Wicked Husband-Chapter 89 - 88

The young man had a friendly, open face, but Eileen didn’t recognize him. She blinked in confusion, assuming he was one of the professors’ students. The man offered a sheepish smile and introduced himself.

"I’m Lucio."

"What? Lucio... senior?"

Eileen’s shock was evident. Lucio had been her closest senior during her university days, but his appearance had changed so dramatically that she hadn’t recognized him at all.

"I’ve missed you, Lady Eileen."

As Eileen stood there, wide-eyed, Lucio added with a soft smile,

"Truly, a lot."

When Eileen first entered university, she faced severe bullying. Admitted at a young age through a letter of recommendation from the prince, it was no surprise that both students and professors harbored grudges against her.

Though she told herself it was inevitable, there were times when the loneliness was hard to bear. After spending an entire day without talking to anyone, she would retreat to her dorm room and write about her day in her journal, often thinking about Cesare and the knights back in the capital.

How wonderful it would be to have someone to talk to and laugh with.

However, Eileen knew well that attending university was a privilege she didn’t take for granted. She wasn’t in a position to complain about loneliness or exhaustion. She had to excel and achieve high grades to repay Cesare, who had supported her in every way. Whenever she felt weary, she thought of Cesare, reading his few letters over and over until they were worn, using them to steady her wavering heart.

As she dedicated herself to her studies day after day, her efforts began to pay off. What had initially seemed overwhelming and difficult started to make sense. She began to understand how to take notes, complete assignments, conduct experiments, and prepare for exams—skills that were new to her.

It was around the time when Eileen’s grades began to improve that she met Lucio, her senior.

One day, Eileen noticed a large man in the library. He had a big, stocky build, messy hair, and oversized glasses. He stood awkwardly in front of the librarian, nervously clutching a slip of paper. After a long hesitation, he finally mustered the courage to speak in a small voice.

"Um... do you know when it’ll be returned?"

"It’ll come back when it comes back."

Apparently, someone had borrowed the book he wanted. The librarian replied without even looking up, her tone indifferent.

As the dejected man turned to leave, he bumped into Eileen, who was standing nearby. He flinched, his gaze locking on the book in Eileen’s hands. Eileen blinked in surprise and asked,

"Were you looking for this book? I’ll return it right now."

She smiled, offering to let him borrow it immediately since there were no reservations. However, the man remained silent. Noticing his lack of response, Eileen’s smile faltered, and she hesitated before speaking again, feeling a bit disheartened.

"Oh... I’m sorry if I offended you."

She regretted being too forward with someone who probably didn’t want to interact. As she mentally chided herself, the man suddenly shuddered and stammered,

"N-no, you didn’t offend me. It’s just... you’re the first person to talk to me."

Hearing his words and seeing his flushed face, Eileen felt a strong sense of kinship. She had experienced the same isolation.

No one had ever spoken to Eileen either. Even when she tried to initiate conversations, most people ignored her. Whenever she offered help, it was often met with annoyance and accusations of being bothersome.

Today, she had thought she had once again intruded by being too nosy and was regretting it. But this time, someone had responded. Eileen couldn’t help but smile brightly, unaware that the man was staring at her in shock. She cheerfully replied,

"It’s the first time someone’s responded to me, too!"

And that’s how Eileen and Lucio began to bond. Despite frequent mockery from others who sneered that only gloomy people spent time together, Eileen remained unfazed. She was too absorbed in her studies to concern herself with such remarks. Simply having someone to share small moments of her daily life with was enough for her.

Lucio proved to be a genuinely kind and supportive senior. As it turned out, he was studying the same field and helped Eileen adjust to university life in various ways.

He would set aside time to teach her and, from a certain point onward, he willingly lent her his belongings whenever she misplaced something. When Eileen lost her handkerchief, he even gifted her a new one.

"This is too expensive..." Eileen protested.

"It’s a... a token of my gratitude," Lucio replied, his face reddening.

The handkerchief was obviously high-quality. When Eileen tried to refuse it, Lucio, his face flushed with embarrassment, stammered, "I really... hope you’ll use it."

Eventually, Eileen gathered what little money she had and bought him a similar gift. Unfortunately, she lost the handkerchief shortly after using it. When she apologized to Lucio, he gave her another new one.

Lucio also enjoyed giving Eileen various small gifts: beautiful water bottles for carrying water, small plates and forks for snacks, pens and notebooks for taking notes—each item small but thoughtful.

Whenever Eileen tried to refuse his gifts, finding it hard to repay them, Lucio would become visibly upset. He implored her to accept them, and with his dejected demeanor, Eileen had no choice but to accept. Even though she often lost the items shortly after receiving them, she deeply appreciated his kindness.

Thanks to Lucio, Eileen adjusted well to university life. As she began achieving high grades and catching the professors’ attention, other students gradually started to approach her.

She naturally made many friends, but Eileen always held Lucio in the highest regard and remained close to him. Their smooth relationship, however, was abruptly cut short one day.

"I’m... sorry. I’m a bad, bad person..."

Lucio suddenly appeared in the middle of the night, mumbling incoherent words. He returned the items she had lost over time and then vanished as if he were fleeing.

Before Eileen could even ask what was happening, she learned the next day that Lucio had taken a leave of absence.

Several months later, Eileen received a letter from her mother, which required her to suspend her studies and return to the capital. She tried to push thoughts of Lucio out of her mind, but...

"I didn’t recognize you."

Lucio appeared with a completely transformed look. Just as Eileen had removed her glasses and cut her bangs, Lucio had also trimmed his once-messy hair and ditched his glasses. The stammering and averted gaze that had characterized him were gone, leaving him almost unrecognizable.

As Eileen stared at him in astonishment, Lucio blushed slightly and touched his cheek—a habit he had when he was embarrassed.

His face turned a faint red, reminiscent of how he used to be. The fresh memories of their past made Eileen smile softly.

"It’s you, Eileen... who has changed so much."

Yet, Lucio had changed in more ways than just his appearance. It felt strange to see him looking her straight in the eye, a stark contrast to his previous demeanor. While Eileen observed him with this newfound sense of unfamiliarity, the professors approached her.

"Eileen... congratulations on your marriage."

The professors spoke awkwardly, their words coming out like a broken wind-up toy. They handed her a thick document, glancing nervously at the surrounding staff.

"This is... the research paper published in the academic journal... and thanks to the Grand Duke’s gracious permission..."

As the professors struggled to organize their thoughts, Eileen, sensing their discomfort, took the initiative to interrupt.

"Professor."

"Please, feel free to treat me as a student still eager to learn from you."

The professors looked at her for a moment, exchanging uneasy glances. After a brief, tense pause, they finally got to the point.

"With the Grand Duke’s permission, we would like to assist with the research currently being conducted by the Grand Duchess."

***

The man desperately rolled his eyes. His severed limbs were some of the few parts of him still able to move freely. Lotan gazed at the man with an indifferent expression, exhaling cigarette smoke.

After continuing to smoke for a while, he shoved the cigarette into the man’s mouth. The man squirmed in agony as the burning tobacco seared his flesh.

"Ugh, nngh..."

The man writhed in pain, desperately trying to suppress his groans. He knew that the presence before him did not tolerate noise.

Amidst the flickering lights and the sounds of pain, the rustling of turning pages broke the silence. It was an incongruous sound, emanating from Cesare. Reclining loosely in his chair, he leisurely turned the pages of his book before speaking abruptly.

"What about Eileen?"

"She is with the scheduled guest who arrived early. However, an uninvited guest has joined them—Lucio Zaetani."

There was no need to elaborate further about Lucio; Cesare recalled everything about Eileen with vivid clarity.

"I permitted the visit of the guest, but..."

Cesare closed the book he had been reading.

"I never authorized the intrusion of pests into the house."

***

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