[Suspicious Shadow]
The sunlight seeping in through the trees of the forest was still bright, even though evening was fast approaching. Since it was summer, the sun wouldn’t set until late so it’ll remain bright outside for a little while longer.
As the sound of cicadas chirping resounded inside the forest, and the weather was hot enough to choke somebody, this black haired young man still somehow managed to look as cool and nonchalant as always.
“Oi, Aldini.”
“hm?”
As Ricardo called out his family’s name to refer to him, Aldini turned to look at him in a languid manner.
“Don’t ‘hm?’ me. Didn’t both you and Graziano receive a decree directly from His Majesty the King to complete this task? I plan on helping too but, why don’t you start doing some investigating seriously as well?”
“Investigating?”
“Didn’t you say it yourself just a while back? [I saw a suspicious shadow in the surroundings of the Villa but I don’t want to make Francesca worry either. Let’s pretend to give orders to our subordinates and then go out, just the two of us to deal with it ourselves], that’s what you said.”
He had whispered this away from Francesca’s earshot to which Ricardo had nodded and agreed. That’s why they were currently outside the villa they were lodging at and were roaming the forest and investigating it.
“There’s even a chance that the assassin targeting Marquis Savini has decided to make a move. However, this forest sure seems peaceful as always.”
“………right.”
“As for this suspicious shadow you saw, they must be someone quite capable indeed. If we don’t cooperate and look for him, we might lose track of him entirely……”
“It’s only natural that it’s so peaceful though.”
“?”
Aldini looked at Ricardo, and showed a slight smile.
“Because the thing about the suspicious shadow was a lie.”
“Wha……..!?”
He revealed that so nonchalantly that Ricardo could only widen his eyes in shock. This man called Aldini really was a genius at manipulating people however he wished.
“What’s the meaning of this Aldini!? You said this was all to not worry Francesca too much so I followed your lead and even lied to match your story as well!”
“Now now, don’t get so angry. This dull and meaningless trip with just us 2 guys is indeed for Francesca’s sake, I didn’t lie about that.”
“How?”
All this really made no sense to him so he simply looked at him suspiciously. Aldini eyes were aimed towards the direction of the lake that was beyond this forest.
“Francesca said she wanted to talk with her watch dog about something alone. That said, knowing her personality, she was simply being considerate by leaving us two behind right?”
“……..the thing with Marquis Savini, and Graziano huh…..”
“Hahaha.”
Aldini shrugged his shoulders as he laughed, as if he genuinely found it all really amusing.
“Surely even you realized from just a glance that those two are parent and child, right Ricardo? The only ones still trying to pretend like it’s a secret are just Francesca and the Marquis himself.”
“It’s no laughing matter. From my point of view it was very clear that the Marquis was clearly very hostile towards Graziano.”
“I don’t care, quite frankly speaking. Any guy that’s ‘special’ to Francesca is already my enemy anyway.”
“Aldini.”
“I’m just kidding.”
As Ricardo rebuked his words, Aldini softly cast down his eyes.
“……..If I want to treasure Francesca, I also have to learn to respect all those she holds dear as well.”
“………”
Hearing those words, Ricardo recalled all the incidents that involved his father just a while ago.
Just recalling all the things he did filled him up with an extreme amount of guilt and irritation.
Even if he was brainwashed, his father had broken a taboo and brought in drugs inside the capital and even tried to kill many people to hide the evidence.
Among those were Francesca’s father, the head of the Calvino family as well. Even though his father and Calvino were both schoolmates and could be considered old friends.
(From what I have heard, Aldini used some kind of skill and had healed Lord Calvino. If this man hadn’t arrived in time, who knows if he would have even been alive right now.)
No one could have ever imagined that Aldini would go out of his way to heal and save Francesca’s father.
And yet, he had done so. He didn’t know the exact details of what all had happened in there but apparently Aldini himself was also on the verge of death and had gambled his life to solve the incident or so he had heard.
(All for Francesca’s sake, eh?)
Ricardo pressed against the crease on his brow as he sighed deeply.
“……….If you really do care about Francesca that much, then all the more reason to carefully investigate the entire forest, no?”
“Hahaha, what are you even saying? What’s the point in working hard when Francesca’s not even there to look at me?”
“Oi, do you always have to be so insincere, Aldini!!?”
“Also..”
Aldini turned away from the direction of the lake, and then looked back towards the path they came from.
“I need to at least create a priority order………even if there are people she deeply cares for, if being beside them brings danger to her, then I need to cut them off from her life as well.”
“………..”
At that moment Ricardo sensed a presence as well, and then glared in the direction of a gap between the trees.
“………..My greetings to the head of Aldini family, Lord Leonardo Valentino Aldini.”
The man that appeared from within the forest had brown coloured hair and red eyes, a man that deeply resembled Graziano.
“Good evening, Marquis Savini.”
“………….”
With a frivolous tone that didn’t seem to match the atmosphere of the situation, Leonardo spoke with a chuckle.
(Why is the Marquis here……?)
Ricardo breathed in, and then suddenly came to a realization.
Perhaps, [The Suspicious Shadow thing was just a lie] was in fact the real bold lie he had told.
(Aldini, was he expecting the Marquis to come and contact him……?)
Unable to predict what was going to happen next, Ricardo could only ready himself for anything that could happen.
***