Livia x Ricciardi

Livia x Ricciardi is the het ship between Livia Lucani and Luigi Alfredo Ricciardi from the Inspector Ricciardi fandom.

Love at first sight
Livia and Ricciardi meet in the worst possible circumstance: the murder of Arnaldo Vezzi, Livia's husband, a murder that Ricciardi must investigate as police commissioner. Their first meeting takes place right at the police station, where Livia is interrogated by Ricciardi, despite not being a suspect since when her husband was killed she was at home in Rome and he was on tour in Naples, the city where Ricciardi works.

Arnaldo was a horrible man who had blamed Livia for the death of their son which was actually due to an illness and who constantly cheated on her, and Livia no longer loved him. The woman immediately feels attracted to the commissioner and during their meetings she tries to make him understand that she would like to talk to him about something other than Arnaldo's murder, but Ricciardi does not attempt to flirt with her in the slightest, nor does he seem to understand her interest in him, despite Livia being a beautiful woman. Ricciardi ignores Livia (and women in general) for a reason: he is able to perceive the spirits of those who die a violent death by seeing and hearing them the last thing they saw or thought before dying. This power of his has completely alienated him from normal life even if it sometimes helped him in his work and since he inherited this ability from his mother, he is determined never to marry and never have children because he does not want to condemn anyone to live among the dead as he does (Ricciardi and Livia live in the 1930s, violent death was much more common than now and the "echoes" of dead people remain even for months, so Ricciardi is continually surrounded by ghosts). Sometimes Ricciardi thinks he is crazy and is so firm in his decision that despite feeling attracted to his neighbor Enrica Colombo he has never tried to establish contact with her. Obviously he has never confessed this to anyone, but Livia understands that he has something that makes him suffer.

Livia decides to stay in the city until the investigations are completed and remains obsessed with the thought of Ricciardi the entire time. After a few days Ricciardi goes to Livia in the hotel and tells her that he has discovered the murderer's motive: it was a girl who killed Arnaldo that he got pregnant and who he had told her that he didn't care about her and their child and her boyfriend. he took the blame for the girl.

Not wanting to see two young lives ruined because of a degenerate like Vezzi, nor for the child to grow up in poverty, Ricciardi proposes to her boyfriend to declare that the child is his and that Vezzi had attempted to rape the woman, so he will obtain the extenuating circumstances and the girl will not have her reputation ruined and she will not lose her job. To make the story credible it is necessary for Livia to testify and publicly declare that Arnaldo was capable of behaving like this. Livia, who was very happy and excited by the policeman's arrival, comments that this would make her look like someone who accuses someone who can no longer defend himself, but in the end she convinces herself to do it for the unborn child and for Ricciardi. Livia then asks Ricciardi about his hopes for the future and to share with her an indirect request for a relationship, but he replies that she is beautiful, young and rich and that she has every right to start a new life, but that for him this is not the time.

Once the trial is over, Livia returns to Rome where she lives, but can't stop thinking about Ricciardi; the latter instead returns to his usual life without dedicating a single thought to the widow.

Courtship
Livia ultimately decides to move to Naples to win over Ricciardi. Even though she is one of the most loved and envied women in the capital, and she is a close friend of the Duce's daughter, she decides to give up everything about herself for the possibility of a love story with him, a sign of how deeply the commissioner fascinated her. So after a few months, Livia, after having carefully prepared herself, lurks at Gambrinus, a bar regularly frequented by Ricciardi; the man is surprised and when he asks her what she is doing there she replies sincerely that she came back to town because she wanted to see him again.

Ricciardi tries to leave because he has to follow another murder case, but Livia stops him, wanting at least them to decide how and when to see each other again. To make the situation worse, Enrica is also at Gambrinus and this makes Ricciardi even more uncomfortable. Although he wants to leave immediately, he doesn't want to be rude to Livia. The latter immediately asks him to accompany her to dinner or to the theater, even if Ricciardi doesn't pay much attention to her due to Enrica's presence. Ricciardi is saved by one of his subordinates, Brigadier Maione, who comes to take him back to the police station, but before he leaves Livia kisses him on the cheek. Livia later tells herself that she had an acceptable result and decides to show up at the police station in the evening when Ricciardi finishes his shift, demanding to be taken out, confident in the power of her beauty. Livia ends up waiting for Ricciardi to return for more than two hours and in the end he agrees to go to dinner with her. He then discovers that he feels good in the woman's company, even if he continues to think of Enrica. Livia senses that the commissioner likes her, but also that he is thinking of someone. When he takes her back to the hotel, the woman touches his lips with a kiss, but he doesn't reciprocate.

After a few days, Livia returns to the police station and Ricciardi, who suspects that a woman was killed out of jealousy, takes advantage of her presence to ask her what she would do if she were in love and jealous. Livia gets emotional thinking that he is talking about the two of them, but in the end Ricciardi tells her that she has been useful to him and begs her to leave, saying that he has to work. Livia agrees and leaves, saying however that he won't get rid of her so easily. She later returns to the police station, missing Ricciardi, but her superior Garzo tells her that the commissioner has solved the case and she declares that she considers him a hero. Later she lurks again at Gambrinus and when she sees him pass by she calls him and he sits with her for a while. Livia tells Ricciardi that she has decided to move to Naples and he tries to make her change her mind which hurts her even though she tries not to show it and tells Ricciardi that to make her go away he just has to tell her that he has a woman. Ricciardi considers lying, but he's not sure he wants Livia to disappear from his life even though in all honesty he can't say he has a free heart, so he tells her the truth: that he's thinking about a woman, but that she doesn't know it. Livia, who was terrified at the idea of an affirmative answer, is nevertheless thrown down at the idea that Ricciardi feels attracted to another woman, but she declares that she will fight to win him over.

Ricciardi eventually helps Livia find a home and she continues with her brazen courtship, despite Ricciardi appearing disinterested. In fact he feels physically attracted to the widow and even begins to grow fond of her, but nothing more. Livia has been surrounded by admirers since she arrived in Naples, but she rejects them all as she is only interested in Ricciardi

Shortly before the Day of the Dead, the body of a child is found; Ricciardi does not see the ghost and therefore deduces that the little boy's body has been moved and that therefore it is not an accident, but a murder. However, deputy commissioner Garzo sees it as an accident and since Mussolini is about to visit Naples, he wants to give the idea that everything is perfect in the city and therefore forbids the commissioner from investigating. Ricciardi then asks to be able to take advantage of some holidays to investigate on his behalf. Garzo understands the trick and would like to deny them to her, so Ricciardi invents that Livia wants her help in organizing a reception. Garzo believes it and gives him holidays in exchange for an invitation. Luckily Livia goes to see him at that moment and plays along, even though she doesn't know why he lied.

Shortly afterwards Livia asks Falco (an agent of the OVRA the fascist secret police who has been given the task of keeping an eye on her) to find her some information on Ricciardi since she wants to know more about him. Falco does so and so the next day Livia discovers with surprise that Ricciardi is a baron and that he owns a real fortune in real estate and agricultural land and also that he doesn't date any woman apart from her and that there are no reasons to suspect him of homosexuality. Livia is happy that Ricciardi evidently has no contact with her mysterious rival and decides to invite him to the reception she had actually decided to throw. Caught up in his private investigation, Ricciardi never shows up to Livia again and she goes to look for him at the police station. What she discovered about him fascinated her even more, because made her understand that Ricciardi is only interested in his personal values. Obviously, however, Ricciardi is not in the office and Livia worries, fearing that he is getting into some trouble even though she is touched by the fact that he is so worried about the death of an orphan. Technically the ex-singer is right because from going here and there in the rain Ricciardi develops a fever and in a state of confusion he trudges to Livia's house. She sees him from the window and realizing that he is ill, she runs to take him into the house and calls a doctor to examine him. The woman lovingly takes care of him throughout the night.

In the end, although she thinks it's not right since Ricciardi is delirious due to the fever, she lies down next to him and makes love to him; Ricciardi senses what is happening, but in the end he gives in to Livia's beauty and gives himself to her. In the morning Ricciardi is feverish and realizes what has happened, and he feels weak for having given in and guilty towards Enrica and Livia since he is certain he doesn't love her. Eventually he leaves without waking her.

Later he gets a lift from one of the ladies of charity who gave charity to the church that took care of the victim and sees the ghost in the car, realizing that he is with the murderer and on impulse he tells her that he has discovered her. Due to this there is a car accident in which the killer dies and Ricciardi is seriously injured.

Livia is not too surprised not to find Ricciardi at home when she wakes up, but she is certain that he will soon return to her. When Garzo knows what happened to his subordinate, he goes to get Livia and go to the hospital to find out what happened. The woman is terrified and she offers to have a specialist come from Rome at her expense, but by now the policeman is already under the knife. In the end, however, he is saved and obviously Livia is very relieved.

When Christmas arrives, Livia, despite her friends' attempts, doesn't have the slightest intention of returning to Rome and, having missed Ricciardi who is investigating a double murder, she waits for him for hours in the police station car park. The inspector is slightly annoyed by Livia's improvisation and when she says she wants to talk about them, he asks her why she is fixated on him, when as beautiful, intelligent and rich as she is, she could have anyone. Livia herself asked that question and remembers their night of passion and Ricciardi admits that he remembers what happened, but that he classifies it as a moment of weakness and apologizes to her. Livia says she doesn't want to trap him for that, but points out that that night was proof that Ricciardi can be if not happy at least serene, but he replies that there are excellent reasons for being so distant and reminds her that he has feelings for another.

At that point Livia wants to know if he told this woman that he loves her and he replies no, then replies that he has something more with her and that he will continue to fight for this love, saying that although Ricciardi doesn't believe he has much to offer her she only loves him. The woman then leaves and bursts into tears as she reaches her car. Ricciardi for his part is not sure that he doesn't love Livia, but he isn't sure that he wants love in his life.

Livia later asks Ricciardi to accompany her to the theater. He doesn't want to, but the woman almost starts to cry when he refuses and in the end he agrees, on the condition that he can return home immediately after the show, since she has to continue with the investigations. In the end the commissioner even has fun and Livia is happy to have convinced him. After the show she tries to convince him to go to dinner with her, but he refuses and Livia tells herself that for the moment that's enough for her, but after taking him home in the car she gives him a kiss.

Ricciardi finally captures the killer on Christmas Eve and while he returns home, Livia, who had lurked again to see him, gives him a lift in her car. Ricciardi finally admits that he is always happy to see her, but that it is not easy for him to share her life. The woman replies that Ricciardi made her lose confidence for the first time: she has always believed that she can get what she wants from men, but that she can't get anything with him. Later she adds, struggling to hold back her tears, that she could have returned to Rome to her friends or to Pesaro to her parents, but that for the moment it is enough for her to stay in the same city as him, to then kiss him and wish him a Merry Christmas.

After Christmas Ricciardi begins to avoid Livia (having received confirmation that Enrica reciprocates his feelings), but the widow has no intention of giving up, so she heads to Gambrinus for lunch, hoping to intercept the policeman. She succeeds and finds him at lunch with his friend Bruno Modo. Ricciardi is a little annoyed by Livia's appearance, because it was a business lunch (he is investigating the murder of a prostitute and Modo is the medical examiner), but he is still happy to see her. Livia is very happy to meet one of Ricciardi's very few friends, wanting to introduce himself into all areas of her life, but Doctor Modo is an anti-fascist and while they talk Ricciardi comments that he would do better to measure his words in Livia's presence, given that being a close friend of Mussolini's daughter, she could report his opinions against the regime and have him deported. Livia is very hurt by this gratuitous offense and lack of motivation and leaves without having lunch. Ricciardi thinks about holding her back, but then he doesn't.

Livia is devastated by something that is all in all negligible, a sign of how madly in love she is with Ricciardi, given that the simple fact that he wanted to offend her is a sign that he doesn't reciprocate her feelings. Livia, who has gone through many other tragedies including the death of a son, cries throughout the day and stays in bed, without touching food for the same amount of time. At that point the woman decides to resign herself and return to Rome immediately after Easter.

Ironically it is precisely because Dr. Modo is arrested for being a dissident that this does not happen. Ricciardi, who in one of his cases has earned the respect of a hierarch after the disappearance of his friend, asks him for news and he reveals that he is about to be deported and that a request from Livia could avoid this fate, so he has no other choice than to go and ask her for help. Livia is very surprised when Ricciardi goes to her house, and understands that there must be a more than valid reason, which he immediately confirms. The man notices that the ex-singer is decidedly sad and apologizes to her, but the woman replies that in fact he has always behaved that way towards her and that the only difference was that Modo was with them. Ricciardi tries to make her understand that if he keeps her at a distance it's for his own good, but she replies that he can't decide what's good for her and that she knows how to understand when a man doesn't like her. The commissioner explains to her what happened and asks for help, but Livia thinks she can't do anything about it and tells him of her decision to return to Rome.

Ricciardi realizes that he doesn't want her to disappear from his life and tells her not to if it's just for him. In any case, Livia decides to try to help him and Ricciardi thanks her, making her understand that he appreciates her as a person, which heartens Livia. Through Falco, Livia manages to have the doctor freed and goes to get him back together with Ricciardi and Maione. Ricciardi is delighted and to thank her he offers to accompany her to the theater at Easter, and she is happy about it.

More months pass and in July, Livia feels optimistic, certain that Ricciardi, who she has continued to see, is finally breaking up. Filled with optimism, she decides to organize a big masquerade party and obviously she goes to the police station to invite Ricciardi. The latter comments that he never asked her to move to Naples even though he is happy that she did, because from what he told her she is better off there than in Rome, and Livia interrupts him by saying that she knows that she doesn't want emotional responsibilities towards her, but who can't deny that he gets along well with her. Ricciardi is moved and promises to come if he can free himself (his housekeeper, Rosa, is not well and he is investigating the murder of a doctor).

Unfortunately, Rosa, who was practically a mother to Ricciardi, has a stroke and there isn't much that can be done. Ricciardi is devastated and when Livia finds out, she immediately joins him at the hospital. Ricciardi doesn't seem very happy with her presence, but this time she doesn't mind because she understands that it depends on the situation. She later talks to Modo again offering to have some professional come from Rome, but he makes it clear that nothing can be done and when she says she would like him at her party, he says he will make sure he goes, probably thinking that a a little fun will do the friend some good.

This time Ricciardi is annoyed when Livia joins him in the office, but she still shows understanding and tells him that he must allow her to be close to him, given the situation. At this point Ricciardi comes to wonder why he is unable to reciprocate Livia's feelings.

Livia has meanwhile decided to start singing again (she had stopped after the wedding) at least in private and wants to dedicate this decision to Ricciardi, but even if he discovers the murderer, he decides not to go to the reception, but to join Enrica to try to have a relationship with her. However, he finds her kissing another man, so he doesn't come out. For her part, Livia hopes to enchant Ricciardi with her splendid voice as well as her physical beauty, and is very disappointed when she doesn't see him arrive at the party.

That night, unfortunately, Rosa dies and Livia therefore does not hold anything against the policeman, understanding how much he is suffering from the loss of the woman who was more than a mother to him. In fact, when Ricciardi brings Rosa's body back to their native town, to bury her there, Livia accompanies him together with Maione and Modo, a sign that for Ricciardi she is now a close friend.

Fandom
Livia x Ricciardi is a fairly popular ship also because it was part of the pivotal love triangle of almost the entire series. It is the rival of Enrica x Ricciardi and Bianca x Ricciardi.

Many fans did not appreciate Enrica's character very much, considering her dull, and hoped that the commissioner would choose Livia. After Enrica's death, fans hoped that the two could end up together in the end.

On AO3, there is currently only one fanfic tagged under their platonic relationship tag.

Fandom

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Notes and Trivia

 * In the television adaptation, Livia takes Ricciardi's rejection much better than in the books.