161 - Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 161
161
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At the unexpected words, Aileen almost blurted out, "Huh?" She barely swallowed the voice that was about to escape her lips and waited for the employee to continue.
"He said he wanted to be served by the employee with glasses, but no matter how much I think about it..."
The employee kept tilting his head.
"You're the only one who wears glasses in our Tavern."
As he said, it was only Aileen. Aileen fiddled with the glasses she was wearing. The employee looked at Aileen with eyes that couldn't understand why he was looking for a handyman who only went back and forth to the warehouse, then gestured with his chin.
"Just go. I'm too busy to find another glasses-wearer."
The employee handed Aileen a tray with food on it. Aileen took the tray and looked up at the employee, at a loss.
'I've only ever done handyman work? Is it okay for me to just bring this to such an important guest?'
There were so many things she wanted to ask, but she couldn't make a sound. As she sent him desperate glances, the employee patted her on the shoulder and soothed her.
"That guest is said to be very polite and gentlemanly. He's got the curtains drawn and doesn't come out, so don't worry, just bring the food and leave."
Aileen had no choice but to take the tray and head to the Box seat. She climbed the spiral staircase she had rushed up two days ago. However, unlike back then when she had been running hastily, she climbed each step carefully, glancing sideways at the tray.
The snacks on the tray were simple things like pickled olives and nuts. One slightly unusual thing was the lemon granita. Granita, made by grinding lemons with sugar and ice, was a sweet and refreshing snack that Aileen also liked.
Since he was a wealthy man, she vaguely thought he might eat things like sturgeon eggs or oysters as snacks, but this felt like a slightly unusual choice.
'Come to think of it, it's not that the Box seat's popularity has declined, but that the guest has reserved it all for himself.'
When she thought about it, it didn't make sense that only one Box seat was sold every time in the Tavern, which was the most popular in Fiore Street. She hadn't paid much attention to it and just brushed it off, but now that she thought of him as a tremendously wealthy guest, she became even more nervous.
'What if I make a mistake? No, I already have.'
She had asked such an important guest to hide her, and she hadn't even properly thanked him. Maybe he had called Aileen in today to reprimand her.
Although the guest hadn't seen her face, he must have known that Aileen was a woman since she had spoken. If the guest publicly pointed out Aileen's mistake, that would be the end of 'Ilen.'
'But I can't run away alone when Alessia hasn't returned yet.'
While she was worrying about what to do, she had already reached the end of the stairs. Aileen pushed open the small wooden door and stepped out into the hallway.
Unlike last time when it had been empty, today there were employees and guards everywhere. However, there was still only one guest.
The space for only one person had a strange sense of silence despite the loud music that covered all sides. Aileen moved slowly, glancing downwards.
It was definitely high up, so she could see the inside clearly. She could see the stage where the Dancers were dancing excitedly, as well as the area behind it. She could even see the handyman helping the Dancer heading to the warehouse.
She walked as slowly as possible, but she had already arrived at her destination. The employee standing near the Box seat, having been told in advance that Aileen was coming, knocked on the door and said,
"This is the employee you asked for."
Then he opened the door and gestured. Aileen, frozen stiff, took the tray and hesitantly stepped inside. The door closed behind her.
The curtains were drawn in the Box seat again today. Aileen placed the tray on the table where she had hidden last time. There was a bottle of wine on the table, but it was unopened and new. The wine glasses were also perfectly clean.
Aileen stared at the curtains for a long time, hesitating, before opening her mouth.
"I heard... you were looking for me..."
However, the guest beyond the curtains was silent again today. Aileen didn't know what to do and swallowed the silence like grains of sand, then offered her thanks first.
"Thank you for hiding me before."
The guest still didn't react. Aileen continued, cautiously.
"You must think I'm a suspicious person, but I didn't do anything bad. I'm just here for a while because of circumstances..."
But as she spoke, she sounded completely suspicious. Aileen wondered if she should explain further, but it seemed like she would only sound more suspicious the more she spoke, so she just stopped.
"Um, anyway... I'm Ilen... The granita won't taste good if it melts, so please eat it quickly."
As she was rambling, the performance ended and applause and cheers rang out. As the sound subsided, the gap in the curtains widened slightly.
A piece of paper was inserted between the fingers wearing leather gloves. As she stared with wide eyes, the fingers beckoned as if to say, "Take it quickly."
Aileen approached very carefully and reached out her hand. He dropped the paper onto her palm with a thud. The words written on the small piece of paper were simple.
[Why don't you drink it?]
Despite being a short sentence, the handwriting was neat and the strokes had clear endings. The owner's personality seemed to be felt in the writing.
Aileen unknowingly stared at the letters. It was definitely handwriting she was seeing for the first time, but it felt strangely familiar, so she kept looking at it.
Suddenly, Cesare came to mind. However, Cesare, who had lived as a prince and a Grand Duke, had a more flamboyant and royal handwriting than this. Aileen, who had been looking at the note for a long time, belatedly replied with a gasp.
"Yes? Me? The granita?"
Even to the question, the man beyond the curtains was silent as ever. If she asked again here, it seemed like it would displease the guest. Aileen hesitated and picked up the glass containing the granita.
'Could it be that he wants me to drink it first to check if there's any poison? It was just made in the kitchen, so there shouldn't be any problems.'
Remembering the moment when she had been helped by the man, Aileen decided to check the granita for him.
The moment she brought the glass to her lips and took a sip, a cool and refreshing taste filled her mouth. Her eyes seemed to light up at the sweet snack she had tasted in a long time.
After taking a couple of sips while watching his reaction, Aileen put down the glass and mumbled.
"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the granita. It doesn't seem to be poisoned..."
For a moment, she thought she heard a faint, low laugh. However, the short laugh, buried in the music, ended before she could hear it properly. Aileen stared at the curtains, holding the small piece of paper tightly in both hands.
"I sincerely thank you for saving my life the other day, and for giving me the granita today."
But she couldn't just think that he had helped her without any compensation. Aileen wanted to ask if there was anything the guest wanted from her.
However, she couldn't easily ask the question. She was afraid of what the guest beyond the curtains might want in return. She was even more afraid of the unknown because she couldn't guess the guest's intentions.
She was only moving her lips, not knowing how to start the conversation, when the curtains opened again. The hand holding the note was elegant, even though only about an inch of the end was showing.
Aileen folded her palms neatly and held them out downwards, and the paper fell again with a thud.
[Why are you hiding here?]
Aileen read the short sentence over and over again. Was the man's help to her just a moment of interest? She wondered if he might be a wealthy man who was bored because he had too much money. Aileen fiddled with the note and muttered.
"Because I have something to do. But I don't think I can do it at home... so inevitably..."
The fact that he was someone who knew nothing about her made Aileen's heart relax slightly. Because of that, she let out a little of her frustrated feelings.
"No one wants me to do it. I'm the only one who's insisting on doing it."
As she spoke, her voice gradually became smaller. Aileen finished her words almost in a whisper.
"But I have to do it."
She didn't say that she wouldn't be able to bear it otherwise.
When she closed her lips, a long silence followed again. She was wondering if it was time for her to leave but she hadn't noticed, when the gap in the curtains widened, and the hand wearing leather gloves revealed its end. But this time, there was no paper in his hand.
As she looked on in bewilderment, his fingers beckoned lightly. It seemed he meant for her to come closer. As she hesitated and approached, he beckoned again.
"Should I... give you my hand...?"
It was when Aileen was reaching out her hand, wondering if she should, that her wrist was grabbed as if snatched and pulled inside the curtains.
