#silvio ricci short story

[aishangotome]

Silvio Ricci: Even If I Were To Lose My Entire Fortune

From A Hidden Oath: King of the BEAST (2024 Election) - Collection Event

Thank you @dark-frosted-heart for providing the SE video!

—

On the disheveled bed, the heat of our passion still lingering, I take Emma's hand as she lies limply, face down.

I fasten the bracelet, which I decided to give her at first sight, onto her wrist, and her eyes widen as if they might spill over.

Emma: Huh, this is...

Silvio: It's for you.

(As I thought, the sparkle of the jewels suits your delicate wrist.)

Emma: Thank you... I'm happy, but what's the occasion?

(Even after all this time as my woman, it's just like you to not accept gifts without a reason.)

Silvio: I was on a business trip and happened to find a rare gem that's hardly ever on the market.

Silvio: It looked like it would suit ya, so I ended up buyin' it. If ya don't want it...

Emma: Of course I want it! If that's the case, then I'll gladly accept it.

(You look so obviously happy for such a small reason...)

(You react so cutely that I end up buying anything I think might suit you.)

Emma's brow furrows suddenly.

Emma: ...But I'm in trouble. I'm running out of places to put all the gifts.

Silvio: I gave ya a room to store them before, didn't I?

Emma: That room is...

(...No way.)

I'm surprised myself, even though I'm the one who gave them to her.

Silvio: If there's no space, we can just build a new room. Or how about a whole new mansion?

Emma: Please don't!?

Silvio: Ha, it's none of your business where I spend my money.

Emma: That's true, but... then, how about you give me fewer gifts...?

I can't help but find Emma's flustered state adorable, as she anxiously runs her fingers through her bangs.

(...I guess when it comes to someone you cherish, you want to do everything you can for them.)

(You're still too serious, as always.)

(Just think of it as my way of showing affection, and learn to accept it without a fuss.)

Silvio: If ya say that, but then I stop givin' ya presents altogether, wouldn't that feel strange too?

Emma: It's true that I'd wonder what's wrong, but I wouldn't mind at all if the presents stopped completely.

Emma: Because the thing I want most is you, Silvio!

Silvio: You're so shameless...

Emma's straightforward words suddenly triggered a memory deep within my heart.

(Things, love, everything... I used to think I could get anything with money, but...)

In front of me, Emma narrows her eyes, holding the bracelet up to the moonlight with a smile overflowing with happiness.

Emma: But this bracelet is truly beautiful...

Emma: I'm so happy that you thought it would suit me. I'll treasure it.

Silvio: You shoulda just accept it graciously from the start.

Emma: Hehe, sorry. But please, really, keep it moderate from now on, okay?

Silvio: I'll keep it in mind... Geez, you're a woman who doesn't care about money at all.

(She's happy, but then she makes sure to remind me... She's quite persistent.)

(...Every time I talk to you like this, I realize painfully that the love I bought with money wasn't real love.)

Emma: Ah, but it's not that I don't have desires. There's something I want every day.

Silvio: Huh? That's news to me. What is it, tell me.

(I thought I knew everything about you... Damn, did I not look hard enough?)

As I press her for an answer, Emma mumbles something, as if holding back...

Emma: The thing I want every day is... you, Silvio, right in front of me!

Emma suddenly sits up and hugs me with a bright smile, and damn it, my heart skips a beat.

Silvio: You're always playing with my heart like that...!

Silvio: You've already said that. Give me a serious answer.

Emma: I'm completely serious. The only thing I truly, truly want from the bottom of my heart is you, Silvio.

Emma: I love you so much, Silvio, that I can't help but tell you every day.

Silvio:...Ah, is that so?

(You're laughing with such a happy face... It's made me soft.)

(... Maybe you really would love me even if I had nothing.)

(Well, I'd love you even if you had nothing to your name.)

(You're the only one who makes me feel this way, not easily accepting gifts.)

Blaming the hot emotions that filled my chest, I grabbed Emma's chin and stole a kiss.

I had only meant to peck her lightly, but once I touched her, the overflowing feelings made it hard to let go.

Emma: Mmm, Silvio...?

Silvio: Not yet. I'll give ya what ya want most.

Emma's eyes were wet with heat, as if she were enduring the remnants of our passion, but I changed the angle and savored her mouth.

Each time she grasped my shirt longingly, the sound of the bracelet chiming pleasantly echoed in my ears.

Emma: W-wait a minute. What's gotten into you all of a sudden...?

Silvio: Ah... In other words, one more, no, as many as you want.

Silvio: I'll make a room big enough for as many gifts as I want to give ya. Look forward to it.

Emma: You're not listening to anything I'm saying!?

Silvio: Shut up! Just give up already.

(This is my way of loving. Even if you tell me to stop, it's not a feeling I can easily suppress.)

(Even if I were to lose my entire fortune in the future, I would still love you.)

While silencing her with a kiss, I embraced my beloved fiancée with the resolve that had lit up in my chest.

FIN

[norel-ravenclaw]

The Haunted Mansion

Ikepri AU - Part 3

Fandom: Ikemen Prince (otome game)

Featured characters: All 13 plus allusions to unknown new trio

Genre: Paranormal Tragic Romance

Rating: 14+

Word count: Part 3 - 2900

Description: Ikepri Haunted Mansion AU - The regional princes have had an awful time getting servants to stay at their grand manor. A young woman takes the job and quickly discovers why no one else applied. Despite the strange occurrences, she finds home and even love among them. But tragedy seeks to cut short the possibility of a happy ending. Be warned, this is a story for those who like a twisted sort of satisfaction.

WARNINGS: | lots of violent death, killing, and suicide (nothing too explicitly gory) | mxw | polyamory | yandere | toxic relationships | angst | dark goth vibes | seriously, only read this in a good headspace |

................................................................

Mr. Silvio Ricci was the wealthiest man in the hemisphere. He had governed the land by the sea for many years, but when the papers went to his brother, he left to go exert his influence elsewhere.

And this led him to the cursed mansion at the edge of the land. Deserted by its guardian beasts, the people were in need of a new governance system, and he was all to happy to so easily invade.

He was silver haired, blue eyed, and always decked in expensive fabric and jangling jewels. Precisely the sort of eccentric one might expect to purchase a manor of death.

The place came with a few gardeners who would not stay long, a devil of a butler, a pretty maid, and... as the flashy lord called him, a mangy mutt.

Rio Ortiz and the new lord of the manor got along like two wolves who were certain there was not room in the pack for the other.

Even so, Miss Emma found that he was rather like an abused dog. Rough around the edges, quick to bite, but in need not of a kennel, but of affection.

Now, after the horrible incident between her second fiancé and the vanished brother, Luke's manic worryings had began to influence her. She too now thought she saw shadows of the lost brothers. She, too, whispered conversations to them, whether to comfort herself or because she really thought they were there, even she could not say.

Despite these odd proclivities, Miss Emma was kind and gentle, witty and diligent. And all who met her came to admire her.

Just so, the new Lord Silvio came to like the one woman who could match him. The one who could see through his bite to hear the whimper in his bark.

And he fell, hard. He showered her with gifts and jewels. So many jewels.

Determined to make her the new mistress of his new land, he acquired a (rather gaudy) ring of sapphire and pearl.

However, he and Mr. Ortiz were desperately at odds with one another. The latter was like a ferocious guard dog towards the lovely lady, and thoroughly disapproved of the haughty lord trying to claim her.

Fearful that indeed, Silvio's intention was more to punish him than out of genuine affection, Rio dared to take drastic measures to protect his damsel.

One night, as the new lord held a stunningly ostentations banquet, he made his way to the centre of the vast dining hall to make an announcement.

He held up a velvet box with a sapphire ring, offering it, and his love, to Miss Emma.

But no sooner had she risen from her chair in shock, a tragedy occurred.

The grand chandelier in the centre of the grand space, where the jewel-decked lord stood... fell.

All of the candles in the space went out at once. A great blessing (or strategy?) to hide the guests and the poor, poor lady from the distressing sight.

Within seconds, Rio was there to whisk her away from the scene.

And thus ended the brief but brilliant era of the Ricci's ownership of the mansion.

Alas, poor Miss Emma began to spend more time up in the attic, going there to read and pace and stare at the never used white dress and a row of rings.

There grew a sort of shrine. A yellow diamond ring, an odd clay figure, a cookbook, a romance novel, a belt with wolf's fur, a pair of whiskey glasses, a ruby ring, a small teddy bear, and now, a sapphire ring.

From the small attic window, she could see many of the wings of the mansion, watching at midnight as lights would come on in unused rooms. Figures would pace in offices and libraries.

She was sure of it.

Not long after the tragic and spectacular death of Lord Silvio, another wealthy man approached the place.

His own inheritance he'd given to his sister, but now felt too adrift. He sought a new home and new purpose. And helping the Rhodolite region recover from its leadership troubles seemed an appropriate use of his hard won skills.

His name was Keith Howell. Tall and broad shouldered, awkward as he was elegant.

But there was something decidedly odd about him. Even Mr. Noir would stare at the man as though something was amiss. Something...

He was often kind and sweet and indeed overly apologetic. But then, sometimes...

Miss Emma discovered that he had another side to him. Late one night, she found him in one of the ballrooms.

"Mr. Howell. Were you playing the organ in here?"

He turned to her in the dark room, the moonlight catching on his golden eyes.

"What are you talking about? You were the one playing, weren't you? Why would you try to trick me after all I've done for you?"

Although he smiled, there was an edge to it that made her freeze like a doe.

"I.. did not mean..."

He approached her, getting far closer than usual. Lifting her chin with a finger, he said, "It's naughty to play tricks."

She watched him leave, but a few moments later, a loud chord of the organ trilled, sending her off at a sprint.

She liked Mr. Howell, but sometimes, it was like he was a different person entirely.

While she liked him, her ever faithful guard dog Rio, did not. He did not trust the man at all.

And within a month, the whole region stirred with the news that yet another murder had happened at the manor.

The man was found stabbed in his study, botany books and ledgers all around.

The lady was numb as the police came in force, investigating the place high and low for days. Countless interviews of her, Rio, and Sariel.

She wondered if Keith had been killed by someone on business at the mansion? While he was often obsequious, he could at times be... forceful.

Even so, a stag antler necklace made its way to her little shrine.

There she sat and pondered it all.

Chevalier had been murdered by Clavis in a fit of rage.

Nokto had lost a duel.

Jin had fallen victim to poison meant for another.

Leon had been killed by Luke in a fit of madness.

Silvio had likely been murdered by a jealous guest at his own party.

Luke had disappeared to god knows where, never to return.

All the others, Clavis, Yves, and Licht, had died in tragic, if mysterious, accidents.

But, of them all, the murder of Mr. Howell bothered her in a unique way. Somehow, this felt more... wrong.

As her mind swirled with conundrums and grief, the evening moonlight rose, and mist coalesced in the attic. The temperature dropped enough to make her shiver.

The sight of a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at her in the mirror made her scream bloody murder.

The very image of Silvio was reflected there, dalmatian fur and all.

"He did this! He killed us!"

His voice was distant and echoey. She could not understand.

"What? Who killed you?"

The apparition raged, slamming his fists against the mirror as though he was trapped inside it.

"That damn dog! It's in the chest he brought! Find it!"

Her mind raced. "Dog... Rio? The chest he brought?"

She recalled that Mr. Ortiz had evidently arrived to the mansion with only a single small trunk. All his worldly possessions had fit inside.

Her heart clamoured. Could her overprotective fellow servant had possibly killed both Lord Silvio and Keith?

Horrified by the possibility, she rushed to his room. He was not around.

And so she slipped in, standing on her tiptoes to get down the small trunk off the top of his wardrobe.

And... oh, poor dear Miss Emma when she saw what laid inside.

A beautiful old coat, finely made. A velvet box. A dagger sheath, gilded in gold and sapphires and citrine.

And the sheath's intended occupant. With bits of blood not properly cleaned off of it. Fresh enough to not have oxidized to near black as old blood ought to have.

"Oh! Miss Emma! What are you-"

He froze, horrified beyond words as she slowly turned around, her face soaked with tears, and trembling hands holding a dagger.

Scrambling to not lose her favour, he rushed to her. "Y-you must understand! That Silvio was a horrible person! He only wanted to punish me, he didn't really love you! And Kieth was dangerous! I couldn't bear the thought of him hurting you!"

She shoved him away, letting the knife clatter to the ground. "I loved them!" she screamed.

Silence fell over them.

"I did... I loved them all. They were strange and sometimes scary but they were kind and I trusted them and I... loved them all."

She fell to her knees, as did he.

They cried together. "I just wanted to protect you! Oh, Emma... could you have ever loved me?"

Rage and grief filled her eyes. "I did, Rio. I did."

She got up and stormed out of the room, and he collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. His hands balled into fists just inches away from the cursed dagger.

Darkness fell over the mansion that night. A darkness that would never again lift in the light of day.

Unaware of Emma's secret hideout and shrine in the attic, the obsessive attendant went up into the darkness.

A rope was hung.

As the clock struck one, his body swung.

Once again, the police arrived. This time, Mr. Noir had to lock her in her room as she screamed and cried.

He presented to them the dagger, and the body of the murderer.

And it was over.

Everything was over.

As Miss Emma wailed and raved into the day, she found her way up to the attic, unaware of what had happened there in the night.

She fell to her knees in front of the mirror. Lying beside it was the wedding dress.

Manic to the point of madness, she stripped her clothes and put on the slightly yellowed dress. She took the three rings from the altar and put them on whatever fingers they would fit.

Diamond, ruby, and sapphire glittered in the dim light of a single candle.

She wailed their names. All of them.

Until she saw them in the mirror. She was no stranger now to such apparitions.

"Leon! Chevalier!"

Rushing over to it, she clutched onto the frame, her tears obscuring their sadly smiling faces.

"Emma..."

"Simpleton. Stop struggling."

"We love you. Never forget that."

As their faces faded, she screamed.

"Come back! Don't leave me alone! You all left me alone! I can't..."

Once her sobbing left her gasping for breath, exhaustion overcame her.

And through the new silence, a steady sound could be heard.

Tap. Tap. Tap of a cane.

"Little rabbit, it's upsetting to see you like this."

She whirled around to see him perched casually on top of an old chest, his legs crossed.

"Gilbert!"

He smiled at her. "Would you like to hear a story, bunny?"

With a tiny nod of her head, he grinned, and began.

"Once upon a time, these lands were distant from early civilization. Pagan druids were the only ones who dared come so far into the nothingness. They performed profane rituals and spells here, intended to curse the souls of evil kings and warriors. Trapping them in this valley until the end of time.

"But when the cemeteries and crypts were built out here, those poor souls were captured by the same ancient spells. The restless ones were confined to the land, including that of this mansion."

Gilbert sighed and smiled the most chillingly dark smile the lady had ever seen him wear.

"Did you have any idea? Your little dog became the 999th soul bound to this place. Funny, that miserable poor sap before him counted for two souls. Did you know?"

He stood and plopped a hand onto her hair, smoothing it down. "The curse is said to be breakable once one thousand souls have been damned here. I wonder if it's true. Anyway, why don't you wear that dress of yours to the party tonight, little rabbit?"

"...Party?"

His red eye glittered, and so did his other eye, ghostly blue underneath as he lifted away his eyepatch. "Yes. The one you hear every night. You should join us. They're so miserable without you."

"...Who is?"

"Who do you think? Me! And the others too, I guess."

With a twirl of his cane and a twisted sort of smile, he turned to leave.

"There's always room for one more~"

Poor Miss Emma's head spun. Whatever was the apparition talking about? He wasn't real, he never had been! Right...?

She paced and cried and sobbed. She put on the stag necklace from the altar and flipped through the cookbook.

She muttered to herself with the strange little clay figure, teddy bear, and the fluffy wolf fur clutched to her chest.

And then she saw it.

A rope coiled up off to the side that hadn't been there before. Tied on one end was a perfect loop for a noose.

And thus the heartbroken lady spun into the darkness once and for all.

...

…

…

"...Emma."

She knelt there in the attic, tears marring her face.

She knew that voice. As well as any other. She loved that voice.

But she was tired of his mysteries and deflections. Sitting in a pool of white fabric, she looked up at him in the doorway.

"Tell me who you really are, Sariel."

Frozen momentarily, his walls crumbled. "I suppose you deserve the truth."

He knelt in front of her, agony evident in his violet eyes.

"I made a deal with the devil ages ago. My father. When I found this place, I simply stayed here. Then a local lord, the princes' father, was destined for hell, and I decided to stay and look after his sons. However fantastic, that is the truth."

He gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It may forever be my greatest regret that I could not protect you, my dear. But it will be my honour to care for you here. Come now, let us leave this dreary place behind."

He helped her to her feet, keeping an arm around her shoulders to steer her out the door so that she did not catch sight of her body dangling from the rafter.

He took her back to her room and threw open the armoire. "Let's get you dressed for a ball, hm? You'll be the Belle of the ball tonight and every night."

Tired and dazed, feeling numb at last, she agreed, letting him help her into a fine gown. He fixed her hair and adorned her in jewels to accompany the three stones she still wore on her elegant hands.

And together, they descended the stairs, the music and voices of the party louder than ever.

The doors opened for them, and the crowd fell into whispers.

And standing at the front of that crowd were many familiar faces.

She gasped, tears welling in her eyes. Just as she was about to run to them, a man in black stepped in front of her.

"Ah! Gilbert!"

He smiled at her. And it seemed somehow more genuine than ever before.

"Welcome, little bunny. This party tonight is just for you. Won't you let me have the first dance?"

"...I suppose the host ought to have the first dance."

As they whirled on the dance floor amidst dresses of all styles and eras, he grinned at her.

"How happy I am to have you here to play with, at long last."

A man in red tapped on his shoulder. "Might I cut in?"

"Leon!"

He smiled at her as brilliantly as the sun, pulling her into his arms without waiting for a response.

"I'm so happy to see you looking so happy, sweetheart," he beamed.

Tears not of grief, but joy glittered on her cheeks. "I can't believe you're really here!"

"Yes. We're here. And we're all together, Em."

But as they spun to the music, her smile faded.

She knew.

Her voice was small.

"Leon... I'm dead aren't I?"

He took a breath, holding her tightly. And yet a kind smile made its way to his lips.

"Today may have been the day you died, but you have brought all of us to life in a way we never knew even while still alive. You have brought us such joy, and I promise you, this is not the end."

He kissed her forehead tenderly. "Together we will make an afterlife worth living."

... The End ...

VERSION 2

(From where every suitor was going to have a belle. Too much hassle killing off THAT many people lol)

...

Sariel Noir. He had lured each of the victims into the castle over the years, desperately hoping to placate the vicious spirits of his many masters. But now, his own soul grew ravenously restless. He required a mate of his own to tame and soothe his tortured soul.

The castle was host to precisely 999 spirits.

But there was room for one more.

[viatagrinner]

Silvio Ricci 24 + Normal Story.

A meeting of merchants with Silvio.

Silvio: Guys, I brought you a big deal that could change the country.

(It takes the power of the merchants to prove the king wrong...)

Silvio says that if they succeed, the merchants will make a huge profit, but they will make an enemy of the current king.

Silvio: If you are afraid, leave. This is different from ordinary negotiations.

No one moves.

Silvio: ... If you start trading with Obsidian, you will move your business there, won't you?

The Obsidian market is huge at the expense of the population. And merchants will be able to make big profits. However...

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Flashback:

Silvio, standing on the balcony of his secret residence, asks the girl if she has any tricks to become popular. MC answers in agreement. One has to be honest.

MC: What does prince Silvio think about, what does he wish for... It's not about money, but you have to touch people's hearts. I believe that people are not moved by money, but by the heart, regardless of profit or loss.

Flashback is over.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Silvio thought for a long time about which side to join, but "one sassy woman," the "damn little brother" who was saved by Rhodolite, in the end many merchants who fell in love with Rhodolite... All this determined his choice.

Silvio: "I did it because I wanted to." In the end, it's all personal.

He promises them prosperity.

Silvio: So, everyone, hurry up and lend me your power.

Silvio: If I become king, maybe I'll reconsider my relationship with Rhodolite, won't I?

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

While Silvio confidently recounted his plan, MC watched him from her hiding place. And she couldn't take her eyes off him.

(Impossible.)

(Impossible to say that I would fall in love with someone like him.)

She still doesn't like the prince's treatment of her as a thing and the fact that he is trying to turn her into a weapon against Rio, though she senses that there is something else behind it.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

The jeweler is first in charge of Silvio's request. He and his firm will be happy to help trace the route of the items and prove that the items came from Obsidian. Although the jeweler half-jokingly, half-seriously asks the prince to "not let it die" on him.

The bookstore seller is a longtime friend of the auction organizer.

Someone knows some of the Obsidian merchants.

In short, everyone agrees to help.

Merchant: Only Prince Silvio, please work hard. I don't want to sail on a sinking ship.

Silvio: Who are you talking to? I have never sunk a ship.

The cooperation, which is tied to more than just money, is getting better. Silvio is happy. However...

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Carlo appears before he can say anything; Silvio speaks instead. The king is already looking for them. There is an official request from the kingdom of Benitoite to arrest the prince.

Silvio: It was clear that sooner or later it would happen.

But that's not all the bad news either.

The royal knights are on their way.

Jeweler: It seems rumors of a rendezvous have leaked out.

Silvio knew it was coming, but his authority demanded that he show up himself.

Jeweler finds similarities between the prince and the king. He too went to great lengths for "personal feelings" when he wanted his second wife to be accepted at court.

Silvio: ........

After giving out quick instructions, Silvio, grabbing MC, fled.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

In the woods they were pursued by knights. It's very hard to escape.

MC: I have an idea....

Silvio: Rejected.

MC: But I haven't said anything yet...

Silvio: So you are going to surrender to the knights?

The prince sighs irritably. The girl tries to convince him that if she surrenders to the knights, she will buy time for Silvio. If she does not shut up, the prince will kiss her.

MC: I will have my revenge.

*Fight with each other*.

Silvio: No matter what you say, I won't let you go! Remember that!

MC: This is not the time or the circumstances.

The girl thinks that if the prince treats her like a thing, his property, then let him treat her that way until the end. Things are used.

MC: You know that running away with me is not the wisest decision, is it, Sir Silvio?

Silvio stubbornly walks on, holding the heroine's hand.

Silvio: Shut up! ....I really had no problems until I met you.

MC:..... Hey... That's my line!

MC: Forced me to be the host, and even though I said I didn't like it, you took me everywhere I went...

Silvio: Who was the one who always made me feel uncomfortable by cheekily biting me everywhere I went?

MC: Silvio was the one who made me uncomfortable first!

Silvio: You started it! No matter how much I give, all I get, is not an affectionate attitude.

Silvio: If I take my eyes off of you even for a moment, you start flirting with that damn dog...

MC: I feel bad about the way you said that!

Silvio doesn't like her touching him. MC objects, he touches her too.

Silvio: That's good of me, but it's disrespectful of you!

MC: That's not wise!

*They argue further*

Silvio is offended that the girl makes the same frightened face she did when she met the "scowling bastard." [Chapter 9]

???: There he is! I found him!

Silvio: Hey... Look, they found us because you shouted.

MC: No, Sir Silvio shouted, didn't he!?

The prince picked her up and went... MC wanted to say something, but she saw that they had come to a cliff. Dead end on the way.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Other people's footsteps are getting closer and closer. Silvio has been in worse situations, like being surrounded by pirates.

The prince rolls up his sleeves as if preparing for battle.

???: Guys, go take a look over there. I just got a report.

(...That voice.)

The expression on Silvio's face turned grim, like a demon's.

It's Rio.

He spread his arms out to his sides, and MC rushed to embrace him, but Silvio's hand grabbed her collar.

MC: Oh, that hurts!

Silvio: ...So you're the one leading the search.

Silvio: In other words, the enemy.

Rio said he talked to his father.

Rio: "There's some misunderstanding about MC. I'll take it from my brother and prove it, so please let me lead the search. Why did you put MC in danger, you damn old geezer? I'm going to make you bow down to MC, so remember that".

The heroine is stunned by Rio's uncharacteristic words.

Rio offers to let the girl go. He knows of Silvio's plans from Carlo. Rio won't stop his brother, but he won't let him endanger MC either.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Rio's plan: MC sits in the shelter that Sariel has prepared for her. Rio himself, meanwhile, will seek proof that the girl is not a Obsidian spy. At the quadripartite negotiations, he annuls the renunciation of the alliance...

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Rio takes the girl's hand, but Silvio grabs her other hand.

Silvio: I won't let you interfere with my plans.

Rio: MC is not important to this plan, is she?

Silvio does not believe in Rio's plan. Moreover, it does not matter who protects who protects the girl. That's why Silvio takes on the task.

Rio does not agree, if Silvio becomes king, he will "tie MC to himself with an order." The younger prince is afraid of that.

Rio: MC is not your tool, not your thing.

Rio: .....Let her go.

Silvio: You let her go.

Rio: I... I said it before. I love MC.

The girl is important to Rio, he wants her to be happy.

Rio: MC is different from everything you've taken away from me. She's a living person.

Rio draws MC to him, Silvio retreats.

Rio thinks that his brother, once he gets the girl, will throw her away because he only wants to torment Rio.

Silvio remains silent. The heroine is saddened to see if Rio is right and all the prince's kindness is just a lie.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

She's about to follow Rio, but she can't. Silvio hugs her tightly from behind.

He asks what MC wanted to say before they came to the cliff.

MC: ...Do you like me?

Silvio: I think so.

Silvio: I wouldn't go on such a venture just to annoy people.

Silvio: ...Because the only way I know how to get something is to buy it with money or steal it.

Rio gives voice to this. But this makes Silvio furious.

Silvio: Unlike you, whom everyone loves, no one has ever loved me...

The tyrant peels off his skin, and beneath it is a squirming beast that seems to be afraid of something.

Rio: The fact that you're being arrogant makes it hard to talk, and you should have been honest from the start, you idiot!

Rio: I'll ask a simple question, so that even an idiot like you can understand... Can you say that you like MC more than I do?

Silvio: I can't.

Because Rio has changed a lot. He used to try not to stand out, not to command the knights, not to protect the girl.

Silvio: Although I too...

Silvio blushes and sighs deeply...

(I want to know the tyrant's true intentions.)

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Normal Story

Silvio: I can't help it if I'm in love with you! You can't blame me!

Silvio, who was hugging the girl from behind, jammed his face into her shoulder.

Just this action almost made her heart burst.

Silvio: Ah, why the hell is such a woman...

MC: That's my line!

Silvio is a tyrant, treats her like a thing, makes her wear a collar... And yet kind, considerate...

Silvio calls the girl an "bastard" and says he feels even worse.

Silvio: She's sassy, she's not pretty, she bites from time to time, she's a damned woman who can't even entertain a noble guest...

Silvio: I didn't expect to be so hooked.

It didn't sound like a compliment.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Rio: Well, have your worries dissipated?

And it's also becoming clear that Rio purposely pissed off his older brother so that he would confess his feelings.

Rio says Silvio has been on so many dangerous voyages, but he's come back every time. He gives the go-ahead to Silvio's plan and to his relationship with MC.

Rio takes his knights away.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Silvio's Shelter.

MC brought food again, but the prince is asleep. From morning until evening he wrote letters, read reports. The poor guy fell asleep right at the table. The girl wakes him up and asks him to go to bed.

Their faces ended up next to each other.

At first they looked at each other, but then Silvio was blown away like the wind and, grumbling, ran away from the girl.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

MC wants to touch him. He gets angry and blushes, but she needs him to get used to her.

Silvio: Don't be so selfish.

The prince picks her up and puts her in his lap.

(....Help!)

Silvio: You're going to come to Benitoite when this matter is settled, right?

MC: As you may have noticed long ago, I am the daughter of a commoner.

Silvio: It doesn't matter, and that's not what I'm asking.

MC: First I want to make one thing clear. Am I prince Silvio's property?

She still wears the collar and is not allowed to take it off.

Silvio: If you don't want to be treated like an object, hurry up and be my woman.

*Kiss*

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

After a passionate kiss, Silvio smiled weakly.

MC decided to kiss him, too, but she had no experience.

MC: I already told you. I told you I love you, even though I don't want to.

There is no longer a "host" and a "thing," but only a "lover."

Silvio: ...Ha, you're finally getting cute.

Silvio: I'm going to make you the king's woman. Do you feel grateful?

The girl panics a little, but Silvio asks her not to worry.

Silvio: Well, I don't want to let you go, even if you are afraid.

After stroking MC's hair, Silvio removes her collar.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Silvio's Masterlist

[caffedrine]

Rio Ortiz Chapter 17 Summary

This is mostly a summary for me - I make no promises on the accuracy of what’s happening. I’m not nearly fluent enough to get half the jokes/innuendo much less accurate plot points.

Emma tries out Rio’s true name, calling him Lord Valerio. Rio immediately tells her not to call him that, to continue calling him ‘Rio’ without any honorifics. He explains that it’s the name Emma gave him, one of his few treasures. Emma agrees to call him Rio, and Rio asks her to promise, even if everyone around them calls him Valerio. Emma agrees, explaining that the person she fell in love with was Rio, not Valerio.

Rio asks his ‘father’ if he heard that too and exclaims over how cute his Emma is. Akatsuki, the bookstore owner, reminds Rio that he’s not his father and that’s not Rio’s Emma.

Akatsuki continues the story. Rio’s true name is Valerio Ricci, the youngest prince after Silvio and Emidio. However, Rio doesn’t share a mother with them, making him technically their half-brother. They all share the same surname as the King, and by having that name, Rio was recognized as a legitimate offspring, even though his mother is the mistress.

Emma recalls that the marriage laws of the royal families in the world are different than what she as a commoner is used to. It’s common for members of the royal family to have lovers and mistresses in addition to their legal wives. Rhodolite, for example, has seven mothers and eight princes. Sariel had explained that producing multiple heirs were a duty of the royal family.

Akatsuki continues his explanation. Since Rio is the child of the King’s beloved mistress, he was especially doted on by his parents. He was also very popular at court and was easily loved by most people. However, his circles began and ended in court. Politically speaking, Prince Valerio was not very active. Rio asks if it’s because his mother wasn’t the queen, and the owner admits that he’s not sure. The sense he got was that it was Rio’s personal preference.

Rio considers this, he wonders if he was ambitious and trying not to garner a negative reputation that would sink his chances. Then he decides that he has such a strong aversion to ruling, that he imagines he must have felt this way before. If he wanted to be king, he is certain he would have been more proactive in regaining his memories. Rio thinks that even with memory loss, his wants and ambitions would have remained the same. Emma wonders in that case why Rio was always so terrified of his past. Rio thinks that he might just be a selfish coward.

Rio now has a bit of a complex; he has spent all this time desperately trying to protect himself from his own past. Meanwhile, with the example of all the Rhodolite princes who are actively trying to protect their country, he just falls short by thinking of himself.

Emma thinks that’s a bit too far, they’re not quite at the stage where Rio should make assumptions about this past self. Rio insists that he understands this part of himself all too well. After all, Valerio is a prince recognized by the king and legitimized to the point of being able to use the king’s surname. But no one outside of the Benitoite court even knows he exists. That means that it was his own choice to hide instead of act. He wonders if he was the kind of prince Emma would hate.

Emma doesn’t know Rio’s past or circumstances, so she can’t say anything about Valerio one way or another. But she knows what kind of person Rio is, and he is not a selfish coward. Her view of Rio is that he’s always thinking about the people around him and is easy to get along with. He’s always doing his best for others, to the point that he neglects himself. Honestly, Emma would be happier if he was a little bit more selfish. With a shy, happy expression, Rio is happy Emma sees him that way.

Akatsuki clears his throat.

He was just about to come to the crux of the problem, the carriage accident. One day, Valerio left the castle without notifying anyone, and no one has seen him since. It threw the entire Benitoite court into an uproar since the king doted on him. There was even a large-scale search party sent for him. Rio muses this means that his disappearance was planned. Akatsuki continues; there were rumors of the reason behind his disappearance. Accidents, death, or even a surprise elopement, are the usual reasons behind the sudden disappearance of a high-ranking noble.

Rio can say for certain that there was no elopement. Emma asks how he can be so certain, and Rio explains that he’s thought several times of running off to elope with Emma. If there was someone important enough to run off with, he doesn’t think he would run away from that memory. Emma remembers that ring box Rio had thrown to the floor all those years ago, there had been plenty of emotions with that item.

It occurs to Emma that this might be the best time to address the issue of the ring. She still feels hesitant about it, but right now Rio is willing to face his past, and that was one thing he really needed to face.

Before she can say anything, Rio asks Akatsuki if he knew all of that, why did he let Emma and Rio get so close to each other? Akatsuki explains that he was certain that the past was truly lost to Rio. And by the time, they grew attached to each other, he figured that there would be no harm. And, if things changed, he would deal with Rio personally.

Rio pointedly looks at the sword at Akatsuki’s hip, a sword that was different in design and makes than any of the princes’. He asks if Akatsuki would have used it against him, and Akatsuki assures him he absolutely would have . . . is something he would like to say, but now he can’t. After all, it would crush Emma. He understands that when Rio is hurt, Emma is also in pain. Surely Rio figured that out after the poisoning incident.

Rio agrees, from his point of view, his body belongs to Emma, and he intends to take care of the things important to her. His words melt like sugar in Emma’s ears as he strokes her hair and kisses her forehead. She complains that he’s tickling her, and with a grin, Rio asks if it’s just a tickle she feels.

There’s a lot of things Emma needs to think about and talk to Rio about, but when he does things like this, they just seem to blow away in the wind. She thinks he becomes more merciless every day.

Akatsuki clears his throat.

He warns Rio to stop with the PDA, especially with an unmarried woman. Rio agrees, he doesn’t want anyone to see how cute Emma is, especially with her bright red face. But oh no! He just wants to brag about her to the entire world! What can he do? Emma tells him that it’s fine to do this just when it’s the two of them alone. Rio then asks if that means he can do this every second that they’re alone together. Emma begs him to be moderate about it.

Rio agrees and then kisses her cheeks. Emma reminds him that he JUST AGREED TO NO PDA, but Rio insists that this is just an affectionate greeting between friends.

Has Akatsuki switched places with Sariel? Either way, he’s holding his head and groaning.

The doorbell of the shop rings, ruining the mood. Nokto steps inside and calls out for them to not worry about him. Emma realizes from his grin that Nokto saw everything from the outside.

Nokto reminds Rio that he had specifically said that he couldn’t fall in love with Emma for real. Rio denies this. Besides, love cannot be controlled by words or intentions. Emma wonders what they’re talking about.

Rio asks if Nokto is here to see him or Emma, and Nokto replies that he’s here for both of them. He’s the middleman in a diplomatic problem, Chevalier has summoned them. Emma realizes that if the leader of the foreign faction is directly summoning them, something new has happened with Benitoite. Akatsuki mutters that this situation smells bad, and Rio asks his ‘father’ to clarify. Nokto is confused, and wonders who is who’s father. Akatsuki complains that things are getting complicated. He tells Rio to be careful, he must have had reasons to disappear like that. Rio agrees, he also has a bad feeling about this and is upset that he can’t remember anything more.

Akatsuki says that he originally wanted to warn Rio not to involve Emma in this, but apparently, that ship has sailed. So, his new warning is that if his ‘daughter’ gets hurt, he won’t forgive Rio. Rio understands that this mess is his responsibility, and once it’s cleaned up, he will be happy to continue to call Akatsuki ‘father’.

Nokto has been watching all of this with a serious expression. He asks Emma if Akatsuki is her father, which she denies.

Nokto brings them back to court, where Chevalier and Emidio were waiting for them. On the way, Nokto filled them in on the details. Emidio is delivering a formal apology for the poisoning attempt, and also bears a letter from the King of Benitoite.

Upon seeing Rio, Emidio greets him by the name ‘Valerio’ and approaches him joyfully while asking about his health. Emma thinks that there is nothing weird about what Emidio is doing, but for some reason, she has that same feeling as last time, that something is off. Rio politely thanks Emidio for his concern and replies that he has recovered. Rio does not seem as joyful or enthusiastic as Emma would have expected.

Even Emidio thinks Rio is behaving strangely. Then he recalls that Rio has lost his memories, so it makes sense that things are awkward between them now.

Chevalier tells them that they don’t have time for idle chit-chat. Emma thinks that unlike Nokto, who is affable and charming towards foreign dignitaries, Chevalier is just as cold and immovable to them as he is to his own family. Chevalier tells Emidio that since everyone relevant is here, he should go ahead and read the king’s letter.

Emidio turns from Rio, and since Chevalier is urging expediency over form, summarizes the king’s letter. He’s happy that Valerio is alive and orders his swift and immediate return home.

It does make sense that the Benitoite Court would learn of Rio at some point, either through Silvio or Emidio. Emma knew in her heart that this would happen, but still, she didn’t realize it would happen today.

Emidio explains that the king and queen are very happy that Valerio is alive. And Emidio is as well. It’s been three years of wondering if he was dead, they would like to see Valerio as soon as possible. They are aware that he has lost his memory, but they still hope that Rhodolite will make a wise decision.

Unlike Emma, Rio is so calm, it’s frightening. He thanks Emidio for the letter and asks for time to consider. After all, he would have to make arrangements and take his master into consideration. Emidio suddenly laughs and says that even without his memories, he’s still the Valerio they all know.

Emidio shifts his attention to Emma, and Emidio explains that he and the King heard about how she rescued his brother who would have died otherwise. The King would also like to personally thank her, and she is invited to join Rio in Benitoite. Emidio reaches out to try to grab her hand, but Rio pulls her back and away.

Emma is worried that Emidio would be offended, but he just smiles serenely instead. Rio says that he intends to travel after his master’s schedule clears up. Emidio urges him to hurry, after all, they have the Silvio problem still at hand.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emma can see Nokto’s eyebrow raise at this.

Rio asks what Silvio has to do with this, especially since he’s been missing for quite some time. Emidio agrees, that is why the King especially wants Valerio to return as soon as possible. After all, Silvio is behind the carriage accident.

(Is anyone else getting tired of the ring constantly being brought up but not actually discussed?)

[hakuoyuki]

Hello! I hope ur day is well

In ur tags in the ikepri act 2 post

You said that all three appeared in Luke’s story

Can I ask what was said about the middle prince? If there was anything said

Hello Anon!

A LOT was said about "Mr Eyepatch Man"

But short answer without spoiling: "If villain bad, why sexy"

I'll be putting everything else under the cut due to spoilers but I'll try my best to avoid spoiling major details of Luke's Route while focusing only on the characteristics/description of the three new characters as known thus far.

There will be spoilers of quotes and descriptions as translated from the JP version so please be forewarned.

[Updated on Aug 21, 2021 - Due to new character’s name reveal]

Note: Until more is known on Keith, he may or may not have appeared in Luke’s story.

The three new charas being a "prince" is something stated on the tagline that IkePri JP used to promote the additional suitors "from three countries" be it in the in-app announcement, or the announcement PV description on both Twitter and Youtube.

But if it's Luke's route that we're talking about... the "prince" keyword have yet to be explicitly associated with "the three charas who showed up in Luke's route" except for Mr Flashy Bling Bling who apparently has ties to Benitoite's royal family.

—

Obsidian’s 1st Prince：Gilbert von Obsidian

Character：Absolute Evil × Trampling

Character Voice: ??? (To be reveal)

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Eyepatch Man (Gilbert von Obsidian) - His first non-flashback cameo is at the very end of Luke’s true love end before the epilogue. I will not delve in too much since he’s a major character involved in Luke’s route but the following description of him was narrated in Luke’s passionate love end: Obsidian's generalissimo. The supreme commander, a young man with an eloquent smile.

It was also heavily implied by multiple suitors during the route (mentioned both in true love and passionate love end) that Obsidian’s advancement in military development (to the point of developing handguns) is due to Gilbert’s influences.

In addition we have a few comments on Gilbert or “eyepatch man” from the other suitors [Spoilers of Quotes from Luke’s route]

—

[Quotes from Luke’s true love end]

Chevalier: That man is a disaster. He's great at manipulating people.

Chevalier: As long as you're within his palm, your hatred and grudge will never disappear

—

[Quotes from Luke’s passionate love end]

Jin: Ah, shit. For real..... I can't stand the way he does things

Jin: In our country we have "a genius born every thousand years" (Chevalier) but... that eyepatch bastard too is like that.........

Jin: That guyーー is a genius in brainwashing through grasping the minds and hearts of others

—

And lastly, Luke’s true love end epilogue reveals a quote eyepatch man (Gilbert) often says

??? (Gilbert): Trampling over a weak country is boring

—

—

Benitoite’s 1st Prince：Silvio Ricci

Character：Tyrant × Favoritism

Character Voice: ??? (To be reveal)

—

Flashy Bling Bling Man (Silvio Ricci) - In Luke’s passionate love end, a guy referred to as “Well-dressed man” showed up. Luke explains how when he just arrived at Benitoite, he went to meet Benitoite's royal family since he'll be staying here for a while (I will not mention the reason here since this is already threading on spoilers). But it was then that he met this "super *jangling guy" *(the JP word used here also means frivolous/flirt), as Luke calls him, who told him that if he want to be allowed to stay in Benitoite, then he has to work.

—

[Quotes from Luke’s passionate love end]

Luke: By the way, that jangling (frivolous) guy, his vibe reminds me of someone....... But I can't remember who though

Luke: Probably someone back at the castle (in Rhodolite)

—

Based on the description of the “well-dressed man” in Luke’s passionate love end and the glimpse of how My Flashy Bling Bling Man here dresses, I’m pretty damn sure they are the same person (a Benitoite prince).

—

Jade’s 1st Prince：Keith Howell

Character：Gloomy × Beast Personality

Character Voice: ??? (To be reveal)

—

Green guy (Keith Howell) - Depending on whether Cyril happened to be Keith’s alias or not, my answer really could vary from a one sentence answer to an essay.

If Keith and Cyril are completely different entity then we have yet to hear of him at all. End of Story. He’s a prince from Jade.

[Update as of Clavis Route Preview: Keith and Cyril are pretty much confirmed to completely different entity]

.

.

[Warning: the following bit include my personal theory on the green guy (as of writing up this post, before his name and basic profile were revealed on Aug 20, 2021)]

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.

But assuming he is Cyril... In Luke’s passionate love end we have the introduction of a third character (whose name was later revealed to be Cyril in the following story event after Luke’s route release, and again in Clavis’ 1st Birthday story in His POV, and more). This character is Clavis’ attendant knight (first introduced in Luke’s passionate love end with the name plate “knight”). For those who played IkeSen and Mitsuhide’s route before, think of Kyubei to Mitsuhide.

By now you might be in confusion why am I bringing up Clavis’ attendant knight when the official tagline mentioned “new princes from 3 nations” in their promotions.

Given that Eyepatch man is confirmed to be from Obsidian, and Mr Flashy Bling Bling man is most likely from Benitoite, Mr Green guy being a Jade prince would sound like the most likely scenario wouldn’t it? So how would a Jade prince and Clavis’ attendant knight be the same person?

Considering Luke’s standing throughout his route, and how his passionate love end technically has him, a Rhodolite prince, working for Benitoite’s royal family as a mercenary, if a Jade prince were to be working for a Rhodolite’s prince as a knight... it’s not an impossible scenario. Moreover, this is Clavis’ knight that we’re talking about. That factor in and of itself has opened up the way to countless possibilities of what could be going on.

There is also the fact that ever his first cameo in Luke’s passionate love end, Cyril had been appearing again and again multiple times with names and consistent personality/style of speaking for his character that makes him unique and it really would be such a waste if he turns out to just be a mob character.

—

Bottom-line: Green guy is either a prince from Jade, or Cyril, if not both.

Turns out he’s just a prince from Jade and his first cameo is Clavis’ route.

F Cyril. Please give Cyril a route too

—