When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 72
Only Noblemtl
#72. Sudden Death
2024.03.12.
[La Sylphide] The schedule was canceled in the middle due to an accident, so the ballet staff risked their lives for the September performance.
If the September performance [Cinderella] was ruined, the number of performances assigned to the ballet troupe in the future might decrease.
So, perhaps influenced by the staff who were preparing with passion and enthusiasm, the dancers also put aside their private conversation for a moment and began to focus on practice.
Time passed quickly, and even after the rainy season passed and the heat grew stronger, the dancers’ passion showed no signs of stopping.
“Ah, it’s so hot… … .”
As soon as the afternoon practice was over, Juliana lay down on the floor and gasped for breath.
“Isn’t time passing too fast? It’s already August.”
“That’s right. You have to be careful not to get heatstroke.”
“You don’t get heatstroke that much, do you?”
“Yeah. I’m talking about you, not me. Drink plenty of water.”
Emilia handed Juliana the water jug next to her and smiled faintly.
“Oh, is that so? Thank you.”
Juliana drank the water in a gulp and put the jug down before glancing at Emilia. Juliana, who had been quietly watching her blankly staring into space, suddenly asked,
“But Emilia, what’s going on these days?”
“Huh?”
“You look like you have a lot on your mind.”
“Just. I guess it’s because there’s a lot going on here and there.”
“Ah… … Are you making any progress with the investigation?”
“Not yet. That’s all I said back then.”
Emilia put her hand on the floor and tilted her head back. Juliana
simply patted her back as if she felt sorry for her side profile as she sighed heavily as if she was frustrated, and then suddenly opened the door and saw Vice-Chief Sylvia, and her eyes widened.
“The Vice-Chief is here?”
“Huh?”
Emilia, who had tilted her head back, also looked up at Sylvia, following Juliana. Silvia was scanning the inside as if looking for someone, but her gaze stopped right in Emilia’s direction.
“Emilia.”
“… … Yes?”
Emilia opened her eyes wide and stood up from her seat.
“Can you spare me a moment?”
“Yes.”
Emilia, who had casually put on the shawl she had left on one side, followed Silvia, who had disappeared into the hallway.
What’s going on all of a sudden? Emilia’s eyes were filled with surprise, as it was rare for her to be called out like this.
Silvia went up the stairs without saying anything and headed to the vice-principal’s office. She had thought they would just talk in the hallway,
but she didn’t expect them to come all the way to the vice-principal’s office. Emilia sat down on the sofa and tilted her head slightly, wondering if she was going to talk about Enrico in detail like before.
“I thought no one should be listening, so I called you here.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Duke Michele’s aide contacted me.”
Was it because of Enrico after all? Emilia just nodded silently, not knowing what was going on.
“They say Viscount Giorgio Este has passed away. He asked me to tell him to come to the duke’s residence by carriage.”
“… … Yes? What did you just say?”
“Oh, you were really surprised? I think I got to the point. I don’t know the details, but I think he passed away in a sudden accident this afternoon.”
Emilia’s forehead furrowed. There were times when she wished Giorgio would disappear, but this was too sudden.
“Let’s see tomorrow… … It’s Sunday. Then you don’t need to take a separate vacation, and if you think you’ll be off on Monday, just tell me.”
Silvia maintained her usual businesslike attitude, as if she didn’t care that Emilia was a noblewoman.
“Oh… … Tomorrow will be fine. Thank you for telling me.”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s wrap things up quickly and go in.”
Emilia nodded once and slowly got up from her seat. Giorgio died in an accident? How? Her steps, which had hastily left the vice-principal’s office, became faster and faster.
***
As soon as Emilia arrived at the duke’s residence, she looked for Enrico. She had never visited him like this before, and she forgot about the awkward incident from a while ago and headed to the office that the butler guided her to.
It was her first time in Enrico’s office. When she opened the door, she saw him sitting at a luxurious mahogany desk, looking at documents. He didn’t even raise his head, as if he was busy, and pointed to the table. For a while, he didn’t get up from his seat.
Emilia drank the cool fruit juice on the table to calm her anxious mind.
“When did you meet Giorgio?”
Enrico asked as he sat down across from her, as if everything was over. He unbuttoned two of the top buttons of his shirt, then, as if he was frustrated, he hung his index finger between his open fingers and lifted the glass of water in front of him.
“The last time I told you to break the contract was the day before. He hasn’t visited me since then.”
“Hmm… … . So it’s been a while.”
“Yes, my uncle… … . Is it true that Giorgio died?”
“Yes. They say he was found dead in the mansion.”
“Suicide? The vice-captain told me it was an accident… … .”
“Really? Fabio must have said that on purpose. After all, suicide doesn’t have a good reputation.”
“So does that mean he really killed himself?”
“As of now, that’s the case.”
Enrico fiddled with the glass he had put down and spoke calmly.
“He left a will. He said he had been in debt at a gambling house and it had grown so much that he couldn’t handle it.”
“Gambling debt?”
“Yes. The problem is that it’s currently being held as a debt by the Viscount Este.”
This was more shocking than Giorgio’s death. Emilia just smiled several times as if she had no words.
“Once the death is confirmed, the debt will be claimed against you, a member of that family.”
“… … Yes? Are you talking about me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Ha… … . No, but I don’t know how much it is, but if you sell the Barcorta mansion and the townhouse you’re currently living in for less than the market price, they’ll sell right away. Isn’t that enough to hold out for?”
Enrico twisted his lips slightly.
“I can hold out. But Giorgio committed suicide over that.”
It was too suspicious. The Giorgio Emilia knew would never have chosen to die. He was a man desperate to enjoy life even a little, so he suddenly took his own life. It didn’t make sense.
Then did someone kill Giorgio on purpose? Why on earth?
Enrico’s lips curved as he quietly watched Emilia’s confused face.
The last time they had broken up, he had been embarrassed by the unfamiliar face, but today, perhaps because of the absurd news, his thoughts were clearly showing on his expression.
Enrico continued, unconsciously expressing satisfaction.
“It’s likely a fabrication. But I heard the police are trying to wrap up the investigation quickly.”
“You mean, on purpose?”
“Yes. I ordered a separate investigation, but it’s hard to say for sure if it’ll go well.”
“If that’s true, why on earth did they kill Giorgio?”
It would have been more profitable to make him a fallen noble and put him to work than to say he was killed in a gambling house.
“It could have been to hide a secret, or it could have been because he was no longer useful.”
Emilia blinked her eyes slowly. Then she looked down into the air and muttered to herself.
“It could have been both.”
“I wonder if Giorgio was useful at some point. But come to think of it, if Giorgio was made a Viscount in our family, then he must have been useful… … .”
“Giorgio wasn’t useless, considering that he made the Este family a vassal by fabricating administrative documents.”
“That’s right. Then could Count Vallemont have something to do with it?”
“That might be true. I haven’t found a single trace of the car investment rights so far.”
“But you said at the masquerade that you could get the investment rights.”
“You were fooled by a lie. Giorgio probably didn’t know anything in the first place.”
Her words were full of confidence. Judging from the information she had been giving her, she seemed to have a lot of connections, but she wondered if she had planted an informant there too.
All the circumstances had pointed to the Count of Vallemont, so she had naturally thought of him, but after hearing Enrico’s words, she was completely convinced.
A person with many secrets and no use. That was exactly how Giorgio was right now. Should I have just tried to persuade Giorgio and asked him?
But she wondered what was the point of talking to someone who had already gone to heaven and who would not listen to her.
Emilia rubbed one cheek with a complicated expression.
“I’ll tell you if it was suicide or murder when the investigation results come in. And I’ve already taken care of Giorgio’s debt.”
“Huh? The Duke?”
“If we leave it like this, you’ll be demoted to a fallen noble before we can even discuss the existence of the family, and you’ll lose the house of Bakorta completely.”
“Ah… … Thank you.”
It felt like a blow to the back of my head that I hadn’t realized. Even if Giorgio’s existence was useless, the Este family could still exist because he was a man.
But what if that man disappeared from the family? As soon as we discussed the existence of the family, there would be no successor, and it would be impossible to know what would happen in the future.
“I’ll pay you back somehow. If I finish this year’s performance well, the contract conditions will be better next year, and if I sell the town house that Giorgio used, I think I’ll be able to pay you back a little faster.”
Emilia tried to calm herself down and placed her trembling hands on her legs. She was grateful for his help, but she couldn’t rely on him for everything.
Even if her parents’ business was tied up in a contractual matter, she couldn’t naturally accept his favor when it came to family matters.
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