Read Novel Full Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Investigator of the Incident
“……….this guy, isn’t he the heir of the Serranovas?”
“What? Who are you?”
Hearing his family named out loud like that, Ricardo’s expression became a bit grim again.
But, Graziano whose eyes looked like they were glazed with rage, seemed like he’d punch out at Ricardo at any given moment.
“Get away from the young miss, or else………”
“Gr, Graziano!!”
Francesca who was cornered to a wall, used the opening showed by Ricardo to quickly escape it. Not to escape, but to stop Graziano quickly.
“It’s fine! Serranova-san was simply stopping me from breaking the dress code that’s all!”
“What…….?”
“Yes! You see, my ribbon was coming off! If a teacher had caught me, I’d been in trouble right! Ah, thank god! I was saved! All thanks to Serranova-san!!”
Graziano was usually expressionless but, his serious look hid behind a serious amount of wrath behind it. So Francesca faked smiles to try and calm her little bro down.
(T/N: I’m sticking with ‘little bro’ for ‘otoutobun’. Which technically means, ‘someone who’s like her younger brother’ but it feels awkward writing that everytime. ‘Little bro’ I feel has the right connotation. This being a gangster family and all.)
“Right!? Serranova-san, that’s true, right!!?”
“Uh…….? Well, I mean that was true but, also, about Aldi……….”
“Enough of that……..!!!”
When Francesca interrupted her with a sharp whisper, Ricardo stiffened with a start.
“Just go along with everything I say dammit!!”
“…….!?!”
She could not let Graziano find out that someone from another family had gotten involved with her, at any cost.
If he did, she had no idea what Graziano might do at the spot. Not to mention, her father would definitely get notice of this as well.
It might genuinely result in a family war.
Sensing Francesca’s intentions, Ricardo cleared his throat once and then explained to Graziano.
“Ye……..yes, that’s right. I was simply helping that transfer student to better follow the rules of this academy that’s all.”
“Seriously, thank you so much, Serranova-san!”
As she horribly acted out a thanks to him, Graziano simply looked down.
“——that.”
(Did I convince Graziano……..?)
As she looked back at him, he spoke out a different complain.
“……..meaning, that man has been constantly staring right at young miss’ chest, am I getting that correct……?”
“WHY WOULD YOU TAKE IT THAT WAY!?!?!?”
When Francesca shouted inadvertently, even Ricardo’s face flushed red in a panic.
“How, how rude!! I wouldn’t dare look at the female students with such lecherous eyes!!”
“Wha? How would anyone notice something small like the ribbon if you weren’t constantly focused at their chests………this guy really is a danger, should I erase him………”
“Graziano, I heard that last line you know! No means no!!”
Ricardo must’ve missed it but, she definitely heard his inexcusable statement.
She hurriedly held his hands down, as Graziano looked at her while sulking.
“In the first place, young miss, you are to blame as well. Didn’t you want to live a peaceful school life? What are you doing here and getting involved with guys like these??”
“Ugh, I really have no answer to that……….”
Looking closely, a bunch of students had been staring over here from afar. If she ended up standing out too much, her normal school life would remain just a dream.
Ricardo was still blushing all the way to his ears, and desperately tried to justify himself.
“I, I was simply paying attention to make sure that no one was breaking rules, that’s all….!”
“Pardon my intrusion, young master.”
While Ricardo was still in a panic, another male student came up to them and spoke up.
“Break time is almost over, let us return now.”
“Kuh……….”
Turns out the boy was also a member of the Serranova family.
Ricardo’s expression seemed to show that he still wanted to continue refuting the claims made against him but, in the end he cleared his throat and spoke.
“…………Then allow me to excuse myself here for today. Do pay attention so as to not break rules any further in the future.”
After saying that, he looked at Francesca with a cold look.
“Especially, interacting with a [Rule Breaker] should be out of the question.”
“………….”
After that, accompanied by a bunch of other male students, he walked back to the 2nd year school building.
Graziano continued to glare at his back, and once he had confirmed that the normal students around them had started walking back on their way as well, he spoke in a small voice.
“………He really didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
“I said I’m fine Graziano. Thanks for getting angry for my sake though. But like I said, I’m all good.”
She quickly appeased and calmed Graziano down, and then sighed.
“But still, to end up meeting another family heir in such a place………Isn’t Serranova-san a 2nd year? Why was here in the 1st year building?”
“Who knows. I did hear rumours from the guys in class that he has been asking around people about something though.”
“I wonder if it’s in regards to the drug trafficking incident that has been happening in the capital recently or not.”
Graziano eyes widened in surprise from her words.
“You knew?”
“I heard a bit while I was at home.”
She made a vague excuse but reality was of course different.
Francesca knew full well, what all major incidents were about to occur here in the future as well as who all were involved in it. She of course knew everything.
(As expected, it has begun. The big incident around which the first chapter of the main story revolves around……..)
The first chapter of the game was focused on a certain drug that has recently become popular and was being traded around secretly in the capital.
(One of the rules that the big 5 families must always protect. One of them is [To not use or sell any drug that can make people go crazy] after all.)
Drug trafficking was banned in the territory of all 5 families.
To make sure this rule isn’t broken, the families keep an eye on the other families, and if one of them were to get involved in such a thing, they would purge them together. Such were the harsh penalties for breaking the Iron Code.
(Even in my past life, drug trafficking was a [taboo] among many yakuza groups. My grandfather’s group was of course also one of those…………In this world as well, the big 5 families found the effects of drugs on people to be problematic and made sure that they never get brought in into the country in the first place by strictly controlling what gets traded inside the country.)
If they didn’t, there would undoubtedly be people within the families who would jump on the opportunity to become a part of it and it would lead to the destruction of their organization.
The strict ban on drugs in the underworld of this country was to both protect the members of the family themselves as well as protect the normal citizens of this country.
(And if there really was a drug trafficking incident taking place inside the capital which was the territory directly under all 5 families, it would become a massive deal. Not only would it stain the honour of all 5 families, if one of their own members were involved, it could lead to an all out purge against the entire family………)
That’s why, the head of the Serranova family, Ricardo’s father, had put Ricardo directly in charge of the investigation of this case.
(The first chapter of the game involved the protagonist cooperating with Ricardo to resolve this drug trafficking incident.)
Of course, it was no surprise that it was Ricardo’s Serranova family that were the first to take action against this issue.
The Serranova family’s insignia is the pure white lily, and their creed was [Traditions].
To protect the old traditions was extremely important to the Serranovas, and they were not the type to abandon or take lightly, the long standing Iron Code.
That’s why, the heir of family of, Ricardo began this investigation at the behest of his father.
The ever serious Ricardo would patrol and investigate the capital city, and even when at school, he’d continue questioning the students to find any leads.
(The game’s protagonist Francesca had transferred into the academy without hiding that she was a Calvino so Ricardo directly came to talk to her regarding this incident. And would then begin the investigation together………)
“………Young miss?”
Graziano looked at her worried, while someone else’s face appeared inside her mind.
(……….But I already know who’s the mastermind behind the drug trafficking incident though……….)
“Francesca.”
As if her thoughts had been read through, a sweet voice called out Francesca.
Turning towards the voice, she saw the beautiful man gazing and walking towards her from her from afar with his hands in his pockets.
“Leonardo…….”
Francesca felt weary as she stared at the man that was like a maelstrom personified.
Of course, it goes without saying, the mastermind behind the said big incident was indeed Leonardo himself.