IELNDMH - Chapter 12 < Disappeared Forever >

I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband

"Your Highness, I have prepared what you mentioned."

Adrian smiled softly as he handed me the newspaper.

"How is life in the dark mansion? Are you experiencing any inconvenience?"

It's already been a week since I came to the dark mansion. I have already become accustomed to living here. Until that happened, I had the greatest help from my butler, Adrian, who watched over me day and night.

"Not at all. It's very comfortable."

I answered indifferently, flipping through the newspaper in search of the economics section. Then Adrian took a shallow breath as if relieved and smiled broadly.

"I'm so glad, Your Highness."

Eventually, he started pouring tea into my cup and spoke softly.

"The works of art you mentioned were sold to the highest bidder. This is the Alpierre store in the capital."

"Yes? How much do you think it will cost?"

"The total amount is expected to be approximately 1.87 billion rut."

Before starting to move into the dark mansion, I asked Adrian to dispose of the art that Rebecca had been collecting. When Mina was curious about the reason, i answered that it was to reduce my moving load. Actually, there was a different reason.

'I will definitely make you wander through the mud like a beggar.'

I snorted softly as I remembered Duke Bold's words.

'Well, let's see if it goes your way.'

The divorce law of the Western Empire was an ambush that I did not expect. If a woman divorces, the alimony is delivered to her biological family, and its disposition is determined according to the wishes of the head of the family. That was the imperial law, but it seemed to be the custom for the head of the family to hand over the alimony directly to the divorcee himself.

'But there's no way that miser, Duke Bold, will do as is customary.'

Duke Bold's sudden visit was certainly unpleasant, but it was also a fortunate thing. Thanks to his trivial threats, it became clearer what I needed to prepare for.

'I found out that the alimony may be passed on to the biological family... 'It's not at all personal property that you had before the divorce, Duke Bold.'

I decided to increase my personal assets as much as possible before the divorce was announced.

'Thanks to the original work, I definitely know how to make a fortune in this world!'

As I was carefully reading the economics section of the newspaper, I slowly raised the corner of my mouth. This was after seeing an analysis article on the 'Demon World Material Futures Trading Market'.

"Adrian, please leave the money from selling the artwork in my personal safe at the bank. There will soon be a suitable place to invest."

"I just invested...Did you say that?"

"Huh? Ah! I took action without my parents' family knowing."

"Yes, I will do as Your Highness says......."

"Then let me ask you a favor."

"... By the way, I really didn't know that Your Highness was Interested in that field as well."

A smile slowly spread across Adrian's lips as he continued to blink as if he was surprised.

"It really feels like a dream to be able to see Your Highness so closely and learn about aspects of Your Highness that I didn't know about."

I looked up at Adrian's face, which was full of smiles.

'Is this really like a dream?'

When I think about it, Adrian couldn't hide his happiness from the moment he found out that I was moving to the dark mansion. From then on, he always followed me around and even called himself my personal assistant. Every time, he was moved by my every action, as if it was amazing that I was alive and breathing In front of him.

"It's coming, I can feel it. This can't be..."

As I looked up at Adrian, who was smiling, a mischievous thought suddenly occurred to me. When I glanced behind Adrian, I saw Mina looking at his back with hazy eyes.

"Wait a minute, come closer."

At my words, Adrian came over to the sofa where I was sitting and slowly bent down. His neatly tied blond hair fell gently over his shoulders. Then the fresh scent of flowers, like one from a garden at dawn, passed my nose.

Adrian looked up at me, his blue-violet eyes curled into a half-moon shape.

"Why are you doing this, Your Highness?"

It was a sweet, low-pitched voice that resembled his smile. I came closer and whispered in Adrian's ear.

"Adrian, I'm asking just in case..."

Adrian nodded his head with a serious expression as if he would answer anything. His Adam's apple dropped deeply and then came up.

"If... Do you have a crush on me?"

The blue-violet eyes shook greatly at the mischievous question. I looked down at Adrian, trying hard to suppress laughter. Then I saw red gradually seeping into his face.

"Well, that... How dare I challenge His Highness..."

"Really?"

When I asked again as if I was suspicious, his face turned even redder and he hesitated to find a place to focus his gaze. I ended up bursting out laughing at the reaction, which was much more intense than I expected.

Mina, who was standing far away from her, craned her neck and tilted her head around as if she was dying of curiosity.

"Haha, just kidding, kidding! Adrian reacted so seriously that even I, who made the joke, became embarrassed."

In response to the mischievous scolding, Adrian touched his red ear and lightly bit his lower lip. It was at that time that a slight tremor appeared at the end of his lips.

"... Oh, I forgot for a moment that I had news to tell you."

Adrian touched his reddened neck and hurriedly took a step back. Thinking it was an attempt to change the subject, I smiled slyly and looked at Adrian.

"Suddenly? What kind of news is it?"

However, Adrian hesitated for a moment with a troubled expression before finally releasing his lips.

"Actually, this may not be very pleasant news for Your Highness."

He took some time and spoke again cautiously.

"Princess Bianca... They say she will return to the Mansion of Light tomorrow."

At the sudden news, I opened my eyes wide and looked at Adrian.

"Princess Bianca is coming back? And tomorrow?"

"... I am sorry to deliver this news, Your Highness."

Adrian's face darkened. He seemed to think I would be displeased with the news of Princess Bianca's return.

'Well, it's reasonable for Adrian to think that way.'

The previous Grand Duke and Duchess passed away before their eldest daughter, Bianca, turned one year old. It was natural for Cedric to feel even more affectionate toward his younger sister. But there was no way the obsessed girl, Rebecca, would just watch.

That happens. Bianca took refuge in the capital to avoid Rebecca's evil, and it was only after Rebecca was imprisoned in the tower that she returned to the Grand Duchy of the North. However, this is much earlier than when Bianca returned to the Great Siege in the original work.

I suddenly became anxious when I thought that the events were proceeding as they were in the original, only the timing was different.

'No matter how hard I try, the timing is different and my ending is the same or something like that... I guess, not?'

I shook my head with difficulty. I may not be able to avoid the predetermined ending, but that doesn't mean I can't just ignore it. I just have to do what I can do now, step by step. For now... It was a time when I was trying to control my anxiety.

"Your Highness, at Princess Bianca's welcome ceremony, I guess... You probably won't be able to attend, right?"

"Welcoming ceremony?"

"Yes. You were invited by the Grand Duke, but you didn't have to come out if you didn't want to..."

I shook my head resolutely.

"No, I have to get out."

Then Adrian blinked, looking like he couldn't believe his ears.

"Your Highness, really... Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Of course. I will definitely go to the welcoming ceremony that day."

Who is Bianca? Isn't she the youngest brother that Cedric grieves for and cherishes?

Having Bianca's favor benefited me in many ways.

'When I need to be liked, I can't forget the welcome greeting.'

Ah, it would be better to give a welcome gift...

I was lost in thought for a while.

Ah! Finally, a good idea occurred to me and I quickly turned my head towards Adrian.

"Adrian, you said you would do anything for me, right?"

"Of course, Your Highness. Have I finally got something to do for Your Highness?"

Adrian's face brightened with joy. I smiled while looking at him.

"Yes, it's something only Adrian can do."

***

That night, inside the Grand Duke's bedroom.

Cedric had already been ready for bed several hours ago. But sleep couldn't come, and in the end, he had no choice but to pace by the window again today.

Cedric sighed with fatigue and sat down by the window. He was wearing a red nightgown and holding a glass of whiskey in one hand. For a moment, he looked down at the garden of light in the darkness under the open window.

Cedric's gaze, out of habit, turned to the dark mansion. Cedric was lost in thought for a while, and the conversation he had with his aide that day came to mind.

'Ask the Archduchess's opinion on whether to attend Bianca's welcome ceremony.'

'Yes? It's a shame, but now... Is it true that you told me to invite Her Highness to the event?'

'...Yes.'

The aide could not hide his surprise. It was a decision he made because he thought it would be better to pretend that his marriage was still alive. But soon Cedric was surprised that he had made such a decision carelessly.

'I can't believe I personally invited Rebecca to Bianca's welcome ceremony.'

It was Cedric who had done whatever it took to prevent the two of them from encountering each other. The more he thought about it, the more surprising it was that he invited Rebecca without hesitation.

'I guess the vigilance has been relaxed.'

Not only was she already divorced, Rebecca has indeed changed into someone else. After moving her residence, Rebecca disappeared from sight forever, as she said.

Like... Like someone who never existed in his life.

'As soon as the divorce is finalized, I will leave for the dark mansion. Then we won't have to see each other again!'

Cedric, out of habit, remembered Rebecca's words and took a sip of whiskey. Then, he inadvertently turned his head towards the dark mansion again.

Cedric's gaze was Instantly taken by a familiar figure walking in the dark garden. She is a woman walking In a dark garden wearing a thick shawl over a white chemise. She was Rebecca. Cedric could not take his eyes off her for a while as he saw her for the first time in a long time...

Does she still not know about the 'Devil's Gift'?'

Watching Rebecca just walking around the pitch-dark garden, Cedric recalled their first night together. That day, Cedric returned from Mount Manakin and planned to go straight back to Rebecca. Because on the first night of their marriage, he wanted to see her face smiling brightly while watching 'The Devil's Gift'.

'But in the end, until the couple's bond ends... 'I've never been able to show it to you.'

Cedric lowered his gaze and let out a self-deprecating laugh. He slowly lifted his head and looked for Rebecca again for a moment. Cedric's eyebrows slowly began to crack when he finally found her. It was after I saw another man standing next to Rebecca.

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