Read Novel Full Chapter 115
Chapter 115
Fragments of Lies
Leonardo nuzzled his forehead against the bottom of Francesca’s neck.
His body was indeed hot from the fever, as she could feel a burning sensation as soon as he came into direct contact.
“Are you okay? Feeling tired?”
“mm………I’m fine.”
Leonardo said that, but his eyes remained shut. Francesca allowed herself to be hugged obediently, meanwhile she put her hand on his forehead to check.
“I knew it, yesterday you got drenched from the rain a bit too much because of me……”
“That wasn’t it.”
While caressing Francesca’s hair, Leonardo spoke in a low voice.
“………I just, used a bit too many skills. I’ll be back to normal after a couple of hours.”
“Really……….?”
“When I use skills I stole from others, in quick succession, I have to deal with a little bit of recoil.”
His voice seemed a lot more gentler than usual.
“But, that’s all it is.”
Right now, Francesca’s fingers must feel really cold and refreshing to him.
Every time she touched either his cheeks or ears, he would use his own hands to press it further on him, like child being spoiled.
(Leonardo’s skill. He can touch and steal the strongest skill from the corpse of someone he knew.)
Francesca combed through Leonardo’s hair with her hand. Revealing his well shaped forehead, she began to then slowly caress and pat his head.
(If this recoil happens from continuous overuse of skills he stole from others, and is in pain because of that……..then he definitely did that to quickly save me, I’m sure.)
She frowned at her own lack of strength when it seemed like Leonardo was chuckling softly.
“You are really, far too easy to take advantage of, you know.”
Like a child playing with hands, Leonardo entwined his fingers with Francesca’s.
“I can easily see someone appeal to your heart, grab a weakness and make you feel guilty, and then have you do their bidding in return.”
“……….”
If it was back when they had just met, she may taken his words to be serious.
But now, Francesca was able to listen to these kinds of words quite calmly.
“Leonardo, are you going to do something so horrible to me?”
“………as if.”
As she thought, Leonardo continued to speak with his eyes still shut.
“Something like that, is not the kind of thing I could ever do……..”
His mutterings seemed quieter and lighter than ever but it reached her ears clearly regardless. It seemed his fever was really high but, even so Leonardo didn’t look like he wanted to sleep.
“………Let’s talk, Francesca. About what all has happened inside this forest, and what all is about to happen as well.”
Although she worried for his health, she had a feeling he was not going to rest so easily anyway. And then there was also the talk she had with Ricardo before coming her as well, so Francesca ended up reluctantly nodding.
(The party is fast approaching, the night after tomorrow. If all went according to the game, Graziano’s father will be killed that night.)
Before that, they needed to find the killer, and needed to change the destined scenario from occurring again.
No matter how difficult that may be, she needed to make it happen.
“Graziano’s father came to meet you right?”
“……..Ricardo eh?”
“Well, I cross questioned him and cornered him to get that out, so don’t get too angry on Ricardo okay? Also, it’s not fair that you kept that from me.”
Seeing Francesca sulk like that, Leonardo snickered.
“The way you said [not fair] was also so cute. Please, scold me more like that.”
“geez, don’t try and avoid the topic! What did the Lord Marquis request from you?”
That was one thing Ricardo refused to tell her no matter how much she questioned him. Leonardo slowly opened his eyelids, and then spoke.
“………Marquis Savini wished his son, your watchdog, to be [completely] erased from his surroundings.”
“………!”
Hearing that, Francesca breathed in sharply from shock.
“The Marquis, really wanted to…….?”
“——-[kill him], yes. He made that very clear.”
Leonardo’s tone made it pretty clear that he wasn’t lying. Just thinking of how Graziano would feel hearing his own father ask of that, Francesca’s heart ached from pain.
“Forgive me. I didn’t want to see you make that pained expression, which is why I chose to not tell you that.”
“………..”
Hearing those overwhelmingly gentle words, the ache in her heart only grew more.
“……….did you accept it?”
“I pretended to, at least. It was a great chance to get a good read on the Marquis’ actions right?”
As if he was playing around, Leonardo took Francesca’s hand in his own and entwined his fingers again.
“The reason you were attacked, was also exactly like your watchdog guessed. The marquis had hired other people of the underworld as well to target him, which was how you ended up getting attacked.”
“………The Savini family belongs inside Sofia-san’s territory right? Shouldn’t he normally make this kind of request to Sofia-san instead?”
“it’s because Sofia refused his request that he decided to hire a bunch of third-rate rabble that don’t work for any of the great 5 families I imagine. And it just so happened that we appeared right then by coincidence, and in a hurry decided to make that request to us as well.”
While squeezing on to Leonardo’s fingers with her own, she was now confident.
“Leonardo.”
“What is it? Francesca?”
Hearing him answer with a loveable voice, Francesca looked directly into his moon-coloured eyes.
“I, you see, ever since I found out that Leonardo wasn’t really an evil guy, I had consciously made an effort to stop doubting you entirely.”
The man she thought was the game’s last boss had suddenly become an irreplaceable friend to her.
And so, she had deemed Leonardo her ally, and had fully believed that she would never have any reason to doubt him ever again. That’s why, she also felt guilt whenever such doubts appeared again.
“But, that was definitely a mistake. It was a huge mistake on my part to stop being suspicious of you Leonardo.”
“……..Ohh?”
“Because….”
Francesca looked Leonardo directly in his eyes and spoke.
“You are lying to me.”
“………”
The moment she said that, Leonardo’s lips broke into a smile.