Wicked Husband-Chapter 77 - 76

The new piece was unlike anything Eileen had heard before. It began with a light, airy melody but quickly evolved into something faster and more intricate. Cesare’s long fingers moved expertly over the keys, his delicate touch and fluid movements a striking contrast to the image of him wielding guns and swords.

Eileen watched him, mesmerized by the performance. She was completely absorbed in the beauty of Cesare’s playing.

"You know, Cesare was never bad at anything from a young age. I didn’t realize he could play the piano so well."

Startled, Eileen turned her head to the source of the soft voice filtering through the music. Leon, with his blue eyes that were so different from Cesare’s, was looking at her with a warm smile.

"He really is a perfect younger brother, isn’t he?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Eileen slowly blinked her eyes open and closed, her gaze drifting. Leon, seemingly unperturbed by her distraction, redirected his focus to Cesare and continued speaking.

"I was envious in my youth. But as I grew older, I realized that even that was futile. Humans can never truly emulate the gods, can they?"

Leon’s smile was warm and proud, reflecting his admiration for his twin brother.

"I’m proud that Cesare is my brother."

His whispered words faded into the piano’s melody. Eileen, struggling to tear her attention away from Leon, shifted her focus back to Cesare. However, her concentration on the performance faltered as she recognized something profoundly familiar in Leon.

His eyes mirrored those of her deceased mother, who had worshipped Cesare as though he were a deity. The Empire, too, venerated Cesare as the God of War. Eileen herself had always regarded him with near-divine reverence.

Yet, despite this, Cesare was ultimately just a man—not a god.

A sudden, inexplicable shiver ran down Eileen’s spine. As she instinctively clutched her dress, the music came to an abrupt halt. Cesare had stopped playing before finishing the piece, his intense red eyes locked onto Eileen.

Caught off guard despite having requested the performance, Eileen flinched as though she were a student caught daydreaming.

Without a word, Cesare closed the piano lid and stood up. Leon, though applauding, wore a clear expression of disappointment.

"Why didn’t you finish?"

Cesare, now standing before Leon and Eileen, responded with an indifferent tone.

"I have urgent business."

The only remaining item on his schedule was returning home. Eileen, understanding the implications of Cesare’s words, made a conscious effort to mask any signs of discomfort—no blushing or flinching.

As she struggled to maintain her composure, Cesare observed her with a faint smile before turning his attention to Leon. Their eyes met, and Leon returned the smile. Cesare’s smile widened, but for some reason, he remained silent.

The brothers shared a moment of wordless communication. Their gaze lingered, and just as a hint of discomfort began to surface, Cesare’s lips broke into a broader smile.

"Brother," he said, looking into Leon’s blue eyes, "next time, you’ll play for me."

***

Eileen gripped the envelope tightly as she climbed into the car. Throughout the ride from the palace, Cesare remained silent, only holding her hand and lightly playing with her fingers.

Eileen sat quietly, maintaining her hold on his hand. Then, as if struck by a sudden impulse, she spoke.

"His Majesty..."

Though she had started speaking impulsively, she hesitated and chose her words with care.

"He is very proud of you."

Cesare had always known this, as countless admirers revered him like a star. However, Eileen struggled to express that Leon’s admiration for him reminded her of her deceased mother’s devotion. In reality, Cesare, being Leon’s twin, likely understood this better than she did.

"Leon is especially like that."

Cesare, who had answered briefly, glanced at Eileen for a moment before turning his attention outside.

"You can see the orange trees," he remarked.

Indeed, the distant brick house and garden were visible, with the orange trees clearly in view. Eileen pressed her face against the car window, peering at the trees.

Fortunately, she spotted unripe oranges still hanging on the branches. Eileen, who had been anxiously worried about potential theft or damage, felt a wave of relief.

After all, who would dare invade the residence of the Grand Duchess of Erzet? Cesare had even publicly executed orange thieves before. The people of the Empire knew the Duke of Erzette was not to be trifled with. Though he was hailed as a hero, his reputation for cruelty ensured that no one would cross him lightly—even if they were of his own blood.

Eileen pushed aside these grim thoughts and focused on more immediate concerns.

’What should we do for dinner?’

With nothing left at home, Eileen was concerned about how to ensure Cesare had a meal. She couldn’t allow him to go hungry.

When they entered the house, Eileen was pleasantly surprised to find a warm dinner already prepared on the dining table. The food was steaming, perfectly timed for their arrival.

"Whatever shall we do without sandwiches today?" Cesare teased Eileen with a playful tone, removing his uniform jacket and draping it over a nearby chair. His movements were smooth and natural, as if he had lived in the brick house for years, despite having visited only a few times.

This was the second time they were having a meal together in the brick house. As always, Eileen felt a profound warmth from these simple moments spent with him. It was as if she were living out a dream of newlywed life, lost in a fantasy she had always longed for. Trying to stay grounded, Eileen sat across from him and offered,

"If you want, I can go buy the ingredients and make something for you..."

Fortunately, Cesare only smiled and didn’t press her to cook. After their meal, Eileen was surprised when Cesare took on the task of cleaning up.

Eileen, still dressed in her evening attire and finding it uncomfortable to move, stood aside. Cesare, adeptly moving the plates to the kitchen and tidying up, left her feeling unsure of how to help. Her cumbersome dress made it difficult to offer assistance.

Once the cleanup was finished, Cesare approached Eileen. Rolling up his shirt sleeves and brushing aside his slightly tousled hair, he asked with a touch of concern,

"Shouldn’t I help?"

As Eileen tilted her head slightly, Cesare reached out and gently untied one of the ribbons on her dress. The fabric loosened under his touch.

Eileen’s lips twitched. She had been contemplating changing her clothes and had struggled with the difficult-to-remove dress on her own.

She couldn’t bring herself to undress in front of Cesare. Despite having spent the night with him, she still felt shy about many things. Hesitating, she whispered,

"If you could just untie the ribbons on my back..."

Cesare gently turned Eileen around and began to untangle the intricate ribbons on her back. His fingers, accustomed to the delicate touch required for piano keys, worked skillfully to undo the knots. As the constricting ribbon loosened, Eileen let out an involuntary breath of relief.

She then realized that with the corset loosened, her chest might now appear more provocative than intended. Shrinking her shoulders in self-consciousness, she felt Cesare’s warm breath on the bare nape of her neck.

A shiver ran down her spine at the sensation of his breath. In that moment of heightened awareness, Cesare instinctively wrapped his arms around her, offering a comforting embrace.

"Ah..."

A soft sound escaped Eileen as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of his gentle lips brushing against her skin.

Her body, which had been fluctuating between heat and coolness over the past few days—and even more so this morning—quickly grew warm again as Cesare placed a few light kisses along her neck. The tingling feeling in her lower abdomen and the throbbing sensation in her intimate area had become somewhat familiar.

Eileen grasped the arms wrapped around her waist and twisted her shoulders. As she moaned softly, he licked her exposed neck and whispered,

"Eileen."

His deep voice was so captivating that it made her tailbone tingle. Eileen turned her head to look at him. Cesare held her tightly and repeated her name.

"Eileen, Eileen..."

The repetition of her name stirred a strange unease within her, perhaps because his low voice seemed to penetrate deeply into her ears.

Cesare’s large hands slowly caressed Eileen body. His fingers slipped into the loosened corset, gripping the soft flesh, and he spoke quietly.

"I once had a dream."

The mention of a dream was unusual coming from him, as he usually steered clear of such frivolous topics.

"I was with you in that dream too. At the time, I thought it was wonderful..."

He paused, then bit Eileen’s neck, leaving a distinct mark before continuing.

"But nothing ever compares to reality."

Eileen often dreamed about Cesare. Since he was the person she thought about most frequently, it was only natural that he appeared in her dreams quite regularly.

***