When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 111



Only Noblemtl

#111. Somehow to you
2024.04.20.

Water droplets fell along Enrico’s sharp jawline. Strangely, the water soaking the floor looked like tears. Although

he acted as if everything was fine, Enrico couldn’t help feeling uneasy, so he stared at Emilia with a deep breath.

“Your Majesty!”

Fabio approached Enrico in shock.

His chest was exposed because of his shirt that wasn’t buttoned at all, and the water droplets falling from the ends of his hair soaked his shoulders, making the fabric he was wearing stick to his skin.

Emilia, who had only been looking at Enrico’s face, looked down at his neck and turned her eyes.

“It was so quiet outside, I thought he had gone.”

Enrico muttered as if he didn’t care. Emilia’s jade-colored eyes took him in again at the stabbing gaze.

“… … I was talking to Fabio. “ I guess you couldn’t hear because of the sound of the water.”

“I guess so.”

Enrico let out a breath and gave a short laugh. His anxiety had calmed down, but he still seemed to be on edge.

“Thank goodness.”

His voice cracked slightly. He lowered his eyes as if he was trying to comfort himself, then looked at her again.

“… … Fabio is here, so where am I going?”

“Yes.”

A self-deprecating smile formed on his lips. She sighed deeply, unable to hide her complicated feelings.

Enrico’s two eyes blinked. It was only a small sigh, but it was as if he had heard a huge thunderclap.

Enrico pushed Fabio away, who was trying to button up his front button and dry his dripping hair. Enrico pushed aside Fabio, who was meekly stepping back, and quickly approached Emilia and held her hand.

“I’m just tired. It’ll be okay when I wake up.”

Without even being able to sleep. Emilia didn’t bother to point out his lies. She just nodded slightly and reached out for the towel Fabio was holding.

Fabio quickly handed the towel to Emilia. Emilia held the towel in both hands and held it up in front of his face.

“Please lower your head slightly.”

“Huh?”

“The water keeps dripping. In this weather, you didn’t even dry yourself properly and came out… .”

What if you catch a cold? She muttered the last words softly as if swallowing them. However, Enrico’s ears immediately caught her every move. It was

just a passing word from her, expressing his concern for him, but his face showed an expression as if he had won a fortune.

Enrico quickly lowered his head. If she saw this expression, she might feel burdened and look away.

Besides, she was the one who touched him first, so he had to grab the opportunity when it came. His well-groomed hair was slightly disheveled, and he came closer so that her hand could easily touch him.

Emilia hesitated for a moment, then quickly placed a towel on Enrico’s hair with an expression of helplessness. He smelled like a flower that had been soaked in water.

It felt strange that he smelled the same as the flower soap she always used.

A flowery scent from such a healthy man. It should be different, but I don’t know why it fits so well.

Long, drooping eyelashes, a high nose, and red lips. It was similar to the appearance of a god who would appear in a famous painting he liked.

“Then I’ll go.”

Fabio whispered very softly. He greeted them out of courtesy, but as if he didn’t want to break the mood between them, he cautiously left the house without a trace.

The cold wind that had briefly seeped in as he left swept over Enrico and Emilia’s bodies one after another. The sudden chill made their shoulders tremble, but the two of them didn’t react at all and just focused on each other.

It was so much so that it took a long time for them to realize that his hair was no longer dripping with water.

Emilia stepped back, unable to hide her surprise. Then, she stared at him lazily lifting his gaze while holding the damp towel tightly with both hands.

However, she felt embarrassed when their eyes met in the air. She turned around for no reason and pretended to clean up, but she moved busily around the room.

“… … I guess I should just lie down. Since you said you were tired.”

If Fabio was nearby, it meant that Enrico had a place to stay, but Emilia didn’t mention it.

She wasn’t so dull that she didn’t know that he was very anxious when she was out of sight. Enrico naturally headed to the sofa.

She tried to buy time by cleaning up this and that and checking the fireplace, but Enrico sat on the sofa and didn’t take his eyes off her as if he wouldn’t move until she lay down on the bed.

‘I should just turn off the lights quickly.’

Looking into his eyes made her feel weaker, which only added to her confusion.

The lamp went out and only pale moonlight illuminated the room. As she lay down on the bed, she heard a rustling sound from the sofa.

The room was so quiet that it felt like it was incredibly loud, even though it was a small sound.

Emilia tried to close her eyes and fall asleep. She focused on her own breathing and tried not to think about anything.

When her attention kept getting drawn to him on the sofa, she tried everything to fall asleep, such as counting sheep one by one or two by two. However, no matter how hard she struggled, sleep did not come, and time passed in vain.

How much time had passed? A low, sleepy voice whispered.

“… … I’m sorry.”

It was a voice filled with regret. Thinking that she was deeply asleep, he took a deep breath and let it out tremblingly.

“I was wrong.”

The quiet night, as if everything was dead, weighed heavily on his shoulders. He muttered to himself as if the silence was too scary, and then suddenly got up from his seat as if he was anxious.

Then he quickly approached the bed and reached out to touch Emilia’s face. His eyes, looking down at her who was quietly closing her eyes, shook slightly.

He hesitated in the air and then very carefully cupped her cheek. It was a very weak force.

The touch that seemed to just brush past her soon let out a sigh of relief as if it was meant to feel her warmth and breath.

Emilia felt awkward. She hadn’t intended to pretend to be asleep like this, but she had missed the timing to wake up. In the end, she ended up secretly hearing his anxious breathing.

“I’m sorry.”

Enrico knelt down on one knee under the bed. His fingertips swept over Emilia’s round forehead and high nose that seemed to have a shallow curve before stopping at her lips.

His fingertips, which were almost touching as if tickling a feather, stopped for a long time as if he was feeling her breath leaking out from her lips.

“So please don’t leave.”

The end of his voice trembled miserably. He had a strange feeling of wanting to see what kind of expression he was making, but not wanting to see it.

Her heart, which had been racing, tightened like crazy at his last words. She wanted to get up and hug him and comfort him.

‘Can I live ignoring him like this?’

Emilia asked herself honestly. She urged herself to put everything else aside and answer only with her heart.

And the answer came soon after. Before Enrico, who had been staying there until dawn, left.

***

Emilia rubbed her tired eyes and prepared to leave the house. In the end, she greeted the morning without even a wink of sleep, and treated Enrico, who was following her around like usual, indifferently.

Enrico still had bloodshot eyes and a face full of fatigue, but he didn’t look sleepy at all. Rather, he looked precarious today, to the point where you could say he had a sharp atmosphere.

“Are you going to work?”

“Yes.”

He stood next to her, looked at her once and asked carefully.

“What are you doing? You must have enough money, so why are you working?”

“… … I teach ballet to children. I opened a small ballet studio.”

“You teach ballet? What about your ankles?”

“I mostly do it because I’m asked to. I don’t really have much to dance for.”

Enrico glanced at her with uneasy eyes. While she was gone, he had worried a lot about her ankles.

However, since I was in a position where I couldn’t say anything that would provoke her, I kept quiet, but she was teaching ballet. It was so surprising.

It seemed like she had settled in better than I thought, and a strange sense of anxiety rose up in my throat again.

“… … Do you like it here?”

Emilia looked at him for the first time today at the unexpected question. She paused and looked up at him, and Enrico’s face, reflected in his warm jade-colored eyes like an early summer day, looked strangely anxious.

“Yes, I guess. Everything went smoothly here. Finding a house, the hospitality of the people, opening the ballet studio. Everything went smoothly, so I couldn’t help but like it.”

Strangely, his heart sank at her honest words. He grabbed her hand as if he was desperate.

“Then I’ll come here.”

It wasn’t a question, but a statement of determination.