TWELVE Ch 3

As a result of the interrogation, Vittorio replied that he and Dante’s 12 were unrelated and that the propaganda materials were not his. Regarding the reason for his disappearance for four days, he said he had intended to quit school and return to his hometown. The student who shared a room with him was investigated, but nothing unusual was discovered.

“The last time you met Vittorio was…”

Giovanni’s voice became even more serious. As the low, baritone voice sounded deep and quiet, Romeo asked back in a firm tone.

“When was it?”

Giovanni took a slow breath. Exhaling it very slowly back out, he spoke all at once as if he had no choice.

“I will tell you the truth. Around evening on that day fifteen days ago, Vittorio came to see me. On that day too, I drew Vittorio’s nude. Like other times, Vittorio maintained the same pose for a long time to allow me to draw. After the drawing was finished, we…”

As Giovanni confessed what had happened fifteen days ago, Romeo’s gaze instantly sharpened. He briefly urged Giovanni, who was trailing off.

“What did you do after that?”

Giovanni pulled his body further forward and brought his head close to Romeo. As he admired the delicate appearance that looked as if a skilled sculptor had refined it with a chisel, he became curious about his scent. He wanted to embrace him with all his might, smell his nape, and bury his nose between his thighs.

“We fervently explored each other’s bodies and satisfied our overflowing lust.”

As Giovanni’s voice echoed in the quiet interrogation room, Romeo slightly parted his firmly closed mouth. Though he maintained a poker face, Giovanni did not miss the trembling in Romeo’s pupils.

“…”

“…”

When neither of them said anything, the interrogation room became so quiet that only the sound of each other’s breathing could be heard.

“Do you understand what this means, Captain? I hope you understand the reason why I kept the fact that I met Vittorio on that day fifteen days ago a secret. It was for no other reason.”

Giovanni was saying that, not content with drawing the nude of the student he taught, he had engaged in homosexual acts with him. Previously, some people had described Giovanni by saying, “It seems a divine light emanates from his face,” and claimed there was not a woman in the world who would dare reject him. Even among the soldiers, there were those who had heard the name Giovanni Sforza.

Because Romeo also knew of Giovanni’s reputation, he had not even guessed that the man would tell such a story.

“I am cautious lest my relationship with Vittorio become known. I do not want this fact to be revealed.”

Romeo stared at Giovanni, who spoke with a sincere voice, before lowering his gaze. After resting his eyes on the table for a moment, he remained silent briefly and then raised his head.

“During your private meetings, did he ever act in a way that would arouse suspicion?”

“No. He did not.”

“Did he ever speak seditiously about political ideology or mention anything related to Dante’s 12?”

“We do not share many words. After I finish drawing, Vittorio and I strip each other’s clothes… yes, once everything is finished, Vittorio goes home. That is all we have done for the past few months. Indulging in the pleasures of the flesh while caressing each other’s nudes was our only interest.”

“…Among those around Vittorio Nardi, have you ever seen anyone peculiar?”

“I know nothing about the people around Vittorio.”

Romeo fell silent again and looked at Giovanni for a while. He narrowed his eyes, trying his best not to miss the other’s gaze directed toward him.

“It seems you are not particularly surprised by the fact that Vittorio Nardi is in detention. Are you not in a relationship? What do you think about him being suspected of being involved with Dante’s 12?”

“No, Captain. That is not it.”

“What is not it?”

Giovanni lightly shook his head. Romeo thought he was wearing a smiling expression, but since the corners of his mouth and his eyes were blurry, he could not see well.

“You are misunderstanding something. Vittorio and I are not lovers.”

At Giovanni’s words, a questioning look entered Romeo’s eyes.

“He merely granted what I requested.”

At the unexpected answer, Romeo furrowed his brow. Giovanni was saying that, despite having secret meetings for the past few months, Vittorio was merely a partner who granted his requests. And he said it without showing even the slightest sign of discomfort.

“We were not in an intimate relationship. Even if Vittorio confessed that he was not a Lubano citizen but a person of the Kingdom of Harbor, I would not be surprised. Everyone has at least one secret.”

As if he were finished speaking, Giovanni leaned back from the position he had been leaning forward in and rested his waist against the back of the chair.

Romeo looked down at the lecture logs placed on the table like a person who had heard a story difficult to understand. Staring at the characters visible as blurs on the white paper, he weighed something in his mind before asking.

“Was seeing him fifteen days ago the last time? Have you seen him again since then?”

“That day was the last time.”

“Did he not say anything else about disappearing for four days?”

“No. I heard no such story. On that day, Vittorio was no different than any other day.”

It wasn’t that there were no questionable points in the relationship with Vittorio that Giovanni had confessed. It was possible that he was lying to hide something. Because that lie was such an incredibly unconventional story, it was even more suspicious.

Just as he was about to ask a few more things, the sound of footsteps was heard from the hallway. The footsteps, which gradually drew closer, stopped in front of the door and were followed by the sound of two knocks.

“Come in.”

When the soldiers guarding the door unlatched and opened it, standing there was Second Lieutenant Gallienus Solorsano, the platoon leader. After raising his hand to his head in salute, he entered the interrogation room once Romeo nodded.

Approaching and standing before Romeo without giving Giovanni a glance, Gallienus spoke in a stiff voice.

“I have finished preparing to report.”

Gallienus was in charge of searching Giovanni’s house and sorting through seized items. To say he had finished preparing to report was the same as saying he had found no reason to move Giovanni to the torture chamber. He had failed to find any connection to Dante’s 12 among the seized items.

Romeo lowered the gaze he had been using to look up at Gallienus and fixed it on Giovanni. Although he could not see it, he guessed his expression.

“Understood. You may leave.”

Gallienus raised his hand, saluted again, and turned around. Once he left and the door closed, the interrogation room became silent.

Giovanni smiled silently as he watched Romeo grip his clasped hands a little more tightly.

“Do you have anything left to ask?”

Romeo lowered his gaze and brought down the hands he had been resting on the table. He glared at Giovanni, looking up as if trying to figure out what he was hiding, then relaxed his expression.

“No. I do not.”

Romeo pointed toward the door with a businesslike gesture.

“You may go now. I apologize for bringing you to a place like this so suddenly. Thank you for complying with the investigation.”

However, Giovanni did not stand up from his seat immediately. He tilted his head toward Romeo and said in a soft, gentle voice.

“Captain.”

When Romeo, thinking Giovanni was about to say something else, stopped his hands which were organizing the documents, Giovanni continued.

“It was not a lie when I told you your eyes were beautiful.”

The corners of his wide mouth curved pleasingly. Romeo knew Giovanni was smiling because he saw the area around the corners of his mouth move.

The strange bewilderment he had felt earlier surged back.

“I have never seen anyone with eyes more beautiful than yours until now. Do you also know, Captain, that your eyes are beautiful?”

“…”

“Goodness. Could it be that you don’t know?”

Romeo did not realize that he had a face that looked as if he could not find the words to say.

“…”

A short silence passed, and Romeo, directing his gaze toward the interrogation room door, spoke toward Giovanni.