Read Novel Full Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Earnestly Chasing After Him
“Leonardo!!”
Bursting outside the building in a flash, she loudly shouted his name.
This was the most posh district in all of the capital, and a bunch of stores targeted towards nobles were lined up across the road.
There was a little bit of pedestrian traffic, and from their getup you could tell that they were all from high class families but, they all jumped in shock and turned around after hearing Francesca suddenly shout out loud.
But Leonardo himself refused to look back.
She was becoming the centre of attention from the public, but she had more important things to be worried about. Still grabbing on to the hem of her dress, she continued to run towards the faraway figure she so desperately sought.
“Wait, Leonardo…….!!”
Even his tall figure was slowly disappearing into the crowd. But still, he should have been able to hear Francesca scream and shout his name.
(The way Leonardo was talking just now, about our engagement, were certainly the words of a man that was using me for his own profits………but )
While apologizing to the people she occasionally bumped into, she desperately ran.
(——–I can only see it as him intentionally making himself the villain!!)
Somewhere inside Francesca, she was certain of that fact.
“Didn’t I say it before!? If you really wanted to properly use me, and were planning something behind my back, you would never let anyone see that on the outside…….! You’d be more efficient, more perfect, and you’d have used me without letting anyone even realize what you were doing! Isn’t that right!?”
But still, Leonardo’s back showed no signs of stopping.
“I know you too well! Because, you’re my only friend……..!!
Out of breath, Francesca still managed to shout at the top of her lungs so he could hear it clearly.
“At least in front me, I wanted you to stop acting like you’re some evil villain!! And yet, Leonardo, you stu——…..”
Just when she was about blast him with some childish curses, her ankle twisted.
“Hyaa…….”
Uh oh, the moment she thought that, it was alrady too late. Her leg got caught, and she completely lost her balance.
“………gyaahh!!!”
With a whimpering sound of puppy getting hit, Francesca magnificently fell over.
She tried to roll and break her fall but, she hadn’t run on stone pavement with such fancy heels ever before in her life. As a result, she completely faceplanted into the ground.
” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~…….!!!”
A sharp pain ran through her ankle.
She tried her best to scream out loud by tightly biting the back of her teeth to endure the pain. But she still remained crouched on the ground, and screamed inside her mind.
(OWWWWWW………!!)
Even the people around her, were baffled by her incredible fall. Some were hesitantly wondering if they should go check on her while others just whispered to each other.
“That poor girl, is she alright?”
“That was quite the fall………she must be hurting a lot.”
(But before all that, where’s Leonardo……!?)
Francesca put her hands on the pavement for support, and desperately tried to get back up.
(I need to quickly follow him, I need to, or else………..)
She tried to get up but, her left ankle hurt like crazy even from a slight movement.
(I need to properly talk to him. Why did he say those things, what is it that he wants to achieve by saying that……….)
Still with her head hung, her hands to the floor, she tried putting strength in her legs once again.
(And, no matter what he says….)
Trying to endure the pain in her ankle, she was still desperately trying to chase after him.
(………I will always be his ally first and foremost. I need to tell him that………!!)
And yet, she was unable to stand back up.
No matter how hard she struggled, Francesca could only bite down on her teeth even harder.
(I have to walk, I need to move. If I can’t, I can never reach Leonardo……..!)
Right at that moment, she heard a voice.
“………Seriously, you………”
“!!!”
Her eyes, that were moist from trying to endure the pain, rose as she looked up.
“Eh………..”
Due to the tears, her vision was blurry, and she had to blink multiple times because she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Once the world became clear again, the person that was so far away just now, was standing right in front of her.
“Girl, you really are like a bullet. You can only go straight ahead in one direction, incapable of looking back or to the side. Impossible to handle.”
“……..Leonardo……..!!”
His tone of voice seemed a lot different than before. It sounded more astonished yet also gentle.
Having appeared right in front of Francesca, Leonardo took a knee before her.
(I didn’t even think that he’d actually turn back towards me………)
The pain in her ankle was long forgotten, as Francesca came close and quickly grabbed on to him.
“Leonardo! You see, Um, I–“
“Calm down. First let’s deal with that.”
“!”
As Leonardo tried to get her up, he very easily lifted her into his arms like a child.
The hem of Francesca’s red dress spread and fluttered like the fin of a goldfish. Including both her past life and this one, this was the first time she had been given a princess carry like this.
Leonardo’s actions were smooth and beautiful like a scene straight out of a play. The crowd that had gathered around them watching it all unfold, all sighed inadvertently, completely charmed by the view in front of them.
But her ankle pain returned again, and Francesca winced again.
“……….kh!”
“——-……..”
She tried her best to suppress her voice, but it was very obvious to anyone that she was hurt.
Due to the pain, she unable to talk as quickly as she would have liked. Leonardo simply gave her a one glance, and then carried her to a less crowded alley.
And then, he walked towards a nearby bench, and then sat her down on it.
Leonardo sighed lightly, and then knelt in front of Francesca.
And lightly touching Francesca’s shoe, he looked up towards Francesca and asked.
“Can you take it off?”
“……..th-the shoe…..?”
“That as well, but—–….”
“uuu……..”
Realizing the intent of his words, she went silent out of embarrassment.
But still, Leonardo closed his eyes shut so, Francesca resigned herself and tolled up the hem of her dress.
Attached near her thigh was the garter belt holding on to her stockings.
In Francesca’s case, she could also hide weapons there when needed. But, right now this was not such a situation.
Removing the clasp on the belt, she slowly took off the stocking on her left leg.
She felt unusually nervous, and her hands stopped midway as she sighed again. Leonardo simply stayed kneeling, with his eyes closed, and not saying anything.
(I’m not embarrassed, I’m not embarrassed………!!)
Repeating her own words to herself to convince her own self, she pulled the stocking down to her very toes.
And with her bare legs revealed, she could see her ankle had turned red and swollen up greatly.
“It-it’s off……….”
“………”
When she finally said that, Leonardo slowly opened his eyes back again.