Wicked Husband-Chapter 64 - 63

It mirrored his own sentiments when he had become a spy for Kalpen out of love for his wife. The difference lay in it being Cesare, which made it somewhat unbelievable.

After watching Cesare and Eileen for some time, Count Domenico let out a faint sigh. Nonetheless, he was grateful for the chance to repay his benefactor. The memory of nearly harming her still sent chills down his spine.

If he had followed the orders of the King of Kalpen, his bedridden wife would have succumbed long ago.

But fate had bestowed upon him a golden opportunity. Count Domenico was resolute in repaying his debt with every ounce of his strength.

For Eileen, the Grand Duchess of Erzet.

Count Domenico handed over the bread bag and departed. Once he was gone, Eileen finally headed to the laboratory. It felt a bit awkward to reveal to the innkeeper that the Grand Duchess was a pharmacist, so Michele would convey the message instead.

As Michele and Cesare, dressed in their Imperial uniforms, entered, the inn fell silent. The lively chatter that had filled the room moments ago ceased, and everyone froze.

Those who had been eating, chatting, or handing over change to customers were all now staring at the soldiers who had just walked in. As eyes began to shift toward Eileen standing behind Cesare, Michele stepped forward.

She snapped her fingers, producing a sharp sound that drew everyone’s attention to her.

"Attention! It seems many of you are feeling guilty, but rest assured, we’re not here to make any arrests today."

Only then did the people start moving again, albeit cautiously. The lively atmosphere did not return, as the soldiers stood guarding the entrance, preventing anyone from leaving while they nervously stayed put.

Being a soldier had recently become one of the most coveted professions in the Empire. The reason the inn’s patrons were particularly fearful of soldiers had everything to do with Eileen. On the day the approval for the triumphal arch was announced, Cesare had ordered soldiers to surround the inn.

Following that, the laboratory was closed, and Eileen vanished without a trace. The inn’s patrons believed that the pharmacist on the second floor had been taken by the soldiers, leaving her fate unknown. Naturally, they became wary, avoiding any unnecessary trouble.

Despite the fear on his face, the innkeeper, Pietro, bravely stepped forward.

"Excuse me, but may I ask something?"

"Yes?"

Michele strolled over to the counter. Pietro wiped his sweaty hands on the apron covering his round belly and asked politely, "What happened to the pharmacist on the second floor?"

"Oh, that’s actually why we’re here. Rest assured, she’s fine."

Leaning casually on the counter with one hand, Michele continued speaking with the innkeeper. Pietro stood at attention, listening intently to Michele’s words. Although Eileen felt a bit uneasy, she trusted that Michele would explain everything well.

Seizing the moment while everyone’s attention was on Michele, Eileen and Cesare quickly made their way upstairs. Those who saw Eileen peeking from behind Cesare’s back widened their eyes in surprise. They glanced back and forth between their newspapers, La Verita, and Eileen. However, Eileen, focused solely on Cesare’s back, didn’t notice the stares.

The second floor was quiet. It was still early in the day, so there were no guests. Cesare took a key from his pocket and unlocked the large padlock securing the door to the laboratory. Eileen entered the lab, thrilled to be back after such a long time.

Contrary to her expectations, the laboratory was clean. She had anticipated a thick layer of dust, but everything was remarkably tidy. Even the ornamental poppies, which contained no narc*tic properties, were thriving. Their fresh petals showed signs of care. Thankfully, it seemed Cesare had arranged for someone to maintain the lab.

One flower, however, looked a bit shabby with a few petals missing. This was because Cesare had roughly handled it before, causing the petals to fall.

’Still, it must have been Cesare who ordered someone to water the plants.’

Though his touch had damaged the flower, his instructions had ensured its survival. She hoped the poppy didn’t harbor any resentment toward Cesare.

Eileen gently patted the poppy plant a couple of times and scanned the lab. Ever since Michele had delivered the good news, she had mentally noted which items to prioritize taking.

All the research materials were gone, likely confiscated during the Morpheus investigation. Seeing the empty bookshelves left her feeling hollow, but she concealed her disappointment and focused on inspecting the laboratory equipment.

’Should I start with the fragile, expensive lab equipment?’

Her gaze lingered on a round-bottom flask before she turned to look at Cesare. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching her flit around the room with an amused expression. When their eyes met, he spoke first.

"Count Domenico has already delivered the research data to the Grand Master."

Cesare tapped his chin thoughtfully and continued, "Keep working on M*rpheus. We’ll provide support, so don’t worry about anything else."

"And the execution...?" Eileen asked cautiously, glancing around before voicing her concern.

Cesare replied confidently, "Who would dare put Grand Duke Erzet on the chopping block?"

Eileen almost rushed to Cesare, overwhelmed with gratitude. She restrained herself, mindful of the Grand Duke’s dignity, but her face betrayed her joy.

"Thank you. Thank you so much! I promise I’ll complete M*rpheus no matter what."

She clasped her hands earnestly, pledging to work diligently to create an incredible medicine as a token of her gratitude. Cesare smiled warmly, acknowledging her dedication.

Feeling elated, Eileen hummed a tune as she continued searching through the laboratory. Then, an idea struck her—a way to immediately repay Cesare’s kindness.

’I wish I could do something for him right now.’

TEileen, though not as grand as Cesare, wanted to show her gratitude in a small way. Racking her brain, she remembered the scar ointment.

Previously, Cesare had cut his hand rescuing her from a kidnapping. The wound had almost healed, but to prevent a scar, applying the ointment would be beneficial. She chided herself for not thinking of it sooner and hurriedly searched for the scar ointment.

The lab, usually organized amidst chaos, made it challenging to find things once tidied up to Eileen’s rules. After some frustration, she finally located the scar ointment on the shelf.

"Cesare!"

Eileen hurried over to him.

"Could you please show me your palm for a moment?"

Cesare chuckled and extended his gloved hand.

"I... mean your real palm."

"Do you need me to remove my glove?"

Eileen hesitated at the subtle nuance of Cesare’s words but nodded affirmatively nonetheless.

"Yes, please remove it."

Instead of removing his glove, Cesare continued to tease her.

"Just casually asking me to take off my glove like that."

"I meant the glove, not your clothes..."

Eileen hastily clarified her request, causing Cesare to lower his gaze and chuckle.

"Alright."

He lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret, and said, "I only take it off in front of you, Eileen."

His whispered words sent a shiver down her spine, making her feel oddly flustered. Holding her breath, she watched Cesare slowly remove his glove. Her heart pounded against her chest.

As the glossy black leather glove was gradually pulled off, it revealed the back of his hand, strong with clearly defined veins and bones. His unusually long fingers slipped completely free from the glove.

Cesare extended his hand to Eileen. She carefully took it in both of hers and gently turned it over to examine his palm.

"..."

His palm was smooth, with no sign of the previous injury.

Cesare had always displayed remarkable healing abilities compared to others, but for his hand to be this pristine was unusual. It hadn’t been long enough for such a wound to vanish without a trace.

’Was it the other hand? No, it was definitely this hand.’

Despite her confusion, Cesare remained impassive, simply offering his hand to her calmly.

"Show me your other hand, too, please."

Stammering, Eileen requested to see his other hand, questioning if she had made an error. Cesare complied, removing the glove from his other hand, which was just as unblemished. Holding both his hands, Eileen felt a wave of confusion wash over her.

’What’s going on?’

Something felt awry, but Eileen couldn’t quite put her finger on it. A vague sense of unease lingered in her mind, casting a shadow over her thoughts. The peculiar sensation she’d always harbored regarding Cesare now gnawed at her more intensely than ever before.

In that moment, an instinctive urge prompted her to ask him something. Unconsciously, she opened her mouth.

"Cesare."

Meeting his gaze steadily, she asked the first question that came to mind.

"How did you know about the wedding ring in my diary?"

Eileen had always found Cesare’s sporadic displays of emotion to be puzzling. The intensity of his feelings overwhelmed her, and his words and actions often felt alien. She wanted to understand what had caused such a change in him.

However, asking Cesare directly about the reason for his transformation was no easy task. While Eileen was tense and trembling, Cesare remained relaxed and calm. He gently shook the hand that Eileen was holding, causing her to let go in surprise. Quickly, Cesare grasped her wrist, preventing her from fleeing.