105 - The Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 105
105
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'That can't be,' Aileen thought, only to find her expectations confirmed. The moment she stepped into the dim room, the four-pillar bed with curtains was the first thing that caught her eye.
The curtains were tied to the posts, making the person sitting on the bed clearly visible. Aileen's eyes met those of a middle-aged man sitting askew on the edge of the bed, and she hastily lowered her head.
The man in the gown was the Emperor of the Traon Empire, Cesare's father.
Aileen kept her gaze fixed on the floor, recalling the face she had briefly seen before bowing her head.
The Emperor had many children, but he cherished Cesare the most. Even Aileen, who was not well-informed about rumors, knew that the Emperor was delighted that Cesare resembled him so much in his youth.
However, the face she had glimpsed bore no resemblance to Cesare at all. Rather, he looked much more like Cesare's twin brother, Leone. Leone and the Emperor had the same hair and eye color.
If she had to find any similarity to Cesare, it would be their sharp nose. But the overall atmosphere was so different that anyone unaware of their blood relation would not realize they were father and son.
'Why did he call me here?'
Aileen waited anxiously for the Emperor to speak, belatedly realizing she had not yet paid her respects.
"I, I greet the Imperator."
She was so nervous that she had forgotten to offer her greetings. The Emperor chuckled at her belated greeting. Aileen's mouth felt parched with tension.
"Raise your head."
At the slow command, Aileen cautiously lifted her head. Befitting the father of the famous handsome twin Princes, the Emperor was also a great beauty.
Even with the marks of time on his face, he was still considered a handsome man, so she couldn't help but think he must have been truly remarkable in his youth. She realized that the numerous affairs he had been involved in were not solely due to his position as Emperor.
The Emperor stared at Aileen in silence for a while. Aileen had raised her head but dared not meet his eyes, still looking at the floor.
Then, the Emperor rose from the bed. He stepped onto the rug barefoot and strode towards Aileen. He didn't seem to mind the cold marble floor as he approached, then suddenly grabbed Aileen's chin.
He held her face in his rough hands for a moment before quickly letting go. The Emperor frowned deeply, his eyes narrowed.
"Hmm… I didn't expect you to be so unremarkable."
He shoved Aileen in the chest, revealing his disappointment. Pushed by the man's strength, Aileen stumbled backward and fell to the floor.
She must have landed awkwardly, as she felt a sharp pain in her wrist. But she didn't even notice the pain as she scrambled to her feet. The Emperor watched Aileen as she got up, then tossed out a command.
"Undress."
She was so disoriented that she thought she had misheard. But the Emperor crossed his arms and barked.
"What are you doing? I said undress."
Aileen looked up at the Emperor, trembling. The Emperor's eyes flashed as he roared.
"Insolent wench! Just because you have The Prince's favor, do you think you're anything special?"
As soon as he raised his voice, Aileen immediately knelt on the floor. The fear of being beheaded in this place was secondary. Her mind went completely blank with worry about what might happen to The Prince because of her.
She apologized frantically, saying she was sorry, and grabbed the ribbons of her dress with her hands. She didn't even know what the Emperor meant by telling her to undress, but she was simply terrified and tried to take off her clothes.
Just as she was about to do so, there seemed to be a commotion outside, and the door burst open. It was Cesare who had kicked the door open as if to break it.
Cesare saw Aileen kneeling on the floor with her upper garment undone, and the Emperor wearing only a gown. His crimson eyes burned like embers.
As soon as Cesare appeared, the Emperor smiled broadly. He spread his arms wide, greatly pleased.
"Cesare!"
“…Your Majesty.”
The Emperor's face, which had been smiling joyfully, hardened at Cesare's words.
"She is someone I cherish. Do you not know that?"
"Yes, I know. That's why I called her here."
He gestured with his chin towards Aileen, who was trembling, wrapped in her arms and holding her breath.
"Her face is plain, but is her inner flavor any good?"
Cesare did not answer and quietly stared at the Emperor. He did not rage or raise his voice. The Emperor was pleased with Cesare's calm reaction.
"Would I not know my son's woman? You are my other self."
Cesare, who had been listening silently, twisted the corner of his mouth at some point. He gave a crooked smile and called out to the Emperor.
"Father."
The Emperor's eyes widened at the title Cesare used. He was a son who always used the honorific "Your Majesty," no matter how much he was urged to call him father. Cesare spoke softly to the Emperor, who could not hide his joy.
"I told you, she is just my child."
Not a woman.
The short addition was quiet, but it was enough for the Emperor to hear. And Aileen could also hear it clearly.
Aileen parted her lips slightly and then quietly bit them. Cesare placed his uniform jacket over Aileen's shoulders and took her arm to help her up. Aileen leaned on him and barely managed to stand up straight.
She had no clear memory of how she got out of the Emperor's chambers afterward. When she came to her senses, she was sitting on the sofa in the Imperial Palace's drawing room, and The Prince was looking out the window with his back to her.
The downpour, which she thought would stop soon, was still falling. A gloomy humidity weighed heavily on the drawing room. Aileen stared blankly at Cesare's back and said in a cracked voice.
“…I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Cesare turned to Aileen and asked. His red eyes were vivid even in the dim Emperor's chambers, and now in this drawing room. Aileen tried to tell The Prince what she had done wrong. But Cesare asked again before Aileen could answer.
“What did His Majesty do to you?”
“Nothing happened……”
The Prince had come before anything could happen, so it was okay. She didn't want to speak ill of The Prince's father either.
But Cesare's eyes narrowed at Aileen's answer. Only the sound of rain continued in the silence. He opened his lips again after quite a long time.
“Were there no people who tormented you at Palerchia University?”
When she heard that question, the first thought that came to her mind was one thing. How could she answer without upsetting Cesare?
He didn't seem to like the answer she had given earlier. She had already failed once, so she wanted to do well with her second answer.
She didn't want to make The Prince, whom she had met after a long time, uncomfortable, so she thought hard, but she didn't know what a good answer would be. So she had no choice but to offer the best answer she could think of.
“There weren’t any.”
There were some difficult moments, but there were more happy and enjoyable memories. It was like a dream that she was able to enjoy thanks to The Prince's support, so she couldn't complain. Cesare chuckled at the answer.
“You only say there weren’t any.”
Cesare muttered briefly and told Aileen to go back. Aileen, who returned home without having dinner with The Prince, was harassed by her mother for days. It was because she hadn't seen how The Prince reacted to her mother's letter.
But even while being harassed by her mother, Aileen kept thinking about other things. She was wondering what the right answer would have been.
‘Did Cesare want me to be honest at that time?’
Aileen, who was pondering the past, suddenly became curious. But even if she could turn back time, she would not have been able to be honest at that moment.
That would have been an act of arrogance, not knowing The Prince's grace. No matter how much The Prince favored her, she was just a Baron's daughter who was nothing.
Aileen, who was lost in thought alone, suddenly came to her senses at the touch of a hand caressing her cheek. Vivid red eyes were capturing Aileen.
With the same light as in the past, and even now.
The dark night bedroom was somewhat similar to the Emperor's chambers. But this was the Grand Duke's Residence's bedroom, and Aileen was the Archduchess of Erzeht.
Cesare's eyes were the same as that day in the past, but the reality surrounding Aileen had changed a lot. Aileen moved her lips without realizing it.
“…Actually, there were.”
Cesare, who was holding Aileen's waist, narrowed his eyes. Aileen hesitated and confessed to him.
“Today, Lady Parbellini… had a bit of, a very small argument with me, but it wasn’t a big deal……”
It felt even more pathetic after she said it. Aileen felt ashamed and muttered.
“I didn’t think it was something to tell Cesare, but, well, that’s, you asked…. So I’m saying it because I remembered. It’s really nothing.”
Her excuses kept getting longer, but suddenly Cesare laughed. His long mouth drew a smooth curve that was not twisted.
He kissed Aileen's cheeks and lips, whose eyelashes were fluttering, and let out a low laugh.
“Tell me more, Aileen.”
