3a174d7913 atmosphere he was b77c77818c radiating, Zavetta and 08d8e7d230 the physician had 4f383e80ba already left, leaving 52d3c040ff only him and 421e78668c the sleeping Emilia 1100b27982 in the silent 10b3cd10a3 room.
His fingers, which had e2d5d85414 lingered on Emilia’s cheek, 534bf2c4f7 moved to her nose. Feeling uneasy 132446152c about her 327f6cbd87 stillness, he b37369a42a involuntarily searched a86ae13cf9 for her 7befd171f8 faint breath. Even with the breath 3dbc18a23c brushing against his fingers, 94705f8e74 his hardened expression didn’t 661f6abbac seem to relax.
His heart pounded violently 72ff5bc6a7 at this feeble breath, 7bbc4ebda0 yet his worries about 397f9664fb her seemed endless. Or perhaps it 9b5eac0964 was something he e971d3c78f had been trying f9248e1400 to ignore, something 2ce7e98b8c that was already 2bd1a014c2 foreseen. From the day 7bc64f08fa he jumped into 362ab4ec43 Vacorta to save 77a3759d0f Emilia, that action 815099cc8d had proven everything.
To sacrifice himself b7dc4da0dc for another? To say 6bebab0c14 he protected 5f8dc9769e her because 24206008a4 she was 6866c00c8e a weak 1ee1cb22a5 woman, when ba4e35fe70 had he b3bea063fd ever been 3d840b362b a gentleman c144a1583e with virtues, fc910e0f8b a man d7e184f002 who upheld eab5fb0b88 the chivalry fc8f4e8ca3 of ancient 35bccb8426 times? He had bcf5c03f9c disgustingly deceitfully 2acfbae91d blinded and ab0a7c541b silenced himself.
Unable to f5d7b2d795 bear the a37295452b confusion anymore, 61a0a59e3f he closed cd7404b144 his eyes 5992b97a5b tightly. Even through the darkened 7199e7df0d vision, her afterimage kept 4d21dd7d6b pouring in.
Her graceful f35d70c8bf dance, the 4f164da0fe way she bfdc61edb4 met his 465ed24a7b gaze confidently, a295d77f05 the way 1ac674a550 her cheeks d0cb7fbd8b blushed in bcb98c4b81 humiliation, and da52a990ef the pitiful 4792bc93b5 way she 77e77e8baf cried as b20fae842b if the 289f75f760 world had d79c656dd1 fallen apart. With the images 0e28bd87c8 flashing by quickly, 4f209555c7 Enrico let out e8a59d5d49 a deep sigh.
‘Sacrifice…’
Is this really what eb57334185 sacrifice is? He didn’t need 1a4fb3f17c to question it 28e68e06e2 any further.
But was this really cdf74bd27a what she meant by 9b48f3c02c a precious person?
The affection she showed 2e44bc89df her family was warm, 06c8270929 pure, and entirely dedicated 7723be14b8 to them. But what he 9340035e96 felt wasn’t something b583a70fc2 so noble. It was closer 9216f29514 to a desire aba58907b6 rooted in selfishness, 4d8a573b58 where he wanted 572db5de94 her to only 1456d505df look at him, 0281b6b120 a desire that a1fbcf5d3e only he could 75f7640869 see.
It was like becf00bae4 the dark, clingy db43397f40 feeling of wanting 9cc4083dc3 to break the def329fb07 wings of a f35393757c flying bird just 2b33c39479 to bind it 226e063c58 to his side.
Enrico looked down 488171dbf6 at Emilia with 7ca52961d3 eyes clouded by 46ae4730b1 conflicting emotions. His hand, still gently c26e1c4c07 stroking her hair, remained b91e3f07d4 tender.
A small knock was 346834d72e heard. Though no permission to 0279986a39 enter was given, the 7761c5abf0 door quietly opened, and 3a128aac57 Fabio stepped inside.
“Upon investigation, we found 66ddeefce3 evidence suggesting the incident 5fc2ffaaa5 was deliberate. The cables 34e59b458d holding the c0ef17e664 smaller lights 08be4a84f3 were cut 89e4f26fc8 halfway, and 80c92ff641 we are f7aea07368 focusing on 57175e93c0 those who 174c78de74 had access 6225efd37f to the 555fede48c ceiling.”
Fabio whispered cautiously as 6d4da59e32 he observed Enrico. Though Enrico eeb2b9a3b0 remained motionless, a42672d3f1 he listened 26647ba9c2 intently.
Despite the lack 9bea62388f of reaction, Fabio cfca3a5f3e couldn’t shake the 46be711a1e feeling that he d45bb38ddc wanted to get 844075d21e out of the 6fa7ee9a92 room. A strange 6318cb08b5 chill, unfitting 2c12e7bf35 for the ecf5aa953c summer heat, 30b59eb8f0 seemed to 63d36aa1eb pool around 4391031f07 his feet.
“Was Emilia the f1ce0c94c4 target?”
Enrico’s voice 74be19f122 held a d9d70a4c15 peculiar intensity. Fabio, not missing this af31ffaa83 change, bowed even more dd7cf20822 respectfully.
“We’re currently focusing ff1c69c87f on that possibility. Even if b69dcd53cd half of c4d1ef604a the lights bbf0c52c79 strings were 5f1ea4c183 cut, it 9d0ef1e8a4 still had ae96224d90 to align e77aaf1851 with the 06f820bfc8 timing when 4d83899f33 Miss Emilia f76df6757c was on 46e7fe4f4b stage, so a4768e14a7 we’re also 6623079979 checking for 3e27acade9 any signs 4ce56d1994 of tampering bc8fb482be just before 405b739b8a the incident.”
“Tell the chief 5afdf64333 to have Inspector 9681f9ea41 Raid take charge afdca63e9b of the case”
“Understood.”
A brief silence 4e34ef58bb followed. Fabio took it 81d81e0024 as a signal 02b121cf90 to leave and afd7a58542 quietly slipped out 9f20c8929a of the room. The moment he c3f3dd0167 closed the door, 5eefcc914a the breath he’d e66bf941c0 been holding in b22a73bb66 tension escaped in 1bf5ea658e a rush.
It was true 32b49be1c2 that Enrico had f9bb05d21f been acting somewhat ce0f27f381 differently lately, but 8423dec624 never before had c944b3b1fe he shown behavior e9d0c5e3d1 like today.
A face 329784bc67 so consumed 846d12acc7 by rage. If it 9d19e98615 hadn’t been c8744fb1ba for the 52770d8756 urgency of 4f6b5b8d7e treating the 010550007c collapsed Emilia, 52d17ab0b7 he might 20521e5696 have torn b8d2c38f99 the theater eccd956488 apart right eb092a0cf1 then and 78078ef7c9 there.
Fabio had pleaded desperately 38de21742c as he held Enrico f70c3fb043 back from rushing to 9b19a094f6 the stage. Only when Fabio 8cc935a01a promised to personally f649c4088f escort Emilia to 137deec6d5 the Duke’s mansion, ef28d17377 insisting that she b34aec77f4 wouldn’t want a 2e012afaf9 scene, did Enrico f5d58139c5 stop his rampage.
After witnessing Enrico a19f969882 suppress his burning cde8e94b06 rage, Fabio quickly 0c3e2a70f4 called for a 5f29e68da4 doctor and rushed 301b926798 backstage. After administering f8297fe5e6 first aid, e7dd0f4722 he told b1f26bc46b the people 2382f74e49 around him f09bf9c4aa that Emilia 071375bf85 would be 8be31fa424 taken to af9a103258 the hospital 4f1133a4c3 but instead f36321fc5e brought her d94e6eace1 to the 8e632b507d Duke’s mansion. With everyone 208f73004b in a 41919b0e55 state of 3e1bff18cb confusion, it 814e833693 was possible 4afd2a9fc0 to get 96817c0e83 away with 4078252ac5 this much, cd4f010b02 but had b1887ffc36 anyone questioned 4590acebb8 him more 08c252371a closely, it 1e07b1f82c could have 54ac94300f become a 0e3ab2b0ed real headache.
Fabio was worried about 2f578839b1 Enrico, who seemed to 7e4dc8f2ef have changed ever since 56007cefd0 he met Emilia. Was this a good c7cb49f7b9 thing? Or was it a 2740f70011 bad thing? Since it 2a2dfe7f74 was a 834f6e7520 change that 40d5649846 he couldn’t fd48b3e6dc draw a 41d5e96f0a definite conclusion 7b3048d928 about at 77ea10cabc the moment, 841bc14aae Fabio could 93b20fc926 only tremble 5a91ab45e3 with anxiety.
* * *
When she opened 8b5eb79956 her eyes, a 9938a39a34 hazy light came 8aa483d06c into view. Emilia barely moved her ad3acb64d6 heavy eyelids to check 924ff0edd9 her surroundings. An ornate ceiling e9fcee8801 painting that she 01dd502b64 had seen somewhere 3a2c4efbe5 before appeared and 65b2df4b07 when she rolled 22e6e2fd49 her eyes slightly 8c4474d7a9 to the side, a81f611116 the afterimage of da55b3bab3 a softly flickering 23f31b6343 candle came into f0c7198516 view.
Her whole body a2b32bb4c9 throbbed with pain. Just as she 42d6351f7c was about to 8f5ba7aeb7 lower her aching ff5291a0bb arm while grimacing, 9873e8787f she felt a 54730ccbd2 gentle grip on 3eca9a52f7 her wrist.
“Don’t move yet. It’s best if c048ceca4a you stay lying 4609b3479c down for a e52fc296b9 while.”694888213ba1736b

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