IELNDMH - Chapter 38 < Do Good While You Have It >

IELNDMH - Chapter 38 < Do Good While You Have It >

I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband

"But Cedric, if their real goal is not the Grand Duchess... What if it was Lillian's heart?" 

Vincent's voice rang low in the reception room. 

Lillian's Heart! 

It was a brilliant red gemstone the size of a human heart. It didn't look anything special, but it contained the curse and resentment that the primordial goddess Lillian left behind when she died. 

"Only those who have my heart will fully obtain what they desire. But as sweet as my kindness is, the price will be cruel." 

Heart of Lillian' tempted people by promising them everything, including enormous wealth and power. Even though people knew that Lillian's heart would lead to a tragic ending, they became possessed by it and began to be blinded by greed. 

There have already been several crises in ancient times that almost put the whole world in danger. Both the human world and the demonic world's powerful people began to go crazy due to their obsession with Lillian's heart, and the ongoing war left no trace of blood on Earth. 

In the end, in the last great war of ancient times, the human world and the demon world agreed to cut off communication and seal Lilian's heart forever. The role of manager of the seal was to be played by Twin brothers with half-human and half-demon blood. 

And now, after a long time has passed. The role of manager was passed down to the Twin brothers' descendants, Cedric and Vincent. 

Cedric pondered his cousin's words and took a sip of whiskey. Then he spoke slowly again.

".... It's not like I didn't think about that too." 

Cedric placed his glass down on the table and continued. 

"But Vincent. If something had happened to Lillian's heart, Manakin, would that grumpy old man have stayed still?" 

Then Vincent nodded his head vigorously. He also seemed to deeply sympathize with Cedric's words calling Manakin a 'grumpy old man'. 

"Ah, then. That's right." 

The cursed object was sealed in a mountain in the demon world where the ancient dragon 'Manakin' sleeps. And only two people, Cedric and Vincent, knew exactly where it was. 

Vincent, who had been nodding his head the whole time, stopped his movements and immediately opened his mouth. 

"But since we're here, I think it would be a good idea to go with you and check the seal." 

"Yes, there is no harm In being careful... By the way, Manakin, that damn old man." 

Vincent, who said that, let out a long, uncharacteristic sigh. 

"Last time I went to check the seal and teased him a little, he burst into flames up his ass."

"...." 

"It's a shame I avoided it quickly, otherwise the Norman family line would have been cut off forever." 

Vincent, who chuckled and drank whiskey, leaned back on the sofa and opened his mouth again.

"Oh, by the way, is the imprint still there?"

Cedric wrinkled his face again at Vincent's nonsensical question. 

"That old man, Manakin, he asked me the last time I went there."

"..."

 "He must be quite concerned that you have a deep conflict with the woman you chose." 

The spouses of the royal family and nobles of the Demon World were all chosen by the ancient dragon, Manakin. It was a system that had been established since ancient times when abuses caused by the imprint of those in power occurred several times. 

Manakin chose their mates with great foresight, and his choices were never wrong. However, Cedric thought that Manakin's choice was wrong when it came to his marriage.

Until recently. It was at that time that Cedric was silent for a moment, lost in thought.

Vincent was looking at him blankly, and one corner of his mouth quirked up playfully.

"Cedric. If you don't want to imprint on that woman, why don't you just let her go?"

At those words, Cedric frowned for a moment and raised his head. His expression was so cruel that it would put most people off, but Vincent just smiled mischievously, as if it was fun. 

"You don't have to look at me like that, Cedric."

"..."

"It is hard for her to spend the rest of her life with a man who does not want her." 

Vincent was the one who always spoke exactly what came to mind, and Cedric knew that, so he always half-heard what he said. However, unlike usual, Cedric's face as he looked at Vincent now had a hint of murder in it. 

"I guess the chin wasn't enough. Do you really want me to cut off your head right now?" 

Then Vincent raised his eyes in surprise and said, 

'Oh...' 

He let out an exclamation. Cedric's reaction seemed to encourage his playfulness even more. 

"Ah, if the reason you two don't break up is because of Rebecca's feelings for you..."

"..."

"I might try to seduce her somehow. I really like Rebecca." 

Vincent wrinkled his nose and raised the corners of his mouth. 

"Unlike you, I won't leave Rebecca lonely every night. huh? So, Sed...."

Eventually, Cedric couldn't stand it anymore and jumped over the table, and the harsh sound of hitting continued for a while outside the waiting room.... 

An hour later, inside the banquet room of the Mansion of Light. All members of the Twins family gathered in front of the table where a grand dinner was prepared. 

Bianca seemed excited about having so many family members together for the first time in a long time. But her cute smile slowly faded in front of Vincent's face. 

Bianca, who was examining Vincent with a worried expression, slowly opened her mouth. 

"It's nice to see you, Vincent, after a long time.... "

"Huh?" 

"What happened? Have you gone monster hunting again?" 

Not surprisingly, Vincent's face was even more disfigured than before. 

'What happened in that short time before dinner started?' 

I stared at Vincent's face with a bewildered expression. Needless to say, his chin was bruised black after being punched by Cedric. There was a bruise on one of his eyelids, and there was even a blood clot at the nostril end of his lip. 

"This is all your brother's work, Bianca." 

Vincent pulled the bloody gauze from his and stuck out his lower lip.

"Yes? There is no way His Highness the Grand Duke would do that...." 

"Really. That guy was more jealous and greedy than I thought!" 

Vincent sharpened his teeth loudly at Cedric, but Cedric only sliced his steak without seeing him. 

Vincent, who was glaring at him, suddenly thrust his fork onto Cedric's plate. Then Cedric picked up the untouched salad and started stuffing it into his mouth. 

"What are you doing?" 

When Cedric asked with a frown, Vincent twitched his lips conically. 

"If you're not going to eat It, give it to me, you greedy bastard." 

"Who says I won't eat it?" 

"You're not eating." 

"Eat sparingly." 

"You like to eat sparingly." 

Cedric, who had been caught up in the conversation by Vincent, suddenly let out a long sigh with an irritated look on his face. 

"Vincent, what do you care what I do with mine?"

 "Why do you eat sparingly for 100 days ?" 

"...... Here we go again." 

Bianca was caught in the middle of the two people's suddenly cold atmosphere, and she could only close her eyes. The kind Bianca was ready to share her salad with the two of them.

'How much do you love a salad that you're even having such profound conversations?' 

Moreover, it's not meat, it's salad. She didn't understand, but Cedric seemed to have the same sincerity about salad. 

It was at that time that Cedric was glaring at Vincent with even harsher eyes. 

"If you leave the things around you without knowing how precious they are, people like me will be on the lookout for them and steal them all." 

Vincent, who drank white wine like water, chuckled and continued talking. 

"So do your best while you have it, Your Highness." 

*** 

At the same time, the dark mansion. 

Adrian ordered the workers to rest and had most of them retreat. He managed the quiet mansion alone and wandered around for a while. 

It was then that he finally entered the Grand Duke's vision and briefly organized what he needed to do before Rebecca's return. Adrian unconsciously approached the window as the bright light seeped in outside the window. 

Bright light seeping in from the Mansion of Light. Vincent's welcome dinner seemed to be in full swing. 

'I hope Her Highness is well.'

When that question suddenly occurred to him, Adrian's expression became even more lonely. 

Previously, he would have been relieved that Rebecca was with Cedric. The Grand Duchess, who was always sad and broken, did not faint, and he sincerely hoped that she would be happy. But since when? 

Every time he saw her with Cedric, he felt a subtle discomfort. It was after he saw them kissing at a banquet held at Count Dmitry's house. 

And the moment a moment ago when he saw Cedric holding Rebecca in his arms as if taking her away from him. 

Adrian finally made up his mind. He already had Rebecca deep in his heart. He wanted to look after her as a woman, not as a Grand Duchess. 

Adrian, who had been lost in thought while thinking of Rebecca, shook his head. 

That shouldn't happen. They were already a couple, and he felt it was blasphemous for him to even entertain these feelings. 

Moreover, she was Rebecca, who was madly in love with Cedric. He could not let his own greed get in the way of Rebecca's happiness. 

That moment when he vowed that somehow he would suppress his feelings for Rebecca.

Grumble. 

A strong wind blowing through the open window caused the piles of newspapers lying on the table to fall and spread everywhere. 

Rebecca had been reading it intently, including the latest clippings. 

As he hurriedly closed the window and picked up the fallen items, Adrian's movements suddenly stopped.

'Why did you collect only these articles?'

Most of the articles Rebecca had recently clipped were advertisements for mansions for sale. Some were circled with a red pen, and some had stars drawn on them. It was as if he was urgently looking for a place to stay away from where he was now. 

Adrian's brow slowly furrowed as he looked at them.

'I wonder why the two of you recently started separating....'

He was already puzzled by Rebecca's attitude, as her interest in Cedric had recently decreased significantly. Moreover, when he remembered the efforts she had made to increase her personal wealth, all the puzzles seemed to fall into place. 

'Her Highness is thinking of divorcing His Highness the Grand Duke and leaving this castle.'

He shouldn't dare to deal with other people's misfortune. 

At that moment, Adrian could not ignore the small hope floating in his heart. So he had to check if his guess was true. If it's true, he might be able to convey his feelings of love to Rebecca. 

'Maybe I can make Her Highness happy.'

He is not saying this as a wish for another man's heart to turn to her, but as his sincere words that already turn towards her. 

He got greedy. He wants to see Rebecca's beautiful smile, no longer as a butler, but as a lover. 

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