IELNDMH - Chapter 15 < Who Dared To Cry? >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
That evening, after Rebecca returned to the dark mansion.
Cedric and Bianca started dinner a little late. Bianca didn't know if it was because she was back home after such a long time, or because of the amazing conversation she had with Rebecca. Bianca looked more relaxed and hummed her tune throughout her meal.
"Bianca, you seem to be feeling pretty good today. But you still have to finish eating, right?"
"Oh, yes!"
She barely picked up the fork, but Bianca only stared at Cedric's face, not at the food in front of her.
"Uh...... Brother."
"Hmm?"
"...Is what Her Highness said to me sincerely?"
"What kind of words?"
Bianca blushed with an embarrassed expression at Cedric's soft question.
"I am a child worthy of love..."
"The word."
As Cedric looked at Bianca, a deep sense of pity gradually seeped into his eyes.
"... then, of course."
"Really?"
Cedric looked at Bianca, who was truly happy, and slowly raised the corner of his mouth.
"I have never seen a child as lovely as our Bianca."
"That's because His Highness the Grand Duke is my brother."
Bianca gave her brother a light scolding, but the corners of her eyes arched as if she were in a good mood. Cedric's feelings as he looked at Bianca became more complicated. Even though she has been treated harshly, she is a child who immediately smiles at a kind word.
Cedric wonders how hungry she must have been for the warm embrace of her family. Cedric felt his heart sink even more.
"... The Grand Duchess has changed a lot recently. So from now on, you can stay here In peace."
These words were meant to reassure Bianca, but they were not completely out of line with Cedric's recent thoughts. Cedric eventually had no choice but to admit it. That Rebecca had really changed into a different person. And after acknowledging that, there was only one question that came to mind.
'What on earth made Rebecca change so much?'
It was a time when Cedric was about to fall into light contemplation. Bianca nodded her head vigorously as if agreeing with his idea.
"That's right, I think Her Highness has really changed a lot. I could feel it just by looking at their expressions!"
"..."
"She look so much more comfortable than before and oh so happy!"
By the past, he meant before Rebecca divorced him. Why did those words immediately bring to mind the image of Rebecca smiling next to Adrian?
Soon, Cedric's eyebrows slowly furrowed.
'Now what does that have to do with me?'
He changed the subject, trying to shake off his thoughts.
"I heard that in a few days, ladies from a noble family who were close to you will be visiting from the capital."
"Oh, yes... I heard it too."
For some reason, Bianca's voice, which had been very excited just a moment ago, slowly calmed down.
"Of course, they are good friends, right?"
"That... Sure. They are very nice friends!"
At those words, Cedric nodded his head indifferently and continued eating again.
As soon as his gaze left, Blanca's face, which had been trying to smile, gradually darkened.
***
A few days later. A letter arrived from Camilla, the villainess of the original and my maid, informing me that she would soon return to the North.
With that news, I immediately called Adrian over.
"Adrian, how is it going with my request to dispose of additional artwork?"
"We will make offers to a few more stores and deal with the one that offers the highest price."
"Good. Please proceed as quickly as possible."
The fact that it was time for Camilla to return meant that it was time for 'that item' to appear in the futures market.
'As soon as Lobelia's husband, Henry, returns from his affair with Camilla, he hits the jackpot in the futures market.'
He uses that to show off his power and later mistreats Lobelia.
I was thinking of somehow stealing that good fortune from Henry, the man he was having an affair with. To win the bidding competition with him, it was essential to have sufficient cash on hand.
So, I decided to stockpile more cash by trading additional works of art I owned.
While I was talking with Adrian, Mina entered the living room. She was holding a large box in her hands.
"Your Highness, the toy you ordered has arrived! Would you like to check?"
When Mina opened the box, there were four cute dolls inside.
"It's pretty, probably because it was custom-made. The kids will like it too, right?"
"Sure! Perhaps Princess Bianca will be moved to tears if she finds out that Her Highness the Grand Duchess personally prepared it?"
After Bianca returned to the North, Mina knew that I was trying to restore my relationship with Bianca, so I asked her for various information about Bianca. One of them was the news that Bianca's aristocratic friends from the capital would soon be visiting.
I ordered the doll as a gift to Bianca and her friends right away that day. And today was the day to gift that doll.
"When I returned earlier, I heard that all of her friends had arrived and were enjoying the tea party."
It looks like cute children gathered together. It felt good just to imagine it.
'Of course, out of all of them, Bianca is the cutest, right?'
The corners of my mouth rose as I imagined Bianca shrugging her shoulders in front of her friends after receiving her gift.
"Let's go now. Where is everyone?"
"They will be at the Orangery in support!"
At the same time, Sponsored by the Orangery. Despite the cold weather in the north, a warm breeze blew around the hexagonal Orangery and various spring flowers were in full bloom. In front of the white table in the middle. The daughters of the capital dukedom, all about eight or nine years old, were gathered together and looking around with curious eyes.
"It's really amazing! If you have magical power, even cold weather can instantly become warm!"
"Therefore! It's the middle of winter just a few steps away, but it's amazing how warm it is here!"
Erica, Mary, and Judith. Each of them looked at the wind of flower petals falling from the tree with excited expressions. Bianca smiled awkwardly as she looked at her friends.
"I'm so glad that everyone likes it...."
Her voice was small and weak compared to his friends. Judith looked at Bianca blankly.
"Bianca, why are you so weak? Aren't you glad we're here?"
"Huh? Well, that can't be...."
Judith, the daughter of the Duke of Montran, was a pretty, but somewhat obnoxious little girl. As Judith's gaze continued to focus on her, Bianca's head dropped as if it would pierce the ground.
Afterward, the rest of the children also added their words with displeased expressions.
'Is it? But Bianca is naturally timid."
"That's right! It's not that special."
Judith looked worried at the children's words and tapped her chin with her finger.
"It is not so. Bianca looks particularly lethargic today..... ah! I know why!"
The children's attention was drawn to Judith's dramatic attitude.
"What? What!"
"I'm curious, Judith!"
Then the corners of Judith's mouth gently curved up.
"Bianca is displeased with leaving the civilized capital and returning to this barbaric North!"
"Huh? Really?"
The children's eyes immediately turned to Bianca. Bianca was already familiar with the subtle disregard and ridicule from the noble daughters of the capital. However, it was difficult for her to bear the fact that even her hometown, where she and her family were born and raised, became a source of ridicule.
Bianca, who was tightly grasping the hem of her skirt with her small hands, soon closed her eyes tightly and raised her voice.
"Well, it's not like that! There are a lot of really good things in the North...!"
However, the words she finally gathered up the courage to say were not able to continue because her friends did not listen to Bianca's story.
"But! Judith has a point! The north feels somewhat underdeveloped."
"It's an underdog.... All the technologies that are now famous in the capital were developed in the north...?".
"It would have been better if the technology in the capital and the southern region had become more backward, but the opposite is true in the north...."
Although she spoke without confidence, Bianca conveyed her meaning clearly. Judith and her friends' chattering stopped for a moment as those words hit the nail on the head.
There was silence for a while. The children noticed Judith's discomfort and rushed to open their mouths.
"Well, then what do you do! The North is close to the Demon World!"
"That's right! There's something eerie about being close to the Demon World!"
Bianca's face, embarrassed by the sight of the children rushing towards her, suddenly hardened. On the other hand, Judith, who had regained her composure, blinked her eyes exaggeratedly, like an actor on a play stage.
"Merry! Do you think Bianca is afraid of the demon world?"
Then she pushed her own blonde hair behind her shoulder.
"Bianca is a half-blood demon. They are not humans like us who were born with God's protection...."
After speaking that far, Judith hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Princess Bianca."
She seemed to be sorry for her mistake, but it was exaggerated. Bianca just bit her lip and held back tears. The children exchanged glances with each other as the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
"Princess Judith simply made a mistake, Bianca."
"Yes, that's right. If you don't move on, you'll only be a narrow-minded person."
"And to be honest... Judith didn't say anything wrong at all."
"that's right... My mother often says that too."
Words that Blanca's friends would never say poured out of their mouths. The fact that the children maintained a superficial friendship with Bianca was the result of her parents encouraging them to do so.
The intention was to leave a good impression on their family to the Emperor and Cedric. Is that why?
It was difficult to find pure hearts of caring for each other among the children.
On the stage of the play called Friendship, there are only the Queen Bee, the maid, and the bully.
"Ro be honest... Isn't the reason why Her Highness the Grand Duchess hates Bianca because Bianca is a half-blood demon?"
"U think so too. As a human being, it is more difficult than you think to treat her mixed race demons without prejudice."
Bianca's arms tightened as she hugged her stuffed rabbit.
"Oh, no... Her Highness clearly thinks I am a lovely child...."
Bianca, who was trying to explain, soon bit her lower lip.
'Well, really... Has Her Highness been displeased with me because I am a half-blood demon?'
That was when Bianca lowered her head with a sullen expression on her face. A soft voice suddenly pierced the ears of her children.
"Oh my! Our princesses, you really enjoy what you say, don't you?"
The moment she inadvertently turned her head to where the sound came from. The children's faces began to turn pale in an instant.
"Your Highness!"
"...... OMG! Cough, Cough!"
The surprised children saw Rebecca slowly approaching them. She clearly has a smile on her face. However, there was a subtle coldness in Rebecca's eyes, like that of a wild animal about to be hunted.
She got closer to the. and slowly wrapped her arms around Judith and Mary's shoulders.
"From what I heard earlier, there was quite an interesting conversation going on, right?"
They even felt an inexplicable sense of intimidation from Rebecca, who was smiling softly. It was at that time that the tips of the frozen Princess's' lips began to tremble.
"Okay, then this time... Do you dare tell me who made our Bianca cry?"
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