IELNDMH - Chapter 84 < Who Was the Cuter Between the Two? >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
“Are the preparations for the masquerade ball going well?”
Cedric quickly followed me down and grabbed my arm.
When I looked up at him standing on the top of the stairs, Cedric bit his lower lip slightly with a restless expression on his face.
For a moment, he silently looked at me with eyes slightly filled with guilt and anxiety.
A new soft low tone flowed from his lips.
“...You know best that I can’t do it like that anymore.”
He brushed his black hair out of disarray, lowered his eyes and sighed.
“But I’ll try my best. Because that’s what you want.”
Finally, Cedric, holding a white flag, slowly came down one step and stood next to me.
“Instead, please don’t criticize me for not being able to do it. Forcing myself to do something I don’t want to do is also hard work.”
I gently touched his frowning forehead and slightly raised the corner of my mouth.
“Again, again. Please raise your eyebrows. You know I’m not doing this because I want to.”
For a moment, Cedric's brows furrowed again as if he was instantly relieved by the gentle touch and smiled.
My words seemed to have brought back to mind the existence of High Priest Diat.
“Yes, the reason we are like this is all thanks to High Priest Diat, that needless and arrogant person. Thanks to that human, shouldn’t I pretend to hate you? Shouldn’t the Grand Duke of a country turn into a cat and walk around with no hair?”
Cedric stopped speaking and his cool eyes looked into space.
He must have been picturing the face of High Priest Diat, as the air around him gradually grew colder.
Then, the corner of Cedric's lip twitched upward.
“...It makes me so happy to think about repaying this favor properly.”
Seeing that expression made me even more determined to never become enemies with Cedric, even though I had not intended to do so in the first place.
'It's so scary just watching from the side, but if I were the High Priest Diat...'
Ugh. It makes me shudder.
There were still thick dark clouds around Cedric.
I tried to let out an awkward laugh, hoping to lighten the suffocating atmosphere.
"Ha ha ha... But I still like you when you’re a cat, right? I didn’t know I could see something like that, but it’s cute too!”
“Oh, right.”
Cedric looked at me as if he suddenly thought of something to say.
His wide-open eyes were filled with a deep, unexplainable suspicion.
“Rebecca, your belly-rubbing skills aren’t average.”
“Because it’s cute...”
It was a time when I burst out laughing as I remembered Cedric falling asleep on my lap, making a growling sound.
He suddenly took a step closer, looking like a distressed cat again.
“Did you touch Vincent like that too?”
“...Suddenly Vincent?”
Although I blinked at the absurdity, Cedric still had a disapproving look on his face.
"Yes. You said you first saw him as a cat.”
"Ah...”
Only then did I fully understand what he was saying and rolled my eyes to the side.
“What... At that time, I thought Vincent was a really cute cat...”
“Yes?”
“...I did touch it.”
As I hesitated, Cedric rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue.
"I knew it. That bastard is strangely interested in you. He liked that touch.”
“Oh, that can’t be possible. Vincent isn’t even a real cat.”
I shrugged and went back down the stairs.
When I finally arrived at the lobby, Cedric stood next to me and looked at me with his eyes still wide open.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
He was silent for a moment while biting his lower lip, then slowly parted his lips.
“So, who was cuter?”
“What is that...”
As I tilted my head, Cedric asked back with a more serious look on his face.
“Me and Vincent, who is cuter?”
A low bass tone and a serious tone of voice, but the content is not like that at all.
It was a time when I doubted what I heard because of that huge gap.
"Say it. You probably touched the cuter one a lot.”
He had a confident and serious attitude as if he didn't even know what he was saying.
'Are you the person who was complaining a little while ago about the Grand Duke of a country having to turn into a cat and walk around?'
I kept tilting my head, then walked a little further forward and continued talking.
"I don't know. And from now on, I should stop coming here as a cat. The high priest comes like that without a message in advance, and if the tail is long, we’ll get stepped on.”
“I don’t know about that, but you have to answer. Between Vincent and I... Ah."
The sound of Cedric's shoes following me stopped for an instant.
When I suddenly turned my head and saw him, he began to mutter softly with a thoughtful expression.
“Vincent, Vincent... Oh, why didn’t I think of that?”
Eventually, Cedric smiled with satisfaction.
Then he soon started walking towards the reception room in the lobby instead of the main gate, and I followed behind him with a puzzled expression.
And finally, Cedric's steps stopped in front of the 'picture frame' I had seen before.
He just stared at the picture frame for a while. The corners of Cedric's lips curved upward.
“Vincent. There were times when that guy was useful.”
After saying that, Cedric quietly placed his palm in the center of the frame.
Soon, a mysterious light seeped into the frame.
The light gradually spread larger and began to engulf the room.
“... Crazy guy.”
Those were Vincent’s first words as he walked out of the frame.
Soon, the corners of his eyes became more fierce.
Vincent glared at Cedric as if he were going to kill him, and nervously wrapped his bathrobe, which was wide open on his chest.
“Why do you always call me while I’m taking a bath? You know it’s my favorite time of the day and what I look forward to the most!”
Only then did I realize that every time Vincent came to the dark mansion, he was naked and wet, barely wearing a bathrobe.
“Strictly speaking, rather than calling you, I came because of your useless nonsense.”
Seeing Cedric speak with a calm expression, Vincent rolled his eyes wide and let out an annoyed snort.
“I knew... Cedric, you’re really not an unlucky guy, are you?”
Vincent glared at Cedric with contemptuous eyes and then sat down on the sofa.
Then he pointed his finger at Cedric and turned his head towards me.
“Rebecca, what did I say? I told you that he may look fine on the outside, but he is worse than me. So don't stay here, come out now and go to the demon world... Ahh!”
Vincent suddenly screamed.
It was because Cedric was holding onto his fingers as if he were going to break them.
The screams of pain gradually grew louder, but Cedric calmly continued speaking with a smile on his face.
“Stop talking nonsense and listen to me.”
Vincent screamed a few more times in frustration, but Cedric's subsequent voice was extremely calm.
“Vincent, I need you to stay here for a while and pretend to be me.”
Vincent looked even more tired as he looked at Cedric's calm face.
“What crazy things is this crazy guy saying...? Ahh!”
“Why, you’re good at it.”
Cedric looked at Vincent in pain and subtly raised the corner of his mouth.
Vincent immediately slapped his hand away roughly and shouted.
“Why me? Why should I do that!”
Vincent fiercely tightened his face and exhaled harshly.
And then for a while. He looked Cedric up and down, then frowned, as if suspicious.
“Cedric Twins, you... Did you finally have an accident in the human world?”
Cedric just sighed a little, feeling sorry for Vincent like that, but he didn't give any particular answer.
On the other hand, confidence and joy began to appear on Vincent's face.
"Right? That's right! You bastard, you’ve finally had an accident!”
Of course, Cedric didn't get into an accident, but even if he did, would that be such a happy thing?
When Vincent looked at Cedric with incomprehensible eyes, he shook his head.
His cheerful cousin seemed completely embarrassed.
Whether he knew it or not, Vincent let out his signature giggle, like someone who had finally found something fun to do.
“I knew you would do that! Great, my cousin. I would be so disappointed if you didn't...”
“A few months ago, I secretly divorced Rebecca.”
Vincent's eyebrows slowly furrowed at Cedric's unexpected words.
“...What?"
However, Cedric still had a calm expression.
There was not even the slightest wavering in his blue eyes as they turned towards Vincent again.
“So Vincent, I need you to help me.”
About an hour after High Priest Diat left.
I was holding Cedric's hand as we headed down towards the lobby.
I nodded slowly and removed my lips.
“Um, yes?”
The welfare foundation was successful in finding jobs in the human world for mixed-race demons.
Of course, jobs outside of the Twins family.
On the other hand, we knew in advance that the number of customers visiting the investment agency would not be very large, so we planned this masquerade ball for promotional purposes.
‘Yes, but....'
After thinking for a moment, I looked up at Cedric.
As if sensing my gaze, he immediately looked at me and smiled softly.
“Why do you do that, Rebecca?”
Cedric asked, carefully combing my hair.
Looking up at his flushed face, I let out a short sigh.
"I... I’m saying this because of High Priest Diat.”
“Why that human?”
Cedric's brow furrowed slightly.
But unfortunately, the news that would really displease him was now.
“Cedric.”
I stopped first, and Cedric, who had been running a little ahead, looked up at me from a few steps down.
“I think it would be best for us to pretend that the discord between us has worsened at this masquerade ball.”
My firm voice echoed in the empty surroundings.
Eventually, Cedric's beautiful face, looking up at me, slowly hardened.
"Nope."
“...Cedric.”
“More than I hate it, I think it won’t work.”
Cedric, who was lost in thought for a brief moment, said, 'Of course not.' He muttered and shook his head.
“Pretending to hate you, no matter how much I try, I don’t think I can do that. And there’s a reason to go that far...”
"There is."
I cut him off firmly.
“High Priest Diat suddenly came to visit today. Like he said, it couldn't have been a mistake. You know best that High Priest Diat is not the type of person to make such mistakes.”
“...”
“He came today to keep an eye on us to see if we were together.”
Cedric's eyes suddenly became fierce.
Looking at him like that, I sighed briefly and continued.
“So we have to make sure he can relax that day. It shows that we don’t get along as well as we used to.”
“...”
"Huh? Cedric?”
I gently patted Cedric's shoulder and spoke as if admonishing him, but his stern face showed no signs of loosening.
"Well. You can pretend you hate me, but..."
Cedric avoided my eyes with a face like a distressed cat.
“I don’t have the confidence to do that.”
At that point, my judgment was slightly distorted by Cedric's uncooperative attitude.
I walked down the stairs, passing by him as if observing him.
“Then, let’s bring back some old memories. I lived like that not for a day or two, but for five years.”
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“I think it will be easier for you to act than me if you just bring back the memories of that time.”
“Rebecca, that’s...”
I was holding Cedric's hand as we headed down towards the lobby.
I nodded slowly and removed my lips.
“Um, yes?”
The welfare foundation was successful in finding jobs in the human world for mixed-race demons.
Of course, jobs outside of the Twins family.
On the other hand, we knew in advance that the number of customers visiting the investment agency would not be very large, so we planned this masquerade ball for promotional purposes.
‘Yes, but....'
After thinking for a moment, I looked up at Cedric.
As if sensing my gaze, he immediately looked at me and smiled softly.
“Why do you do that, Rebecca?”
Cedric asked, carefully combing my hair.
Looking up at his flushed face, I let out a short sigh.
"I... I’m saying this because of High Priest Diat.”
“Why that human?”
Cedric's brow furrowed slightly.
But unfortunately, the news that would really displease him was now.
“Cedric.”
I stopped first, and Cedric, who had been running a little ahead, looked up at me from a few steps down.
“I think it would be best for us to pretend that the discord between us has worsened at this masquerade ball.”
My firm voice echoed in the empty surroundings.
Eventually, Cedric's beautiful face, looking up at me, slowly hardened.
"Nope."
“...Cedric.”
“More than I hate it, I think it won’t work.”
Cedric, who was lost in thought for a brief moment, said, 'Of course not.' He muttered and shook his head.
“Pretending to hate you, no matter how much I try, I don’t think I can do that. And there’s a reason to go that far...”
"There is."
I cut him off firmly.
“High Priest Diat suddenly came to visit today. Like he said, it couldn't have been a mistake. You know best that High Priest Diat is not the type of person to make such mistakes.”
“...”
“He came today to keep an eye on us to see if we were together.”
Cedric's eyes suddenly became fierce.
Looking at him like that, I sighed briefly and continued.
“So we have to make sure he can relax that day. It shows that we don’t get along as well as we used to.”
“...”
"Huh? Cedric?”
I gently patted Cedric's shoulder and spoke as if admonishing him, but his stern face showed no signs of loosening.
"Well. You can pretend you hate me, but..."
Cedric avoided my eyes with a face like a distressed cat.
“I don’t have the confidence to do that.”
At that point, my judgment was slightly distorted by Cedric's uncooperative attitude.
I walked down the stairs, passing by him as if observing him.
“Then, let’s bring back some old memories. I lived like that not for a day or two, but for five years.”
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“I think it will be easier for you to act than me if you just bring back the memories of that time.”
“Rebecca, that’s...”
Cedric quickly followed me down and grabbed my arm.
When I looked up at him standing on the top of the stairs, Cedric bit his lower lip slightly with a restless expression on his face.
For a moment, he silently looked at me with eyes slightly filled with guilt and anxiety.
A new soft low tone flowed from his lips.
“...You know best that I can’t do it like that anymore.”
He brushed his black hair out of disarray, lowered his eyes and sighed.
“But I’ll try my best. Because that’s what you want.”
Finally, Cedric, holding a white flag, slowly came down one step and stood next to me.
“Instead, please don’t criticize me for not being able to do it. Forcing myself to do something I don’t want to do is also hard work.”
I gently touched his frowning forehead and slightly raised the corner of my mouth.
“Again, again. Please raise your eyebrows. You know I’m not doing this because I want to.”
For a moment, Cedric's brows furrowed again as if he was instantly relieved by the gentle touch and smiled.
My words seemed to have brought back to mind the existence of High Priest Diat.
“Yes, the reason we are like this is all thanks to High Priest Diat, that needless and arrogant person. Thanks to that human, shouldn’t I pretend to hate you? Shouldn’t the Grand Duke of a country turn into a cat and walk around with no hair?”
Cedric stopped speaking and his cool eyes looked into space.
He must have been picturing the face of High Priest Diat, as the air around him gradually grew colder.
Then, the corner of Cedric's lip twitched upward.
“...It makes me so happy to think about repaying this favor properly.”
Seeing that expression made me even more determined to never become enemies with Cedric, even though I had not intended to do so in the first place.
'It's so scary just watching from the side, but if I were the High Priest Diat...'
Ugh. It makes me shudder.
There were still thick dark clouds around Cedric.
I tried to let out an awkward laugh, hoping to lighten the suffocating atmosphere.
"Ha ha ha... But I still like you when you’re a cat, right? I didn’t know I could see something like that, but it’s cute too!”
“Oh, right.”
Cedric looked at me as if he suddenly thought of something to say.
His wide-open eyes were filled with a deep, unexplainable suspicion.
“Rebecca, your belly-rubbing skills aren’t average.”
“Because it’s cute...”
It was a time when I burst out laughing as I remembered Cedric falling asleep on my lap, making a growling sound.
He suddenly took a step closer, looking like a distressed cat again.
“Did you touch Vincent like that too?”
“...Suddenly Vincent?”
Although I blinked at the absurdity, Cedric still had a disapproving look on his face.
"Yes. You said you first saw him as a cat.”
"Ah...”
Only then did I fully understand what he was saying and rolled my eyes to the side.
“What... At that time, I thought Vincent was a really cute cat...”
“Yes?”
“...I did touch it.”
As I hesitated, Cedric rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue.
"I knew it. That bastard is strangely interested in you. He liked that touch.”
“Oh, that can’t be possible. Vincent isn’t even a real cat.”
I shrugged and went back down the stairs.
When I finally arrived at the lobby, Cedric stood next to me and looked at me with his eyes still wide open.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
He was silent for a moment while biting his lower lip, then slowly parted his lips.
“So, who was cuter?”
“What is that...”
As I tilted my head, Cedric asked back with a more serious look on his face.
“Me and Vincent, who is cuter?”
A low bass tone and a serious tone of voice, but the content is not like that at all.
It was a time when I doubted what I heard because of that huge gap.
"Say it. You probably touched the cuter one a lot.”
He had a confident and serious attitude as if he didn't even know what he was saying.
'Are you the person who was complaining a little while ago about the Grand Duke of a country having to turn into a cat and walk around?'
I kept tilting my head, then walked a little further forward and continued talking.
"I don't know. And from now on, I should stop coming here as a cat. The high priest comes like that without a message in advance, and if the tail is long, we’ll get stepped on.”
“I don’t know about that, but you have to answer. Between Vincent and I... Ah."
The sound of Cedric's shoes following me stopped for an instant.
When I suddenly turned my head and saw him, he began to mutter softly with a thoughtful expression.
“Vincent, Vincent... Oh, why didn’t I think of that?”
Eventually, Cedric smiled with satisfaction.
Then he soon started walking towards the reception room in the lobby instead of the main gate, and I followed behind him with a puzzled expression.
And finally, Cedric's steps stopped in front of the 'picture frame' I had seen before.
He just stared at the picture frame for a while. The corners of Cedric's lips curved upward.
“Vincent. There were times when that guy was useful.”
After saying that, Cedric quietly placed his palm in the center of the frame.
Soon, a mysterious light seeped into the frame.
The light gradually spread larger and began to engulf the room.
***
“... Crazy guy.”
Those were Vincent’s first words as he walked out of the frame.
Soon, the corners of his eyes became more fierce.
Vincent glared at Cedric as if he were going to kill him, and nervously wrapped his bathrobe, which was wide open on his chest.
“Why do you always call me while I’m taking a bath? You know it’s my favorite time of the day and what I look forward to the most!”
Only then did I realize that every time Vincent came to the dark mansion, he was naked and wet, barely wearing a bathrobe.
“Strictly speaking, rather than calling you, I came because of your useless nonsense.”
Seeing Cedric speak with a calm expression, Vincent rolled his eyes wide and let out an annoyed snort.
“I knew... Cedric, you’re really not an unlucky guy, are you?”
Vincent glared at Cedric with contemptuous eyes and then sat down on the sofa.
Then he pointed his finger at Cedric and turned his head towards me.
“Rebecca, what did I say? I told you that he may look fine on the outside, but he is worse than me. So don't stay here, come out now and go to the demon world... Ahh!”
Vincent suddenly screamed.
It was because Cedric was holding onto his fingers as if he were going to break them.
The screams of pain gradually grew louder, but Cedric calmly continued speaking with a smile on his face.
“Stop talking nonsense and listen to me.”
Vincent screamed a few more times in frustration, but Cedric's subsequent voice was extremely calm.
“Vincent, I need you to stay here for a while and pretend to be me.”
Vincent looked even more tired as he looked at Cedric's calm face.
“What crazy things is this crazy guy saying...? Ahh!”
“Why, you’re good at it.”
Cedric looked at Vincent in pain and subtly raised the corner of his mouth.
Vincent immediately slapped his hand away roughly and shouted.
“Why me? Why should I do that!”
Vincent fiercely tightened his face and exhaled harshly.
And then for a while. He looked Cedric up and down, then frowned, as if suspicious.
“Cedric Twins, you... Did you finally have an accident in the human world?”
Cedric just sighed a little, feeling sorry for Vincent like that, but he didn't give any particular answer.
On the other hand, confidence and joy began to appear on Vincent's face.
"Right? That's right! You bastard, you’ve finally had an accident!”
Of course, Cedric didn't get into an accident, but even if he did, would that be such a happy thing?
When Vincent looked at Cedric with incomprehensible eyes, he shook his head.
His cheerful cousin seemed completely embarrassed.
Whether he knew it or not, Vincent let out his signature giggle, like someone who had finally found something fun to do.
“I knew you would do that! Great, my cousin. I would be so disappointed if you didn't...”
“A few months ago, I secretly divorced Rebecca.”
Vincent's eyebrows slowly furrowed at Cedric's unexpected words.
“...What?"
However, Cedric still had a calm expression.
There was not even the slightest wavering in his blue eyes as they turned towards Vincent again.
“So Vincent, I need you to help me.”
The new Series, To Help You Understand is out now! I like the Manhwa, but when I searched for the novel, I couldn't find so, so I decided to TL-ing this series.You can check it HERE!
well well jealousy aside first lets use him Cedric is smart
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