Chapter 61
Aileen wasn't told about what happened that day. Lord Elrod's wife was also instructed to keep the truth from their daughter.
Aileen would surely cry if she heard that Cesare had deserted to save her and was whipped by the Emperor as a result.
The child, who was tearful from the moment they first met, burst into tears at the drop of a hat. Most of the time, it was for reasons Cesare couldn't understand.
Trivial reasons like a beloved plant dying or Cesare getting hurt.
Things that were so insignificant to him that they didn't evoke even a shred of emotion, but Aileen would cry as if the world had collapsed.
Since he couldn't understand the child, Cesare chose to simply accept it and memorize the situations. He added a little extra effort to protect the fantasy of the little girl who thought of him as an angel.
As a result, he naturally ended up hiding many things. In the past, and even now. Cesare was always shielding Aileen's eyes.
Cesare looked down at Aileen, who looked like she was about to burst into tears any moment. She was desperately holding back her tears, but her golden-green eyes were already moist.
She'd be very surprised if he licked her eyelids... Unlike the very serious Aileen, Cesare was having useless thoughts as he stroked her wet eyelashes with his finger.
Aileen trembled but didn't flinch away. Watching her gulp down her sobs, he wondered if he was tormenting her too much, but he couldn't help it.
He had to get her used to it little by little from now on anyway. So that she would be less shocked when she learned all the truth later.
His secret had a limited time from the beginning.
"Aileen."
Cesare caressed Aileen with his smooth hand, which had no scars left. He felt the warm body temperature reaching his palm and whispered.
"Apply ointment."
When he urged her softly to apply it, Aileen moved her plump lips. She shifted her large eyes here and there before muttering.
"You don't have any scars or wounds..."
She must have mustered great courage to retort. Cesare raised his eyebrows and immediately replied.
"I can make one now."
As he looked around the lab for a suitable knife, Aileen fluttered like a small bird.
"No! I'll apply the ointment! Please don't."
He almost laughed at her surprised, hopping appearance. Aileen quickly washed her hands and carefully placed the ointment on Cesare's palm.
The ointment was spread over his smooth skin. He stared intently at Aileen, who was completely focused on spreading the opaque, milky-white ointment.
Aileen, who was applying the meaningless ointment, felt his gaze and slyly raised her eyes. The moment their eyes met, Cesare asked as if he had been waiting.
"Should I apply ointment to my husband too?"
Aileen opened her eyes wide and asked back.
"Where...?"
Like a boy teasing a girl he liked, Cesare smiled mischievously and replied.
"Below."
Aileen returned to the Grand Duke's Residence with her soul completely drained.
The fact that Cesare had been acting strangely in the lab faded from her mind. It was because he had said he would apply ointment to her 'below'.
Of course, her 'below' was a little, just a little, sore because of their passionate first night. But it definitely didn't need ointment, it shouldn't need ointment. The thought of applying ointment to that embarrassing area was mortifying.
In the carriage on the way back, Aileen explained very earnestly to Cesare why she didn't need him to apply ointment. Fortunately, Cesare didn't torment Aileen any further and readily gave up on applying the ointment.
"Senon?"
Cesare, who arrived at the Grand Duke's Residence, looked for Senon first. Sonio received his coat from him and replied.
"He has just left the Imperial Palace."
"I see. It will take him a while to get here. I need to show him the new lab."
When he was looked at with a questioning gaze, Cesare said that he needed to hear a brief explanation from Senon before showing him the new lab. It was related to Morpheus.
"Let's wait a moment. Sonio."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
He had simply called his name, but Sonio immediately understood what Cesare wanted. The old butler smiled gently and led Aileen away.
"Madam, would you spare me some time?"
Cesare went to his office to take care of the remaining work, and Aileen had a brief conversation with Sonio until Senon arrived.
Sonio told Aileen about a few important matters.
"As you know, you will have to enter the Imperial Palace in a few days to formally receive Erjetz's name."
Aileen was still 'Aileen Elrod'. According to the Imperial Law, she would formally receive her husband's name only after seven days had passed since the wedding ceremony.
On the seventh day, Aileen would enter the Imperial Palace and receive Erjetz's name directly from Emperor Leone.
The reason for keeping a week's interval even after the wedding vows had been exchanged was related to the founding myth of the Traon Empire.
According to the myth, the founding Emperor of Traon was an abandoned prince.
The prince, who grew up in the grasslands drinking the milk of a lion, decided to found his own country. The first land he planted his flag on was the current central square of the Traon system.
God blessed the birth of the new King and sent a winged lion, which became the symbol of the Traon Empire.
The divinely blessed country prospered rapidly and declared the name of the Empire. The Emperor, who endlessly expanded his territory, fell in love with a woman one day.
It was a woman who stopped the Emperor's ambition to conquer the continent relentlessly. The Emperor laid down his blood-stained sword for her and stayed in the system.
The Emperor wanted to marry the woman as Empress immediately, but a divine message was sent. It was God's message to wait seven years before marrying her as Empress.
However, the young Emperor disobeyed the divine message and immediately held a grand wedding.
Happiness did not last long. The day after the wedding and their first night, the Empress vomited blood and died in the Emperor's arms.
The Emperor hugged the Empress's body and went to the temple. He offered the winged lion, the sign God had sent him, as a burnt offering and prayed all night without eating or drinking. The content of his earnest prayer was clear.
He repented his foolish sin and begged for his beloved woman to be brought back from death.
And he threatened to push all the humans you love to death if you didn't listen to his prayer.
God answered the Emperor on the seventh night. He would bring her back from death if he completed seven trials.
It took the Emperor seven years to overcome the seven trials. But after the hardships, the Emperor finally completed all the trials and revived the Empress, and the Emperor and Empress loved each other until the moment they died on the same day.
After that, the imperial citizens changed the 7 years of waiting that God had ordered to 7 days of waiting and kept it.
"The dress you will wear when you enter the palace has already been prepared."
Aileen, who was recalling the founding myth, nodded as she listened to Sonio's story. Then she hesitated and asked.
"Is there anything I need to do as the Grand Duchess?"
There must be a mountain of things to do, but Sonio didn't mention any obligations. Feeling like he wouldn't tell her easily, she asked again based on the knowledge she had picked up.
"Now that I'm the Grand Duchess, I think there will be a lot of invitations... or something like that."
A look of trouble briefly crossed Sonio's eyes. It seemed like there was work to do, but he wasn't giving it to her. Aileen clenched her fist tightly.
"I want to be helpful as the Grand Duchess. His Excellency may not think so..."
"No, Madam."
She flinched for a moment at the title that was still unfamiliar, but Aileen waited for the words that would follow.
"His Excellency simply ordered me to tell you slowly, as you will need time to adjust. I should have explained it sooner, but this old man just wanted you to be a little more comfortable..."
Knowing that Sonio cherished her like a granddaughter, Aileen replied that she was grateful for his consideration. Sonio looked at Aileen with a very proud look and said.
"There are important letters that have come in under Madam's name. Would you like to check them first?"
Sonio confessed that letters had been pouring in since this morning. He also explained in a slightly excited voice that the Grand Duchess's office was also prepared if she wanted to see the letters. Aileen readily replied to Sonio, who couldn't hide his happy expression.
"I'll check them now."
However, Aileen immediately regretted it as soon as she saw the first letter envelope. It was because the sender was Ornella. The Parbellini Duchess Young Lady, who would soon become the Empress of the Traon Empire, was also the person Aileen was most concerned about.
As she looked at Ornella's letter envelope with the feeling that what was coming had come, she decided to check the other letters first. Aileen picked up a thick envelope without much thought and was startled when she checked the sender.
"The professors...?"
It was a letter sent by the professors of Palerchia University, where Aileen had studied.
