The heat in her head cooled down. Though she was drunk on alcohol, a fleeting thought of surrendering herself to the moment had dominated her mind.
‘This isn’t right…’
She was sure he was just seeking momentary amusement. If she gave in to this, she would be giving him everything—her very self.
If that happened, she’d spend her life gazing at his shadow, trapped inside his mansion, desperately waiting for his glance. That future was painfully clear.
‘I absolutely refuse.’
Tears welled up in Emilia’s eyes. The lingering intoxication drove her thoughts and emotions to extremes.
Because she didn’t want to get hurt anymore. Because she didn’t want to be left alone again.
Even knowing the future where he might abandon her, she couldn’t surrender her entire being to this feeling.
“I don’t want this anymore.”
Her trembling voice murmured faintly.
He had thought their feelings were aligned, but her sudden coldness and refusal caused his expression to harden. The heat coursing through his veins suddenly turned cold.
“Why?”
“…”
“I thought you felt the same way.”
“…I think I made a mistake because of the alcohol.”
His jaw clenched. The veins on his neck became prominent.
“I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore.”
“Ha.”
Her hesitant words made him let out an incredulous laugh. Enrico raised himself, swept back his disheveled hair, and leaned back lazily.
The warmth of her embrace from just moments ago still lingered. Her moist lips revealed exactly what they had just done, yet her denial made it seem as though she was rejecting everything that had transpired.
Enrico was torn between wanting to cherish her and wanting to hurt her. As long as Emilia remained within his grasp, he felt he could do anything—even if it caused her pain.
“…Is your pride so precious that even your body refuses to yield?”
Or perhaps it was his pride that had been wounded, and he wanted to retaliate. Sacrifice?
Someone precious? What did those things even mean?
If she refused to offer her unwavering affection, then he didn’t feel the need to beg for it. As long as she stayed before his eyes, the process didn’t matter.
“Even drunk, your determination to guard your worth is commendable.”
His words, consumed by anger, wiped away the fear of losing her. They were spat out like venom, as though he was desperate to inflict pain.
No matter what had happened in the past, she was here before him now. No matter how she acted, she wouldn’t escape him.
He justified it by convincing himself that locking her in a stronger, tighter cage would solve everything, unaware of how twisted he was becoming inside.
Emilia pushed herself up with her elbow, only to wince as her forgotten wound scraped against the surface. Seeing her reaction, he instinctively reached out before balling his hand into a fist and turning away.
She didn’t take her eyes off his retreating figure until the door closed behind him.
The flames that had flared up so suddenly had left only ashes behind. A breeze from the window cooled the air, but her flushed face showed no signs of calming anytime soon.
* * *
The humid atmosphere, as if heralding the height of summer, brought dark clouds that blanketed the sky. Emilia slowly closed the window and rested her forehead gently against the glass.
Three days had already passed since that absurd incident with him.
‘How much longer do I have to stay here?’
She felt like a prisoner trapped in an unescapable tower. Under constant surveillance that prevented her from stepping even a foot outside the mansion, Emilia could only sigh. Enrico hadn’t shown himself since that day, not even a glimpse.
If we could meet, we could at least talk… or maybe not. Who knows if I’d even be able to bring it up if we did? I never imagined he’d be so angry.
His pride seemed deeply wounded by her rejection. Like someone desperate to hurt her in retaliation, he had flung cruel words at her.
Though his sneering remarks left her chest tight, she resolved to harden her heart even more, unwilling to leave even the slightest opening. After all, his reaction had revealed his true feelings that he had kept hidden for some time.
She knew she’d have to humor him to extract information, but… now wasn’t the time.
Given her current state, there seemed little chance he’d even mention their contract, so she decided to stop concerning herself for now with whether the investigation results had come in.
In time, they’d return to treating each other strictly as contractual partners, just as when they first met. When that moment came, she could uphold the agreement and receive the information she needed.
‘But for now, I really need to return to the ballet company. This is a problem. Even if the {La Sylphide} performance was canceled, the next one is still going ahead as scheduled.’
And for the next performance, she was the lead role. It was her first time performing {Cinderella}, and she needed to practice more diligently than usual, which filled her with anxiety.
Lost in thought, she stared blankly out the window, watching raindrops begin to tap against the glass.
At the same time, she heard a short knock behind her. Figuring it was likely Zavetta, who’d let herself in anyway, she kept her gaze fixed outside.
“Miss Emilia, it’s Fabio Federico.”
“Oh… please, come in.”
She turned slowly as she addressed Fabio beyond the door. He entered after opening it, bowing politely before stepping inside.
“I came because I have something to report.”
Enrico’s not even around, so why come to me? Emilia blinked a few times in surprise.
“It’s about the letter you mentioned before. The investigation is complete, so I’ve come to update you.”
“Can you tell me now?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“I mean, is it alright to give me this information now, considering I haven’t fulfilled the terms of our contract?”
“Ah, yes. It’s fine. The Duke has authorized it.”
Enrico authorized it? It was completely unexpected. She thought he’d continue acting petulantly, refusing to discuss the contract, let alone grant any information. But now he was willingly sharing details? She couldn’t believe it.
Unless… no way. Could he have no intention of continuing the contract?
His words from before surfaced in her mind—how he’d continue to provide information even if he were the one to terminate the agreement. Her heart pounded nervously with a sudden sense of unease.
Previously, she had worried he might break his promise. Now, she was troubled by the possibility that he might truly see no need to continue the contract.
“Miss Emilia?”
“Oh… yes. Thank you.”
“The address written here belongs to one of the three individuals. The other two haven’t replied to any letters or been seen since. When asked about what they urgently wanted to discuss in the letter, they mentioned it concerned a new legislative proposal.”
“A legislative proposal? For my father?”
“Yes. The late Viscount Este had been working to propose a bill during his lifetime. It seems this person was involved in that effort.”
“Oh… could it be the patent rights proposal?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
As she suspected. Could the discussion of that legislative proposal have naturally led to the anonymous handling of investment rights?
She had thought her father was a modest noble living quietly in a small village, but the more she uncovered, the more extraordinary his actions seemed.
“So, did the person listed here meet with my father?”
“We couldn’t confirm that. When we attempted to contact them at the listed address, no one was there—it appears they’ve moved.”
“Oh…”
“However, during the search, we did find indications of where they might have gone.”
“Where is that?”
“To Levizo, in the northern region. It seems they’re somewhere near the Michele estate, but we’ll need to search the area to confirm.”
“Levizo? Isn’t that where my father had his accident on the way back? Could he have met with that lawyer?”
“It’s difficult to say definitively, but the circumstances suggest so.”
“Ah… is that area large? How long do you think it’ll take to find them?”
She was worried it would be as difficult as the previous attempts to locate the lawyer, which had yielded no results.
“If it were within the Michele estate, it would fall under their governance and be easier to investigate. But since it’s outside their jurisdiction, progress is slower. The area is mostly forested, with individuals living scattered rather than in villages, which adds to the delays.”
“…Thank you for all your hard work.”
“You’re most welcome. We’ll move quickly.”
As Emilia fiddled with the paper in her hand, she hesitated before politely calling out to Fabio, who was about to leave.
“Um, Fabio.”
“Yes?”
“Is the Duke very busy these days?”
Fabio paused briefly. Normally, he spoke without hesitation, so Emilia gave him a curious look.
“…Yes. He’s been extremely busy, to the point of hardly sleeping.”
“Hardly sleeping? Is he alright?”
“Yes. I believe he’ll recover in time.”
In time? Something about his words felt odd. Tilting her head slightly, she licked her dry lips and glanced at him. Behind her, the sound of rain striking the window grew louder.
“Then… could you ask him when I’ll be allowed to leave the mansion? My ankle has healed, and the wound on my arm just needs regular care at home. I think it’s about time I returned to the ballet company, but the Duke’s been so busy that I haven’t been able to ask him directly.”
Emilia smiled awkwardly, and Fabio looked at her for a moment before nodding slowly.
“I’ll deliver your message.”
* * * *
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