Wicked Husband-Chapter 34 - 33

He stood at the doorway, a stark figure in a dark blue frock coat. Military regulations mandated uniforms within the palace walls – an edict Cesare himself had implemented to bolster the army’s image. Their success on the battlefield had seen a surge in recruitment, a testament to that strategy. Yet, here he stood, a symbol of the Empire out of uniform. This was no official visit.

Perhaps this wasn’t on the Grand Duke’s schedule today...

Eileen stared at him blankly. Cesare looked at Eileen as he slowly walked inside. He paused near the sofa, his red eyes fixed on Eileen.

"Not doing it today?"

Eileen blinked in confusion, not understanding his question. He added with a slight smirk.

"Not saying I’m not your husband yet."

Her face flushed at the man’s casual use of the word "husband." But the embarrassment was only hers.

Cesare settled beside her, the intimacy unexpected, like an unspoken agreement between them. His arm, draped casually across the sofa back, brushed the edge of her shoulder. Eileen flinched, the touch a spark against a raw nerve. This was the first time she’d seen him since their tangled encounter, yet bathed in the midday sun, he appeared the same: an embodiment of unattainable beauty. It was hard to believe he was the same person she had such scandalous memories of.

"Oh dear, I’ve been found out too quickly."

Leon burst into a hearty laugh. He shook his head as if in resignation, then tilted his head playfully and asked,

"Is Sir Lotan still alive?"

"Well, that depends on how you answer from now on, brother."

Cesare’s reply, laced with a chilling edge, landed more like a threat than a jest. Leon, his brow furrowed, poured Cesare a cup of tea himself, a murmur escaping his lips that spoke of unease. Eileen, finally registering the tea set prepared for three, realized with a jolt that Leon had anticipated Cesare’s visit. Yet, Cesare ignored his own cup, opting instead to take Eileen’s. With a practiced hand, he discarded the lukewarm tea, refilled it, and meticulously added sugar and milk–preparing it exactly how Eileen liked it.

He set the mug, brimming with milky tea, in front of Eileen. Then, with a practiced flick of his wrist, he speared a muffin and offered it to her. Eileen, caught off guard, hesitated. But Cesare’s attention wasn’t on her. His gaze remained fixed on Leon, a challenge simmering in its depths. He splashed a generous amount of brandy into his own cup and finally spoke.

"Why did you call Eileen?"

"I have questions to ask."

"Is there something you need to ask her that you couldn’t ask me?"

"I could say the same to you."

With a deliberate clink, Leon set his teacup down loudly. The Emperor, having intentionally breached etiquette, looked calmly at his brother.

"She seems to know nothing."

Eileen, holding the fork with the muffin, blinked in confusion. Cesare glanced at Eileen, noticing she hadn’t touched the muffin or the tea. He tilted his chin towards her. Reflexively, Eileen opened her mouth and took a bite of the muffin. After chewing and swallowing, Cesare gestured towards the teacup next. Eileen quickly picked up the cup and drank. Unlike before, the tea was sweet and smooth, sliding down her throat effortlessly.

The quality of the tea leaves in the palace was exquisite, making even the sweetness taste refined. Momentarily lost in the delightful flavor, Eileen quickly regained her composure and began to gauge the situation again.

At that moment, Cesare suddenly turned towards Eileen.

"...!"

Eileen held her breath. The sudden closeness brought a cool scent from him, reminiscent of a forest drenched in early morning dew—chilly yet refreshing. A black leather-gloved hand brushed her lips. Cesare nonchalantly wiped away the muffin crumbs from her lips and then sat back. Eileen’s cheeks burned, a blush creeping up her neck, threatening to engulf her entire face. He settled back, unfazed, taking a leisurely sip of tea. All the while, Eileen felt like a fragile ornament, a single touch away from shattering.

"You..."

Witnessing the scene, Leon let out a wry laugh as if in disbelief. Cesare simply raised one eyebrow in response.

"My mistake, my mistake."

Leon muttered in a resigned tone and looked at Eileen. He offered a polite apology to her, who was still blushing bright red.

"I apologize if I startled you, Lady Elrod. I only wish to become better acquainted with you."

"Th-thank you."

Caught off guard, Eileen responded with a thank you, which made Leon laugh again. It was hard to understand what he found so amusing.

"Shall we have a little chat?"

At Leon’s request, Cesare glanced at Eileen. Leon quickly added.

"Lady Eileen, please allow me to show you my private garden."

Nodding eagerly at the intriguing suggestion, Eileen was grateful for any opportunity to leave this tense room.

Realising her actions might breach etiquette, she quickly added, "My apologies," which made Leon laugh once more.

"Take a short look around."

Cesare escorted Eileen to the door of the audience chamber, quietly adding. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"This time, don’t leave your husband behind."

He gently caressed her cheek before letting her go. Finally free from the suffocating room, Eileen let out a deep breath. A footman, waiting outside the chamber, bowed respectfully to her.

"Allow me to escort you to the garden."

Eileen followed the footman, passing through the corridor they had walked through earlier in reverse. The central courtyard was filled with rare flowers and trees, catching her curious eyes, but there was a sudden acrid smell—the scent of tobacco.

’Who would be smoking in the Emperor’s palace?’

Her curiosity piqued, she glanced around, trying to locate the source of the smell.

The footman suddenly stopped and bowed his head. Eileen, who was walking behind him, peered around to see what had caused the interruption.

"...!"

A gasp escaped Eileen’s lips. A woman of breathtaking beauty stood in the doorway. Her hair, a cascade of shimmering platinum blonde, framed eyes the color of the palest spring leaves. Her skin, flawless and translucent, stretched taut over slender shoulders that begged for a protective embrace. This could only be one woman in the capital – the woman whose ethereal beauty had graced countless magazine covers.

[With her pure and innocent appearance, she is the proud flower of the Empire. The nickname ’The Lily of Traon’ is truly fitting for her.]

This was Ornella von Farbellini, Ornella von Farbellini, the breathtakingly beautiful daughter of Duke Farbellini and, more importantly, Emperor Leon’s betrothed. A cloud of ambiguity hung over their prolonged engagement, whispers swirling through the court. Back when Leon was a mere prince, lacking influence and power, no noble family dared gamble on their future by offering their daughters.

Once Leon became Emperor, Ornella expressed her desire to connect her family to the Imperial House. Given the instability of the Imperial power at the time, Duke Farbellini strongly opposed his daughter’s wish. He didn’t want his only daughter to tread a dangerous path. However, Ornella was so earnest in her plea that he reluctantly began marriage negotiations with the Imperial family.

For the Imperial family, which needed to strengthen its power, there was no reason to refuse such a marriage proposal.

Originally, Ornella had hoped to marry Cesare. However, Cesare declined due to his impending departure for the front lines, leading to her engagement to Leon instead.

Yet, Leon postponed the marriage. He couldn’t celebrate a royal wedding while his brother was away at war.

Duke Farbellini, knowing that it would be advantageous to break off the engagement if Cesare lost, readily agreed to Leon’s proposal to delay the wedding.

Now that Cesare had achieved a stunning victory, Ornella was in the midst of preparing for the wedding. As it was the Emperor’s royal wedding, no detail could be overlooked, and it was scheduled for the coming spring.

Ornella was destined to become the most noble woman in the Empire, the center of high society in the capital, admired and revered by all nobility. Compared to her, Eileen felt an almost embarrassing gap in status and significance.

Ornella, noticing the footman and Eileen, gave a gentle nod. Her presence was commanding yet graceful, embodying the very essence of nobility.

"Good afternoon," she greeted softly, her voice as delicate as her appearance.

"Are you also here to see His Majesty?"

Eileen, caught off guard, quickly curtsied, feeling a surge of inadequacy.

"Good afternoon, Lady Farbellini. Yes, I was just being shown to the garden."

Ornella’s smile was warm, erasing some of Eileen’s apprehensions.

"The garden is lovely this time of year. I’m sure you will enjoy it."

With that, Ornella gracefully stepped aside, allowing Eileen and the footman to continue their way. As they passed by, Eileen couldn’t help but glance back at the woman who was soon to become the Empress, her heart a mix of admiration and an inexplicable sense of sorrow.

Eileen, feeling flustered, clumsily followed the footman’s lead and attempted to show proper manners. She bowed her head slightly and then lifted it again. By the time she did, Ornella still hadn’t reacted.

"..."

Ornella looked at Eileen with a blank expression. Her transparent, light green eyes gave Eileen a blatantly scrutinizing look. Ornella shifted her gaze to the footman and asked.

"Who is she?"

"She is Eileen Elrod of the Elrod Barony."

Ornella responded with a short, dismissive hum and then slowly approached Eileen. Eileen wanted to hide behind the footman, but he quickly stepped aside, leaving her exposed.

Ornella stared at Eileen intently while taking a drag from her cigarette. She then blew the smoke directly into Eileen’s face. Eileen, caught off guard, started coughing uncontrollably.

Ornella giggled as she watched Eileen struggle.

"Congratulations on your marriage?"