What was Protected

“Wha……..!!”

The intense wind shook Francesca as well, breaking her balance and making her fall.

As the chandelier fell to the ground, the shattered pieces of the stained glass scattered all around and glittered like stars. She readied herself to get hurt as she was about to fall on that ground as well but before she could, she was quickly pulled back into a deep embrace.

“Thank you, Leonardo………!”

“If it is to fulfil your wishes, I’m always ready to do anything.”

As he hugged her tight close to his chest, he whispered that into his ears in quiet voice. Fully feeling the weight of his emotions, Francesca also gave a nod.

“You are trying your best to protect the things I want to protect right? That’s why you went with such [drastic measures] to handle the situation between Marquis Savini and Graziano as well……”

“……….I was certainly not expecting it to become such a critical matter where their lives hung on the balance though. But, to squeeze out truly trustworthy words from inside a brainwashed person, it would seem you really have to corner and push them to the very limit.”

Ricardo also ran inside the hall, and seemed to be guiding a doctor-like person towards them. While he waited for them to arrive, Graziano grimaced with a vexed look.

“You were happy eh ?”

He repeated the words his father spoke at the very end.

“………..it’s the same words that mother left me with. The words that I wanted to tell you, even though I was just a brat that understood nothing, and then failed to do so.”

(Graziano………)

“Don’t you dare make those your final words too.”

“Forgive…. me…”

The Marquis’ words seemed incoherent as he simply continued to repeatedly apologize to Graziano.

“Forgive me, Graziano.”

“………it’s fine.”

“I wonder if there was a better way, a better path for us. I…..”

“I said that’s enough didn’t I? I, I get it already, so please..”

Changing positions with the doctor, Graziano muttered.

“………You are the only person who has told me that I resemble my mother………”

“Graziano!!”

As Graziano crumbled to the floor and sat down, Francesca quickly ran towards him and hugged him from the back.

“It’ll be fine okay!? Look, the doctor is already healing his wounds with their skill. I’m sure he’ll get better again……..!!”

“……….Young miss.”

“It’ll all be fine.”

Gently patting and caressing his head, she continually repeated [it’ll be fine] just like the day they first met as children.

“Just as the marquis protected you Graziano, you too succeeded in protecting the Marquis.—–trust me, he will not die okay? I’m sure he’ll get better again…….”

“……….”

Graiznao breathed out a sigh and then turned to look at Francesca.

And then, he finally hugged her back.

“!”

“Thank you so much, young miss.”

He said that and quickly separated from her again, but she could tell that he seemed much more stable now, and didn’t look like lost, confused child anymore.

(………ah)

Looking directly at Francesca, Graziano showed a truly genuine and gentle smile.

She wondered if this expression was exactly what the marquis meant when he said that Graziano resembled his mother. Soon after though, Graziano’s expression returned to his usual calm one, and then he turned to speak to the doctor that was healing his father.

“——-Doctor, is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, in fact, I appreciate it. Please tell me everything about how he was shot first and foremost. Also, do you know if the bullet is still lodged inside his body?”

“No, it definitely passed through……..”

Having been hugged by the bloodied Graziano, Francesca had red stains all over her body as well.

“It’ll be fine then. His bleeding was severe but, he will survive.”

“……….thank god………”

Francesca exhaled in relief as Leonardo stretched his hand towards her and wiped the blood off her cheeks with his fingers.

“………Leonardo do you think the Marquis realized that the mastermind was about to cut the Savini family off from their associates? That’s why, he planned all this. To end his own family in its entirety while making sure that none of the ill effects could hurt Graziano as well.”

“I believe so. This man had the resolve to make a request for his own assassination, and even managed to endure the mastermind’s order to [die] until his preparations were fully complete. All for the sake of today.”

“To make sure that the family didn’t continue even after the marquis had died. To make sure that someone didn’t drag Graziano back into the family, and lead him to his death as well……..”

This entire party was planned for that sake as well, she presumed.

“This night was meant to be a night for making some big financial deals for the Savini family. If he were to get killed here in public, the interested parties would have succumbed to fear and would have avoided making contact with them in the future.”

“To have himself killed in front of everyone. Specifically, to be assassinated like this, was all to completely ruin and destroy his own family. All to make sure that Graziano stayed away from this family……..”

In the game’s scenario, it wasn’t even shown who had actually assassinated the Marquis.

But even in the game, the real truth was probably that he had either killed himself due to the mastermind’s brainwashing or he had hired a killer to take his own life as it happened here as well.

“Do you think, the Marquis will be able to escape the brainwashing, or avoid being assassinated in the future?”

“Now that the truth is out in the open, I’m sure Luka-sama will figure out a way to keep him safe no matter what. After all, each and every single citizen of this country is like a child or grandchild to that person.”

“You’re right! That does make me feel a bit more relieved.”

Hearing Leonardo’s words, she felt herself finally calm down and relax for a bit.

“Thank god……….I was able to change it, I was able to protect them……..”

“……….But still….”

After Leonardo finished completely cleaning Francesca’s face, he pulled her back into an even tighter embrace again.

“To hug you like that right in front of me, your watchdog has quite the nerve.”

“Leonardo…..”

“I would have a easier time dealing with him, if he was quite simply a [love rival] but, when you make him your [little brother], I can’t really use my usual tactics either after all.”

“hmmm? Just what are you even talking about?”

He quickly prattled all that to make sure she didn’t fully understand the implication and when she tried to get him to explain, Leonardo ignored it and brought his face closer to Francesca’s.

“I read the mood and endured myself so as to not ruin the moment. So praise me for being such a good boy, will you?”

“E-endure? Just what exactly? I don’t really get it but…….”

Francesca reached her hand out and caressed and petted Leonardo’s head. Even though he was the one who asked for it, Leonardo’s eyes still opened wide with shock regardless.

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“I’ll praise you lots more later, okay? But right now, should we deal with the aftermath and close things here first?”

“——-I suppose you’re right.”

Leonardo laughed happily, and gently pulled Francesca’s hand and rubbed it on his cheek.

Afterwards, alongside Sofia and many others who came running here to check the situation, they focused on helping the people that had collapsed or had been injured.

It was only until the next day that the news came that all the emergency treatment that Graziano had done to stop the immediate bleeding had bore fruit, and the Marquis did indeed recover which had them jumping from happiness.

——————–[End of Final Act]—————-

(T/N: Epilogue still to come.)

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