Chapter 90

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Past Feelings and Future Ambitions
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Aileen, about to ask how he had been, found her lips sealed shut. Seeing her wide-eyed surprise, Lucio offered a small, knowing smile.

"It's all in the past. A youthful infatuation."

He brushed it off as a fleeting emotion, nothing of consequence now. Aileen, who had frozen, unsure how to react, let out a visible sigh of relief.

"I just wanted to tell you, even if it's belated. That once, I did."

For a confession of a love long past, the emotion lingering in his voice was thick. But Aileen lacked the perceptiveness to notice such subtleties. She was simply relieved that their relationship wouldn't become too awkward.

"Oh, well, thank you."

It was the first time anyone had confessed to her, and she had no idea how to respond. She offered her thanks as best she could, then glanced at Lucio to gauge his reaction.

He simply smiled without any discernible reaction. Aileen changed the subject as naturally as she could.

"It's a bit late to ask, but... have you been well?"

She had thought of Lucio from time to time. She had wanted to send a letter asking after him, but she didn't know where he lived, let alone his address. Now that they had met again, she wanted to look after him, partly to repay the kindness he had shown her in their university days.

"I haven't been well, no."

But Lucio seemed to have no intention of exchanging pleasantries about their lives. He met her gaze squarely.

"Leaving you was not my choice, Lady Aileen, and it pained me. I wanted to stay by your side."

The meaning was unmistakable. He was saying that Cesare had forcibly sent him away. With one of Cesare's men sitting right there in the driver's seat, clad in a military uniform, it was an incredibly audacious thing to say.

*His Excellency wouldn't be bothered by a single comment like this, but...*

Lucio was a capable and promising scholar, but he was nothing compared to the Grand Duke of the empire. To Cesare, Lucio's words would seem like little more than the tantrum of a naive child.

Still, it was a remark best left unsaid. Aileen felt the need to dissuade him.

"I'm just glad we were able to meet again."

As Aileen signaled her intent to change the subject, a shadow fell over Lucio's eyes. It was as if she could hear his unspoken words: *Why aren't you questioning what I said?*

Lucio might not understand, but for Aileen, the choice was obvious.

*Because it was something Cesare did.*

There must have been a good reason for it. Aileen was convinced Lucio must have done something wrong.

Of course, it was possible that Cesare or his knights had overreacted to some minor transgression. But they had every reason to be sensitive. So many terrible things had happened to Aileen in the past.

Cesare and his knights were especially wary of young men, and for good reason—the man who had kidnapped Aileen when she was twelve had been around Lucio's age.

Aileen lightly bit the inside of her cheek as the memory, still vivid, surfaced. A good memory was an asset in many ways.

But it was also a torment when even moments best forgotten remained so starkly clear in her mind. Folding the memory away as it threatened to resurface as if it were yesterday, Aileen spoke again.

"Please, tell me how you've been."

Her perception of Lucio had shifted from a kind upperclassman to someone to be wary of, but she decided not to let it show. He would only be in the capital for a short while before leaving. With the professors present, she had no desire to create an awkward atmosphere.

Seeing that Aileen wouldn't take the bait, Lucio dropped the subject of Cesare as well. Instead, he told her what she had truly wanted to know—how he had been.

After his sudden departure from the university, Lucio said he had drifted for a while. Then, by chance, he got in touch with Professor Glenda of the pharmacology department and resolved to return to his studies.

He said that was also when he decided to change his appearance, trimming his hair neatly, forgoing his glasses, and overcoming his stutter with painstaking effort.

He hadn't neglected his research, either, publishing several papers in academic journals and slowly making a name for himself in the field of pharmacology.

When she heard he was on the verge of becoming the youngest professor ever appointed, Aileen felt a pang of envy. Lucio was living the very future she had once dreamed of for herself.

But she had no regrets for the path not taken. That path, too, was one Cesare had granted her.

"I'm glad I have something worthwhile to tell you, Lady Aileen."

Aileen lavished praise on the humbly modest Lucio, telling him how remarkable he was. As she listened to his story, they soon found themselves on a bustling street.

Aileen led the professors to various shops and bookstores, buying them a plethora of gifts. Sonio had designated a specific amount she was to spend, so she did her best to meet the quota with a flurry of purchases.

The mountain of purchases was sent ahead to the grand ducal estate, and Aileen took the professors to a tea house for a break. Glenda and Elio, who had barely been able to swallow a sip of tea in the estate's drawing room, now enjoyed their refreshments in a much more relaxed state.

Lucio, who had trailed silently behind them throughout their shopping spree and refused all of Aileen's gifts, remained quiet at the tea house. It seemed he was ceding the floor to the other professors, as Glenda and Elio were vying for Aileen's attention.

Glenda, her hair swept back into a flawless, elegant twist, smiled gracefully. She gazed at Aileen with profound eyes.

"To think you're marrying the Grand Duke... I still can't quite believe it."

Elio, his skin tanned from tending plants daily in the greenhouse and garden, stroked his magnificently grown mustache and added to Glenda's sentiment.

"Frankly, the most unbelievable part is that you're still continuing your research."

They had assumed all the knowledge she had accumulated would go to waste when she left the university. Both Elio and Glenda had held Aileen's talent in particularly high regard. Knowing the sentiment behind their words, Aileen gave a slightly shy smile.

"I've been trying to conduct my own research, inadequate as it may be. I have no results to show for it yet, but one day, I'd like to be published as the lead author in an academic journal."

She revealed a sliver of an ambition she was normally too shy to voice. Just then, Glenda, sitting across from her, suddenly grasped her hand. Aileen flinched, startled by the abrupt gesture from the ever-composed professor.

"You must not stop your studies, Lady Aileen."

Glenda's eyes, shining from between the fine lines around them, were filled with earnestness.

"Marriage is a noble endeavor. As the Grand Duchess, you will make your name in high society and one day bear an heir, I'm sure. But it is my hope that you will find glory not just as a wife or a mother, but as a scholar in your own right."

The words came out in a rush, and she belatedly realized she may have overstepped, hastily adding an addendum.

"I know my words are impertinent, but... I once believed you would leave your name in the annals of history as a scholar, not as a Grand Duchess. To learn that you still have a passion for your studies... I simply couldn't contain myself."

Her voice trailing off, Glenda carefully released Aileen's hand. Aileen quietly took it again in her own.

"Don't worry. I don't know how well I'll do, but I am trying my best."

"Aileen..."

Having called her name so familiarly without thinking, Glenda quickly apologized. "My apologies." Her eyes had already grown moist, and Elio handed her a handkerchief.

Glenda was known for being a strict and dispassionate professor. To see her moved to tears over Aileen's academic future was a strange feeling. Something stirred within Aileen, a desire to try just a little harder.

While Aileen entertained this small spark of ambition, Glenda regained her usual composure. She took a sip of tea and changed the subject.

"Tomorrow, I plan to visit a pharmacist in the capital who is said to be quite skilled."

Aileen, still moved by the moment, nearly choked on her tea. Glenda asked out of pure curiosity.

"He's said to be quite famous... Perhaps you've heard of him, Lady Aileen?"