36
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The low whisper was wonderful. It burrowed deep inside her, tickling her insides. Aileen didn't know what singing and kissing had to do with each other, but she blushed and answered the question earnestly.
"I'm tone-deaf..."
Cesare chuckled and kissed her forehead as if pressing down on it.
"Shall we go for a stroll in the garden? We don't often have the chance to come this way."
It was rare to visit the main palace where the Emperor resided. Even if they did, there would be even less time to leisurely enjoy the garden. Aileen decided to follow Cesare's suggestion and visit the garden.
Her face was still fully exposed. Cesare had personally asked her to stay like this for a while, as there wouldn't be many people passing by at this time.
He said he wanted to talk while looking into Aileen's eyes.
There was no reason to want to see such grotesque eyes. But for Cesare, who always spoke so kindly to her, Aileen decided to reveal her face for a while.
'If he shows even the slightest sign of discomfort, I can put them on right away.'
Holding her glasses in her hand so she could put them on quickly, she walked alongside him in the cloister. While heading to the garden, Aileen hesitated for a while before opening her mouth.
"Actually, um... to be honest..."
If she couldn't open the locked laboratory door, she would truly have no source of income. She didn't want to sell the brick house if possible. It was her mother's legacy, and she wanted to protect the orange tree in the garden.
Therefore, she had no choice but to honestly reveal her difficult situation. Aileen confessed her circumstances, feeling like she wanted to hide in a mouse hole.
"I think I can only prepare my dowry if you open the laboratory for me."
At that moment, Cesare stopped walking. Because he stopped so abruptly, Aileen, who had been walking without thinking, took a few steps ahead before returning to Cesare.
Cesare was covering his face with his hand. His hands were large and his face was small, so his entire face seemed to be covered by one hand.
After a moment, Cesare took a deep breath and exhaled, lowering his hand.
Aileen, who had been watching Cesare, was taken aback. His face was full of laughter that he hadn't managed to erase.
"Who told you such nonsense?"
Cesare asked with a smiling face.
"Ornella?"
There was no point in denying it here. Aileen hesitated and answered.
"I had forgotten, but she reminded me. So I was planning to start preparing from today."
He asked back as if he had heard a very amusing story.
"How much are you planning to bring?"
She had a specific amount in mind, but it felt too pathetic to say it in front of Cesare. Aileen vaguely mumbled.
"Uh, as much as possible..."
"Are you planning to sell opium or something?"
"No! No! That's definitely not it. It's just that some of the tools I use for research are a bit expensive. I was thinking of selling them off."
Aileen answered hastily while constantly watching Cesare's expression. He had been smiling since a while ago, and she couldn't understand why. Cesare chuckled softly and said something Aileen didn't understand.
"You've already received your dowry."
Aileen had no idea what he was talking about. She briefly wondered if her father had paid the dowry in advance, but that was impossible. It would be more believable if a passing cat fairy had paid the dowry instead.
"I'm sorry, Your Imperial Highness. May I ask who gave you the dowry?"
When she asked cautiously, Cesare suddenly reached out his hand. Startled by the hand approaching her chest, she flinched, but he put his hand into the inner pocket of the coat Aileen was wearing. Cesare showed Aileen a silver pocket watch, winking mischievously.
"From Aileen Elrod."
"Your Imperial Highness..."
Aileen called out to him in astonishment. A mere platinum pocket watch as a dowry for the Archduke Erzeht's wedding? It seemed he was taking pity on her and letting it slide, but even so, this was not right.
"But Grand Duke, that's..."
"Should I change your name to Your Imperial Highness?"
"Ce, Cesare."
She awkwardly moved her tongue to say his name aloud. Saying his name in broad daylight felt strangely embarrassing. Aileen shook off the strange thoughts that kept popping into her head and said.
"That's too little to be considered a dowry."
Cesare didn't answer. The sun was hidden by the clouds, and the surroundings darkened. The man, submerged in the shade of midday, wore a strange smile. The moment she saw the beautiful smile, Aileen recalled the young days when she first recognized his danger.
"Aileen."
He opened his mouth in a slow tone.
"I used to have the same watch. It was a condemned prisoner's keepsake."
It was already surprising that Cesare had a plain platinum pocket watch, but a condemned prisoner's keepsake?
There were many who sought the corpses or belongings of condemned prisoners because of the superstition that they brought good luck. But Cesare was never that kind of person. He despised unscientific things, such as superstitions, astrology, and old legends.
"It was broken, and even the hands didn't move, but I cherished it..."
His tone was light, as if it were nothing, but it felt heavy, as if he was suppressing something enormous.
"I had to use it to return."
He smiled even more deeply and said.
"So I broke it with my own hands, Aileen."
As if he had broken himself, not the watch, Cesare grabbed Aileen's wrist. She was pulled into his arms, and the coat she hadn't managed to grab fell to the floor, but no one cared.
Cesare lowered his head and whispered in Aileen's ear.
"But since you gave me the same watch as a gift, wouldn't it be more precious than a thousand gold pieces?"
Aileen, who had just been listening, finally parted her lips and called his name.
"Cesare..."
"I don't need any more dowry."
The hand holding Aileen tightened. Aileen felt a suffocating pain, but she couldn't say anything. Unlike the rough force, Cesare spoke gently.
"Because I've already received too much."
Thump. Ornella, sitting on the sofa, shook her feet irritably. Then a maid quickly approached, lifted the hem of her dress, and took off her shoes. The shoes were carefully placed beside her, and she massaged her feet in silk stockings.
When Ornella held out her hand, another maid next to her took off her gloves. Then she handed her a lit cigar that she had prepared in advance.
Ornella took a deep puff of the cigar, her cheeks hollowing out. She leaned back against the sofa and tilted her head back. Smoke spread with her exhale.
Originally, Ornella's preference was for thick cigars.
However, smoking thick cigars was considered an unladylike act. Therefore, she only smoked thin, rolled cigarettes outside.
When Ornella, with her innocent appearance, put a thin cigarette in her mouth and languidly exhaled smoke, men praised her for her unique charm and lost their minds. She thought it was a quite seductive image herself.
But it wouldn't be good for a noble lady to be known for enjoying cigarettes too much, so she only subtly showed herself smoking when there was someone she particularly wanted to seduce.
As soon as she heard that Cesare had entered the Imperial Palace today, she thought it was a good opportunity and rushed over.
"...Ha!"
Ornella scoffed, recalling the humiliation she had experienced. It didn't make sense at all.
She had known about Aileen Elrod for a long time. The daughter of Cesare's childhood nanny. Cesare's child, who had been loved and cherished while coming and going from the Imperial Palace since she was young.
Cesare's biological mother was originally a maid in the Imperial Palace. She spent one night with the Emperor, but received no favor afterwards. However, she was lucky enough to become pregnant from that one night and gave birth to twin princes.
She adored and cherished Leone, who had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes like the late Emperor, but she loathed Cesare. She believed that Cesare's raven-like black hair and blood-red eyes were ominous.
His biological mother never even breastfed him, so it was no exaggeration to say that the nanny raised Cesare.
Therefore, she thought it was only natural that Cesare paid special attention to the nanny's daughter. It was always better to be clear about debts and favors.
But to make a pet raised out of pity the mistress of the Grand Duke's household?
She couldn't understand Cesare's intentions at all. No, she didn't even want to understand.
