81 - Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 81
81
===
Aileen had been about to ask how he had been, but her lips snapped shut. Seeing Aileen's wide eyes, Lucio smiled knowingly.
"It's all in the past. Just a childish crush."
He dismissed it as a bygone feeling, as if it were nothing. Aileen, who had been frozen stiff, visibly relaxed.
"I just wanted to tell you, even now. That there was a time like that."
It was more like confessing a love that had already passed, but the emotion in his voice was thick. However, Aileen didn't have the perception to recognize such subtle nuances. She was just relieved that the relationship wouldn't become too awkward.
"Oh, um, thank you."
It was the first time she had ever received a confession, so she didn't know how to respond. She started with a thank you and then watched Lucio's reaction.
He just smiled without any particular response. Aileen changed the subject as naturally as possible.
"It's late, but... how have you been?"
She had thought of Lucio from time to time. She wanted to send him a letter to ask how he was doing, but she didn't know his address or even where he lived. But now that they had met again like this, she wanted to take good care of him to repay him for what she had received in college.
"I haven't been doing well."
But Lucio didn't seem to want to talk about his recent situation with Aileen. Lucio met her gaze squarely.
"It was not my will to leave Aileen. I was miserable because I wanted to stay by your side."
The meaning was clear enough that there was no room for misunderstanding. He was saying that Cesare had forcibly separated them. Even with Cesare's subordinate sitting in the driver's seat in full uniform, it was an incredibly bold thing to say.
'His Excellency wouldn't care about a word like this, but...'
Lucio was a capable and promising scholar, but he was no match for the Grand Duke of the Empire. To Cesare, Lucio's words would feel like a childish tantrum.
Still, it was better not to say it in the first place. Aileen felt the need to stop him.
"I'm glad we can meet again, even now."
When Aileen indicated that she wanted to change the subject, Lucio's eyes darkened. She could almost hear his voice without him speaking. Why don't you question what I said?
Lucio might not understand, but for Aileen, it was the obvious choice.
'Because it was Cesare who did it.'
There must have been a good reason. Aileen firmly believed that Lucio had done something wrong.
Of course, there was a possibility that Cesare and his knights had overreacted to a trivial mistake. But they had to be sensitive. It was because all sorts of terrible things had happened to Aileen in the past.
In particular, Cesare and the knights were especially wary of young men, and the kidnapping Aileen had suffered at the age of 12 was committed by a man of similar age to Lucio.
Aileen bit her inner cheek slightly as she recalled the past, which was still vivid in her memory. A good memory was an advantage in many ways.
But it was a little painful when even moments that should be forgotten remained so vividly in her mind. Folding away the memories that were trying to come back to life as if they were yesterday, Aileen opened her lips again.
"Tell me how you've been."
She had changed Lucio from a senior she liked to someone she was wary of, but she decided not to show it. After all, he was only staying in the capital for a short time before leaving. With the professors around, she didn't want to create an awkward atmosphere.
Lucio also didn't mention Cesare anymore when Aileen didn't react. Instead, he told her about his recent situation, which Aileen was genuinely curious about.
After suddenly leaving the university, Lucio had wandered a lot. Then, by chance, he got in touch with Professor Glenda of the Faculty of Pharmacy and decided to study again.
It was also at that time that he wanted to change his appearance, so he neatly trimmed his hair, took off his glasses, and corrected his stutter with painstaking effort.
He also said that he had not neglected his research and had published several papers in academic journals, gradually making a name for himself in the field of pharmacy.
When she heard that he was about to be appointed as the youngest professor, Aileen was honestly envious. Lucio was following the future that Aileen had once dreamed of.
But she had no regrets about the path she had not taken. That path was also created by Cesare.
"I'm glad I have things to tell Aileen."
Aileen praised Lucio, who was humbly belittling himself, to the skies. As she listened to Lucio's story, she was already in the downtown area.
Aileen led the professors to stores and bookstores and bought them a lot of gifts. Sonio had specified the amount that she had to spend, so she worked hard to spend it in order to fill that amount.
She sent the mountain of things she had bought to the Grand Duke's Residence in advance, and then visited a tea house with the professors for a break and had tea. Glenda and Elio, who couldn't even swallow a sip of tea properly in the drawing room of the Grand Duke's Residence earlier, were enjoying tea time in a much more relaxed manner.
Lucio, who had silently followed behind her throughout the shopping and refused all of Aileen's gifts, was also silent at the tea house. It seemed that he was giving the professors a chance to talk, as Glenda and Elio were busy talking to Aileen.
Glenda, who had neatly swept her hair back and pinned it up, smiled elegantly. She looked at Aileen with a deep gaze.
"To be married to His Excellency, the Grand Duke, I still can't believe it..."
Elio, whose skin had become tanned from tending plants in the greenhouse and garden every day, stroked his impressively grown mustache and added to Glenda's words.
"Actually, I still can't believe that you're still doing research."
He thought that all the knowledge she had accumulated while at university would have been wasted when she quit. Elio and Glenda were the ones who especially admired Aileen's talent. Knowing how they felt, Aileen smiled shyly.
"I'm not very good, but I've been trying to do research on my own. I don't have any results to show you yet. Someday, I want to have my name listed as the first author in an academic journal."
She revealed a little of her ambition, which she was too embarrassed to tell others. Then Glenda, who was sitting across from her, grabbed Aileen's hand. Aileen flinched in surprise at Glenda's sudden action, who was always elegant.
"Don't stop studying, Aileen."
Glenda's eyes, shining between her wrinkled eyes, were earnest.
"Marriage is a noble thing. Aileen, you will make a name for yourself in society as the Grand Duchess, and someday you will have an heir. But I hope that Aileen will gain glory not only as someone's wife or mother, but also as a scholar."
She quickly spat out the words, and then belatedly realized that she had made an excessive statement and hurriedly added.
"I know it's rude, but... in the past, I thought that Aileen would go down in history as a scholar, not as the Grand Duchess. But when I found out that you still have a passion for learning, I couldn't help but..."
Glenda, who was slurring her words, carefully released her grip on her hand. Aileen quietly took her hand again and replied.
"Don't worry. I don't know if I can do well, but I'm trying my best."
"Aileen..."
Glenda, who had unknowingly called her name comfortably as before, quickly apologized. Elio handed her a handkerchief to her, whose eyes were quickly becoming moist.
Glenda was known as a strict and cold professor. Aileen felt strange to see her shedding tears and wanting her to study. A desire to try a little harder was stirring inside her.
While Aileen was harboring a small desire, Glenda regained her usual elegance. She took a sip of tea and changed the subject.
"I'm going to visit a pharmacist in the capital tomorrow who is said to be very skilled."
Aileen, who had been moved, almost choked while drinking her tea. Glenda asked with pure curiosity.
"He's very famous... do you happen to know him, Aileen?"
