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Count Domenico froze.
Cesare with a smile added: "A joke, count."
But in his red, as if filled with blood, eyes a rage was blazing that he barely restrained.
Rather, even put on display.
Count Domenico remembered the events of the past night.
Yesterday he had been present at Grand Duke Erzet's wedding and until late night had enjoyed the banquet.
He was already about to set off home in a pleasant alcohol haze when a problem arose: the car that should have been waiting for him had vanished.
While the count looked around to the sides, a black car stopped before him.
From the car with the coat of arms of the ducal house a giant-height knight came out.
A man whose face was half-covered with burn scars indifferently looked at Count Domenico and pronounced: "I will escort you."
The count swallowed dry saliva.
His companion was so huge, and the voice so low, that the very fact of his existence seemed a threat.
"I will get there myself."
"Get in."
The count tried to object, but the knight ignored him and threw open the door, giving it to be understood that he wouldn't stand on ceremony.
Domenico, having resigned himself, sat in the car.
The car moved on its way under oppressive silence.
The count had the impression that he’d instantly sobered up.
He stealthily looked at the knight sitting beside.
The Duke's knight silently stared before himself.
The count endured the silence pricking like needles and with impatience waited for when they would finally arrive at his estate.
When they finally arrived, the count hastily said goodbye and tried to get out of the car.
"Thank you.
Then I'll g..."
"Count." The knight with palms the size of a plate held out a sealed envelope.
"His Grace the Grand Duke bidden to hand this to you."
Domenico who’d reached the ground watched the receding military car, then with trembling hands slowly opened the envelope.
From there thick sheets of paper fell out.
Turning them one after another, Count Domenico couldn't hide the trembling in his eyes.
On the documents Cesare's actions for removing Marquis Menegin and his son-in-law were detailed.
Having read about how the marquis himself had torn out his remaining eye, the count stopped breathing.
Even if Marquis Menegin were guilty, this was excessive.
He should have stood before a court and borne deserved punishment.
But to remove political opponents with such cruel methods...
As chairman of the Senate and mediator between the nobility and the imperial family, to Count Domenico such was completely unacceptable.
He spent the whole night without sleep, and at dawn rushed to Grand Duke Erzet's residence.
However, having turned up face to face with Cesare, all prepared words stuck in his throat.
Exhausted, the count murmured:
"What do you want?"
Why was he shown compromising material that could become the Duke's weak spot?
This was proof that his life could be easily cut short.
Until now the Duke hadn't shown special interest in politics.
It was unclear why he’d suddenly begun removing rivals.
What at all drove him?
While Count Domenico feverishly went over possible variants in his head, Cesare silently nodded at the table.
There lay another folder of documents.
Instinctively having felt a connection with himself, the count with difficulty preserved self-possession and began to read.
However, in the measure of how he turned the pages, his face became paler.
There the cooperation of Count Domenico with Calpen was accurately set out.
This was enough to send him to the guillotine.
Only once in his life had the count acted against his convictions.
He’d become an agent of Calpen to save his wife suffering from illness.
The protracted war prompted Calpen to win over the Empire's aristocrats to kindle internal conflicts.
In Domenico they also infiltrated, having informed that they had a medicine state to cure the countess.
It was passed on exclusively in oral form among the Calpen royal family.
Not in a state to reject the last hope, Count Domenico in the end became a Calpen spy.
For the sake of his beloved wife.
He looked at the paper where his actions were in detail described.
Cesare imperturbably sipped the tea served by a servant and pronounced: "You already guess why I left you alive."
After the death of his beloved younger son on the battlefield, the King of Calpen wished Cesare to experience such same sufferings.
He plotted an intrigue to execute a noblewoman dear to the Duke, having planted a false accusation.
He incited the Traon aristocrats, including Count Domenico, to achieve her execution.
Having received the King of Calpen's order, Count Domenico after long meditations refused.
Although he’d committed what he shouldn't have, he couldn't allow an innocent girl to suffer.
Besides, the medicine with which his wife was treated was gradually losing effectiveness, which slightly facilitated his decision.
He’d already planned to seek a pharmacist with outstanding skills in the capital.
The count disobeyed the king and ceased spying.
He was ready for reckoning, but, fortunately, soon after this Cesare won a major victory, and ties with Calpen were broken.
The count assumed that his past would be quietly forgotten after the King of Calpen's death.
He swore to dedicate his remaining life to serving Traon... but...
Count Domenico who’d long been silent and only looked at the documents slowly opened his mouth.
"You want me to cooperate with you?"
Cesare laughed in response.
He laughed quietly, as if he’d heard a funny story, and Count Domenico for a second even forgot about the situation, captivated by this sight.
So much was the Duke a charming man.
Cesare spoke with a smile in his voice: "I have gained a new mistress, so a dog is needed to guard the house."
An insulting statement, but Count Domenico couldn't object anything.
Cesare put him before a choice: To die with dignity or live in humiliation, like a dog.
While the stunned count stood in stupor, Cesare unhurriedly continued: "Soon the Duchess is going to present a new medicine."
"!.." Count Domenico's eyes widened at the word "medicine." Cesare propped his chin with a hand and intently looked at him.
"An excellent remedy.
I myself am with great expectations.
But there is one small problem."
"If it's a small problem..."
"Compared with effectiveness—a trifle.
But yet it's a pity to bury such a medicine.
So how about you, as chairman of the Senate, protect the Duchess?" Cesare narrowed his long eyes and smiled.
"As the dog of the Grand Duke Erzet's residence."
***
Cesare said he would soon return, but his absence was drawn out.
Eileen breakfasted alone, then fleetingly glanced at the newspaper laid aside.
She long hesitated, but did not dare unfurl it and rose from the bed.
She didn't want from the first day to become a lazy wife wallowing in bed until noon.
However, barely having risen, she restrained a cry and again collapsed onto the bed.
She thought she’d already slightly recovered, but no.
At an attempt to stand it seemed to her the body was about to fall apart.
Eileen for some time lay prone, then called a servant and with his help finally rose.
Hobbling, she reached the bathroom and plunged into the bathtub filled with hot water.
Only then did she feel herself alive.
Warm water caused an avalanche of thoughts which she had put off.
About the first wedding night she decided not to think.
From these memories it became so shameful and awkward to her that one wanted to flee back into the brick house.
Instead she thought of another.
"..."
Eileen looked at the wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand.
Previously she had already several times noticed something strange in Cesare.
She considered that his changes were connected with the war, but even his own brother Leone didn't know the exact reason.
Her doubts only grew each time she saw the ring.
How did the wedding ring, existing only in her diary, become reality?
Among the wedding vanity she hadn't thought about this seriously, but now this fact seemed to her more and more strange.
*‘Maybe ask Cesare?’* But if he’d wanted to say, he would already long ago have told.
He was unlikely to answer a direct question.
She racked her head, but so hadn't come to a conclusion even having finished bathing.
Having finished dressing, she with difficulty made her way from the bedroom and found Michele waiting for her in the living room.
"Lady Michele!"
"Congratulations on the marriage." Widely smiling, she congratulated Eileen on the marriage, and then reported good news.
"His Grace allowed opening the laboratory."
Such a wedding gift delighted her so much that she for a moment forgot about the pain.
When Eileen came to delight, Michele, rejoicing for her, yet didn't forget of her duties.
"However at the former place it's impossible.
In the Grand Duke's residence a new one will be built, so, perhaps, you should today go to the laboratory."
She advised Eileen herself to gather important things, although servants could have moved everything too.
Eileen anyway intended to visit the inn to agree with the owner about selling medicines.
She thought that it wouldn't be bad to concurrently take a painkiller.
"And where is His Grace?"
"Urgent affairs called him to the Imperial Palace." Cesare was going to go with her, but instead sent Michele.
Eileen slightly saddened—she had hoped to spend this day together—but didn't show it.
So she and Michele headed for the inn.
The visit could have passed peacefully.
Were it not for an unexpected meeting.
Michele twisted her face, noticing the man hanging around at the entrance.
She covered Eileen with herself and hailed him: "Count Domenico?"
The man winced and hastily turned at her voice.
He dazedly looked at Michele, and having seen Eileen, and altogether was petrified.
Count Domenico dazedly murmured: "Why... why is your grace here?.."