Wicked Husband-Chapter 19 - 18

It was a mystery why Marlena would dedicate such a song to her. Eileen blinked in confusion, her eyebrows furrowed, before she looked at Cesare.

A smile of amusement graced his lips, and he put an arm around Eileen.

"Come. Let’s mingle."

He pulled her close, hip to hip, as they walked through the crowd. They headed for a corridor behind thick curtains, and Marlena’s singing faded into the background.

The corridor wasn’t wide, so they continued to remain close. Cesare casually broke their silence as he led Eileen.

"An acquaintance of yours?"

"W-why, not at all!"

Regardless of whose presence she was in, Eileen was always careful with the information she shared. Marlena used a pseudonym, and she never mentioned her profession. She must have wanted to keep it all secret. So Eileen will continue to respect her wishes.

But she wasn’t blind. What Cesare would make of her answer was entirely up to him.

His chuckle spoke volumes, but he continued their walk without further questions.

On either side of the corridor were many doors. Faint groans could be heard behind some of them. Eileen was curious about the noise but didn’t dare ask aloud.

Just as she was about to ask how far they had to go down this increasingly convoluted corridor, Cesare stopped and turned to her as if to give her one last chance.

"Are you sure you’re ready to meet him?"

She knew he would adhere to her wishes. Yet her answer remained the same.

She knew the Baron was fooling around, indulging in sinful pleasures left and right. But she had never seen it with her own eyes. She had to break the illusion once and for all.

Eileen couldn’t take it any longer. He had almost sold her off to a foreign country. She wanted to confront him to understand why he did it. Was he truly that desperate to sell his only child in this world? 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Yes."

With a determined look on her face, Cesare led her further into the depths.

The passage became more and more confusing. Without a guide, she would undoubtedly have been lost. Just as she was contemplating the horror she would have experienced if she’d come alone, Cesare stopped abruptly and swung open a door without giving Eileen any time to prepare.

The scene was more horrific than Eileen could have imagined. Frozen, she looked at the translucent red drapes that hang from the ceiling to the floor. Many seats were scattered about, each with an owner. Naked men and women were groping each other on every one of them!

Eileen’s head went blank at the sight of tangled, naked limbs. All she could do was bury her face in the palm of her hand.

"Urgh!"

And what were those weeds that they mixed and burned? The stench of it made her feel hazy, and she had inhaled only a little.

She looked at Cesare, trembling slightly. He simply nodded in affirmation. It gave her some courage to head in slowly, one step at a time.

She tried not to look at the people around her, simply keeping her eyes forward. There was a sound behind the red cloth.

"Huh, huh, huh."

The sounds of heavy breathing and skin slapping against skin, along with the occasional foul language, hurt her ears. Eileen reached out and grasped the red curtains. She hesitated only a moment before revealing the horror that lay beneath.

There he was, her father, plunging down into a woman.

"Hah! I’m about to c*m! Not like you’re high on an aphrodisiac—ah! It’s fine, right?"

Her father laughed heartily, his face flushing as he thrust his hips. Eileen stood transfixed, unable to look away.

The disgust of it all was enough to make her vomit. There was nothing left to say, only the image of her mother’s face running through her mind.

Her cries about her father smelling of other women’s perfume, not embracing her in their marriage bed, not knowing where he spread his seed... Eileen’s ears felt clogged with the remnants of her mother’s anger.

Then strong arms reached out from behind. Cesare’s leather-gloved hand slowly brushed over Eileen’s fingers, and she gripped the cloth as tightly as she could. The red cloth fell to cover his father.

"Eileen."

"..."

Eileen could not answer, only try to calm her breathing. Cesare turned Eileen around in a tight embrace.

In his hug, Eileen remained silent, trembling. Her hands shook as she clung to his clothes.

Cesare held Eileen with one arm and let out a short sigh. Then, masterfully, he tore off the red curtain in front of them, picked up the water jug from the nearby table, and poured the liquid on the Baron’s head.

"Ugh!"

Her father floundered like a fish in shallow water. The other woman screamed, hastily freed herself, and fled to the other side. Sensing the abrupt change in the atmosphere, others engaged in intimacy discreetly took their business elsewhere.

"What the hell?!"

Her father, who was about to swear, froze as soon as he saw the duo.

"Who would’ve thought that you had the balls to sell your daughter while f*cking around, Baron Elrod."

Foul words spilled from his smooth voice and noble demeanour. It took a moment for both her father and Eileen to realise that Cesare had just cursed.

Her father quickly dropped to his knees. Cesare looked down at the vulnerable, n*ked, middle-aged man, trembling, his head kissing the floor.

As Cesare’s gaze narrowed, Eileen hurriedly grabbed his arm. Cesare raised an eyebrow before settling on nudging the head of the prostrated figure with his shoe.

Tap, tap. Reminiscent of a child toying with an insect, he tapped repeatedly while delivering his words in a menacing tone.

"Behave yourself, will you? I’ve been acting quite impulsive lately. Might even accidentally cut your throat."

A stifled cry broke from her father. He couldn’t cry out loud for fear that Cesare would indeed cut off his head. So whimpers were all he had left.

"This is your last warning, Baron Elrod."

Cesare paid no heed to the response and simply turned away. After all, her father would unquestionably obey Cesare’s commands.

Eileen squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out her father’s sobs. Nestling her face into Cesare’s broad chest, she inhaled and exhaled silently.

With her eyes closed, Eileen followed Cesare’s lead, feeling the door open and then close. Her mother’s voice echoed in her mind, unbearably and deafeningly loud.

The click of the door closing echoed. Cesare tried to guide Eileen to the soft sofa, but she refused to let go. Her hands, still trembling, clung desperately to Cesare.

Cesare thus did the only reasonable thing and sat them both together, her still in his arms.

"I’m sorry."

An apology fell from her dry lips. Her words were filled with belated regret and flowed out in vain.

"Your Excellency... I keep going against what you always say. Why do I—I should’ve just listened to what you said."

She thought she could confront her father with confidence. Eileen expected to stumble upon a gambling scene, not the early stages of what might as well be an o*gy!

Knowing that her father was having an affair was one thing, but seeing the act unfold before her eyes left her feeling numb. Unable to vent her anger, she could only find comfort in Cesare’s embrace. Eileen clung to him even tighter, whispering her apologies.

"I’m so sorry..."

Cesare remained silent, offering only his comforting presence. In his embrace, Eileen found solace and a quiet peace.

Gradually, her mother’s voice faded from her ears.

***

The platinum watch chain dangled between his fingers. Cesare stroked the plain and dull pocket watch as if it were more precious than anything else in the world.

"Your Grace, Baron Elrod has returned home," Lotan said, glancing at the sleeping Eileen on Cesare’s lap before speaking.

"And Marlena requests an audience with Your Grace."

"I am indisposed at the moment."

Cesare smiled contentedly as he stroked Eileen’s hair.

"As you can see, I’m being held prisoner."

Lotan did indeed see, then bowed his head. Just as he had spoken out against the idea of Cesare marrying Eileen, he spoke honestly again.

"My lord, you have gone too far."

"I wanted to go further, but I stopped myself."

Before Baron Elrod had even broached the subject of selling Eileen, Cesare had known everything.

Who the foreign nobleman was, how much he would pay, and when he would come for Eileen.

Cesare could have prevented the meeting between the old man and Eileen, but he chose not to interfere.

He left her alone until she was in dire straits.

Cesare wanted Eileen to decide to marry him.

***