When Pride Fell At My Toes - Chapter 97



Only Krnovel

#97.
2024.04.06.

She left the ducal residence, wiping away the tears she hadn’t been able to wipe away. Fabio probably didn’t have time to worry about himself because the ducal residence had flipped over due to Enrico collapsing again.

Emilia knew better than anyone that it would be hard to leave the ducal residence unless it was at a time like this. So she tried to ignore Enrico, even though her attitude was cold, and quickly caught the carriage and returned home.

As soon as she got home, Emilia started packing her bags roughly. Since she had been staying at the ducal residence for a while, there was naturally no Zaveta in the house, so it was easy to move quickly. She

had roughly looked into where to move to, but it seemed better to look around hotels and inns carefully rather than going there and signing a contract right away.

‘… … It’ll be okay.’

Enrico’s last face kept catching her eye. He desperately held on to her, as if he was a completely different person than before. Everything seemed sincere, from his earnest eyes to his trembling voice, rather than an impulsive action.

It was even more uncomfortable because he, the duke, seemed to feel the deepest emotions because of her.

‘… … I’ll marry you. Is that okay?’

No, judging from the fact that he blurted out the absurd word of marriage, Enrico’s condition might have been more serious than ever.

He had even hurt his head. And as time passed and his body healed, he might regret what he had said.

In any case, whether it was a momentary impulse or sincerity, her thoughts remained unchanged. She was the one who realized his position more than anyone else while being close to Enrico.

‘… … It’s okay. There are so many things more important than this.’

Emilia shook her head from side to side as if shaking off useless memories and suppressing her emotions. She

took a deep breath, just like when she had tried to make a bleak face in order not to show even a single bit of emotion in front of him, and soon left the room with two suitcases in hand. Her

injured ankle was wrapped tightly with a bandage, so it didn’t hurt yet, but she knew better than anyone that this would only last for a moment. The attending physician said he would look into a cure, but Emilia was skeptical.

Now, she was busy thinking about how to solidify the evidence of Alessandro’s crimes and somehow bring him down. Naturally, she had no time to worry about her ankle injury.

‘Let’s just leave our luggage at the dorm and go to the administrative office.’

Cristina didn’t want to bother with Fabio because he would take care of it. She was curious about how he escaped, but her parents’ business was more important than her own safety.

She had asked him to find out who the person in charge was who confirmed that the dead Giorgio was her distant relative. That matter was supposed to come up this week, so she had to go.

The administrative staff had said that it would be difficult to confirm the facts because the person had been missing since he quit his job, but money was no match for business. She

secretly hired an employee, and it seemed that the difficult task was somehow progressing.

‘The person who ordered the forgery of the family proof documents must have something to do with my parents. We should focus our investigation there.’

Emilia moistened her dry lips and held the handles of the bag in her hands again. After thinking about it, it seemed like she should go to a hotel in the center of the capital.

If Enrico followed her, it would be useless to run away unless she left the country. Besides that, it seemed safer to just stay at a hotel with security personnel to prevent any possible danger.

Emilia quickly collected her thoughts. Even in the midst of all that, Enrico tried to fill her mind again, so she opened the front door wide as if rejecting him.

But there was an unexpected intruder standing in front of the door.

“You’re home today.”

It was none other than Alessandro Treano. His round eyes, as if he was wondering, and his silver hair, bathed in sunlight, sparkled.

“Ah… … Your Majesty.”

“I came to visit right away after hearing the news yesterday, but I was surprised that no one was home. Were you at Duke Michele’s residence?”

Unlike Alessandro, whose lips slightly raised, her expression hardened as if he was suddenly flustered. He looked down at her quietly and tilted his head.

“Duke Michele got hurt?”

“… … Yes, I guess it was because of me that he got hurt.”

“Oh, it’s too bad I should have gone to help him sooner.”

If that were the case, he would have been the one taking care of her. Alessandro swallowed his words and lowered his eyebrows. Alessandro’s mysterious face was reflected in her jade-colored eyes that showed his wariness.

“Huh?”

“Oh, I misspoke. It’s more regrettable than regrettable.”

Alessandro naturally corrected his words and took a half step closer to her. They were supposed to meet yesterday in the first place, but things got complicated when Enrico got involved.

He had expected Christina to act wildly, but he knew she would keep to the time he had given her.

‘Tsk, that’s why I can’t do anything with those lowly things.’

Christina, who had been rolling around and suffering in the workhouse, gritted her teeth and came out, disobeyed even the only order she had given. She

had only ordered Emilia to call and threaten her right before the flames rose, but she had called her earlier than expected. On top of that, she had done it before she even got there.

Her plan to save Emilia from danger had suddenly gone down the drain, and Enrico had given her the opportunity.

“I intend to deal with the culprit myself. It was infuriating that he escaped from the workhouse, but now he’s committing a revenge crime? That’s absolutely unacceptable.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Yes. Rather than quietly dealing with this, I intend to make an example of the criminal and punish him severely.”

Emilia seemed a little surprised, as if she had naturally expected Enrico to handle the case.

It was normal for the police to handle cases, but there were exceptions for cases involving nobles. It seemed like she hadn’t thought that Alessandro would step in like this.

“What should I do? The seeds of conflict should not have been left in the first place, but Duke Michele handled it too leniently. He just sent her to the labor camp and that was it?”

Unlike his sinister intentions, his expression was extremely complicated.

As he spoke as if he was lamenting, she kept her mouth shut as if she was at a loss for words. As if she didn’t know how to react.

“I’ll take care of everything. Just trust me.”

“… … Thank you.”

As she hesitated and eventually lowered her head, his gaze naturally lowered and fixed on the bag he had been holding in both hands.

“But may I ask what this baggage is?”

Was he planning to go into Enrico’s mansion?

He had suppressed his desire to drag her out right away after seeing her hanging around Enrico’s mansion during the entire performance. Alessandro glared at her as if he was going to snatch her luggage at any moment. “I

’m moving, so I’m going to stay in a hotel while I look for a place to live. I thought that the crowded downtown area would be a bit more comfortable… … .”

You’ve fallen out with Enrico. Alessandro realized it right away. He had rushed home as soon as he heard that Emilia had left the ducal residence, but it was worth the visit.

“Then how about coming with me?”

“… … Yes?”

“Where in this country is there a safer place than the palace? Since there’s an annex, it wouldn’t be bad to rest there for a while.”

“The palace! Please stop talking. How could I dare stay in a place where such high-ranking people are?”

“It’s okay. The annex is a space where you don’t have to tell Your Majesty separately, so don’t feel pressured. Of course, I could give you my town house, but I’m saying this because I want you to stay in the safest place.”

“But… … .”

“If you stay in the annex, I can immediately inform you of the progress of Christina’s case-.”

Alessandro’s lips curled up innocently.

“I can also tell you something about your parents.”

She was still investigating the death of the Viscount Este and his wife, so if she wanted to know, it would be okay if she told him. After all, the one who actually got involved was Count Vallemont.

‘I’ll just kill him before he can even open his mouth.’

Alexandre’s eyes, which were so calm as he thought of the eerie thoughts, were so calm. Looking at her shaking jade eyes, he thought generously of not urging her any further and giving her time to think.

The cool autumn breeze slightly messed up my neatly swept silver hair, but even that was fine. Alexandre kept a smile on his face, hoping that those pretty pink lips would show his approval.

“That would be difficult.”

However, his expression hardened at the unexpected intruder. Her eyes, which were a mixture of gray and purple, moved in the direction of the sound.

“… …!”

Emilia’s two eyes opened wide. The strength in her hands that were holding her bag straps loosened, and she covered her gaping mouth with them.

“I stopped the carriage far away to see what he was going to say, but it seems like he did a good job. It was quite an interesting story.”

Enrico, who had collapsed earlier, was walking back, looking completely fine.

Emilia stared in amazement at him, moving as if nothing was wrong, with his neat black hair disheveled, as if he had been bandaged somehow.

“I couldn’t help but listen to the story told by someone involved in the case.”