Read Novel Full Chapter 32
Chapter 32
The Traditions that One Must Protect
Hearing Francesca’s calm and objective discernment of the situation, Leonardo couldn’t help but break into laughter.
“Enough you, just stay put and don’t move.”
(Getting whispered so close to my ear really tickles though…….!!)
The very next instant, a formal and strict sounding voice resounded in the area.
“——–So you were here, Aldini.”
(I knew it………)
The presence she had felt approaching close to them was in fact the source of this voice.
Leonardo, to keep her hidden, continued to embrace Francesca in his arms, and only turned his head to talk to this person.
” Did you have to go out of your way to ruin our little tryst?——- Boorish as always. Ricardo.”
“I don’t recall letting you call me by my name.”
The next heir of the Serranova family, Ricardo, was openly showing his anger towards Leonardo.
“I need to talk to you………..It has something to do with pact that was forged with a blood sign. You are not allowed to refuse, as you’d imagine.”
“Oi oi, seriously, you really have no class.”
Leonardo finally fully turned around, hiding Francesca behind his back, and faced Ricardo directly.
“Look………you’re making this [commoner] girl afraid.”
(Ah, could it be.)
Francesca had a very petite body, so she really was completely hidden behind Leonardo’s body.
(Is he trying to hide me from Ricardo?)
Francesca tries to not let herself be seen alongside Leonardo publicly while in the academy.
She wondered if he was being considerate for her sake. Feeling a bit shocked from Leonardo’s unexpected actions, Francesca held her tongue.
Ricardo on the other hand, simply spoke to Leonardo, not hiding the scorn and loathing in his voice.
“It is you who is cowardly. You use a woman from the surface as your shield, and trying to run away from your duty.”
(Wow Ricardo really has zero trust when it comes to Leonardo huh……….)
Of course, in the first place, the great 5 families weren’t all on good terms with each other.
Openly ridiculing Leonardo, Ricardo didn’t even attempt to hide his disdain for him. The air had sparks flying between them, but Francesca remained nonchalant.
(Ricardo will definitely continue to push him further.)
And just like she expected, his irritated voice could be heard again.
“Here in our very capital, drugs are being trafficked, something that our families had signed a blood oath against……….And I bet you’re behind it all, Aldini.”
“will you believe me even if I said I wasn’t?”
Leonardo simply shrugged his shoulders, and spoke flippantly.
“You won’t, I know. And if I were to say [yes I am], you’ll use that as an excuse to cause a ruckus here in the name your oath or whatnot. What’s the point in asking a question when you’ve already decided on the answer by yourself? Utterly stupid.”
Leonardo turned back to look at Francesca, and began to caress her hair as if he was playing around.
“Instead of something like that, I’d rather chat with my beloved lady here.”
(As always, his words and actions are all shady………)
She was astounded by his actions, but she had a feeling, this was all according to Leonardo’s plans as well.
“Don’t try and evade the topic. To betray a blood signature, is to go against our very creed.”
“Hahaha!”
Leonardo laughed like he genuinely found that funny but, then slowly raised his head to look back at him.
“………you really love the iron code, don’t you?”
“……….What?”
Leonardo’s tone this time, seemed a bit different than before.
“What is there to gain from following ancient customs that were created over a hundred years ago? You should learn to live more smartly, wisely. To simplemindedly [Protect the code simply because it’s the code] is so utterly braindead. Try to think for yourself for once.”
“Enough of your nonsense! The code was built by our ancestors after facing harsh difficulties and strife. Traditions are a crystallization of wisdom, a treasure we inherit——……”
“——–And yet it all seems so lukewarm and foolish.”
“!”
While still using a light tone, Leonardo spoke while laughing.
“So let’s assume that I am indeed the mastermind behind the drugs incident. But, what will that do? You came to this party, and tried to question me in such an informal manner, for what? You achieved nothing here.”
“……….That’s…”
“if you want to do something, you should be more thorough. Maybe you should have gotten the authority of king and dragged me to an official trial and made me prove my innocence.——after all, there is a blood signature involved, in accordance to the pledge, I would of course show up.”
Leonardo put his right hand on his left chest, and spoke as if he was enacting a line from a play.
“If you want to erase me, you should hurry up………while you’re too busy protecting your silly traditions, your entire household might get crushed to dust.”
“………!!”
Ricardo could only clench his fists in frustration. But, Francesca knew that he couldn’t and wouldn’t argue any further.
(Just like Leonardo had assumed, the reason Ricardo had come to the party was because he was suspicious of Leonardo but had no real proof behind it.)
Even if he tried to pass a [judgement] here, he had no way to prove that Leonardo had betrayed a blood signature.
That’s why, even in the game’s scenario, they had taken part in the party to make Leonardo speak out the truth himself.
(But here as well, one part is completely opposite to how the game went. The protagonist was beside Ricardo, and would be on the blaming side but I was not like that.)
Still protected behind Leonardo’s back, if anything, she was running away from Ricardo’s eyes.
“……….I will take my leave, for today.”
Ricardo somehow managed to muster these words out of his mouth.
“But, we will continue this [talk] another day for sure.”
“I look forward to it. In fact, I’m excited to see what kind of proof you bring with you.”
“Go on, keep talking like that while you can…………Also, the girl over there.”
“!”
Suddenly being addressed, Francesca jumped in surprise. Ricardo shouldn’t be able to see her but, if this continues he would find out.
“ye……Yesh.?”
“yesh??“
In panic, she pinched her nose and tried to speak in a weird voice, only to make Ricardo confused from her reply.
“……….Well, whatever. I don’t know what attracted you to Aldini, whether his face, power, or money, but it’s better for your own sake if you don’t stay with him any longer.”
“……….Dank you bor your barning………” (T/n; thank you for your warning.)
Ricardo looked back to glare at Leonardo one last time and then returned back into the hall.
“Did you see? Francesca. His brow was wrinkled like never before.”
“How could I see it? You were constantly in the way Leonardo.”
Francesca answered, as she realized something.
(Right now, I’m basically in the opposite camp as the original game……..on top of that, the same incidents continue to take place regardless.)
Leonardo was still staring towards the bright hall. While looking at the side of his face, she began to organize the current sitauation.
(In the game, [I] try to stop Leonardo’s drugs problem, and incur his wrath which leads to him using his skills here and causing a major uproar. But…….)
Just in case, she questioned Leonardo.
“Leonardo, are you perhaps angry right now?”
“Angry? On who?”
“Me, maybe……..?”
“Haha. As if. That’s impossible”
With a brilliant smile, he took Francesca’s hand.
“Do you really think I could ever get angry at my cute fiancée?”
(He acts like he’s making it all up but, it’s true that he really doesn’t seem angry at all right now. Not even at Ricardo it seems.”
Or rather, he never really made for much of an opponent to push Leonardo to such a degree where he’d get angry.
(………I was constantly by his side and it doesn’t seem like he used any skills either. If we can maintain this, everything should be fine.)
And yet, for whatever reason, she had this vague uneasiness inside her chest.
(The Leonardo in front of me was not a game character. He can think on his own, has his own beliefs and convictions, and moves in accordance to those. No matter how much the scenario demanded it, right now there was no reason for Leonardo to use his skills and cause [that] incident.)
Francesca pursed her lips, and tried to figure out why she felt so anxious.
(Why do I keep getting this bad premonition then………?)
It was right at that moment.
“uwaaaaaahhh!!”
“!!”
Francesca’s eyes opened with surprise, and stared towards the hall.
“No way………)
“………”
Leonardo too, was quietly staring in that direction.
The scene happening in front of them was exactly as the one she remembered from the game
(It started anyway!?.——–the incident where the participants of the party completely lose control and start trying to kill each other after coming under the affect of Leonardo’s skill………!)
But, Leonardo’s still right here though?!