Wicked Husband-Chapter 143 - 142

Michele’s legs were jittering. In uniform, no less, this was hardly the behavior befitting a soldier striving to maintain decorum.

Lotan, standing beside her, gave her foot a gentle nudge with his own. Michele’s legs immediately stilled, her jittering subsiding as if an earthquake had ceased.

But after a moment, Michele shifted her restlessness to her arms, swinging them back and forth. Diego clicked his tongue, grabbing her arm to steady it. In response, she began fidgeting with her hands, unable to keep any part of herself still. Though her restlessness was noticeable, no one scolded her—they all understood why she was so tense.

Lotan, watching her tremble, asked casually, "Think you can do it?"

It was a subtle show of understanding, a suggestion that she could back out if she couldn’t go through with it. He knew well just how harsh her orders were. Michele replied with a strained smile.

"Of course... I have to."

She slapped both her cheeks with her hands, the sharp sound echoing in the air, before kicking Lotan’s leg in mock revenge for his earlier nudge. Lotan calmly dusted off his pants as if it were routine.

"Anyone know why things are so tense between His Grace and Her Ladyship?"

Michele brought up the topic to ease her own nerves.

Seeing her flushed cheeks and the red marks left from her slap, Diego took pity on her and answered.

"Eileen must be picking up on it."

The knights had long observed that Eileen wasn’t particularly perceptive in some areas. Yet her dedication to her work made her surprisingly sharp when there was evidence or a pattern to analyze.

After Cesare’s abrupt change following the Kalpen victory, Eileen had likely noticed the shift in him and sensed something was off, even if he hadn’t provided much explanation. Eileen wasn’t exactly expressive with her feelings either, so the growing tension between them had simply festered, unresolved.

Understanding the situation, Michele clenched her trembling fingers.

"Do you think this time, Eileen might actually get upset?"

"Most likely."

Diego’s confirmation made her sigh. This time, even Cesare might not be able to brush things off. Letting out a few heavy sighs, Michele glanced up at the sky. The blue expanse was marred by gray clouds in the distance, and she muttered, almost as if pleading,

"Hopefully, it won’t rain."

—

Eileen had asked several times to be let down, insisting she could walk on her own, but Cesare ignored her every protest. As a result, she found herself still in his arms when they reached the Erzet tent.

Worried that they might have displayed excessive affection in front of everyone, Eileen’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. Cesare, however, acknowledged the soldiers guarding the tent with a brief nod before carrying her inside.

The large tent was illuminated by strategically placed lamps that cast a soft, warm glow, though some areas remained in shadow. Inside, it was more than adequately furnished for a short stay, almost as if it were a temporary home.

Taking in her surroundings, Eileen couldn’t help but marvel at the effort it must have taken to bring all the furniture here. She had barely finished her quick survey when Cesare gently set her down on the sofa. As she tried to sit up, his firm hand on her shoulder held her in place.

"Stay still."

Reluctantly, she remained seated. Cesare knelt before her, and she opened her mouth to protest, surprised by how naturally he lowered himself, but it was already too late.

Without hesitation, he removed her right shoe and rested her foot on his thigh.

"Cesare! That’s dirty..."

Eileen tried to pull her foot away, but her resistance was futile. Cesare held her firmly, rolling up her pant leg until the white silk of her sock was exposed.

Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she instinctively curled her toes. His grip on her ankle tightened as he calmly instructed her to relax.

"Let go."

Then, in a softer tone, he asked, "Does it hurt?"

"No..."

At last, Eileen understood why he’d carried her here. She had almost twisted her ankle earlier, and now he was checking to ensure she hadn’t injured it further.

Despite her reassurances, Cesare didn’t seem satisfied. He continued to inspect her ankle carefully, feeling for any signs of swelling or tenderness.

"It doesn’t hurt, really. I’m just not used to wearing pants and had a slight slip. There’s no need to worry."

Eileen emphasized that she was fine, desperately wanting to remove her foot from his gaze. Yet Cesare continued his inspection until he was completely satisfied. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Realizing her shoe was just a short distance away, Eileen tried to reach for it herself, but Cesare was still blocking the way. Tentatively, she lowered her foot, watching his expression carefully.

She had acted so awkwardly today, even avoiding his kiss that one time... Yet Cesare’s calm, red gaze held no hint of frustration, as if her actions hadn’t affected him at all.

’Perhaps it was arrogant of me to think I could have any effect on him.’

This new awareness of his recurring nightmares had given her a false sense of significance. But sitting there, Eileen suddenly remembered something more important than retrieving her shoe.

"Shouldn’t you stand up now?"

Cesare was still kneeling on the floor. Eileen was horrified to think she had let someone of his stature kneel before her. She felt undeserving of such deference. When her expression faltered, as if she were on the verge of tears, Cesare finally rose.

Rather than sitting down himself, he retrieved her shoe and gently put it back on her foot. The soft calfskin leather hugged her leg snugly.

Finally wearing both shoes again, Eileen leapt up from the sofa.

"Please, let’s sit and talk. Oh!"

Before she could fully rise, Cesare’s arm snaked around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap. Sitting across his legs, she instinctively braced her hands against his chest to steady herself. The sudden closeness made her acutely aware of their proximity.

"So, what’s the urgent matter you wanted to discuss?"

Eileen’s thoughts snapped back to the rumor. Realizing she needed to address it immediately, she took a deep breath.

"There’s a rumor going around that I’ll be handing out Aspiria for free at the hunting festival. Baroness Contarini informed me that it’s already widespread, and it seems all the noble attendees are now expecting to receive Aspiria as a gift."