Wicked Husband

There was something strange in his statement. It was the first time Eileen had given him a watch.

'Perhaps he had received something similar from someone else?'

It didn't make much sense.

After all, even if the gift was carefully selected and bought in an exquisite shop on Venue Street, Grace would have little reason to encounter such a design.

Cesare had been born a prince, and now, as a duke, he was one of the noblest figures in the Empire. This meant that items were tailor-made for him, carefully designed and crafted so that no duplicates would exist elsewhere. From clothes and shoes to furniture and even pens, all of the Grand Duke's possessions were priceless items that commanded high appraisals.

His collection of pocket watches was no different. Eileen could tell, as she had seen them a few times before. Each was adorned with expensive jewels and intricately marked with the insignia of the imperial family.

The plain, unadorned platinum pocket watch Eileen had bought was something that undoubtedly would never catch Cesare's eye. Aside from Eileen, there was no one else who would dare give him something like this.

As Eileen was lost in her complicated thoughts, Cesare took the pocket watch out of the box. The white timepiece contrasted sharply against the black leather gloves.

Click.

The small sound of the strap slipping under the glove was heard. He looked at the device in his palm. For a moment, a fleeting glimmer passed over his eyes.

The brief tremor dissipated before Eileen could take notice. Cesare tightened his grip around the watch, as if determined never to let it go, and smiled.

"I like it."

The moment Eileen caught sight of Cesare's cheerful, smiling face, her spirit eased. As her tense mind began to unwind, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Sob…"

Tears flowed like a rushing faucet. Despite hastily removing her glasses to wipe them with the back of her hand, it was futile. Eileen wept softly and sought Cesare's forgiveness.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency. I'm so sorry!"

"What are you going on about?"

"Ugh, it's—uh, I'm crying!"

"You are apologising over that?"

"No, I'm sorry for everything."

Cesare sighed gently, removing one of his gloves and stowing it in his pocket alongside the pocket watch. Tenderly, he cupped Eileen's face, brushing aside her bangs and wiping away the moisture around her eyes with his thumb.

"I can't even bring myself to be angry with you, much less when I see your tear-streaked face."

He brushed away her tears, furrowing his brow. With narrowed eyes, he murmured softly.

"I had even intended to be harsher on you."

Eileen's heart sank. It was as she feared. He was indeed upset! He had even planned to be even meaner! What a profoundly unsettling revelation!

Just his refusal to meet her felt like the end of the world. Eileen gazed up at Cesare with desperation, her voice trembling as she asked,

"Can I ask why you're angry?"

Cesare didn't reveal it right away. He waited until Eileen had shed what seemed like a bucketful of tears before speaking.

"He offered to sell you."

Eileen's eyes widened in shock at his reasoning.

"He was willing to sell off a girl who hasn't even made her debut in society yet. To a foreign pig, no less. He was demanding money from me while threatening me, you know? That would be enough to make anyone angry, wouldn't it?"

Too stunned to continue crying, Eileen momentarily forgot her tears. She could roughly discern her father's intentions behind such actions.

Using marriage as a pretext, her father intended to extort money from Cesare and allocate a portion of it to the foreign nobles to make the 'marriage' look legitimate.

Since her mother's death, her father has complained openly about their lack of wealth, despite the Grand Duke's affection for Eileen. It was only after Cesare's triumphal return from his campaign that the complaints ceased. 

Peering into Eileen's eyes, now darkened by the setting sun, Cesare posed a question.

"Are you still going to let yourself be married off to that old swine?"

Eileen vigorously shook her head. Cesare wiped her teary eyelashes and asked again.

"What do you propose we do, hm?"

"I don't know…"

How wonderful it would've been if she could've simply refused to do something that she didn't want to do. There hadn't been many moments in Eileen's life when she'd had the autonomy to make her own decisions. Even now, she felt as though she was being dragged along at the whim of someone else.

Unable to answer immediately, her gaze lowered, and Eileen felt a gentle shake of her shoulders.

"Why don't you know, Eileen?" 

Cesare's voice pierced through the darkness, a lone beacon amidst the blackness. His face drew nearer, their breaths mingling as their noses lightly brushed against each other.

"You should marry me."

Eileen's breath quickened, her heart pounding in her chest. Cesare held her in his periphery, as though she were a delicate bird ensnared in his grasp.

"Do you resent me, even if it's just a little?"

Eileen didn't answer, but Cesare didn't insist. He already knew the answer.

Eileen parted her lips slightly, a sense of resignation washing over her. To refuse now would leave her with a wretched fate.

Bound by invisible constraints, she surrendered to the inevitable.

"I will marry you…"

His eyes were like a crescent blood moon, curving in a brief smile before descending and meeting her lips with his own. Eileen gasped and trembled in his hold, feeling his large hands encircle her waist.

His grip was firm, and Cesare initiated a slow, lingering kiss, keeping her from pulling away. He nibbled gently on her lips, coaxing them to part, then slipped his tongue inside.

Eileen hesitated, uncertain of what to do with her own. It didn't surprise Cesare, and he gladly guided her in their first salacious lesson, intertwining it with his own. The sensation of his tongue softly grazing the roof of her mouth was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

"Ah~! Mmm!"

A small sound escaped Eileen's throat, betraying her discomfort. It prompted Cesare to tighten his hold before gradually gliding his hand up her back, tracing a slow path along her spine.

A peculiar sensation, neither pain nor pleasure but distinct in its own right, nagged at her lower abdomen. It was uncomfortable yet somehow different, recognisable from their previous kisses.

There was also an unfamiliar damp sensation between her legs that made her instinctively close her tense thighs. With careful movements, she lifted her hand from its awkward position and placed it gently on Cesare's chest.

Although she had no intention of pushing him away, Cesare stopped the kiss, slowly pulling their lips apart, and looked at Eileen in silence.

Confronted by his crimson eyes, Eileen's thoughts drifted to poppies. Despite their enchanting allure, they were toxic within. Much like Cesare's true nature, those who lingered by his side became addicted to his allure, like opium, regardless of its detrimental side effects.

Eileen was no exception. She had realised his dangerous nature at the tender age of eleven, in the gardens of the Imperial Palace. She had chosen to feign ignorance, despite the many frightening situations she had encountered since then.

When she met Cesare's intense gaze, she was suddenly aware of their proximity, separated only by the low window frame. Too late, she had noticed the discomfort from pressing against the edge of the window.

Cesare must have noticed too, for he released his grip, allowing Eileen to step back.

"Eileen."

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you eat the cake?"

"I have no appetite."

She wouldn't be able to taste anything right now, regardless of what she ate. Eileen lowered her head and, clutching his clothes, managed to speak with difficulty.

"I want to see my father."

"It's probably best not to meet him."

His statement must carry some truth to it. If Cesare had advised against it, then meeting her father would undoubtedly lead to something unpleasant. Judging from Cesare's reluctance to disclose her father's whereabouts, it was evident.

But Eileen couldn't evade it forever. She had ventured into this forbidden castle, determined to claim it as her own. Allowing herself to bare her vulnerabilities before the one she cherished, and now, finding herself even more entangled in his debt, only deepened her burden.

"How much worse can it get?"

Eileen asked with a bitter tone.

"It's alright, just… Let me meet him, please."

Seeing him hesitate, she added another to persuade him. 

"We also need to talk about… marriage."

With a displeased expression still on his face, Cesare reluctantly acquiesced.

"All right, then, let's go together."

"You must be busy. I'll go alone if you–-"

She was about to ask him to show her the way so as not to cause him any more trouble, but Cesare quickly closed that window of opportunity. Looking down at Eileen, who had fallen silent in astonishment, he whispered as if in admonition.

"Now, now, Eileen. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to go with your husband?"