Chapter 20

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Grand Duke's Marriage
-----------------------------------------------------------------

What startled Aileen the most was the sound of Michele's gunshot. Aileen pressed a hand to her chest. The shot had sent her heart racing.

Michele blew on the smoking barrel of her gun, then turned to Aileen with a triumphant look. Her eyes were begging for praise. Unfortunately, Aileen was too shaken to offer any; she could barely hold onto the doorframe.

“Aileen!”

Just then, a woman burst through the crowd, pushing people aside. The shawl on her head fell away, revealing luscious blonde hair that shimmered like gold dust in the sunlight.

“Le-Lena?”

As Aileen stammered out her alias in surprise, Malena began swatting at the soldiers blocking her path with her delicate hands.

“I have His Excellency the Grand Duke's permission! And I'm an acquaintance of Lady Aileen!”

Aileen quickly approached Michele, who was standing in the garden.

“Sir Michele! I know her. Please let her in.”

“Of course, I'll let her in. Is there anything else you need?”

Michele, smiling brightly, was her usual self. Her acting as if nothing was wrong amidst all this chaos was even more confusing.

“I was… going to go shopping…”

“Ah, for groceries. Give it to me.”

Michele took the shopping basket and pressed a piece of chocolate into Aileen's hand.

“I'll pick out something delicious for you. Please go inside and enjoy your time with your friend.”

Aileen found herself ushered back inside the house with Malena.

“…”

*Click.* The door closed, and the two of them stood in the entryway in silence for a moment. Aileen was the first to break the silence with an awkward greeting.

“Good morning, Lena.”

Malena replied sullenly.

“Just call me Malena. You know everything now, don't you?”

“Ah, Malena.”

As Aileen corrected herself with a gentle smile, Malena's expression suddenly crumpled as if she were about to cry. Seeing that haughty, cat-like face contorted with distress was both awkward and heartbreaking. Aileen placed a hand on Malena's arm and asked.

“How did you get here? Is everything alright?”

“Of course not! That's why I came!”

Malena thrust a newspaper at Aileen. A massive headline stared back at her.

[THE GRAND DUKE'S MARRIAGE… HIS BRIDE, AILEEN ELORDE]

“Huh…?”

Aileen let out a bewildered sound. She had heard the crowd gathered outside her house chattering about a marriage. But with so many people shouting at once, she hadn't been able to make out the words clearly.

*Has the news of my marriage gotten out?*

The newspaper Malena had brought was *La Verità*, a paper known for its sober tone and articles that stuck to the facts. It was also said to be pro-imperial family.

Aileen's eyes and mouth widened as she took the paper and read through the article.

“Is it true?”

Malena asked again, her eyes anxious.

“Is it true that you're marrying His Excellency, Grand Duke Erzet, Aileen?”

Aileen stared blankly at Malena before answering a beat later.

“Yes…”

It was true. She had gone to the grand duke's residence yesterday, met Cesare, and agreed to his terms of marriage.

But she never imagined the news of their marriage would be a front-page exclusive just one day later. And on such a massive scale, too.

As it was, the papers had been filled with articles about Grand Duke Erzet every single day since the triumphal march. *La Verità* was one of the more respectable ones, but the tabloids were having a field day.

The clothes the grand duke wore, the cologne he used, his favorite foods… Every trivial detail was turned into an article. There was even a special feature on Cesare's hobby of playing the piano.

Yet, despite digging into every corner of the grand duke's private life, they never printed a single article about Aileen. This was despite the well-known story that the grand duke doted on the daughter of the nanny who raised him.

It was as if an invisible hand had a grip on the press; no newspaper ever mentioned Aileen. No reporters ever came to harass her for an interview.

Of course, the so-called ‘Lily Incident’ during the triumphal march and the ‘Bloody Banquet’ at the victory celebration had all been reported. But the fact that the young lady involved in those incidents was Aileen Elorde was never revealed.

Reporters were nothing if not tenacious. The only reason they had knowingly left Aileen alone until now was because they feared the grand duke.

But today, Aileen's existence had been laid bare for all the world to see. The implication was clear.

Cesare himself had announced his marriage to Aileen to the entire empire.

Aileen read the word ‘marriage’ in the paper over and over again. Staring at the word, which felt more alien each time she read it, she realized her own situation.

There was nowhere left to run.

She was truly, irrevocably trapped into marrying Cesare.

“Let me see your hand.”

The sharp voice snapped Aileen out of her daze. She held out her right hand, but Malena pounded her chest in frustration and cried, “Your left!”

Aileen quickly switched hands.

Seeing the bare fourth finger of her left hand, Malena threw her head back. She squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing her anger, but when she looked at Aileen again, her gaze was like that of a lioness.

“You didn't even get a ring?”

“Ah, well.”

Aileen answered, shrinking back.

“I didn't…”

“His Excellency is the grand duke! He can afford any ring he wants!”

She raged about why Aileen hadn't even received a proposal ring from a man who could afford to put diamond rings with stones so large they'd spin on all ten of her fingers.

Aileen glanced toward her father's bedroom and tried to calm Malena down.

“Malena, please lower your voice a little…”

“Huu. I'm sorry. I forgot about the reporters outside.”

The reporters were outside the garden, so it was unlikely they could hear her from there. But Aileen was worried about her father, so she let Malena's misunderstanding stand.

“Aileen. No, Lady Elorde.”

Startled by the formal address, Aileen waved her hands.

“It's fine, you can just call me by my name.”

“…I didn't know you were a noble. And I certainly never imagined you were the child His Excellency cherished.”

“I never thought you were a dancer, Malena.”

Malena let out a laugh that was almost a sigh. Aileen smiled along with her.

***

Malena was a special case among Aileen's clients.

When she first came to Aileen's workshop, she was suffering from the aftereffects of an abortion. Malena had smiled faintly as she said the bleeding wouldn't stop.

“I heard you're good. Do you have a poison that will let me die painlessly and beautifully? I'll pay you whatever you ask.”

With that, she tossed a heavy pouch of money in front of Aileen. An endless stream of gold coins spilled onto the table.

Aileen glanced at the gold coins for a moment, then took just one before silently gathering the rest back into the pouch. She handed it back to Malena and asked.

“Do you like hot chocolate? It's all I have to drink.”

Aileen quickly made a cup of warm hot chocolate and offered it to her. Malena, who had taken the cup without thinking, stared at Aileen in disbelief. But the warmth spreading through her hands and the sweet aroma rising from the cup were pleasant, so she began to sip the hot chocolate.

“I'll make the poison you want. But it will take some time.”

“How long?”

“Hm… About a month. But you'll have to come here for a checkup every three or four days.”

To create a poison perfectly suited for her, Aileen explained, required that much time and care. Then, as she took the empty hot chocolate cup, she added.

“You should also see a proper doctor.”

She explained that one had to be healthy to die beautifully. Malena believed her. Looking back, it was nonsense, but her mind was that fragile at the time.

With the goal of becoming the most beautiful corpse in the capital, she saw a doctor and visited Aileen's workshop once a week. Each time she visited the workshop, Aileen would do a simple check-up on Malena's condition and give her a tasty snack.

After receiving treats a couple of times, Malena started buying snacks to share with Aileen on her next visits. New cakes and cookies from the capital's famous bakeries, imported fruit-flavored candies, all sorts of luxurious desserts.

Aileen would light up like a child whenever Malena brought these various snacks. Malena found it quite enjoyable to see that cute reaction. At the same time, a subtle sense of rivalry began to grow, because Aileen was never surprised by any of the snacks she brought.

No matter how expensive a dessert she brought—something a poor apothecary could never afford—Aileen acted as if she had tried it before.

A suspicion naturally formed.

*Does she spend all her money on snacks?*