Wicked Husband-Chapter 187 - 186

He had heard the words clearly, but he could not process them.

Eileen left me?

She had always been desperate to stay by his side. She had constantly longed for his affection, always thinking of ways to be of use to him. Her love had been blind, to the extent that she was willing to die for him.

There was no way Eileen would leave of her own volition.

Leaving Sonio behind, Cesare headed straight for the bedroom. He ascended the stairs in quick strides and threw open the door, only to be met with the empty, cold air of an unoccupied room.

The girl who used to smile at him from the bed, a book in her hands, murmuring ’Cesare’ was nowhere to be found.

Cesare searched the room, checked the bathroom, yet found nothing.

Next, he went to the laboratory. It was the same, empty. Only traces of her experiments remained. A faint scent lingered in the air, proof that she had once been there.

Breathing in Eileen’s lingering scent deeply, Cesare slowly turned around. Sonio, who had followed him, held out a small piece of paper.

"A letter from my lady."

Cesare looked at the note, it was closer to a scrap of paper than a formal letter. He stared at it for a moment before taking it and unfolding it. The round, neat handwriting was unmistakably Eileen’s.

After reading it, Cesare let out a twisted smile.

Then, he gave a short command.

"Find her."

***

Under Eileen’s firm questioning, the knights revealed everything they knew. They spoke of what they had seen and heard by Cesare’s side, and Eileen memorized every single detail.

"...Thus, we suspect that His Grace has somehow returned in time," Lotan concluded.

Eileen, in turn, shared her own theories. However, after much deliberation, she chose not to mention the dream of the sacrificial ritual. No matter how much it had seemed like a dream, she did not want to utter the possibility that Cesare had taken innocent lives.

"I still can’t believe Cesare ended up like this because of me..."

That, above all else, was the hardest thing to accept. She could sacrifice herself for Cesare, but Cesare should not do the same for her. She belonged to Cesare, but the reverse was not true.

But there was no time to dwell on those thoughts. The problem at hand was too urgent.

"Whatever the price he paid, this isn’t over yet. We need to find a way to bring him back–"

She stopped mid-sentence.

The knights, who would usually have immediately agreed with her, were silent. Lotan carefully asked,

"Would His Grace... even want that?"

Eileen opened her mouth to refute, but slowly closed it again. At that moment, she realized the stark difference between herself and the knights.

Instead of arguing, she simply agreed.

"...Yes. He must have his own intentions."

Cesare might not want to return to how he was.

Lotan’s voice was steady as he pointed that out.

Eileen lowered her head, trying to conceal the turmoil within her.

"We will begin investigating based on what you’ve told us," Lotan continued.

Eileen thanked them. She was grateful they had come to see her today, but she admitted she was too exhausted and wished to rest. The knights, who had already taken time out of their busy schedules, did not press further and prepared to leave.

"We’ll come again soon," Diego said, his voice thick with emotion.

Eileen smiled at them.

Once they left, she sat alone in the parlor, lost in thought.

The knights, Sonio, everyone at the grand ducal estate, they all truly cherished her. Once again, Eileen felt the overwhelming depth of the affection the household had for her. It was more than she deserved.

But no one in this mansion would help her.

They cared for Eileen, but they were loyal to Cesare.

Their assistance had limits. they would only help her so long as it did not go against Cesare’s wishes. They were soldiers who followed the chain of command, and retainers who had served their master for years. It was only natural.

If she stayed here, she would never be able to do anything.

No, she would definitely be prevented from doing anything.

Because that was what Cesare would want.

If she wanted to act, she had to escape.

’I have to leave the grand ducal estate.’

Eileen anxiously paced around the room. She sat, then stood again, then spun in circles. Her thoughts raced.

How could she leave?

She had never even imagined defying Cesare before, but she knew how the future would unfold. If she resisted openly, Cesare and his knights would subdue her effortlessly.

’I can’t let anyone here know.’

If anyone caught even a hint of her plan, all paths of escape would be shut down.

’I need a way to move quietly, without being seen...’

She rewound her memories, searching for anything useful.

And then, she remembered.

Before the wedding, Lotan had taught her about a secret passage, in case of an emergency.

She had never used it, never even heard it mentioned since that day.

But she still remembered everything Lotan had taught her.

If she used the secret passage, she could leave undetected.

’But what about after I escape?’

Hiding from Cesare was impossible. Avoiding him within the Traon Empire? Even more so.

Leaving the country might be an option, but that could delay her return if she found a way to help Cesare.

’Time is limited. I need to factor that in.’

She needed an ally within the empire.

Her first thought was her father.

But she quickly shook her head.

If Cesare showed up with a handful of money, her father wouldn’t hesitate to sell her out.

She kept thinking, over and over, until she remembered something, a soft voice whispering to her from long ago.

"If you ever change your mind, just say the word. I think I can help—at least once."

*** 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Why is it raining so much?!"

Marlena ran her fingers through her luscious golden hair in frustration. Her bodyguard, carrying her shopping bags, suggested, "My lady, perhaps we should go inside."

"I was just about to."