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When they were exiting from the car, Cesare only for a moment took her by the hand, helping to descend.
This was an ordinary manifestation of politeness, an action deprived of any kind of special sense.
But when Lucio firmly squeezed her hand, the atmosphere became strange.
Eileen surprised-ly looked at him.
His usually good-natured face now expressed unfamiliar emotions.
It seemed he acted driven by some kind of feeling.
Possibly, to her it thus seemed because that he already recognized to her in his past feelings.
Why-that she felt a light fear.
Before as reason managed to realize the emotion caught by instinct, Eileen involuntarily looked back at Cesare.
That one, having stared at their joined hands, slowly lifted gaze and met with her with eyes.
As soon as she saw his red eyes, the anxiety in her heart suddenly settled.
His face was, as always, impassive.
Bright-red eyes, as ordinary, remained calm.
For some time Cesare intently looked at her, then curved lips in a short smirk.
In that same moment as this quiet chuckle was distributed, Lucio started and let go her hand.
Eileen slightly squeezed and opened numbed fingers.
The professors exiting from the car with surprise observed this scene.
Eileen stealthily glanced at Cesare.
*‘Did he not think that this was coarse?’* Although he unlikely was jealous to Lucio, but could consider that that one lead himself disrespectfully with respect to the duchess.
If Cesare conceived something, he could become much more cruel than that was required by the situation.
He after all once shot a thief having stolen oranges from the orange tree in the brick house so that no one else dared for such.
And now he could as a lesson order to put Lucio on knees on the square and execute.
Eileen internally froze from excitement, but Cesare even didn't glance at Lucio.
He looked only at Eileen and called her by name.
"Eileen."
Eileen, not looking back, hurried to Cesare.
He patiently waited until she approached.
And only when she turned out completely nearby, opened embraces.
Eileen for a moment wavered, but then buried in his chest.
He embraced her tenderly.
Apparently, so that the orders on his uniform didn't wound her.
Feeling comfort in his strong embraces, Eileen forgot and about the happening around, and about the thoughts which until this moment troubled her.
She simply enjoyed the happiness rising from the depths of her heart.
"I didn't know that you had already returned."
Had she learned about this, she’d have returned home earlier.
In her voice sounded regret, but Cesare instead of answer only lightly kissed her in the forehead.
Having lead with a hand over her cheek, he finally turned attention to the guests.
Eileen, carried away by the early return of Cesare, with delay presented them.
"A, these are professors from the University of Palercia..."
"I know."
Cesare, formerly same holding a hand on Eileen's waist, looked at Glenda and Elio.
Those, having turned out face to face with Grand Duke Erzet, looked overwhelmed.
When their gazes met with red eyes in which a light smirk shone, the poor professors literally turned to stone.
Cesare unhurriedly named their names:
"Glenda from the pharmacological faculty and Elio from the botanical."
They were already not young.
The address to them simply by name, without the title of professor, fully was possible to consider disrespectful.
But Cesare was a Grand Duke.
For the professors it was an honor that he generally knew their names.
They didn't dare to reason of the rules of decency.
Although they and didn't have the possibility about this to think.
The professors until now lead a peaceful and calm life of scholars.
They almost didn't collide with the military, and now, having turned out before Cesare, trembled as mice before a lion.
On the faces of Glenda and Elio clearly was read unfeigned fear.
Eileen well knew that, although she herself got used to the military, for others this was not thus.
*‘Even more if this is Cesare...’* In the Empire of Traon unlikely there would have been found many people who didn't tense under his red gaze.
"For us it is a great honor to meet with you, Your Excellency," with trembling voices pronounced Glenda and Elio.
They respectfully bowed and with delay congratulated him with victory.
"We congratulate you with victory.
Thanks to you, having protected the Empire, all citizens of Traon can enjoy peace."
"As citizens of Traon, we sincerely are grateful to you."
In their eyes, besides fear, was read also respect.
Cesare, as the sword of the Empire having lead to victory in, it seemed, hopeless war, was for citizens a hero whose name remains in history.
Observing how the professors with whom she just now cheerfully conversed in the cafe now admired and praised Cesare, Eileen felt a strange sensation.
Although she and knew this, but as-if anew realized who he was.
In ordinary circumstances Eileen should have been located not in the embraces of Cesare, but behind Glenda and Elio.
*‘No, most likely, we generally never would have met...’*
Eileen suppressed the approaching bitterness.
Meanwhile Cesare with a light smile turned to the professors:
"I hope, to you it will be comfortable in the residence of the Grand Duke.
I will order so that to you in nothing there was a lack."
Then he in a natural way pulled Eileen to himself and first entered into the mansion.
As soon as the door closed, he, as if so it follows, lightly lifted Eileen on hands and carried along the stairs.
"Cesare..."
To her it became hot from the thought that the professors or Lucio could see how she is being carried as a child.
Eileen stealthily looked at the door, hinting that she wants that he would lower her, but Cesare and didn't think to do this.
Climbing along the stairs, he asked:
"How passed your walk?"
At his question Eileen for a moment forgot about embarrassment and here same blurted out all that she wanted to tell.
In her had accumulated so many news for Cesare.
"It was very interesting!
In the bookstore it was a luck for me to find a rare edition.
A, this is not a book about plants.
You after all know, I read not only them.
More I looked at laboratory equipment, but nothing bought.
It in me already there is in the laboratory.
And there even better!
But I all same bought one glass flask, once already I came."
She so was carried away by the story that didn't notice how they climbed along the stairs.
But Cesare didn't let her go, and she and forgot to ask about this.
"And then it turned out that the professors were searching for me.
They showed to me the analgesic which I sold, and I was so surprised!
They said that they want to meet with the creator of the medicine, and I didn't know what to do, but in the end simply honestly confessed."
Here she fell silent and looked at the expression of Cesare's face.
Although he and spoke earlier that to her it's possible to confess, but if now to him it won't be liked that she revealed herself as a pharmacist, she was ready here same to hush up the theme.
Fortunately, Cesare not only was not dissatisfied, but, it seems, even slightly was gladdened.
Eileen, having calmed down, continued:
"They learned that I am a pharmacist, and said that they want to commercialize my analgesic.
They very much praised it, spoke that it will bring benefit to the citizens of the Empire, but I am not sure...
If you permit, maybe, it's worth to try..."
The praises of the professors gave her a little confidence.
But, telling of her achievements before Cesare, she felt that these were utter trifles.
For he is called a hero having saved the Empire.
Eileen's voice, in the beginning such confident when she spoke about the analgesic, gradually quieted.
The last words almost were dissolved in the air.
Having fallen silent, Eileen with delay realized that they’d already entered into the bedroom.
Cesare, unfastening the buttons of her dress, indifferently continued:
"A wife should do all that she wants."
Her fragile collarbones already were exposed.
Eileen started from the touch of cool air.
Cesare calmly asked:
"Thus of what were you talking about with the senpai?"