On the tailcoat, Cesare's perfume still lingered, the same fragrance Eileen had smelled earlier in the Emperor's Throne Room. The discomfort caused by the smell of tobacco had vanished, replaced by a comforting sensation on her nose.
Eileen cautiously adjusted the bar, whose texture was soft and warm in her hands, probably due to the residual heat from Cesare.
Not content with just seeing how Eileen was, Cesare adjusted her once more, gently embracing her. Then, touching the girl's nose with his finger, he asked:
And the garden?
— Not yet—
- Why not?
Cesare looked at the footman accompanying Eileen. The servant hid the handkerchief that wrapped the cigarette butt and informed her:
The delay was because the two of them were talking.
His tone was rigid and formal, as if he were addressing a soldier. Admiration and respect shone in his eyes, as if speaking with Cesare was an honor.
Generally, maids and servants were divided into various hierarchies, with assistants often occupied by high-ranking nobles. Those who supervised such tasks were usually nobles of middle or lower rank.
Cesare was known for recruiting talent regardless of their social background. His closest knights were of humble origin, having earned knighthoods and risen to nobility.
People admired him, respected him, and even had expectations of him. Perhaps they hoped that they too could attract his attention and rise socially.
Cesare glanced briefly at the footman, whose eyes gleamed with admiration, and gave a soft laugh.
— We're chatting, huh…
When the crimson irises narrowed, he immediately lowered his gaze. He dared not look Cesare in the eye.
Without intending to put further pressure on the weakling, Cesare simply gave the brief order:
"Escort Miss Farbellini outside, " he instructed with an indifferent expression. "It seems she's lost."
Everyone there knew it was an absurd statement, but no one dared to dispute the Archduke's words. Ornella, the Emperor's fiancée, was still just Miss Farbellini.
Ornella showed no anger or resentment. Instead, she simply bit her lip silently, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she were holding back tears.
“Your Grace, Archduke Erzet ,” Ornella addressed Cesare, clutching her handkerchief tightly, her voice trembling. “I am relieved to see you in good health. During your campaign, I prayed for you every single day without fail. ” She forced a weak smile. “Since you returned safely, it seems the gods heard my prayers. I will now retire.”
She curtsied elegantly and addressed the footman in a soft voice:
May I ask for your guidance?
She looked as fragile as a wilting lily. The servant, momentarily forgetting his earlier discomfort, replied with a look full of compassion:
— Of course, Miss Farbellini.
As soon as Ornella left with the footman, only Eileen and Cesare remained in the hall.
Eileen looked at the man softly, and their eyes met. He returned the look with a slight smile and asked:
— Shall we go see the plants?
But Eileen whispered weakly:
- I'm sorry…
She always seemed to be apologizing to him. If only she could be more confident. Ever since she met Ornella, all her self-confidence had vanished as if it could disappear into thin air at any moment.
Seeing the lack of enthusiasm for the invitation, Cesare immediately understood the reason.
— You must have heard some unnecessary words from Miss Farbellini.
But these were not empty words. Thanks to Ornella, she had come to understand a reality she had previously ignored. In fact, she owed her gratitude.
"Your Grace… " Eileen hesitated before making a request. "Could you open the laboratory door for me?"
Just thinking about the dowry made her feel overwhelmed. The situation was different from when she almost married a foreign nobleman. Back then, he was a man desperately trying to find a bride and paying to get her.
Now, she was about to become the wife of the most coveted man in the Empire. Marrying Cesare, who was without flaws, meant she couldn't simply sit idly by. She needed to make some effort.
For now, he planned to sell the laboratory's medicines and some valuable tools to raise money.
Although she realized she could have had more flexibility if she hadn't bought the platinum watch, it was a gift she really wanted to give, so she decided not to regret it.
'I'm sure he'll understand if he's a little modest.'
The marriage was decided abruptly, with strong insistence from the man, so Eileen hoped he would be understanding if she couldn't deliver everything.
But the problem was how to pass on the dowry. Normally, it was the bride's father who gave it to the groom's father. In the case of Eileen and Cesare, it would be Baron Elrod who would have to go directly to Archduke Erzet.
'But can I trust my father?'
There was a possibility that he might tamper with the dowry she was barely able to gather. Even if he couldn't steal it all, out of fear of Cesare, he could still divert a portion. She didn't even know if the already small amount would remain untouched.
The more I thought about it, the more frightening it seemed, especially with the wedding fast approaching.
'I wouldn't have these concerns if I were Miss Ornella.'
She envied Ornella's solid family structure. Eileen tried not to let herself be overwhelmed and anxiously awaited Cesare's response.
For some reason, the man didn't answer immediately. Eileen nervously watched his lips until he finally spoke:
I planned to open it after we got married.
Ah... it's just that I'm in a hurry...
Why the rush?
Because there are customers waiting. Some are sick.
In fact, there were hardly any urgent cases among her regular customers. She had already prepared headache remedies for Mr. Luke, the watch salesman, whose stock had run out.
But, given the sudden urgency, excuses came easily.
"The remedies I make are very effective. Some people only want mine. They say the others don't work. Oh, I'm not bragging, I'm just repeating what I've heard from my clients."
Despite her sincere efforts to justify herself, Cesare listened in silence, with little reaction. Having nothing more to say, Eileen looked at him with pleading eyes.
Is it still very complicated?
Her hands automatically joined in a respectful gesture as she spoke. Cesare observed her for a moment, then frowned slightly.
Take off your glasses.
Without understanding why, she promptly obeyed and handed him the glasses. Then, unexpectedly, he brushed her bangs aside.
Ah!
Their eyes met without any barrier. Cesare's figure filled her field of vision clearly. Eileen held her breath.
He touched her cheek with his gloved hand. At the touch, a slight shiver ran through her body, a tingling sensation climbed up her spine.
From a young age, Cesare used to stroke her hair or touch her cheeks affectionately, as if he were caring for a cute child.
But now it was different. Perhaps because she knew what else those hands could do, how intensely they could torture her in her most intimate places…
A memory surfaced—a brief recollection of that night. Eileen's lips parted unconsciously, a faint pink hue appearing. Cesare seized the moment, placing a soft kiss on her.
He explored her palate with his tongue, slowly, eliciting a soft moan from her. Her waist arched instinctively as he pulled her closer. The man teased her with playful touches, mapping every sensitive corner of her mouth before slowly and deliberately pulling away.
Eileen stared at him, breathless. Confusion and a budding desire battled in her gaze. She couldn't comprehend the sudden change, the unexpected turn that moment had taken.
— W-Why…
"Why aren't you good at singing? " he whispered, licking his lips as Eileen stammered. "But you're excellent at talking nonsense, Eileen."
The softly whispered voice was enchanting, sending shivers down Eileen's spine. She felt a tingling in her stomach. She didn't understand the connection between singing and kissing, but, blushing, she answered the question honestly:
I'm tone-deaf…
In response, Cesare chuckled softly and gently kissed her forehead.
— Shall we take a walk in the garden? There won't be many visitors around here.
Visiting the Imperial Palace, where the Emperor resided, was a rare occurrence. And even when it happened, there was hardly time for a leisurely stroll through the gardens. Eileen accepted Cesare's suggestion.
Her face remained uncovered. Cesare had directly asked her to keep it that way, since hardly anyone would pass by at that hour. He said he wanted to talk while looking her in the eyes.
Despite finding the man's intense gaze unsettling, Eileen decided to show her face for a while, out of consideration for Cesare, who always spoke to her so sweetly.
'If he shows the slightest sign of displeasure, I can cover it immediately.'
She quickly grabbed her glasses, ready to put them on if necessary, and walked beside him down the hallway. As they headed toward the garden, Eileen hesitated for a moment, then parted her lips:
Well… um… to be honest…
If she couldn't open the locked laboratory door, she wouldn't be able to provide the dowry. She didn't want to sell the brick house if she could avoid it—it was an inheritance from her mother, and she also wanted to protect the orange trees in the garden.
Therefore, she had no choice but to honestly reveal her dilemma. Feeling like hiding in a hole, Eileen confessed her situation.
I need to open the lab to get the dowry.
The moment Cesare stopped walking, Eileen, who had been walking ahead distractedly, took a few more steps before turning back to him.
Cesare ran his large hand over his face, which, being comparatively small, seemed to be completely hidden by it.
After a moment, he took a deep breath, sighed, and lowered his hand.
Eileen, who was watching him, was confused. The man's face still displayed a smile she couldn't decipher. With the same smile, Cesare asked:
— Who told you such nonsense? Was it Miss Farbellini?
There was no denying it. Eileen hesitated and replied:
— I had forgotten, and she reminded me. So I'm starting to prepare from today.
Cesare reacted as if he found the story funny:
How much are you planning to bring?
She did have a figure in mind, but saying it aloud in front of Cesare seemed too modest. Eileen replied vaguely:
— Hmm… as much as I can…
Are you planning to sell opium, by any chance?
No! Of course not! That's definitely not it. It's just that there are some valuable research tools, so I thought I'd organize them…
Eileen responded in a panic, observing the man's reaction. She didn't understand the reason for Cesare's constant laughter. He chuckled softly and said something she didn't understand:
I have already received the dowry.
She had no idea what he was talking about. For a moment, she wondered if her father had advanced the payment, but that seemed unlikely. It would be easier to believe that some passing fairy cat had left the dowry.
— Excuse me, Your Grace… May I know who gave you the dowry?
When she asked cautiously, Cesare suddenly extended his hand. Startled, Eileen recoiled, thinking he would touch her chest, but the man merely reached into his coat pocket. With an amused smile, he showed her a silver pocket watch.
Miss Elrod.
— Your Grace…
Eileen called him softly. Just a platinum pocket watch as a dowry for Archduke Erzet's marriage proposal. He seemed to have accepted it out of pity, but even so, it was nothing.
But, Your Grace, that is…
Should I change my name to "Your Grace"?
Ce-Cesare.
She pronounced her name with some difficulty. Saying names in broad daylight seemed embarrassing for some reason. Eileen pushed away the strange thoughts and continued:
That's far too little to be considered a dowry.
Cesare didn't answer. The sun hid behind the clouds, darkening the atmosphere. In the midday shadow, the man displayed an enigmatic smile. Seeing his handsome smile, Eileen remembered the first time she realized the danger he represented.
— Eileen. — He spoke sweetly: — Before… I had the same watch. It was a memento from a condemned man.
The mere thought that Cesare owned a striped platinum pocket watch was surprising enough, but to know that it belonged to a criminal…
Many sought the belongings of convicts, believing they brought good luck. But Cesare was never that kind of person. He despised unscientific things like superstitions, astrology, and legends.
"It was broken, the hands wouldn't move, but I kept it with great affection… " His tone was light, as if it were nothing, but there was weight in his words. "I had to use it to come back. " He smiled deeply, sadly. "So, I had to destroy it with my own hands, Eileen."
As if he had destroyed himself, and not the watch, Cesare grabbed Eileen's wrist and pulled her into his arms. The coat fell to the floor without either of them noticing.
He tilted his head and whispered in her ear:
But since you gave me the same watch as a gift… wouldn't that make it more precious than gold?
Eileen, who had only been listening, finally managed to open her lips to call him:
Cesare…
"You don't need to give me any dowry. " His embrace tightened. Eileen felt a suffocating pain, unable to say anything. Despite his strength, Cesare spoke tenderly: "You've already given me the world."
To be continued…