IELNDMH - Chapter 64 < It's Time to Propose >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
“Lady Jane, come with me!”
“The puppet show is about to start! Run quickly, Miriam!”
It was around the time when the afternoon sunlight was getting thicker.
When I opened the window, the lively noise of the street flowed into the bedroom.
It was a time when I was leaning against the window with a smile in an atmosphere that was completely different from the quiet northern part of the country.
“The Twins performance up north has a completely different vibe, right?”
Mina said as she poured afternoon tea into a teacup.
“Yes, it’s definitely because it’s the capital, so the buildings are lined up tightly, and because it’s around the city, there are a lot of people you can see. It’s very lively.”
Deltain Street, where only the most powerful noble families or prominent wealthy families in the capital can reside.
Right in the center of that street was the Twins family's townhouse.
Perhaps because it was the week of the Emperor's Birthday Banquet, the Delta Inn street seen from the window was decorated more extravagantly.
'I didn't realize it when I arrived last night, but the street is quite pretty. Unlike the north, the weather is mild.'
Mina came next to me, savoring the breeze with her eyes closed.
“It would have been nice if Princess Bianca had come too, but it’s a shame. She's lived in a townhouse for a long time, so she's probably familiar with the geography of the capital.”
“I also regret that the most, but... Everyone will be here tomorrow anyway.”
Last night, I was the only one who arrived at the townhouse in the capital.
Originally, the Twins family was scheduled to leave for the capital tomorrow, but I alone advanced the schedule.
This was because I had to arrive early and stop by the futures exchange in the capital.
Mina glanced around and whispered to me.
“I received a letter from a user of the Mansion of Light earlier. It’s a letter sent to me.”
“Yeah, but?”
“But when I read it... It looks like His Highness the Grand Duke is still feeling uncomfortable.”
"Ah... Okay?"
I just sipped my tea for no reason.
I rejected Cedric's offer to wait one more day and leave for the capital together, and I felt sorry for coming to the capital alone.
'Then you can go to the capital with me about two days in advance. Me and Bianca too.'
'....Is that so?'
I said this as a joke because I was so disappointed.
But Cedric was really ready to throw everything away and set off together.
Until his aide spoke up.
‘Your Highness the Grand Duke. It may be presumptuous to say this, but there is usually not a lot of local work piled up ahead of the week of His Majesty's Birthday. You can tell just by looking at the piles of documents here and there...'
Even to me who didn't know much, the amount of accumulated documents was enormous.
Perhaps that was why Cedric couldn't really comment on his aide's words.
He just glares at his aide with murderous eyes.
'It looks like the hurt I felt back then hasn't healed until now. I can't stop you, really.'
I shook my head and put the teacup down on the table.
And then I picked up the hat and parasol that were placed next to me.
“Mina, let’s go out now. I think we should leave now to get there before the trading floor opens.”
Mina, who had been procrastinating uncharacteristically at those words, arched the corner of her eyes.
“Your Highness, I don’t think I need to go with you.”
Mina scratched the side of her head with a shy expression.
“Hehe, actually, I don’t know much about the capital’s roads... So, I hired someone to accompany you instead of me.”
“Someone who will accompany me instead?”
Nodding her head, Mina's eyes slowly turned to the grandfather clock.
“Yes, he'll probably have arrived at the front gate by now!”
***
As I left the front door of the townhouse, I saw someone waiting, just as Mina said.
A man standing at the bottom of the stairs with his back to the front door.
I didn't take a few steps before I realized who he was.
“Adrian!”
“Ah, you came out.”
A happy smile spread across Adrian's lips when he turned around and saw me.
“It’s nice to see you in the capital, Your Highness.”
“Of course, I am too, but...”
My words slowly trailed off as I checked Adrian's clothes.
Unlike usual, where he always stuck to his butler's attire, he was dressed in sophisticated attire that would make anyone look at him as a member of a powerful family.
I was mesmerized by Adrian's appearance, even more handsome than usual, and came to my senses late.
“...But what's going on here Adrian? Didn’t you say you were on vacation during the Emperor’s Birthday week?”
“Yes, I also have to attend the Emperor’s birthday banquet on behalf of my family. That’s why I came to the capital in advance with your understanding.”
Right. Adrian also came from a noble family that was successful in the demon world.
Although I knew this for sure, it felt unfamiliar to me every time I saw him like this.
Adrian gently took my arm, who smiled shyly and pointed to the other side of the street with his other hand.
“My family’s townhouse is across the block, on Third Avenue at Delta Inn.”
Adrian's hand holding my arm gently tightened.
“By the way, if you want to come to the capital even after your divorce, you can stay in our townhouse. If you want to convey a vision, you are always welcome.”
"Ah....”
I smiled awkwardly and gently took my arm away from him.
“So Vincent is also attending this imperial banquet?”
Adrian let out a faint smile as if my efforts to change the topic of conversation seemed fake.
"No. Only demon-world nobles who interact with the human world are invited to the imperial banquet. The Norman family wants to avoid interaction with the human world as much as possible, so the imperial family respects that wish.”
After saying that, Adrian wrinkled the tip of his nose.
“Moreover, Vincent is not the person who will come as invited by the human imperial family.”
"Ah... But..."
If Vincent, who runs wild like a wild beast, appears at an imperial banquet crowded with nobles who do everything they can to pretend to be noble...
'That's the problem. A very big problem.'
Adrian and I nodded at the same time a couple of times.
“So Adrian is going to guide me to the Capital Futures Exchange?”
"Yes, it is."
Adrian nodded.
I held on to his outstretched arm and walked towards the center of the street for a few minutes.
As we reached the end of Deltain 1st Avenue, a large square appeared.
There was a huge fountain with antique carvings in the center of the square, and children who looked like they were from noble families were playing around it.
'This street definitely looks like a wealthy area.'
It was when I was looking around with admiration.
“Your Highness, are there any items you have set aside this time?”
Adrian's voice when he asked was much more comfortable than during our first outing to the futures exchange.
He seemed to be at peace now.
“Of course. If I only buy the items that ‘that person’ has dotted on, I will definitely hit the jackpot again.”
"That person...?”
Adrian blinked his eyes in confusion.
Because that reaction was natural, I let out a small laugh.
'Investment genius, Anton Baker.'
I plan to steal that person's luck today.
'I feel sorry for saying it was intercepted, but... After all, he is an investment genius, and he will hit the jackpot at any time, even if not this time.'
But it wasn't me.
The only information I had was what was written in the original, which meant that this was my last chance to hit the jackpot.
So I couldn't miss this opportunity.
'I'm sorry in advance, Anton.'
I apologized out of guilt and continued walking toward the futures exchange.
Now that we had arrived in the capital as planned, it was time to invest in the items chosen by Anton Baker, the investment genius.
***
At the same time, inside the office of the Mansion of Light.
Click-. Click-.
The sound of the ring case slowly opening and closing echoed throughout the quiet office.
Every time that sound was heard, the workers trembled.
It was because of Cedric, who was radiating an insidious energy all over his body.
He kept opening and closing the ring case with one hand, and then suddenly he raised his head and glared at his aide as if he were going to kill him.
Every time, the aide felt like sewing up his own mouth.
'... If you follow Her Highness today, all work will be paralyzed during the week of His Majesty's Birthday. So I think it would be better if you don't go.'
Why! Was he spouting such pointless rational nonsense one after another?
If the aide had known that he would regret that moment so much, he would have just said nothing when the Grand Duke said he would follow the Grand Duchess to the capital.
'It's just this mouth, this mouth!'
The aide secretly turned his head and slapped his mouth.
Cedric suddenly raised his head again and gritted his teeth as soon as he saw the aide.
It seemed like his anger still hadn't subsided.
“Leman, just turn around. I get excited every time I see your face.”
"Yes? Yes… … Yes!"
The aide turned around to see his floundering wall.
Cedric glanced at the back of his head and then returned his gaze to the ring case.
The moment Rebecca left for the capital, the aide who made an unnecessary noise in front of her went crazy because he didn't want to see her.
He was also sad for Rebecca, who left first as if he had been waiting for that nonsense.
‘Did you say that Adrian arrived in the capital early too? He couldn't have gone looking for Rebecca just now, right?'
Thick tendons sprouted from Cedric's clenched hands.
The thought of Rebecca and Adrian, two people relying on each other in an unfamiliar capital, made his blood boil.
'... I'm really going to turn around.'
After spending the night with Rebecca, Cedric's jealousy became more extreme.
Of course, he had often felt similar feelings before imprinting.
However, he was no longer able to control himself, and his feelings were incomparable to before.
It's only been one day since Rebecca left for the capital. During that day, Cedric had to feel like he was in a living hell hundreds and thousands of times.
So, he can't help but hate that aide who glances back.
“I told you to keep turning around.”
"Yes... Yes!"
Cedric's eyes, as he glanced at his aide, landed on the ring case again.
It was the same case that he had been opening and closing repeatedly until a moment ago.
Inside was a ring that had been passed down from generation to generation to the Grand Duchess of Twins.
A family heirloom and proof that you are the mistress of this family.
However, the ring was never put on Rebecca's finger.
'I should have given you this ring a long time ago.'
A habitual feeling of regret arose.
However, what is more important than the past that cannot be changed is the time they can share together in the future.
He had no intention of wasting this time, which was not enough to love her, on his regrets.
There was already enough time wasted pointlessly without beloved Rebecca by his side.
Now and in the future, he will shower her with affection that will be more than enough to compensate for her lost five years.
Cedric promised so and stuffed the ring case deep into his jacket pocket.
Now it was time to make a proper marriage proposal to Rebecca once again.
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