Wicked Husband-Chapter 170 - 169

Eileen gazed at Cesare with a sense of unfamiliarity. The man leaning against the wall near the window stood just outside the reach of moonlight, his figure shrouded in shadow.

The room was dim, the lights not fully turned on, making it hard to see Cesare clearly. She could only discern his outline faintly, enough to confirm his identity.

The situation felt unlike anything she had experienced before. Cesare was someone who rarely revealed unnecessary aspects of himself to her.

Although he sometimes returned with the faint scent of blood or gunpowder lingering on him, it was never as overt as it was now. His current state—so blatant, so unhidden—felt strange, even unsettling.

It reminded her of the time she had caught him smoking. The smell of cigarette smoke on him had felt just as unfamiliar then as it did now.

This dynamic was new as well: Cesare waiting for her to return home. Usually, it was Eileen who waited for him, often late into the night.

Her lips parted slightly as she looked at him, only to remember that she had acted on her own without consulting him. Since becoming the Grand Duchess, she had never done anything so impulsive.

’But Cesare had been the one to tell me about Count Domenico’s situation...’ she thought, trying to reassure herself.

Surely, it was fine. With that tentative thought, she stole a glance at him. Though obscured by darkness, his face seemed expressionless, almost detached. The chilly air of the unlit bedroom felt heavy and unwelcoming. Eileen, feeling a little uneasy, greeted him quietly.

"I’m back."

For some reason, her simple greeting seemed to soften his sharp gaze slightly. As she hesitated, watching him carefully, Cesare straightened from where he had been leaning and walked toward her with deliberate strides. Standing before her, he looked down and asked, "Shall we go for a walk?"

Though framed as a suggestion, they both knew Eileen wouldn’t refuse. She nodded and replied, "Yes," even as her eyes widened at what he did next.

Cesare pulled car keys from his pocket.

She had assumed they would stroll through the garden or somewhere nearby. Instead, she found herself being led outside, guided by him without resistance. In front of the Grand Duke’s residence, a civilian car—not a military vehicle—was waiting.

Cesare opened the passenger door and gestured for her to get in. After she settled into the seat, he got into the driver’s seat, started the car, and gripped the steering wheel with practiced ease.

Her heart raced. The Archduke, officially known to be recuperating from a gunshot wound, was driving himself and venturing freely outside. What if someone saw him like this? The risk felt palpable.

’But Cesare must have thought everything through,’ she reassured herself, though the anxiety didn’t entirely leave her. At the same time, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Seeing Cesare drive was unexpectedly shocking. He was someone who delegated rather than acted directly. There had always been a driver, and she had only ever sat in the backseat with him. Watching him now, firmly in control behind the wheel, was a completely new experience.

As they drove away from the Grand Duke’s residence, Cesare glanced at her. Eileen, who had been observing him unblinkingly, flinched when their eyes met.

"I’m sorry..." she mumbled.

"For what?"

"For staring at you so much. I might be distracting you while you’re driving."

She turned her gaze to the window, trying to focus on the passing scenery. Cesare reached out and lightly tapped her cheek with his fingers.

"Do you trust me so little?"

"No, not at all!" she replied quickly. "I’ll just... look a little less."

Offering a compromise, she began alternating her focus between the passing scenery and him, dividing her attention half-and-half. Her exaggerated movements as she darted her gaze between the two made Cesare chuckle softly.

They passed through the grand gates of the estate. Eileen finally noticed the colorful flowers lining the entrance—flowers brought by citizens wishing for the Archduke’s recovery. Earlier, she had been too distracted to notice them.

The car quickly moved past the display, but Eileen couldn’t help turning her head to glance back. Her gaze eventually returned to Cesare.

’The assassination attempt was orchestrated by him...’ she thought.

What would happen to Count Bonaparte, who had been framed for the crime? She read the newspapers every day but only saw updates about his interrogation—nothing more.

The car veered off the main road onto a secluded path, part of the Grand Duke’s private property. There was no sign of other people. Listening to the hum of the engine, Eileen hesitated before speaking.

"Um... Count Bonaparte..."

She didn’t know how to phrase the question and trailed off, worried it might come across as overstepping. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Cesare, however, answered calmly.

"The papers will report tomorrow that he died by suicide during interrogation."

Her breath caught as the truth dawned on her: the Count hadn’t actually killed himself. He had been "dealt with."

Eileen clasped her hands tightly in her lap. A strange feeling washed over her. She knew Cesare wasn’t a saint, but...

While she tried to help others, he stained his hands with blood. It felt surreal. She wanted nothing more than for Cesare to be safe, yet he always seemed to walk a razor’s edge.

And she still didn’t know what drove him to live this way.

The car came to a stop deep in the forest, its headlights cutting through the darkness.

"Eileen."

"Yes?"

"Do whatever you want, as long as it’s not too dangerous," he said, his eyes fixed on her.

"There are plenty of people who can take risks on your behalf."

His soft voice carried a cold finality that pricked at her heart.

"I didn’t think it was dangerous... I’m sorry. But I felt I needed to experience the effects of the medicine myself to truly understand it."

"What did you ask Michele to do?" he interrupted.

Her words faltered. Cesare turned fully toward her, his tone gentle but his gaze probing.

"What are you so eager to know, Eileen?"

He had said she could do whatever she wanted, but it was clear there were limits—his limits. She realized she had stepped outside the boundaries he had set for her.

’But...’

Eileen carefully met his gaze.

"...I wanted to know more about you, Cesare."

It wasn’t a grand request. She had simply asked Michele to tell her what she didn’t know about Cesare. She wanted to gather as much information as she could, to piece together the truth herself. She couldn’t just wait for him to share it willingly.

"I... I..."

She steadied her trembling breath.

"I like you, Cesare."

It was a simple, obvious truth—one he surely already knew—but saying it felt monumental.

"No matter what you do... even if others see you as a villain..."

Her voice wavered as she confessed feelings she had harbored for so long.

"Even if you come to dislike me, even if I stop being the Grand Duchess, even if I’m cast aside... I’ll still like you."

The more she spoke, the more she felt unsure of how to continue. Her words came out clumsily, tears threatening to fall.

"You’re the only one for me."

She took a shaky breath. His crimson gaze bore into her, as if waiting for her to finish.

"So I want to understand you better. I don’t want to see you suffer. I want you to be free of nightmares. It’s for your sake, but also..."

Her face flushed, her voice trembling with raw emotion. She didn’t look away.

"...it’s for mine too."