IELNDMH - Chapter 25 < I Came To Get You >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
"A few days ago, Count Dmitry..."
Wow!
Clink!
A series of harsh sounds came out of the Countess's living room. Of course, there were also angry screams.
"I absolutely can't stand it, ah!"
For the past week, the servants of Count Dmitry's family felt like walking through a thorny path. They don't know if she was kicked out of her position as the Grand Duchess's maid as Camilla said, or if she was fired.
From that day on, even though Camilla stayed still, she suddenly couldn't overcome her anger and would go on a rampage.
"Who helped her adapt well to the northern social world, and now you're abandoning me?"
The Twins Grand Duchy was the family with the closest relationship with the imperial family. In other words, it is the place where she can quickly learn the imperial family's position and information regarding the 'demon material futures trading market'.
Camilla visited the Twin's Grand Duchy as a maid to the Grand Duchess and secretly obtained information. That would be helpful for her investments. It was all thanks to Rebecca that Camilla enjoyed her honeymoon with her boyfriend, Henry, while she toured the futures exchanges in other provinces and made quite a profit.
'I was going to make my fortune in the futures market, divorce my husband, and remarry Henry...'
All those plans were ruined because Rebecca changed her mind.
'That's not enough, you're giving me such humiliation in front of a lowly mixed-race demon!'
In a fit of extreme anger again, Camilla threw a vase at her door.
Clink!
That's when the vase broke into pieces. The old butler, who happened to be on his way through the door, stopped in his tracks.
"Ma'am..."
"Why! What?!"
The butler hesitantly approached Camilla, who was shouting nervously.
"It's no different... The confirmed invitations for the banquet you have decided to host this time have been prepared."
A confirmed invitation.l meant an invitation sent again a week before the banquet to remind the guests of the schedule.
Camilla glanced at the butler with a disapproving eye and roughly snatched the bundle of invitations from him. Naturally, the host of the invitation at the front was Rebecca, the hostess of the Grand Duchy of Twins.
"The confirmed Invitation to the Grand Duke's house... Shall we skip it?"
No invitation is being sent to the Twins family, the masters of the North. It was an absurd story, but the butler was just as eager to please Camilla. However, the poor old butler could not avoid Camilla's angry command this time.
"What a stupid thing to say! The social world is already in an uproar over me quitting my job as a maid. Do you want to make the rumor even bigger?!"
Camilla shouted hysterically, throwing the bundle of invitations haphazardly on the floor.
"Do whatever it takes to send an invitation to the Grand Duchess! You should take this opportunity to dispel all those damn rumors about me!"
Camilla glared pitifully at the butler as he hurriedly picked up the invitation, then let out a long sigh and sank down in her chair. She leaned back in her chair for a while, pressing her aching temples.
As the anger subsided little by little, a plausible thought seemed to pass by.
'Okay... It's not my job to make a Grand Duchess a laughing stock in social circles.'
Moreover, the job would be easier if she used Rebecca's husband, the Cedric Twins, who hated Rebecca. The corners of Camilla's mouth slightly curved upward as she recalled her ingenious move.
"Just wait and see, Your Highness... I will definitely repay the insult I suffered at this banquet."
***
Camilla's invitation was enough to surprise me. After all that insult, she still thinks of sending me an invitation.
However, given the nature of the aristocratic society, it was understandable to some extent that it was an inevitable choice for her.
'If it weren't for the stupid idea of getting revenge on me, she would also have the intention to suit me appropriately!'
And before I knew it, it was the day of the banquet.
The dark mansion was busy all day long, starting in the morning. This is because Bianca decided to join me in getting dressed for the banquet at the dark mansion.
After getting ready around early evening, I was waiting for Bianca in the living room. I must have been like that for about an hour.
The door to the dressing room opened, revealing her cute little princess Bianca.
"Your Highness!"
Blanca smiled brightly ran to me and hugged me. Wearing a light green pannier dress with fluttering lace and braided hair with a green ribbon, Bianca was as cute as the Tinkerbell fairy.
"Our Bianca, you're always pretty, but you're especially prettier today?"
When I praised Bianca in my arms, she rolled her eyes shyly.
"Hehe, I still won't be able to follow His Highness the Grand Duchess!"
That time I looked at cute Bianca with my eyes dripping with honey. She noticed that one of Bianca's headdresses was not fastened properly and was dangling.
"Hmm? I think Princess Bianca's hairpin isn't fastened properly?"
At my words, the nanny next to her hurriedly examined Bianca's headdress.
"Oh! It really is. Princess, shall we go to the dressing room one more time?"
I watched Bianca with joy as she walked briskly towards the dressing room, holding her nanny's hand. Then Mina, who was standing far away next to me, approached me and said.
"By the way, Your Highness, you look so beautiful today!"
"Huh?"
The maids around her nodded in agreement.
"That's right! You look so beautiful today!"
"I think so too, Your Highness!"
I looked at myself in the mirror placed on one side of the living room. Perhaps because of the makeup method that slightly raised the tone, the smooth texture of the skin became more vivid, and a healthy glow flowed from both cheeks.
The Indian pink satin dress looked even richer thanks to the pannier underneath. With flowers and feathers in my bouffant hair, white gloves, and even a fan, I looked like an aristocratic woman.
"Haha, is that so?"
A new, embarrassed smile escaped my lips. At that time, a soft, low-pitched voice was heard from behind.
"Yes. You are truly beautiful, Your Highness the Grand Duchess."
When I turned my head, I saw Adrian smiling gently. He was standing in front of the door looking at me as if he had just entered the living room.
"Uh? Adrian, today... ?"
Surprised by Adrian's unusual appearance, I slowly blinked.
'Right. Adrian was also invited to the banquet today as a member of the Monter family, indeed!'
A pure white ballgown that goes well with honey blonde hair, and a light blue-purple cravat accent. It was a truly Adrian-like choice that maintained formality but at the same time exuded an artistic atmosphere.
He stood there for a while, looking at me with a beautiful expression as if he had drawn something. Then he walked in front of me, got down on one knee, and looked up at me.
"The star of today's banquet is... No matter what anyone says, you will be a visionary."
Adrian placed his lips on the back of my gloved hand. At that moment, exclamations came from all over the living room. When I looked around, I saw that all the maids, including Mina, were looking at Adrian with dreamy eyes, as if they were possessed.
This time, I completely sympathized with their thoughts.
'I knew Adrian was handsome, but... Was he this cool?'
It was at that time that I looked down at Adrian, who smiled softly with his eyes wide open.
Knock, Knock.
Between Adrian's and mine's gazes, a slow but heavy knock came through. Soon I turned my head and my eyes slowly opened wide. Someone is leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed and staring at Adrian and me. It was Cedric.
'Since when have you been here?'
Cedric, dressed in a black ball gown, looked more sophisticated than usual. A high bridge of the nose, slightly red lips, and a sharp jawline. And long eyes that give off a strange sense of intimidation.
Everything was the same, but somehow it felt different. It was definitely different from usual when the warmth started to creep in.
After hesitating for a moment due to the subtle chill, I unconsciously withdrew my hand from Adrian. And slowly approached Cedric.
"Cedric, what's going on at this hour? Are you here to pick up Bianca?"
There were only about thirty minutes left before the scheduled time to meet in front of the mansion. I asked with a puzzled expression, but Cedric just stared at me blankly.
How long has it been since then?
His beautiful lips slowly opened.
"No, I came to get you."
A heavy bass sound that overwhelms the surrounding air.
The moment I slowly raised my head, I immediately made eye contact with Cedric.
There was not even the slightest wavering in his straight gaze. At a time when I felt a strange sense of intimidation, my gaze slowly began to turn downward.
The lines of my nose and lips, my small chin, and slightly exposed collarbone. A softly shining dress and underneath...
Even the back of my gloved hand where Adrian's lips rested. I didn't expect Cedric's gaze to rest on the back of my hand for a while.
"Anyway, it would be best to take off those gloves."
Cedric's large hand gently grabbed the back of my hand and turned it around. A pure white wrist with clearly drawn blue veins. His deeply sunken gaze rested on it.
"This doesn't suit you."
Soon, his fingers began to slowly trace the inside of my wrist. The gently passing chill made me feel subtly excited.
At that moment when I was swallowing dry saliva without realizing it, Cedric's fingers grazed my wrist and skillfully removed my gloves.
As Cedric's gaze fell on the suddenly exposed bare skin, my heartbeat began to get stronger little by little.
"Why is it so hot all of a sudden..."
I felt a faint warmth from Cedric's hand, which was still holding my wrist. But it was insignificant compared to the heat I felt from my breath.
It was at that time that I let out a small breath and turned my head for no reason.
"Uh? Your Highness!"
Just then, Bianca came back. Bianca came running as soon as she saw Cedric, and I quickly withdrew my hand and stepped back. Cedric, who was staring at me, then easily picked up Bianca.
"Are you coming to pick up Her Highness and me?"
"That's right."
"How is it? Isn't it very beautiful?"
"Yes, you look really pretty today, Bianca."
Bianca cutely stuck out her lower lip and turned her head towards me.
"Oh, not me! Look at her, Your Majesty the Grand Duke! Isn't she so beautiful?"
"Bianca, Uh, why...?"
Just as I was smiling awkwardly and trying to stop Bianca, Cedric's eyes landed on me again.
For some reason, I looked somewhere else and spoke bluntly.
"There's no need to say things you don't mean because of Bianca."
It was Cedric who was overly faithful to his role as a show window couple recently.
'You're going to make a bold statement again, right?'
Ha...
I don't think I'll be able to hide my embarrassed expression this time. However, contrary to my expectations, Cedric just stared at me while holding Bianca in his arms.
"...Yes, I don't think that's necessary."
That was the moment when I unconsciously felt a slight sense of disappointment at his words. Cedric's mouth, which had been silent for a while, soon curved up charmingly.
"Because today is indeed the most beautiful thing I have ever seen is you."
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