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Eileen for a moment thought over his question.
Was it worth telling Cesare of the received recognition?
All the more that this was a feeling from a distant past.
The soldier who lead the car surely heard all their conversation and already had reported of all to Cesare.
If she herself started talking about this, it could sound as boasting.
*‘Indeed really such happened in my life?’*
Probably, this was the first and last recognition in the life of Eileen.
She well knew how to look at herself objectively.
Even without glasses, though her appearance had a little changed, the gloomy and boring character remained as before.
Men unlikely could find her attractive.
Having plunged into unnecessary reflections, she realized that she’d for too long been silent in answer to Cesare's question.
Finally opening mouth, Eileen decided not to mention Lucio's recognition and thought up another theme for conversation.
"They say, senpai Lucio can become a professor of pharmacology.
It seems, he is the main candidate.
He constantly published articles.
Over that time that we didn't see each other, he strongly changed externally and internally, it indeed impresses..."
Her chatter was interrupted.
Eileen widely opened eyes, then squeezed shoulders and slightly opened lips.
A soft tongue penetrated inside.
The unexpected kiss was tender, but in that same time overwhelming.
Especially because of that that large hands freely explored her body.
Strong fingers slid along the spine, then firmly squeezed the waist.
The kiss lasted long.
Only after significant time their lips finally were parted.
Eileen exhaled hot breath and pressed the back of the palm to flaming cheeks.
Slightly swollen lips she bit when he quietly pronounced:
"I want to kiss you."
Eileen, slightly having been flustered, answered:
"You already kissed..."
"M-m, true."
He smirked and again touched with lips to her lips.
On this time it was a light peck.
Eileen swallowed, having issued a quiet moan.
To her it was simultaneously shameful and ticklish somewhere deep in the chest, which was unbearable.
Firmly having pressed to him, Eileen fidgeted with hands and muttered:
"In general, nothing special I didn't say..."
Instead of an answer Cesare kissed her in the neck.
His lips slightly touched the skin, then he continued to take off from her the dress.
Maybe, because of meeting with people from the past.
It was difficult to believe that now she was so close with Cesare.
Not feeling reality, Eileen herself didn't notice how she stared at Cesare.
His bright-red eyes swallowed her gaze.
At some moment his eyes slightly narrowed.
A large hand descended on Eileen's head.
From the tender stroking, as-if-saying "how cute you are," her eyes of themselves closed.
Under his palm to her suddenly was remembered the time when she dropped university and returned to the capital.
As soon as she received a letter from mother, then dropped all and returned.
Into the brick house where the orange tree swayed green leaves.
But Eileen couldn't immediately enter and for long stood before the house in a daze.
Foolishly listening to the rustle of leaves in the wind, she finally made a step.
In that moment when she opened the door, a black melancholy crushed her.
"Lily..."
From the dark house a gloomy voice was distributed.
In the house where even light didn't burn, the mother looked at Eileen with eyes reddened from tears.
Eileen put the bag nearby and approached the mother.
Cautiously having embraced her, that one poured out on Eileen all her negative emotions, as-if having waited for this.
She poured out hatred and curses in the address of the father, mourned her miserable position.
Sobbing, spoke that if not for Eileen, she long ago would have hanged herself.
Eileen, taking on herself these emotions as-if mud, anew realized reality.
The time spent in the university for study seemed an illusion.
Having woken from a sweet dream, she met cold reality.
Having felt a chill, Eileen more firmly embraced the mother.
She hoped that at least a little she’d be warmed from this, but it didn't become warmer.
On the contrary, to her it became yet colder, as-if someone took away her warmth.
After that as the mother took to bed, Eileen by little set about to do that which she could.
She went around all whom they were owed, and asked to delay the payments.
Baroness Elrod, the mother of the prince, couldn't do this—in her remained pride.
Then she sold all valuable things.
In the house didn't remain anything expensive, so that one had to sell books.
Those same that Eileen carefully gathered, and textbooks by specialty.
She sold all besides the gifts from Cesare, but of this all same was catastrophically little.
To settle with debts were needed big money.
She even couldn't pay out the interest, and her set about to beset gloomy thoughts, but she with all forces tried to drive them away.
The gloomy reality which couldn't be easily corrected weighed as a mountain, but the return to the capital was not such already and bad.
Because she finally could meet with Cesare after a long time.
The emptiness which couldn't be filled neither by study, nor by new acquaintances.
In that moment when she entered into the Imperial palace and saw him, Eileen felt how her empty heart was filled to the edges.
"Your Highness."
Over the time of separation Cesare, it seems, had become yet bigger.
The man whom he’d become ideally corresponded to how the people of the empire praised him as a god of war.
Foolishly having stared at him in uniform, Eileen suddenly realized.
That over the time of separation her feelings for Cesare had become stronger and changed.
From the first meeting and until now Eileen loved Cesare.
But if earlier this was closer to adoration, then now all had changed.
Eileen desperately wanted to hold him by the hand.
Wanted to kiss him in the cheek.
Wanted to be the only one who can embrace him and receive a gaze full of love.
The moment when she realized her changed feelings was martyring.
Because she knew that this desire never would come true.
Eileen was only his child, she couldn't become a woman.
She well knew that if she lead herself inappropriately, then wouldn't be able to remain even a child.
Trying to suppress the beating heart, she came to herself only when Cesare smirked and said:
"Finally you’ve come to the palace."
Already two weeks had passed since then as she returned to the capital, before as she came to Cesare.
It was necessary to settle with home affairs, so time flew unnoticed.
Eileen reddened and apologized before him.
"Pardon..."
In actual fact, home affairs were not the only reason for the delay.
She simply couldn't find in herself the forces to meet with Cesare.
He helped her to enter university, and she returned without any kind of achievements.
Eileen was ashamed for herself that she hadn't justified his expectations.
More over, now she even didn't know how to earn for life, having turned out in a position worse than before the university.
To be confident before the beloved person was too difficult.
"You have grown a little."
Cesare muttered this as-if talking with himself, and put a hand on her head.
As soon as his fingers touched her, Eileen froze.
He often stroked her by the head earlier.
Though this and was an ordinary gesture, her changed feelings made it awkward.
Cesare couldn't not notice the strange atmosphere.
He intently looked at Eileen and smiled.
Instead of that to remove the hand, he continued to stroke her.
Eileen submissively permitted him to do this.
"It seems, you’ve lost interest for the prince."
Eileen started and protested:
"No, of course no!"
"Then?"
"Simply... we so long haven't seen each other, and I a little..."
How to say that she is worried and the heart wildly thumps?
Having been tangled in words, she saw how Cesare slightly tilted head.
He whispered either an order, or a request:
"Don't avoid me, Eileen."