142 - Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 142
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She wondered why he had come alone without Ornella, but she couldn't ask first, as the person before her was His Imperial Majesty. Aileen bent her knees to avoid the discourtesy of offering her greetings too late.
Leone gazed silently at Aileen as she greeted him. Sonio, who was assisting from the side, watched the Emperor's gaze.
"Have you been well?"
Leone asked with a gentle smile.
"This is the first time we've met outside since that day."
Aileen recalled the time when he had come out in disguise to coincide with her outing. At that time, Leone had asked about Cesare gifting her a lion's feather. Along with the accusation of whether she had asked for it.
However, what was etched in Aileen's memory like shards of glass was not the accusation about the feather.
/Gray/“Does the Grand Duchess know the original meaning of Imperator, which is used to refer to the Emperor?”/Gray/
/Gray/“I understand it meant… Commander-in-Chief.”/Gray/
/Gray/“Indeed. The commander of the military is the Emperor, which is how the title Imperator became established. Though that is no longer the case.”/Gray/
Leone, who had mentioned the Commander-in-Chief, was clearly smiling. But at that moment, the words he had spoken were increasingly meaningful the more she pondered them.
Aileen couldn't bring herself to tell Cesare about that day's conversation. She couldn't bring herself to speak, fearing she would appear to be driving a wedge between the affectionate twin brothers.
'To be so affectionate as to even visit him in person while he's sick.'
Aileen tried to dispel the impudent suspicion she had towards His Imperial Majesty. Instead, she smiled slightly and greeted him.
Leone entered the Grand Duke's Residence, guided by Aileen. He crossed the hall with familiarity. His pace was so fast that it appeared as if Aileen, the owner of the house, was chasing after him.
Leone muttered, "Oh dear," and slowed down. Only then did he match his pace with Aileen and ask,
"Have you been to the Pantheon?"
It was an unexpected question. Leone should know very well that Cesare disliked the Pantheon, so she couldn't understand the intention behind the question. As a result, her response was naturally delayed. When Aileen hesitated, Leone frowned and lightly reproached her.
"I'm asking if you've gone to offer prayers for the Grand Duke's recovery."
Leone sighed softly and continued,
"It is well known externally that the Grand Duke is an atheist. But customs cannot be ignored. Even at the wedding, the high priest officiated."
Aileen understood Leone's meaning. There was no benefit to distancing oneself from the Pantheon. There might come a time when they would need the Pantheon's help.
And since the relationship between the Erzeht Grand Duke and the Pantheon was severely strained, he was suggesting that the Grand Duchess try to resolve it, using the pretext of praying for the Grand Duke's recovery.
It was excellent advice with no flaws, but it was also advice that Aileen was reluctant to accept.
'Would Cesare want that?'
The first thought that came to mind was that he would frown and say she was doing something unnecessary if he found out. Still, since the Emperor had directly mentioned it, she couldn't give a negative answer. Aileen racked her brains and answered as carefully as possible.
"I am very lacking and had not thought of it. I will visit the Pantheon soon to offer prayers."
"Soon,"
Leone asked with a smile.
"Why not go right now while you're at it?"
"...Pardon?"
So surprised, Aileen ended up questioning the Emperor's question. Leone continued with a smiling face.
"You don't have anything else to do anyway, do you? Ornella hasn't come either."
Only now did she realize why Leone had visited the Grand Duke's Residence alone. If he had come with Ornella, Aileen would have had to stay at the Grand Duke's Residence to entertain her.
Leone's subsequent words perfectly confirmed Aileen's realization.
"I am also asking because I want to have a quiet conversation with my brother, Grand Duchess."
He did not hide the fact that he wanted to separate Aileen from Cesare.
Aileen involuntarily turned to look at Sonio. Sonio, who had been following at a distance, had a hardened expression.
Even the experienced old butler could not hide his embarrassment. Aileen recognized that this situation was very abnormal, but she couldn't do anything about it.
Remembering Leone expressing displeasure to the Grand Duke's soldiers who had disobeyed the Emperor's orders, she felt it was best to follow Leone's words for now.
"...I will go now."
"Good, I hope I won't have to worry about it in the future."
Leone finished speaking with a short, scolding tone and looked at Sonio. He waved his hand at Sonio, who was trying to guide him in Aileen's place.
"I've been to the Grand Duke's Residence many times, what is there to guide me on? I'll manage on my own."
"That is not possible, Your Majesty. If His Excellency finds out that I have neglected to attend to Your Majesty……."
"Do you think I don't know my twin brother's heart?"
"I am sorry. That is not what I meant."
"Do not disturb the brothers' time."
Leone, who had finally shaken off even Sonio, headed to Cesare's bedroom alone.
Aileen headed straight to the Pantheon. With Aileen going to the Pantheon alone without the Grand Duke's knights, Sonio was at a loss.
All the knights were busy with other tasks, so even if they flew over immediately, it would take a long time for them to arrive.
Sonio said he would accompany her, but he needed to stay behind to properly explain the situation to Cesare. Aileen soothed the anxious Sonio and left the residence.
Arriving at the Pantheon in a car driven by a soldier, Aileen looked up at the massive building with unfamiliar eyes.
The Pantheon, located in the center of The Capital, was not far from the Grand Duke's Residence.
Originally built before the founding of the nation, it had been destroyed once due to war. Later, the founding Emperor rebuilt the Pantheon when he established the Traon Empire.
As a Pantheon dedicated to all gods, a Winged Lion Statue stood at the entrance of the Pantheon. It symbolized the hope that human prayers would reach the gods.
However, access to the interior of the Pantheon was usually restricted except on special holy days. Those who came to pray at the Pantheon usually only touched the Lion Statue, offered flowers, and then left.
Of course, there were exceptions. High-ranking nobles and royals often visited freely because they made large donations to the Pantheon.
In particular, the Parvellini Dukedom was known to be very devout, often visiting the Pantheon to offer prayers and donating large sums of money.
It was Aileen's first time visiting the Pantheon. Of course, she had seen it in passing, but she had never prayed or entered the interior like today.
Looking at the marble pillars soaring towards the sky, she felt intimidated. From the moment she got out of the car, the gazes of those who were offering flowers to the Lion Statue were all directed at Aileen, making her shrink even more.
As she hesitantly approached, the guards guarding the entrance widened their eyes. They stared with their mouths open, causing Aileen to unnecessarily wipe her cheek with the back of her hand.
'Is it that surprising that the Grand Duchess has appeared…….'
They stared at Aileen blankly for a long time. They couldn't take their eyes off Aileen's face, and then belatedly came to their senses and paid their respects.
"It, it is an infinite honor for the Archduchess of Erzeht to visit us."
He even stuttered as he hurriedly spoke. Aileen, unsure of why they were so nervous and wary of her, answered with equal bewilderment.
"I came to… offer a prayer."
As she spoke in a manner she was not yet accustomed to, the guards politely guided Aileen. The doors opened, and the interior of the Pantheon unfolded before her eyes.
Passing through the eight marble pillars at the entrance and entering inside, she saw a magnificent domed ceiling. The grid structure inside had patterns symbolizing the sun painted in gold paint in each section. The imposing appearance seemed to instill a reverent heart in those who entered the Pantheon.
Unlike the warm outside where the sun was shining, the interior of the stone building was slightly cool. It was when Aileen shuddered slightly at the sudden chill and stepped inside.
“…!”
Aileen involuntarily stopped. A tingling sensation swept through her body. At the same time, a heat that felt like it contained a ball of fire was felt from inside her pocket.
It was the heat emanating from the Pocket watch she had placed in her dress pocket. Worried that there might be a problem with the watch, Aileen hurriedly took it out and blinked in astonishment.
The hands of the watch were stopped.
It had been fine just a moment ago, and she had even wound it and set the time, so it was strange. The watch, which had been burning hot, cooled down as soon as it was taken out, as if nothing had happened. She wanted to check the condition of the watch a little more due to the bizarre incident, but there was no time.
There was someone who had come to offer prayers earlier inside the Pantheon. A woman who had been kneeling in front of the altar and offering prayers slowly rose and said.
"It's a funny thing. The person who should have come to offer prayers first hasn't come, and I'm the only one praying for His Excellency the Grand Duke's recovery."
Ornella approached Aileen with calm steps. The sound of her heels hitting the stone floor was distinct. Ornella smiled brightly and said.
"You came so early?"
