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"Y-your Grace..."
"Or, maybe, everyone who causes even a shadow of suspicion, send to the guillotine and behead?
Honestly speaking, I like this option better.
If I weren't restraining myself, it wouldn't even reach the guillotine—I’d right now run out into the street and slaughter all those capital bastards who dared cast stones at *him* and abused *his* body."
He continued to speak in a calm voice: "They say severed heads were displayed in taverns for the amusement of drunkards.
Then even queues began to form to admire this shit, eh?
And I, in your opinion, should leave these creatures alive?"
Senon and Diego lost the gift of speech.
They hadn't understood even half of what Cesare was saying, but his hatred for the people of the Traon Empire was completely clear to them.
Cesare released a quiet sigh, went silent for a short while, and began fumbling in his coat pocket.
He took out silver pocket watch, clicked the lid, and for some time observed the movement of the hands.
In the cool silence the ticking sound of the second hand was clearly heard.
Only after several moments did Cesare again close the lid.
"But if I act as I want, Eileen will be upset.
For she is so kind that she even calls this one unworthy of being called a human ‘Father’ and cares for him." He held out a hand to Diego and murmured: "So I hope I will be worthy of the title of glorious Grand Duke..."
Diego, holding a half-burnt cigarette in his hand, stubbed it out in the ashtray.
Then he held out a new one to Cesare with trembling fingers and struck a match.
This time he tried several times to light it before the fire finally caught.
After he’d lit Cesare's cigarette, Diego snatched the cigarette from the speechless Senon and likewise stubbed it out in the ashtray.
Cesare slowly took a drag, calming his emotions.
His red eyes, previously blazing with frenzy, on the surface again regained calm.
"So, Senon." Having returned to the image of the imperturbable Grand Duke Erzet, he smiled subtly.
"Even if this causes her a little sadness, is the current way not better for Eileen?"
***
One week remained until the Grand Duke's wedding.
The ceremony was to be held in the garden of his residence, with the participation of only a small number of guests.
However, since all the people of the Traon Empire were interested in the Grand Duke Erzet's pair, the Imperial Court decided to publish photos of the wedding in newspapers.
The honor of publishing the Grand Duke's wedding photos fell to the newspaper "La Verità." Although a week still remained until the wedding, the announcement alone of the upcoming publication increased the circulation of "La Verità" five times.
On the day of the newspaper's release with the photos, a chronicled record of sales was expected.
Therefore "La Verità" prepared for the coverage of the wedding no less carefully.
They bought a huge amount of ink, paper, and printing presses, prepared several versions of articles so that printing could begin immediately after receiving the photos.
Eileen, the heroine of the wedding who was to enter the history of the Empire, had already for a week been living in the Grand Duke's residence for preparation for the ceremony.
However, despite living in the same residence, she didn't see Cesare.
According to an old imperial custom, the groom and bride must spend the week before the ceremony apart, purifying body and soul.
Besides, there existed a belief that the groom should not see the bride in a wedding dress before the wedding.
Being in the residence, Eileen underwent training and prepared.
The most important business was memorizing the guest list.
This was Grand Duke Erzet's wedding.
Only select few were invited, and one can say without exaggeration that all the elite of the Empire would gather at it.
The guest list alone shone from the brilliance of titles.
Those who didn't reach in status were not invited.
Fortunately, part of the Grand Duke's knights and soldiers could be present at the ceremony as security.
Eileen memorized the names, titles, and short information about the guests that Sonio had prepared.
With memorization she had no problems, but the matter was something else.
Among the guests was the young lady Ornella from the ducal house of Parbelini.
Eileen carefully read the information about her.
Already the mere mention that she was a major figure in High Society caused a nauseating tension in Eileen.
In her head surfaced the words Ornella had once said to her: *[Just curious.
As you know, Eileen, this is incomprehensible.
Why did His Grace choose specifically you?
I know he treated you well because you're the daughter of his deceased wet nurse, but unlikely he married out of pity.]*
Remembering Ornella's words, Eileen completely lost her already shaky confidence.
She stared with anxiety at the written name "Ornella von Parbelini."
*‘She will surely come incredibly beautiful.’* It seemed Ornella would appear so dazzling that she would eclipse the bride.
Eileen clearly imagined how she would end up in the shadow of her beauty, deprived of all attention.
In the end, this marriage was initially an impossible mesalliance.
Eileen worried that Cesare would be subjected to humiliations because of his unsightly bride.
With a frowned look Eileen adjusted her glasses, but touched the skin near the eyes.
"A-ah..." She awkwardly lowered her hand, having almost poked herself in the eye.
After she’d cut her bangs, she’d stopped wearing glasses.
Several days had already passed, but it was still unusual to her.
She’d lived with glasses far too long, as if having grown into them, so adapting was not easy.
The day came back to her when she’d first arrived at the Grand Duke's residence with the new look.
From the car she’d been met only by the smiling Sonio.
The other servants hadn't smiled.
They’d just looked at her with stunned faces.
Each time, remembering their looks, Eileen felt her face flood with color.
*‘So everyone else just flattered.’* Diego and the atelier owners, seeing her in the wedding dress, had generously showered her with compliments, and, to be honest, this had instilled in her a bit of confidence.
Cesare too had said it was better for her not to hide her face, so she’d even become proud, thinking that perhaps she looked not bad.
But Diego and Cesare were people who would have considered her cute even if she’d put a pumpkin on her head.
The atelier owners most likely just said pleasant things for business.
And the faces of the servants she’d encountered when getting out of the car were sincere.
They, undoubtedly, were shocked by her terrible appearance.
Otherwise why would they stare and gape at the sight of a person?
Although Sonio had tried to comfort the upset Eileen, she hadn't heard her.
If Diego and Cesare were ready to consider even a pumpkin cute, then Sonio was in this regard still worse.
Eileen waited for the wedding with the feeling of a person condemned to execution.
***
On the eve of the wedding, Cesare's knights came to Eileen.
"Oh!" Michele, seeing Eileen, caught her breath and froze.
Besides Diego, who already had immunity, Rotan and Senon too were surprised.
No one could utter a word, only powerlessly moved their lips, from which Eileen's face gradually flooded with color.
"I...
I look so terrible?" When she finally asked the question she’d long not dared to voice, all four hastily began to deny.
But Eileen had already seen their reaction.
"No need to lie.
Just I thought bangs and glasses don't very much go with the dress, so I changed the look a bit.
After the wedding I'll grow my hair and again start wearing glasses."
She took a deep breath and voiced her thoughts, after which Senon suddenly loudly exclaimed: "Lady Eileen!"
With tightly squeezed fists he blurted out, as if from a machine gun: "I think that you are much better without glasses and with cut bangs!
Since twelve years old, when you began hiding your face, I always was sorry for this.
Your beauty is one thing, but especially!
Especially your eyes—it's a national treasure of the Empire, and you hid them!
Of course, even hidden, the essence of a jewel doesn't change, but to see how they sparkle in the sun..."
Michele hit Senon with an elbow to interrupt his enthusiastic monologue.
Only then did Senon come to himself and, reddening, said embarrassedly: "Forgive me.
I was too glad to see you after such a long time...
I like it very much."
This time Diego, standing on the right, also poked him with an elbow.
Realizing that his words could have been understood wrongly, Senon hastily added: "Lady Eileen's eyes."
Michele didn't miss the opportunity to tease him: "E-eh, only the eyes you like?"
"No, of course, and Lady Eileen too...
Eh, you understand what I want to say?" Senon with a grimace of despair looked at Eileen.