When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 80



Only Krnovel

#80. By Your Side
2024.03.20.

“Thank you for your words.”

“Okay, let’s continue what we were saying.”

“Yes!”

Lanileo quickly continued the rest of his speech.

Attorney Paolo Arturo showed her the power of attorney he had received from Viscount Este and pointed out the part that Emilia had to sign.

He said that the anonymity condition of the investment rights would be canceled the moment she submitted it, revealing her real name. She had to break her anonymity to receive the profits from the investment rights, but he told her that there was another asset he had left her.

Emilia looked at the pile of documents in front of her and sighed. As if to prove that the documents he had left in the basement were just small things, the documents Lanileo had given her were all about important content.

“… … So all of Viscount Este’s hidden assets were here.”

Enrico clicked his tongue briefly with a somewhat displeased expression. The royalties for the various inventions she had invested in and the lands she had purchased were clearly money she wouldn’t be able to use until she died.

Of course, it was a drop in the bucket for Enrico’s wealth, but that wasn’t the point. Emilia’s environment, where she seemed to have nothing to regret, was the problem.

Enrico tilted his head and brought his lips closer to Emilia’s. Emilia flinched and tried to push him away, but stopped when she saw Lani Leo staring at her with surprised eyes on the other side. She

hesitated because it seemed like the countess was treating the duke too carelessly, so she hesitated to push him away.

“Even if you have money, you know our contract is still valid?”

She held her breath reflexively. As the hot breath she felt after a long time brushed her cheek, a low whisper came into her ear. Her face, which had been hunched over with an embarrassed expression, hardened.

“You weren’t interested in money, were you? Don’t forget that you have to stay by my side.”

Today, she thought it would pass a little, but Emilia bit her lower lip at Enrico’s actions that had already brought her mood down.

“… … I know.”

As Emilia let out a voice that sounded like she was gritting her teeth, Enrico raised one eyebrow slightly and tilted his head back. She

could feel his gaze studying her expression, but Emilia stubbornly stared straight ahead, pretending not to notice.

“I’m sorry. Where did I leave off?”

he asked, even raising the corners of his lips. Enrico’s gaze lingered on that smile, and his eyes narrowed.

“Haha… … I’ve almost explained everything. However, the investment rights anonymity will only last until this year, so you must handle it this year.”

“I see.”

“Then the car investment rights aren’t urgent, so I’ll keep them anonymous for a while. They’ll just attract unnecessary attention.”

Emilia nodded obediently at Enrico’s words, putting aside her displeasure at him.

It was obvious that the moment the real name of the car investment rights was revealed, Count Vallemont would come looking for her with his eyes wide open.

Even though the exact details of her parents’ accident had not been revealed, she was already reluctant to expose herself to danger, and in fact, her parents had worked hard to protect their assets, so they were precious, and money was of no interest to her at the moment.

The reason she had come to this lawyer in the first place was not because she wanted to know about the car investment rights, but because she wanted to see him in person since he was the last person her parents had met.

‘I’m sorry to my parents, but… … This is not what I want to know.’

Emilia absentmindedly glanced at the documents in front of her and finally asked Lanileo what she had wanted to ask the most.

“There’s one thing I want to ask you.”

“Please tell me.”

“… … Was there anything strange on the day my father had an accident?”

Lanileo’s once gentle face hardened seriously. He nodded immediately, perhaps because he had the question in mind, and opened his mouth.

“Even without that, he left us a warning before he passed away that day.”

Emilia’s eyes sparkled greatly. All of her nerves were focused on Lani Leo’s mouth, which slowly opened as if time was passing slowly.

“Beware of lions and snakes.”

It seemed as if she could actually hear her father’s voice. Emilia’s chin trembled and then closed tightly.

“Lion… …?”

Emilia’s gaze unconsciously turned to the Michele Duke’s lion emblem in the middle of the living room wall. There was a moment of silence, and her gaze stopped on Enrico’s side face like flowing water.

Enrico’s purple eyes, which had been staring into space with an expression that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking, slowly met her gaze. Emilia licked her lips in disbelief before barely letting out a voice that seemed to be fading.

“… … The lion is a symbol that only royalty can use, right?”

Emilia pointed to the family crest, her eyes turning red. Enrico answered softly with deeply sunken eyes as her breathing became more intense.

“Yes.”

Lion and snake. She was confused as to which of the royal family members it was and which snake emblem suited the royal family. Emilia’s two pupils trembled slightly.

Of course, Enrico in front of her was also a duke of royal descent who wore the lion emblem, but if he had been the culprit, she would not have let the case be revealed to this extent.

She had been pushing him away and shouting out loud that she had no trust, but she naturally moved her trembling lips without realizing that she trusted him.

“Then, do you know who the snake is?”

“There are more than a few families with snake emblems, but I know one snake that accompanies a lion.” A

cold voice came over her son-in-law. Emilia stared into his still, still staring at his closed eyes, waiting for him to open his mouth.

“The Count of Valermont.”

A voice filled with conviction pierced her ears.

***

She had suggested to Lanileo, who had come up in a hurry, that he stay at the duke’s residence for the time being, but he had told her that he was worried about his lawyer who was not feeling well and that he should return immediately.

Enrico’s subordinates were taking care of him, but he was not used to receiving help from others because they had been living alone for so long. Still,

he couldn’t just leave, so he ate with them out of courtesy, but he was so distracted that he couldn’t tell if the food was going down his nose or his mouth.

“Miss, are you okay? I’ll leave the medicine here.”

In the end, Emilia, who had been vomiting, couldn’t return home and ended up spending another night at Enrico’s mansion against her will.

Emilia, who had been lying down with the blanket over her face, slowly got up at the sound of the door carefully closing.

‘… … Is this really what Count Vallemont and Alessandro planned?’

She was half-convinced that it was her father’s warning, but that alone was not enough to completely pin them down as the culprits.

Lani Leo apologized for not knowing anything about the masked men who had attacked his house and was too busy running away, but it was enough to just relay his father’s words.

Emilia sighed deeply and walked toward the window. Today, the moonlight, obscured by clouds, seemed to be similar to her heart.

She was staring blankly at the sky for a while when she heard a short knock and the sound of the door opening behind her. Emilia somehow knew who it was, so she didn’t bother to look back.

“Why are you standing there?”

Enrico naturally approached the window and wrapped the black gown hanging on one side around her shoulders. Emilia looked down at the gown for a moment and then looked up at Enrico, who was standing next to her.

“Why didn’t you take your medicine? You said you didn’t feel well.”

He checked the medicine on the nightstand as he came in and continued to ask questions.

“I’m going to take it before bed.”

“What about taking digestive medicine before bed? You should take it right away.”

Enrico headed toward the nightstand with a face that told her not to say such absurd things. He grabbed the medicine and a glass of water and approached her.

She watched his actions quietly, frowning slightly with one eye. Why was he so affectionate at times like this? I should have just gone home.

I had been trying so hard to hold on to my already wavering heart towards him, but when Enrico appeared right before my eyes when I wanted to give up the most, I felt a surge of desire to lean on him.

Emilia’s gaze moved from his beautiful face down his straight neck and stopped at his large hands.

“Should I feed him?”

Enrico, who had been quietly looking down at Emilia, finally asked quietly. Whether he was joking or being serious, her head slowly moved left and right, unable to respond to his words.

“… … Thank you.”

He tilted his head slightly, not understanding her mood, which was so different from usual. He waited for her to take her medicine obediently, and muttered softly.

“Why are you reacting like that? It’s a day when I’ve gained a lot of things I wanted to know, but instead of being happy, you look depressed.”

“That’s right. I thought this day would be so nice, but I feel strangely bitter.”

“Why?”

He pretended to naturally grab the glass of water in her hand and wrapped it around her finger.

“I just thought that if my parents hadn’t worked so hard for me, this wouldn’t have happened. Even though they had that much money, I can understand why they wanted to leave you the right to invest in cars, but I can’t.”

“They must have wanted to protect you so perfectly.”

In the end, the glass of water slipped out of her hand. And

then, as if filling the space, a warm hand wrapped around it. “The Count of Vallemont must have been endlessly greedy. Knowing that, the Viscount and his wife might have prepared themselves by leaving everything to you.”