Wicked Husband-Chapter 26 - 25

It was a stroke of luck.

After completing her duties guarding the brick house, Michele received an invitation from Eileen.

Eileen had invited the knights to her home to treat them to a sumptuous dinner, with one notable absence: their superior, Cesare.

While the knights of the Grand Duke swore unwavering loyalty to their master, they occasionally yearned for some relaxation and enjoyment.

Diego conceived an intricate plan:

’Only the Grand Duke’s knights gather at the future Grand Duchess’s house for dinner, excluding the Grand Duke and his future wife.’

He felt it was time to reconnect with his comrades.

"Eileen sent an invitation?"

When the invitation was presented to him, Senon reacted with enthusiasm. So much so that he inadvertently crumpled the corner of the report he was meant to submit to Cesare.

Senon was the sole noble among the Grand Duke’s knights. Possessing exceptional skills, he served as a lieutenant under Cesare.

Senon also took charge of organizing the research data discovered in Eileen’s laboratory this time around.

He sought advice from several legal experts regarding drug-related laws and the Grand Duke’s immunity.

Meanwhile, Eileen tirelessly worked overtime alone, striving to ensure everything was perfect ahead of her wedding.

But even someone as dedicated as Senon, who had been toiling tirelessly alone, couldn’t overlook such astounding news as ’Only the Grand Duke’s knights gather at the future Grand Duchess’s house for dinner, excluding the Grand Duke and his future wife.’

He had been feeling unfairly treated for not being able to attend social gatherings before. He couldn’t miss this opportunity and was determined to participate.

"Absolutely. I’ll definitely go... Even if I have to work overtime for a week after coming back..."

As Senon muttered to himself dejectedly, Diego played with a rabbit doll with excitement. It was stuffed with imported cotton, and its texture was amazing. Touching the soft doll made him feel healed automatically.

Seeing Diego, a rugged guy, cuddling the rabbit doll with contentment, Senon couldn’t help but sneer at him.

"Eileen is already twenty-one. What’s with the doll?"

"Miss will surely like it." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Diego smoothly sold Senon on the idea, implying it was due to his lack of sensitivity. The fact that no one recognised his splendid gift was an additional lament.

"Emergency!"

At that moment, Michele burst into the study.

"Madam’s been kidnapped!"

At her cry, Senon dropped his documents, and Diego put down the rabbit doll, both rushing out of the study.

Already, soldiers were gathering on the ground floor of the Grand Duke’s residence, and Cesare was receiving a report from Lotan.

Although they had withdrawn the soldiers guarding the brick house, they always kept security personnel in places where Eileen’s eyes couldn’t reach, just in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

But all those personnel had been killed. During the shift change, they found dead soldiers, stripped of their uniforms, and immediately reported the kidnapping.

"We’ve confirmed that there’s a traitor among the senior ranks of the military, and we’re currently investigating."

Diego, reporting the betrayal of the senior ranks, immediately singled out Cesare first.

Unlike the soldiers who were shaken by the betrayal of their trusted superior, Cesare seemed extremely calm.

However, his seemingly calm red eyes shimmered with a different gleam than usual. He was merely putting on a facade of composure.

After hearing Lotan’s report, Cesare fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

"...Things have changed. With the situation shifted, it might not be completely under control."

After uttering these cryptic words, Cesare immediately issued a command.

"Go to the Senate Chairman."

The Senate Chairman, Marquis Menegin, was a former military commander.

During Cesare’s days as the crown prince, the Marquis led the army as a commander.

He often summoned Cesare to the battlefield, sometimes even appropriating some of Cesare’s accomplishments.

With the reputation thus earned, he ascended to the position of Senate Chairman and became a central figure in the anti-royalist faction.

Senon quickly gestured to Lotan, who objected to Cesare’s command.

"It’s difficult to consider Marquis Menegin as the culprit."

Although he was a notorious figure, the Marquis hadn’t lucked into the position of Senate Chairman. He was skilled in political maneuvering. He wouldn’t have risked not only his political life but also his actual life for a foolish act.

"It’s not the Marquis, it’s his son-in-law."

"...!"

With Cesare’s abrupt statement, the knights all came to a realization. Marquis Menegin, who had long been without children, had finally managed to have a daughter in his later years.

He desired to pass on everything to his dearly raised daughter, but according to imperial law, he couldn’t confer titles to women.

Therefore, he brought in a young and talented member of the Noble House as his son-in-law to groom him as his political successor.

Though carefully selected, the Marquis overlooked one crucial aspect. His son-in-law, Matteo, was more ambitious than the Marquis himself.

Unsatisfied with just the Menegin name, Matteo desired both power and wealth. Thus, he secretly imported marijuana, a plant unknown in the empire.

Leveraging the power of the Menegins made smuggling relatively easy. Matteo mixed marijuana with other herbs to create a new drug and began selling it bit by bit.

All the new drugs trending on the streets of Fiore were Matteo’s products.

By twisting the trading routes in multiple ways to prevent tracing back to him, Matteo believed he had covered his tracks well.

However, Cesare immediately singled out Matteo as the dr*g trafficker, even without any concrete information.

Even though he had been aware early on, Cesare had allowed Matteo to continue until he had amassed a substantial amount of money.

Matteo might have believed things were progressing smoothly, but his actions had actually led him into a deep trap.

Cesare only confronted Matteo when he was completely cornered.

It was a drug scandal that could potentially bring down even Marquis Menegin.

Matteo attempted to resist at the last minute, but it was already too late; he had fallen into Cesare’s clutches.

Realizing that his life was over, Matteo completely snapped and resorted to kidnapping Eileen in an attempt to seek revenge on Cesare.

Marquis Menegin remained oblivious to all of this.

However, ignorance would not serve as an excuse. The Marquis would pay the price for his negligence.

"Your Grace Erzet!"

Marquis Menegin roared as he descended the lone staircase.

The Grand Duke’s residence was as brightly lit as daylight due to the sudden arrival of soldiers in the middle of the night.

Wearing an eye patch, the Marquis descended the stairs with one leg limping, yet he vigorously wielded his cane towards the intruding soldiers, shouting angrily.

"You, you vile scoundrels...! Do you even know where you are!"

Cesare shot expressionlessly. The bullet accurately hit the heavy chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The chandelier crashed down onto the marble floor.

Crash!

Shards of the chandelier littered the floor of the hall, overshadowing the majestic presence of Marquis Menegin. Cesare approached the Marquis.

"Marquis Menegin."

He pressed his eye patch with the still-warm barrel of the gun.

The Marquis, who had just been roaring, immediately quieted down. He recognized the danger in Cesare’s red eyes.

"Why, why are you doing this...?"

"Where is the villa you gifted to your son-in-law, Matteo?"

Taken aback by the unexpected question, the Marquis quickly revealed the location upon hearing Cesare reloading his gun.

"It’s about a thirty-minute drive from here!"

"Lead the way."

Cesare lowered his gun and nodded. Lotan lifted Marquis Menegin up by the shoulders.

"I’ll escort you, Your Grace."

Helplessly held by Lotan, the Marquis was taken to the villa. They arrived in ten minutes, a journey that would normally take thirty minutes.

As soon as they got out of the car, the Marquis vomited. But no one paid any attention to the old Marquis’s frail state.

Faint light leaked out from the villa. Cesare made a subtle gesture. Snipers approached the villa.

With many windows, finding a vantage point for sniping wasn’t difficult. Once Michele signaled that preparations were complete, Cesare gave the order to fire.

Gunshots rang out.

The villa echoed with the screams of men who had lost their legs. Ignoring their cries, Cesare walked towards the villa alone.

It was an urgent stride, unlike his usual calm demeanor.

***