The reason was that Cesare was wasting precious time on a mere child.
It was clear that the girl was undeniably cute. The unique mix of green and gold in her eyes had something mystical about it, and her chatty little voice sounded as sweet as a nightingale's song.
But still, she was just a child. As charming as she was, it was difficult to understand why Cesare devoted so much attention to her, especially considering she was the daughter of a simple nanny, from a family without any prestige.
Cesare was born destined to tread a glorious path. The mere idea that this girl could be a hindrance aroused in some the impulse to tear her from their lives like a weed.
Even Lotan and Diego, who generally liked children, shared similar feelings. They thought Eileen was cute, but agreed with Senon's view that Cesare was unnecessarily worried and preoccupied with her.
For days, Senon and the others pondered how to remove that troublesome child from the prince's life.
"How many times have I said that The Fifth Prince is a lost cause!"
His father threw the documents he was holding at Senon. The pages flew and scattered, while he, with a frustrated expression, beat his own chest and said:
"The throne will be claimed by another prince. To think you actually became that fool's knight. What an idiot."
As the second son, Senon would never inherit a title. The solution he found to secure his future was Cesare. After swearing loyalty and becoming a knight, Senon never regretted his choice; on the contrary, the more he trusted and followed him, the stronger his conviction became.
However, his parents vehemently criticized Senon. They were repeatedly furious that he had not made a choice that benefited the family, but had instead acted recklessly.
Senon hoped that by presenting a well-organized report on Cesare's recent and monumental victory he might soften their hearts, but the effect was the opposite.
Dejected, Senon entered the Imperial Palace. The moment he stepped into the Prince's residence, tears suddenly welled up in his eyes. He raised his head, trying to hold them back, and ran to the garden, wanting to avoid being seen. In a secluded corner, away from prying eyes, he collapsed to the ground, and the tears he had been holding back burst forth uncontrollably.
Ugh, hiccups… sniff…
He had convinced himself that he didn't need his parents' understanding; he just needed to believe in his own choices and move forward. However, a childlike part of him still longed for recognition and praise. Even a small reprimand could make him cry. Disgusted with his own weakness, Senon didn't know how to hold back the tears. Hidden in a corner of the garden, he wept silently, feeling profoundly miserable.
It was at that moment that she heard a rustling among the leaves. She quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and turned sharply, seeing a little girl standing there, her eyes wide. Her hair and clothes were covered in leaves, as if she had just been playing there.
Of all the possible people, it had to be that annoying girl who caught him crying.
Seeing the golden-green gleam of his eyes in the sunlight, Senon looked away, embarrassed. He was relieved it wasn't Cesare or one of his fellow knights, but he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable.
He waited silently for her to say nothing and leave quickly, and continued to stare at the grass.
But instead, a tiny hand extended a white handkerchief that landed gently in her lap, like a butterfly.
That was all. Eileen didn't say a word, she simply put on the scarf and then disappeared silently among the bushes.
Senon looked at the simple piece of fabric in his lap. It was a cheap, poorly sewn handkerchief, with frayed edges and no embroidery, more like a scrap of fabric than a real handkerchief. Still, it was clean. In a gesture of childish stubbornness, Senon blew his nose and wiped his tears with it.
That same day, Senon washed the child's handkerchief and bought a new one. He also bought a box of biscuits, which he wrapped carefully along with the handkerchief.
A few days later, when Eileen visited the Prince's residence, he handed her the handkerchief and the biscuits. In a deliberately cold tone, he asked:
Why did you give me the handkerchief?
Eileen looked at Senon with her lips slightly parted. Confused, she murmured:
— Oh sir, you've always been so kind to me…
'Kind to you?' Senon, who only remembered mocking the girl, was surprised. Despite her sarcastic and mocking behavior, Eileen had been oblivious to all of this.
Eileen smiled radiantly as she hugged the gifts Senon had given her.
— So now you like me, don't you? You gave me so many presents.
Her innocent smile radiated a sincere tenderness for Senon; this little girl not only possessed that rare eye color, but also a genuine kindness, something difficult to find in the palace, in high society, and even on the battlefields.
Gradually, Senon began to understand why Cesare valued that child so much.
When Eileen was invited back to the Prince's residence, she searched for Senon even before meeting Cesare.
As soon as she spotted him in the hallway, she smiled and ran toward him with her hurried little steps. She was carrying something in her hands and shouted from afar:
— Mr. Senon! These are dried flowers I made… oh!
But before Eileen could reach it, she tripped and fell.
Senon rushed to help her, but she was already on the verge of tears. The dried flowers were scattered across the ground, leaving only a broken stem in her little hand.
Eileen's large eyes darted between the stem and the shattered flower fragments, and soon she began to cry uncontrollably in frustration.
— I just wanted to reciprocate the gift you gave me… but…
Holding only the stem, Eileen patted her own cheek, annoyed, and clung to Senon. As he held the small, sobbing figure in his arms, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. Despite being there to comfort her, he found himself laughing uncontrollably.
She laughed so hard, for so long, that tears welled up in her eyes again. It was then that she realized: the emotional wall she had built to keep her distance from that child had completely collapsed.
From that moment on, he treated Eileen with the utmost respect, using formal language befitting a noble lady. He eagerly awaited the days when she visited the palace, always giving her small gifts, disguising his enthusiasm with forced indifference.
Every time he saw the girl's smiling face, he felt as if he had the whole world. When he realized his heart raced at the sight of her, he was already deeply in love with her. Senon became a knight who cherished and esteemed Eileen more than anyone else.
It seems like only yesterday that she was crying with just a flower stem in her hand.
Senon, lost in his memories, looked at Lotan.
Lotan put out his cigarette and smiled slightly.
— Now she is an Archduchess.
Senon, also with a half-finished cigarette, wiped the ash from his clothes and asked:
So, did you find anything out?
"No clues ," Lotan replied.
They exchanged bitter smiles. Recent observations of Cesare's strange behavior had made them acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. Despite trying to understand what was happening, they felt as if they were debating mere illusions.
However, they came to a disturbing conclusion about the current situation: it seemed that Cesare was operating with a different set of memories.
If anyone else had acted like Cesare, they might have suspected mental illness. But knowing their lord so well, the knights were convinced that his judgment was more than mere illusion.
This is definitely related to Miss Eileen.
Senon paused, shuddering briefly. The vivid memory of Cesare's red irises when he spoke of the execution and that tragic night in the tavern still haunted him, sending chills down his spine whenever he recalled it.
While they speculated about the reasons behind Cesare's change, they couldn't ignore the possibility of supernatural influences, such as black magic.
However, that seemed very far removed from the man he was.
Given that Cesare despised anything unscientific due to his mother's obsession with occult practices, it was difficult to believe that he would involve himself with such trivial superstitions.
Unless something truly tragic had happened… something capable of dramatically altering his entire life.
To be continued…