Translator: Nox

13

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Cesare had perfectly adapted to the wilderness that was the Imperial Palace from a very young age. Assassination attempts were so common that they were yawn-inducing.

Not only Cesare but also the other imperial family members around him were the same. It was only natural since they had to kill to survive. Even Cesare's brother, who was ignored for being weak-hearted, didn't bat an eye at such things.

So, Cesare punished the servant, thinking about when he was Aileen's age. He had considerately not shown Aileen the scene of the servant's death, but Aileen was shocked to the point where her world turned upside down.

Until then, Aileen had firmly believed that Cesare was a fallen angel.

Aside from his inhuman appearance, he was always kind. He often gave her delicious snacks and the books she wanted to read as gifts, and above all, he happily listened to her stories about plants, which no one else cared about.

In Aileen's small world, Cesare was a righteous and benevolent god.

She had lived believing that so firmly, but it turned out he was a terrible evil god. Aileen, who was so shocked, fell ill that day. It took quite a long time for her to recover her surprised body and mind.

After suffering for a while, when she finally got out of bed, Cesare invited Aileen to the Imperial Palace. The letter delivered through her mother contained words to soothe Aileen. It also said that she didn't have to come to the palace if she didn't want to.

Aileen hugged the Grand Duke's letter to her chest and pondered for a long time.

If she refused the invitation, Cesare would not hold her back and would cleanly end their relationship. She would never see him again.

But Aileen couldn't let go of the Grand Duke. Because if he wasn't there... there would be no one to listen to her stories.

Aileen had now realized that telling the Grand Duke about strange plants was more fun than fiddling with tree leaves alone.

Fear and loneliness were in a tense tug-of-war. But the outcome was quickly decided. Aileen was already making excuses for Cesare in her head.

'That servant was trying to kill the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke had no choice.'

The method was cruel, but the other party had tried to kill Cesare first. The more she pondered, the more she felt that she had to protect the lonely and struggling Grand Duke.

So, Aileen returned to Cesare. After that day's commotion, Cesare also refrained from cruel behavior in front of Aileen.

'I'm still a fool, whether it's in the past or now.'

Aileen mechanically moved her hand, pushing scrambled eggs into her mouth as she thought.

She encountered an assassin in the Imperial Palace's greenhouse and told Cesare to run away, saying she would buy him time. Then Cesare smiled and told her to close her eyes and sing a song.

"One song will be enough."

She didn't know what he meant, but she did as she was told. When Aileen closed her eyes tightly and started singing the national anthem, Cesare smiled again.

Then, from the moment his smile stopped, terrible sounds began to be heard. Before Aileen could finish singing the first verse of the national anthem, sobbing, the surroundings became quiet.

"Open your eyes, Aileen."

Sob, sob... Aileen opened her eyes, sobbing. Cesare was visible in her blurred vision. He, covered in other people's blood, clicked his tongue briefly.

"Why did you say such a thing earlier when you're so scared?"

He threw away the leather gloves soaked in blood and wiped Aileen's tears. He said to Aileen in a low, firm voice.

"You will never take my place. Understand?"

Aileen nodded, covered in tears, and then she was dragged to the banquet hall.

At the banquet hall, Cesare held Aileen's hand and said something, but she was out of her mind and didn't hear anything. All she remembered was that Michele had escorted her home.

The victory celebration banquet ended in chaos. If there was anything positive to think about in the messy situation, it was that she didn't have to dance thanks to the banquet being ruined.

"Haa."

After finishing her meal, Aileen gulped down a glass of water and sighed deeply. Her chest felt stuffy.

Aileen was scared and afraid of Cesare.

Even after the incident at the age of eleven, she encountered the cruelty inherent in Cesare's nature several more times. This was because there were times when it inevitably showed, even though Cesare tried to hide it.

Each time, Aileen trembled and was afraid, just like when she was eleven years old. But even so, she couldn't leave Cesare in the end. Eventually, she even fell in love with him.

'But what can I do, I like him...'

The heart that had grown up receiving affection from Cesare had fattened up on its own, greatly increasing the size of her love. To the point where even Aileen couldn't do anything about it anymore.

"I'm a fool."

She objectively evaluated herself and cleaned up after eating. As she did so, she glanced at the first-floor bedroom. The bedroom used by her father was still empty.

Cesare would find her father soon, so she was waiting quietly, but she couldn't help but feel more anxious as the days went by.

Aileen washed the dishes and went up to the second floor to change into her going-out clothes. She was planning to go to the shopping district today. To buy a gift for Cesare.

Originally, she was going to pick up Cesare's victory celebration gift, which she had ordered in advance, on the day the news of the Arch of Triumph's approval was published in the newspaper. But the sudden arrival of Cesare completely ruined her plans.

She had put it off for a while due to the rush of hectic events, and today she was finally going to pick up the gift.

'I hope His Excellency likes it.'

Aileen hurried to the shopping district. She saw a newspaper boy on the way, but she deliberately ignored him and passed by. The Triumphal March and what happened at the banquet hall must have been prominently featured in the newspaper.

The system of the Traon Empire was such that streets radiated out in seven directions from the central square. Venue Street, which Aileen had chosen, was lined with luxury shops.

Aileen was the only one walking diligently on foot on a street where everyone else was driving. And finally, she arrived at her destination. She opened the shop door, hearing the jingle of the bell.

"Hello!"

Aileen's destination was a watch shop.

"You've come! I was wondering when you'd come."

The shop owner greeted Aileen with a delighted expression. Luca, the luxury watch merchant of Venue Street, had a stylish mustache and wore a monocle. At a glance, it was clear that he paid a lot of attention to his appearance.

He had been suffering from chronic nervous headaches, and after buying a headache medicine made from willow bark from Aileen, he became a regular customer.

He became naturally close to Aileen while buying medicine regularly, and he was a great help in purchasing this gift.

"How have you been? I brought you some headache medicine here."

"I just ran out, thank you. Wait a moment. I'll get the watch."

Luca winked one eye and went inside. He soon came out with a red velvet box. Aileen looked at the box with a pounding heart.

"Wow...!"

A dazzlingly clean platinum pocket watch was placed inside the box. Luca boasted as he watched Aileen rejoice.

"I paid special attention to it because it was your order, Aileen."

Aileen carefully reached out her hand. Afraid of getting fingerprints on it, she couldn't even touch the watch and only lightly touched the box.

The platinum pocket watch was incredibly expensive. But she felt like she had to do this much for His Excellency the Grand Duke, so she pushed herself a lot. She couldn't let cheap items go into his pocket. Fortunately, she was able to make ends meet somehow thanks to Luca's consideration.

"Not engraving the name?"

"Yes. I'll just give it as a gift as it is. Thank you. I love it."

She wanted to engrave his name on the watch and give it to him, but Cesare's name was too famous to do so. Luca didn't even know that Aileen was a noble.

"I made a new ointment, I'll give you one next time."

"I keep telling you not to just give it to me. Let me pay a fair price. But what about the pharmacy?"

"Ah... I'm going to close it for the time being."

Customers usually came to Aileen's laboratory by word of mouth to buy medicine. But since the laboratory had been closed by the Grand Duke, she wondered if she should ask the innkeeper to sell it on her behalf in the future.