Wicked Husband

He first discussed the sales strategy, then reassured Eileen that she should not worry about his medication. They chatted for a while before bidding her goodbye on her way home.

She was in a good mood and eagerly planned how to deliver her gift. She reasoned that since Diego would be visiting soon, she could ask him to give the gift to Cesare on her behalf.

'You probably already have a lot of good watches. But who knows? You might need one for everyday use. Something unremarkable that you wouldn't mind losing.'

Eileen didn't fool herself. His Grace was a man of great wealth who could afford anything. Still, she hoped he would appreciate this. She worked hard to afford it, considering how expensive it was. Nevertheless, she felt a sense of satisfaction in buying a suitable gift. When she got home, she found herself humming contentedly to herself.

"…?"

There was a car in front of her house that she had not seen before. It did not belong to the Grand Duke's subordinates, who typically drove military vehicles with the Imperial Army emblem. Eileen was suspicious, so she examined it closely. There were no markings whatsoever, so she scratched the thought that it was some soldier's car.

She walked past it and into her front garden, surprised, before coming to a halt. A stranger was standing there, staring at her orange trees.

He was a large, older man.

'Is he perhaps my father's guest?'

No one comes here to see Eileen, aside from the Grand Duke's soldiers. The most plausible hypothesis was that he was looking for her father.

Eileen approached the man cautiously, not forgetting to discreetly hide his Grace's gift behind her back.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

The moment she greeted him, the man wasted no time turning around. The cloudy pupils of his downturned eyes inspected Eileen from head to toe. It was a dull and unpleasant stare.

Eileen shook her head internally and scolded herself. Some people can't help the way they look. Jumping to conclusions and immediately judging him at their first meeting was not how she was raised.

"Eileen Elrod?"

"Oh, yes! That's me. Are you a friend of my father?"

She replied with a bright smile. After all, regardless of his eyes, the man bore a happy expression. Not to say that it didn't feel repulsive. It made her want to crawl under her skin and even flee.

"You can say Baron Elrod and I go way back."

Eileen could detect an exotic accent in his speech. He was probably a foreign noble.

Could it be that her father once again borrowed money that he could not pay back? This was troublesome. She had already spent all of her savings on the pocket watch! Could she cover his mistakes with the emergency fund she had left?

She didn't let her complicated feelings show on her face. He could still be her father's friend, so she continued warmly.

"I'm sorry to say that my father is out right now…"

"Is that so?"

Even though she announced her father's absence, he did not appear to want to leave. Watching him linger awkwardly, Eileen reluctantly asked a question she did not want to ask.

"Would you like some tea?"

"If you insist."

The man readily accepted and followed Eileen inside the house. Eileen seated him in the living room before apologising and rushing upstairs.

Given her father's antics, it appeared that his friend had indeed come to collect his money back. She would hand over what the man asked for, but she was not giving up on that watch.

This was a gift for her beloved to commemorate his historic victory. She would not miss this opportunity. She hid the box deep in her wardrobe before retrieving a small safe from beneath her bed. 

She checked her emergency fund and bit her lip as she counted the silver coins. She had no idea how much her father owed, but she hoped she had enough to pay the interest.

After counting and returning to the first floor, she found her guest once again looking at her greenery. This time he was studying the lilies in the vase, which were also looking at the orange tree.

She continued on to the kitchen, clattering about and preparing to serve the tea. From time to time, she felt him staring at her neck.

'Why do you keep staring at me?'

She hurried to finish the tea, still terrified that he would ask about the money. As she turned, tray in hand,

"AHHH!"

Startled, Eileen grabbed the tray with all her strength. The man was standing right in front of her. She felt her heart leap out of her chest.

The man was not that tall, so their eyes met. Unexpectedly, he reached out his hand and flicked Eileen's fringe. Her face was now exposed for his inspection.

Eileen felt like a deer caught in the headlights at his incredibly rude and dangerous gesture. The older man couldn't help but chuckle.

"Just as I expected, you really do have mysterious eyes."

Eileen didn't hesitate to pull back, even if she trembled and haphazardly put down the tray.

"Why are you like this? If it's because of the money–"

"You think this is about the money?"

The man's face contorted grimly in reply.

"Yes, it is indeed about money. My money, to be precise, Lady Elrod. And I have a lot to say about it."

With each word, his voice became louder until it boomed with his final remark. Eileen bristled like a bird in a defiant manner.

"Baron Elrod promised to sell an item to me. He clearly signed the contract, even received payment in advance. All that was left was to deliver the goods and his account would be settled. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the Baron was missing."

His words felt ominous and she couldn't get rid of the negative thoughts swirling in her head. She blurted it out before she could stop herself, as if in a trance.

"And what did he decide to sell?"

The man grinned at her simple question and felt like she was doused with glacial water. She desperately hoped to God that she was wrong, but his shark smile shattered her soul.

"Why, he decided to give me his daughter. I've made all the preparations for the wedding, but the bride never arrived. Naturally I came to find her."

Eileen thought that there was nothing left in her father's name. But there was apparently one thing left, just waiting to be sold off.

Eileen Elrod herself.

According to Imperial law, an unmarried woman cannot refuse marriage arranged by the bride's parents. She didn't understand why it shocked her, that her own father would sell his daughter just to satisfy his gambling addiction.

Her world began to spin and there was a loud ringing in her ears. What should she blame it on? That this unbearable truth became her reality, or that it was too unbelievable to even comprehend. It was too baffling. She couldn't even shed a tear. Not to say that a maniacal giggle wasn't threatening to leave her lips.

Her supposed 'fiance' continued to ramble in front of the motionless Eileen. He even pulled out a valid contract to back up his claims. Elrod's family seal was presented in front of her, clear as day.

"I'll be back in three days. Be sure to sort things out, pack, and get ready to move. Make sure to prepare your dowry with no grudges attached."

With that, the man left. The sound of the closing door echoed through the house, as if signaling the end of the world. 

Finally alone, Eileen sank to the floor. The hard wooden floor pressed painfully against her knees. She couldn't muster the thought to move to her soft sofa. 

After what felt like an eternity, Cesare's words from the Imperial greenhouse played back in her mind.

"Considering we have to marry eventually, wouldn't it be preferable for me to be your partner than some old pig?"

The man who visited Eileen today was both bigger in stature and older in age. Cesare's puzzling suggestion became as clear as day. 

"You already knew this would happen, didn't you, your highness?"

Perhaps he found out about the contract while investigating her father's whereabouts? Getting him involved in her predicament weighed her down, she felt so embarrassed by it. The more agonizing truth was that she couldn't solve this situation on her own. 

The only one who could help Eileen was Cesare himself.

***

Looking down at the red velvet box, Eileen held onto it as if it were her lifeline. She never wanted to send him this gift in this manner. 

If she was to approach him about her little problem, it was better to go with a humble gift than to go empty-handed.

Eileen spent a while in tears, before rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. Then, she looked at his mansion in the distance.

This townhouse was the place the Grand Duke Erzet used when he stayed in the capital. It was a place guarded to the brim by his soldiers.

Cesare acquired the place shortly after becoming the Duke. Yet it remained vacant for some time, since his departure for the battlefield. It was also the first time Eileen visited the place.

She couldn't approach it directly, so she observed some more from a distance.

Well… she could, but she didn't have the courage. She would then need to reveal her identity. She took some time mentally preparing herself. 

She went back and forth on her path, thinking how much she could delay the inevitable, and probably embarrassing, meeting. When she couldn't take the psychological anguish anymore, she approached the gates of the mansion with hesitant steps. Like she predicted, the soldiers blocked her path, no questions were asked.

"I have some urgent business with His Grace. If you could tell them Eileen Elrod is here–"

"Eileen Elrod?!"

She didn't even have time to finish her sentence before soldiers started gushing upon hearing her name. They responded with such admiration that Eileen was taken aback, only able to foolishly blink at their enthusiasm.

"My lady, please! Just wait here a moment."

The guards informed the staff at the mansion and escorted her inside. The massive iron gates that shielded his Grace's sanctuary opened, revealing a lush garden inside.

A mansion such as this, situated on a parcel of land amidst the archipelago, left her already overwhelmed by its opulence.

As Eileen approached, she found a row of employees awaiting her arrival. They greeted her with politeness, and the elderly butler stationed at the forefront extended a warm welcome.

"Have you been waiting long? My sincerest apologies for any inconvenience, Lady Eileen."

***