IELNDMH - Chapter 24 < Come Back To The Mansion Of Light >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
It was just around the time we finished dinner.
Mina returned after cleaning up the empty plate and continued her story.
"Is it true, Your Highness? They didn't believe me when I spoke earnestly before, but after that day, they started to believe me little by little!"
"Yes?"
"Yes! Moreover, in the Dark Mansion, there was even a group of people praising Her Highness for being generous?"
Mina was happy and put her hands together. Her hands were still bandaged.
"Mina, are you applying the medicine properly?"
"... Oh, this?"
She shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal and took off the bandages. Contrary to what I thought, the back of Mina's hand was clean without a single trace of wound.
"I just did it. Because I don't want to do chores....."
"..."
"I think the blind maid noticed it already, so she tried to untie it. Haha... "
Mina laughed, wrinkling her nose as if embarrassed that her true intentions were discovered.
Our Mina is such a person... Bright and clear.
That was when I grabbed my forehead and shook my head.
"Your Highness, Princess Bianca has arrived."
The voice of the doorkeeper was heard from outside the door.
"Princess Bianca? Please come in."
How long has it been since they spoke?
Bianca, with a flushed expression, rushed into the My vision.
"Bianca, what's happening all of a sudden?"
Bianca's round cheeks were tinged with red, and her round blue eyes were shining brightly. Bianca ran hard, wiping the sweat from her ears with the sleeve of her dress, and fell into my arms.
"Your Highness!"
I quickly sat Blanca on my lap. And with my handkerchief, I wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on her child's forehead.
"Oh, look at this sweat. What on earth happened that made you rush in so quickly?"
Bianca seemed to have gotten used to being held in my arms, and she looked up at me with a bright smile. Bianca, who was letting out her cute, colorful breath, swallowed her dry saliva and continued her sentence.
"I miss Your Highness so much!"
The child's innocent eyes shone blue at me.
'How much she has missed her family's embrace... Why does she like me so quickly even after being treated so harshly by Rebecca?'
As I looked at Bianca with some regret, her child's cute lips opened again.
"Your Highness, were you having an interesting conversation with Mina?"
I answered with a slight smile.
"No, I was just checking to see if Mina's hand was healed."
Mina, whose eyes were sparkling between the two of us the whole time, raised her voice as if bragging to Bianca.
"I also said that because of what happened with Camilla, the people started seeing the Grand Duchess again!"
Bianca then continued her sentence by clapping cutely with her little hands.
"It went really well! The number of maids who believe that His Highness has changed will increase. I can guarantee it!"
"How?"
"I know now. Until now, it was because Her Highness was hurt, but Her Highness's original vision was..."
"...?"
"Her Highness a very, very nice and kind person!"
Bianca's cheeks were round as she looked up at me with a bright smile. It was the same smile that was always directed at the female protagonist Lobelia in the original work.
I thought I would never see this cute face.
'Wow. She's so cute it breaks my heart...'
Bianca looked at me blankly for a while, then slowly blinked her blue eyes and pursed her lips. For some reason, she seemed a little hesitant.
"Hey, Your Highness... So this is what I'm saying..."
"Huh? What's wrong, Bianca?"
Bianca, whose lips were constantly moving, closed her eyes tightly and shouted loudly.
"Your Highness! Can you please return to the Mansion of Light now?!"
I blinked in surprise at Bianca's passionate cries.
'To the mansion of light... Come back?'
Words I never thought I would hear from Bianca.
Is that why? I felt somewhat touched.
"If you came here because you were afraid of me, there's no need to be that way anymore. Because I... I am...'
Blanca's round eyes, which were looking up at me, immediately widened. It was a cute smile like a baby angel would make.
"Now, spending time with Your Highness is the best time in the world!"
Thud!
Another huge shock was inflicted on my heart. I pursed my lips and squeezed my chest.
'Cute! I'm going crazy!'
But you shouldn't fall for this...
'Then the divorce agreement with Cedric is broken!'
I shook my head, biting down on my lower lip to come to my senses. Bianca looked up at me and immediately lowered the corners of her mouth with a downcast expression.
"Your Highness...You don't want to be with me?"
" I like it!"
"Sure...?"
"Of course, I'm happiest when I'm with Bianca!"
Without realizing it, my inner thoughts came out. I can see that cute face every day there's no way I wouldn't like it! But the problem was that Cedric and I were already divorced.
'How can I tell Bianca that I cannot go to the Mansion of Light without her getting hurt?'
That moment when I was biting my lower lip and thinking about it.
"If Your Highness is happy to be with me, you can return to the Mansion of Light. So that you can stay with me every day, yes?"
Bianca looked up at me like Puss in Boots and blinked her eyes.
My heart sank when I saw that face, but I managed to come to my senses and opened my mouth.
"Bianca. Of course, I'd like to, but..."
"Are you worried about His Highness the Grand Duke?"
Oh? Yeah, it might be better to use Cedric's excuse! Strictly speaking, it's not a lie, right?
I nodded at her, trying to ignore my faint sense of guilt.
"Bianca, I'm sorry, but I made an appointment with His Highness the Grand Duke."
"..."
"If I break that promise and say I will return to the Mansion of Light, His Highness will not like it."
Phew, I safely declined. But for some reason, When Bianca heard what I said, her face lit up.
"Then, if it is okay with His Highness the Grand Duke, His Highness Rain will also allow it?"
The moment when Bianca awkwardly raised the corner of her mouth at my unexpected reaction. Outside, the gatekeeper raised his voice once again.
"His Highness Rain, His Highness the Grand Duke has arrived."
Cedric came to see me too? What day is today?
I just roll my eyes in confusion for a moment.
'Oh, did you come to stop Bianca?'
I never thought the day would come when Cedric would feel like my savior. After allowing him to enter, it wasn't long before Cedric entered the vision.
"Huh? Your Majesty the Grand Duke!"
"... Cedric, it's been a while."
After saying hello, I secretly sent a signal to Cedric with my eyes.
'I think you're here to stop Bianca, so hurry up and take her away.'
But Cedric just looked at me blankly.
'Are you not picking up my signals?'
I winked again, but Cedric pretended not to see my gaze and walked over to the sofa.
"It's been a while, Rebecca."
Cedric said hello and sat down on the sofa across from me. Until the teacup was placed in front of him, Cedric just sat still.
'Didn't you come to stop Bianca? Has he perhaps forgotten why he came?'
Tired of waiting for him to open his mouth, I finally opened my mouth first.
"Cedric, are you here to pick up Bianca?"
"That's right. While eating dinner, she ran out and said she wanted to ask you something."
"I see. Well then, let's take Bianca to dinner again..."
"Bianca."
After interrupting me, Cedric's eyes landed on Bianca.
"So, what happened to the question you wanted to ask the Grand Duchess?"
My prediction that Cedric would take Bianca straight away was once again spectacularly wrong. Bianca looked at Cedric and me alternately, then smiled brightly and opened her mouth.
"I just asked her!"
Cedric cleared his throat for no reason at Blanca's bright answer.
"Okay... Did you hear the answer?"
"She was about to answer when His Highness the Grand Duke arrived! But from what she said before......."
"From what she said?"
Cedric's eyebrows, who were holding a teacup, suddenly curved as if drawing a tall mountain.
"Tell me that His Majesty the Grand Duke would be displeased if she broke her promise. But Your Highness, you are all right, aren't you?"
"..."
"You said earlier that it would be okay as long as Her Highness the Grand Duchess gives permission, right?"
Cedric said that?
I looked at Cedric with puzzled eyes, but he just stared into the distance, neither confirming nor denying.
As I looked at Cedric and tilted his head, I eventually realized his intentions. Then his snort naturally came out.
'Aha... Will you leave the role of the villain to me?'
I secretly glanced at Cedric. But soon, I had no choice but to accept the villain role given to me with a feeling of despair.
'Honestly, more than Cedric... Because it's true that I'm suited for a villain role.'
No matter how hard I tried, it was very difficult to refuse while looking at Bianca's eyes sparkling with hope.
"Your Highness, can you return to the Mansion of Light now? Yes?"
Cedric just stared at me as I hesitated, unable to open my mouth. As if he was very curious about what words would come out of my mouth.
'Sheesh, I know what I'm going to say...'
I glanced at Cedric, then looked back at Bianca and slowly parted my lips.
"... I'm sorry, Bianca. I think it would be better for me to stay in the dark mansion for a while."
Then, Bianca's eyes, which had been sparkling with hope, suddenly became sullen and slowly fell down.
"Also... That doesn't work..."
Wow, I really hate it. I'm the one who made Bianca sullen...
You entrust me with that role!
I opened my eyes and turned my head towards Cedric. But for some reason, even Cedric's face with his eyes downcast was shadowed.
'Why are you doing that? ... Does Cedric feel sorry for Bianca too?'
When I thought about that, my resentment toward Cedric softened a little. I let out a long breath and gently stroked Bianca's head.
"But Bianca is always welcome here, so you can come whenever you want to see me."
"Yes..."
"You can sleep in the Grand Duke's Secret Hall if you want."
"Really?!"
"Sure. Speaking of which, shall we decide a day to have a slumber party?"
"I love it, Your Highness!"
Bianca regained her smile and snuggled into my arms. I hugged the child, who was as small and cute as a squirrel, in my arms. And that was when I watched a faint smile spread across Cedric's lips.
The door opened and a worker came in.
"This is an invitation addressed to Your Highness the Grand Duchess."
Mina received the letter first and looked at the sender. Her complexion gradually darkened.
"What is it, Mina?"
"That is...Your Highness, a confirmed invitation to a banquet has arrived from Count Dmitry's family."
"If it's Count Dmitry..."
My eyebrows slowly furrowed. I had a bad feeling.
"Are you sure Camilla sent me an invitation?"
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