Wicked Husband-Chapter 70 - 69

The aversion to witchcraft was profound. As Senon pondered the subject, he suddenly recalled Cesare’s deceased mother.

After falling out of favor with the Emperor, she had succumbed to madness, resorting to various forms of witchcraft in a desperate attempt to regain his affection. When all her efforts failed and her irritability grew each day, she began a new romance with a younger lover, a palace knight fifteen years her junior.

The knight, who admired Cesare, approached the mother with ulterior motives. By becoming her lover, he also gained closer access to Cesare.

Though the relationship was far from ideal, it was a significant improvement over the previous total lack of contact. The knight’s objective was achieved.

Deeply infatuated with her new lover, the mother began to neglect Cesare. This shift, though detrimental to their relationship, proved beneficial to Cesare, who occasionally showed interest in the knight as a gesture of goodwill.

However, tragedy struck when the knight unexpectedly died on the battlefield. The mother, desperate to revive her deceased lover, turned to witchcraft. She engaged in bizarre and esoteric practices, even going so far as to draw Cesare’s blood, claiming it was necessary for her rituals.

Yet, the dead cannot be brought back to life.

This is an immutable law, and the mother, who persisted in meaningless acts, ultimately ended her life by su!c!de. The first to discover her choice, unable to overcome her despair, was the twin prince.

Neither Cesare nor Leon was shocked or saddened by their mother’s death by hanging. It seemed almost like a foregone conclusion, and they accepted it with remarkable composure.

On the day of the funeral, there was no mourning—only a peculiar sense of relief. Senon himself felt a quiet sense of satisfaction at her passing. The mother had been a significant obstacle to Cesare’s path.

Revisiting the old memories felt suffocating. As Senon pushed the troubling thoughts out of his mind, a sudden idea took shape.

It was as if all the scattered clues he had gathered began to align. Senon spoke slowly, "...Want to go for a drink?"

Lotan readily accepted Senon’s spontaneous suggestion.

Originally, Senon was supposed to return to the Erzet Grand Mansion to discuss various matters related to M*rpheus with Eileen. However, the meeting with the judges had dragged on due to their obstinacy, making the work take much longer than expected. As a result, Senon had to postpone his visit to the Grand Mansion and plan to go there early the next day.

To make the most of the unexpected free time, the two knights decided to visit a tavern and invited Diego and Michele to join them.

Though they sat in a noisy corner of the tavern, the four of them drew attention from everyone. Their well-tailored military uniforms and strikingly tall figures set them apart from the other patrons.

Undeterred by the stares, the knights ordered a beer each and drank it down.

"Ah, I feel alive," Michele chuckled as she lit a cigarette. Diego, rolling up her sleeves to reveal a tattoo on her forearm, glanced at Senon and asked, "Why did you call us?"

"To talk about my delusions."

Michele gave Senon a dismissive thumbs-down and a "boo," but the other knights, typically jovial, now focused intently on his words. As a trusted lieutenant of Cesare, Senon had successfully devised numerous strategies, and the knights often relied on his expertise for important matters.

Senon spread out a crumpled piece of paper on the table.

"Listen up. As I said, this might all be just my delusion."

Despite his confident claim of delusion, the knights set aside their usual humor and concentrated on Senon’s words. They held his insights and expertise in high regard.

"I’ve been thinking about why the Grand Duke has changed." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Senon scribbled on the back of a used sheet of paper with his ever-present pencil.

[Present – ?? – Future]

He wrote ’7 years’ under the ’??’ section.

"Remember what was said? Seven years."

Everyone recalled the phrase Cesare had uttered before beheading King Kalpen.

"Seven years ago."

With the knights nodding in agreement, Senon continued.

"It seems that the Grand Duke’s memories are different from ours. Since his change, he has exhibited an unnaturally keen sense of things, almost as if he knows the future. Based on his words and actions up to now, this is the impression I’m getting."

Senon drew a line backward from the future to the present.

"It appears that the Grand Duke has returned from the future to the present due to some event. And I believe that event is connected to Lady Eileen."

Senon emphasized once more, "It’s all just a delusion," and then observed the knights’ expressions. There was no sign of disbelief or derision; instead, they all listened with serious, attentive eyes.

Despite their usual bickering, the knights had unwavering trust in Senon’s insights. Even when he ventured into seemingly absurd territory, their steadfast faith in him momentarily touched Senon.

"If we entertain this delusion, then perhaps something catastrophic happened to Lady Eileen, causing the Grand Duke to go back in time. Just as a hypothetical..."

Senon hesitated before cautiously continuing.

"Maybe... something like a death sentence."

A brief silence followed. After surveying the room, Lotan was the first to break it.

"If that’s the case, how would it be achieved?"

"To support this delusion, we’d need an extraordinary method. I initially considered sorcery, but given the Grand Duke’s disdain for such things, it seems unlikely..."

"It could be sorcery."

Diego’s immediate response surprised Senon. Seeing the puzzled faces of his comrades, Diego continued, touching his ear where piercing marks were still visible.

"Perhaps not in the past, but the current Grand Duke seems capable of such things."

Even though Cesare had cared for Eileen in the past, his demeanor since the change had become unsettling. His concern for her had transformed from affection to something far more intense and frightening.

"If, as you suggest, Lady Eileen was subjected to such an event, then the Grand Duke..."

Diego’s words trailed off, and Lotan quietly finished the thought.

"He would have turned his life upside down."

Even if it meant resorting to the sorcery he despises.

Silence fell once more. After a while of sipping their drinks in quiet contemplation, Michele abruptly spoke.

"So what is it that our lord truly wants? The safety of Lady Eileen? That doesn’t seem sufficient."

Michele furrowed his brow while holding his beer mug.

"Revenge, perhaps."

Diego nodded in agreement, adding to Michele’s statement.

"Given the Grand Duke’s temperament, revenge seems like a plausible motive."

Lotan, his thick eyebrows furrowed, began to elaborate.

"Come to think of it, the Grand Duke recently made some strange remarks..."

"What did he say?" Senon asked.

"He said that killing everyone was a mistake, that it was too quick, and now it’s hard to find them."

Lotan pointed to the ’future’ section of their makeshift timeline.

"The spies from the Kalpen Kingdom were trying to have Lady Eileen executed. Lady Eileen died, and the Grand Duke sought revenge by eliminating everyone involved."

He spoke these grim words matter-of-factly, then shifted his finger to the ’present’ section.

"In the present, he can’t act on all his desires. He can only execute those directly involved. But it seems the Grand Duke..."

Meeting the gazes of the knights, Lotan quietly concluded.

"It appears he doesn’t know all the masterminds behind the executions."

***

The Grand Duke’s laboratory was a place that seemed to bring Eileen’s dreams to life. The confiscated research materials were meticulously organized, and various expensive research tools were arrayed throughout the room. It was indeed a mesmerizing space, but Eileen couldn’t fully enjoy it.

This was partly due to what she had heard from Senon before being shown the lab. Senon had extolled the virtues of M*rpheus, assuring her that once the research was completed, it would be publicly announced throughout the empire.

Given the nature of the raw materials, she would inevitably face a trial once the research became public. However, Senon had assured her that he had taken all necessary measures to ensure a favorable outcome, so she need not worry.

"However, if you are afraid of the trial, you should abandon the M*rpheus research," Senon had said.

Faced with the choice of whether to continue or abandon the M*rpheus research, Eileen hesitated for a moment. But, in truth, the decision had already been made from the start.

"I’ll... give it a try."

Eileen resolved.

Senon had been pleased and supportive of Eileen’s decision, and she had believed it was the right choice, but fear was inevitable.

She now found herself in a position where she might deliver a fatal blow to the Grand Duke. No matter how hard she tried, the outcome remained uncertain, and anxiety gripped her.

However, Eileen couldn’t fully indulge in her worries, thanks entirely to the Grand Duke.

"..."

Eileen moved her fork and knife slowly, glancing at the Grand Duke seated across from her. For the past several days, she had seen him every day without exception.

She had encountered the Grand Duke at least once daily, whether during breakfast or late at night in the bedroom. Despite his constant presence, it still felt surreal.

As she glanced at him, Eileen cut the ends off the roasted asparagus and put it in her mouth. She then closed her eyes tightly, overwhelmed by a peculiar sensation.

"What happened?"

The Grand Duke, who had been sipping his tea and reading the newspaper, immediately looked up and asked.