Chapter 23

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: An Unsettling Night
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It had truly been an exhausting day. After Malena left, Aileen had a hectic time.

The people who had gathered outside all fled when Michele fired her gun a second time. Michele, who had shot the stem to make an orange fall from the tree, picked up the unripe fruit and grinned.

“The rumor that anyone who comes here will get shot must have spread like wildfire, so no one will bother you anymore.”

After dismissing the soldiers, Michele had dinner with Aileen. And she didn't forget to say something that complicated Aileen's thoughts.

“By the way, my lady. When will you be moving into the grand ducal residence?”

“I’m not… your lady yet…”

“It’s all for the best, isn’t it? I’ll get some practice in. My lady, my lady.”

“…”

After dinner, Michele put her experience as a former maid of the Prince’s palace to use, tidying up the house in a flash before she left.

Left alone in the sparkling clean house, Aileen sat on the sofa for a moment. The Grand Duke’s knights were all valuable personnel. To make them waste their time on such a draining task… It was truly inefficient.

*He hates that more than anything.*

Cesare considered wasting time on pointless matters to be the most foolish act of all. Yet, something like this was already happening because of her. Feeling her confidence plummet, Aileen shook her head.

She got up from the sofa and went to her father’s bedroom door. After taking a short breath, she knocked.

“Come out. How long are you going to stay in there?”

Then, she heard a presence from beyond the door. With a creak, her father finally opened it and came out.

He was a truly pathetic sight. The moment she saw him, the image of his naked flesh, like a slab of meat, flashed in her mind, but she forced it away.

“It seems the guests have left.”

Her father tried to act normally. As if nothing had happened between them.

In the past, she would have accepted the olive branch he offered. But she didn’t want to today. Aileen confronted him head-on.

“Why did you do it?”

Her father’s eyebrow twitched. Unable to hide his displeasure at his defiant daughter, he suddenly yelled.

“I never intended to sell you off!”

Aileen flinched and stepped back. Then she braced her feet and stood firm. Even in this situation, her father was brazen.

“I was just trying to solve a few urgent problems. It was a calculated move, since I knew His Excellency would naturally help you. And in the end, didn’t it all turn out wonderfully?”

Ahem. Her father cleared his throat unnecessarily and glanced at Aileen.

“Now that you’re going to be the Grand Duchess.”

She could already see it in the way his eyes darted around. The swelling anticipation that since his daughter was becoming the Grand Duchess, he might enjoy immense wealth and glory.

*This is why I didn’t want to get married.*

She could picture a future where her father caused all sorts of trouble, tarnishing Cesare’s name. Perhaps it would be a trivial matter to Cesare. But the fact that she was a flaw to him pained Aileen.

“I’m stepping out for a bit. I’ll just have a beer and come back.”

Her father grabbed his hat and coat and left. He was fleeing the scene to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.

It was always like this. Even when her mother was alive, he would just shout and storm out whenever they fought. Then, Aileen would be left to bear the brunt of her mother’s anger.

*Still, he probably won’t gamble for a while…*

It seemed he had spent nearly all the money from selling her at that expensive-looking tavern.

As Aileen continued her solitary thoughts, her shoulders slumped from the overwhelming frustration. Feeling like her mood would only continue to sink, she decided to get some fresh night air in the garden. Sitting under the orange tree might ease her mind.

Aileen draped a shawl over her shoulders and went out to the garden. She sat hunched on the wooden chair, glumly looking down at the grass.

They say marriage is reality, and they weren’t wrong. She didn’t have the faintest idea what to do about her father. It was all the more difficult because it wasn’t a problem money could solve.

The Elorde barony was once wealthy, but her father had gambled away their entire fortune. The best solution would be for him to turn over a new leaf, but that was next to impossible.

As one worry piled on top of another, Aileen’s thoughts drifted to her conversation with Malena earlier that day.

“…”

Aileen stretched out her left hand and stared at her empty fourth finger.

Malena had ground her teeth, saying how disrespected Aileen would be for not even wearing a proposal ring when their marriage had already been announced. She had also unleashed a torrent of curses, calling His Excellency not just thoughtless, but cruel.

Since they had to get married, Cesare would surely give her a ring eventually. Just not right now.

*I can’t bring myself to ask him to buy me one right now.*

It was a marriage born of a deal, but the scales were tipped heavily to one side. She was already indebted to Cesare in countless ways; she couldn’t possibly bring up the topic of a ring. That would be far too shameless. The right thing to do was to trust Cesare and wait.

As she thought of Cesare, another thought suddenly surfaced. It was the smoke she had seen at the tavern where she went to find her father.

The empire strictly regulated narcotics, but that was mainly limited to the distribution of opium. Things like mandrake weren’t considered a major issue.

Cesare hadn’t said anything after smelling the smoke, so it was probably a concoction of various substances that wasn’t illegal…

She was lost in thought when, flash! A light pierced the dark garden. It was the beam of a vehicle’s headlights.

Soldiers in uniform stepped out of a familiar military vehicle.

Most people would be frightened by a visit from soldiers. But Aileen, who was more familiar with them than anyone, stood up from her chair, pleased. The soldiers who entered the garden greeted her politely.

“Lady Elorde.”

The moment she heard the greeting, Aileen faltered for a second. But she spoke without showing it.

“Good evening.”

“His Excellency the Grand Duke summons you.”

“Right now?”

“Yes. We will escort you.”

Aileen lowered her head to hide her expression. Then she slowly clenched her fists so they wouldn’t see her hands trembling faintly.

After her kidnapping at age twelve, Aileen received intensive training from Cesare. Part of it included these words:

“When I send for you, I won’t send just anyone. I’ll send people you at least recognize.”

But most of the soldiers who had come for her now were strangers. She only recognized one of them, and he was standing far back by himself.

The form of address was also suspicious. The soldiers usually called her ‘Miss Aileen.’ It was rare for them to address her formally as ‘Lady Elorde.’

*This is strange.*

Becoming the Grand Duchess also meant becoming a target for Cesare’s enemies. But who would dare?

No, this wasn’t the time for speculation. Aileen’s mind raced.

“Then I’ll just go get changed. Please wait a moment.”

It seemed best to flee into the house first. Just as Aileen carefully turned to take a step…

“Wait.”

A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Aileen flinched in shock and shook it off. The soldier, perhaps not expecting her to resist, was caught off guard and lost his grip.

As soon as she fled into the house, slammed the door, and locked it, a violent pounding came from outside, as if they were trying to break the door down. In her panic, her feet tangled, and she nearly fell. Aileen pushed herself up using a table and ran.

If she went out to the backyard, there was a small hole in the fence. If she could slip through there and escape…

Crash!

Aileen shuddered violently at the sound of a window shattering. Soldiers in uniform stormed into the house in their military boots.

The soldier she recognized was the first one in, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck and pulling.

Dragged backward, Aileen’s back hit the soldier’s chest. He wrapped one arm around her waist and grabbed her neck with the other.

“Hngh!”

The grip was viselike. He precisely pressed the carotid arteries on both sides of her neck, and her body immediately went limp.

Her hands, which had been flailing to get free, soon fell slack. As oxygen was cut off, her consciousness began to fade. Her vision turned black.

*I have to get away…*

With that last meaningless thought, Aileen lost consciousness.