Ten Thousand Francs

She tried to make out who stood before her, yet the sun blazed directly behind the figure, and the reverse light made recognition all but impossible at first glance.

Only after she blinked several times did the person who had held the parasol over her come into focus.

"...Miss Pignatelli?"

"Shall I call a private carriage for you?"

The observation of a condition he himself had not fully registered sent a flicker of surprise across Lucio's face.

"No, it isn't that serious. Thank you for your concern."

He had not expected her to acknowledge him first. Lucio found the fact unexpected, then let out a quiet snort of amusement.

"If you don't mind, please take this."

She suddenly stretched out her hand. Lucio accepted the object without thinking, then jerked his head up so quickly the motion almost made a sound when he saw what rested in his palm.

"...This is...?"

It was a piece of candy.

What an extraordinary coincidence.

Candy was no longer the exclusive luxury of the nobility; it had become a common treat, and it happened to be the very first commodity Cesare had ever invested in.

At first Lucio had simply thought the meeting chance.

"I stopped by the bank a little while ago. They were handing them out."

"I see."

"And while I was there, I also saw a new investment proposal."

"...Pardon?"

Lucio, who had just tossed the candy into his mouth, doubted his own ears. Sweetness spread across his tongue, and he felt the cold sweat that had been prickling his body begin to settle.

"It struck me as a rather intriguing investment, so it stayed with me."

Lucio carefully masked his astonishment and straightened his clothes.

The suspicion that had been only half-formed was hardening into certainty.

"Miss, you..."

He could not finish the sentence and swallowed dryly.

To Lucio, young noble ladies had always been the easiest people to handle. They neither needed nor desired to adapt to a rapidly changing world; they simply drifted through quiet, comfortable lives. A few suitably sweet words were usually enough to win their favor.

She's different.

She carried herself with more grace than any young lady he had ever met, yet standing before her felt exactly like facing a seasoned businessman of considerable years.

"You already have a successful track record, so there seems little need to deliberate long. What do you think?"

"You have a bold hand, Miss."

"I would be grateful if you would regard me as an investor rather than a prospective bride at the moment."

The cool, evaluative tone—as though she assessed every other potential investor the same way—left Lucio briefly speechless.

"My apologies, Miss. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Everyone makes mistakes the first time."

"There will not be a second."

As if to prove the promise, his manner grew markedly more formal and respectful.

The reason Lucio had been tramping about meeting young ladies in search of capital was simple: the bank had rejected his loan application. In that light, Delfina Pignatelli was nothing short of a timely rain after drought.

Though his eyes glittered with the eagerness to launch straight into business talk, Lucio still possessed the restraint not to display haste in front of an investor.

"This hardly seems the place for such a conversation. If it is not an imposition, might I escort you to a nearby teahouse?"

"I haven't much time today, but a brief discussion would be fine."

Judging that he ought to make a favorable impression, he did not plunge immediately into the venture. Instead he chose a topic meant to foster a sense of familiarity.

"I heard my friend made a rather unfortunate mistake."

"You mean Mr. Appiano?"

He offered a warm, easy smile, clearly working to flatter the woman who was willing to put money into adventurous investments. Yet beneath that polished shell Delfina sensed a coolness he kept carefully hidden.

"I can only ask for your generous understanding."

"He made a mistake... is that how you put it?"

"Not precisely... but the fellow did swear he would make it up to you."

The soft rustle of leaves brushing together whenever the breeze passed, the sunlight filtering through their gaps, the fresh scent of green grass. And the face that, for all its cold appearance, had looked so anxiously afraid she might dislike him.

"I liked it."

Simply remembering that day was enough to let her breathe again.

"Pardon?"

"Enough that I'm looking forward to the next meeting."

Lucio's expression turned curious, yet she offered no further explanation.

The business discussion itself did not take long. They spoke at considerable length, but Lucio's true purpose only appeared at the very end.

"Then, if I may ask, how much were you thinking of investing?"

Delfina folded the candy wrapper and set it beside her cup. The surface of the tea trembled faintly.

"Ten thousand francs."

"That much...!"

"Yes."

Lucio's eyes flashed. One hundred francs was enough for a commoner family of four to live comfortably for roughly three months.

"If you wish, I could lay out a more detailed blueprint."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to hear it just now."

In truth she did not know the venture in any great detail. She simply knew that, within a very short time, talk of railway investment would appear in the newspapers. In her mind rose the headlines that, months later, would race across every front page.

First City Railway Line — Private Investment Confirmed

And the voices of those who had been invited to invest yet declined had been loud enough to climb over every wall.

"I ought to be heading back for today."

The coachman would return soon. She had no desire to be seen with anyone. He would certainly let slip whatever he witnessed to the people at the mansion.

"Next time I shall entertain you properly."

"I'll look forward to it."

Even in the face of Lucio's openly regretful manner, Delfina answered with cool indifference.

The warmth with which she had offered the candy vanished like a mirage, and Lucio felt an unexpected sting of frustration. When he behaved this warmly, most young ladies could not hide their smiles.

He glanced toward another table. Catching the eye of a young lady who had been watching them, he exchanged a small greeting; her face softened at once. Lucio knew his advantages well, and he knew better than anyone the sort of face that made women open their hearts with ease.

Did I do something wrong?

He looked back at Delfina across from him. The dry, uninterested gaze she returned might as well have been directed at a weed growing in the street.

"Ah, and this as well."

"Yes?"

Delfina laid a handkerchief on the table.

"I wanted to return it to Mr. Appiano."

"Ah."

For an instant he had mistaken it for a gift meant for himself. Color rose in Lucio's face, but Delfina paid it no mind and rose to her feet.

"I'll be going, then."

She left her seat without the slightest hesitation. Her formerly leisurely steps quickened the farther she moved from him.

It was dreadful.

Delfina's complexion had gone deathly pale.

"Miss?"

Even the coachman, who normally paid her little attention, noticed at once.

"I think it best we return to the mansion immediately."

It felt as though every drop of blood in her body had turned to ice.

A jolt.

Whether it had struck a stone or not, the carriage lurched hard. The closed curtains swayed, and through the gap she glimpsed the sky beginning to take on a faint scarlet hue.

In that moment, the memories she had buried from before her regression forced their way up through the cracks.

Nothing happened.

She steadied her roughening breath and repeated the words, yet the memories refused to release her hand. The past sensation of something closing around her throat returned with a chill. It was the same choking memory as the night she had fled her stepmother's poison.

Delfina tried desperately to erase the Lucio she had just sat with.

She had once escaped her stepmother's attempt to poison her. She had believed she was finally free. She had been ready to abandon everything simply to live. All she had needed was a tomorrow in which she could still draw breath. How naive and foolish she had been.