IELNDMH - Chapter 108 < I Missed You Unbearably >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
“Hey, if I had bumped into you while passing by, I wouldn’t have recognized you at all, right?”
He didn't know if he would finally be able to see each other face to face.
“... Your Highness?”
I suddenly raised my head when I heard a vaguely cheerful voice.
“Ah, Bianca.”
“I keep calling you but you don’t respond. What are you thinking so hard about?”
“What am I thought?”
I turned to Bianca and shook my head, making an effort to raise the corners of my mouth.
I didn't want to reveal the tension I was feeling to that little child.
The cause of the tension was a decision made a few days ago.
It was the day that High Priest Diat reported that Lobelia had been abused by her in-laws and asked Cedric to take her away.
The High Priest left first, and Cedric immediately summoned his aide to discuss the matter with him.
'I have requested this as a representative of the Pope, so it would be difficult to refuse. Lobelia is someone who receives special attention from His Majesty the Emperor and His Holiness the Pope... Even more so.'
The aide's conclusion was that legally and morally, there was no choice but to accept High Priest Diat's request.
In my opinion, that was the only way.
Aside from all other reasons, isn't this a request made directly by the 'Pope's representative'?
Refusing his request was the same as refusing the Pope's request.
'Then people will continue to hear whispers that the Twins family is a family that is against God and the Pope because of that.'
I didn't want to put that burden on Cedric because of my anxiety.
'I think the same, Cedric. I think it would be good in many ways to accept High Priest Diat's request.'
I said that only for Cedric's sake.
And I was confident at the time.
'Cedric has already left an imprint on me. There is no way he can love Lobelia now that he has me as his eternal companion.'
And even if that happened, I would never just sit there and watch.
Cedric slowly nodded his head with a look of confusion on his face.
'...I can't help it. Well then, since Countess Bart needs an external reason to stay here, let's find some suitable work to give her within the castle.'
Cedric's permission was eventually given, and a few days later, Lobelia's duties during her future stay here were decided.
That very work became the cause of the anxiety I feel now.
“Today is the day the new tutor comes, right? I’m so excited to see what kind of person she is! I wish she were a kind person...”
Bianca's voice, as she sat by the window and looked out the window, was full of excitement.
Standing next to her, I tried to keep a smile on my face as I looked at the excited child.
“Everyone will act kindly in front of Princess Bianca. Of course, the tutor who is coming today is a very kind person.”
“Wow! Really?"
“Yes, of course.”
I nodded silently.
In the original, Lobelia was a kind and affectionate tutor to Bianca, so my introduction would not have been wrong.
'I thought she had already changed a lot, but there are still parts that flow the same as the original...'
Of course, that part is related to the female protagonist, Lobelia.
It wasn't an ominous thought at all.
It seemed like it was planned that Bianca's tutor quit at the same time.
At that point, my hopes of losing Cedric's heart to Lobelia had disappeared.
'I will soon announce my divorce and have to leave this castle, and Lobelia will remain here with Cedric... How can I leave soon?'
That was when I unconsciously kicked the floor with my lower lip sticking out.
"Uh? I see she arrived! Hey, the carriage has arrived!”
Bianca pointed out the window with a flushed expression.
The tip of a child's finger, a beautiful blonde woman leaving the carriage door.
Lobelia Bart. She was finally here.
Vincent said as he entered the reception room.
Guided by Adrian, he sat down on the sofa, put his long legs on the table, and leisurely crossed them.
“You seemed like a gardener tending a flower garden... Now, you have become a full-fledged head of a family without any trace of that appearance.”
The tone of voice was mischievous, but the content was serious.
“I’m glad you see it that way. I was very worried because I had to take over the position in a hurry when my father passed away suddenly and I was not prepared.”
Vincent wrinkled his face playfully and waved his hand away.
“Excessive humility makes you look more unlucky, Adrian.”
Although it was a harsh remark, it was the best compliment Adrian could hear from Vincent.
“For some reason, I left the demon world and stayed in the human world. That's why I couldn't attend Count Monter's funeral in person, and I also happened to be absent from your title conferment ceremony. I’m sorry.”
“No, Your Highness. That's why you came looking for me separately like this. Moreover, it is also the fault of our family, where too much has happened in a short time.”
The schedule from the day Adrian decided to become the head of the family to the day he took over the position was extremely tight.
This was because his father passed away right before he returned to the demon world.
Fortunately, he perfectly filled the void left by his deceased father, and the vassals could not help but love and respect this young and strong head of the family.
“I heard all kinds of praise for you even flowed into my ears in the human world. I don’t know what it is, but you seem to be doing a great job as the head of the Monter family.”
Even as he said that Vincent had a sour expression on his face.
Of course, Adrian's becoming the head of the family was something to be celebrated as an old acquaintance of his.
But from the perspective of the owner of the Norman family...
'It's like one more problem.'
The situation was the same for the Twins family, with Cedric as the head of the family.
Among the various races in the demon world, the status of mixed-blood demons was on the high axis.
And at the top of the mixed-race demons were the Twins family and the Norman family.
The power of the two families was enormous, and no other family in the demon world could be mentioned alongside them.
Except for one place, the Monter family.
In history, the Monter family was the only family that produced a head of the family with magical power that surpassed that of the Twins and the Norman family.
Of course, that was something that only happened once in the Monter family.
However, the families who were dissatisfied with the Twins and Norman families monopolizing power began to secretly support the Monter family.
'Those stupid old men must be very excited by now.'
It was obvious that they would work hard to make Adrian the second Monter family head, surpassing the Twins and the Norman family.
If they found out that Adrian had a crush on Cedric's pet Rebecca...?
'For those waiting for the war between the Twins family and the Monter family, this will be the perfect spark.'
Shit. Vincent could barely hold back the curse that was trying to escape his lips.
He felt dizzy just thinking about it.
In the history of the demon world, countless wars began to take away companions.
However, once the war started, it did not stop until the entire Demon World was devastated.
For that reason, the royal and noble families of the Demon World considered it an unwritten rule not to touch each other's beloved, and thanks to this, peace in the Demon World was maintained for a long time.
'It would be better to kill that guy right here than see that peace being shattered now...'
The tendons sprouted fiercely on the back of Vincent's hand as he quietly drank tea.
At this point, he even thought about slitting Adrian's throat, but Vincent managed to calm himself down.
His cousin Cedric's words suddenly came to mind.
'I'm just waiting because I need a cause. A justification to finally exterminate the Monter family, which had been trying to take over our family's position. And... A justification to get rid of this guy from Rebecca's side once and for all.'
This was a fight between two people, Cedric and Adrian.
There was only one thing Vincent could hope for in this situation.
'I can only hope that Adrian doesn't forget that his vain greed for Rebecca will bring about the worst future in the demon world.'
Uncharacteristically, Vincent is in a position where he just has to watch.
It was a time when Vincent was self-deprecating.
“Her Highness the Grand Duchess...Is she doing well?"
Vincent hoped that it was an illusion that Adrian's voice, asking how Rebecca was doing, sounded friendly at first.
For a moment, he pretended not to notice and suppressed his anger.
A small exclamation of 'Ah' flowed from Vincent's lips.
“Before you left, you personally served the Grand Duchess at the Dark Mansion, indeed. So the Grand Duchess might be particularly curious.”
Vincent shook his head a couple of times and continued.
“She’s doing well.”
“...”
“Fortunately, her relationship with Cedric seems to have improved significantly. It looks like the two of them had an accident in the human world and will be separated for a while... Well, they’ll take care of that on their own.”
Vincent shrugged his shoulders as if it was none of his business or a big deal.
“...Yes."
Adrian muttered with a bitter expression and took a sip of tea.
Click-.
Soon, the sound of a teacup being placed on a saucer echoed quietly throughout the waiting room.
While moving slowly like that, only one thing came to Adrian's mind.
Rebecca, her beautiful smile.
The saying that if you are out of sight, out of mind, doesn't seem to apply to Adrian at least.
As the days passed without seeing Rebecca, the scent of her scent that passed through his nose became stronger.
Her smile in the dream made his heart tighten... She became more beautiful.
Adrian frantically focused on his family's affairs to suppress the overwhelming emotions that arose every time.
He must have become dull day by day like that.
But the times he spent with Rebecca gradually became clearer, as if they were fragments in his mind.
Moreover, on days like this...
He missed her so much that he couldn't bear it.
“I’m so glad to hear that Her Highness is doing well.”
Adrian tried to speak calmly.
His heart was burning with swirling emotions, but he had to hold back.
Adrian can't let Vincent know the real reason why he decided to take over as head of the Monter family.
If Vincent found out about his feelings for Rebecca, he would definitely become the biggest obstacle to his plans.
'It's not long until the divorce between His Highness the Grand Duke and Her Highness is announced. After that, Her Highness will have to leave Twins Castle and live alone anyway.'
Adrian thought so and could barely console himself.
Rebecca, it's finally not long until he can see her again.
And this time, it's not just about walking behind her in silence...
Guided by Adrian, he sat down on the sofa, put his long legs on the table, and leisurely crossed them.
“You seemed like a gardener tending a flower garden... Now, you have become a full-fledged head of a family without any trace of that appearance.”
The tone of voice was mischievous, but the content was serious.
“I’m glad you see it that way. I was very worried because I had to take over the position in a hurry when my father passed away suddenly and I was not prepared.”
Vincent wrinkled his face playfully and waved his hand away.
“Excessive humility makes you look more unlucky, Adrian.”
Although it was a harsh remark, it was the best compliment Adrian could hear from Vincent.
“For some reason, I left the demon world and stayed in the human world. That's why I couldn't attend Count Monter's funeral in person, and I also happened to be absent from your title conferment ceremony. I’m sorry.”
“No, Your Highness. That's why you came looking for me separately like this. Moreover, it is also the fault of our family, where too much has happened in a short time.”
The schedule from the day Adrian decided to become the head of the family to the day he took over the position was extremely tight.
This was because his father passed away right before he returned to the demon world.
Fortunately, he perfectly filled the void left by his deceased father, and the vassals could not help but love and respect this young and strong head of the family.
“I heard all kinds of praise for you even flowed into my ears in the human world. I don’t know what it is, but you seem to be doing a great job as the head of the Monter family.”
Even as he said that Vincent had a sour expression on his face.
Of course, Adrian's becoming the head of the family was something to be celebrated as an old acquaintance of his.
But from the perspective of the owner of the Norman family...
'It's like one more problem.'
The situation was the same for the Twins family, with Cedric as the head of the family.
Among the various races in the demon world, the status of mixed-blood demons was on the high axis.
And at the top of the mixed-race demons were the Twins family and the Norman family.
The power of the two families was enormous, and no other family in the demon world could be mentioned alongside them.
Except for one place, the Monter family.
In history, the Monter family was the only family that produced a head of the family with magical power that surpassed that of the Twins and the Norman family.
Of course, that was something that only happened once in the Monter family.
However, the families who were dissatisfied with the Twins and Norman families monopolizing power began to secretly support the Monter family.
'Those stupid old men must be very excited by now.'
It was obvious that they would work hard to make Adrian the second Monter family head, surpassing the Twins and the Norman family.
If they found out that Adrian had a crush on Cedric's pet Rebecca...?
'For those waiting for the war between the Twins family and the Monter family, this will be the perfect spark.'
Shit. Vincent could barely hold back the curse that was trying to escape his lips.
He felt dizzy just thinking about it.
In the history of the demon world, countless wars began to take away companions.
However, once the war started, it did not stop until the entire Demon World was devastated.
For that reason, the royal and noble families of the Demon World considered it an unwritten rule not to touch each other's beloved, and thanks to this, peace in the Demon World was maintained for a long time.
'It would be better to kill that guy right here than see that peace being shattered now...'
The tendons sprouted fiercely on the back of Vincent's hand as he quietly drank tea.
At this point, he even thought about slitting Adrian's throat, but Vincent managed to calm himself down.
His cousin Cedric's words suddenly came to mind.
'I'm just waiting because I need a cause. A justification to finally exterminate the Monter family, which had been trying to take over our family's position. And... A justification to get rid of this guy from Rebecca's side once and for all.'
This was a fight between two people, Cedric and Adrian.
There was only one thing Vincent could hope for in this situation.
'I can only hope that Adrian doesn't forget that his vain greed for Rebecca will bring about the worst future in the demon world.'
Uncharacteristically, Vincent is in a position where he just has to watch.
It was a time when Vincent was self-deprecating.
“Her Highness the Grand Duchess...Is she doing well?"
Vincent hoped that it was an illusion that Adrian's voice, asking how Rebecca was doing, sounded friendly at first.
For a moment, he pretended not to notice and suppressed his anger.
A small exclamation of 'Ah' flowed from Vincent's lips.
“Before you left, you personally served the Grand Duchess at the Dark Mansion, indeed. So the Grand Duchess might be particularly curious.”
Vincent shook his head a couple of times and continued.
“She’s doing well.”
“...”
“Fortunately, her relationship with Cedric seems to have improved significantly. It looks like the two of them had an accident in the human world and will be separated for a while... Well, they’ll take care of that on their own.”
Vincent shrugged his shoulders as if it was none of his business or a big deal.
“...Yes."
Adrian muttered with a bitter expression and took a sip of tea.
Click-.
Soon, the sound of a teacup being placed on a saucer echoed quietly throughout the waiting room.
While moving slowly like that, only one thing came to Adrian's mind.
Rebecca, her beautiful smile.
The saying that if you are out of sight, out of mind, doesn't seem to apply to Adrian at least.
As the days passed without seeing Rebecca, the scent of her scent that passed through his nose became stronger.
Her smile in the dream made his heart tighten... She became more beautiful.
Adrian frantically focused on his family's affairs to suppress the overwhelming emotions that arose every time.
He must have become dull day by day like that.
But the times he spent with Rebecca gradually became clearer, as if they were fragments in his mind.
Moreover, on days like this...
He missed her so much that he couldn't bear it.
“I’m so glad to hear that Her Highness is doing well.”
Adrian tried to speak calmly.
His heart was burning with swirling emotions, but he had to hold back.
Adrian can't let Vincent know the real reason why he decided to take over as head of the Monter family.
If Vincent found out about his feelings for Rebecca, he would definitely become the biggest obstacle to his plans.
'It's not long until the divorce between His Highness the Grand Duke and Her Highness is announced. After that, Her Highness will have to leave Twins Castle and live alone anyway.'
Adrian thought so and could barely console himself.
Rebecca, it's finally not long until he can see her again.
And this time, it's not just about walking behind her in silence...
He didn't know if he would finally be able to see each other face to face.
***
“... Your Highness?”
I suddenly raised my head when I heard a vaguely cheerful voice.
“Ah, Bianca.”
“I keep calling you but you don’t respond. What are you thinking so hard about?”
“What am I thought?”
I turned to Bianca and shook my head, making an effort to raise the corners of my mouth.
I didn't want to reveal the tension I was feeling to that little child.
The cause of the tension was a decision made a few days ago.
It was the day that High Priest Diat reported that Lobelia had been abused by her in-laws and asked Cedric to take her away.
The High Priest left first, and Cedric immediately summoned his aide to discuss the matter with him.
'I have requested this as a representative of the Pope, so it would be difficult to refuse. Lobelia is someone who receives special attention from His Majesty the Emperor and His Holiness the Pope... Even more so.'
The aide's conclusion was that legally and morally, there was no choice but to accept High Priest Diat's request.
In my opinion, that was the only way.
Aside from all other reasons, isn't this a request made directly by the 'Pope's representative'?
Refusing his request was the same as refusing the Pope's request.
'Then people will continue to hear whispers that the Twins family is a family that is against God and the Pope because of that.'
I didn't want to put that burden on Cedric because of my anxiety.
'I think the same, Cedric. I think it would be good in many ways to accept High Priest Diat's request.'
I said that only for Cedric's sake.
And I was confident at the time.
'Cedric has already left an imprint on me. There is no way he can love Lobelia now that he has me as his eternal companion.'
And even if that happened, I would never just sit there and watch.
Cedric slowly nodded his head with a look of confusion on his face.
'...I can't help it. Well then, since Countess Bart needs an external reason to stay here, let's find some suitable work to give her within the castle.'
Cedric's permission was eventually given, and a few days later, Lobelia's duties during her future stay here were decided.
That very work became the cause of the anxiety I feel now.
“Today is the day the new tutor comes, right? I’m so excited to see what kind of person she is! I wish she were a kind person...”
Bianca's voice, as she sat by the window and looked out the window, was full of excitement.
Standing next to her, I tried to keep a smile on my face as I looked at the excited child.
“Everyone will act kindly in front of Princess Bianca. Of course, the tutor who is coming today is a very kind person.”
“Wow! Really?"
“Yes, of course.”
I nodded silently.
In the original, Lobelia was a kind and affectionate tutor to Bianca, so my introduction would not have been wrong.
'I thought she had already changed a lot, but there are still parts that flow the same as the original...'
Of course, that part is related to the female protagonist, Lobelia.
It wasn't an ominous thought at all.
It seemed like it was planned that Bianca's tutor quit at the same time.
At that point, my hopes of losing Cedric's heart to Lobelia had disappeared.
'I will soon announce my divorce and have to leave this castle, and Lobelia will remain here with Cedric... How can I leave soon?'
That was when I unconsciously kicked the floor with my lower lip sticking out.
"Uh? I see she arrived! Hey, the carriage has arrived!”
Bianca pointed out the window with a flushed expression.
The tip of a child's finger, a beautiful blonde woman leaving the carriage door.
Lobelia Bart. She was finally here.
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