---
Once there was a soldier who served Cesare.
Incredibly diligent and talented, he not once received promotions, and his abilities were valued in the troops.
Cesare carefully related to such an endowed subordinate.
There went even rumors that he could receive a knightly title.
Kind and responsive by nature, he was liked even by little Eileen.
But one day this man, whose career went into the mountain, suddenly disappeared.
When Eileen asked where this person disappeared, as-if evaporated in one night, all answered that they didn't know.
Eileen, being only a young mistress, couldn't herself find him.
No one dared even to start talking of the disappeared.
Eileen, flustered and confused, with time tried to cross him out from memory.
Only after a long time she learned that he died.
They spoke that he committed a heavy crime and bore a deserved punishment.
Eileen didn't know in what exactly he was guilty.
Once Cesare himself punished him, then the misdeed was serious.
The death of this soldier left in the soul of Eileen an unpleasant scar.
This became a seed of fear—that one day such a same fate could overtake her.
He was much more significant than Eileen.
And even with his outstanding abilities Cesare erased him from his world as-if this person never and didn't exist.
Even having become a Grand Duchess, Eileen couldn't get rid of the thought that her fate was in nothing better than his.
To her was always scary.
What if she too one day disappears, nothing understanding, not having received even a chance something to explain?
She didn't fear to give life for Cesare.
But she didn't want to become non-existent in his world.
She wanted so that her end was not shameful.
The unresolved anxiety having grown with each day burst outside as soon as she learned about the removal of Lucio.
Learned from the newspapers without a single explanation, which only strengthened the shock.
As-if they’d doused with ice water, having torn out from a sweet dream about that she is a Grand Duchess, Eileen felt how reality crashed on her.
Bad thoughts changed one another until they turned to a yet more gloomy side.
*‘Can it be senpai indeed wanted to steal my research?’*
Feeling how the support under feet was shaking, Eileen squeezed fists.
She squeezed them so strongly that nails bit into palms, then slowly opened and pronounced:
"Senon..."
Until this moment Senon couldn't utter a word.
Seeing his silence, Eileen swallowed a bitter smirk.
Knights, soldiers—all they sincerely loved and valued Eileen. and she too sincerely loved them.
But in the end they were knights and soldiers of "Cesare." Having turned out before a choice, they could choose only him.
In the mouth appeared a bitter aftertaste.
"I simply...
Although in this time...
Could have received although some kind of warning...
For it was I who invited him into the residence of the Grand Duke..."
She spoke slowly, but her heart ached.
Suddenly in the nose it tickled, eyes ached, and Eileen with all forces squeezed eyelids, restraining tears.
"To me it is always all unknown, and this oppresses.
But I can't say such to His Excellency."
Short-ly having fallen silent and having caught breath, Eileen forcibly smiled.
She lifted the corners of lips, try-ing to make the look that all is in order.
"I simply in vain put Senon in an awkward position.
Resentment forced me to be capricious."
But tears all same rolled.
Eileen hurriedly wiped them with the back of the palm.
She pressed on eyes, but the tears didn't cease.
It seemed they only poured stronger.
Nothing went thus as was wanted.
"P-pardon, S-senon..."
Choking, she apologized, and the frozen until this Senon jerked.
He set about to fuss, searching pockets.
Having turned them up down, he finally found a handkerchief and stretched out it to Eileen.
Eileen plugged eyes with a napkin from the table and the handkerchief of Senon.
Having closed face with fabric, she again apologized, but her voice already was hollow from tears.
Senon set about to speak gloomily:
"Eileen...
I was mistaken."
There was nothing for Senon to apologize for.
When Eileen said that he had nothing of what to worry, he answered yet more gloomily:
"I should have beforehand thought that you are shaken.
Simply I so was gladdened that the medicine created by you will enter into mass production that I forgot about all..."
Looking at Eileen, who sobbed, trying to stop the tears, Senon couldn't hide his confusion.
Long service to Cesare as a soldier and knight made his thinking unlike ordinary.
He was much less sensitive than ordinary people.
And his master, Cesare, was not simply insensitive, but indifferent.
Not surprising that and his subordinates took over this.
From their point of view, this act was completely sound.
A person committed a crime—they punished him. and simultaneously used all that they could.
So that the operation was successful, it followed to hold it in secret, therefore Eileen was not warned.
They decided that, although this is tough, later they would be able to explain the reasons, and she will understand.
But, having thought, they understood that Eileen didn't know in what Lucio was guilty.
More over, she considered him a good and kind senpai.
They realized their mistake too late.
This was the first case when they thus openly removed someone with whom Eileen was close.
*‘If there was Diego, he would have stopped us.’* Diego was the most sensitive among the knights, better than others understood people.
He would have suggested a more suitable variant.
But, to misfortune, Diego was in departure.
For the first time having regretted of his absence, Senon fidgeted, soundlessly moving lips.
However his sharp mind was useless in this situation.
Thoughts there were a multitude, but all they sounded as justifications.
Vain-ly trying to pick up comforting words, Senon finally squeezed out:
"I can and now talk with His Excellency."
He didn't know what exactly to say, but the sight of the crying Eileen was so much martyring that he blurted out the first thing that came into head.
But Eileen silently shook head.
She lowered the handkerchief and napkin with which she covered face.
Her eyes reddened and swelled when she answered Senon:
"No."
To assign to others the words which one must say oneself—this was childish.
Eileen in a glimpse glanced at the newspaper.
For some time she looked at the name "La Verita," and then took a decision.
"Now...
I can see His Excellency?"
Senon personally accompanied Eileen to Cesare.
Although she several times repeated that all is in order, for he is very busy, Senon insisted on that to accompany her himself, and she’d had to agree.
All the way behind the wheel Senon, becoming covered with sticky sweat, desperately tried to calm Eileen.
He so tormented himself with reproaches that in the end Eileen had to herself him to console.
"We arrived..." Senon muttered without enthusiasm, stopping the car.
Having gone out under his look, Eileen for a moment froze.
She had been here only one time, but this place deeply was cut in her memory.
The wooden house where Eileen came in the last time before as Cesare set off in a march into the kingdom of Kalpen.
Then, however she knocked in the door, he even didn't respond...
Vivid memories forced her courage instantly to evaporate.
It seemed he and now would not open the door.
What however she spoke, however entreated to talk, he, most likely, even wouldn't answer with refusal.
Eileen's face for a moment turned white.
And in this moment the creaky wooden door of a small old house with a creak opened.
Eileen looked at this sight with bewilderment: the door, having seemed forever closed, was flung open.
With an impassive face on the threshold appeared Cesare.
Seeing Eileen, he slightly lifted brows.
Visible, he completely didn't expect her visit and was very surprised.
But then he slightly smiled and called her by name.
"Eileen."
But, having approached closer and having discerned her face, he here same frowned.
Cesare moved brows and asked:
"You cried?"
In that same moment Eileen, scarcely having restrained the tears, again burst into tears.