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Baron Elod had lately been incredibly happy.
Although his family was completely ruined, and he had not a grosh left, from which his days were full of sufferings.
The daughter, from whom he didn't expect anything good, had unexpectedly become a Grand Duchess.
It was as if a gold rain fallen from the sky.
Baron Elod with joy represented how he would speculate with the daughter's name, and each day brought him enjoyment.
However, as the father of a Grand Duchess, he had to preserve a certain dignity, therefore he didn't intend to behave so openly as earlier to get hold of wealth.
Even before the wedding a crowd of people already began to come to him, treating him with drinks and flattering him.
Now he didn't need to apply efforts—others themselves would bring him riches.
Baron Elod thought that it remained for him only to enjoy.
But his rose-colored dreams were dispelled already on the next day after the wedding.
*Ba-bach!* From morning a coarse knock at the door rang out.
When he came out to look, before the house stood a huge man.
Baron Elod with a trembling gaze looked at him.
The man, half of whose face was covered with scars from burns, was well known to him.
"Lo...
Lord Rotan?.."
"Good morning, baron." Rotan emotionlessly said hello.
Baron Elod involuntarily shrank from fear.
Rotan was the personal knight of Grand Duke Erzet.
Four personal knights, chosen and raised by the Duke himself, absolutely submitted to his orders.
They were so devoted that, having received an order to die, they were ready to commit suicide on the spot.
As was only to be expected from battle-hardened warriors, the personal knights were distinguished by a cruel temper.
Once they’d sat Baron Elod in a torture chamber and forced him to watch as before his eyes they chopped a person alive.
Baron Elod, locked in the torture chamber, for hours watched as the unfortunate victim died.
In the end, he himself was sat on the chair where before that the unfortunate one had been tied.
Whenever remembering that day, he saw before eyes darkness, and his legs gave way from horror.
The sensation of sticky, scalding blood on palms, buttocks, back, like a brand.
The nauseating smell of blood corroding the lungs to the very bottom.
Having remembered that day, Baron Elod went pale and tried to stretch a smile.
"Wh... what am I obliged for your visit?.." Not understanding why the Duke's knight came to the house where Eileen no longer lived.
Unexplained visit frightened him.
His worst fears were justified.
"You will have to go with me." Rotan grabbed the baron by the arm and pulled out of the house.
Then immediately sat him in a military car.
It was a true kidnapping—the baron didn't even know where he was being taken.
But he didn't dare even to peep, only trembled while he was taken away.
The destination turned out a farm in an hour's drive from the capital.
A calm household which an elderly pair and their son managed.
Around there was nothing besides endless meadows.
"From now on you will live here." A small house on the farm became the new refuge of Baron Elod.
From these words, having sounded like a death sentence, the baron froze in stupor.
He wanted to object, but was so frightened by Rotan that he couldn't even part his lips.
Rotan looked at Baron Elod and simply and clearly warned: "Don't think to do follies."
Since that day Baron Elod began to work on the farm.
Carrying hay and milking cows, he still didn't believe in what was happening.
To him it seemed unreal that he turned into a day-laborer.
He couldn't rot here forever, without alcohol, women and gambling.
Baron Elod desperately sought a way to flee.
But the old people and their son watched him every minute, and soldiers patrolled the farm’s surroundings, making escape completely impossible.
Once, when he had already resigned himself to his lot—to work until death in imprisonment—he was unexpectedly taken in that same military car.
*Is it that I’m being executed now?* Trembling from fear, Baron Elod intensely waited, but, having seen outside the window familiar landscapes, he rounded his eyes.
They returned to the capital.
Moreover, he was washed, dressed in clean new clothes.
While he luxuriated in the returned status, he was gnawed by anxiety: why had they returned him?
"How were you living all this time?" Before him appeared Grand Duke Erzet.
"Y-your grace." Baron Elod sweated and bowed.
Grand Duke Erzet, dressed in the uniform of the imperial army, looked today as before frighteningly beautiful.
Red eyes slipped over the foppishly dressed baron.
Under this piercing gaze Baron Elod's legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed onto the ground.
The Duke smirked, looking at the shaking baron.
He didn't set about explaining why he’d suddenly sent the baron to the farm and why now he’d returned him back.
He simply briefly reported to the baron for what that one was required.
"Today is the day when Eileen accepts the name Erzet."
"Ah!
Already this time has come..." He knew that seven days after the wedding had passed.
But about the fact that today Eileen would accept her husband's name, Baron Elod had not the slightest notion.
He was too busy with attempts to think of how to flee from the farm, and didn't think of anything else.
"On such a joyful day the father must certainly congratulate her." Having listened to the Duke, Baron Elod hurriedly nodded, expressing agreement.
With trembling hands he grabbed onto something and, looking only at the Duke's back, followed him.
Having woken up, he found that he had turned turned out in the Imperial Palace.
***
*To see father in the Imperial Palace...* Eileen had a feeling as if she were seeing a dream.
She just thought she needed to find father until he’d committed troubles, and again strictly talk with him.
But she by no means expected he would appear himself.
*‘Probably, his grace brought him...’*
Eileen looked at Baron Elod, who looked as if he were about to fall in a faint, and then cautiously turned away her gaze.
When their eyes met, in Cesare's narrow eyes a smile fleeted.
Thanks to his long legs he in only a few steps turned out nearby Eileen.
Cesare first thing hugged Eileen by the waist and pulled to himself.
Then leaned and kissed her on the cheek.
Among those surrounding a restrained sigh swept.
All couldn't take eyes from Cesare openly expressing his feelings.
Despite the stream of intent gazes, the man accustomed to attention didn't pay attention to anyone.
He smiled at Eileen, looking at her with joy.
"Finally my wife is here."
Eileen for a moment was surprised, having turned up in his embraces and having received a kiss, but immediately softly smiled.
In his embraces everything suddenly became good.
The pitiful mood that had overwhelmed her only a moment ago vanished without a trace.
In head only one thought remained: *‘Since Cesare is nearby, all the rest is unimportant.’*
She would with joy have remained in his embraces longer, but couldn't.
With regret Eileen cautiously freed herself.
Having made out she was correcting hair, she hid ears reddened from embarrassment.
"Thank you for having come for me." First she greeted Cesare, then turned to her father.
That one looked at Eileen with an unfamiliar expression.
His gaze as if asked: *‘Is this my daughter?’* For a long time she’d walked with disheveled bangs and glasses, so now, having seen her so dressed-up, he, must be, felt himself awkward.
Eileen thanked the father for having come.
Honestly speaking, she even couldn't represent he would appear, but understood one mustn't show her true feelings.
She looked at her father with a maximally natural expression of face as if he indeed had promised to come.
Then in Cesare's eyes a smile fleeted.
Obviously, it was fun for him.
*‘Was my acting too bad?’* She’d tried with all her might.
When Eileen stealthily glanced at him, Cesare took her by the hand as if praising.
Cesare, naturally having intertwined fingers with Eileen, finally turned attention to Duke Parbelini and Ornella.
Until now he had ignored them, as if they were not there.