IELNDMH - Chapter 41 < Even If I Risk Everything >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
"A chance to stand next to me...?"
I asked back carefully. I had a hunch that the 'next seat' he was talking about did not simply mean the butler's seat.
Adrian's eyes became deeper as he looked at me.
"If it were you, I would never leave you alone."
"Adrian..."
"I am confident that I can make you so happy that you won't even remember anything about your failed marriage."
At that point, Adrian lowered his head as if he was a little emotional. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he looked at me again and spoke strongly.
"... Even if it means risking everything."
A very gentle and polite confession, just like Adrian. I could feel deep sincerity in his blue-violet eyes as he looked at me.
For a moment, I just stared at him in silence. In the end, I lowered my gaze and slowly shook my head. When I looked up again, a bitter smile suddenly appeared on Adrian's lips.
"... Okay."
As he spoke, his lips slowly opened again.
"May I ask what the reason is?"
***
After sending Adrian back first, I was left alone, staring blankly at the pond. It was because Adrian's words kept ringing In my ears.
The more I thought about it, the more question marks appeared in my mind and disappeared again and again. Had Adrian been harboring feelings for me all this time?
I thought it was just affection for the owner, but when did it go that far...
Because he feels guilty about my divorce?
Although most of the answers to those questions were unclear, one thing was certain. I hope that he will no longer stand by my side as a butler but as a lover.
For me, who had to leave this castle and live alone in an unfamiliar world, Adrian's suggestion was definitely something I was grateful for. Moreover, Adrian was such a good man that it felt like it was too much. He was charming and infinitely kind to me. Maybe Adrian was the only person who could heal the wounds caused by my husband's betrayal in my past life. But why did I reject Adrian?
'It's not Adrian, it's the same no matter who the opponent is.'
For now... I don't want to take anyone but myself seriously. When I remembered myself answering that way, I shook my head without realizing it.
Even while listening to Adrian's confession, while imagining a future with him, and even at the moment of rejecting his offer.
It was funny, but Cedric's face kept coming to mind. I thought to myself what kind of expression Cedric would make if he saw the current situation. Do I feel a sense of meaningless guilt toward my ex-husband?
I laughed at myself like that.
'Actually, Cedric wouldn't care who I become a lover with.'
He was sick of Rebecca. Of course, it was true that Cedric became more generous to me than before after deciding to divorce and pretending to be a window couple. But that is probably just courtesy to everyone.
I had high hopes for Cedric's kindness and had no intention of ruining it.
'Let's not fall into unnecessary sentimentality.'
The most important thing to me is to survive in this world.
After repeating that, I immediately turned around and left the pond. As I headed from the pond to the garden, I decided to think positively about Adrian's suggestion. Because it would be much better than having regrets about my ex-husband who was angry with me.
'Adrian also told me to take some time and think again.'
I kept walking, shaking my head slightly as things began to get complicated again.
I happened to be walking along a small path next to the dark mansion. The path leading from the backyard to the garden was deserted, so it was good for me to enjoy contemplation alone.
It was a time when I stopped for a moment and listened to the birds singing on the tree, and then I was about to start walking again. Suddenly, I felt someone's shadow cast over the hem of my dress.
'...Who is it?'
As soon as I inadvertently raised my head and checked the other person, my face crumpled mercilessly.
"Why are you... Why are you here?"
"It's been a while, Rebecca?"
A wicked smile appeared on Duke Bold's lips.
"My insides are burning to the ground, making me go..."
"Are you just enjoying a leisurely walk like this?"
An unpleasant look passed through Duke Bold's bent eyes. There was a strong smell of alcohol coming from him. As I frowned, Duke Bold blew on the palms of his hands and then giggled.
"This is it. Even when I smell it, I can smell alcohol on my breath."
"..."
"I drank some on the way. I was nervous because I was meeting such an amazing daughter."
I looked at his poisonous smile and sneered slightly.
"It's worth seeing."
"..."
"And it suits you very well. Like someone who has always lived like that in the back alley."
Duke Bold's eyes became even harsher at my words. He stared at me with eyes full of hostility for a long time. He soon burst into laughter.
"You always hold on to my trousers and laugh at my origins now that you are the mistress of a great family."
"That's all I've learned from my father so far, so it has to be that way."
"...What?"
"No matter how much you are my daughter, if you are not worth using, I will immediately throw you away. That's what my father always said to me."
"..."
"But you're not going to appeal to family ties now, are you?"
“..."
"Then really, really..."
" ..."
"I think it will be disappointing."
When I said this mockingly, Duke Bold's face quickly turned red. I quickly lost my mocking expression and glared at him.
"I should have made it clear. Don't come here arbitrarily."
As I spoke through gritted teeth, Duke Bold let out a long breath with a face that was to suppress his anger. Then he burst out laughing.
"Okay....... Appealing to family affection. You can't show such an indecent appearance."
"..."
"Because I've never had any affection for you as a father, to begin with."
Duke Bold let out an evil laugh. I could tell by looking at his eyes that his words were sincere. His eyes are empty and cold. It didn't even contain a single emotion.
"So even more so, I must receive what I have promised to receive."
"You agreed to receive it?"
I started to get annoyed by his continued words. When I asked with a frown, he raised his eyebrows and smiled shamelessly.
"Oh no, no, Rebecca. You act as if you forgot our promise."
"..."
"Have you forgotten what you agreed to give me in exchange for me making you the wife of the Grand Duke of Twins?"
Duke Bold began to stride towards me, his eyes wandering like a madman.
At the same time, in the dark mansion hallway. In Rebecca's absence, the maids in charge of the Grand Duke's Secretariat were laughing with each other, avoiding the supervision of the head maid.
"By the way, the people who use the Mansion of Light."
"Ugh, those smug idiots! I'm really unlucky."
As soon as she heard the words 'Mansioner of Light', one of the maids immediately started to say something dissatisfied. There was a subtle sense of rivalry between the residents of the two mansions.
In the Mansion of Darkness, the users of the Mansion of Light were called 'smug people steeped in elitism'. On the contrary, in the Mansion of Light, the users of the Mansion of Darkness were called 'half-hearted people who could not even serve the Grand Duke's family directly!
Their secret feud has become more intense recently. It was after Grand Duchess Rebecca moved her residence to the dark mansion.
No matter how much Rebecca said that she had changed, the people who used the Mansion of Light did not even listen. Of course, they knew that it was not easy to believe.
The people who use the Dark Mansion also had to endure Rebecca's evil in the past. But even in their eyes, the current Rebecca had become a completely different person. Now, Rebecca has become the pride of the employees as the only member of the Grand Duke's family residing in the Dark Mansion. The employees truly cared for their owner, Rebecca.
However, the residents of the Mansion of Light are still gnashing their teeth at Rebecca. There is no way they would look beautiful in the eyes of the people who use the dark mansion.
"If we had met each other in the demon world with our rank insignia removed, we would have been able to completely destroy everyone."
A maid said, stretching her neck muscles as if her body was itching.
"Of course, the human world is better, but in times like this, it's time to go back to the days of the Demon World and just be rude!"
"That's right... Actually, the human world is a bit boring."
About five or six maids each nodded with bored expressions on their faces. To them, who were mixed-race demons, the Twins Grand Duchy was no different from the royal family.
Although they came to the human world under orders and lives while trying to put their true nature to rest. Half of the blood flowing through them was still from the demon world.
Moreover, since they were born and raised in the rough fields of the demon world, it would be even more boring to wear a uniform and lead an organized life.
Mina, who was sitting between them and sighing, moved towards the window.
"Still, the people who use the Mansion of Light seem to be a little different these days?"
As Mina took her steps at the words of a maid, she looked behind her slightly.
"Hey, are they? No way."
"Really!"
"What has changed?"
"I met Dennis the other day and he said, 'I hate to say this, but I think Her Highness has really changed a lot."
"That bastard really said that?"
"That's right!"
The other maid nodded and added her words.
"Princess Bianca continues to look for Her Highness, so now they are starting to believe her more and more!"
Finally, Mina sat down by the window. At that time, she was giggling while listening to the other maids chatting with her eyes fixed outside the window.
'Uh...? Is that person Her Highness? Who is she with?'
Mina's brow slowly furrowed. The atmosphere of the two people seen outside the window was unusual.
That person...
'He's the Duke of Bold, right?'
Recently Rebecca had been avoiding contact with her own father, the Duke of Bold. There was no way Mina, who was quick to notice, would not know that. Even on the day Duke Bold last visited, Rebecca's expression was cold.
Mina looked out her window with a worried expression for a while. Mina's face crumpled fiercely for an instant.
"That's crazy...!"
The maids behind her tilted their heads at the sudden curse. In Mina's eyes, a life that had never existed before appeared.
The maids were so shaken by her emotions that seeing Mina with horns sprouting on her head, the maids rushed to her side.
"What's going on?"
"Yeah, yeah, why are you suddenly so brutal..."
The maids' eyes followed Mina's gaze. In the deserted side street, the Duke of Bold was holding Rebecca by the shoulder and threatening her. When they finally confirmed the situation, their faces gradually began to become lifeless.
"How dare you touch our Highness within the castle of the Twins family, the owners of the mixed race demons...."
"That's enough for us to warm up, right?"
".. What are you asking? I'll just kill him."
Snap.
Along with the sound of teeth grinding, the maids' eyes became more harsh. Before long, they was able to relax comfortably. Among them, Mina snapped her fingers.
"Guys, let's change into our pants."
And a faint glow of madness passed through Mina's smiling eyes.
"Hey, I have to go and kill that crazy guy."
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