IELNDMH - Chapter 23 < Even If I Ask You To Come Back Now >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
Camilla swallowed dryly, like someone who had heard the news she didn't want to hear. Her facial muscles twitched strangely.
She stayed like ice for a long time. She soon began to cry, her whole body shaking.
"Oh, no....I... I don't want to die!"
Camilla again grabbed the hem of Mina's skirt and pleaded.
"Please save me! Your Highness, please do something....!"
The elegant Countess was nowhere to be seen. I looked down at her as she got uglier and slowly pulled my lips.
".... There is no way there is an antidote."
And I continued my words, slowly moving my feet to her side.
"Because it was just tea."
Camilla looked up at me, her face marred by her black tears.
"Yes?"
Camilla's eyes rolled back and forth. It seemed like the accident had stopped for a moment. Camilla, who kept breathing heavily, finally opened her mouth again after a while.
"That... Then..?"
"There was no poison in it in the first place."
After blinking her eyes with a dazed expression for a long time, Camilla let out a long breath and fell back helplessly. She was just barely breathing, and belatedly seemed to have regained her senses and shook her head.
"Your, Your, Your Highness! How could you do this to me?!"
"Because I can do it. When Camilla harassed my maid, didn't you do it because you thought you could?"
".....!"
"Moreover, thanks to that, we were able to see Camilla sincerely apologize to Mina."
"Well, that's......!"
Camilla's face instantly burned red. It must have been an image of herself rolling around on the floor in a mess, praying at Mina's feet.
I smiled slightly and held out my hand to Camilla.
"Get up now, Camilla. I'm embarrassed to watch anymore."
The person who is more embarrassed than anyone else right now is Camilla herself. She raised her eyes in exasperation and stood up, holding onto the hand I held out.
I continued speaking slowly, shaking off the dust from the hem of Camilla's dress.
"Countess Dmitry, star of our northern society."
"......."
"But now, it might be difficult to keep that position?"
"That... What do you mean by that?"
"Think about it. If there's even a rumor that you bowed your head and cried and begged in front of a half-blood demon maid... Wouldn't that put a damper on that splendid reputation?"
"...!"
Camilla's face turned red again. For a long time, she only bit her lip, looking nervous. She blinked her eyes rapidly and spoke hurriedly.
"Oh, what happened today... I won't make an issue of it or reveal it..."
When I finally saw her lower her tail, it seemed like she didn't want this known more than she wanted to die.
Still, as I watched Camilla biting her lower lip, I secretly smiled with satisfaction.
'Thanks to you for causing all the trouble, I was able to fire you easier than I thought. Should I thank you for this?'
I went to the sofa, sat down with my legs crossed, and spoke again.
"Is it so. That would be good for both of us."
Then I leaned back on the sofa with my arms spread out at my head and stared at Camilla.
"Camilla. Of course, it's a secret between us... But I hope you don't forget what happened today."
"What is that...?"
"There have been many people who have suffered this kind of humiliation from you."
"..."
"I wonder how those people felt at that time..."
I tapped my head with my fingers.
"Here, remember it well."
Camilla lowered her head and held on tightly to the hem of her dress.
"Yes, Your Highness. This teaching... I will never forget it."
It was a voice that was trying to suppress its anger. I looked at Camilla and sneered leisurely.
"I'm not saying don't forget and take revenge. Of course, our Countess wouldn't do something stupid like that, would she?"
"..."
"If you do that, your next cup of tea will be filled with poison for which there is no antidote."
Camilla's face turned pale at my words.
"Well, of course..."
Then Camilla lowered her head as if she had lost all her fighting spirit.
"I think you understood correctly this time. Then, let's go. You must be tired."
Camilla nodded her head helplessly and she walked away towards her door. As I gazed at her slumped shoulders, something I had forgotten suddenly occurred to me.
"Oh, Camilla?"
Camilla, who had almost reached the door at my call, slowly turned her head.
"Yes, Your Highness..."
A dead voice without the slightest hint of venom. However, there was still a deep resentment on her face as she looked at me.
"I feel very sorry, but you are quite desperate to resign, so I have no choice but to accept your request."
A big wave once again appeared in Camilla's golden eyes.
Looking at her like that, I raised the corner of my mouth in a leisurely manner.
"Goodbye, Camilla."
***
A week later, the Mansion of Light.
As Rebecca promised, the events of that day were not known outside the Twins family castle. However, among the castle's residents, the events of that day were by far the hottest topic.
"Did you hear that story? Her Highness the Duchess and Camilla."
"Why? Also, the two made a maid hurt?"
"No, they said there was a kneading sound. Camila touched Her Highness's personal maid!"
"Hey, lie!"
At first, everyone shook their heads, saying it was nonsense. However, most of the known stories were true, and there were even eyewitnesses to the story that Rebecca had tortured her maid, Camilla. Is that all?
"Xena said that Her Majesty told the people who use the Dark Mansion not to bow their heads because they are half-blood demons."
"What? Nonsense!"
"Really? It was true that Camilla was kicked out for harassing Mina!"
"I heard it too! I heard that Her Highness often gives breaks to the people who use the Mansion of Darkness and even brings them dessert?"
The more they heard, the more surprising it was. The workers dropped their jaws as if they couldn't believe it.
"So you're saying that Her Highness has really changed?"
"Oh, that's right!"
One of the maids patted her chest in frustration.
"These days, can't you just see the hearts pouring out of Princess Bianca's eyes whenever she look at Her Highness the Duchess?"
At the same time, dinner was prepared in the banquet room of the Mansion of Light.
Soon, the main dish of the day was placed in front of Cedric and Bianca. A lamb steak is so appetizing that it makes your mouth water just by looking at It. But Bianca lifted her fork and put it down repeatedly as if her attention had been taken elsewhere.
Cedric, who was looking at Bianca blankly, urged her quietly.
"Bianca, should we eat now?"
"Oh, yes!"
But Bianca's short legs under the table were still crossing each other in rhythm. Cedric, who was cutting a steak, caught a glimpse of this and burst out laughing.
"Bianca, you seem to be in a good mood these days."
"Rather than something pleasant... Thanks to Her Highness..."
"...Thanks to the Grand Duchess?"
"Yes, no matter how much we think about our secret... "
Bianca's cheeks turned red as she paused for a moment. A cheerful voice immediately flowed from the child's lips.
"I think she's so, so cool!"
Bianca continued her words quickly, her breath heavy with excitement.
"When I grow up, I will definitely become a wonderful woman like Her Highness! She is kind to her people, but scolds bad people mercilessly!"
Cedric blinked his blue eyes slowly.
"Rebecca... That kind of person?"
Of course, Cedric knew that Rebecca had changed a lot from before. However, it was true that the 'Rebecca' that Bianca was talking about was very different from what he had seen so far.
At that time, Cedric was feeling embarrassed due to that gap.
Bianca, who had been talking excitedly just a moment ago, slowly lowered her head with a slightly downcast look on her face.
"It would be great if I could stay with Her Highness in the Mansion of Light..."
Cedric couldn't help but be surprised by those words.
'I never thought something like that would come out of Bianca's mouth.'
It was Bianca who started a fight just by hearing Rebecca's name. Not only does Bianca praise Rebecca, but she even says that she wants to live together. Cedric could not easily continue speaking due to the shock.
'If only we could have stayed like this from the beginning... Would Rebecca and I still be a couple?'
Without realizing it, such questions came to his mind one after another. But Cedric shook his head.
'Now this is a useless thought.'
He has always felt sorry for people who say things like 'what if' or 'maybe'. However, he is the one who keeps repeating 'what if' while thinking of Rebecca.
It was at that time that Cedric's brow slowly furrowed.
"Uh... Your Highness the Grand Duke."
Bianca hesitated, looking at Cedric's eyes as if she was about to say something difficult.
"Bianca, why are you doing this?"
Cedric's voice was infinitely kind, but Bianca lifted her lips and paused several times.
"Um, that's... I'm talking about Her Highness the Grand Duchess."
"Huh?"
"Is it because of me that she moved to the dark mansion? Because I'm afraid of Her Highness?"
Bianca asked questions one after another, her round eyes sparkling.
"If that's the case, can't we ask Her Highness to return to the Mansion of Light now?"
"..."
"Yes? Your Highness! Her Highness the Grand Duchess now likes me, so I'm sure she'll accept it!"
Cedric shook his head, trying hard to hide his embarrassment,
"That is..."
"...?"
"Bianca, it was not because of you that the Grand Duchess left the Mansion of Light."
"Then...?"
"The Grand Duchess and I just decided that it would be better for us to spend some time apart for each other's sake."
"Why?"
Cedric's lips closed tightly. Bianca soon realized the meaning of the silence and stuck out her lower lip.
"It would be nice if His Highness the Grand Duke got along well with Her Highness..."
No matter how young Bianca was, she couldn't have been unaware of the Grand Dukeand his wife's long-standing feud.
Bianca kept shooting pitiful puppy-like eyes at Cedric.
"Can you please allow Her Highness to return here? All you have to do is give Her Highness the Grand Duchess permission. Yes?"
"With my permission..."
Cedric, who had been silent and lost in thought, eventually spoke as if he was reciting.
"... Now, even if I ask her to come back, Rebecca won't let me."
Cedric had a somewhat resigned expression, but on the other hand, a light of hope shone in Bianca's round eyes.
"That means, as long as Your Highness allows it, Your Highness the Grand Duke will do as well, right?"
In response to Bianca's question, Cedric just looked somewhere else and said nothing. But Bianca realized that the silence was a positive answer.
Otherwise, he would have already rejected her request outright. It was good news for Bianca, who thought Cedric was the biggest obstacle to Rebecca's return.
"Then, I want to go and ask Her Highness now!"
Bianca stormed out of the dining room immediately. Although it was just a child's run, Cedric didn't even try to catch up with Bianca. He just stood in the same spot and shouted Bianca's name over and over again.
"Oh my, Bianca...!"
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