Wicked Husband-Chapter 175 - 174

Ornella answered with a mocking tone, drawing out her words.

"No?"

Her haughty gaze seemed to say, Let’s see where you’re going with this. Normally, Eileen might have been intimidated by Ornella’s demeanor. But today, some strange courage propelled her forward. She continued without hesitation.

"I’ve developed a new painkiller, in liquid form—like a sweet syrup. It’s made from entirely different ingredients than Aspiria. I think this one would work better for you, Lady Ornella."

This medicine had been crafted with Ornella in mind, in the hopes of mending their strained relationship. Back when Eileen sold medicines at a small inn, she’d encountered customers like Ornella for whom Aspiria wasn’t suitable. She had refined one of those older formulas specifically for this purpose.

"It might not have been easy for you to find a suitable painkiller among the ones on the market, but I think this could work for you."

Ornella’s expression soured, her displeasure evident.

"So, the Grand Duchess has been snooping into my personal affairs, has she?"

"It’s not snooping... People who don’t respond to standard painkillers often share similar traits, so I thought it might help," Eileen replied.

Ornella stared at Eileen intently, as if searching for a hint of deceit in her words. Her gaze was piercing, and she leaned in closer, her large eyes unblinking. The scrutiny was intense, but Eileen only shrank her shoulders slightly without stepping back.

Ornella asked, her tone flat and unreadable, "Surely you’re not suggesting that if I take this, you’d like me to call off the release of a medicine similar to Aspiria, are you?"

Eileen had to admit, she did wish for that outcome. But she knew it was impossible. She shook her head firmly and met Ornella’s eyes.

"I’d like to test the medicine developed by the Farbellini family."

"...What?" Ornella’s voice brimmed with incredulity as she asked for clarification.

"I know the development period was too short," Eileen continued calmly. "Let me be the test subject. Just give me a little more time."

Ornella was left speechless. She couldn’t understand why Eileen would volunteer to take such a risk. Deep down, Ornella knew the rushed development process had likely resulted in an untested and potentially unsafe drug.

The only reason she had pushed for the release was to tarnish the reputation of Aspiria. If side effects arose, they could spread rumors that the formulas were identical. If the drug worked, she’d spin a narrative of Farbellini’s altruism compared to Erzet’s profiteering.

Ornella didn’t care about the medicine’s effects on people. She was only interested in the results it could bring her.

Yet here was Eileen, volunteering to test the potentially dangerous drug herself. It was a move with no apparent benefit—one that only invited risk and loss.

"Why?" Ornella asked, her suspicion evident. "Why would you volunteer to take it?"

"I..."

Eileen thought of Count Domenico and his wife. She remembered the comfort she had provided the ailing Countess and the fleeting smile it had brought to the tormented Count.

Finally, she spoke the words she had kept buried.

"Because I’m a pharmacist."

Her answer was resolute, devoid of doubt or hesitation. It carried the weight of conviction, a principle she held deeply. For once, it was Ornella who faltered, her eyes briefly reflecting confusion.

The woman who usually looked down on everyone with disdain and indifference now found herself at a loss for words.

But the momentary uncertainty passed quickly. Ornella leaned back, distancing herself from Eileen, and let out a dry, humorless laugh.

"Ridiculous..."

Her muttered words lacked their usual sharpness. For some reason, Ornella avoided meeting Eileen’s gaze, focusing instead on the altar as she spoke.

"Do as you wish. I’ll send the medicine to you, so you can take as much as you want. Don’t be too surprised if it works better than Aspiria."

She delivered the snide remark in her usual biting tone, gesturing toward the prayer dais with her chin.

"You’ve made your offering, so go ahead and pray now."

For Eileen, who had never entered a temple before, the idea of praying felt oddly fitting. She decided to comply without complaint.

As she moved quietly toward the prayer dais, Ornella and the priests exchanged surprised glances. They had assumed that Eileen, like Cesare, was an atheist.

Placing her hands together, Eileen felt the hard, cold wood press against her skin.

’Does God exist?’

It was a question she had pondered countless times, one with no definitive answer. Eileen struggled to believe in a deity that offered no tangible evidence of existence.

Yet, she wasn’t an atheist. She believed in the inexplicable moments of grace that sometimes occurred—the kind that couldn’t be explained by human hands.

And so, she prayed.

Whenever Cesare left for battle, she prayed for a miracle. She begged every god to protect him, to ensure his safe return.

Desperate and powerless, prayer was all Eileen could do for Cesare. And somehow, her prayers were answered.

Even in wars where everyone predicted his demise, Cesare returned alive. Whether it was divine intervention or a testament to Cesare’s own resilience, Eileen didn’t know.

’But there’s so little I can do for him. That’s why...’

She prayed fervently to all the gods.

’Perhaps praying here, in this sacred space, will make my wishes stronger...’

She knew it was a foolish thought, but the solemn atmosphere inspired her. If nothing else, the sanctity of the temple made it easier to focus.

She fixed her gaze on the altar, overflowing with flowers. Among the vibrant blooms, her eyes lingered on a lily before she closed her eyes and began her prayer.

She poured all her hopes into her words, praying for the shadows that loomed over Cesare to be lifted. She begged for his path to be bathed in light and for divine miracles to guide him.

Lost in her prayer, Eileen suddenly heard a strange sound: tick-tick-tick. The distinct noise of clock hands turning.

Startled, she opened her eyes, but there was no clock in sight. Even if one were present, it couldn’t have sounded so close, as if right by her ear.

Confused, she scanned her surroundings. Ornella raised an eyebrow, clearly hearing nothing.

’Is this a hallucination?’

Eileen quickly thought back to any medicine she had taken recently. The most suspicious was Morpheus, but its effects should have faded by now.

At that moment, the candles around the altar flickered violently. A faint vibration coursed through the ground, and Eileen wasn’t the only one to notice—Ornella and the priests looked around uneasily, their eyes darting to the floor.

But Eileen lifted her gaze to the ceiling instead. The vibration didn’t feel like it was coming from below.

As she studied the domed roof, the sealed temple doors suddenly swung open.

"Eileen!"

The familiar voice rang out, accompanied by sunlight pouring into the dim interior. Beyond the doors stood Cesare.

He was supposed to be in the middle of a conversation with Leone, yet here he was at the temple. Eileen barely managed to form his name, her surprise evident.

But before she could call out to him, a thunderous sound, like a growl, echoed through the temple.

The marble columns supporting the structure and the domed ceiling above cracked with a deafening snap. Thick fractures spread like lightning across the solid stone.

"Ce-Cesare..."

As Eileen called his name, Cesare rushed into the temple. But before he could reach her, the columns crumbled, and the shattered ceiling collapsed.

Massive chunks of stone rained down in an instant, engulfing the temple in chaos.

***