Wicked Husband-Chapter 118 - 117

Her voice trembled slightly, but not entirely out of anxiety. It was more due to the way Cesare pressed his lips firmly to the nape of her neck, leaving a distinct sound as he briefly sucked on her skin before letting go.

"It’s been a while since I attended the hunting festival, so it should be fine. You’ve never been before, have you?" Cesare replied, making it clear that his decision to attend was entirely for her.

Eileen, preoccupied with potential political implications, felt flustered and looked up at him. But Cesare had already moved on from the topic of the hunting festival.

"They always say nothing happened," he muttered in a low voice, his tone alluding not just to the tea party but to events from much earlier. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Eileen’s mind drifted back to the past. He had posed a similar question when she had given up university and returned to the capital.

’Did anyone trouble you at university?’ he had asked that summer when Eileen was 17 and Cesare was 24.

Eileen had entered the imperial palace to see Cesare after returning to the capital. It had been two years since their last meeting, and in that time, Cesare had transformed into a fully matured man.

At that moment, Eileen realized she could no longer treat him as she once had. She was no longer a child; she was a young woman approaching adulthood. The prince she had admired purely now appeared undeniably as a man.

Just as her body had matured, so too had her feelings. Whenever she was in Cesare’s presence, she found herself blushing uncontrollably, her heart racing at the mere sight of him.

The best way to hide her growing affection, she thought, was to avoid seeing him altogether. The burden of repaying her family’s debts provided further reason to keep her grounded and away from the palace.

Gradually, Eileen reduced her visits to the imperial court. In contrast to the past, when she would seize any excuse to visit, her trips dwindled to almost nothing. Cesare had encouraged her to come more often, but he never pressured her.

Maybe things will just naturally fade away, Eileen thought sadly, unsure how to navigate her burgeoning feelings for him.

That day marked her first visit to the palace in a long while. Though she hadn’t wanted to go, her mother’s request left her with no other choice.

Her mother, weighed down by deep depression, was slowly withering away. No matter how much Eileen tried to help, nothing seemed to work. She had even crafted a medicine in the hope of easing her mother’s mood, but her mother had lashed out, accusing Eileen of treating her like a sick person.

The only time her mother’s face brightened, even slightly, was when she spoke of Cesare. She would go on and on about how exceptional the prince she had once nursed as a baby was, recounting how he cherished her dearly. To her, he was the last remnant of her former glory, the only thing she clung to.

At times, Eileen found her mother’s stories tiresome. Though she knew she shouldn’t, she often felt the urge to shout, to argue, to tell her mother to get a grip. She wanted to beg her to take her medicine seriously and stop dwelling in the past.

But Eileen swallowed her anger each time. She soothed her mother with patience, earned money by selling her remedies to pay off debts, and kept her father in check when he returned home drunk and rough with her mother.

In the whirlwind of responsibilities, Eileen thought that staying busy helped her think less of the prince, making her feelings somewhat bearable.

Then one day, her mother handed her a letter.

"Lily, take this to the prince."

Her mother smiled faintly, the first smile Eileen had seen in a long time. Though she claimed not to expect a reply, she asked Eileen to deliver the letter and return to tell her how happy and pleased the prince had been to receive it.

Unable to refuse the rare request from her smiling mother, Eileen helplessly agreed.

***

With the thick envelope in hand, Eileen entered the palace, biting her lip anxiously. Although she had requested to visit Cesare after many months, the prince had granted her permission without hesitation. This ease reassured her that his feelings for her hadn’t changed, yet it also made her more nervous.

Her new clothes, bought with money she didn’t really have, felt strange against her skin. The fabric was too stiff from excessive starching, likely over-ironed. She had fussed over her hair, tying and untying it repeatedly before finally leaving it loose. Now, an annoying crease refused to smooth out.

To make matters worse, her nervousness had her sweating, causing her glasses to slide down her nose. Eileen fidgeted with her bangs as she waited for Cesare in the palace garden.

No attendants or servants were around; Cesare had arranged for her to wait comfortably, free to enjoy the plants and relax. But Eileen was too tense to appreciate the greenery surrounding her.

Her heart pounded in her chest, the sound echoing in her ears. Suddenly, a downpour of rain began, startling her.

Rushing to the nearest tree for shelter, she managed to find cover, but she was already soaked. Frantically, she checked to ensure the letter hadn’t gotten wet.

As she stood there, shivering and drenched, tears welled up in her eyes.

’I prepared so hard for this.’

Eileen had been looking forward to seeing the prince for days, losing sleep in her anticipation. And now, here she was, in such a pitiful state.

A wave of sadness washed over her, feeling betrayed by the cruel timing of the rain. As she wiped her tears with her wet sleeve, she suddenly spotted Cesare standing not far away, holding an umbrella and watching her with concern.

Without a word, Cesare closed his perfectly good umbrella and walked toward her through the downpour. Eileen’s eyes widened in surprise.

With a calm smile, Cesare ran a hand through his now-drenched hair and asked, "Why did you take so long to come back?"