Wicked Husband-Chapter 95 - 94

Cesare playfully pinched her cheek as he spoke. Eileen quickly explained that she had been a bit nervous because it had been so long since their last meeting. After a thorough explanation, the misunderstanding was finally resolved, and they were able to enjoy tea together.

They settled at Eileen’s favorite outdoor table in the Imperial Palace Garden, sipping tea and chatting. In Cesare’s company, Eileen could momentarily forget about her debts and her parents. As their pleasant time together drew to a close, Cesare casually suggested, "Making and selling medicine wouldn’t be a bad idea."

To Eileen, who had been struggling to find a way to earn money, this advice was invaluable. When she expressed doubt about her ability to pursue this path without completing her university studies, Cesare reassured her, complimenting her intelligence and expressing that he had never met anyone as smart as she was.

Before they parted ways, Cesare presented Eileen with a bouquet of lilies. When she arrived home with the armful of pure white flowers, she arranged them beautifully in a vase. The once gloomy house brightened with the vibrant bouquet.

Though it was just a simple arrangement, the dark atmosphere that had shrouded her brick house seemed to lift. Even the heavy clouds that had weighed on her heart began to dissipate.

After gazing at the bouquet for a long time, Eileen gathered her resolve. She decided to follow Cesare’s advice and try her hand at making medicine.

’It’s all thanks to Cesare.’

As she reflected on the past, Eileen returned to the present, focusing on Cesare, the man who had significantly influenced her life.

Her heart tightened, and she took a deep breath. A storm of unspoken emotions swirled within her. She repeatedly reminded herself not to foolishly confess her feelings or overstep any boundaries.

"I want to be someone useful to Cesare," she resolved silently before speaking.

"Watching you today, I thought I should try harder too, like Senior Lucio—ugh."

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, Cesare kissed her again. The sudden kiss took her by surprise, and she gasped for breath. It was only when her lips were swollen from his kisses that Eileen realized:

’Could it be he doesn’t like hearing about Senior Lucio?’

Uncertain of the reason behind Cesare’s reaction, Eileen decided to refrain from mentioning Lucio further. Cesare finally pulled away from the kiss.

’Am I getting a little better at reading the room?’

Satisfied that the situation had unfolded as she had hoped, Eileen couldn’t hide her slight sense of pride. Cesare, sensing her feelings, offered a faint smile, which Eileen failed to notice.

He gently traced his tongue over her swollen lips and suggested she have dinner with the professors that evening, explaining he had unfinished business and would be unable to join them.

As a result, Eileen found herself dining with the professors and Lucio. Glenda and Elio, who had secretly hoped to see Cesare again, were a bit disappointed but also relieved.

’Dining with His Grace the Grand Duke is indeed a nerve-wracking experience.’

Eileen completely understood their sentiments.

After dinner, she took them on a tour of the Grand Duke’s estate. They passed by her lab, but she didn’t show them inside, explaining that it was still disorganized.

Later, they discussed the commercialization of pain relievers, and Eileen decided to go to bed early. As she settled into her room alone, without Cesare, she felt a pang of loneliness while closing her eyes.

She had thought the day had ended peacefully—until the early morning, when the sun had yet to rise.

***

In the dead of night, when everyone was fast asleep, the door to the laboratory—meant to be tightly shut—creaked open. A man, moving like a shadow, slipped inside, his eyes meticulously scanning the room.

The first thing he sought out was Eileen’s research journal. Flipping through the pages swiftly, he examined the meticulous handwriting and the carefully organized entries. His breath grew uneven.

As his fingers grazed the writing, the man clutched the journal tightly, his glossy eyes darting around the lab. He focused on the lab equipment, each item a testament to its owner’s touch. He began to handle each tool, one by one, until he came across a neatly folded handkerchief on the desk.

Grabbing the handkerchief, he pressed it to his face, rubbing it roughly against his skin. His chest heaved with rapid, labored breaths.

"Hah, hah... d@mn..."

Muttering curses under his breath, he pressed his face harder into the fabric, his hands trembling as he hastily unbuckled his belt with the other. The clinking of the belt echoed as his erect pen!s sprung free. Letting out an animalistic growl, the man began to aggressively stroke himself.

As pre-c*m dripped from the head of his pen!s, the wet sounds reverberated in the silent laboratory.

Just before he reached the peak of pleasure, he groaned out a name with a rough voice.

"Eileen...!"

Sticky s*men coated his hand as he panted, trying to steady his breathing. Lucio turned on a faucet in the corner of the lab and washed the s*men from his hand.

Part of him wanted to mark everything Eileen used—her chair, her gloves, her lab tools. But he knew he couldn’t act recklessly. Unlike before, she had become someone far beyond his reach.

Lucio clenched his teeth, his jaw twitching briefly as if the afterglow of his release couldn’t erase the twisting pain in his gut.

He had changed—his appearance, his personality, everything. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say his entire life had been turned upside down. And it was all for Eileen. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

After being expelled from the university, he had worked tirelessly to return to her side. He vowed to become a man she wouldn’t be ashamed of and to achieve a status that even the Grand Duke of Erzet would approve of.

When Lucio heard rumors that the Grand Duke was heading off to war, he secretly hoped for the man’s death. Without someone to protect her, it would be easier for him to claim Eileen for himself. But fortune was not on his side.

Disappointed but undeterred, Lucio remained confident that even the Grand Duke would now see him as a worthy match for Eileen. After all, she was merely the daughter of a minor baron. Surely, the Grand Duke would find him an acceptable suitor. So, Lucio waited for another opportunity to contact Eileen. But then, news broke that she was to marry the Grand Duke of Erzet.

For Lucio, it was like being struck by lightning. The man who had once pretended Eileen was his "child" was just another fool who lusted after her. Despite all the changes he had made, Eileen had drifted even further from his reach.

The inferiority he felt toward someone untouchable only deepened when he encountered her again. Even in the field where he had once excelled—academics—Eileen had surpassed him. To think that the pharmacist behind that highly praised headache medicine was Eileen herself...

Lucio had experienced the effects of the headache medicine that Glenda and Elio spoke so highly of. It was not only effective for pain relief but also for reducing fever and inflammation, making it a remarkably versatile drug. If commercialized, Eileen would gain significant honor as a scholar.

The thought of her achieving such acclaim was unbearable to him. If he couldn’t have her, he wanted her to fall at least to a level lower than his.

’This is it.’

Grasping Eileen’s research journal and crumpling it in his hand, Lucio thought of the noble who had given him his orders. Studying opi@tes... How audacious of her.

Tucking the journal and the handkerchief into his coat, Lucio silently returned to the guest room Eileen had assigned to him. He carefully opened the door, ensuring he made no sound, and slipped inside.

The moment he shut the door and sighed in relief, a loud thud echoed through the room. Despite his caution, Lucio had accidentally bumped into the door. There was no time to worry about the noise. Pressing his back against the door, his eyes widened in alarm as he took in the scene before him.

The guest room, which should have been empty, already had an occupant. Sitting leisurely in an armchair by the window, bathed in moonlight, was none other than the Grand Duke of Erzet himself.

The Grand Duke’s crimson eyes locked onto Lucio with an air of detached boredom. He rested a gun on his thigh and spoke in a slow, deliberate voice. "Lucio Zaetani."

At the sound of his name, Lucio fell to his knees without thinking. Cold sweat poured down his face, soaking his clothes almost instantly.

"Y-Your Grace..."

His voice came out strangled, barely a whisper. The Grand Duke toyed lightly with the gun, the sound of it being cocked filling the room. His voice, though elegant, carried an edge of contempt. "Smells like sh*t in here, doesn’t it?"

***