Translator: Nox

80 - Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 80

80

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Cesare knew Lucio Gaetani well. He was a bug that had clung to Aileen when she was in university.

Aileen had struggled to adapt to university life, and Cesare had left her alone when he heard she had made a friend, only for him to become a stalker and bother her.

The clueless Aileen only knew him as a senior who was kind to her. She would never have dreamed that he had masturbated with things he had stolen from her.

Cesare, having received the report at the time, had simply ordered it to be handled quietly. There was no need to tell Aileen about the dirty business, so he ordered them to simply scare him off.

He had spared his life because he had played with the lonely Aileen, but… for some reason, he hadn't come to his senses and had crawled back in. Even into the Erzeht Grand Duke Residence.

He must have known it was a place to die, yet he insisted on coming in. The way he pretended to be innocent was ridiculous.

"I apologize."

Rohan apologized first, then reported.

"Lucio Gaetani is currently on the verge of becoming the youngest professor. He is knowledgeable in pharmacology and was friends with Aileen, so the professors seem to have brought him in on their own."

From the professors' point of view, not knowing the full story, there was no reason not to bring Lucio. It must have been something they did for Aileen.

That was also what Cesare had ordered the professors to do. To do anything for Aileen.

"I will have him removed now."

Cesare raised an eyebrow at Rohan's blunt voice.

"If he has value, we should use him to the fullest and then discard him."

All the more so because Aileen would like it. Rohan must have guessed Cesare's intentions, so he hadn't stopped Lucio when he received the report about him. As his intelligent subordinate had judged, Cesare gave Lucio a different order instead of ordering him to be dragged out.

"I should go home early."

"I will take care of it."

Cesare nodded lightly in response to Rohan's words. Rohan grabbed the man's head with his large hands. The man's eyes widened as his head was seized in both hands. His bloodshot eyes quickly filled with tears.

"S, save me……."

Before his clumsy plea for life could be finished, Rohan twisted the man's head as it was. Crack, the sound of bones breaking rang out. The man died instantly.

Cesare, who had risen from his chair, tucked a book under his arm and walked towards the lump of meat that had just been a human being. He stared down at the dead man with wide eyes, his own eyes devoid of emotion.

This guy was the last one on the first list.

Now he had dealt with all the guys on his kill list that he could easily kill. What remained were high-ranking nobles, or those who were difficult to touch because of their complex relationships.

As Cesare thought of the people on the second list, he took out his Pocket watch from his pocket. He opened the plain silver Pocket watch, which had no patterns on it, and checked the time.

Rohan knew that Cesare wasn't curious about the time. He simply opened the Pocket watch and looked at it, as if to confirm its existence from time to time. He fiddled with the watch once and then closed the lid with a click.

Rohan, who had been waiting with his hands behind his back, checked Cesare's eyes. Seeing his calm red eyes, he seemed relieved for a moment, then quickly composed his emotions as usual with a blank expression.

Cesare, having carefully put away his Pocket watch, chuckled. As if he knew what Rohan was worried about.

"It's okay for now."

Cesare, answering the unspoken question, added in a low voice.

"...For now."

---

Glenda and Elio were living peaceful lives as professors in the departments of pharmacology and botany. When they read in the newspaper that their student, who had suddenly lost contact with them, had become the Archduchess of Erzeht, the two professors were startled.

The Archduchess of Erzeht in the newspaper was as different from the student they knew as heaven and earth. Aileen had a bright and cheerful personality, but she always wore her bangs down and glasses, which was frustrating.

The moment they saw the picture of their student in a wedding dress, with her face neatly revealed and smiling shyly, the professors almost fainted.

At first, they suspected that the picture was wrong. But the Grand Duke of Erzeht would never have allowed such a thing. Glenda and Elio were amazed by their student's transformation, but they also sent a congratulatory letter with joy.

They were excited to visit the institution and have a chat for the first time in a while…….

"We would like you to help the Grand Duchess with her ongoing research."

Soldiers suddenly burst into the professors' laboratories, where they were peacefully packing their bags to go to the institution. They conveyed the Grand Duke's 'request', but even the professors, who were ignorant of the world, could tell that it was an order.

Before leaving for the institution, Glenda and Elio were full of worries. Aileen had promised to go to the institution with Lucio, with whom she had been close in the past, but they were going to leave Lucio behind because they could see a dangerous future.

They were trembling, afraid that Lucio, who still had a bright future ahead of him, would suffer, even if they, the old ones, were okay. But Lucio insisted on coming with them.

They knew Aileen's character, but people who had tasted money and power tended to change easily. The professors were very anxious that their beloved student might have been changed by the Grand Duke of Erzeht.

However, the moment they met Aileen, they immediately realized that their worries were unfounded.

Aileen had changed beyond recognition. Her appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes were a mysterious color, and she wore luxurious clothes that indicated her noble status.

She had become a flawless Grand Duchess, but her character remained unchanged. Aileen still smiled innocently, like the young student she had been back then. She greeted the professors with clear eyes and was upset that they were wary of her.

Glenda and Elio sincerely wanted to help their beloved student with her research, not because of the Grand Duke's orders. They were also secretly pleased that Aileen had continued her research even after leaving university.

But when they said they would help with the ongoing research, Aileen's face darkened for some reason. She couldn't open her mouth easily and only showed a frustrated expression.

While Glenda and Elio were wondering, Aileen was in a difficult dilemma.

'Cesare…….'

If she received help from the professors, it would certainly be a great help to her research. They might point out things that Aileen hadn't thought of.

But Aileen couldn't accept their offer rashly. It was because the research involved opium. To receive help from the professors was, in a word, like putting them on the Guillotine with her.

Cesare would be thinking of preventing the professors from being executed. That's why he was trying to push them into being Aileen's research assistants.

If things went wrong, Cesare would save only Aileen and abandon them. She couldn't drag her benefactors from her university days into the research, knowing full well that they would have to risk their lives.

'How can I do that when I know everything? Even Lucio…….'

Cesare had been considerate of her, but she had no choice but to refuse this time. Having made up her mind, Aileen carefully opened her mouth.

"I'm grateful for your offer, but I'm going to try to do this research on my own."

Glenda and Elio, having read something in Aileen's face, didn't ask why and remained silent. Aileen, not wanting the atmosphere to become heavy, deliberately smiled brightly.

"Have you seen the institution? You should buy some things you need while you're here."

The institution had many interesting stores, such as shops selling good experimental tools and bookstores with hard-to-find books. Aileen suggested that they look around. It was also a schedule that she had thought of in advance when she heard that the professors were coming.

"Are you going with us, Aileen?"

Aileen replied, "Of course," to Lucio's sudden question. There were many things she wanted to ask Lucio.

When they got ready to go out, two cars were waiting in front of the mansion. When the professors got into the back car and Lucio naturally got into the same car as Aileen, Sonio's expression hardened slightly.

But Aileen didn't notice anything and was seen off by Sonio. As the car started, Lucio glanced at the driver's seat.

He seemed to be bothered by the driver in military uniform. But it was unavoidable for Aileen's protection.

As the driver didn't say anything while driving, Lucio quietly spoke up at some point.

"Aileen."

Aileen, who was preparing to talk about his recent situation, heard an unexpected remark.

"I used to… I used to like you, Aileen."