71
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Aileen subtly retorted while watching his expression.
“How can a beast and a person be friends?”
Cesare chuckled at her extremely rational retort. He led Aileen, continuing the conversation leisurely.
“They could be friends. The Baron can prove it this time.”
Aileen exchanged pointless words with Cesare as they walked. Before she knew it, the topic of her father had naturally disappeared.
Aileen told him that she needed someone to manage the brick house. Cesare readily offered to find someone and added a word.
“I’ll stop by on my way back from the palace today.”
Normally, she would have been delighted by his offer. She would have been happy to retrieve the things she hadn’t managed to bring from the brick house, but…
Aileen just kept her lips tightly shut. When no response came, Cesare stopped walking for a moment and looked at Aileen. His gaze, staring intently, urged an answer.
“…Today.”
How should she say this? Aileen hesitated, finally forming a plausible sentence to ask.
“Could you go another day instead of today?”
Cesare then asked, arching his eyes mischievously.
“Why?”
It was a question asked even though he knew the reason perfectly well. He was the one who had tormented Aileen so much since morning. Aileen eventually had to answer, her face reddening.
“I want to… go to bed early. I’m a little tired. If it’s okay with Cesare. The brick house isn’t going anywhere, and I can visit it slowly…”
“You can sleep in the Grand Duke's Residence bedroom, can’t you?”
Aileen immediately understood what he meant. Not knowing how to react, she looked up at Cesare with trembling eyes, then dropped her head down. Her reddened ears were probably all visible, but this time she didn’t even think about covering her ears by pretending to touch her hair.
“Then I’ll sleep at the brick house…”
Cesare took Aileen’s hand. He smiled silently and quickened his pace. Aileen, with a red face, followed Cesare.
Walking side by side, they soon arrived at the main palace where the Emperor resided. The thought of seeing His Majesty the Emperor made her feel nervous again.
Aileen, having entered the Emperor’s main palace, headed to the formal audience chamber, unlike before. There, Leone was already waiting for the Archduke Erzeht and his wife.
“Finally, the main character has arrived.”
Leone greeted Cesare and Aileen with a burst of laughter. Cesare scanned the tea and snacks prepared on the table and replied briefly.
“We’re a bit late.”
“You had no choice but to be late. I thought you wouldn’t come until sunset today. Did people let you go easily?”
“Of course not. I just came through the less crowded areas.”
Leone laughed for a long time as if Cesare’s casual answer was very amusing. He turned to Aileen with a smile on his face.
Cesare casually dismissed the Emperor’s friendly attitude, but Aileen couldn’t. Like a broken clockwork doll, she awkwardly greeted Leone.
“I greet the Imperator.”
Leone smiled contentedly as he watched Aileen greet him with courtesy. He showered Aileen with compliments.
“Cutting your hair and taking off your glasses, you definitely look more like a Grand Duchess. You should have been like this from the start.”
Cesare frowned slightly. Aileen didn’t know what to say, so she just said, “Thank you,” quietly. She still felt awkward whenever people complimented her appearance.
“Since the wedding, all the nobles in the Empire have been talking about you. All the newspapers and magazines in Traon, even the tabloids, are busy praising the Grand Duchess’s beauty.”
Leone had also attended the wedding, but she didn’t actually remember. Not only Leone but also all the attendees at the wedding that day were forgotten. It was because she was too nervous. The only memory left from the wedding was that Cesare in his uniform looked handsome.
“Brother.”
Leone seemed to want to talk to Aileen about various things, but Cesare abruptly cut off the conversation. Leone then seemed to understand, “Ah,” and called a servant. The servant brought documents on a gold tray.
Leone, having received the documents, placed the marriage certificate in front of Aileen. It stated that Aileen had become the Grand Duchess of Erzeht and that the Emperor of the Traon Empire certified that she had received Erjetz's name.
The hand holding the fountain pen trembled slightly. Aileen, having taken a deep breath, pressed her thick lips together and wrote her signature at the very bottom of the document. The sharp nib of the fountain pen gently scratched the paper of the document.
[Aileen Elrod Carl Erzeht]
Aileen, having put down the fountain pen, stared at the signature with unfamiliar eyes for a moment. The name ‘Carl Erzeht’ attached to her name felt awkward.
She thought it looked really cool when it was behind Cesare’s name, but when it was attached to her name with its round pronunciation, it felt like it was wrongly attached no matter how she looked at it.
‘But it can’t be helped.’
Even if everyone thought it didn’t suit her, Aileen was now, in name and reality, the Grand Duchess of Erzeht. Even the powerful Parvellini Duke and Leone, the Emperor of the Traon Empire, could not deny that Aileen was the Grand Duchess.
Except for only one person, Cesare.
‘But I’ll just have to work hard.’
Then she would be able to stay by his side as the Grand Duchess. Aileen renewed her resolve. It was when she was internally reaffirming her determination. Leone nodded to Cesare, who was checking the documents.
“Are you leaving right away?”
“I have to.”
“Why don’t you play a song on the piano before you go?”
Aileen’s eyes widened at the mention of the piano. It had been a long time since she had seen Cesare play the piano.
He had played the piano himself when he gave Aileen dance lessons, but she hadn’t seen him since then. She hadn’t heard the sound of the piano while staying at the Grand Duke's Residence either.
Aileen looked at Cesare softly, very softly. She tried her best not to look too eager, just glancing sideways as if by chance.
But as expected, Cesare knew Aileen perfectly well. As soon as she turned her gaze, Aileen met his red eyes. The moment she met his eyes, Aileen blurted out what she was thinking.
“Piano…”
The words that had already been spoken could not be taken back. As Aileen couldn’t even continue her words, Cesare put down the documents and replied lightly.
“If my wife wishes.”
Leone’s eyes widened slightly at the coolly spoken words, then he frowned and smiled as if he couldn’t win.
“Thanks to the Grand Duchess, we’ll hear a precious performance.”
There was a separate room in the main palace with a magnificent grand piano. The black piano in the room with large windows that let in bright sunlight was a picture in itself.
Cesare in his uniform sat in front of it. Whether the chair was adjusted to Cesare’s height, he didn’t adjust the height and just tapped the piano keys a few times.
Cesare, having pressed the keys as if to check the sound, turned to Aileen. Aileen, who had been staring at him blankly, finally came to her senses.
It was a look asking if there was a song she wanted to hear, but Aileen, who had been busy making a living, had not lived a cultured life like other nobles. The only piano songs Aileen knew were the practice songs she had heard during dance lessons.
Leone, who was next to her, suggested a song on behalf of Aileen.
“I liked the song you played before. How about that?”
Aileen was also curious about what song it was. She quickly sent Cesare a pleading look, but he didn’t readily start playing.
Then he suddenly started playing. It was a short piece he had played for Aileen while giving her dance lessons in the past. He played the short piece before playing the song Leone wanted.
It was a song Aileen had never heard before. The song, which started lightly, gradually became faster and more complex as it progressed. Cesare continued to play, accurately pressing the keys with his long fingers. It was hard to believe that the hands that wielded guns and swords were so delicately moving across the piano.
She stared mesmerized at his profile as he lowered his eyes and played. It was when she was completely immersed in Cesare’s performance.
“There was nothing Cesare couldn’t do since he was young. I didn’t even know he could play the piano.”
Aileen, who had been completely focused on Cesare, turned to the side at the gentle voice that had seeped into the music. Blue eyes, with a color completely opposite to Cesare, stared directly at Aileen. Leone smiled and said.
“He’s a truly perfect younger brother, isn’t he?”
