Drastic Measures
With a rattling noise, the guns dropped to the floor. And then, the prostitutes began to look around their surroundings in surprise and began to shout in fear and confusion.
“Wha………What’s happening!!? All the guests, are collapsed on the floor?! But why…….?!”
“Lord Savini!? Wasn’t he shot………”
“Everyone, please run away from there! Hurry, come quickly out of the hall and towards here!!”
Hearing Francesca scream that out loud, the girls scrambled to quickly do as she asked and ran out.
Breathing out a sigh, she felt relieved that at least the ladies had returned to their senses. The fact that Ricardo’s abnormality healing skill worked against mass brainwashing was something they had already found out during the last night party.
“I’ll go and help the ladies evacuate!”
“Please do, Ricardo!”
Feeling reassured that Ricardo had taken up the task of leading them all to safety, she entrusted the ladies to him.
“At least it doesn’t seem like he can redo the brainwashing on the girls instantly again………I guess, even the mastermind has the cooldown limitation on his skill as well.”
Nodding to Francesca’s words, Leonardo focused his sights of Marquis Savini once again.
“There were other gains from this as well. Ricardo’s skill can dispel the effects of the weaker mass brainwashing skill but by the looks of it, he wasn’t able to dispel the far stronger individual brainwashing.”
Marquis Savini was pressing his hand on his temple and seemed to be repeatedly muttering to himself in a low voice.
“[Each and every one of them just keep getting in my way……]”
Hearing his tone and words, Francesca went on guard once again. But the Marquis didn’t seem to bothered with them, and continued to mutter to himself instead.
“[Rather than go for this crazy complicated plan, why couldn’t you have just blasted a couple bullets in your head and be done with it?]”
“……..??”
“[Why did you resist me so much? To go as far as to fight against my brainwashing, what were you so desperately trying to protect?]”
Everyone could almost hear Graziano breathe in sharply. No matter how anyone saw it, marquis Savini was clearly not talking to himself.
“is he…..talking to someone…….?”
No one there could refute Francesca’s words. With a freezing glare, Leonardo continued to observe Marquis Savini.
“[Shoot your head, and die right now. If you lack the courage, hire someone to do it for you. Now, hurry up, and aim that gun to your head!]”
“……..!”
The hand of the marquis that was holding the gun seemed to be trembling as if he was fighting against something. His finger pulled the trigger and a gunshot echoed but the gun was aimed at the ceiling.
“Wha…….!”
The shots continued to be fired, and a bunch of stained glass came crashing down from the roof.
With the smell of gunpowder smoke, fragments were smashed, and one of the bullets hit the chain on which the big chandelier was hanging on. The large chandelier swayed from the impact, and the candles that were lit inside it flew from their sockets and fell on the carpet a little distance away.
(The confusion in his mind due to the brainwashing is getting worse. It’s exactly how it was with uncle Gerard, after which he went completely berserk……!)
Unable to endure any longer, Francesca began to run towards the Marquis. And almost instantly, her shoulder was grabbed to stop her. Of course, by Leonardo.
“Leonardo………! Sorry, but I need to stop the Marquis or else…”
“Just a little more.”
“…….!?”
Just what did he mean by that exactly? With his persistent cold stare, Leonardo continued to observe the Marquis.
“Worst case, I’ll kill him if I have to, just to stop him. But right now, please endure a bit longer.”
“B-but!!”
“To fully achieve the ending you wish for, we need to take some drastic measures.”
“Eh……….?”
As Francesca’s eyes widened with surprise, the Marquis began to shout.
“——-Graziano!!!”
“!”
Hearing his name clearly being screamed out by his father, Graziano was stunned.
“What are you doing!? How many times did I tell you?! Quickly, disappear from my sights……!!”
“……..Lord Marquis……?”
As Graziano muttered in a low voice, he finally began to realize something.
“Begone! Disappear! Just go away! Anywhere will do!! Is there no one from the Ranieris here!?! Grab this child and quickly drag him away from here……!!”
(His current condition, something’s definitely wrong……..)
Still holding the gun, the marquis hung his head, and continued to scream while his body shuddered. His eyes were not visible, but she could see the sweat dripping down his forehead.
(No…….It’s the opposite, in fact.)
Right now, he was not acting strange at all. In fact, for the marquis, this was his true unvarnished feelings and mental state.
(He’s shivering so much. As if the mere act of cursing Graziano is hurting him. He seems to hate it……)
“Please, I beg of you, Just go away from here already……!!!”
With a plop, water fell on the floor from his face. But it was not his sweat, it was tears.
“Away from this worthless father…….away from this worthless family. Far away from this fate of being a victim that they call this worthless family’s heir………”
“………Father, I…..”
“If not, I will…….”
The Marquis straightened his back, and then aimed the gun at his own head.
Tears were streaming down his face, and yet he showed a very gentle smile.
“——-become a complete failure of a father that couldn’t even keep his promise of keeping you safe.”
(Oh no……)
His finger on the trigger of the gun moved.
But the very next instant, the gun was instantly blown away.
“Wha………”
The one who had stolen the gun away from Marquis Savini was none other than Graziano himself.
He had instantly teleported to his father’s side, and had slammed on the ground as he stood over him and screamed with a voice full of anger.
“That’s fucking enough! You shitty dad……!!”
“!!”