The Weight of that Blood
Subjected to his gaze, Graziano made a sullen face.
“Is that your attempt to try and shake me? I’ll say it now but, I have nothing to do with that family.”
“If you had [nothing] to do with them, you wouldn’t be needed to get involved now again either, right? Also, do you not realize that the one in danger is not just a certain someone’s father alone?”
“………?”
Leonardo, still with his nonchalant tone, rested his chin on his arm that was supported by the armrest.
“In this country, you don’t need to be a biological son to inherit a family. But, in reality there are only very few families with modern and flexible views that actually allow that.”
“Just what are you………..”
“Ricardo. If you were to die, and the pureblood Serranovas were to die out, do you think your family will allow some random adopted child to become the next heir?”
When Leonardo asked that to Ricardo, he seemed a bit bewildered as he answered.
“No, even if the legality of it all is not an issue, I doubt our family would make a decision like that.”
Which was a completely different decision to what Francesca’s father had taken when he thought of accepting Graziano as an adopted son.
“The Serranova family tree can be traced back to very far into the past. I’m sure they’d find someone who possesses even a bit of Serranova blood in them somehow somewhere. Even if that person was someone that doesn’t even knows of this side of the world and its laws.”
(That’s how it usually is right. My Papa might not care about his bloodline and may want to adopt the talented Graziano as his son but, most families won’t make decision like that.)
Graziano didn’t seem to find any rebuttal to that either as he simply stayed silent with a frown. Still twirling the pen, Leonardo laughed as he spoke.
“To families that obsess over successors, any child with the blood of the family head will be extremely important. And just as how there’ll be people who see them as important, there’ll also be people who see them as a hinderance.”
“You, just what have you been trying to imply with all this?”
“Well, let me give it to you straight then.”
Leonardo flicked the pen in the air and then caught it and then pointed the tip directly at Graziano.
“If suddenly another [son of the head] were to appear. To make sure that some other person inherits the house, there may be people who’ll come for the life of that ‘son’ as well.”
“……..!”
Graziano finally seemed to realize the possibility of a situation like this for the first time now.
But that was only natural.
It’s one thing for people in positions like Leonardo but, for someone who had lived the life of an orphan and then a simple member of a different family, he had never really thought about the value of this own blood.
“It’s time you became more aware of it, watchdog. Before thinking about protecting others from assassins, there’s a chance you’ll be the one getting targeted as well.”
“………I, something like that……..”
“———-Enough!”
As if to forcefully interject into their conversation, Francesca raised her hand.
“We’re done here, this meetings over, pack up boys!!!!!!”
“…….Young miss.”
Hoping to blow away the overwhelmingly heavy atmosphere, she shouted in a loud voice. Part of it was also her trying to stop them from devolving this into a quarrel but, there was another reason Francesca had stood up now.
“You two, get rid of this heavy gloomy atmosphere, will you!? It’s already 1’o clock now. Soon the carriage from Sofia-san will be coming…….”
Just then, someone knocked at the door of the dining hall. The one who opened the door was a man, a member of the Calvino family that had been assigned as a servant here.
“Lady Francesca. The carriage from Ranieri family has arrived.”
“Thanks! I’ll be there in just a moment so tell them that for me will you?”
Recalling the plans for today, Leonardo muttered [Oh, right.]
“You really wanted to go borrow one? A dress to wear for the concert?”
“Yeah I do! I’ll have Sofia-san and the sweet ladies pick a nice dress for me! Tonight there’ll be a nice concert by the lakeside so you two get along until tonight okay? Ricardo, please be the mediator between them okay?!”
“Young miss. It’s too dangerous to go alone, at least let me come with you.”
“You may not. Men are forbidden this time around. I promised them to have a bunch of girls’ talk only after all.”
Francesca made a cross with her fingers, and then couldn’t stop the happiness to show on her face.
“uu, I can’t wait…….! Alright then, everyone, I’m off! See you guys later!”
Saying that, Francesca ran out of the dining hall in a jiffy.
Completely unaware of what the three boys would talk about inside the dining hall that they remained in.
“…….Well, I guess we can’t force ourselves to go to a place where Francesca would probably be changing clothes many times over and over right?”
“I should say this but, if you happen to imagine some strange things about the young miss, I’ll kill you on the spot.”
“Hahaha, you sure act like you’re protecting Francesca when it’s you who’s constantly being protected right now, you know?”
“…….Wha?”
The words that Leonardo spoke to Graziano after she had left were ones Francesca couldn’t possibly hear.
“Use your brain. Even while fully knowing that coming here to this forest as [a spoilt young lady wanting to enjoy her summer vacation] would bring an unnecessary amount of suspicions on herself, she still came here with a large bunch of Calvino family’s members in tow. Why do you think she did that huh?”
“…………”
Hearing those words, all Graziano could do was click his tongue in vexation.
***
(thank god. Looks like none of them followed me.)
Francesca stared out of the window of the carriage that was heading towards Sofia’s villa. The long road through the forest would get obstructed by the trees in between and it was hard to see very far from here.
(All three of them are gentlemen so [women changing clothes] will make them all considerate enough that they’d accept leaving me alone, I knew that.)
While thinking that, she nonchalantly closed the curtains of the carriage.
(Until now, things are going according to plan.)