Enrico, who was about to eat, stopped what he was doing and looked at her. Though he didn’t speak, his eyes were clearly asking, “Why suddenly?”

“I think I’ll have to search until evening tomorrow. If we’re going for a beach walk, today seems best.”

“…Do as you please.”

“Alright.”

Enrico stared intently at Emilia for a moment before turning his attention to the table.

For a while, only the sound of cutlery was heard. Though the dishes served seemed simpler than those at yesterday’s city restaurant, they tasted much better.

Newly appreciating the main chef’s skill that she hadn’t fully realized before, Emilia ate every last bit of the remaining food.

Even after a full day of strenuous ballet, she rarely ate this much, but today her appetite was surprisingly good. Emilia had a peculiar expression as she looked at her empty dessert plate.

‘Could it be because of the location?’

Enrico finished his meal similarly, and the two rose from their seats. Emilia glanced once at him, wondering why he wasn’t drinking wine, then quickly averted her eyes without lingering.

The two met again 30 minutes later. Emilia was wearing a shawl as before, like someone trying not to shiver from the cold.

“We’ll take a carriage to the beach.”

It worked out well, as she had been dreading the walk to the beach. Emilia brightened slightly as she accepted his escort and boarded the carriage.

There were no buildings along the path to the beach. It was a serene landscape, so different from Desiró where lights always twinkled even with few people around. The carriage ran along the forest path as if guided by moonlight.

The carriage was quiet as it wasn’t a windy day. The ticking of his watch second hand could be heard clearly.

She glanced at his wrist, which always wore a watch no matter what.

“What. Do you want one?”

“No!”

Emilia denied it in alarm. A faint smile crossed Enrico’s lips.

“I was planning to give you many rewards if you showed a satisfactory performance, but there’s been no opportunity.”

“…Information is enough as a reward.”

“For that, haven’t you been resting from the stage too long? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you perform, it’s becoming a distant memory.”

“I’ll prepare right away when we return.”

“You should. It was fine seeing you on the big stage, but I prefer watching you alone after all.”

And yet he had mentioned the big stage before, telling her to get the lead role. He was truly an unpredictable man.

Emilia responded with a vague agreement and looked out the window. As dark foliage continued to block her view, suddenly the sky opened up and the sea appeared. It was a breathtaking sight.

Though she had come at Enrico’s suggestion, Emilia felt she had made the right decision in asking to come today. As it became harder to proceed due to the sandy beach, the coachman parked the carriage on a side road and let the two disembark.

Wearing low-heeled shoes suitable for walking, Emilia stepped firmly onto the sandy beach. The soft touch of sand on her ankles and feet felt pleasant.

‘Should I take off my shoes completely?’

As Emilia was considering how nice it would feel on her bare feet, she noticed Enrico standing still, gazing at the sea. His dark hair ruffled by the wind and his deep eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

Emilia hesitantly looked down at her own feet. Though hidden by shoes, she was conscious of her rough soles and uneven toes.

“…I shouldn’t.”

Though they were feet she was proud of and loved, she felt shabby in front of him. To his eyes that always valued beauty, these feet would only appear as flaws.

Emilia lightly lifted her skirt to keep it from dragging in the sand and timidly played with her feet. The long-forgotten sensation brought back memories she hadn’t recalled in a while.

The image of happily walking on the beach holding her parents’ hands, her father carrying her on his back when she complained of being sleepy, her parents lovingly kissing her cheek while carrying her. Every memory was filled with overflowing affection.

Come to think of it, she remembered dancing on the sand one day when no one was around, saying how nice the beach felt. She had just started learning ballet and didn’t know any proper moves, but her parents clapped as if she was amazing, and she danced with even more excitement, making up her own movements.

“What will you do when you find the culprit?”

Enrico’s gaze, which had been on the sea, was now directed at Emilia. She blinked her eyes quietly and then made a bitter expression.

“I don’t know. For now, I just want to find them.”

“Don’t you want to kill them?”

“I just… want to ask why first. I’m curious about the reason, what on earth made them do such a thing.”

While investigating, she hadn’t ruled out the possibility that it might have been an accident, but at some point, as fragments of truth were revealed, Emilia had come to conclude that her parents’ death was an intentional incident. Enrico seemed to think the same, as he naturally mentioned the culprit from the start.

Well, he was the one who had told her from the beginning that there was something more to this accident.

Emilia slightly raised her chin and closed her eyes. She hoped the cool sea breeze would lighten her complicated thoughts.

When she was young, there were no complicated matters at all. She wondered if this was because she had become an adult, or if it was due to the complex circumstances.

She missed her childhood days when she simply loved ballet. Her parents who sometimes made her sit at a desk, saying she needed to study theory to do ballet… Theory?

“…!”

Emilia’s eyes flew open. As she lowered her head, she found Enrico standing close by, looking at her quizzically.

“I… I think I remember something.”

“Let’s leave right away then.”

Instead of asking questions, Enrico chose to get into the carriage immediately. The carriage, which had been moving leisurely on the way there, was now heading towards Este at a rapid pace.

“It must be the study. When I was young and very interested in ballet, my parents bought me many ballet-related books.”

Enrico silently listened as Emilia muttered, almost as if organizing her thoughts alone.

“But when I was little, I wasn’t very interested in theory. I just put them in the playroom and didn’t read them, so Father would put those books in the study and read them instead to teach me. There were so many ballet books that they eventually took up several shelves, and before leaving, Father took out one of those books and pressed something. And then… and then…”

“I get the gist of it. We’re almost there, so try to calm yourself.”

Even though she was sitting, her chest was heaving rapidly with excitement at the thought of finding her parents’ last traces. The carriage soon approached the mansion.

Emilia thought she might have fallen due to her urgency if Enrico hadn’t held her hand. He didn’t let go of her hand until they entered the house. Leaving behind the surprised faces of the people who came out, the two headed for the study.

“I think it was here…”

Her fingertips were trembling slightly. Her face was full of anxiety as she quickly scanned the bookshelves.

Her hands, which had been pulling out books one by one, were now causing books to tumble to the floor. Enrico’s brow furrowed slightly as he saw the book corners dangerously tearing the floor.

“It must be here, Your Grace?”

“Taking it slow won’t make this space disappear.”

Enrico moved closer as if to stop her actions and gently grasped her shoulders, then slid his hands down. Emilia stood still at his touch, which seemed to be soothing her as he caressed her arms.

Enrico felt strange at her behavior, so different from usual, as if she was relying on him. And at her attitude of yielding so easily to him, a peculiar light passed through his eyes, which had been indifferent until then.

The red tongue that had briefly appeared to moisten her dry lips retreated. His gaze lingered for a long time on her now moist lips.

“Ah…”

As her closed mouth opened with a pop, her even teeth were slightly visible. Her eyes sparkled transparently as she slightly raised her head. Her face gradually became calmer as she blinked several times, as if coming to her senses.

“I’ve calmed down a bit. Thank you.”

Emilia lightly grasped his hand and pushed it away. Somehow missing the soft feeling that had filled his palm, he tightly clenched his fist in the air.

Emilia took one deep breath and approached the bookshelf again. This time, instead of hastily pulling out books as before, she began to slowly check the names of the books and remove them. As the space where the ballet theory books had been gradually emptied, five shelves at the bottom were left completely empty.

‘I think Father touched something on this side…’

There must be something common among these five shelves. Emilia furrowed her brow as she felt around inside the bookcase.

“Oh?”

Enrico, who had been watching from the side, took a step closer at her expression, which suggested she had found something.

“I think this is it…”

Discovering a small hole inside the bookcase, Emilia took out a thin hairpin and inserted it into the gap. There was a click as something seemed to go in. And after that, things progressed smoothly.

Feeling around where the ballet theory books had been in the five shelves, she found tiny holes that could be barely felt. She promptly poked the five holes in order, and with a click, something seemed to fit into place as the bookshelf shook.