As the carriage drove away, Diego watched. Since cars were seen as luxury items, he usually used a carriage when he wanted to be discreet.
'If only I could take her home myself! But no, I have too much to do.'
He had no choice but to let his most trusted subordinate take her home.
As he watched the carriage disappear and then a little further on, he let out a long sigh.
Oh, what a mess…
Of all the possible places to find Miss... the world had a strange sense of humor.
Lotan should be arrested for this.
Regardless of his thoughts, Lotan always seemed to be the good guy. He swore that their mistress had a significant number of men protecting her, wrapped around her little finger, dancing like puppets.
He had planned to go there with the stuffed rabbit, but realized he needed to do more to redeem himself. He had to devise a strategy to compensate for today's setback. Determined, Diego returned to the building, the scoreboard lit up in his mind.
Going back inside, he casually leaned against the wall beside the stairs. Then, suddenly, a golden square materialized on the smooth surface, revealing a hidden door. Beyond it, there was another set of stairs leading down into the depths of the underground.
The staircase was dimly lit by flickering torches, creating an eerie atmosphere. Undeterred by the atmosphere, Diego whistled a tune as he descended.
The metallic smell of blood grew stronger with each step. In the distance, a vast underground chamber stretched before him, divided into sections by sturdy iron bars.
Delving deeper into the underground labyrinth, Diego reflected on Eileen's research. He wasn't a genius like some of his colleagues, who could drink from a fountain of knowledge all at once. Still, he knew when to hold his tongue and allow time for the knowledge to be absorbed.
After examining all the research documents retrieved from Eileen's laboratory, Senon declared one day.
"Morpheus will change the course of history."
Imagine a potent drug that isolates the analgesic components of opium, maximizing its analgesic properties.
Despite its addictive properties, the results were undeniable. Morpheus would be the ultimate salvation, not only for the wounded on the battlefield, but also for those dying in agony.
Senon emphasized that only a single ingredient was extracted from a plant, which was of great importance. The rest of the explanation fell on deaf ears to Diego.
"Your Highness, the Empire will reach new heights with this medicine! Please support Ms. Eileen's research!"
If they did so, they would have to prove its effectiveness in order to avoid the death penalty.
It would have been worthwhile for Cesare to secretly protect Eileen until her research was complete, then demonstrate the effectiveness of the finished product and support her.
'And when she becomes Archduchess, no one will dare mess with her!'
Regardless of how much the Archduke adored her, she was nothing more than the daughter of a fallen family. The man's knights, including Diego, desperately wanted Eileen to become the Archduchess.
In this way, she would be completely protected.
Eileen had been involved in a strange number of accidents since childhood. She was particularly prone to attracting dangerous and unpleasant people. This became evident from the moment she caught Cesare's attention. He, previously indifferent and uninterested, found himself captivated by young Eileen and eventually discovered a growing affection for her.
As she grew older, Eileen became involved with even stranger characters. If Cesare's knights hadn't done a little "cleaning" of the house, they would have had a big problem on their hands.
The Archduke's knights, who had observed Eileen for many years, had grown fond of her. They were not so secretly shocked when Cesare announced his intention to make Eileen his Archduchess.
Eileen would have to marry someone at some point. It would be better for her to marry Cesare than to end up marrying a stranger. Diego was sure she shared the same feeling.
'Still... It's all a bit sudden.'
Diego's master had always liked Eileen, but his feelings had suddenly become irrational. After all, she was only his 'daughter' until that moment.
It all began with his triumph over the Kalpen Kingdom.
Cesare's behavior changed after that day. Diego noticed a difference the moment the Archduke brought King Kalpen to his knees.
Cesare rarely showed his emotions. Regardless of the situation, he remained calm and rational. But on that day, despite having spent his entire life in Cesare's service, the man showed a side of himself that Diego had never seen before.
Looking at the kneeling King, he stared intently and muttered something that apparently made no sense when listened to by the others.
"When was this? Was it already 7 years ago?"
He slowly closed his eyes, then burst into laughter, a deadly sensation sending shivers down Diego's spine. Cesare, who had been lost in thought for some time, let out a tired sigh.
"Ah..."
He smiled, his irises bright red.
"I'm finally back."
Then he drew his sword and cut off King Kalpen's head.
There was no time to stop it. By the glint of the sword's blade, the king's head had already been severed.
His head flew off, and a fountain of blood gushed from his severed neck. The Archduke's knights could not contain their shock at seeing King Kalpen cut in half.
It was not normal for Cesare to act like that.
If he were the Cesare they knew, he would have spared the fallen king's life and kept him around until his usefulness had expired. But Diego couldn't reconcile this calculating Cesare with the impulsive act of violence before him. It was strange that he would wield a sword to carry out his sentence.
After that, Cesare regained his composure, laughed hysterically, and considered the decapitation an illusion. He assumed an air of extreme calm and rationality, despite the shocking turn of events.
The knights knew, despite his facade. Their master had changed; it became clear the moment he beheaded the king.
In people's opinion of the man, Cesare had become wiser. He seemed to have matured and become more sophisticated, and occasionally he could predict the future. It was as if he had stolen knowledge from heaven.
However, unlike before, a more impulsive side emerged. There were times when he acted like a madman as if he were broken, but it was all for Eileen Elrod.
"I should marry Eileen."
Cesare gathered the knights who were about to return to the empire and made the sudden announcement. Lotan was the first to say the right thing, while everyone else was frozen in shock.
"I believe Miss Eileen will feel overwhelmed."
"I can't help it, even if she doesn't like it. It's preferable to having her head chopped off by the guillotine."
Cesare smiled bitterly before beginning to mutter again.
"This won't happen twice. (╥﹏╥)"
What did their master mean by that? Their master wasn't one to spout nonsense, so it had to mean something.
Diego quickly dismissed his suspicions about Cesare's intentions and opened the thick iron door in front of him. Diego entered and briefly clicked his tongue when he heard a grumble.
— Aaaah.
He walked straight into a pool of blood. He wrinkled his nose and looked inside. A piece of meat was tied to a chair in the center of the room, so it was difficult to determine its identity. Red stains covered the entire floor.
A man who had been trapped in a corner and unable to make a sound crawled out, whimpering.
— Sniff, hic, Dieg—, Mr. Diego!
The person who jumped out as if he'd seen a savior was Eileen's father, Baron Elrod. It looked like the wretched Baron had gotten himself into trouble.
While he frowned at the acrid stench of the urine, Baron Elrod, who was trying to cling to Diego's feet, noticed and immediately fell.
Diego greeted his master first. When Cesare acknowledged the greeting, he made a gesture, and all the soldiers in the dungeon immediately dropped their instruments of torture and assumed an upright posture.
Although the chamber was filled with the smell of blood, Cesare was organized and immaculate. With his arms crossed, he spoke languidly.
Don't let her drink again, Diego.
- My apologies.
If she asks again, simply refuse.
Yes, Your Grace.
Diego risked a quick glance at his master. It was fortunate that Cesare seemed to be in a very good mood. He must have had a pleasant encounter with Miss Eileen.
'He wasn't one for open displays of emotion, much less affection. But when my master was with her, his demeanor softened unexpectedly.'
Diego looked at Baron Elrod with disgust.
'Now, what should we do with this worm?'
The Baron was shaken to his core when he realized Diego was watching him. He tried to offer a servile smile, but it was difficult because his whole body was trembling.
Cesare watched this with a slow smile playing on his lips. It was such a beautiful expression that he couldn't help but draw attention to himself.
— On second thought, our service here was actually below average.
Cesare spoke gently, as if offering her tea.
— Shall we sit down and talk?
After removing the desecrated remains from the previous session, a piece of meat precariously hung from the chair, the soldiers forced Baron Elrod to sit in the seat.
AAAAAARGG!
The baron's hysterical screams were more like squeals, his saliva and tears mingling as if he were slitting a pig's throat. His outburst was brief, however; he abruptly shut his mouth as Cesare approached. The man looked at the terrified baron, noticing the dampness spreading once more on his trousers.
- Good…
He asked the question cheerfully.
So you still have something else to sell, Baron?
To be continued…