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His aversion to magic was so strong.
Meditating on sorcery, Senón suddenly remembered Cesare's late mother.
Having been deprived of the emperor's favor, she’d gone out of mind and desperately tried to return his disposition with the help of all possible charms.
After each failure she fell into hysteria.
In one such day mother took a new love.
Her lover became a knight of the Imperial Palace, fifteen years younger than her.
The knight, who idolized Cesare, deliberately drew close with his mother.
Having become her lover, he was able to approach also Cesare himself.
Relations were far from friendly, but compared with the past when he hadn't even known of Cesare's existence, the distance clearly shortened.
Thus, the knight's goal was achieved.
Mother fully plunged into the new lover and ceased to pay attention to Cesare.
Considering how useful this was, Cesare himself occasionally threw the knight marks of attention, as if doing a favor.
But when the knight unexpectedly died on the field of battle where he’d been sent, tragedy began.
Mother believed she could resurrect the dead lover with the help of magic.
She committed the most insane actions.
Several times she even took blood from Cesare, asserting that for the ritual blood of the imperial family was needed.
But the dead don't return.
This is an immutable law.
In the end, Cesare's mother, pointlessly repeating her insane actions, finished with herself.
The first who discovered her body was one of the twins—the prince.
Cesare and Leone didn't express either surprise or sadness, having seen their hanged mother.
They took this calmly, as if everything were predetermined.
In the day of her funeral no one grieved.
In the air hovered only a strange feeling of liberation.
Even Senón in the depth of soul was glad of her death.
For mother was only a hindrance on Cesare's path.
Going over old memories, Senón felt how it was becoming stifling for him.
Driving out of head heavy thoughts, he was suddenly dawned by an idea.
The moment came when all disjointed guesses suddenly folded into a single picture.
However to discuss this in the Imperial Palace was inappropriate.
Slowly having opened mouth, Senón pronounced:
"Will you go to drink?"
Rotan with readiness accepted his spontaneous suggestion.
Initially they were to return to the Grand Duke Erzet Residence and discuss with Eileen various details connected with Morpheus.
But the last meetings with judges were drawn out, and in the end the matter finished much later than expected.
The visit had to be postponed until tomorrow.
Unexpectedly formed free time they decided to spend with benefit, having set off for a bar, where also they called Diego and Michele.
Despite the fact that they sat in a lively bar, their company attracted the attention of all around.
At fault for that were the flawless military uniform and внушительный height, clearly distinguishing them among the rest.
Not paying attention to gazes, the knights ordered a mug of beer each and immediately drained them.
"Kkh-h, simply luxury." Michele, having inhaled a cigarette, chuckled.
Diego, having rolled up sleeves, lead a hand over the tattoo on the forearm and asked: "Why called?"
"Want to share my delusional idea." On Senón's words Michele lowered a thumb down, mockingly hooting.
Not having paid attention to this, Senón unfurled a crumpled sheet of paper on the table.
"All right, listen.
Firstly, as I’ve already said, this is only my delusional fantasies."
Despite such an open declaration of his lack of seriousness, the Grand Duke's knights immediately cast aside jokes and concentrated on Senón's words.
As Cesare's aide-de-camp, he had developed and successfully conducted a multitude of operations.
The knights usually relied on him in questions requiring comprehension.
"I thought of the reason of the changes in His Grace..." Senón began to write something with a pencil which he always wore with himself, on the reverse side of the paper.
[Present — ? — Future]
Having recorded in order, under "?" he wrote the word "7 years".
"Remember what He said then?
'7 years'." Of course, all remembered.
Words which Cesare had murmured before cutting off the head of the King of Calpen.
"7 years ago." When the knights nodded, Senón continued: "You after all remember how He said He has memories differing from ours?
After the changes His intuition became frighteningly good.
As if He knows the future...
Resting on His words and actions, I can make such a conclusion."
Senón lead a line from the future to the present.
"His Grace returned from the future to the present because of some event.
And this event is connected with Eileen."
Having repeated that this was only a delusion, Senón glanced at the knights' faces.
Despite the absurdity of his words, no one looked at him with distrust.
All were serious.
Although they often argued, when it concerned Senón's words, they unconditionally trusted him.
Even his most incredible ideas met their unwavering faith, from which Senón for a moment was overwhelmed by a warm feeling.
"Since I’ve begun to carry this delusion, I’ll continue.
Possibly, with Eileen something terrible happened, and He returned back in time.
For example...
" Senón briefly hesitated before cautiously adding: "Execution... something in that kind."
Between the knights silence hung.
Rotan, having looked around, first broke the silence: "If it's so, then by what method?"
"For all this to fit, an incredible method will be required.
The first that I thought of—magic, but, considering how He hates it, unlikely..."
"Possibly, it's magic." Diego's instantaneous answer forced Senón to round eyes.
To the surprised gazes of comrades Diego answered, rubbing a pierced earlobe: "Earlier—possibly, no.
But the current Cesare is quite capable of such."
If earlier He simply cherished Eileen, then after the changes His attachment became frighteningly.
All understood that this went far beyond the limits of simple care.
"If, as you said, Eileen indeed lived through such, then, probably, His Grace..." Diego fell silent, and Rotan quietly finished: "Would change his life." Even at the price of turning to magic which He so hates.
Silence again reigned in the company.
Sipping beer, Michele unexpectedly asked: "Then what at all does our master want?
Eileen's safety?
Think that's not enough." Michele frowned his nose, holding the mug with beer, and murmured: "Probably, revenge."
Diego briefly nodded, supporting him: "Considering His Grace's character, definitely revenge."
Rotan frowned thick brows and spoke: "By the way, recently His Grace said a strange thing..."
"What kind?"
"That to kill all was a mistake.
That, having killed them too quickly, now it's difficult to seek out." Rotan pointed a finger at the word "Future".
"The spies of the Kingdom of Calpen were going to execute Eileen.
In that future she died, and His Grace took revenge, having killed all." Calmly having voiced this terrible thought, he moved his finger to "Present".
"But now He can't act so, right?
Need to execute only those who are involved.
But, it looks like, now His Grace..." Looking at his comrades, Rotan quietly summarized: "It looks like, doesn't know all who stand behind the execution."
***
The laboratory in the Grand Duke's Residence seemed the embodied dream of Eileen.
All confiscated research materials were accurately sorted, and around stood a multitude of expensive tools.
It was truly a delightful place, but Eileen couldn't enjoy it in full measure.
The reason hid in the conversation with Senón before she was shown the laboratory.
He had been praising Morpheus and said that as soon as the research was completed, it would be announced over all the Empire.
Considering the nature of the ingredients, after the public statement inevitably one would have to pass through court, but Senón assured he’d done all for a guaranteed victory so Eileen could not worry.
"But if the court frightens you, better to refuse the research of Morpheus."
However Eileen even didn't set about thinking over the choice he suggested.
The answer was predetermined from the very beginning.
"I... will try to create Morpheus."
Senón was delighted and supported her, and Eileen herself thought she’d made the right decision...
But fear went nowhere.
Now she turned up in a position where she could cause Cesare irreparable harm.
However she tried, it was unknown what could happen, and she was literally shaking from fear.
But Eileen couldn't allow herself to plunge into worries.
And all thanks to Cesare.
"..." Slowly leading with fork and knife, Eileen stealthily glanced at Cesare, sitting opposite.
The last few days she’d seen him every day without exception.
She saw him both at breakfast and in the bedroom deep at night—at least, once a day.
But even looking at him in proximity, she couldn't believe in the reality of what was happening.
Continuing to glance at Cesare, Eileen cut a piece of fried asparagus and sent it into her mouth.
Then she squeezed her eyes from a strange sensation in the bottom of the stomach.
"Something not so?" Cesare, drinking strong tea, tore away from the newspaper and immediately asked.
"Ah, no, simply..." Eileen faltered and hastily made out that she concentrated on the asparagus.
But Cesare didn't take his eyes from her.
"Speak the truth, Eileen."
"It's hindering me below." Having given up, Eileen reddened and murmured: "Probably, because of the ointment..."
Since that day Cesare daily checked her "below".
He spread her legs, examined and applied ointment.
Despite his busyness, he found time for this.
Even if he had to wake her in the middle of the night.
Because of this Eileen each night experienced torments—not from pain, but from excitement.
Her body shamelessly heated from his touches, and each time the treatment finished, leaving her on the edge of orgasm.
After several such days her body by day as if slightly blazed.
Even during lessons with Sogno about what a Grand Duke's wife should know, or when writing letters, she was suddenly overcome by indecent thoughts.
Therefore Eileen with impatience waited for when her body finally would come to norm.
She desperately wanted Cesare to finally allow her to experience pleasure.
So much that her fear of the first wedding night seemed now a distant memory.
*‘Sooner would this finish...’* Having woken from her obscene thoughts, Eileen heard a voice: "The seventh day."
Indeed, today seven days from their wedding were fulfilled, and Eileen should set off for the Imperial Palace to receive the castle Erzet.
Long fingers folded the newspaper in half.
Eileen involuntarily followed them with a gaze, and then glanced at Cesare.
The latter laid the newspaper on the table and calmly asked: "Maybe today we won't apply the ointment?"