Chapter 35

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Why Can't You Sing?
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Cesare's scent lingered on the frock coat. It was the same one she had smelled earlier in the Emperor's audience chamber. Her nose, which had been suffering from the smell of tobacco, finally felt at ease.
Aileen carefully drew the coat closed. The fabric felt soft and warm in her hands, still holding Cesare's residual warmth.
Seeing how poorly she had put it on, Cesare adjusted the coat for her. He tapped her nose with his finger and asked.

“The garden.”

“Not yet…”

“Why not yet?”

Cesare looked at the attendant who had been assigned to guide Aileen. The attendant hastily shoved the handkerchief wrapped around the cigarette butt into his pocket and reported promptly.

“The two ladies were engaged in a brief conversation, which caused a delay.”

He spoke with the stiff posture of a soldier. His eyes held a mixture of admiration and respect, as if it were an honor just to exchange words with Cesare.
Normally, ladies-in-waiting and attendants were divided into various ranks, with aide-de-camp positions held by high-ranking nobles. Those assigned to such menial tasks were mostly nobles of middle rank or lower.
The story of Cesare recruiting talented individuals regardless of their status was well-known. So was the fact that the knights closest to him were commoners by birth, who had received their knighthoods and become nobles.
Thus, people held admiration, respect, and a slight sense of anticipation toward Cesare—the hope that they, too, might catch his eye and rise through the ranks.
Cesare watched the attendant, whose eyes were shining with singular focus, and let out a short laugh.

“A conversation.”

As his red eyes narrowed, the attendant immediately dropped his gaze. He didn't dare meet Cesare's eyes.
As if he had no intention of reprimanding the powerless attendant, Cesare simply gave a short command.

“Escort Lady Parvellini out.”

He added with a detached expression.

“She seems to have lost her way.”

Everyone knew it was a ridiculous claim, but no one here could contradict the Grand Duke. Even Ornella, the Emperor's fiancée, was for now just the daughter of Duke Parvellini.
Ornella didn't show any anger or hurt. She merely pressed her lips together in silence. Her eyelashes trembled faintly, as if she were holding back tears.

“…Your Excellency, Grand Duke Erzet.”

Ornella, clutching her handkerchief tightly, spoke in a wavering voice.

“I am relieved to see you in good health. While you were on your campaign, I prayed for you every single day. Without fail.”

She gave a faint smile. Aileen had also prayed for Cesare every day, but somehow, her prayers felt insignificant compared to Ornella's. Aileen lowered her gaze.

“Still, you have returned safely, so it seems the gods have answered my prayers. I will take my leave now.”

After offering a slight curtsy, Ornella requested of the attendant in an elegant voice.

“Would you be so kind as to show me the way?”

She looked as sorrowful as a waterlogged lily. For a moment, even the attendant forgot what had just happened and looked at her with eyes full of pity.

“Of course, Lady Parvellini.”

Once she left with the attendant, only Aileen and Cesare remained in the corridor.
Aileen cautiously looked up at Cesare. Their eyes met instantly, as he had been watching her too. He smiled faintly and asked.

“Shall we go see the plants?”

But Aileen whispered, listless.

“I'm sorry…”

It felt like all she ever said to him was "I'm sorry." If only she could be more confident. After meeting Ornella, her self-assurance had vanished completely. She felt as if she could sink into the ground and disappear at any moment.
Seeing her crestfallen and unresponsive to his suggestion to see the plants, Cesare immediately guessed the cause.

“It seems you heard some nonsense from Ornella.”

It wasn't nonsense. Thanks to Ornella, she had become aware of a reality she hadn't considered, so if anything, she should be thanking her.

“…Your Excellency.”

Aileen hesitated before making a request.

“Could you possibly open the door to my laboratory?”

The mere thought of her dowry made her world go dark. The time she had almost married a foreign noble was a different case entirely. That had been a man with poor marriage prospects buying a bride with money.
But now, she was marrying the most coveted bachelor in the empire, a man admired by all. Marrying Cesare, who lacked nothing, she couldn't just sit back and do nothing. She had to at least show some sign of effort.
Her plan was to first sell the medicines in her lab, and since there were some expensive research tools, she would pawn them to raise money.
If she hadn't bought the platinum pocket watch, she would have had a little more to spare, but it was a gift she had truly wanted to give, so she decided not to regret it.

‘He'll understand if the dowry is a little short, right?’

The marriage had been decided abruptly, and Cesare had been the one to push for it so strongly. She hoped that if she brought what little she could gather with her best effort, he would be generous about it.
However, even if she managed to secure a dowry, the problem was how to deliver it. Traditionally, the bride's father presented it to the groom's father. In Aileen and Cesare's case, Baron Elorde would have to present it directly to Grand Duke Erzet himself.

‘But how can I trust my father?’

There was a high chance he would dip his hands into the dowry she had painstakingly scraped together. He might not take all of it, fearing Cesare, but he was more than capable of pocketing a portion. Her already meager sum could be cut in half.
The more she thought about it, the more hopeless it seemed. Especially with the wedding so close.

‘If it were Lady Ornella, she wouldn't have to worry about such things.’

She envied the other woman for having such a powerful family to back her. Aileen tried not to be jealous of Ornella as she waited for Cesare's answer.
For some reason, Cesare didn't answer right away. Aileen watched his lips anxiously. He slowly began to speak.

“I was planning to open it for you after the wedding.”

“Ah, well, I'm in a hurry…”

“Why the hurry?”

“My customers are waiting. Some of them are sick.”

In truth, none of her regular customers were in urgent need. Only Luca, the watchmaker, was running low on his medicine, so she had already prepared and given him the headache remedy she'd made in advance.
But with her situation so dire, the excuses flowed easily.

“The medicine I make is quite good. So there are people who will only take mine. They say others are less effective… Ah, I'm not trying to brag. I'm just telling you what I've heard from my customers.”

Feeling the weight of her lie, she rambled on with her excuses, but Cesare simply listened without any reaction. When she ran out of things to say, Aileen looked up at him with pleading eyes.

“Is it… not possible?”

Her plea was so earnest that her hands had clasped together politely without her realizing. Cesare looked down at her for a moment, then suddenly furrowed his brow.

“Take off your glasses.”

She didn't know why, but she quickly did as she was told, taking off her glasses and holding them in her hand. Then, he reached out and brushed her bangs aside.

“Ah.”

Their eyes met without any obstruction. Her vision, now clear, was filled entirely with Cesare. Aileen drew a startled breath, her chest rising slightly.
He slowly caressed her cheek. The moment his leather glove touched her skin, a faint shiver ran through her. A thrilling sensation traced its way down her spine.
Since she was a child, Cesare had often patted her head or touched her cheek. It was no different from how one might soothe a cute child.
But now it felt completely different. Perhaps because she knew what else that hand could do. The way it had delved into her most intimate places, teasing her mischievously…
As the memory of that night surfaced, Aileen unconsciously parted her lips. The moment her small tongue was revealed, Cesare kissed her.
He sucked her tongue into his mouth. As he nibbled and tormented it, he grabbed her waist with both hands, holding her steady as she flinched.
He held her tightly in his embrace, thoroughly exploring the sensitive places inside her mouth before finally pulling away.
Aileen gasped for breath, her face flushed, and stared at the man before her in bewilderment. She had no idea why he had suddenly kissed her.

“Why, why…”

“Why can't you sing?”

He licked his lips and whispered to the stammering Aileen.

“When you're so good at chattering.”