88 - The Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 88
Episode 88
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There was once a soldier who followed Cesare. He was incredibly diligent and talented, quickly rising through the ranks due to his recognized abilities.
Cesare cherished his capable subordinate. Rumors even circulated that he might bestow a knighthood upon him.
He was also kind and gentle, so young Aileen liked him. However, the man, who had been enjoying continuous success, suddenly disappeared one day.
When asked about his absence, everyone claimed ignorance. Aileen, being just a young lady, had no means to investigate his whereabouts.
No one mentioned the missing man. Aileen was confused for a while but slowly erased him from her memory.
Only after a long time did she learn of his death. She heard that he had committed a serious crime and received a fitting punishment.
Aileen never knew what he had done wrong. She could only assume he had committed a grave offense since Cesare himself had punished him.
The soldier's death left a chilling scar on Aileen. It was a seed of fear that she, too, might end up the same way someday.
He was far more remarkable than Aileen could ever be. Despite his exceptional abilities, he was completely erased from Cesare's world, as if he had never existed.
Even as the Grand Duchess, Aileen felt she was no different from him.
She was always afraid. What if she remained ignorant and suddenly disappeared one day without even a chance to defend herself?
Aileen wasn't afraid to give her life for Cesare. But she didn't want to become a non-existent person in his life. She hoped her end wouldn't be dishonorable.
The anxiety, which had been growing steadily, exploded when she saw Lucio eliminated overnight. The shock was even greater because she hadn't received any explanation and had encountered the news in a newspaper article.
It felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on her, awakening her from the sweet dream of being the Grand Duchess. Bad thoughts led to more bad thoughts, eventually spiraling in an even more twisted direction.
'Did Senior really try to steal my research data?'
Feeling the foundation that supported her shaking, Aileen clenched her fists tightly. She pressed her nails into her palms until they left marks, then slowly released her grip and opened her lips.
"Sir Senon..."
Senon had been silent until then. Aileen swallowed a bitter laugh at his silent response.
The knights and soldiers all cherished and liked Aileen. Aileen also valued and liked them.
But in the end, they were 'Cesare's' knights and soldiers. If they were at a crossroads, they would have no choice but to choose Cesare. A bitter taste lingered in her mouth.
"I just thought... that this time... you could have given me some hint... since I invited him to the Grand Duke's Residence..."
Her heart stung as she spoke slowly. Suddenly, her nose tingled and her eyes watered, so Aileen suppressed her tears.
"It's always frustrating because I don't know anything. But I can't bring myself to say these things to His Grace, the Grand Duke."
Aileen paused, took a breath, and deliberately smiled. Forcing the corners of her mouth up, she tried to brush it off as if nothing was wrong.
"I've made things difficult for you, Sir Senon. I was just feeling a little hurt, so I acted spoiled without realizing it."
But a tear finally fell. Aileen hurriedly wiped it away with the back of her hand. She wiped it away as if pressing down, but the tears wouldn't stop. Instead, they welled up and rolled down like a fountain. Nothing was going her way.
"Sob, S-Sir Senon, I'm sorry."
As she apologized while sobbing, Senon, who had been frozen until then, trembled. He fumbled around, rummaging through his pockets. He rummaged around as if he was about to tear his pocket, and finally found a handkerchief and handed it to Aileen.
Aileen covered each of her eyes with a napkin from the table and Senon's handkerchief. With half of her face covered by the pieces of cloth, she apologized again in a nasal voice, crying. Senon said in a gloomy voice.
"Lady Aileen... I was wrong."
It wasn't Senon's fault at all. When she replied that he shouldn't say that, Senon replied even more gloomily.
"I should have thought about how shocked Lady Aileen would be in advance, but I was just so happy about commercializing the medicine that Lady Aileen made that I was completely distracted by it..."
Senon couldn't hide his complicated feelings as he watched Aileen struggle to stop crying.
Having served Cesare and lived as soldiers for a long time, the knights had aspects that were far removed from the way ordinary people thought. They were much more insensitive than ordinary people.
Even their master, Cesare, was beyond insensitive, so they were even more so under his influence.
This incident was also a rational action in the knights' way of thinking. They had simply punished him for committing a crime. In the process, they had taken full advantage of everything they could.
Secrecy had to be maintained for a successful operation, so they didn't inform Aileen either. It was somewhat extreme, but they thought she would understand if they explained the reason later.
But when he thought about it, Aileen didn't know what crime Lucio had committed. She even regarded him as a kind and good senior.
He belatedly realized his mistake. It was the first time they had openly eliminated someone so close to Aileen, so it was a mistake that had occurred.
'Diego would have stopped me.'
Diego was the most sensitive of the knights and the most empathetic towards others. He would have suggested a better way to handle this.
But unfortunately, Diego was away on a business trip outside the capital. Missing Diego for the first time in a while, Senon fidgeted and only moved his lips.
But the brain that had been praised for its brilliance was useless in this situation. There were many things he wanted to say, but anything he said would only be an excuse. Senon, who was trying to come up with good words to comfort Aileen, barely managed to say one thing.
"I will speak to His Grace, the Grand Duke, even now."
He didn't know what to say, but it was so heartbreaking and painful to see Aileen crying that he blurted it out as it was.
But Aileen quietly shook her head. Aileen gently lowered the handkerchief and napkin that had been covering her eyes. With her eyes swollen and red, she replied to Senon.
"No."
To have someone else deliver the words she had to say was childish. Aileen glanced at the newspaper for a moment. After looking at the words <The Truth> for a while, she made a decision.
"Perhaps... can I see His Grace now?"
Senon personally escorted Aileen to Cesare. Knowing that he was a busy man, she told him several times that it was okay, but he insisted on escorting her himself, so she had no choice but to go with him.
Senon sweated profusely while driving and tried to soothe Aileen's heart. He blamed himself so much that Aileen ended up comforting him.
"We have arrived..."
Senon mumbled weakly and stopped the car. Aileen, escorted by him, got out of the car and flinched for a moment. It was a place she had only been to once, but it was so familiar that it was stuck in Aileen's head.
It was the wooden house where Aileen had last visited Cesare before he left for the Calpen Kingdom expedition. No matter how desperately she knocked on the door, he wouldn't even let her hear his voice...
The vividly revived memories instantly shrank the courage she had just had. It seemed like he wouldn't open the door this time either. Even if she begged to talk, she felt like she wouldn't even hear a refusal.
It was the moment when Aileen's face turned slightly pale. The wooden door of the small, old house creaked open, making the sound of rusty hinges. Aileen blankly stared at the sight of the door, which seemed like it would be closed forever, opening.
Cesare, who opened the door with an expressionless face, slightly raised his eyes. He seemed quite surprised, as if he hadn't expected Aileen's visit at all. But soon, he smiled faintly and called her name.
"Aileen."
He smiled and approached, but as soon as he saw Aileen's face, he immediately frowned. Cesare narrowed his brow and asked.
"Did you cry?"
At that moment, Aileen's tears, which had barely stopped, burst out again.
