When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 64
Only Noblemtl
#64. Fragrant Temptation
2024.03.04.
Enrico rang the bell as he spoke, calling the servant. He asked her to bring him the wine he was drinking and the grape juice that Emilia often drank, and continued quietly.
“I think you already know the reason best. Because I suspected that woman first.”
“Yes… … . But I didn’t think it was true. I didn’t know that she was really the culprit.”
Emilia briefly reflected on the way Christina looked at her with jealous eyes every time.
She had a similar but more sinister feeling to Eva, so she had been watching her with a cold feeling, but she didn’t know that she would make things this bad.
I know she’s competitive because I’ve seen her, but even so, this was too much. Disappointment was thicker on her face than anger.
“You persuaded the theater cleaner. Someone who wouldn’t be suspected if she approached the ceiling.”
“Ha… … . How did you find that cleaner? Did Christina confess first?”
“No. On the contrary. The janitor was the staff member you asked to look at the ceiling, and that was the crucial evidence. When you asked him to look there, he said he was touching something there.”
“Oh, but you didn’t notice anything strange at that time, did you?”
“When I noticed him touching it, the janitor told me first that the small light was strange, so I didn’t have time to suspect anything at that time, and since I had to replace it in a hurry, I didn’t have time to look at anything else due to time constraints.”
Emilia nodded slowly. It was unfortunate that the accident happened, but in some ways, it was fortunate that it ended like this.
At least we were able to send a staff member to track down the culprit right away. I had asked him to calm my anxiety, but fortunately, things went well and the case was solved quickly.
“So the janitor was talking about Christina?”
“Yeah. Since we have no sense of loyalty, it was easy to wrap things up.”
“That’s right. I didn’t know it would be solved in one day. “Then will those two go to prison? Without a separate trial?”
“Yes. It will probably be hard for them to get out.”
Emilia’s eyes widened. It was a big accident, but she didn’t know that the punishment would be so severe since no one died.
“Life imprisonment?”
“Yes. Because it’s a form of forced labor.”
What? Forced labor? She was so surprised that she covered her mouth.
Although slavery had been abolished for some time, it had not yet been completely eradicated, so the current form of forced labor was known to be the worst form of punishment, much more painful than rotting away in prison for life.
It was almost as if it was a more painful punishment than the death penalty.
Even if they were lucky enough to try to escape, they would often be caught again right away, and it was rumored among the general public that those who were caught while escaping would be subject to stricter surveillance and would be forced to work for the rest of their lives without being able to die.
“It’s good to be punished, but isn’t it a bit excessive?”
Emilia looked at him with a dumbfounded expression at the punishment that was more severe than she had thought.
Could it be that he had used some force? Otherwise, this kind of punishment would not have been possible. Emilia glanced at Enrico, bit her lower lip, and turned her head toward the window.
‘No. Let’s not even think about that.’
There was no need to attach unnecessary meaning to it. While talking to him, the servant who brought the drinks could be heard putting two glasses down on the table.
Since she usually served grape juice in wine glasses, Emilia quickly picked up a glass of anything and drank it down in one gulp.
“Oh, Miss! That’s wine… … ” She
was so surprised that she didn’t have time to stop him. The servant gradually became quieter with a frightened look on his face.
Emilia held the empty wine glass to her lips, her eyes wide open. The little bit of red wine that was left in her mouth gulped down her throat.
“… … Bring me water.”
“Yes, yes!”
Emilia lowered her head and quickly covered her mouth with her other hand. The hot air and bitter taste that belatedly rose from within lingered strongly in her mouth. Enrico got down from the chair and knelt on one knee.
“Are you okay?”
She felt her ears getting hot. Emilia rubbed her lips with the back of her hand as if trying to erase any traces left on them. Enrico’s hand carefully grabbed her thin wrist.
“Don’t rub it. It’s swollen.”
Her bright blond hair flowed down. He tucked the hair behind her ear with his other hand and tilted his head slightly. He looked up slightly from below as if checking her face.
“I feel strange… … .”
Emilia squeezed her eyes shut and opened them. Her head became increasingly dizzy and her face grew hot.
The scent of alcohol lingering in her nostrils made it even harder for her to come to her senses. Even though Enrico was right in front of her, she just kept blinking.
The servant quickly brought water and carefully handed it to Enrico. Enrico gestured for her to take the glass and go out. When the sound of the door closing disappeared, he slowly cupped her round cheek.
“Emilia.”
Her eyelids slowly rose and fell as if responding to her call. She
seemed to be weak to alcohol to begin with, but since most of the wine he drank was dry and high in alcohol, she seemed to have gotten drunk faster because she had drunk it quickly.
He gently brought the glass to her lips.
“Water.”
She took the water without hesitation at his soft voice. The sound of the water being poured sounded cute.
Her delicate neckline, which was sipped little by little, was dyed pink from the heat spreading inside her.
His thirst gradually appeared on his expression. Her obedient attitude made his eyes sink deeply and his lips dry as if he was thirsty.
The sight of her quietly accepting his hand and obediently drinking the water he gave her made his heart ache strangely.
“Um… … .”
She groaned and shut her mouth tightly, even though she hadn’t taken a single sip. The water that had already flowed slightly wet her lips and ran down the corners of her mouth.
He immediately put down the wine glass and wiped her chin and lips with his thumb. Her lips were soft and hot under his thumb, which he slowly rubbed. He stared at her swollen lips with a persistent gaze.
‘… … I have to put her to sleep quickly.’ It
seemed impossible. His ribcage rose and fell as he took a deep breath. He rubbed her lips from the middle of her lips to the corners of her mouth as if he was regretting it, then slowly withdrew his hands.
And then, at the moment when he was about to lift her up to move her to the bed,
Emilia’s two hands cupped his cheeks. He forgot to move and froze.
Emilia slowly moved one hand as if she was curious about something. She ran her fingertips up his sharp chin and her gaze lingered for a moment on his slightly downturned eyes.
Then his eyelashes fluttered and his eyelids closed. As if she had been waiting, she moved her hand from the corner of his eye to his eyelid and touched his eye.
“… … I went down, but why do I look bad?”
His stiff mouth collapsed at the voice he muttered to himself. Emilia seemed to have no idea what she was doing. He gradually raised the corners of his mouth as if enjoying her touch.
Her hand moved without hesitation. Her fingertips, which ran from her eye to her nose and stopped at her lips, rubbed her skin as if enjoying the soft touch.
Eventually, Emilia narrowed her eyes and brought her face right up to his nose. The fragrant scent of wine mixed with the clean floral scent close to jasmine that she always had.
Her slightly open, transparent eyes quietly looked at him and then moved her lips.
“What?”
I couldn’t hear what she said. Enrico was about to turn his head as he moved closer.
Emilia’s head dropped deeply, and her lips pressed against the corners of his mouth. As her hot breath tickled, the hand that had been touching his lips dropped down.
“I’m thirsty… …”
She mumbled as her lips touched his skin. His eyes, which had been blankly staring into space, returned to focus and he grabbed her cheeks. As
he turned his head, the lips that had been resting on the corners of his mouth naturally slid down to his lips. With their slight contact, he lowered his eyes lazily and whispered in a dull voice.
“Then open your mouth.”
Her mouth, which had been staring at him for a moment, opened wide. Light flashed through her blank eyes for a moment and their lips overlapped. At first, he was cautious.
His head, which had been moving his lips slowly so as not to startle her, went deeper. She flinched, was pushed back, and reflexively lowered the hand that had been holding her cheeks and wrapped it around her neck.
The heat from them warmed the room. The wind flowing in through the window gradually became lukewarm and mixed with his hot breath.
“Ha… … .”
How long had it been? With a wet sound, the breath that had not been able to catch its breath burst out loud.
Emilia’s eyes, which had been closed, opened very slowly. Seeing her languid gaze, he, who had been half-awake, stretched out his legs and hugged her.
“Emilia, are you awake?”
He asked decisively as he walked to the bed. Her eyes, which had been blankly open, shook slightly for a split second. Her
face was still flushed pink, but somehow she looked pale, as if she was losing her color. The arm that had been wrapped around his neck suddenly relaxed.
Enrico didn’t say anything in response. He just carefully placed her on the bed as if he had just come to his senses.
If he hadn’t seen her eyes briefly become clear right before kissing her, he wouldn’t have known. He raised one knee on the bed and created a shadow over her.
His darkened eyes sparkled at the sight of her lying down like a beautifully blooming flower.
“… … Ah.”
As soon as she saw those eyes, Emilia instinctively reached out and pushed his shoulder. They were the eyes that had looked at her when she was on stage. Those eyes that seemed to
covet her, but in fact, she had always wondered if they were just feeling joy while checking out her own collection.
‘Don’t be fooled by those eyes.’
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