IELNDMH - Chapter 16 < Rebecca, She Was That Woman Again >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
'Let's be patient. The opponents are children.'
I tried to repeat it, but the truth was I was so angry that it was even difficult to smile. A group of people intellectually belittling and ostracizing one person...
'And our Bianca.'
I tried to suppress my boiling anger and rolled the corners of my eyes. The more this happened, the more the children's expressions became pale.
'I can't believe the day is coming when I'm grateful for Rebecca's fierce expression, which looks scary even when she smiles.'
As I was looking down at the children, I clapped my hands lightly, as if I had just remembered something I had forgotten.
"By the way, I should have explained why I stopped by, but I forgot. Actually, I stopped by to give you a gift I prepared for you."
"Well, it's a gift... ?"
"Yes, we had prepared in advance because Princess Bianca's friends were coming."
When I winked, Mina put the doll box she brought on the table. The children glanced into the box while watching me. They were scared, but they couldn't help but feel curious.
"This.... This is for me..?"
"That doll looks like me!"
The Princess whispered softly to each other. Even though they were suppressing their voices out of fear, they were unable to hide their excitement.
'Of course.'
Because I found out what Bianca's friends looked like in advance and ordered them to make dolls that looked just like them. The children were constantly watching me, but they could not easily take their eyes off the doll that looked like them.
'It looks like you really liked it, right?'
I looked at those children and slowly raised the corners of my mouth.
"Since we prepared this with so much care, it would be right for these dolls to go where they belong, right?"
I first took out a doll that resembled Bianca from the box. Then he looked at Bianca and smiled gently.
"First order, of course, is our lovely Princess Blanca."
"Yes...?"
Bianca looked back and forth between her doll and me with her round blue eyes.
"It's a gift. I hope you like it."
"Thank you, Your Highness...."
The corners of Bianca's mouth rose slightly. She felt confused and happy about this situation.
"Now, next...."
The children's eyes all turned to my hand. Everyone looked like they desperately wanted to be next. I took out a doll that resembled Judith from among the remaining dolls and muttered bitterly.
"It's a blonde doll."
Judith's eyes sparkled with anticipation. I pretended not to notice and tapped my chin with my finger.
"Hmm. This...."
For a long time, I pretended to be worried in front of Judith, who couldn't hide her excitement. I tossed Mina the doll behind her shoulder.
"Please throw this in the trash can."
Then, not only the young Princesses but also Mina's eyes were filled with astonishment.
"Your Highness, this expensive doll? This...It's a precious thing made by barely persuading a doll craftsman who is having a hard time making reservations!"
"What is precious? It definitely looks grumpy...."
I looked down at Judith and continued indifferently.
"It looks like a stupid kid who likes bullying its friends."
Mina, who was looking at me and Judith alternately, nodded her head slowly as if she had finally realized my intention.
"Aha, I guess so."
"Look. It would be a problem if we gave the wrong gift and our Princesses end up resembling these ugly dolls, therefore...."
I looked at Judith and her eyebrows arched.
"Trash should go in the trash can, right?"
Judith bit his lower lip with an expression as if she was about to burst into tears. I looked down at the child coldly and slowly parted my lips.
"I told you so."
"..."
"It is right for this doll to go where it belongs."
As my voice gradually became colder, the children's shoulders began to tremble again. Just like Bianca, who was being bullied by them a little while ago.
I looked down at her box and immediately pushed the box towards Mina.
"All the rest, go to the trash can!"
"I understand, Your Highness!"
Mina, who answered cheerfully, glanced at the young Princesses with a stern expression. All the disappointed children were in tears.
Meanwhile, Judith secretly glared at Bianca with a face that said, 'See you later.'
Bianca, who noticed that gaze, completely lost her fear and shrugged her shoulders again. And that scene really touched my disgust.
"Everyone, listen to me carefully."
As I placed both hands wide on the table and slightly leaned forward, my voice was heard in a low voice around me. Then all the children, including Judith, looked up at me with frightened expressions.
"I plan to convey to the Grand Duke all the discriminatory remarks made by the Princesses here."
"Yes....?"
"Especially the Princess there. You said that your mother often makes disparaging remarks about mixed-race demons, right?"
"Your Highness! That......!"
"If you are unlucky, this story may fall into His Majesty's ears, but what can we do...".
"...."
"Do you think your parents will be in a lot of trouble?"
The Princesses' faces turned pale.
Until the founding of the Western Empire here, the contributions of mixed-blood demons were significant. That's why Emperor Letitz never ignored discrimination against mixed-race demons. No matter how young they are, they are the daughter of a high-ranking noble family. There was no way these children did not know that if this fact were to be relayed to the Emperor, their family would be at a disadvantage.
And because of that....
They also knew that their situation would be very difficult.
"Your t! We were wrong! Please, please don't do that....Yes?"
"Well, I was wrong, Your Highness..."
However, Judith only had a sad expression and almost looked angry.
"We.... We are still young and immature! And these are just words that children say by mistake while playing!"
This. Where did you learn something like that?
They learn the words of their overprotective parents and use them as shields for themselves.
I looked down at Judith and gently curled the corners of my lips.
"It's a child's mistake... Well, that could happen."
"That....Yes? As expected, I thought Your Highness would understand...."
Judith rolled her eyes like a clever child who had deceived an adult as. intended I looked down at Judith and opened my mouth again.
"So, I have to make this issue even more problematic."
In my words, the Princesses' all looked desperate, like people whose sky had fallen.
"Your Highness......!"
Erica, who soon burst into tears, screamed hysterically.
"Judith, this is all because of you! What are you going to do about this now?"
"Erica is right! Ooh, we... If it weren't for Judith, she wouldn't have had to say that!"
Judith glared at those children as if she were going to kill them, then raised her eyes straight towards me.
"Your Highness, this is too much! Even good kids make mistakes sometimes!"
"Well, Princess Judith."
A new laugh slipped out of my lips.
"Strictly speaking, what the Princesses just did is not a mistake, but a 'wrong'."
"... !"
"Of course, even good kids make mistakes sometimes. When that happens, it's the adult's job to correct it."
"Your Highness, please..!"
"So, I am trying to correct the Princesses' mistakes in my own way."
Judith kept biting her lip as if she was nervous about the situation not going as planned.
I slowly bent down towards Judith. The moment we finally made eye contact up close. Judith's frightened face instantly became as frozen as ice.
"You'd better look forward, Judith."
"..."
"Even if it's just to make sure that 'good kid' doesn't repeat the same mistake....."
The relaxed face remained the same, but the voice became even colder.
"I am a person who believes that you should never be forgiven carelessly."
***
That night, Cedric was tossing and turning, unable to sleep until late at night. For a long time.
He eventually took his wooden sword and headed to the training hall behind his mansion. When Cedric arrived at the training hall, he took off his thick nightgown, clearly revealing his strong, sculpted upper body.
Then, every time he moved to relax his stiff body, his hard muscles cracked, drawing fine lines. Cedric finally finished preparing and slowly adjusted his wooden sword. Now he desperately needed the harsh training that would put his body through hardship.
It was because of the meaningless thoughts swirling in his head.
Cedric hurriedly swung his wooden sword towards the training strike team. But his thoughts did not let him go easily.
'It turns out that those Princesses have been secretly ostracizing Princess Bianca from the capital.'
'Her Highness saw that at the Orangery today and scolded them.'
Cedric's grip on his wooden sword grew stronger.
"Why are you doing this now? Why....?"
Hya!
The sound of the blow became even stronger.
'I think Her Highness has really changed a lot. She looks so much more comfortable than before and she is so happy!'
'The Grand Duchess loved you so much that she has no regrets anymore, haha!"
As thoughts came to him one after another, Cedric gritted his molars even more and swung his wooden sword.
'Was it really because your married life was painful?'
Perhaps, as she feels more at ease after the divorce, her original generous nature comes out...
That meant he had tormented Rebecca with unnecessary doubts throughout her marriage.
Cedric gritted his teeth and swung the wooden sword in succession to erase the overwhelming guilt. He was immersed in it and kept hitting it for a while.
Taaaang!
Cedric's gaze fell at the sudden roar. Half of his wooden sword was lying miserably on the floor. It seemed like it couldn't withstand his strength and eventually broke.
"Ha..."
It was then that he inadvertently looked down at his right hand, which was holding the other half of his wooden sword, with an irritated sigh.
"... A divorce contract is also a contract. Well done, let's shake hands one last time."
A voice lingering in his ears like an auditory hallucination. Rebecca, she was that woman.
Cedric shook his head with difficulty.
'Forget about your painful married life. And next time, I hope you meet a woman you truly love and live happily ever after.'
Thick veins appeared on his forehead as he shook his head. But her voice only continued to disturb her mind.
'Take care, Cedric.'
The moment when her last smile finally appeared. Cedric reluctantly turned his body back as he felt an unfamiliar sensation of tingling near his heart. He rested his forehead and let out a long sigh for a moment.
His eyes fell on the low wall surrounding the training ground in a circle. Soon he frowned as if his attention was caught by something. The intention was to take a closer look at 'something' that bothered him. The low wall of the training hall, red hair rising above it. It moved upward little by little, and then its red eyes were revealed.
Innocent eyes looked around Cedric, not even knowing that he had noticed. Cedric, who was stroking his eyebrows at that sight, let out a faint smile.
".....Ha"
Rebecca, it was that woman again.
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