Wicked Husband-Chapter 38 - 37

A strangled cry escaped Ornella’s lips, shattering the serene bustle of the maids who continued their dusting, unfazed by her outburst.

Since the parade, she had sensed that something was amiss. How thrilled she had been when she heard that Cesare was holding a lily.

Ornella was Traon’s Lily.

Being presented with a lily amidst so many flowers, she naturally assumed it was a gift for her. Waiting with Leon for Cesare in front of the palace, she was ecstatic.

But Cesare came empty-handed.

Though she had heard he was holding a lily, she couldn’t fathom why he was empty-handed. Perhaps he had given it away to a child during the parade. She dismissed it.

Later, upon learning the full story, Ornella smashed everything in her bedroom that day.

[Suddenly, the Grand Duke, who had deviated from the parade, approached a woman.

He handed her the lily he held. Everyone watching the parade envied the luck bestowed upon the woman.

But that wasn’t the only surprising thing. The Grand Duke lightly touched the woman’s face. His gaze towards her was as gentle as a feather. Those who knew the Grand Duke’s indifference were astonished.

The affectionate gaze that even the famed beauties of the court could not obtain...]

The magazine article enraged Ornella. Learning that the lily, a token of his affection, had been bestowed upon the daughter of a mere nanny ignited a fiery anger within her. It was inconceivable that he would show interest in such a woman after discarding her.

She clung to a thread of hope until the news of his marriage shattered her completely.

News of Grand Duke Erzet’s marriage swept through the Empire, and whispers swirled about his bride, this "Eileen Elrod." The revelation, instead of fueling her rage further, brought an odd sense of calm.

Suddenly, Ornella felt compelled to learn more about Eileen Elrod. The information she procured was utterly ludicrous.

The very idea that the soldiers, hardened by war, were captivated by some simple girl from the countryside was laughable. Despite her initial disbelief, seeing Eileen in person that day left her speechless. The woman, with her unflattering, heavy bangs and oversized glasses, wasn’t even the source of amusement Ornella expected.

The world seemed to have lost its mind, and Ornella felt a strange sense of duty to restore some semblance of reason.

Ornella had cultivated her image as the "Lily of Traon" for years, meticulously crafting her reputation as the queen of society. It was a role she’d earned through tireless work and strategic maneuvering behind the scenes. Now, faced with a new challenge, she steeled herself, determined to apply the same unwavering focus.

After combing her hair again, Ornella deeply sucked on her cigarette. As she savoured the smoke as if sucking a man’s manhood, she imagined Cesare, his robust physique, and the significant manhood nestled in his groin.

Having licked the cigarette in her mouth, Ornella ordered the maids, "I need to pray. Send one in."

The maids promptly withdrew from the room. Before long, a man entered and knelt before Ornella. She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized him.

Compared to Cesare, the man was unimpressive. His black hair had a tinge of brown, and his eyes were ordinary. But for a brief encounter, he wasn’t bad-looking. Ornella spread her legs toward the man.

"Come here." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The man obediently slipped his head under Ornella’s dress skirt. His large hands brushed against her calves, gently gripping the inner thighs. Soon, his lips touched the intimate area.

"Mmm, ah...."

Ornella let out a delighted moan, spreading her legs wider. The wet sounds echoed softly in the quiet room.

As the man diligently pleasured her below, Ornella continued her leisurely smoking, gently stroking his head.

***

Eileen approached the bookshelf, its worn wood whispering stories of the past. It was a fortress of memories, filled with diaries that chronicled her life from childhood to the present. Now, her entries held snippets of overheard conversations, fleeting observations of the city, and the weather’s daily dance. But in her younger days, she used to fill the pages with drawings, completely covering the paper.

Eileen pulled one of the diaries from the shelf. Flipping through the pages, she saw a drawing of a ring. A smile crept onto her lips as she examined the carefully drawn ring.

It was a ring she had imagined herself wearing when she was eleven, marrying Cesare.

At that time, Eileen had made up her mind that she wanted to marry the Crown Prince. From the moment she first met him, the Crown Prince had captivated Eileen. It wasn’t just childhood fancy; a year of quiet observation solidified her feelings. Yet, despite her naivety, an instinct kept her silent. Confiding in her mother, especially, felt like a betrayal, a risk that could shatter her fragile dream.

So, on the day she entered the palace, Eileen secretly confessed to Cesare.

"Crown Prince, Crown Prince!"

Unaware of proper etiquette, Eileen leaned in close to Cesare’s ear and whispered.

"I want to marry you...!"

Having heard it somewhere before, along with her confession, she also gave him flowers. Although she didn’t have money to buy fresh flowers as a little girl, picking wildflowers from the roadside didn’t seem too bad. So Eileen gave him a hand-drawn lily.

Upon receiving her bold confession, Cesare let out a soft chuckle. He lifted Eileen onto his lap and affectionately reassured her.

"Just a little older, Eileen."

Believing Cesare cherished her and liking him, she naturally anticipated a positive response to her proposal. Eileen was taken aback by his unexpected answer and asked.

"How much...?"

The man, who had been resting his chin on Eileen’s forehead, paused for a moment, then extended his long fingers to point at a shrub in the garden.

"That tall."

Eileen’s brow furrowed as she studied the shrub Cesare indicated. Towering over her young frame, it seemed impossibly tall. Yet, she couldn’t disregard the words of the boy who would one day be her husband.

Taking a deep breath, Eileen approached the shrub and inspected it carefully. Unlike its wild counterparts, this cultivated variety wouldn’t reach the usual fifteen meters, but it was still noticeably taller than her. A flicker of disappointment crossed her face as she muttered.

"The marriage will be delayed a bit..."

Many people married before turning 18, so she had secretly hoped to marry in the spring of the following year. Eileen, who had dreamed of being a spring bride, was greatly disappointed.

Still, since she had received a promise of marriage, she considered it half-success and recorded all her plans in her diary.

The lily drawing she had gifted that day was placed in a vase by Cesare. Eileen’s flower-adorned his vase for a long time until the paper finally withered.

"He’s really a kind person."

Lost in memories of the past, Eileen murmured as she brushed her fingers over the ring drawing in her diary. The ring she had drawn after searching through various magazines and books still looked quite realistic.

Eileen flipped through a few more pages of her diary before putting it back on the shelf. A heavy sigh escaped her. Since returning from the Imperial court, her heart had been constantly troubled.

Leon had said Cesare had changed. And she was worried about that change.

She now seemed to understand the meaning behind his words. When Cesare talked about the clock as a relic of an executed prisoner, he seemed unstable. His eyes, which always showed a mature and composed demeanor, now seemed to reflect a sense of desperation, as if he had reached the edge of a precipice.

The sense of alienation she felt when she saw him return from the war... Unable to understand the actions and the strange words thrown out...

As she went over them one by one, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was going on.

But what could be the cause?

Even the knights who had been by Cesare’s side in life and death, as well as the Emperor himself, his brother and only superior, didn’t know the reason.

’But how could I possibly know?’

Leon, who asked me for reasons, felt strangely off. He seemed to think too highly of Eileen.

’It would be good if your Excellency could tell me what is troubling him.’

She wanted to be someone he could rely on, but it was a truly elusive task. Rubbing her nails, she let out another deep sigh and started preparing to go out.

Today was the big day: Eileen was finally getting her wedding dress fitted with Diego and the costume department.

***