WPFAMT-64

Enrico spoke as he rang the bell to call for a servant. He instructed him to bring the wine he would drink and the grape juice Emilia often enjoyed, then continued speaking softly.

 

“You probably already know the reason better than anyone else. After all, you were the first to suspect her.”

 

“Yes… but I didn’t think she’d actually do it. I never thought she’d really be the culprit.”

 

Emilia briefly reflected on the image of Christina, who always looked at her with eyes full of jealousy.

 

She had kept an eye on her because Christina gave off an eerie vibe, somewhat like Eva but more sinister. However, she hadn’t expected things to escalate this far.

 

Even though she knew Christina was highly competitive, this was too much. Disappointment overshadowed the anger on Emilia’s face.

 

“She bribed the theater janitor, someone who wouldn’t raise suspicion even if he accessed the ceiling.”

 

“Sigh… How did you find the janitor? Did Christina confess first?”

 

“No, it was the opposite. The janitor was caught because of the staff member you asked to check the ceiling. That staff member saw the janitor tampering with something there while inspecting the area at your request.”

 

“Oh, but he didn’t notice anything unusual with the rope back then?”

 

“When the janitor was caught tampering, he claimed a small light was malfunctioning. There wasn’t time to investigate further, so he simply replaced the light in a rush without noticing anything else.”

 

Emilia nodded slowly. It was unfortunate that the incident occurred, but in a way, she felt relieved it hadn’t escalated further.

 

At least they managed to track down the culprit quickly, thanks to the staff member. Initially, she had only asked for the inspection to calm her uneasiness, but thankfully, it led to a swift resolution of the case.

 

“So, did the janitor reveal anything about Christina?”

 

“Yes. Their relationship wasn’t based on loyalty, so the janitor gave her up easily.”

 

“That makes sense. I didn’t expect it to be resolved within a day. So, will both of them go to prison without a trial?”

 

“Yes, and they likely won’t ever get out.”

 

Emilia’s eyes widened in surprise. It was a serious incident, but no one had died—she hadn’t expected such severe punishment.

 

“Life imprisonment?”

 

“Yes, with forced labor.”

 

What? Forced labor? She was so shocked that she covered her mouth.

 

Although slavery had been abolished long ago, remnants of the practice still lingered. Forced labor was known as the harshest punishment, even worse than rotting in prison for life.

 

Some even said it was more grueling than execution. Escape attempts were rare, as fugitives were usually caught quickly. Those caught trying to flee were subjected to stricter surveillance and forced to endure a lifetime of hard labor.

 

‘Punishment is fine, but isn’t this excessive?’

 

The severity of the sentence left Emilia stunned. She glanced at Enrico with a bewildered expression.

 

Had he used his influence to make this happen? Such a punishment wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. She bit her lower lip and turned her gaze toward the window.

 

‘No, don’t even think that way.’

 

There was no point in assigning unnecessary meaning to the situation.

 

While they were talking, the servant returned with drinks, placing two glasses on the table.

 

Since grape juice was sometimes served in a wine glass, Emilia quickly grabbed one and drank it in one go.

 

“No, Miss! That’s… wine!”

 

Before the servant could stop her, Emilia had already drained the glass.

 

The servant, startled, trailed off, his voice fading.

 

With the now-empty wine glass still at her lips, Emilia’s eyes widened. A trace of red wine still lingered in her mouth as she swallowed the last bit.

 

“…Bring water.”

 

“Yes, yes!”

 

Emilia lowered her head, covering her mouth with one hand as she felt a sudden warmth rising inside her. The bitter taste lingered in her mouth.

 

Enrico stepped down from his chair and knelt on one knee.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

She felt her ears burning. Emilia rubbed her lips with the back of her hand, as if trying to erase any trace of the wine.

 

Enrico gently grasped her slender wrist.

 

“Don’t rub them—you’ll bruise yourself.”

 

Her golden hair cascaded down as he carefully tucked it behind her ear. Tilting his head slightly, he gazed up at her face, as if checking her expression.

 

‘This feels strange…’

 

Emilia closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again. Her head grew foggy, and her face felt hotter by the second.

 

The lingering scent of alcohol made it even harder to regain her composure. Even with Enrico so close, all she could do was blink repeatedly.

 

The servant quickly brought water and carefully handed it to Enrico. Enrico took the glass, and gestured for the servant to leave. Once the sound of the door closing faded, he gently cupped her soft cheek with his hand.

 

“Emilia.”

 

As if responding to his call, her eyelids slowly fluttered open and then closed again.

 

She wasn’t much of a drinker to begin with, and the wine he typically drank was dry and high in alcohol content. Combined with her hurried drinking, it seemed to have made her intoxicated even faster.

 

He gently brought the glass to her lips.

 

“It’s water.”

 

At his low voice, she obediently drank the water without a word. The sound of her swallowing was endearing.

 

As she sipped the water he gradually gave her, her delicate neckline, flushed pink from the heat coursing through her, was visible.

 

His thirst began to show on his face. For some reason, her obedient demeanor deepened his gaze, and his lips felt parched, as though he were the one thirsting.

 

The way she calmly accepted his hand and drank the water he gave her stirred something peculiar in his chest.

 

“Mmm…”

 

Though she hadn’t drunk much, she groaned and pressed her lips tightly shut. The water she’d been drinking lightly wet her lips, trailing down the corners of her mouth.

 

He immediately set the glass down and wiped her chin and lips with his thumb. Her lips were soft and warm beneath his slow strokes. His relentless gaze fixed on her slightly swollen lips.

 

‘…I need to put her to sleep quickly.’

 

He couldn’t take it anymore. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling heavily. Regretfully, he brushed her lips from the center to the corner, then slowly withdrew his hand.

 

As he moved to lift her into his arms and carry her to bed, Emilia’s hands cupped his cheeks. He froze, forgetting his movement entirely.

 

Like someone examining something fascinating, Emilia slowly moved one hand. Her fingers brushed along his sharp jawline, lingering for a moment on his slightly lowered eyes.

 

His lashes trembled, and his eyelids closed. She seized the moment, moving her hand from the corner of his eye to his eyelid, gently touching it.

 

“…It’s lowered, but why does it still look wicked?”

 

Her murmured words broke his hardened expression. Emilia seemed entirely unaware of what she was doing. Gradually, he began to smile as if enjoying her touch.

 

Her hand moved without hesitation, trailing from his eyes down his nose, then stopping on his lips. Her fingertips, as if savoring the texture, stroked his skin gently.

 

Then Emilia narrowed her eyes slightly and brought her face closer to his, her features just a breath away. The subtle scent of wine mixed with the jasmine-like clean floral fragrance she always carried.

 

Her slightly unfocused transparent eyes quietly gazed at him before her lips moved.

 

“What?”

 

He couldn’t hear her. As Enrico leaned closer to catch her words, tilting his head, her head drooped, and her lips brushed against the corner of his.

 

Her warm breath tickled as her lips grazed his skin. The hand resting on his lips fell limply.

 

“Thirsty…”

 

She mumbled, her lips still against his skin. His unfocused eyes snapped back into clarity as he cupped her cheeks.

 

When he tilted his head, her lips, which had lingered at the corner of his, naturally slid to meet his own. As their lips lightly touched, he half-closed his eyes and murmured in a husky voice.

 

“Then open your mouth.”

 

She stared at him briefly before her lips parted slightly. Her unfocused eyes momentarily gleamed as their lips overlapped.

 

It started gently. He moved his lips cautiously so as not to startle her, but then his head dipped deeper. She flinched and leaned back, reflexively lowering her hands from his cheeks to his neck.

 

The heat radiating from them warmed the room. The wind seeping through the window grew tepid, mingling with their heated breaths.

 

“Hah…”

 

How much time had passed? A damp sound broke the silence as a long-awaited breath escaped them both.

 

Emilia’s closed eyes opened very slowly. As she lazily gazed at him, he, who had risen halfway, sat up fully and lifted her in his arms.

 

“Emilia, are you conscious now?”

 

Walking toward the bed, he asked firmly. Her dazed eyes flickered briefly, though faintly.

 

Her face, still flushed a soft pink, began to pale slightly, as though the color was draining from her. The strength in her arms, which had been wrapped around his neck, faltered.

 

Enrico said nothing in response. As if satisfied that she was at least somewhat conscious, he carefully laid her on the bed.

 

If he hadn’t noticed her eyes briefly sharpening, that had been clouded before, just before the kiss, he wouldn’t have known.

 

He rested one knee on the bed, casting a shadow over her.

 

Like a flower in full bloom, she lay sprawled beautifully. His darkened eyes gleamed as he stared down at her.

 

“…Ah.”

 

The moment Emilia saw those eyes, she instinctively reached out and pushed his shoulder. It was the same gaze he had when watching her on stage.

 

A gaze that seemed covetous but always left her wondering if he was merely feeling joy from inspecting his possession.

 

‘Don’t be deceived by that gaze.’

 

* * * *

 

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