Count Domenico held his breath. Unsure of what expression his face revealed, Cesare added with a small smile:
— Just kidding, Count.
But despite Cesare's nonchalant attempt, an unmistakable glint shone in his red irises, which seemed to bleed. Of course… that was intentional.
Count Domenico's mind went back to the events of the previous night.
He had attended the Archduke's wedding and enjoyed the banquet until late into the night. Intoxicated by the pleasant sensation brought on by the wine, he was preparing to return home when an unexpected problem arose: the carriage that was supposed to be waiting for him had simply disappeared.
As Count Domenico anxiously scanned the surroundings, he spotted a black carriage approaching. It stopped before him, and a knight descended, adorned on his chest with the Archduke's coat of arms.
Half of the man's face was marked by deep burn scars. Expressionless, he stared at the count and said in a deep, authoritative voice:
— I'll take it back, sir.
The count swallowed hard. The man was physically imposing, his deep voice enough to intimidate.
"I can go alone ," he tried to reply, in a vain display of firmness.
"Please, come in ," said the knight, leaving no room for objection.
Despite her weak resistance, the knight ignored her and promptly opened the carriage door. Faced with a gaze that seemed ready to force him if he did not obey, Count Domenico obediently entered the military vehicle.
The journey continued in absolute silence. The drunkenness dissipated in an instant, and the count began to cautiously observe the man seated beside him. The Archduke's knight remained silent, staring straight ahead, while the tension grew like thorns on Domenico's skin, who could only think of arriving at the residence as soon as possible.
When the carriage finally stopped, Count Domenico paused, ready to say goodbye.
Thank you. Well, I'll be going now…
— Count.
Large hands, like plates, appeared before him, holding a sealed envelope.
The Archduke requested that this be delivered to Your Excellency.
Domenico stepped down from the carriage, watching the vehicle as it drove away. With trembling hands, he opened the envelope. Thick papers slid through his fingers. He leafed through each page, his eyes widening as he read the contents.
The details were meticulously recorded: the way Marquis Menegin and his son-in-law had been "treated ." The passage describing how the Marquis himself gouged out his remaining eye was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
Even if the marquis had confessed to his crimes, that act went beyond any limit. The punishments should have been judged and executed within the law. However, to eliminate adversaries in such a brutal way…
The count spent the night awake. As soon as day broke, he rushed to the Archduke's residence. However, when he came face to face with Cesare, all the words he had rehearsed stuck in his throat. With a trembling voice, he murmured:
— … What do you want, sir?
Why reveal something that could become a weakness for the Archduke himself? Those documents could be used against him, even to remove him from power.
The Count, who had always kept himself aloof from political games, couldn't understand why Cesare, having shown little interest in politics until now, had suddenly decided to exterminate his adversaries so abruptly. While trying to decipher the intentions behind it all, Cesare lightly tapped his fingers on the table.
Another document slid toward him. An instinct coursed through the old man's body, a premonition that it concerned him. He mustered his courage and began to read, his composure crumbling as the pages slipped through his trembling fingers. His face lost all color.
It was a detailed record of his collaboration with the kingdom of Kalpen, a crime serious enough to cost him his head.
The weight of his actions fell upon him. He had betrayed his principles, a single lapse committed solely for the sake of his gravely ill wife. During the most critical moments of the war, Kalpen exploited this vulnerability, offering a secret remedy, exclusive to the royal family, in exchange for information.
Blinded by that spark of hope, the count yielded. Now, as he faced the irrefutable proof of his crime, Cesare's shadow loomed over the paper. Raising his head, he saw the Archduke calmly savoring his tea, delivered by the servant.
"You must already know why I spared your life, " said Cesare, in a tone as if it were all just a trivial detail.
When Kalpen's youngest son died on the battlefield, the king harbored a desire to inflict the same pain on Cesare. He plotted to frame the young noblewoman saved by the Archduke, mobilizing the nobles of Traon to act, including Domenico himself, against her.
But when he received the order from the king of Kalpen, Domenico hesitated. Despite having committed acts unworthy of a subject of the Empire, he could not bring himself to take the final step to harm an innocent young woman.
Furthermore, as the effects of the medicine on his wife began to wear off, the decision to refuse it became easier. He began to consider seeking help from a skilled apothecary within the Empire.
After Cesare's rise to power, relations with Kalpen were severed. With the king's death, he believed his past would be quietly buried. He vowed to dedicate the rest of his life to Traon.
The silence between the two stretched on, tense, a heavy counterpoint to the rustling of papers. Finally, he raised his head, and a question escaped his lips:
— Do you desire cooperation, Your Grace?
A glint of amusement flashed in Cesare's eyes. A low laugh, a dark and strangely captivating sound, escaped his lips.
"With a wife by my side… " he said, dragging out the words, "wouldn't it be useful to have a loyal guard dog in the house?"
The Count clenched his jaw. The insult burned, but he couldn't deny the truth in Cesare's words; his life hung by a thread, a pawn on the Archduke's chessboard. A flicker of defiance flashed in his eyes, quickly extinguished by a wave of despair. His wife's frail state and the promise of a new chance at healing offered him a glimmer of hope, however precarious.
"Apparently… " Cesare continued, his relaxed tone in stark contrast to the weight of his words, "my wife plans to launch a new drug soon."
Count Domenico's eyes widened in surprise, a glint of despair flickering in their depths. Cesare rested his chin on one hand, his gaze steady as he studied the Count's face.
"It's a truly remarkable medication ," he added with a small smile. "I myself have high expectations. However, there seems to be a minor drawback."
"If it's just an inconvenience... " Domenico whispered, his voice almost inaudibly.
"Nothing that would affect its effectiveness ," Cesare replied, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "It would be a shame to bury such a valuable medicine. So, how about you, as president of the Senate, protecting the Archduke's wife?"
Cesare smiled, his beautiful eyelashes curling.
— The guard dog of Archduchess Erzet.
Shortly after saying he would be right back, Cesare took longer than expected. Eileen ate breakfast alone and glanced briefly at the newspaper she had folded and set aside.
She hesitated, but decided not to open it again. She got out of bed; she didn't want to start her first morning as newlyweds being lazy. But as soon as she stood up, she screamed in pain and collapsed back onto the mattress. She thought her body was already better, but the reality was far from it.
She remained lying there for a few more minutes before asking a maid for help to finally get up. She staggered to the bathroom and immersed herself in a warm bath. The heat eased the pain.
As the warm water enveloped her, thoughts she had been avoiding invaded her mind. She decided not to relive her wedding night; the more she thought about it, the more ashamed and embarrassed she felt, wanting to run back to her brick house. She tried to push the thoughts away.
Silently, she looked at the ring on her left ring finger. Occasionally, she had noticed strange behavior in Cesare. She attributed his changes to the war, and even Leone didn't know the clear reason behind them.
Eileen's doubts intensified each time she looked at the wedding ring that, until recently, had only existed in her diary.
"Should I ask Cesare about this? " he murmured.
But then she remembered: if he wanted to talk, he would have already done so. Asking wouldn't guarantee any answer. When she got out of the shower, she still hadn't made a decision.
Already dressed, she muttered softly, left the room and found Michelle waiting for her in the living room.
Michelle!
"Congratulations on your wedding ," she said, with a genuine smile.
She continued, bringing good news.
Your Grace has authorized the opening of the laboratory.
Eileen's joy was so great that she even saw the news as a wedding gift. For a moment, she forgot her pain and simply let herself be carried away by that happiness. However, Michelle maintained her composure, aware of her responsibilities.
"But it will be difficult to install everything on that old street ," he explained. "We're going to prepare a new space in the mansion. How about visiting the place today?"
— …
"Do you want me to arrange for someone to transport the equipment, or would you prefer to supervise personally? " Michelle suggested. "Especially if there's something important involved."
Eileen, who had already planned to speak with the innkeeper about selling the medications, decided it would be practical to visit the laboratory afterward. She would take a painkiller when she got there.
"And Your Grace? " he asked, with a slight tone of expectation.
"He had an urgent appointment at the palace ," Michelle replied.
Originally, Cesare was supposed to accompany her, but Michelle took his place. Although she had hoped to spend the day with him, Eileen hid her disappointment.
So they set off for the lab, hoping for a quiet day. However, their plans took an unexpected turn when they encountered someone.
Michelle frowned deeply when she saw a man standing in front of the inn. Quickly positioning herself in front of Eileen, protecting her, she called to the man:
— … Count Domenico?
Startled by Michelle's voice, the man turned around quickly. But he was completely shocked when his gaze met Eileen's.
With a wavering voice, Count Domenico asked:
Why is the Archduchess here...?
To be continued…