The Beloved Daughter of the Crime Family, Even After Reincarnation Became the Young Lady of a Gangst

A Well Kept Secret

Graziano grabbed the collar of his father who lay face up on the ground, and then spoke slowly squeezing out the emotions trapped within him.

“……….I beg of you, please, tell me everything, properly. About you, me, and mother…….”

“……….”

Francesca had never in her entire life seen Graziano sound so genuinely sad.

(Also, that was really dangerous just now. Graziano’s body enhancement skill has to have run out by now. In the off chance, the gun had been accidentally fired and the bullet had hit Graziano, then……!!)

She wondered if the marquis too had realized that Graziano had leaped at him fully resolved to give his life.

He silently closed his eyes, and then replied to his son.

“………Since time immemorial, the Savini house has gone through fierce and brutal wars for succession. Considering the massive amounts of money and power that came with the seat of the family head all the relatives would be split into factions and would oppose each other day and night.”

From what Leonardo had told them about the situation of the Savini family, it seemed quite obvious that such disputes were unavoidable.

They had tied hands with the underworld, they didn’t shy away from committing terrible crimes to earn massive profits. It’s only natural that the people of such a family would not be the type to fret over what methods to use in achieving their goals.

“I was sick of my own family, and tried to abandon everything in an attempt to run away from it all. Together with my only solace, the woman who became my only source of healing.”

 (Graziano’s mom……..)

She had told the [old stories] that Sofia had told her to Graziano as well.

At the time, he seemed disinterested in it all as he listened but right now, Graziano was far from that. In fact, he was looking at his father desperately trying to hold something back.

“In a rare stroke of luck, I wasn’t born the eldest son, so I was supposed to remain far away from the dispute over the succession……….that was of course, until the day some of the relatives who were unable to get into the good graces of my elder brothers decided to hire a bunch of assassins.”

“………Then that means……..”

“My brother were brutally murdered in cold blood, and it was on the very day it was decided that I would be made to inherit the family head’s position that I learnt a certain truth.——that me and her, had been blessed with you coming into our lives……”

Just trying to imagine what the Maruqis and his lover must have felt in that moment, Francesca’s heart began to ache.

“If I tried to run away, you two would have been killed as well. The killers who targeted my brothers were members of an organization that had a long standing deep relationship with the Savini family.”

“……….”

“My very own soon would become another trigger. There’d be people who would try to butter you up for their own needs, and there’d be people who’d try to kill you ………And even if you did survive though it all, all that awaited was a bloodstained seat of this accursed family’s head.”

The marquis closed his eyes again as if in pain and then continued speaking.

“And so I made a promise with her. That no matter what happens, I will……..protect the child that was inside her belly. Protect our treasure. And so we swore to never meet again, and to keep my child hidden away from the eyes of the society.”

To Graziano that had always treasured his mother, hearing this must have been a cruel story.

The realization that his very existence is what tore his parents apart and brought her all the misfortune she faced in life.

“And yet, I was too half-hearted with it, and thought I could continue to support you to even if from the shadows. But she had already seen through my naïveté.”

“……….mother had……..?”

“She disappeared from the Ranieri brothel she worked at, and I was unable to find her no matter where I looked……….finally realizing the difference between our resolves, I was once again made to feel nothing but shame.”

The strength in Graziano’s grip that was holding his father’s collar was beginning to loosen.

“Graziano, my son…”

“………Stop ..”

“You really, have grown up well. You’ve even grown taller than me too……”

“STOP IT…….!!!”

Graziano shut his eyes, and pressed his hands over his ears. Marquis Savini simply sighed and then chuckled apologetically.

“When I was child, I found you………but you only cursed at me, and tried to drive me away…….”

“……..Indeed. I wanted you to hate me, fear me, and never even think of coming close to me ever again. Because that was for the best.”

“You screamed so loudly though. Was it all so that you could make sure that everyone would see you as a complete asshole of a father that would never take in his son, even in an off chance?”

“…………”

“Even after we met in this forest again, you were always so, just utterly, terrible to me.”

Francesca recalled it all, and frowned hardly as well.

(It’s true, the attitude the Marquis showed towards Graziano was indeed extreme to highest degree. If he continued to act so obviously nervous and oversensitive around him, it would have the opposite effect and make outsiders more curious about their real relationship instead.)

Which means his real goal was not to hide the fact that they were father and son.

In fact, he wanted to show it to everyone that he was a father that was truly dedicated to shunning his own son.

“Surely you too realized, from the way I acted.”

In his voice, clear sadness could be heard.

“Please, continue to hate me………..despise me, and stay away from me.”

“And I said, just stop it already……..”

“Seriously, what an kind child you are.”

The marquis slowly stretched out his hand, and touched the glittering brooch on Graziano’s chest.

“As I thought, I’m glad I made sure that you never became a candidate to be the Savini’s family’s heir…….”

“………!”

Seeing him touch the brooch like that, Graziano’s eyes widened with surprise.

“………I’m also against you becoming an adopted son of the Calvino house. It’s one thing if you marry into the family and solidify your position, but even then, you resemble her too much. Becoming the head of one of the big underworld families is too much for you.”

“You are……….”

“But of course, after all this time, I suppose I have no right to say such things and act like a real father…………And also, now all I have left to do is very simple…….”

“………..?”

Marquis Savini removed his hand from the brooch and reached into the inner pocket of his own coat. In that instant, Francesca suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine.

What he pulled out was a small gun, one specifically designed to be easily concealed.

“——-[If your son dies, you’ll finally accept death too right, Savini?]”

“Father……..?”

“Graziano!!!”

The colour of Marquis Savini’s eyes changed as he aimed the small gun right towards Graziano’s heart. Leonardo could be heard clicking his tongue as well, and she could tell that he was activating some kind of skill to instantly kill the Marquis.

But suddenly noticing something, Leonardo stopped part way before he fully activated his skill.

“———-!!”

A small, almost quiet gunshot echoed.

Graziano’s body fell backwards with a thud. Seeing that unfold before her eyes, Francesca screamed.

“Marquis Savini…….!!”

And then came Graziano’s shaky voice.

“W-why…….?”

Blood was spilled. But not from Graziano’s chest.

Right before the gunshot echoed, Marquis Savini had knocked his son backwards and then forcefully rolled over and turned his own body over his own hand, effectively shooting his own shoulder.

“How dare you, try and hurt my son……….with my own body.”

The small gun that could only carry a single bullet was thrown to the ground and it fell on the lapis lazuli carpet. The bullet had pierced through his shoulder and hit the chandelier hung on the ceiling, making it sway greatly.

“……..Damned, Crestani family…….!!”

“Father!!”

Hearing the name uttered, Leonardo quietly cast down his eyes.

“………[Crestani]……..”

Leonardo’s hand that was grabbing on to Francesca’s shoulder loosened in its grip.

At the same time, she ran off towards Graziano and his father.

“Father! Dammit, Why……!?”

(It’s his left shoulder. The wound is too close to his heart…….!)

She already knew from the knowledge of her past life. If you get shot there, the blood loss is great and there’s a good chance for it to turn fatal.

But that was not the only reason Francesca was running towards them.

“Graziano! Be careful! The chandelier above you is going to fall!!!”

“!!”