IELNDMH - Chapter 27 < Business Kiss >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
"Your Highness, is that really true?"
At Camilla's words, the eyes around her began to sparkle with curiosity.
"If you're saying they're separated, are you sure their relationship has gotten worse?"
"Oh my! What should I do..."
Each face could not hide their excitement about new gossip.
'It was somehow ominous. That's why you called me here.'
Camilla hurriedly stood up and threw up her hands, pretending to stop the noisy noblewomen.
"This is my mistake! So everyone, don't go anywhere and talk nonsense!"
It was as if she was trying her best to protect me.
I stared at Camilla as if observing her. As she was instructing the noble ladies, the corner of Camilla's mouth twitched occasionally as if she was enduring great pleasure.
'Camilla, I didn't know that when I read the novel... You're a lot more stupid than I thought.'
I snorted slightly and continued speaking in a relaxed voice.
"Camilla, don't try too hard."
Then Camilla's bustling movements suddenly stopped. Eventually, she turned her head, and there was a faint feeling of anxiety in her eyes.
I looked at Camilla and slowly crossed my legs.
"My husband and I are indeed separated, but is there any need to deny it?"
The women exchanged looks with shocked faces. There was just suffocating silence for a long time. Soon the ladies began whispering to each other.
"Oh my! Is it real?"
"I thought you would do that? It was true that you two were estranged from the beginning."
No matter how small it is, what can you do if you whisper?
I can hear it all in my ears. Even though she had humiliated me as she had wished, Camilla had an uneasy expression on her face. It seemed like my relaxed attitude, without the slightest hint of embarrassment, was really annoying.
Camilla, who had been rolling her eyes, soon smiled awkwardly and opened her mouth again. There was a slight tremor at the end of her lips.
"Your... Your Highness, do you mind if you admit such a thing so easily?"
"What's wrong?"
When I asked, Camilla's brows furrowed slightly.
'As expected, I can see clearly inside.'
I sneered leisurely and turned my head towards the other ladies.
"As everyone knows, it is true that His Highness the Grand Duke and I have been estranged for several years. We are trying to overcome that, and separation is one of those efforts."
"Oh my..."
"When that didn't work, I tried to quit everything, but in the end, thanks to that..."
I wrinkled my nose with a sly expression on the noble ladies.
"Things between us have become very, very heated day and night?"
"Oh... Oh my!"
The noble ladies curled their lips and twitched their faces as if they could not bear the imagination. And they all looked at me with slightly red faces, with their hands clasped together, as if they were envious.
A slight vibration occurred again in the corners of Camilla's mouth as she looked at those women.
"Your... Your Highness, no matter how upset you are, are you hiding the truth that will soon be revealed?"
"The truth that will soon be revealed?"
"It's really unfortunate, but there's no way your relationship will heal so easily... All the ladies here know."
Camilla smiled slightly as if she felt sorry for me. Then the women who had been looking at me enviously a little while ago began to get a little agitated again.
"Ha, well, things weren't going well between you two?"
"I know, right. There's no way things will get better that easily..."
Then Carmilla seemed to have regained her composure and shrugged her shoulders. I looked straight at her and raised the corner of my lips.
"Camila, you probably won't believe me. Because you were by my side when His Highness the Grand Duke and I were at the height of our estrangement."
"Your Highness, no matter how much you say that...."
"But, Since no one knew about our estranged relationship, it would be equally difficult for other ladies to believe what I said, right?"
The women looked at me with an expression that neither confirmed nor denied. I smiled softly at them and gave an order to the banquet hall attendant.
"Bring His Highness here."
Camilla's brow slowly furrowed at my confident attitude.
'Camilla, it looks like you were very upset because things didn't go your way?'
That was when I smiled leisurely as I watched Camilla secretly biting her lower lip.
"I have brought you His Highness the Grand Duke, Your Highness."
The servant who returned before I knew it bowed in front of me and said. When I turned my head, I saw Cedric coming towards me.
At that moment, everything around became blurred and only Cedric appeared in slow motion. The moment when everyone's eyes were watching his graceful movements.
"They said you ask for me. What's going on?"
A familiar yet attractive bass sound was heard nearby. Only then did I realize that Cedric was right next to me. It seemed that the noble ladies around me were also overwhelmed by Cedric's unique atmosphere.
They let out the breath they had been holding in an instant and rushed to say hello to Cedric.
"Well, to meet you, His Majesty the Grand Duke...."
"I see you, His Highness the Grand Duke."
Each of them had a dazed expression as if they were possessed by something. I understand more than anyone else why everyone does that. Even I, who lived in the same castle as Cedric, experienced this often whenever I encountered him.
Now that Cedric's appearance has attracted people's attention, it's time to put on a proper show. I got up, adjusted my dress, and approached Cedric.
"Cedric, I was just having a conversation with the ladies here about why we started separating."
"...Why did we start separating?"
Cedric's eyebrows arched into a large mountain shape. It may not be possible, but I opened my mouth just in time to see if Cedric, who was embarrassed, would say the word 'divorce'.
"Yes, I chose to do this to turn our estranged relationship around and..."
Then, at a slow pace, I walked a little closer to Cedric. I was the first to tell him to avoid doing anything that would give Bianca expectations, but given the circumstances, I had no choice.
I eventually wrapped my arms around Cedric's neck and spoke softly.
"Because of that, our relationship became quite heated."
As I approached his face, a slight wave appeared in Cedric's blue eyes. The distance between us had become so close that we could hear each other breathing.
"Cedric."
I whispered softly in his ear.
"This is just business."
And then I gently touched Cedric's lips with my fingers. It was a signal to kiss him.
Fortunately, I didn't feel the same resistance from Cedric as before. He seemed to have sensed my signal and just stared down at me. His eyes shine brightly like the blue sea. An Adam's apple that falls deeply and then rises. The tip of his tongue gently grazing his own dry lips.
The more I focused on those subtle movements, the more my heart pounded. As I suppressed my fluttering heart and gently pressed my lips against his, I felt Cedric's shoulders stiffen slightly. And then for a while, he soon began to move softly, following my movements.
The reason we are kissing now, and the many eyes around us. All of that dispersed like a fantasy from the end of Cedric's and my lips. It was dangerously sweet and seductive enough to enthrall me like that.
The beating of my heart throughout my body became so strong that it was painful. And due to an unknown reason, my skin became even hotter.
I have to quit. No, I don't want to quit. How long did that fierce and fascinating battle last in my head?
'Now stop...'
I barely parted my lips, muttering like someone trying to get rid of an addiction. I felt like I had lost my mind.
When I looked up at Cedric with dazed eyes, I made eye contact with him. Cedric was the same, looking down at me as if he had just woken up from a dream.
When my eyes met his again, another strong ripple occurred at the entrance to my heart.
'Calm... No.'
As I made an effort to turn my head, a cool breeze passed over my wet lips. Only then did I come to my senses and look around. Before we knew it, countless eyes were focusing on Cedric and me. The emotions in those eyes were mostly superficial and shallow, such as adoration, jealousy, and envy.
Except for one place. The deep emotions felt from the earnest gaze...
'Adrian, when did you arrive?'
The blue-violet eyes that always glowed gently looked somehow sad, and at the same time exuded a deep sense of defeat.
That moment when I couldn't take my eyes off those eyes where so many emotions were swirling. Cedric's blue eyes, which had been looking down at me the whole time, began to move slowly, following my gaze. And his gaze finally landed on Adrian and stayed in the same spot for a long time.
'Adrian came... Bianca saw us somewhere too.,'
Trying to hide the embarrassment that came over me later, I turned my head towards the woman.
"... If this is enough, everyone can believe what I say, right?"
All the ladies in the group nodded absently, their eyes fixed on Cedric. Everyone had faces as if they had lost their minds.
'Now. there will be no more talk about our separate lives.'
I slowly turned my head to check on Camilla.
Before she knew it, her face was turning red and she was biting her lower lip. Then, when she made eye contact with me, she tried her best to raise the corners of her mouth.
"It seems like your relationship is getting better... I'm so glad, Your Highness..."
It was at that time that I sneered slightly as I saw a slight vibration occur at the corner of Camilla's mouth.
Cedric finally took his gaze away from Adrian and looked at Camilla as he muttered.
"I guess I needed to prove our relationship to the Countess."
Then Camilla couldn't hide her embarrassed expression. It seemed like she thought Cedric's words meant a rebuke to her.
"Well, that can't be possible, Your Highness! How dare I not believe His Highness's words!"
Camilla's expression grew increasingly desperate as she made her excuses. However, there was no emotion in Cedric's eyes as he looked at her.
She seemed to be nervous about his continued silence, and Camilla's lips kept touching and pulling away meaninglessly.
"There is no need to be so upset. I would rather give the award to Countess Dmitry."
Cedric, who spoke an unknown word, turned his gaze to Adrian once again. Then Adrian's face began to harden again. On the other hand, the corners of Cedric's lips curved up leisurely.
"Obviously, as Rebecca said, there has been great progress between my wife and me recently."
"..."
"Now it's getting to the point where we can't bear to be without each other."
Cedric continued, gently lifting my chin with his fingers.
"Actually, even a little while ago when we had to stay away..."
He paused for a moment, and a soft line was drawn at the corner of his mouth.
"I was thirsty because I missed it."
With those words, Cedric's lips gently fell on mine once again.
Comments
Post a Comment