Read Novel Full Chapter 58
Chapter 58
What the Fiancé Wants
Reaching upon that question, Francesca had gone to visit the farms again.
But she wasn’t even allowed to approach closer to the newly expanded farm grounds.
[We haven’t fully stabilized the development cycle yet, so even some small germs attached to your boot could completely ruin the crops so..] was the excuse she got before getting refused.
“………..Why, of course it’s just a new kind of tobacco plant.”
Smiling, he said that but Francesca simply frowned.
“Of course that’s the answer you give. After all, neither me nor father have seen that patch of your farm with our own eyes.”
“Unfortunately, what our worker explained was the truth. The new breed is quite delicate you see, so until we have fully grown it properly, we can’t let people carelessly get close to it. In fact, even my own son Ricardo has not stepped into that place.”
Hearing those words, she took a slow but deep breath.
“——-I think, Ricardo is a very strong person.”
Suddenly hearing an irrelevant statement, Gerard made a puzzled expression.
“He’s extremely serious, diligent, and just. Even when I told him everything about my suspicions about his own father, he calmly, and patiently heard me till the end. And then, he simply said [He’ll check with his own eyes and then decide.]”
“……..What?”
“That’s why, he promised me. That if he deemed his father to be innocent, he would be sitting beside you in the negotiations no matter what.”
Ricardo had sincerely listened to everything Francesca had to say to him.
“But before he came to a conclusion, I asked him to help me with a certain something.”
“…….And what is that?”
At that point, she glanced at her father.
(Papa had been doubting Uncle Serranova long before I did.)
But, he had been unable to find concrete proof.
(There’s a lot of places where said proof could be hiding. But if they found out that people were looking, they’d quickly get rid of it all.)
In her past life as well, her grandfather and the members were all experts at hiding and concealing things in various places.
Hiding important materials inside normal drink cans, a small hiding place built underneath the pond in the garden etc. So it was not realistic to just start searching the entire Serranova territory for it.
But, Francesca had come to a realization.
“I just happened to realize something. Where it is that the thing you wanted to hide so much actually was, Uncle Serranova.”
“What……..”
And she only realized that because she knew the game’s scenario.
(It’s only because I had the memories of my past life that I was able to connect the dots and come to this realization………of course, from what I can tell, Leonardo had already figured it out as well even without any knowledge of the game though.)
While thinking about how she was still no match for him, Francesca closed her eyes.
(In the final climax of the game’s first chapter, an alliance is made between my family and the Serranovas. The place chose to seal this alliance officially, and the place that Leonardo attacks was none other than this very mansion.)
When she had first heard Leonardo, she was afraid that the events of the game were being reproduced exactly as they were against her will.
[The participants will be all the people present here. The time will 8’o clock at night. The place will be the mansion in the 17th district]
But, as long as this world is real to the people who live in this world, there was no way the incidents of the game would have been recreated if not for a very specific reason.
(After all, in the game, this mansion was chosen as the place by Leonardo in the first place.)
Francesca recalled very clearly.
(——-the person who chose this place was none other than the head of the Serranovas, Uncle Gerard himself.)
And that’s definitely because he had some other motive as well.
“The [mansions] co-owned by the 5 great families, are for having impartial meetings, and are strictly monitored by the supervisors. And since this place is only used for family meetings, there should be a clear record of which all families have used it as well, right?”
“………yes, that’s right.”
“Only select few can go in and out, and otherwise, this place remains locked, and if anyone were to come in later, you could find that out.——–in a way, wouldn’t you it’s the perfect place to hide something?”
In that instant, Gerard went completely silent.
“However of course, they don’t go in so much detail where they’d write down who came in and went out in what order right?………of course, the supervisor might tell us that if someone were to ask them but, in the first place, who would even suspect this kind of mansion anyway?”
“It is as Francesca says. A private land belonging to Serranovas would be one thing, but a place that is owned y all 5 families, and looked after by a supervisor that serves the royal family would be a great place and wouldn’t put yourself in any kind of danger.”
“Of course, there are demerits as well right, Papa? For example, if you wanted to recover said proof, you’d have to create some kind of a reason to come to this place again, otherwise it would be very difficult. Perhaps, something like today—–…….”
In the game’s scenario, Gerard chose this place to quickly solidify and seal the alliance between the two families.
In the game, this place was nothing more than a stage for the story, and there was no real reason given as to why this specific mansion was chosen.
But, if the [real mastermind] that the game was hiding was indeed Gerard, they could give out a reason as to why this mansion was chosen later on in the story as well.
At least, in this world, there was a real reason to why this place was chosen.
Leonardo also knew that, which is why he also designated this place as well.
By overlapping the events of the game and the events happening in real life in this world, she was able to figure out the place they needed to check.
“The fact that Leonardo set his sights on your farms must have been a big problem for you guys. You couldn’t let Leonardo rob you of it so you must have been hoping to lead my father into rejecting the demands as well.”
“………”
Furthermore, you must have been scared, wondering whether Leonardo had already figured this all out or not as well. In that case, you would have loved to get rid of the evidence hiding inside this mansion as well right? And using the coincidence that he chose this place as the meeting spot, you came here faster than anyone else……….and yet, you must have been in quite the panic right Uncle?”
Francesca stared directly at Gerard.
“The evidence that you had hidden in this mansion, somehow, it had disappeared while you were unaware right?”
“——…….”
At this point, Gerard’s face showed almost no emotion whatsoever.
(Before entering this place, Papa asked the supervisor if [all the attendees had arrived or not]. And the answer that came was [Leonardo wasn’t here yet] and yet, the fact remained that Leonardo had specifically asked for both the family heads, as well as me and also, Ricardo.)
If Ricardo wasn’t here, the supervisor should have alluded to that as well. But, he didn’t do that.
“To keep the promise he made with me, Ricardo had come to this mansion before even you did Uncle. And, after finding that [proof], I trust him to have acted as is appropriate.”
Her back completely straight, she quietly spoke.
“——after all, Ricardo truly treasures both this country’s traditions, as well as the people that live here.”
“………..”
(And, Leonardo as well..)
Francesca recalled the talk she had with Leonardo some time ago.
[Leonardo, are you involved with the drug trafficking that is happening inside the capital?]
[——–If I said I was, what will you do?]
Leonardo spoke suggestively but, till the end he never said that [yes, he was involved], not even once. And so Francesca had made this plea to him.
[Of course, I would ask you to stop it.]
Hearing those words, Leonardo had smiled.
[——-I will handle it.]
Recalling that scene, Francesca closed her eyes.
(Even freeing me from our engagement was not his real goal either.)
The reason why Leonardo chose this specific mansion for tonight.
Demanding her father to hand over the distribution channels with our neighbouring country in return for annulling our engagement was nothing more than a smokescreen, and so was demanding the Serranovas for their tobacco farms.
(He was simply keeping his promise he made to me back then——………)