IELNDMH - Chapter 83 < Meeting of Two Villains >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
'As long as it's that imprint... Are you saying that he will love only me forever?'
Rebecca was always scared in front of her father.
But at that moment.
For the first time, Duke Bold saw her red eyes sparkling brightly.
‘Well, that’s right. So all you have to do is use his blind affection to give me Lillian's heart.'
‘All I need is an engraving... Someone will love me forever...'
‘Rebecca. Are you listening to this father?'
Rebecca, who had been lost in her thoughts the entire time, only then looked at him again.
'Ah yes... Yes, father... I will do it. I will do that marriage.'
The Duke doesn't know the exact reason, but from that day on, Rebecca was obsessed with her marriage to Cedric.
After she got married, as she promised, she stood in front of Cedric and pretended not to know about the engraving and removed the hour hand.
And yet she hung on like a crazy woman to spend her night with him.
‘But now... As soon as she became good friends with that half-blood demon, she didn't just ignore her promise to me, she even started her own business to show off?'
Right to dispose of alimony after divorce.
That was his last remaining leash with which he could wield Rebecca.
However, Rebecca is trying to enrich her personal wealth through her business, as if to show off.
Isn't this a blatant disregard for her father?
Moreover, she started threatening him, saying that while he was wasting time like that, the support from the Kingdom of Katsis would be cut off.
What would happen if support from the Katsis Kingdom was truly cut off?
Rebecca may not know it, but he knew from that moment on that he would be condemned as a traitor by both Katsis and the Western Empire.
"Ha! No matter who she is, this guy and that guy will all be so desperate that they won’t be able to kill me!”
That was when Duke Bold took a gulp of whiskey that was lying on the table.
A servant outside the door announced the arrival of a guest.
Duke Bold let out a few angry shouts at the unscheduled visit, but he soon agreed as if there was nothing he could do.
‘Someone was so rude all of a sudden....'
It was when he looked back with a wrinkled face.
“Hello, Duke Bold?”
A woman's voice was heard as if she had been touched, but her confident spirit was felt.
Duke Bold's brow furrowed little by little as he soon identified the owner of the voice.
"You are... Isn’t you Mrs. Dmitry?”
Camilla Dmitry.
Rumors about her had been heard at the last imperial banquet and the subsequent after-party.
Her massive investment failure, and the discovery of her affair with the deceased Count Bart, eventually led to her husband's divorce.
That means that Camilla is a woman who cannot be of any benefit to him.
Duke Bold opened his eyes tentatively and glanced at Camilla.
“What business does the Countess have for me?”
However, Camilla did not show any signs of being intimidated and instead smiled leisurely.
“I have come because I have a proposition to make to Duke Bold. However... Countess. Oh, Duke Bold too. Didn’t you hear the rumor?”
“....”
“I am no one’s wife anymore.”
The tips of Camilla's red lips curled up every time she sat with her legs crossed leisurely on the sofa serving the guests.
“So now I am leaving the North and traveling freely throughout the empire. Thanks to you, it’s great to be able to see Duke Bold in the South.”
She truly has the beauty of a woman who was once a social star.
It was something that would make the heart of the Duke of Bold, the man in his prime, even though he was middle-aged, still in his prime.
“...I would like you to tell me about the sudden business that came your way.”
He cleared his throat and spoke politely.
The more the owner becomes embarrassed, the more confident the customer becomes.
Camilla's smile became more relaxed as things went as she expected.
“When I was reading the newspaper these days, I saw a lot of news about Her Highness's business. She is settling in very well.”
"Ha! If you just came to celebrate that... !”
“Congratulations, I don’t think so.”
Camilla gently shook her head.
“I came here because I was worried about Duke Bold.”
“...Me?”
A smile crept across Camilla's lips as she looked at the puzzled Duke of Bold.
While she was serving as Grand Duchess Rebecca's maid, she learned many things about Rebecca that she did not want him to know.
Duke Bold, who pretends to be a kind father in front of others, is harshly punishing his daughter Rebecca, and Rebecca is shaking in front of him like a dog that has been abused for a long time.
Rebecca changed in an instant.
Camilla herself would not be the only one who suffered damage due to her change.
Rebecca's gradual expansion of her business and increased personal wealth meant that she was already to some extent free from the clutches of the Duke of Bold.
'Because there is no way Duke Bold would allow Rebecca the opportunity to stand on her own two feet and walk proudly alone.'
Camilla's prediction was correct something she could tell just by looking at Duke Bold's face, which quickly turned red.
Camilla got up from the sofa, walked slowly towards Duke Bold, and continued.
“Rebecca no longer needs her father’s shadow. Therefore, she will listen even more carefully to what Duke Bold says.”
Then she stretched out her lips and shook her head as if she felt sorry.
“Is that it? It would be fortunate if she continued to be the Grand Duchess, but if the discord between the Grand Duke worsened again and they ended up getting divorced...”
“...”
“Do you really have to worry about the fact that the opportunity for the Duke of Bold to propose a wife to Temnes again will disappear forever?”
Duke Bold pondered Camilla's words and gave her a small nod.
The broken plate could be temporarily glued together, but the gap was bound to widen again someday.
The same goes for the relationship between the Grand Duke and Rebecca, which seems to be improving right now.
If Rebecca, who was already rich in personal wealth, went to that time and pushed hard for her divorce, she had no choice but to watch and let her go.
'That's it? She would be deprived of the opportunity to reintroduce the other daughter from the mistress to the position of Grand Duchess.'
It was at that time when a long sigh escaped the Duke of Bold's lips.
“I’m really worried. It would be better if Rebecca passed away in her place as Grand Duchess, but her divorce...”
“...Rebecca dies in her place as Grand Duchess?”
For a brief moment, a light of hope flashed across Duke Bold's eyes.
If Rebecca chose to divorce, the Bold family would naturally not be able to appoint her as the next Grand Duchess, and the position would be passed to another family.
But it would be a different story if Rebecca died as Grand Duchess.
This is because, according to the custom of giving priority to marriage talks proposed by the deceased wife's biological family, the position of the next Grand Duchess of the Twins could also belong to the Bold family.
'Then, if I register one of the daughters from a mistress as the child of the crony, and formally propose marriage to the Twins family....'
A satisfied smile appeared at the end of Duke Bold's lips.
Catherine, who had just come of age last year, was her daughter by her fourth, or rather, fifth mistress.
The child had only a short period of learning, but she took after her mother and instinctively knew how to seduce a man.
Besides, unlike Rebecca, she had been raised with affection since childhood, so there was no way she would betray him.
'Yes, it would be more advantageous for me in many ways if Rebecca died and Catherine took her place.'
It was a time when Duke Bold's heart was turning steeply toward his lovely daughter Catherine.
Camilla, who noticed the slight change in his mood, let out a soft voice from her lips.
“No matter how affectionate the child may be, if it means killing one’s own child, wouldn’t it be better to hire someone else’s help?”
In an instant, Duke Bold's eyelashes fluttered as his insidious intentions were discovered.
“What kind of person do you think I am and say things like that!”
Duke Bold shouted loudly, pretending to be a polite gentleman, but the shock that came to Camilla was minimal.
Instead, she snorted and leisurely curled the corners of her lips.
“Duke, what if we were a little more honest?”
Camilla finally got within one step of Duke Bold and gently stroked his forearm.
The deep crack between the Duke of Bold's eyebrows began to fade in the touch containing a slight hint of temptation.
Camilla's soft voice continued.
“It would be even more foolish to throw away a golden opportunity right in front of your eyes. If it were me, I would do the best I can before I lose everything.”
“...”
“I also hope that I can be of some help in Duke Bold’s efforts to do so.”
Camilla smiled, her eyes curled softly.
Duke Bold, who had been looking at her with eyes that seemed to be fascinated by something about her, finally came to his senses and cleared his throat.
“Hmm. I assume yes, but what about you?”
"Me?"
“When you come to help me, I’m sure there’s something you want.”
"Aha."
Camilla's eyebrows arched high.
“As expected, I thought I could communicate with Duke Bold.”
She seemed quite satisfied with Duke Bold's reaction and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
She slowly removed her hand from Duke Bold's arm, turned her back, and slowly walked towards the desk in his office.
“I plan to debut in the northern social scene again.”
“If you’re thinking of re-debuting in the social world, wouldn’t it be better somewhere else? The North..."
“The North is where all my scandals are most prevalent. Yes, that's right."
Camilla slightly turned her head and smiled suspiciously at Duke Bold.
“That’s why I’m definitely trying to go back. Running away and living like this is not a choice like Camilla’s.”
“Look, it’s too much to just push through stubbornness...”
“Anyway, my scandal has spread throughout the Empire, so wouldn’t it be more advantageous to solidify my position again at the center of the scandal?”
What Camilla said also made sense.
That was when Duke Bold nodded at her, thinking that she was indeed a woman above average.
“The position of maid to the new Grand Duchess. The condition is that you give it to me.”
She finally stopped in front of his desk and looked back at the Duke of Bold, leaning her back there.
“If you have that title, it will be easier for you to re-debut in Northern society.”
“...If the position of father to the next Grand Duchess comes to me again, it will be easier than twisting a child’s wrist.”
"Thank god. As expected, I thought you would.”
Duke Bold, who was looking at Camilla smiling with satisfaction, finally clicked his tongue briefly.
“But how can you kill Rebecca? It seems like her relationship with the Grand Duke has improved significantly recently.”
'If anyone ever hurt Rebecca's fingertip, he would tear them to pieces.'
But at that moment.
For the first time, Duke Bold saw her red eyes sparkling brightly.
‘Well, that’s right. So all you have to do is use his blind affection to give me Lillian's heart.'
‘All I need is an engraving... Someone will love me forever...'
‘Rebecca. Are you listening to this father?'
Rebecca, who had been lost in her thoughts the entire time, only then looked at him again.
'Ah yes... Yes, father... I will do it. I will do that marriage.'
The Duke doesn't know the exact reason, but from that day on, Rebecca was obsessed with her marriage to Cedric.
After she got married, as she promised, she stood in front of Cedric and pretended not to know about the engraving and removed the hour hand.
And yet she hung on like a crazy woman to spend her night with him.
‘But now... As soon as she became good friends with that half-blood demon, she didn't just ignore her promise to me, she even started her own business to show off?'
Right to dispose of alimony after divorce.
That was his last remaining leash with which he could wield Rebecca.
However, Rebecca is trying to enrich her personal wealth through her business, as if to show off.
Isn't this a blatant disregard for her father?
Moreover, she started threatening him, saying that while he was wasting time like that, the support from the Kingdom of Katsis would be cut off.
What would happen if support from the Katsis Kingdom was truly cut off?
Rebecca may not know it, but he knew from that moment on that he would be condemned as a traitor by both Katsis and the Western Empire.
"Ha! No matter who she is, this guy and that guy will all be so desperate that they won’t be able to kill me!”
That was when Duke Bold took a gulp of whiskey that was lying on the table.
A servant outside the door announced the arrival of a guest.
Duke Bold let out a few angry shouts at the unscheduled visit, but he soon agreed as if there was nothing he could do.
‘Someone was so rude all of a sudden....'
It was when he looked back with a wrinkled face.
“Hello, Duke Bold?”
A woman's voice was heard as if she had been touched, but her confident spirit was felt.
Duke Bold's brow furrowed little by little as he soon identified the owner of the voice.
"You are... Isn’t you Mrs. Dmitry?”
Camilla Dmitry.
Rumors about her had been heard at the last imperial banquet and the subsequent after-party.
Her massive investment failure, and the discovery of her affair with the deceased Count Bart, eventually led to her husband's divorce.
That means that Camilla is a woman who cannot be of any benefit to him.
Duke Bold opened his eyes tentatively and glanced at Camilla.
“What business does the Countess have for me?”
However, Camilla did not show any signs of being intimidated and instead smiled leisurely.
“I have come because I have a proposition to make to Duke Bold. However... Countess. Oh, Duke Bold too. Didn’t you hear the rumor?”
“....”
“I am no one’s wife anymore.”
The tips of Camilla's red lips curled up every time she sat with her legs crossed leisurely on the sofa serving the guests.
“So now I am leaving the North and traveling freely throughout the empire. Thanks to you, it’s great to be able to see Duke Bold in the South.”
She truly has the beauty of a woman who was once a social star.
It was something that would make the heart of the Duke of Bold, the man in his prime, even though he was middle-aged, still in his prime.
“...I would like you to tell me about the sudden business that came your way.”
He cleared his throat and spoke politely.
The more the owner becomes embarrassed, the more confident the customer becomes.
Camilla's smile became more relaxed as things went as she expected.
“When I was reading the newspaper these days, I saw a lot of news about Her Highness's business. She is settling in very well.”
"Ha! If you just came to celebrate that... !”
“Congratulations, I don’t think so.”
Camilla gently shook her head.
“I came here because I was worried about Duke Bold.”
“...Me?”
A smile crept across Camilla's lips as she looked at the puzzled Duke of Bold.
While she was serving as Grand Duchess Rebecca's maid, she learned many things about Rebecca that she did not want him to know.
Duke Bold, who pretends to be a kind father in front of others, is harshly punishing his daughter Rebecca, and Rebecca is shaking in front of him like a dog that has been abused for a long time.
Rebecca changed in an instant.
Camilla herself would not be the only one who suffered damage due to her change.
Rebecca's gradual expansion of her business and increased personal wealth meant that she was already to some extent free from the clutches of the Duke of Bold.
'Because there is no way Duke Bold would allow Rebecca the opportunity to stand on her own two feet and walk proudly alone.'
Camilla's prediction was correct something she could tell just by looking at Duke Bold's face, which quickly turned red.
Camilla got up from the sofa, walked slowly towards Duke Bold, and continued.
“Rebecca no longer needs her father’s shadow. Therefore, she will listen even more carefully to what Duke Bold says.”
Then she stretched out her lips and shook her head as if she felt sorry.
“Is that it? It would be fortunate if she continued to be the Grand Duchess, but if the discord between the Grand Duke worsened again and they ended up getting divorced...”
“...”
“Do you really have to worry about the fact that the opportunity for the Duke of Bold to propose a wife to Temnes again will disappear forever?”
Duke Bold pondered Camilla's words and gave her a small nod.
The broken plate could be temporarily glued together, but the gap was bound to widen again someday.
The same goes for the relationship between the Grand Duke and Rebecca, which seems to be improving right now.
If Rebecca, who was already rich in personal wealth, went to that time and pushed hard for her divorce, she had no choice but to watch and let her go.
'That's it? She would be deprived of the opportunity to reintroduce the other daughter from the mistress to the position of Grand Duchess.'
It was at that time when a long sigh escaped the Duke of Bold's lips.
“I’m really worried. It would be better if Rebecca passed away in her place as Grand Duchess, but her divorce...”
“...Rebecca dies in her place as Grand Duchess?”
For a brief moment, a light of hope flashed across Duke Bold's eyes.
If Rebecca chose to divorce, the Bold family would naturally not be able to appoint her as the next Grand Duchess, and the position would be passed to another family.
But it would be a different story if Rebecca died as Grand Duchess.
This is because, according to the custom of giving priority to marriage talks proposed by the deceased wife's biological family, the position of the next Grand Duchess of the Twins could also belong to the Bold family.
'Then, if I register one of the daughters from a mistress as the child of the crony, and formally propose marriage to the Twins family....'
A satisfied smile appeared at the end of Duke Bold's lips.
Catherine, who had just come of age last year, was her daughter by her fourth, or rather, fifth mistress.
The child had only a short period of learning, but she took after her mother and instinctively knew how to seduce a man.
Besides, unlike Rebecca, she had been raised with affection since childhood, so there was no way she would betray him.
'Yes, it would be more advantageous for me in many ways if Rebecca died and Catherine took her place.'
It was a time when Duke Bold's heart was turning steeply toward his lovely daughter Catherine.
Camilla, who noticed the slight change in his mood, let out a soft voice from her lips.
“No matter how affectionate the child may be, if it means killing one’s own child, wouldn’t it be better to hire someone else’s help?”
In an instant, Duke Bold's eyelashes fluttered as his insidious intentions were discovered.
“What kind of person do you think I am and say things like that!”
Duke Bold shouted loudly, pretending to be a polite gentleman, but the shock that came to Camilla was minimal.
Instead, she snorted and leisurely curled the corners of her lips.
“Duke, what if we were a little more honest?”
Camilla finally got within one step of Duke Bold and gently stroked his forearm.
The deep crack between the Duke of Bold's eyebrows began to fade in the touch containing a slight hint of temptation.
Camilla's soft voice continued.
“It would be even more foolish to throw away a golden opportunity right in front of your eyes. If it were me, I would do the best I can before I lose everything.”
“...”
“I also hope that I can be of some help in Duke Bold’s efforts to do so.”
Camilla smiled, her eyes curled softly.
Duke Bold, who had been looking at her with eyes that seemed to be fascinated by something about her, finally came to his senses and cleared his throat.
“Hmm. I assume yes, but what about you?”
"Me?"
“When you come to help me, I’m sure there’s something you want.”
"Aha."
Camilla's eyebrows arched high.
“As expected, I thought I could communicate with Duke Bold.”
She seemed quite satisfied with Duke Bold's reaction and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
She slowly removed her hand from Duke Bold's arm, turned her back, and slowly walked towards the desk in his office.
“I plan to debut in the northern social scene again.”
“If you’re thinking of re-debuting in the social world, wouldn’t it be better somewhere else? The North..."
“The North is where all my scandals are most prevalent. Yes, that's right."
Camilla slightly turned her head and smiled suspiciously at Duke Bold.
“That’s why I’m definitely trying to go back. Running away and living like this is not a choice like Camilla’s.”
“Look, it’s too much to just push through stubbornness...”
“Anyway, my scandal has spread throughout the Empire, so wouldn’t it be more advantageous to solidify my position again at the center of the scandal?”
What Camilla said also made sense.
That was when Duke Bold nodded at her, thinking that she was indeed a woman above average.
“The position of maid to the new Grand Duchess. The condition is that you give it to me.”
She finally stopped in front of his desk and looked back at the Duke of Bold, leaning her back there.
“If you have that title, it will be easier for you to re-debut in Northern society.”
“...If the position of father to the next Grand Duchess comes to me again, it will be easier than twisting a child’s wrist.”
"Thank god. As expected, I thought you would.”
Duke Bold, who was looking at Camilla smiling with satisfaction, finally clicked his tongue briefly.
“But how can you kill Rebecca? It seems like her relationship with the Grand Duke has improved significantly recently.”
'If anyone ever hurt Rebecca's fingertip, he would tear them to pieces.'
He muttered softly.
Camilla smiled softly as she saw him unable to hide her anxiety.
“Don’t worry about that, Duke.”
As she trailed off, her fingertips touched the invitation that was placed on the desk in her office.
The Duke received an invitation to a masked ball hosted by Rebecca herself.
A wicked smile spread across Camilla's face as she looked down at it.
“I will kill Rebecca with my own hands.”
Camilla smiled softly as she saw him unable to hide her anxiety.
“Don’t worry about that, Duke.”
As she trailed off, her fingertips touched the invitation that was placed on the desk in her office.
The Duke received an invitation to a masked ball hosted by Rebecca herself.
A wicked smile spread across Camilla's face as she looked down at it.
“I will kill Rebecca with my own hands.”
Comments
Post a Comment