Rumours (6)
Just as Leonardo was playfully seeking my attention and I was indulging him, a commotion caught my ear from outside the Rondine Tower.
Peering out of the window, I saw the people of the castle gathering in the courtyard, sending off Ferdinand and the knights who were mounted on horseback.
No wonder the castle felt so quiet. Everyone must have gone over there. It seemed like they were setting off to hunt a monster outside the castle walls, and it was more serious than I had expected. Even the Count was among the crowd, bidding farewell to his eldest son.
Leonardo and I leaned against the window frame, watching the knights as they received their send-off from the people. It seemed to be a tradition; as the knights prepared to leave, the people presented them with necklaces or handkerchiefs, hugged them, and kissed their foreheads.
As I observed this, my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, "Have you ever received something like that?"
Leonardo shook his head in response.
"That kind of send-off is for lovers, close family, or friends. I mainly received blessings from priests," Leonardo explained.
"Ah, I see."
Well, given that he was a national hero, he would have received those blessings from the church or powerful figures, if everything had gone as it should have. If he had safely joined the Count's family, he might have experienced a send-off like that.
I found myself imagining how he might have been in the original story. But if things hadn't twisted so much, we might never have met in the first place. So, it would probably be wiser not to dwell on "what ifs."
As I gazed at him, Leonardo, unaware of my scrutiny, merely blinked innocently. Someone sounded a long horn, and the castle gates creaked open. We watched until Ferdinand's figure grew smaller in the distance, then took a side path back to the Lilium Fortress.
Celestina left shortly after our return, saying she needed to go for afternoon prayers. And then there was Vittorio. As soon as we returned, Vittorio slipped closer and whispered to me.
"Are you okay? Did anything happen…?"
I chuckled and pulled Leonardo over by the shoulder.
"Well, of course, everything is fine. Look, Vittorio. Here's our Leonardo back! Come on, Leo."
"Vittorio, it's me," Leonardo said, smiling.
"Umm…."
It was to be expected that the child would act shy in front of Leonardo, and I couldn't intervene. He resembled a wary alley cat, keeping his distance and watching Leonardo from afar, just like when we first met in the backstreets of Sinistra.
Given Vittorio's tough life as a street kid and the carefree air of the original Leonardo, it was predictable that they wouldn't hit it off right away. Perhaps the change in Leonardo was just too shocking for him.
Even as Leonardo started his usual training, shirtless and slightly downcast, Vittorio kept his distance, sneaking glances at him. Normally, he would have sat right next to Leonardo, studying or just watching him, regardless of how much sweat was pouring off him.
What was going on here?
I let out a chuckle at this ridiculous scene, which from a distance looked like a comedy, but up close revealed a personal tragedy for Leonardo.
'I can't let this go on. I need to find a way to lift his spirits tonight.'
***
So I brought him to the gambling house.
「…..?」
'Hey, just hang in there for a bit. I think something fun is going to happen tonight.'
The bewildered Leonardo awkwardly sat at the dice game table, pretending not to be with me, while I faced today's golden bell challengers at what's called the VIP table. I had no intention of losing today, so I kept winning. The dice can be manipulated to alter the outcome with their unique abilities.
And card games, especially poker?
Hiding my expression is as easy as breathing, and reading the opponent's emotions is also not difficult since an actor has to play the role of a profiler. The faintly evident impatience, anticipation of victory, greed, and tension— their faces reveal everything to me.
In the end, all seven challengers tonight downed their cups of defeat.
"Ugh, there's just no thrill today~"
I casually chatted while pouring the prize money I'd won into the pot, drawing the attention of the gamblers. The silver coins piled high, almost overflowing from the pot. The gambling house was louder than ever, bustling with people and full of noise.
With Ferdinand gone to hunt the beast, the castle's guards and knights had diminished in number, which contributed to a more relaxed atmosphere in the streets at night.
People preferred to watch the gambling rather than bet on it, using it as entertainment, and they didn't hesitate to link arms, patting each other on the back and sharing their thoughts on tonight's show. Surrounded by hands that reached out, wishing for a bit of luck, I laughed heartily.
"Cheers! I'll buy all the drinks tonight!"
As I joyfully rang a small bell toward the counter, the customers cheered loudly. In this way, the atmosphere gradually shifted, turning this place into more of a tavern than a gloomy gambling den. The money won was returned to those who frequented the place in the form of drinks and food, blurring the line of gambling's inherent risks.
The vibrant atmosphere burned brightly, like an unquenchable fire, as the owner of the
I mingled with the people, nibbling on the snacks someone had ordered for me as a gesture of appreciation. I had turned gambling into a kind of show, attracting not only gamblers but also a larger audience of spectators. However, not all gazes were kind.
「There are some suspicious characters around.」
I lightly nodded at Leonardo's whispered remark. When I first chose this gambling house, I picked a place that was neither the most popular nor the next best, but rather an ambiguous choice.
Now, as people flocked here and the
Business is relative. The first and second places, which were previously competing for the top spot, were likely experiencing a downturn now. It wouldn't be so bad if the shop chasing closely behind me or the undeniable number one that stood before me was thriving. But if a place that had been somewhat mediocre suddenly achieved great success, it naturally becomes more resentful and disliked.
'I've had a feeling about this for a few days. I thought it would blow up today.'
At the same time, wouldn't it pique my curiosity about the sudden cause of this success?
「Isn't it dangerous?」
'That's why I brought you here. You'll protect me, right?'
Leonardo nodded in response.
***
And that morning.
The gambling house, which had opened at 6 PM, was bustling with activity throughout the night but began to quiet down gradually as it approached midnight.
When I approached the tavern owner, he greeted me warmly and led me to a private room. I had already figured out this owner's personality. The reason his gambling house hadn't achieved much success in the past was that he was too timid for a gambler and ran his business with excessive honesty.
He only operated the gambling house because his tavern business wasn't doing well. Now, with me acting as the financier and intervening in operations, he was more relaxed, taking on the role of a general manager. He preferred being a doer rather than a decision-maker.
Adjusting my tone to fit his personality, I casually asked, "Alright, alright, what's going on?"
He smiled broadly and, as if waiting for my question, began to share several details.
"Recently, someone has been hammering nails into the door and then fleeing, or breaking the windows with stones… and there was an incident where someone threw filth at the walls. I suspect it's the work of other gamblers."
"That's great news!"
"Huh?"
"It means that business is doing so well here that you're attracting attention. Look, by now, there should be some interest coming in, right?"
When I tilted my head with a smile, the tavern owner, who had been hesitant, finally opened up honestly.
"Well, they have been pressuring me to merge businesses. Or they've told me to shut down entirely… Last time, some thugs came by and flipped over a table."
"I wanted to change the old one anyway. Did you buy a new one?"
"Um. Whether it was nails being hammered in, stones being thrown to break windows, or tables being overturned, each time I just bought new ones and got better ones. As you can see, everything is brand new. It seems that just made the others even more irritated…"
Indeed, as he said, the tavern/gambling house was in much better shape and cleaner than when I first visited.
He then added in a tone full of worry, "And I told them that while I'm the surface owner, there's someone else who is the real owner. I need to be cautious for the time being…"
"Haha, that's what they're aiming for. You've done well. It feels like the time is coming. Just focus on the shop and don't worry—I'll take care of everything. You know I look after my people, right?"
With a warm smile, I patted the tavern owner on the shoulder, and he nodded with a look of relief.
Still, he was rather timid. After exchanging some lighthearted banter with the tavern owner, I stepped out alone into the dark night.
As the quiet night deepened, my footsteps echoed softly… then suddenly, another set of footsteps joined in. I paused for a moment, then continued on my way briskly.
Pitter-patter, thud.
It felt like I was trying to shake off the relentless sound of footsteps following me. However, the sounds didn't fade; instead, they multiplied and overlapped, stalking me like a tenacious hunting dog. Just as I turned into a narrow alley to escape them—
Grab!
Then, a burlap sack was placed over my head, and in an instant, I was kidnapped.
'Finally!'