Wicked Husband-Chapter 184 - 183

Lost in concentration, she hadn’t even heard the knock. It was only when she heard the voice right beside her that she snapped back to reality. She looked up, her eyes swollen from crying.

"Sonio..."

He set down a small tray on the desk. On it was a cup of warm milk.

"I will not ask why you are like this."

Sonio placed a handkerchief beside the tray.

"But please, at least rest for a moment. It is an old man’s request."

Only then did Eileen realize she hadn’t eaten or slept. She had only been crying and poring over books.

"I fear this will do you great harm."

At Sonio’s earnest plea, Eileen slowly lowered her gaze. He was right. But she wasn’t hungry or sleepy. If anything, she feared closing her eyes. In a hoarse voice, she murmured,

"...I’m sorry."

"There is no need for apologies."

Sonio’s face twisted in concern. He knelt, meeting Eileen’s eyes at her seated level.

"In that case, may I ask one thing?"

He spoke gently.

"The knights have come to see you. Will you meet them?"

Only after hearing those words did Eileen realize there were people worrying about her.

The knights, more than anyone, would have been anxious upon hearing she had been inside the collapsed Pantheon. They must have rushed to her side in concern. She couldn’t simply send them away without meeting them.

She also had many questions to ask.

Eileen closed the book she had been reading and rose to her feet.

"Of course, I should–"

But the moment she stood up, her vision swayed. A sudden wave of dizziness made her stagger, forcing her to grab onto the desk for support.

"Eileen!"

Sonio quickly caught her. He had always addressed her formally as ’My Lady,’ and hearing him call her by name as he had before her marriage was almost unheard of. Leaning against him, Eileen barely managed to steady herself.

"I’m... sorry..."

Her weak apology made Sonio shake his head heavily. He advised her to rest, though from his expression, it was clear he knew she wouldn’t.

"...I do not know what His Grace has done to upset you," Sonio said, carefully studying her face, "but if there is anything I can do to help, please tell me. I am on your side."

Sonio was one of Cesare’s men. She knew he could never put her first above all else. Yet, his willingness to stand by her brought a measure of comfort.

Eileen responded in a small voice, "Thank you."

With Sonio’s assistance, she made her way to the parlor, where the knights were waiting.

"I will leave you to speak in private."

Sonio merely opened the door and did not enter. The knights, who had been restlessly seated, immediately sprang to their feet at the sight of Eileen.

"Lady Eileen!"

Diego, who had been pacing in agitation, was the first to rush forward. It was only after seeing with his own eyes that she was unharmed that he finally exhaled in relief.

He grasped Eileen’s hands tightly, his tension visibly loosening as his face crumpled into something close to tears. With a quivering voice, he whispered,

"I’m so glad you’re safe."

Only after Lotan stepped up and gave him a firm pat on the back did Diego realize he had grabbed Eileen’s hands without permission. He quickly released her, mumbling an apology, then pressed his lips together.

Looking up at him, Eileen noticed his eyes were red-rimmed.

Diego had a naturally dark complexion, his emotions rarely showed on his skin. But for his eyes to be this bloodshot, he must have cried an awful lot.

Eileen slowly shifted her gaze. Behind Diego, Lotan stood in his usual silence, but when their eyes met, he gave a slow, respectful nod. His face remained stoic, but even Eileen could read the mixture of worry and relief in his gaze.

"...My Lady."

Michele, half-hidden behind Lotan, took a small step forward, finally revealing herself. She scrunched up her nose, desperately holding back tears.

Senon, standing beside her, also moved slightly to get a clearer view of Eileen. Though he had been at the temple, it seemed only now, upon confirming her safety once again, that he could fully breathe.

The knights all looked pale, as if they had been the ones buried under the rubble. If someone had seen them now, they might have assumed they had all been trapped beneath the fallen Pantheon together.

They must have dropped everything to rush to the ducal residence upon hearing the news.

Eileen parted her trembling lips. She had wanted to reassure them, to smile brightly and show them she was completely unharmed. She had planned to cheerfully tell them she wasn’t hurt in the slightest.

"Th-thank you..."

But the words that came out were unsteady, her voice trembling. The moment she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. Before she could stop them, a drop of water slipped down her cheek. The knights, seeing this, all froze in place, their eyes widening.

Eileen hurriedly wiped her tears with her sleeve. But she had already soaked her clothing from crying earlier, and it was no longer effective. Still unable to properly dry her face, she asked,

"Did you... know?"

Though the question was brief, the knights’ expressions all wavered at once. Even they, seasoned in dealing with people, couldn’t fully hide their reactions.

Eileen asked again,

"You all knew, didn’t you? That Cesare ended up like this... because of me."

Not one of them could bring themselves to speak. Watching them remain silent, as if bound by an unspoken agreement, made Eileen’s tears spill even more.

The endless tears were frustrating. As she roughly rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, the knights simultaneously reached into their pockets and pulled out handkerchiefs.

Suddenly, she had four handkerchiefs in her hands.

She pressed two of them against her eyes, holding back her sobs. It was then that Lotan spoke, his voice heavy.

"...I am sorry."

He carefully observed Eileen as he continued,

"We did not mean to keep it from you. But we ourselves did not fully understand the situation. We thought to tell you once we had more clarity."

"And... Cesare didn’t want me to know, did he?"

Lotan did not deny her words. He admitted quietly,

"...That is true."