Wicked Husband-Chapter 18 - 17

"Huh?"

Eileen’s mouth fell open at his straightforwardness, her cheeks reddening when she heard the title.

"We haven’t even made it official!"

Cesare chuckled, seemingly amused by her incredulity. Instead of replying, he simply took Eileen’s hand and led her through the drawing room.

Upon reaching the foyer, Sornio, who had been waiting outside, promptly held the door open. His expression remained calm in spite of Cesare’s sudden appearance.

"We’ll take the carriage for our outing," Cesare declared.

"Yes, Your Grace," came Sornio’s crisp acknowledgement before he vanished.

The couple continued towards the dressing room, and Eileen was taken aback by the sight.

Various dresses hang around the room, with shoes, hats, and jewellery to match. This part of the house didn’t seem to belong to an unmarried man. While Eileen reached out to examine a bit of everything, Cesare went to the other side and picked up a ready-made dress.

"Dress yourself in this."

It was a simple but a tasteful combination of a skirt, blouse, gloves, and hat. He laid them out carefully on the sofa, as if to avoid creasing them, before choosing a hair ornament. Then he motioned for Eileen to come closer.

As she approached, Cesare reached out to take off Eileen’s glasses and pin her bangs aside.

Eileen touched her exposed face awkwardly, too unfamiliar in its altered state.

"Should I really go out like this?

"You’ll attract more attention with your glasses on."

With that, Cesare persuaded Eileen and went to change. Alone in the dressing room, Eileen hesitantly stripped out of her old clothes, neatly folded them and placed them in a corner. Then she slipped into the new clothes Cesare had chosen for her. Curiously enough, each piece fitted perfectly. Absorbed by the smooth texture of the fabric, she absentmindedly studied herself in the mirror.

It couldn’t be done. Eileen closed her eyes tightly at the sight. She had little will to look at her exposed face as she felt unpleasant memories creeping into the back of her mind.

"You look disgusting!"

When angry, Eileen’s mother would mock her appearance. She’d yell that her daughter was appalling to look at, even holding up a pair of scissors to her eyes. When she regained her equilibrium, she would be unable to look at Eileen. Whether the older woman felt uncomfortable by the girl’s sight or was ashamed at her previous behaviour, Eileen would never know.

Some time later, a day came when her mother gifted her with a pair of glasses. Eileen had good sight, so the lenses were made out of regular glass. Nevertheless, she didn’t complain and simply put them on, not daring to change her appearance since. She even grew out her bangs just to cover her face more. And when she washed up, she never appraised herself in the mirror, refusing to be triggered by her past experiences.

After living like this for a few years, Eileen felt anxious whenever her face was exposed. So she put the hat on without looking in the mirror to adjust it, and put on the last matching pieces, the gloves and the shoes, to complete her outfit.

Eileen left the dressing room in a hurry and came upon Cesare giving instructions to his servant. They both stopped and turned to look at the lady when they heard the door open.

"!"

The servant’s eyes kept widening, looking as if they were going to pop out of his sockets. Eileen looked away, in discomfort.

’Why can’t I at least have my glasses back?!’

Cesare quickly caught her hand as it wandered towards her tender eyes, cautioning her against irritating them any further. They were a little puffy, perhaps from a few traitorous tears from earlier?

Eileen walked quietly behind Cesare, her eyes fixed on the ground, until they reached the threshold of the front door.

"Lady Eileen."

Sornio’s voice halted in her tracks before they stepped into the carriage. She looked up at him, a moment of trepidation flickering across her features. Fortunately, Sornio’s reaction remained unchanged as he greeted her with his usual friendly smile.

’Well, Sornio has watched over me since childhood.’

Sornio had watched over her since she was a child, wandering about the unfamiliar castle grounds. He had seen her many times, so her bare face must be familiar to him.

"You hadn’t touched the cake, my lady. I’ll prepare some for later."

"There really is no need-"

"Now that simply won’t do. Would you keep this old man up and worrying all night long?

In the end, Eileen gave in.

"Please come more often, Miss Eileen."

"Have no fear, Sornio. You’ll be seeing more of her soon."

Cesare replied in Eileen’s stead, nodding slightly.

"I have a feeling I’ll be late."

"Yes, Your Excellency. I will prepare everything accordingly."

After saying goodbye to Sonio, Eileen and Cesare got into the carriage together. The carriage moved fast down the road towards the outskirts of the capital.

The street they came upon was the same street Eileen wondered in her earlier search for her father. It didn’t have an official name, but to the locals, it became known as Fiore Street.

Fiore Street was full of nightlife establishments, including bars, gambling, and pr*stitution. Of course, there were also bootleggers and merchants whose wares were illegal. There were even rumours of a shop that accepted commissions for murder or brokered sensitive information.

Of course, this was all speculation. Innocent until proven guilty and all that.

’I can’t believe I’ve been to this place twice already!’

This place wasn’t made for someone like her. Once, the possibility of entering such territory seemed light years away. She swallowed nervously and clung to Cesare.

After getting off at the start of this street, Cesare had Eleen’s arm wrapped around his as if in escort. They walked in step without him paying any attention to the touts around him.

He was so proud at that moment, she observed. Feeling her gaze, Cesare asked.

"Is something the matter?"

"I keep wondering what would happen if someone recognised you."

Because of the Grand Duke’s popularity, there was a trend among gentlemen to dye their hair black. Even on Fiore Street, there was a sea of men with various shades of black hair.

None, of course, could compare with His Excellency. He stood out with his midnight locks that danced with life, a shade that could not be imitated by artificial means.

"I wouldn’t mind being recognised. After all, they’ll get the impression that I’ve come here to have a drink with my lover."

Aside from the possibility of having his reputation tarnished, that was another thing that troubled Eileen. She didn’t want to fan the flames of those who were interested in him. On top of those worries, she felt more eyes on her today. Was it because she was with a man like Cesare?

She was about to adjust her thick-framed glasses to hide her features better before she remembered that she didn’t have any. With no other choice, she decided to keep her head even lower, never breaking her pace with Cesare’s.

When they reached the front door of the tavern, they were greeted by two bulky, shaggy-looking bouncers. They were smoking and chatting, but quickly extinguished their cigarettes and steeled their postures when they saw Cesare. He tossed them each a silver coin before entering the tavern.

"Oops."

Eileen was so surprised that she grabbed Cesare’s arm. She had heard of the famous taverns here, but the sheer size of this place was beyond her imagination.

The interior was completely covered in red velvet, and under the chandeliers, hung with rich red curtains, was a large dance hall.

’What tavern?! This is...’

There were dancers in what looked more like a dance hall. The women here wore dresses of bright red silk, satin, and black lace. They were also distinguished by the red feathers in their hair.

Eileen’s face burned at the sight of their bare breasts. Even their legs were bare to the thighs. The hems of her skirts fluttered like butterflies as they moved vigorously, revealing glimpses of her stockings. Apart from Eileen, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

As the dance song ended, the music changed. Then colourful confetti began to rain down from the ceiling, and the mood changed. A dancer appeared on the trapeze, as if summoned by the glittering paper. Her sequined outfit set her apart from the others, and she shone like a jewel in the light.

She must have been very famous in this entertainment hall. As soon as she appeared, the people cheered and called her name.

"Marlena!"

Marlena twirled in the air on her hanging swing, sending kisses to those within reach. She was captivating in her aerial dance, the hem of her skirt swirling as both a tease and a protective shield.

Her entrance music ended, and she was about to step off the swing when their eyes met.

"!"

The world really was too small, and their meeting left them both in shock.

Marlena was a client of Eileen’s. She called herself Lena when they met, and she was a frequent buyer of birth control pills. She was also one of the few who had seen Eileen’s bare face.

Marlena looked at Eileen with startled eyes. Her eyes widened even more when she saw Cesare.

Instantly, Marlena’s expression changed completely, and she began her song. The moment she let her voice out, both dancers and musicians were left astonished. It was as if she had gone off-script, for this wasn’t a song they had rehearsed for.

Nevertheless, the workers here were people of skill. One by one, they joined in and harmonised with Marlena, following her lead. The woman tossed her gorgeous golden locks and turned directly to Eileen, as if to dedicate her performance to her.

"Men, men, trashy men,

Foolish is the woman who trusts in them.

With abominable lies, sugarcoating,

Trashy deceivers, forever gloating."

The song really was something...