87 - The Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 87
87
===
Cesare opened the glass case. The Sacred object was exposed to outside air for the first time in hundreds of years. It was something that should never be done to preserve the relic.
It could cause fatal damage to the relic, but he did it without hesitation. He already knew that it wouldn't be damaged by this much.
He held the feather in his hand and shone it in the moonlight. The golden feather was still dazzling. It had a subtle glow as if sprinkled with gold dust, and it sparkled like a star whenever it caught the moonlight.
It looked no different from when it was offered as a Sacrificial offering to turn back time.
Cesare recalled the feather stained with blood, then slowly moved only his eyes upward to look at the pale moon.
Does God exist?
Perhaps Cesare was the only one who could answer that question clearly. He had come into contact with a being that could be called God.
In fact, it didn't matter to him whether the being he had come into contact with was God or some other sinister thing. Only the result mattered to Cesare.
He can no longer turn back time. Yet, the only reason he collects traces of the past is to prevent anyone other than himself from tampering with time.
Of course, considering the trials he had gone through, it was impossible for another human being to achieve the same success as him. It was not arrogance, but a fact based on objective judgment.
But Cesare didn't want to leave even the slightest possibility. He was always thinking about a world without him.
Because this is a regression that will be completed by his death.
Cesare took out his Pocket watch as a habit. The hands of the watch, making regular noise, turned without stopping. He stared at the sleek platinum watch, the one that wasn't broken, for a long time before putting it back in his pocket.
There was much to be done.
Aileen, who woke up early in the morning, felt a chill. Cesare didn't seem to have come into the bedroom at all last night. There was no change in the bedding, as if he hadn't even laid down for a moment.
She missed him and listlessly stroked the thick pillow. Then she got up energetically and started her morning.
Today was going to be very busy too. She had to have lunch with the professors and Lucio, and she had to finalize and send out the first Tea Party invitations from the Archduchess of Erzeht.
She was going to put Morpheus Research on hold for a while and check the manufacturing method to see if mass production was possible in order to commercialize the Headache remedy. She also had to name the medicine that had been simply called Headache remedy until now.
It was when she was having breakfast in the dining room and picked up a magazine on the table. A sentence in the newspaper article, neatly arranged next to the magazine, caught her eye.
[...It was a crime targeting the Archduchess of Erzeht, but it was thwarted.]
Surprised by the phrase mentioning the Grand Duchess, she put down the magazine and picked up the newspaper first. The newspaper that carried the article was <La Verita>.
She couldn't believe it even as she read the letters with her eyes. Aileen read the article again. But the already printed letters did not change.
It was about how a person who was staying as a guest at the Grand Duchess's house last night attempted to steal something and was caught. The article described the crime as being committed out of greed for the data researched by the Grand Duchess in a calm tone, and described the identity of the criminal and his relationship with the Grand Duchess.
[Meanwhile, the incident has revealed that the Archduchess of Erzeht possesses outstanding knowledge, which is causing surprise in the world.
She majored in pharmacy and botany at Palerchia University in the past.
Unfortunately, she had to drop out of university due to difficult circumstances, but she was a great genius who ranked first in her class throughout her studies. In fact, her research papers have been published in academic journals under her name…….]
In addition to the story about the thief, it was also written that the Archduchess of Erzeht was skilled in pharmacy and botany.
She blankly stared at the article, which even detailed what kind of food she liked when she was in college, before belatedly regaining her senses. Aileen muttered with an astonished face.
"Lucio, Senior……."
She couldn't believe it. Her senior was caught stealing from her lab.
Before she could stop it, the scene of Lucio being shot to death was imagined in her head. The fact that someone she had been talking to and eating with until just the day before might no longer exist in the world made her heart feel cold.
Everything happened while she was asleep without knowing anything. It was even published as an article in the morning newspaper. It was impossible at that speed unless <La Verita> had prepared the article in advance and waited.
She didn't even feel like eating breakfast, so she didn't touch anything and just looked at the newspaper. She checked all the newspapers and magazines, but only <La Verita> had an article about the incident that happened at the Grand Duke's Residence.
'Cesare must have given them a heads-up in advance.'
<La Verita> was a newspaper company that moved as Cesare wanted. He had been taming <La Verita> by giving it various privileges, such as specially publishing the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess's wedding photos at the wedding.
Perhaps Cesare intended to eliminate Lucio and also inform the world that Aileen was skilled in pharmacy and botany. It was a preliminary groundwork for Aileen to commercialize the Headache remedy later and, furthermore, to announce Morpheus to the world.
It would be better to have the public accept it step by step rather than announcing it suddenly.
He punished him because he committed a crime. And he just used it in a good way. But even though she knew that fact well, a feeling that was difficult to describe enveloped Aileen.
'While I don't know anything.'
The thought that suddenly came to mind was not forgotten in her mind. She suddenly felt a little stuffy, so she took a deep breath for no reason. But no matter how much she inhaled and exhaled, the stuffiness did not disappear.
She became the Grand Duchess, but essentially nothing has changed. Aileen is not Cesare's colleague. She is also just a pawn placed on Cesare's chessboard. No matter how much she is a queen, she will be discarded if she is useless.
'No, is it right to think that I'm a queen just because I'm the Grand Duchess?'
Maybe she was just a pawn. The most insignificant…….
Aileen squeezed her eyes shut. She stopped herself from trying to think only negatively. As she tried to drive out the negative thoughts, a servant approached and announced a guest.
"Sir Senon has arrived. He says he is here to deliver an item sent by His Excellency."
It was too early to visit the Grand Duchess, but Cesare had ordered it. It was much better to have someone with her than to be alone with bad thoughts. Aileen told him to let Senon in with a slightly desperate voice.
"Lady Aileen! Good morning. You are dazzlingly beautiful today as well."
Senon came into the dining room with a grin. He placed a large bouquet of flowers and a glass case on Aileen's table.
"This is a gift from His Excellency."
The fresh scent of flowers spread, and her dazed mind returned a little. Aileen first stroked the petals. And she looked at the glass case.
Inside the antique glass case, which looked like an old relic, was a large golden feather. She didn't know what it was, but it looked precious at first glance.
"Also, His Excellency wants to commercialize the medicine developed by Lady Aileen, so I have the relevant laws……."
"Was he executed?"
Aileen, who was looking at the golden feather, asked without realizing it. It was a question thrown without any context. But Senon immediately gave an answer.
"Not yet."
Senon looked at Aileen's face. Aileen tried to maintain a calm expression. Senon asked in a serious tone.
"Do you want him not to die?"
As if everything depended on Aileen's answer, Senon asked that.
"No, it's not like that. It's not that……."
She couldn't hide her drooping voice. Aileen stared blankly at Senon. Senon, who received her gaze, blinked quickly. Aileen finally confessed the feelings she was feeling honestly.
"Because I don't know anything…. I asked because I wanted to know."
