141 - Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 141
141
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When Cesare learned that he had to kill Aileen seven times, he didn't think it would be difficult.
After all, she was just a being in a dream. He thought it was just like a dream, so he could quickly finish everything and return.
He was fine when he killed Aileen for the first time with his own hands. The second and third times weren't bad either. However, as the number was filled, Cesare realized that he was gradually being worn down.
In the end, he couldn't do it at the seventh and final moment. Cesare spent a long time with Aileen in the Brick house. In a perfect world where they gave up everything and lived only with each other.
The peaceful time was sweet. Even knowing that it was all a false illusion, he couldn't escape. He even began to think that maybe the outside was a dream and this place was reality.
But eventually, he woke up from the illusion. It was because he realized that the time there was only for Cesare himself.
The feeling of killing Aileen for the last time still remained vividly in his hands. The rainy day, the bedroom on the second floor of the Brick house, the damp air and gloomy darkness, the hand that broke the neck of his wife who was crying and begging.
Cesare recalled Aileen in the dream, who was just young and innocent. Aileen, who lived happily without any complaints in the safest space he had created.
In contrast, he looked at the real Aileen, who fearlessly rushed to find out the truth, holding his hand tightly and firmly hardening her big eyes. Aileen, who was trying to protect him even if it became dangerous, was very different from the illusion.
But this moment was reality.
"Cesare..."
Aileen's voice was trembling. It was a call filled with obvious surprise. Cesare, who had been looking down, slowly raised his eyes. He looked at Aileen with his rupture exposed without hiding.
Even if it was a lie, he killed Aileen. For Cesare, all seven processes were as vivid as reality.
He had realized long ago that he was broken. He also knew that he, who was shattered into pieces, would eventually hurt Aileen.
"I think it's for me."
At that moment, Cesare felt like he had been stabbed in the back. For himself. All of Cesare's choices were like that.
Aileen, who was trying to change, eventually resembled Cesare. She was the child he raised and the wife he kept by his side, so it was natural.
Cesare quietly pressed his lips to the back of Aileen's hand. He kissed her as if dedicating himself to the most precious person in the world. He couldn't stop even though he knew that his shattered fragments would torment Aileen.
"The gift you gave me, Aileen."
Cesare slowly took his lips off and took out a Pocket watch from his arms. It was a silver Pocket watch that Aileen gave him as a gift to commemorate the victory.
"I'll give it back to you."
Aileen looked at him with wide eyes. She was smart and wise, so she would definitely find out the truth soon. He wanted to delay it, but the moment he would eventually face was approaching.
Cesare gave the watch to Aileen's hand, imagining the future of being broken. It was a means for Aileen to find the answer herself.
"Because you'll need it now."
Aileen held the watch up to the sunlight. The surface of the Pocket watch was smooth without even fine scratches. It was a sight that showed how precious the person who received the gift had treated it.
When he took the watch out of his arms, Aileen was quite surprised. Cesare praised her a lot, saying that he liked the gift, but she thought it would end up being put in a drawer.
'He's been carrying it around all this time.'
And managing it so preciously. After looking at the watch for a while, Aileen opened the lid. She watched the ticking hands and then checked the wall clock in the lab.
The time on the Pocket watch was not correct. Given Cesare's personality, it was strange that he would have left a watch with the wrong time alone.
Aileen wound the spring and set the time. She carefully turned the spring and recalled what happened in the forest that day.
Cesare didn't tell Aileen anything in the end. But he didn't forbid Aileen from exploring either.
Aileen knew that it was a kind of permission. She also thought that it might have been a different meaning.
'Rather than permission... it's closer to meaning that he won't stop what I want.'
It was a subtle difference, but it was a part that resonated greatly with Aileen.
Aileen repeatedly thought about Cesare that day in her head. Cesare's appearance, who had lost his composure and was shaking, kept pricking her heart.
'What's the reason?'
Cesare clearly denied that his nightmare and immortality were because of Aileen. Aileen also thought that it couldn't be. But the logical facts that Aileen knew and the intuition she felt whenever she saw Cesare kept clashing.
'If I assume it's because of me.'
The big premise that Aileen had for her whole life was wrong. The premise that Cesare doesn't lie to her.
Besides, it was too strange and incomprehensible that he would do such a dangerous thing for her sake, not for some great cause.
Cesare clearly had a special affection for Aileen. He even told her that his affection would not change easily.
But she didn't think that Cesare's affection was the same as hers...
Aileen's world was made up of Cesare, but she never thought that Cesare was also like that. He was too distant and great to be compared to her.
Aileen shook her head as she continued to think. If she approached it this way when doing research, it wouldn't proceed properly. She shouldn't conclude that it's absolutely impossible first, but she should keep the possibilities open in various directions, even if it's difficult to accept.
Aileen forcibly pushed away the premises in her head. She slowly wound the spring again and seriously considered the hypothesis again, if it was because of her.
"..."
And her hand stopped there. Her head, which had been working so well until just now, was also completely hardened like a stone. Aileen blankly stared at the Pocket watch with a very stupid feeling.
If it's really because of me.
So Cesare is doing such a dangerous thing and his body has changed strangely.
Is there a way to reverse it now? Is there at least a way to stop the dangerous things? Did it happen because I was greedy and wanted to be by Cesare's side?
Her hardened head was released at once and too many thoughts poured out at the same time. Aileen tightly closed her eyes.
'Let's think about something else first...'
She tried to cool the heat that was gathering hotly in her overheated head and turned the last remaining spring. After checking the accurately set time, she fiddled with the Pocket watch.
'Come to think of it, why did he give the watch back?'
Aileen had given him quite a few gifts. Most of them were trivial gifts she gave him when she was young. But Cesare kept all the gifts he received.
It was the first time that Cesare had returned a gift. He definitely wouldn't have returned it without meaning.
While observing the watch, Aileen suddenly remembered one more unusual thing he had given her.
It was a golden feather stolen from the Parbellini Dukedom. To cool her head and because she thought of it, she immediately brought the glass storage box containing the feathers and placed it on the desk in the lab.
Aileen stared blankly at the light that the golden feather was scattering, then gently placed the watch on the glass storage box.
"Haa."
A watch and a feather. There seemed to be no connection between the two. She didn't know what to do or how to do it, so she felt frustrated.
It was when Aileen was narrowing her brows and staring at the glass storage box.
"Madam, it's Sonio."
At the knock on the lab door, Aileen carefully picked up the watch and put it in her arms. She answered to come in, and Sonio opened the door and announced.
"His Imperial Majesty will be arriving soon."
"Already? I'll go down right away."
It was an earlier arrival than expected. Aileen quickly got up from her seat. Today was the day that Ornella and Leone had announced that they would come to visit Cesare.
"As I mentioned earlier, His Excellency will be greeting the two of you in the bedroom."
Cesare's shoulder had already healed completely. But to others, it was still a time when he should be recuperating. So, as a gunshot wound patient should, he decided to lie in bed.
As a result, Aileen would have to deal with His Imperial Majesty and the Parbellini Duchess Young Lady alone for a while. Sonio would assist her immediately if she made a mistake, but she couldn't help but be nervous.
Aileen followed Sonio down to the first floor and out the front door. Just in time, a car was seen entering the Grand Duke's Residence in the distance. The car, which was painted with the Winged Lion, the symbol of the Traon Empire, could only be used by the imperial family.
The smoothly rolling car stopped in front of the front door. Sonio opened the car door himself and paid his respects politely.
"I greet the Imperator."
Aileen was about to greet him as well. Aileen, who was greeting him, slightly raised her eyes.
Only Leone was getting out of the car.
