IELNDMH - Chapter 45 < Hot breath Mixed with Jealousy >

IELNDMH - Chapter 45 < Hot breath Mixed with Jealousy >

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

The occupants of the Mansion of Light were busy all afternoon preparing to greet the Grand Duchess. 

Still, they kept glancing at one place. It was their owner, Cedric, who was standing in one corner of the guest room, watching the situation as if watching. Finally, after the last dish prepared for today's dinner was placed on the table, Cedric gave an order to the employees as if he had been waiting. 

"Everyone goes out." 

"Yes...." 

"Oh, and don't let anyone come near here while I having dinner with the Grand Duchess." 

Although this request had already been repeated several times, the employees simply nodded politely and left the reception room. 

When he was finally left alone, Cedric couldn't hide his nervousness. He walked around the table, looking and checking to see if anything was missing. 

Beautifully decorated sumptuous dishes, top-quality wine, and candles lit everywhere. Everything was perfectly prepared, and the atmosphere was extremely romantic. 

'Perfect.' 

Cedric came to that conclusion himself. Not long after that, he took another careful look inside the reception room. 

'Did Rebecca like this atmosphere? No, it might be better to decorate it more extravagantly before Rebecca arrives...' 

He held his chin and thought seriously for a while. Cedric suddenly realized this and let out a short, self-deprecating breath. 

'I'm so nervous that it doesn't suit me.' 

He walked slowly towards the window to relieve the tension. At that time, he was leaning against the window and taking a moment to catch his breath. 

Outside the window, he saw Rebecca standing in front of the main gate of the Mansion of Light. A smile slowly spread across Cedric's lips as she suddenly caught his eye.

 'You're finally here.'

But that smile slowly faded away after a while. It was after he belatedly realized that the person escorting her was Adrian. They stopped for a moment in front of the front door and were having a conversation. 

In the past, this was a scene that he would not have paid any attention to. But now Cedric was very curious about what kind of conversation they were having. They looked like they were chatting alone at a distance that he couldn't hear.

Beyond being disappointed, he felt embarrassed. However, it was even more painful because he couldn't take his eyes off the scene. 

What's standing there now... At some point, it was Rebecca, the woman who always caught his eye. 

The two men and women, who did not notice Cedric's gaze, looked at each other and talked for a long time. The moment Adrian stopped speaking, his lips touched the back of Rebecca's hand. 

Cedric let out a hot breath mixed with jealousy. The words left by his idiot cousin, Vincent, played continuously in his ears.

'If you leave something that's around you without knowing how precious it is, people like me will be on the lookout for it and steal it all.'

At the same time, his heart heated up like a fireball. Is it possible to feel this way about someone who has not been imprinted on him? 

Cedric was both surprised and scared by this fact. 

'If she's really imprinted on me, I'll be crazy about Rebecca from that day on.' 

Cedric turned away from the window, barely able to suppress his rampaging jealousy. 

***

The time has already come. Now, let's go to the Mansion of Light... 

It was around the time when he finally finished dressing up and set out for the Grand Duke's visit. In the distance, I saw Adrian leaning against the hallway window. He was looking out the window as if lost in thought. 

"Adrian." 

Adrian suddenly turned his head at my call, and the corner of his mouth slowly rose. 

"Your Highness, you have come." 

"Yeah, but... What's going on here?" 

"I heard the news. I heard you decided to have dinner with His Highness the Grand Duke at the Mansion of Light." 

He smiled softly and continued. 

"I'm here to escort you to the Mansion of Light." 

"Ah, there's no need to..." 

"No. It's my job." 

I slightly lowered my head and a shy smile came out of my lips. It was my butler Adrian's job to escort me, but knowing his feelings, it was difficult to ask him to escort me to the Mansion of Light. So, I was planning to go alone. 

"Your Highness, you look really beautiful today as well."

 ".... "

"As always." 

Adrian slowly came next to me and held out one of his arms. He was smiling softly as usual. 

"... Thank you." 

I felt fortunate in my heart and held on to his outstretched arm. As I had asked the maids, the incident with Duke Bold seemed to have been kept a secret from Adrian.

Given Adrian's personality, it was clear that he would blame himself severely if he found out what happened yesterday. 

All along the way to the Mansion of Light. I tried to have a normal conversation with him. But it was true that the more I did, the more awkward I felt. 

'I can't believe I'm going to dinner with my ex-husband while being escorted by the person who confessed to me yesterday.'

 To be honest... It's so strange. 

When I frowned slightly, Adrian seemed to have sensed my true feelings and tried to hold back his laughter. 

"Your Highness, you don't have to try too hard for me." 

"But I think it would be too cruel of Adrian to even have an escort." 

As I expressed my honest feelings, a hint of bitterness spread across Adrian's smile. It was around the time we reached the front door of the Mansion of Light that I heard his soft voice again. 

"Your Highness, there is no need to rush to make a decision for me." 

I suddenly raised my head at the sound of a calm voice. Then, as always, a slight wave appeared in the blue-violet eyes that were looking at me. 

"Of course, I hope not, but... Even if Her Highness doesn't choose me." 

"... Adrian." 

Adrian let out a faint smile as he looked at me pitifully. 

"Just think of it as giving me time to mentally prepare. It's the same at any time, but if you get rejected right away...'

"..."

"I think it will hurt a little more." 

As Adrian said that, his fingers slowly brushed the back of my hand. Just like that, his gaze lingered on the back of my hand for a while, as if he was looking longingly at something he couldn't hold on to. 

"So don't rush. As it has been until now, waiting for Her Highness is the happiest thing for me."

Adrian's lips finally touched the back of my hand gently. 

"You just have to remember that my heart is always by your side." 

***

After seeing Adrian off, I entered the Mansion of Light and let out a long sigh as soon as the door closed.

 'As expected. I've been really worried since that day.' 

The moment I held on to the closed doorknob and took another long breath. 

"Did you two have so many stories to share with each other?" 

A familiar voice suddenly came from next to me. Surprised, I quickly turned my head and saw Cedric standing next to the gate, leaning against it with his arms crossed. His face was as expressionless as usual, but somehow he looked as if he was upset. 

"It's a surprise... Are you really waiting for me?" 

"Huh." 

".... Don't dinner inviter usually greet their guests in the reception room? I thought so." 

In response to my question, Cedric smoothed his eyebrows with a shy expression. 

"I was always wondering when you would come."

He spoke as if he was reciting, and then he quietly extended his hand to me. 

"Then, shall we go up?" 

When I finally entered the reception room, I looked around in confusion. There wasn't even a single user to be seen there. 

"Where have all the employees gone?" 

"I sent everyone. I don't want anyone around while I'm having dinner with you." 

He poured wine into my glass and continued talking. 

"Don't worry, I, the inviter, will do all the errands for you." 

"You?" 

Cedric smiled leisurely and nodded his head. 

'Cedric, it seems he prefers to stay unattended in the private reception room.'

 Even though I was a Grand Duchess, it was my first time receiving a personal invitation from Cedric. I don't know, but maybe the 'real' Rebecca was never invited here. 

I heard that this is a place that Cedric carefully created to spend private time. Cedric's private reception room was small and cozy. The table was small enough for two people to eat together. 

'Maybe that's why the distance is particularly close.' 

It was my first time having a meal with Cedric so close to each other. When I realized that, I felt like my lips were drying up, not sure if it was awkwardness or nervousness. 

It was a time when I was in a hurry to quench my thirst with wine. 

"Now, here." 

Cedric said as he placed my share of the steak plate in front of me again, which he had cut into bite-size pieces. 

"It's a hassle for you to keep doing it. Wouldn't it be better to call the employee now?" 

Cedric shrugged his shoulders. 

"No, I actually like it better. I have a story I want to share with you alone." 

"Is it that important?" 

"What... depending on. It's about Adrian." 

"Adrian?" 

What does Cedric have to say about him... I was wondering for a moment. The thought of Adrian finding out about our divorce the other day flashed through my mind.

 'Ha, did Cedric find out in the end?' 

I couldn't keep my mouth shut since I had already been caught. Moreover, it was not unexpected that a situation like this would arise someday. I hastily opened my mouth. 

"That... It was a mistake, Cedric." 

At my words, Cedric blinked slowly, as if he had received an unexpected counterattack.

"... Huh?" 

"I was just trying to find out in advance where I would live in the future. I really didn't think anyone would notice that." 

"...." 

"Besides, I didn't reveal that I was caught. And since Adrian isn't the kind of person to go anywhere and talk about it...." 

"..."

"So, if you didn't talk about penalties too casually... That would be nice..." 

As I continued speaking, I glanced at Cedric. 

'No way...You really don't ask me to pay a penalty, right?' 

After learning about Gray Zone Village, I began planning new welfare projects for the villagers. And of course, a lot of the income I earned from futures investments was going to be used in that business. 

'I already have to go out and make money again, so what's the penalty in this situation?' 

The moment I bit my lip nervously. 

"Rebecca, what are you talking about?" 

Cedric had a puzzled look on his face as if he didn't know anything. 

"Telling .e that Adrian found out about our divorce... Wasn't it?"

At my question, Cedric's eyebrows arched, drawing a tall mountain. A look of bewilderment was evident on his face. 

"It wasn't anything like that, but thanks to you, I learned some new news." 

Huh. Cedric cleared his throat with an embarrassed expression, and at the same time, my eyes and lips pursed. It's not enough to keep it a secret, so I'm telling you this with my own mouth... 

It was a time. when I wanted to crash straight into the Earth's core. 

"Rebecca, don't worry, I have no intention of accepting a penalty out of narrow-mindedness." 

The angelic voice disguised as Cedric's rang out one after another. 

"How much is the penalty for that?" 

The penalty is several times the amount of alimony that Cedric gave me. Needless to say, this is an astronomical amount that hurts my mouth. Cedric's distribution of such a huge amount of money could be treated as 'that kind of thing', no...It was a time when he was deeply grateful for the Twins family's enormous wealth that allowed him to have such distribution, 

"But in the end, Adrian... He found out we were divorced." 

Cedric's face, which was muttering softly, subtly darkened. He remained silent for a long time, lost in thought. His gaze suddenly became more determined and turned to me again. 

"Instead of giving it over, there are conditions."

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