Wicked Husband-Chapter 188 - 187

The most popular dancer in the capital, Marlena was rarely seen on Fiore Street these days. The nobility competed to invite her to their banquets, and her fame only grew. Now, even high-ranking nobles hesitated to request her presence due to her staggering price.

’Everything has gone exactly as he wanted,’ she thought bitterly.

She recalled a pair of blood-red eyes.

Her mood soured.

The man who had stolen away her dear friend, now, she could only hear about Eileen through newspapers and magazines.

Because of her obsessive collecting, her house was practically overflowing with publications that mentioned Eileen’s name.

She worked tirelessly to distract herself from the loneliness, but she still missed those small, intimate tea times on the second floor of an old inn.

Even though she knew they would never happen again.

"Men are always the problem," she muttered.

Her bodyguard said nothing, simply tilting the umbrella to shield her better.

Then, as she reached her doorstep, she stopped.

Standing at her door, drenched to the bone like a soaked rat, was a woman.

Marlena’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The figure, shivering in the pouring rain, pushed up her water-streaked glasses. A very small voice reached her through the storm.

"Marlena..."

Frozen in shock, Marlena could only murmur,

"...Dear god."

She threw her shopping bag at her guard and rushed out from under the umbrella, pulling the soaked woman into her arms.

"Eileen!"

***

Marlena held Eileen in her arms, unable to believe it. She kept checking her face over and over. Through the rain-slicked lenses of her glasses, Eileen’s gold-green eyes shimmered beneath wet lashes. There couldn’t be two people in the world with those eyes. It was undoubtedly her.

After the initial shock faded, Marlena’s heart plummeted. How long had Eileen been waiting for her like this, standing in the rain? Her body was ice-cold, trembling too much to even form proper words.

Now was not the time for questions. Marlena pulled her inside.

"Come in."

Despite shivering violently, Eileen followed Marlena’s lead without resistance.

Marlena’s house was a modest two-story home with a small garden. Compared to the fortune she earned, it was quite humble.

It had a similar feel to the brick house where Eileen had once lived, the one with the orange tree in the yard. In truth, Marlena had chosen this house on purpose, she had wanted to feel a little closer to Eileen.

Even now, despite earning far more than before, she couldn’t bring herself to leave this place. The memories of Eileen visiting her home had made it too precious to abandon.

"Alessia! Get the fireplace going."

Marlena turned to her bodyguard, who had been standing behind her. She had been about to strip Eileen of her wet clothes but hesitated. Alessia was a woman too, but Eileen might feel uncomfortable with a stranger nearby.

However, Eileen simply shook her head.

"I-it’s fine..."

Her voice was already thick with congestion. Marlena gasped and quickly stripped off Eileen’s soaked garments, wrapping her tightly in a blanket she had left draped over the sofa. Then, she sprinted off to grab fresh clothes and more blankets, shouting for Alessia to warm some milk.

Thanks to their quick efforts, Eileen soon sat bundled up like a small snow rabbit, clutching a steaming cup of milk. She sniffled and took a sip.

Alessia wordlessly approached and pulled the armchair Eileen was sitting in closer to the fireplace.

Marlena pressed a hand to her still-racing heart. Now that Eileen was warm, her mind finally started working again.

There weren’t many people around on my way home.

The heavy rain had cleared the streets, and by the time she reached her neighborhood, there were no pedestrians in sight. No one had likely seen Eileen arrive.

Alessia was discreet and would never spread unnecessary information. She had been Marlena’s bodyguard for years and was deeply trusted.

"I’m sorry for showing up like this," Eileen murmured, glancing up at her.

Marlena, still caught up in her own thoughts, suddenly blurted out a question.

"Are you getting a divorce?"

It felt like a blunt question, but wasn’t it reasonable to ask? What else could have led Eileen to come to her in such a desperate state?

Eileen jolted and shook her head frantically.

"No! Never."

Then, her face darkened.

"...Though, I might be the one getting divorced," she mumbled weakly, pushing up her slipping glasses with dazed fingers.

Marlena’s gaze dropped to Eileen’s left hand. The wedding ring was still there.

There were so many things she wanted to say, but she held them back. A memory from a recent newspaper flashed through her mind.

[Collapse of the Pantheon... The Grand Duchess Missing]

When the urgent news had broken, Marlena had thought of every worst-case scenario. When another article later confirmed Eileen’s safety, she had felt relief but not enough to ease her lingering anxiety.

She had wanted to check on Eileen, to see with her own eyes that she was truly unharmed. But there had been no way to reach her. Eileen had become someone out of her reach.

Holding back all the worries she had been carrying, Marlena asked a simple question.

"...Are you okay?"

Eileen nodded absently, but then, realizing what Marlena was actually asking, hurried to clarify.

"I wasn’t hurt at all in the Pantheon."

Marlena shrugged.

"Well, you look fine."

What had driven Eileen to be out in such weather?

Marlena fixed her gaze on her, eyes sharp.

"Uh... Marlena," Eileen hesitated, sensing the weight of Marlena’s stare. She removed her fogged-up glasses and met her gaze.

"...Could you hide me for a while?"

"That depends," Marlena replied curtly. "Tell me why."

A shadow crossed Eileen’s gold-green eyes. She lowered her gaze.

"I’m... about to do something Cesare doesn’t want. I need a place to stay until it’s done."

Hearing that, Marlena had to force herself to keep her temper in check.

With that, silence settled between them. The only sound was the crackling of the fireplace. Alessia, sensing the need for privacy, tactfully excused herself.

"I’ll go buy something for dinner."

She picked up an umbrella and disappeared into the rain. The downpour had lessened a bit.

Marlena watched raindrops tap against the window, her frustration growing.

Marlena kept only her favorite shopping bag and strutted forward with practiced elegance. People’s gazes followed her as she walked.