Wicked Husband-Chapter 130 - 129

It was indeed odd—meeting the Emperor not in the palace or at the Erzet estate, but unexpectedly on the street.

’Perhaps... it wasn’t a coincidence after all.’

Just as Eileen reached that realization, Leon confirmed it with his next words.

"I apologize for startling you. I’ve been wanting to speak with you privately, but there’s never been an opportunity. As you know, we can hardly avoid attracting attention wherever we go. If we wanted to meet without anyone knowing, this was the only way."

Leon led Eileen down a quieter, more secluded street, away from the bustle of Venu. The road was uneven, flanked by worn-down walls and buildings that had clearly seen better days. No one would suspect that the two people walking there were the Emperor and the Grand Duchess.

After a while, Leon spoke again, his voice casual yet probing.

"Cesare took a feather from the Duke of Farbellini’s house—a lion’s feather. I heard he gave it to you as a gift."

Eileen recalled the large, golden feather that Senon had brought her. At the time, she had been preoccupied with other concerns and hadn’t properly thanked Cesare for it. While she had briefly considered it valuable when she first saw it in its glass case, it had slipped from her mind amidst everything else. It was probably still safely stored somewhere.

’But it came from the Duke of Farbellini?’

The relationship between Cesare and the Duke wasn’t exactly friendly, so it seemed unlikely the Duke had willingly parted with it. Cesare must have taken it by force. Eileen remembered Ornella’s visit, when she had angrily confronted her about something, and her heart sank.

Why would Cesare go to such lengths, breaking into the Duke’s estate in the middle of the night just to take the feather? And why had he given it to her?

Leon studied Eileen’s reaction intently. She noticed his watchful gaze but struggled to compose her expression.

"That feather is said to come from a winged lion," he explained, his tone steady.

The winged lion was a mythical creature from the empire’s founding legends, something that belonged in ancient texts. Eileen blinked quickly at the mention of such a fantastical tale, and Leon continued.

"You may not know, but our mother was quite childlike. She believed in astrology, fortune-telling, and all sorts of superstitions. It caused great hardship for Cesare and me as children. That’s why we both grew up disliking anything unscientific or irrational."

"..."

"For Cesare to take an interest in a so-called feather from a legendary creature—one whose authenticity is dubious, no less—makes no sense, wouldn’t you agree?"

Eileen’s heart sank. She had already guessed the reason Leon had sought her out.

"Perhaps I should ask if it was at your request," Leon said, his voice calm but probing. "It’s clear Cesare wouldn’t give me a proper answer if I asked him."

"I... I didn’t know. He just gave it to me as a gift... I didn’t realize what it was," Eileen stammered, fumbling over her words. Leon suddenly stopped walking. The fabric of his robe, which had swayed with his stride, fell still. His gaze fixed intently on Eileen’s face. Trying to keep pace with him, she belatedly noticed his stare and swallowed nervously.

Sensing her tension, Leon softened his tone, almost soothingly.

"The daughter of the Duke of Farbellini is my fiancée. So, there’s a difficult situation for me to navigate."

Eileen froze, unable to respond. Silence stretched between them as Leon let out a faint, awkward chuckle. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Ah, I see. Perhaps I’ve been interrogating you too much. I should let the Grand Duchess go."

He pointed toward the end of the street, indicating they’d part ways when they reached the main road. Leon started walking again, this time at a slower pace, making it easier for Eileen to keep up.

Eileen debated internally whether to invite Leon to continue their conversation, but before she could decide, he gently squeezed her hand—the one he had been holding to escort her—and then let it go in a playful manner.

"I didn’t plan on having a long conversation anyway. And besides, it seems your knights wouldn’t allow it," Leon remarked with a light chuckle.

He then asked, seemingly casually, "Do you know what the word *Imperator*—what the Emperor is often called—originally meant?"

Though he spoke in a joking tone, Eileen felt a cold blade pierce her chest.

"I believe it meant ’supreme commander,’" she answered hesitantly.

"Yes, the commander of the military was the Emperor, so the term *Imperator* became synonymous with the role. Though, of course, it’s no longer quite the same."

Leon continued to smile, but Eileen couldn’t return the gesture. His words felt like a veiled criticism, as though he were implying that Cesare’s knights did not acknowledge him as Emperor.

As Eileen’s expression darkened once again, Leon tilted his head slightly, puzzled by her reaction.

"There’s no need to take it so seriously. It was just a joke," he reassured her, but her anxiety lingered. She stammered a response.

"I-I’m sorry. I was worried I might have made a mistake..."

"There’s no need to apologize. But tell me, why are you dressed like this today? Was it to keep your outing a secret? It’s certainly effective—no one would guess you’re the Grand Duchess like this. You don’t always dress like this, do you?"

"No, not usually..."

"I didn’t think my brother would be the type to care about the Grand Duchess’s attire."

A new voice interrupted Eileen mid-sentence. She and Leon turned toward the end of the street, where Cesare stood, making his way into the alley.

Though impeccably dressed in his uniform, the worn, dirty surroundings seemed to suit him strangely well. His sharp red eyes locked onto Leon’s.

"Is there any reason for you two to meet in secret? It would look more suspicious if anyone found out, don’t you think?"

Without waiting for an answer, Cesare gently grabbed Eileen by the arm, pulling her close. In one swift motion, she transitioned from standing next to Leon to being wrapped in Cesare’s protective embrace.

"Don’t you think so, brother?" Cesare asked, his voice cool and direct. Leon let out a resigned laugh.

"This is exactly why."

Leon shook his head with an exasperated smile.

"You make it impossible to have a proper conversation. I have no choice but to resort to methods like this."

Still held close by Cesare, Eileen watched as he regarded his brother silently. Leon didn’t shy away from the prolonged stare, patiently waiting. It was Leon who eventually broke the silence.

"Even your knights don’t trust me, Cesare."

Leon smiled gently, as if what he was about to say were some kind of absurd joke.

"It feels strange. Almost as if... you consider me an enemy."

His voice, calm and composed, carried a quiet gravity.

***