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Remembering Cesare's voice, Eileen immediately felt her neck flare up.
Why had he done that?
Was it amusing for him to watch her twitch and be embarrassed?
Eileen clutched the sofa and sank into reflection.
But the more she thought, the more she realized: there was nothing special about it.
In the end, Cesare was also a healthy young man with normal sexual needs.
There was nothing strange in him satisfying them with his future wife.
But for some reason, he had only brought her to such a state, while doing nothing himself.
Eileen tried with all her might to find a reason, but there was no answer.
However, one thing was clear:
*‘How embarrassing...’*
In the near future, she would hardly be able to look Cesare in the face.
Even now, not seeing him, she continued to think about him.
His hot breath, his groans, his burning body, the pleasure tearing her to pieces.
The more she remembered, the more it burned inside.
Even her nipples, which Cesare had touched for so long, began to tingle.
She wanted to scratch them, but touching such an intimate place was too awkward.
Eileen clenched her nails into her palms, trying to cope with the growing itch.
Only by leaving several semicircular nail marks was she able to catch her breath a little.
"..."
She had invited the Grand Duke's knights to a modest dinner, and it was a true blessing that Cesare was not among them.
Initially, she’d thought long and hard about whether to invite him.
But then she’d decided it wasn't worth bothering him, for he was surely busy.
Now she realized it had been the best choice.
*‘In the near future, I must avoid the Grand Duke.’*
Eileen decided firmly.
She didn't realize that thanks to the shocking memories of that night, all the bad memories simply stopped coming to her head.
***
Several days later, the day of the dinner.
Eileen got up early, thoroughly cleaned the house, and went to the market.
She wasn't particularly skilled in cooking, so she planned to just reheat dishes she had pre-ordered from several restaurants.
After the market and buying fruit, it was already evening.
While she was bustling with preparations, her father walked in the door.
He had left the day before, saying he was meeting a friend, and had only just returned.
It seemed he had spent the night elsewhere—he reeked of alcohol and tobacco.
"You're back?" Eileen, who had been rushing toward him, stopped, sensing the sharp smell.
Her father looked at her and laughed raspily.
"My beloved daughter!"
"You remember that guests are coming this evening, right?"
"Ah, guests.
Yes, I'll be gone before they arrive."
With those words, he headed for the bedroom.
It seemed he planned to get into bed without even washing.
There was a bathroom in the bedroom, but in a drunken state, he always behaved abominably.
Eileen hated this most of all.
She sighed heavily and focused again on preparing for the guests.
She covered the table with a new tablecloth, took out the best plates and cutlery, and arranged them neatly.
At that moment, noisy voices were heard outside.
Peeking out the window, she saw four men and a woman who, talking among themselves, were walking through the garden toward the house.
Before the house stood a black military car.
Their hands were full of various packages.
Eileen smiled and opened the door.
The Grand Duke's knights smiled broadly, seeing that the door opened even before they knocked.
"We're here!"
Rotan, Diego, and Michele entered first, and Senon came in last.
Senon looked at Eileen with deep emotion.
"Eileen..."
"Senon.
It's been a long time."
"You've become even more beautiful."
Senon, moved, sank into memories, but Michele poked him with an elbow.
"I'm hungry."
Senon, wobbling from Michele's strength like a willow by a river, tensed his legs and stared at him.
Michele giggled and tapped his forehead.
"Big brother, don't be angry.
They say even a dead soldier looks better if he's eaten."
With those words, he was the first to head for the table.
Senon groaned, rubbing his forehead, and swallowed his irritation.
It was clear he was restraining himself only because of Eileen's presence.
Senon was also not of short stature, but compared to the other knights, including Cesare, who were all very tall, he seemed small.
Especially next to Michele, who was quite tall for a woman.
Senon, with his androgynous appearance, often felt slighted among his larger comrades.
Just now, for example.
"Did you see?
These insolent ones, just because they're a bit taller..."
While Senon trembled with rage and complained to Eileen about the atrocities of his comrades, the other knights were already bustling, carrying food from the kitchen to the table.
"Eileen.
Where should this be placed?"
"Wow, smells amazing.
Where did you buy this?
I need to go there too."
"Lady, I brought a bottle of wine.
We'll drink it at dinner."
The three bustled noisily, and suddenly Diego ran to Eileen again.
"Gift!
Here's a gift." He grabbed a paper bag he’d placed on the edge of the table and pulled out a large plush rabbit.
"Ta-da!"
Eileen laughed, amused by his antics.
She hugged the toy and thanked him.
"Thank you, Diego."
The plush rabbit Diego had brought as a gift was very cute.
Its soft texture seemed to soothe the soul.
Unconsciously stroking the toy, Eileen noticed Diego glowing with pride.
He boastfully flaunted it before the other three knights.
"Did you see?"
He also didn't fail to brag that the wine he had brought was very expensive.
When Eileen thanked him again, Diego looked as if he had conquered the whole world.
The other three knights with irritation took out their gifts.
Rotan had brought a rare foreign book on botany, Senon a set of fountain pens, and Michele a large glass jar with foreign candies and chocolate.
Having received a whole armful of gifts, Eileen hastily thanked them and held out her own.
"And this is my gift to you." In small boxes was an ointment for treating wounds.
Compared to the platinum pocket watch she had given Cesare, this gift was a bit modest.
But the knights rejoiced as if they had received precious stones.
"Ooh!
I just need such an ointment!" Diego, exclaiming that the ointment made by the lady was the most effective, made the others also liven up and make a noise around the ointment.
Even Rotan smiled, placing the small tube on his large palm.
"Tomorrow at work I'll be bragging."
Having finished the exchange of gifts, everyone sat at the table.
Before starting the meal, Eileen suddenly remembered the one she had forgotten in the flurry of preparations.
In the bedroom on the first floor was her father.
She had warned him several days ago about the guests coming.
Thinking he would want to avoid the meeting, she’d even given him some money so he would leave, but apparently he had overslept and missed the moment to depart.
Eileen stole a glance at her father's bedroom door.
At that moment, a dull sound of a falling object came from there.
The knights together looked toward the bedroom.
"Ah...
My father...
He's in there," Eileen murmured embarrassedly.
"But he needs to eat."
While Eileen looked dejectedly at the bedroom door, the knights exchanged looks.
Senon was the first to nod to Diego.
Diego raised an eyebrow and stood up abruptly.
"Baron."
Diego walked with large strides to the bedroom and grabbed the door handle, shaking it.
The door shook as if it were about to fly apart.
"Come out, let's eat together."
After a short pause, a mumbling voice was heard from behind the door.
"I'm all right..."
The voice was quieter than a passing ant.
Eileen already wanted to leave everything as it was, since he didn't want to eat, but Diego didn't give up.
He braced one hand against the door and spoke like a bandit.
"Why?
A person must eat to live.
Come out, I say." It was more a demand for dinner than an invitation.
Diego knocked on the door and said gloomily: "Come out, Baron Elodd."