Chapter 17

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Fiore Street
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Aileen’s mouth fell open, and a small “Oh” escaped her lips. She was taken aback by how he addressed her the moment she agreed to marry him.

“But we aren’t married yet…”

In her surprise, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

Cesare let out a scoffing laugh, as if finding her words absurd. Instead of replying, he took her hand and led her across the drawing room.

When he opened the drawing room door, Sonio, who was standing outside, immediately held it for them. His expression was calm, despite Cesare’s sudden appearance.

“We’ll be going to the outskirts. Have a carriage prepared.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Sonio disappeared at once to carry out the order. Cesare led Aileen to the dressing room. Aileen was startled when she saw it.

All sorts of dresses, ladies’ accessories, hats, and shoes were prepared. It was a space that seemed out of place in the home of a bachelor. While Aileen looked around, Cesare quickly picked out an outfit.

A simple skirt and blouse, along with gloves and a hat, were placed on the sofa. After selecting a final hair ornament, he beckoned to Aileen. She approached him.

Cesare used a hairpin to sweep her bangs back and pin them in place. Then, he took her glasses.

Aileen touched her now-bare face. It felt strange to have it so exposed.

“Let’s go like this.”

“But…”

“You’ll draw more attention there if you wear glasses.”

Reassuring her, Cesare told her to change and left. Left alone in the dressing room, Aileen hesitantly took off her clothes.

She folded her old clothes neatly and set them in a corner, then put on the new ones he had chosen. Miraculously, everything fit her perfectly. Marveling at the feel of the smooth fabric, she glanced at the mirror.

“…Ugh.”

Aileen squeezed her eyes shut. She found it difficult to face the mirror with her face exposed. It kept bringing back bad memories.

“I told you it’s disgusting!”

When her mother was angry, she would stare straight into Aileen’s eyes and scream about how disgusting and unpleasant they were. She had even threatened her with scissors on several occasions. Even on good days, her mother would sometimes look at Aileen and suddenly make a face of discomfort.

One day, her mother gave her a pair of glasses as a gift. From that day on, Aileen wore them despite having perfect vision, and she let her bangs grow long to hide her “disgusting” face. She even avoided looking in the mirror as much as possible when she washed up, finishing quickly.

After living like that for so long, she was now forced to face herself. Aileen turned her back to the mirror and put on the hat. Then, she quickly pulled on her gloves and slipped on her shoes, completing her change of clothes.

She practically fled the dressing room. Outside, Cesare was giving instructions to a servant. At the sound of the door opening, both men turned to look at her.

“…!”

The servant’s eyes went wide. He stared, his eyes looking as if they might pop out, and his mouth even fell open. Feeling uncomfortable, Aileen averted her gaze.

*I wish I had my glasses.*

She awkwardly reached for the area around her eyes, but Cesare caught her wrist. He was stopping her from touching them, as they were red and swollen from her earlier crying.

With her head bowed low, Aileen stuck close behind Cesare as they went outside. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor until they were out the front door.

“Lady Aileen.”

Before she got into the carriage, Sonio called out to her. Aileen hesitantly met his eyes. Fortunately, Sonio didn’t seem surprised or react strangely to seeing her face fully revealed. He just gave her the same kind smile as always.

*Then again, Sonio has seen me since I was a child.*

He had known her since she was a little girl, flitting about without a care in the world, so her bare face must have been familiar to him.

“I’ll have the cake you couldn’t eat today sent over soon.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that.”

“I insist. Are you going to keep this old man from sleeping at night?”

He practically half-threatened her, saying he’d be upset all day that Lady Aileen hadn’t gotten to eat her cake. Left with no choice, she agreed to let him send it, which finally seemed to satisfy him.

“Please visit often, Lady Aileen.”

“Don’t worry, Sonio. You’ll be seeing her all the time soon enough.”

Cesare answered for her, giving a slight nod.

“We’ll likely be back late.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. I will make preparations accordingly.”

After bidding Sonio farewell, Aileen boarded the carriage with Cesare. The carriage moved briskly through the streets, heading toward the capital’s outskirts.

It was the same street Aileen had visited before when she went looking for her father. Though it had no official name, people called it Fiore Street.

Fiore Street was home to a collection of nightlife establishments, including taverns, gambling dens, and brothels. Merchants selling illegal goods were also hidden away there, and rumors even claimed you could find a shop that took on assassination contracts. But these were all just rumors, none of which had ever been confirmed.

*To think I’d end up in a place like this twice.*

Aileen, who had lived a life a million miles away from Fiore Street, swallowed hard and pressed closer to Cesare.

After they disembarked at the entrance to the street, Cesare had Aileen link her arm with his, as if escorting her. He paid no mind to the touts and hawkers around them as he walked on.

He acted so confidently that Aileen found herself being wary for the both of them. Cesare glanced at her and asked.

“What is it?”

“I’m worried someone might recognize you, Your Excellency.”

Thanks to the Grand Duke’s popularity, dyeing one’s hair black was all the rage in the capital. Fiore Street, too, was full of men with black-dyed hair.

But even among the countless heads of black hair, Cesare stood out. His hair was a lustrous, jet-black shade, like a raven’s feather—a color impossible to replicate with dye.

“It doesn’t matter if they do. They’ll just assume I’m here for a drink with my lover.”

That was precisely what Aileen was worried about. She didn’t want to give the people of the empire, who were already so interested in him, any unnecessary fodder for gossip. Perhaps because she was with Cesare, she felt like more people were staring at her than usual.

She reached up to adjust her glasses, only to touch her empty face. Suppressing the urge to hide somewhere, Aileen walked with her head down.

Before long, they arrived at the largest tavern on Fiore Street. There used to be an even bigger one, but for some reason, it had recently gone bankrupt and vanished overnight.

Two burly guards stood in front of the tavern. The guards, who had been joking around and smoking, quickly extinguished their cigarettes and straightened up the moment they saw Cesare. He tossed each of them a silver coin and went inside.

“Gasp.”

Aileen was so startled that she gripped Cesare’s arm tightly. She had vaguely heard that there was a famous tavern here, but its scale was beyond anything she could have imagined.

The interior was draped entirely in red velvet, and beneath a ceiling heavy with chandeliers lay a grand dance hall.

Dancers were performing in the hall. They wore dresses of shimmering scarlet silk, satin, and black lace, with red feathers adorning their hair.

Aileen’s face turned red at the sight of their revealing outfits, which exposed not only their décolletage but also their legs all the way up to their thighs. With every vigorous dance move, their skirts would fly up, revealing legs clad in sleek stockings.

Everyone here, except for Aileen, seemed to be enjoying themselves. As the song ended, new music began. At the same time, sparkling confetti rained down from the ceiling.

Amidst the fluttering confetti, a dancer appeared on a trapeze high in the air. Dressed in a sequined costume, she glittered like a jewel under the lights.

She must have been quite famous, because as soon as she appeared, the crowd cheered wildly, calling out her name.

“Malena!”

Malena spun on the trapeze, blowing kisses to those who called her name. The train of her dress trailed behind her in the air. The music stopped, and she was about to dismount from the trapeze.

“…!”

Malena’s and Aileen’s eyes met. Malena’s eyes widened. Aileen’s, too, grew round with surprise.

She was one of Aileen’s customers. She used the name “Lena” and would buy contraceptives, and she had seen Aileen’s bare face before.

With startled eyes, Malena looked at the man beside Aileen. Her eyes grew even wider when she recognized Cesare.

Her expression was one of shock, but she quickly composed herself and began to sing. The other dancers and musicians showed signs of confusion, as she had started an unscheduled song.

But, like the seasoned performers they were, they all quickly adjusted, playing along and adding harmonies. Malena swept back her luscious blonde hair and sang while looking directly at Aileen.

“Men, oh men, they’re all trash. A woman who trusts a man is a fool indeed. Vile lies, sweet nothings, they’re all despicable deceivers.”

The song’s lyrics seemed to have a hidden barb.