165 - Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 165
165
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Even if everyone else denied him, Aileen wanted to stand by Cesare's side. Even if she herself began to harbor doubts about him, she didn't want to voice them, at least.
She knew well that this made her frustrating and stubborn. But she couldn't help it. She had lived her whole life this way, and it was a part of her that couldn't be easily changed.
Even as Aileen continued to defend Cesare, Alessia said nothing. She simply nodded slightly and urged Aileen again.
"It's best to leave for now."
Whatever the truth, it was clear that the situation was dangerous, judging by Alessia's words. Aileen, clutching the book Alessia had given her, stayed close behind her. Alessia, with her hand on the doorknob, listened intently to the sounds outside for a while.
At this time of day, everyone should be out working, so the workers' quarters should be empty. But Alessia clicked her tongue softly when she sensed a faint presence.
Since their goal wasn't to harm Aileen anyway, Alessia decided to make the most of this.
"Open the door and go out first. Then walk as slowly as possible."
"How far?"
"About four steps."
Alessia, who had been whispering, closed her lips. Aileen opened the door as she was told. She listened as Alessia had done, but the hallway was silent.
Aileen hugged the ancient book to her chest and counted to herself as she took steps. One, two, three… and it was the moment she took the fourth step.
Alessia darted out swiftly and dashed down the hallway. She threw open the door to the room at the end of the hallway and punched the man inside before he could react. With a thud, a heavy blow landed, and the man collapsed to the floor.
Aileen rushed over to check on the man. She was sure he wasn't an employee since she had never seen his face before. But there was no time to be surprised. Leaving the unconscious man behind, Alessia immediately grabbed Aileen again.
Just before leaving the workers' quarters, she briefly explained the plan.
"We're going into the passage."
It was the passage where Aileen had encountered her father. The passage was the most complicated place in the Tavern, so there were many opportunities to slip away unnoticed. However, the deeper you went, the more labyrinthine it became, making it difficult to find your way.
According to Alessia, it had been deliberately designed this way to make it easier to escape in case of trouble. In fact, she had heard that some customers had used it to escape during the last inspection.
Of course, there was a side door leading directly outside from the workers' quarters. But that place would already be under surveillance, so they had no choice but to take the dangerous route.
As they left the workers' quarters and entered the Tavern, loud music poured out. Aileen looked at the stage where the Dancers were performing.
The Dancers, holding large feather fans as big as themselves, swayed and fanned themselves to the music. The feathers of the fans, fluttering with their swaying movements, were all red.
Careful not to unconsciously look up at the Box seat, Aileen moved with Alessia, buried among the people. Fortunately, they were able to reach the target passage safely without any particular hindrance.
Today, the rooms in the passage were also full. Moans of pleasure flowed out from beyond the doors. When she first came here, she didn't know what the sounds were, but now she knew all too well.
But even knowing, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed and nervous. To make matters worse, someone hadn't closed the door properly, and a blatant moan echoed in the hallway.
Aileen hunched her shoulders, hugging the ancient book tighter. As she tried to distract herself, a faint fragrance brushed her nose.
"...?"
Aileen sniffed as she hurried along. One of the rooms they were passing had been left slightly open, and the fragrance being burned inside was leaking out along with the moans.
Aileen took several deep breaths. She was sure it was the same fragrance she had smelled on the night she had the dream.
'And I've smelled this scent before.'
It was when she witnessed her father's intercourse. It was the same pungent fragrance that had filled the room then. However, it wasn't just plants that were burned, but also perfume oil was mixed in, making it difficult to know the exact blend.
Had she smelled it too much? She felt a little dizzy. The hazy feeling was similar to a languid drowsiness. Then Alessia turned to Aileen and said,
"It would be better to hold your breath for a moment."
Unlike Aileen, whose eyes were a little blurry, Alessia looked fine. Aileen pinched her arm and asked,
"What... what are they burning?"
She was sure Alessia would know. As expected, Alessia didn't say she didn't know. However, she hesitated as if thinking for a moment before saying,
"...It's not a type prohibited by the Imperial Law."
It was clear that they were burning a plant that affected the nervous system mixed with something else. But why hadn't it been caught in the snap inspections? Even if it wasn't prohibited by the Imperial Law, if it had narcotic properties, it should be subject to regulation...
Aileen was puzzled, but it wasn't a question she could get an answer to right away. Aileen followed Alessia, swallowing her questions. But Alessia suddenly stopped walking.
Aileen, who almost bumped her forehead against her back, craned her neck to the side. She saw a man walking slowly down the hallway, dragging his feet. Aileen's heart seemed to drop.
"Father...?"
He wasn't with a woman. He was just walking down the hallway as Aileen had witnessed before.
As soon as she heard Aileen's murmur, Alessia strode ahead. Then she grabbed the back of her father's neck.
"Heok!"
Her father, who hadn't even realized someone was coming from behind, trembled as if having a seizure. Despite the adult man's struggles, Alessia stood firm, holding onto him without wavering.
Her father's face lit up as soon as he saw Aileen. But Aileen's face, on the other hand, hardened even more.
"Why are you here?"
She thought it would be difficult to see him for a while after he had run away like that last time. But her father was wandering around inside the Tavern again. In the same place, too.
He was just walking around in circles, not acting like a customer, so she couldn't help but be suspicious. But her father got angry at Aileen's gaze.
"Why aren't you going back to the Grand Duke's Residence!"
Her father, grabbed by the collar by Alessia, got angry.
"You should be thinking about going back to the Grand Duke's Residence as soon as possible and taking me with you. It's all my fault for having a bad daughter that her father is suffering like this!"
Her stomach, which had been feeling cold since she saw her father, froze over. As the series of situations and what she had heard from Alessia overlapped, a conclusion flashed through her mind like an intuition.
"His Grand Duke..."
Aileen opened her mouth and asked the question she least wanted to ask.
"Did he order you to monitor me?"
"What, there's no way His Grand Duke would say such a thing."
Her father hurriedly denied it, but his voice rose abnormally. Her father stammered, defending Cesare.
"His Grand Duke didn't say anything. He just said you disappeared and told me to go to Fiore's Tavern."
The day he met Aileen, Lord Elrod immediately reported to Cesare that Aileen was at this Tavern. But he didn't receive any special reward.
He had been expecting a reward, so he was wandering around the Tavern this time to catch Aileen himself and hand her over. He was worried that Cesare's favor might have waned in the meantime and he wouldn't get the money.
Aileen thought she knew what Cesare's intention was in bringing her father to the Tavern. If she met her father at this Tavern, of all places, she would never be able to just pass by. This was the surest way to keep Aileen in the Tavern and track her location.
'Cesare is...'
Alessia was right. Aileen clutched the ancient book in her arms. A stabbing pain continued in her chest.
Was it because of the fragrance she had inhaled earlier? Her head ached and she felt dizzy. At the same time, unpleasant memories crept up.
Her Mother's voice, her father's intercourse, and the reality before her were mixed up haphazardly. Aileen trembled slightly and asked.
"How much do you want?"
Her father frowned, saying, "What?" Aileen raised her head, which had been lowered. She glared at him, who was pretending not to hear even though he had heard her properly, and repeated.
"You're trying to sell me off again, aren't you? How much do you want this time?"
