Wicked Husband-Chapter 178 - 177

Ornella’s lips parted. She stared at Eileen with a look of disbelief before asking again.

"Do you think he’s some kind of... god?"

Her question was laced with sarcasm, as if she couldn’t understand the absolute faith Eileen had in him.

Being questioned like that, Eileen suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. She had answered too quickly, without hesitation. Realizing it belatedly, she added in a small voice,

"Yes... to me, he is."

To Eileen, Cesare was no different from a god. She firmly believed that he would save her. He had always found her, no matter the circumstances. So, she wasn’t afraid.

Of course, it wasn’t that she wasn’t scared at all, but the fear of being trapped was far less than it could have been. She wasn’t crying or breaking down, and she could calmly help Ornella, all thanks to her unwavering faith in Cesare.

As she secured Ornella’s broken arm, she could feel the weight of her gaze pressing against her cheek. Eileen wanted to rub her cheek with the back of her hand, but both hands were occupied, so she simply blinked and continued the treatment.

Ornella watched Eileen intently until the treatment was completely finished. When their eyes met, Eileen spoke.

"You should lie down instead of sitting. The wound needs to be elevated above your heart."

She reached out to help her down, but just as she was about to support her, Ornella asked instead of complying,

"Why are you helping me?"

Eileen paused and looked at her. Ornella was glaring at her with an expression that barely concealed hostility.

"Do you think that if you put me in your debt, something will change?"

Eileen knew that Ornella wasn’t the warmest person, but she hadn’t expected this reaction even in a situation where she was receiving help.

She had even torn up her dress to treat her wounds, and this was how she was repaid? Eileen suddenly had the childish urge to flick her forehead.

"Yes."

Perhaps due to her irritation, the response came out sharper than she intended. Ornella raised an eyebrow.

Regardless, a patient was a patient. Eileen gritted her teeth and laid Ornella down on the ground. Then, she muttered quietly,

"Since I helped you, you’d better repay the favor."

She grabbed a small rock and placed it under Ornella’s legs. Since her dress was already torn, she ripped it further, rolling the fabric into a makeshift pillow to support her head.

"..."

Lying on the ground, Ornella stared up at Eileen. Feeling she might have been too brazen, Eileen regretted her words. Then, suddenly, Ornella spoke.

"Have you ever smoked?"

"No..."

"Want to try?"

"N-no, I don’t..."

"Suit yourself."

"You shouldn’t be smoking right now anyway."

Eileen picked up some scattered flowers from the ground and placed them beside Ornella. Seeing her questioning look, she quietly added,

"It’s a substitute for cigarettes."

A small consideration, at least she could inhale the floral scent instead. Ornella let out a short scoff and closed her eyes. Sweat trickled down her temple.

She was pretending to be fine, but she must have been in excruciating pain. The blood loss had dropped her body temperature, and she was starting to shiver.

’We have to get out of here soon.’

She and Ornella had been lucky to survive, but what about the priests who had been with them?

Eileen curled into herself, hugging her knees. As soon as she did, memories of her dream slithered into her mind like creeping shadows.

"I wish for Eileen Elrod to be brought back to life."

It had only been a dream. A meaningless delusion. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been seared into her mind for a reason.

Maybe it was because she knew Cesare suffered from nightmares, too.

’Cesare...’

Suddenly, she missed him so much it hurt. Eileen picked up a single lily from the ground. The flower was tattered and broken, but its fragrance remained. She held it close to her chest. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

***

In the political circles of the Imperial Capital, Count Bonaparte, a key figure, had been swiftly ousted. Fierce competition was brewing beneath the surface over who would fill his vacant position.

Unlike the lower house, where representatives served fixed terms, the upper house was hereditary. A vacancy in the upper house was a rare occurrence.

However, the sudden departure of the Marquess of Menegin, who had been the Senate Speaker, along with the removal of Count Bonaparte, a noble from a prestigious political family, had left two unexpected vacancies.

Nobles were now scrambling to install their own people in those seats. However, the current Senate Speaker, Count Dominico, was a firm neutralist. That meant the vacant seats were expected to be distributed fairly.

This was only possible because no one had yet realized that Count Dominico had become the Grand Duchess Erzet’s pawn.

Senon sighed as he read his brother’s letter. It had been three days since he started quitting smoking, yet he already craved a cigarette.

"...Even while His Excellency is taking over the empire, Father remains the same."

Despite being in the provinces rather than the capital, his father still couldn’t accept the fact that the imperial throne had fallen to the twin princes instead of the empress’s son. At least his brother sent secret letters, but even so...

Senon longed for the pack of cigarettes he had thrown away. Resisting the urge, he reached into his pocket and popped a lemon-flavored candy into his mouth, puffing out one cheek as he sucked on it.

It was then,

"Sir Senon!"

The office door nearly flew off its hinges as his subordinate barged in. Senon frowned at the reckless behavior, but his face quickly paled at what was said next.

He ran.

He drove a military vehicle as fast as possible, but the streets were already congested with people and carriages. He bellowed at his subordinates,

"Clear the road!"

Then, without waiting, he leaped out of the vehicle and sprinted.

The Grand Shrine of the Capital wasn’t far. Even so, by the time he arrived, he was greeted by utter devastation.

The once-magnificent shrine had completely collapsed. Now, it was nothing more than a pile of rubble. Senon stood frozen, unable to move.

Eileen was inside that shrine?

The shrine had been reduced to nothing...

His legs nearly gave out. Staggering backward, he barely managed to stay standing when he heard a desperate cry.

"Your Excellency! Grand Duke!"

Senon flinched. He turned his gaze toward the ruins. Soldiers had surrounded the area to keep people back, but upon seeing Senon’s uniform, they immediately stepped aside.

"...Your Excellency."

Senon called out dazedly. But Cesare did not turn to look at him. Or rather, he couldn’t.

He was digging through the rubble with his bare hands. Soldiers were trying to pull him away, but even several of them together couldn’t stop him.

"Eileen, Eileen..."

Cesare kept calling her name as he clawed at the debris. His hands were covered in wounds, his rapid healing was struggling to keep up with the fresh injuries.

His crimson eyes, always sharp, were empty and unfocused. His breathing was erratic, his voice shaking. Senon had never seen him like this before.

Kneeling beside him, Senon spoke carefully.

"Your Excellency. It’s me, Senon."

No response.

"I’ve ordered excavation equipment... Moving the debris recklessly might cause further collapse. Please, just for a moment, just for a moment, wait..."

Senon knew he was offering a fragile hope.

But even he was already despairing.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he continued, "Lady Eileen will surely be safe..."

Finally, Cesare turned his gaze. His lifeless, darkened eyes met Senon’s teary ones. Then, in a quiet, unreadable voice, he whispered,

"...If the gods broke their deal–"

His bloody hands clenched around the rubble.

"If this was my last chance... what do I do, Senon?"

***