When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 85
Only Noblemtl
#85. Trap (3)
2024.03.25.
Today, Emilia got up from her seat a beat late at the sight of Alessandro, who was making eye contact with a friendly smile as usual.
“Oh, I don’t mind the awkward greetings. Can’t we skip that kind of thing between us now?”
“Between us… … . It feels too meaningful.”
Enrico slightly twisted his head and looked up at Alessandro. Although they were clearly sitting, Enrico felt as if he was looking down on Alessandro.
“If we’ve known each other for a long time, isn’t that understandable?”
“Didn’t you say that we saw each other a few times when we were young and haven’t seen each other since then?”
Enrico suddenly asked Emilia. His gaze was fixed on her, as if he wanted her to send Alessandro away herself like last time.
Emilia hesitated for a moment, then lowered her eyes as if avoiding Enrico’s gaze and opened her mouth.
“… … Even if we only met a few times, if we met when we were young, we are old friends.”
The two men’s expressions became the same at her soft voice. Both of them looked at her as if they were surprised, but Emilia tried to act calm and gently grabbed the teacup in front of her.
“Haha, I guess it was a good idea to come and say hello.”
Soon, the two men’s reactions were divided. Unlike Alessandro, who was happily drawing a refreshing curve on his lips, Enrico’s face lost its smile and became stiff as if he were a hardened person.
Emilia didn’t bother to look at their faces. She just moistened her lips with tea and prepared to get up.
“Excuse me, but my break time will be over soon, so I think I should get up first.”
“Oh, then I should go. Can I see you off?”
Emilia’s eyes, which were watching Alessandro’s hand naturally extending, glanced at Enrico.
His gaze, piercing my cheek as if it was going to stab me, showed a sense of dissonance that was both cold and burning.
Alessandro’s smile grew deeper at the strange atmosphere between the two.
Just yesterday, he had been in such a bad mood that he had been thinking that he would just go to Emilia’s house today and take her as he pleased, regardless of whether the time he had waited was a waste or not. However,
the girl he had just met was acting quite docile, unlike her previous attitude.
Enrico said he would investigate the death of the Viscount Este couple, but the results were not good.
It seemed that Emilia had asked Enrico to do it, but from what the shadows had observed, there seemed to be no progress in the investigation, so he had been gradually losing interest.
However, since they were trying to break up on their own like this, he couldn’t help but welcome it.
“Then I’ll ask you.”
Alessandro felt the soft fingertips touching his hand and held it tightly. The anger he had directed at Emilia quickly subsided as he felt her gentle hand follow without resistance.
“Emilia.”
A spine-chillingly low voice called her name from the side. Her fingertips tightened in surprise.
Enrico tilted his head obliquely and squinted his dark, sunken eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“… … I’m sorry. I have to go now.”
It was clearly referring to the theater, but it sounded strangely different. Emilia walked slowly toward the door without looking back.
“I warned you before.”
Then she stopped for a moment at the low, chewing voice. What was the warning?
A warning not to go against his will? A warning not to get close to Alessandro? Or, a warning that Alessandro was dangerous?
Countless warnings flashed through her mind, and if the last one was true, she concluded that she should get close to Alessandro even more because of it.
It was almost certain that Vallemont was the culprit, but she had no idea why Alessandro had joined in and tried to kill her parents.
It was creepy that the person who had sent the suspicious note asking for the jewels was smiling so defenselessly.
‘I can’t do anything to the royal family anyway. If I want to do something, I’ll have to risk my life.’
Carrying a small knife in my pocket as a safety device was a means of protecting myself, but what could I do if it was dangerous? Now, it seemed more certain to confront Alessandro directly.
“I know it’s a warning. But I don’t think I can keep it.”
Emilia opened the door first and went into the hallway. She didn’t want to listen to Enrico anymore. Given his personality, he wouldn’t be able to keep up, so she felt that it was most important for her to leave quickly.
“Emilia, what on earth happened with your uncle?”
She looked up at Alessandro, who was looking down at her with his eyebrows lowered as if he was genuinely worried, and let go of the hand she was holding for escort.
“It’s just that the sponsorship period is almost over. It’s nothing.”
The empty hallway was so quiet that there were no guests using the private room yet. Emilia said softly, feeling the silence behind her.
“It’s nothing… … .”
Alessandro glanced behind him and raised the corner of his mouth.
“It’s nothing anymore, I guess.”
***
The sky, which had been clear for a while, was now filled with gray clouds. The air was humid and the wind was cold, as if it would rain soon.
Enrico felt a strong wind blowing past him and raised his head. The documents piled up on his desk fluttered and scattered here and there.
In an instant, the neat office was taken over by paper, leaving no place to step.
Enrico put down his quill and got up from his seat. Looking out the open window, he saw a dreary sight, as if a typhoon was coming.
“The sponsorship period is over… … .”
Enrico muttered softly, taking a cigarette out of a gold case and putting it in his mouth. A light shone through his darkened purple eyes. The sound of the cigarette burning out was followed by a faint smoke.
‘Did she go crazy from shock?’
Enrico criticized Emilia harshly as he reflected on yesterday. How dare she turn her back and grab Alessandro’s hand while he was talking. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming.
It would have been impossible for such a scene to unfold before his eyes unless it had been a terrible nightmare, but Emilia’s dry voice pierced his ears as if to remind him that it was reality.
‘It’s nothing.’
Her words continued to pierce his insides. Strangely, his heart sank, and he froze in place for a moment.
Indescribable emotions surged inside him, and a sensation he had never felt even when he had grown up alone in the palace kept enveloping his body.
My brain was burning hot. Should I bring her over right away? Should I go there and make her submit to my arrogant eyes?
But that thought lasted only a moment, and I didn’t want to see those dull emerald eyes again.
Of course, I couldn’t sleep. I sat in my office obsessively, looking at my documents as if I was trying to drive away Emilia, who wouldn’t leave my mind, but the strong wind broke my barely maintained concentration.
The weather, which seemed like it was going to be a storm, seemed just like me. Enrico, who had been staring out the window with a preoccupied face, flicked the end of his cigarette and turned around.
“Your Majesty?”
Fabio, who had been waiting in the office where the lights never went out all night, tensed up when the door suddenly opened.
“Have the carriage ready.”
“… … Where should I take you?”
“Emilia.”
Fabio’s two eyes shook for a moment. A few days ago, Emilia had asked him not to come on Sundays, but as expected, Enrico had no intention of keeping it.
Yesterday, Enrico suddenly heard that Emilia had gone out during lunch break, so he went out alone and came back feeling depressed the whole time. He
hadn’t slept and the only time he had left his office was to take a shower in the morning, and even then,
he had poured cold water on himself as if he was trying to come to his senses. I heard that the butler who was helping him almost fell over in shock when he saw that. It was even more surprising because he had never been exposed to cold water even in the middle of summer.
“Understood.”
He had relayed Emilia’s request to Enrico, but he probably had no intention of keeping it in the first place. Besides, if something had happened yesterday, he might have been even more tempted to visit.
Fabio bowed his head politely and quickly crossed the hallway. In times like this, it was best not to think about anything and just do what Enrico told him to do.
So that the ominous atmosphere surrounding Enrico would clear up even a little.
***
Knock, knock. The sound of raindrops tapping on the window grew louder. Emilia blankly stared out the window, taking in the leaves swaying in the rain.
At first, they didn’t even flinch at the raindrops, but as the rain grew heavier, the leaves began to sway as if they had lost their strength, and soon a strong wind blew, causing them to fall from the tree branches they had barely been holding onto.
Behind the leaves crashing to the ground, a carriage could be seen getting closer and closer. Emilia’s mouth opened slightly and a deep sigh escaped her.
“They’re finally here… .”