Wicked Husband-Chapter 27 - 26

Cesare kicked the door, now riddled with bullet holes, open with his foot. Inside, only two people stood their ground: Eileen and the Marquis’s son-in-law, Matteo.

"Shit, fuck, fuck...!"

Matteo pressed a dagger against Eileen’s throat. Given his agitated state, there was a significant possibility he might make threatening moves toward the hostage.

Diego and Michele exchanged glances. Michele, along with the snipers, waited for the opportune moment to strike.

Lotan stood outside the villa, prepared for any unexpected events. While the snipers engaged in gunfire, Diego quietly retreated to the back of the villa, climbing up to the second floor through a window. He had just reached the ground floor through the stairs.

"Your Grace," Matteo grinned with bloodshot eyes, "You were enjoying this beauty all by yourself."

Lotan edged closer to Cesare, casting a worried glance at Eileen. Though a tremor ran through her body, her expression held a steely resolve. Hostage survival often hinges on a delicate balance between cooperation and defiance.

"Death is coming for me anyway! Before the gallows claim my head, I want to see the fear bleed from your smug face!"

Diego, a phantom in the shadows, held his breath, the weight of Eileen’s life a heavy burden on his trigger finger. Taking a clean shot with her so close was a gamble, a dance with a razor’s edge. Cursing under his breath, Diego narrowed his eyes, every muscle coiled, waiting for the slightest opening.

As the net slowly closed in, Cesare remained calm throughout. He didn’t react to Matteo’s rambling. He simply stared at Eileen, unmoving.

Their eyes met for a prolonged moment, and gradually, Eileen began to calm down gradually. Her trembling body and erratic breathing subsided. After finding some composure, Eileen finally spoke.

"That’s good. You didn’t even cry," Cesare remarked, causing tears almost immediately threatened to fall at his words.

"...Because you promised," Eileen answered hesitantly, her lips bloodied from biting them.

"To wait, and if there’s a-a way, you will come rescue me..."

Eileen’s large eyes eventually welled up with tears as she pleaded with Cesare.

"I-I want to go home."

"Not today. You’ll sleep at the palace," Cesare gently persuaded her, offering her a biscuit brought from the palace. Eileen, finally shedding tears, replied, "That’s fine too..."

"Alright, Eileen. Can you close your eyes?"

"Ugh, um, yes... How long? Should I sing too?"

When she asked if she should sing like she did in the greenhouse, Cesare chuckled and replied, "The national anthem is too long. Try singing a lullaby."

Eileen squeezed her eyelids shut, a desperate attempt to block out the scene before her. Tears, hot and unrelenting, carved paths down her flushed cheeks. Yet, a strange calm settled over her. Fear, that all-consuming terror, had receded, replaced by a singular focus. With trembling lips, Eileen began to sing, a wordless melody escaping her throat.

"Fuck, what nonsense...!"

The instant Matteo’s scream tore through the air, Cesare surged forward. In a single, fluid motion, he raised his gun and fired, the crack of the gunshot echoing thunderously. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Matteo, startled by the sudden attack, reacted instinctively. His arm whipped forward, the glint of the blade flashing in the dim light.

But before the knife could find its mark, a blur of black leather materialized. A gloved hand, seemingly out of nowhere, intercepted the blade in mid-strike. Simultaneously, Cesare yanked Eileen close, his own body twisting back in a swift retreat.

Gunshots rang out one after another. Matteo, caught in the hail of bullets, howled in agony. His limbs buckled, and his entire body spasmed uncontrollably.

Cesare flung the disarmed dagger aside and commanded.

"Let him go."

The dagger pierced through Matteo’s palm, lying on the ground. Cesare took off his uniform jacket and draped it over Eileen’s shoulders. Then, he lifted Eileen into his arms and whispered softly, "Let’s go home, Eileen."

Unable to even sing a verse of the lullaby, Eileen nodded and curled up her body. She tried to clutch the hem of his uniform tightly, but her trembling fingers only grasped at thin air. Cesare reached out to hold Eileen with one arm, trying to steady her shaking hand with the other.

"..."

However, she checked his palm and stopped.

"Grand Duke! Grand Duke Erzet...!"

Marquis Menegin, his once proud demeanor shattered, scrambled after Cesare as he strode towards the car. Cesare turned, his gaze cold and assessing. The Marquis, a pitiable sight, collapsed to his knees, sweat dripping like rain from his brow.

"P-please," he stammered, voice thick with desperation. "My daughter... she’s innocent in all this. I’ll do anything, Your Grace, anything! Even kneel and beg like a dog at your feet."

Marquis Menegin threw his cane and knelt down on the ground. Senon had explained the current situation to him in great detail while suppressing the hostage situation.

Since the death of the Emperor, drug trafficking in the Traon Empire had been strictly regulated. One rash act by a son-in-law had brought the esteemed Marquis family to its knees.

Cesare, looking at the desperate plea of the old Marquis, twisted his lips into a cruel smile.

"Of course, we should spare her, shouldn’t we?"

"...!"

With his usual politeness, he readily granted mercy, bringing a clear sense of relief to the Marquis. With hope shining in his eyes, Cesare chuckled and said, "If you pluck out that remaining eye."

With that promise to spare both the Viscount and his daughter, they resumed their steps. The Viscount could only watch helplessly, his back fading into the distance.

"It seems you will be worth seeing as a blind man," Senon offered a brief commentary as opened the car door for Cesare.

"To the Grand Duke’s residence."

With Cesare’s command, the door closed, and the military vehicle silently disappeared into the darkness.

***

Until they arrived at the Grand Duke’s estate, Eileen remained nestled in Cesare’s arms, and Cesare held her quietly.

Even when he got out of the car, Cesare carried Eileen in his arms as he stepped out, thanks to the height of the military vehicle’s chassis.

At the entrance of the Grand Duke’s residence, Sonio was anxiously pacing back and forth. When he saw Cesare appearing with Eileen in his arms, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank the gods."

The butler had aged considerably in the meantime. He was about to cover Eileen with a blanket he was holding, but upon seeing the uniform jacket, he simply embraced her. Eileen held the bundle of the blanket in her arms and looked at Sonio.

"Miss Eileen, I have prepared bathwater for you. Warm milk with honey as well. Would you like some milk first?"

As Eileen nodded softly, Cesare added, "And cookie in the milk."

"I will prepare it together."

Cesare gently set Eileen down on the floor. Supported by Sonio, she entered the mansion.

In truth, she wanted to continue clinging to Cesare. However, she couldn’t hold him back as he had to attend to the aftermath.

After drinking a glass of milk and eating two cookies, Eileen took a bath with the help of the servants and changed into soft nightclothes.

Then, she entered the guest bedroom and was surprised. Wasn’t Cesare supposed to be sitting on the chair next to the bed? Cesare tapped the bed with his hand.

"Come lie down here," Cesare gently invited, gesturing to the bed.

Briefly happy about his presence, Eileen then looked down at his bandaged hand.

"Your Grace, your hand..."

She hurriedly approached him. Cesare remained seated loosely on the chair, only lifting his head slightly.

"Yo-you’ve been cut with a knife. What should I do...?"

To think he got injured trying to save her. She felt like crying again, so she bit her lip but stopped when it stung sharply. She had bitten too hard earlier, and her lips were now swollen.

Cesare used his other hand to press down on Eileen’s lips, preventing her from biting them. Eileen slowly opened her mouth.

"You waited even then."

She couldn’t respond, not understanding the meaning behind his words. But Cesare didn’t seem to expect a reply.

"I promised to protect you, so you must have waited."

Was he talking about when she was kidnapped at twelve? Eileen listened quietly to his words.

"You must have been scared, huh? You must have cried a lot because you were so scared."

Cesare chuckled. He gently pulled Eileen closer, trapping her between his legs, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Eileen flinched in surprise, but Cesare paid it no mind. He murmured softly, keeping her from seeing his face.

"Sorry, Eileen."

Eileen was taken aback by his apology. With trembling hands, she tentatively touched Cesare’s shoulder and cautiously spoke up.

"You’ve always saved me."

Why was he apologizing? He had always been her savior. Eileen conveyed her thoughts to Cesare.

"You came today, too. You’ve always kept your promises."

After a brief silence, Cesare whispered as if confessing an old sin.

"...But there was one time I couldn’t keep it."

***