“Ugh, what kind of son of a bitch are you!”
Duke Bold barely shouted as he rolled around on the floor.
For a moment, his face was very red and his eyes were fluttering.
Adrian's cool eyes looked down at him, and a fearful aura permeated his face.
"What... What about you?”
Duke Bold's frightened eyes slowly scanned Adrian's body.
He is so tall that Duke Bod has to look up for a long time, has angular shoulders, and has a muscular body that can be seen at a glance.
Duke Bold's expression became even more pale, as if he was remembering the pain of being hit by him just a moment ago.
“Something... It seems like there is a misunderstanding but as the person who is this woman’s father...”
The figure from just a moment ago, when he was threatening a woman and showing off his strength, was nowhere to be found.
He was so pathetic.
Adrian may have felt the same way, but his eyes, which had always been soft, gradually became harsh.
“My concern is not who it is.”
As Adrian got closer step by step, his sense of intimidation became even heavier and darker.
“I’m just wondering what to do with you, the person causing trouble on my property.”
A voice colder than the midwinter wind.
The tip of Duke Bold's lips vibrated.
He seemed to instinctively sense that the person in front of him was one of the mixed-race demons with a cruel nature.
"Uhh... I, uh...”
For a moment, he was lying sprawled on the floor and moaning in fear.
Duke Bold's eyes shifted between Adrian and me several times.
“...Damn!"
After spitting out a curse, Duke Bold glared at me as if he were going to kill me, gritted his teeth, then stood up and immediately let go of his rope.
"Uh? Hey, where are you running after this mess?”
I quickly stretched out his hand to grab Duke Bold but in vain.
He disappeared out of the alley without even looking back.
“That person is really...”
It was a time when I was gritting my teeth as I looked at the end of the alley where Duke Bold had disappeared.
A soft yet familiar voice penetrated my ears again.
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
Only then did I remember the situation I had forgotten for a while due to Duke Bold's flight.
As I slowly raised my head, my eyes immediately met the blue-purple eyes that were looking at me.
'Is Adrian really here?'
It didn't feel real.
The person who suddenly left for a different world from me, the person I thought I would never meet again, is here in front of me.
I even felt afraid that if I stretched out his hand, he would disappear like an illusion at any moment.
As if reading my inner thoughts, Adrian grabbed my hand and placed it on his cheek.
The warmth of his hand was warm, and the breath that brushed against my fingers was extremely soft.
Adrian, it was really him.
“How did you get here...”
Only then did I come to the realization, and when I barely parted my lips, a smile like spring sunlight spread across Adrian's lips.
“I built a new villa here. It has been a long time since the building was completed, and the interior has been somewhat reorganized, so I plan to visit this place often.”
“Ah, it’s a newly built building...”
I lowered my head and thoughtlessly repeated his words, then tilted my head.
Then I looked up at Adrian again and he pointed over his shoulder at the mansion behind me, and I couldn't help but blink in surprise.
The place he pointed to was a newly built building right next to my mansion.
“No way, the mansion next door...”
"That's right. It’s my villa.”
Adrian nodded calmly.
I looked at him blankly and opened my mouth awkwardly.
“Haha, this is amazing... Coincidence? Who would have thought that we would be neighbors and live in the building right next to each other?”
“...Um, sure.”
“But that building, I think it started being built right after I bought the mansion...”
“...”
After being silent for a while, Adrian playfully stuck out his lower lip and then smiled.
“I missed you, Your Highness.”
A smile as bright as a pure white and lovely hydrangea.
Finally, he gently lowered his head.
"No..."
Then he looked at me again and muttered softly as if he was confessing.
“I missed you, Rebecca.”
At the same time, inside the Twins Grand Duke's office.
It was around this time that Cedric was handing over the personally stamped document to his aide.
“Your Highness, Lobelia has arrived.”
At the voice coming from outside the door, Cedric nodded his head toward his aide.
Then the aide immediately looked back at the office door and parted his lips.
“Please come in.”
As soon as the aide spoke, Cedric got up and headed to the sofa.
Lobelia, who soon entered the office, was also guided by an aide and stood in front of him.
“Please sit down, Mrs. Bart.”
Lobelia expressed her gratitude at Cedric's polite words and sat down on the sofa first, and Cedric also took a seat across from her.
The reason Cedric called Lobelia today was to interview Bianca in person about her class.
In normal times, Cedric's duties as the Grand Duke were always very heavy, so he originally left these tasks to his aides or his nanny.
Then, when a wind blows and he takes care of such matters himself, it is because of what Rebecca repeated on the day he left the castle.
'Even if I'm not around, you have to take care of Bianca's business yourself instead of leaving it all to the aide and nanny like before. Okay?'
Rebecca seemed to be particularly worried about Bianca leaving behind.
It was all the more so because Bianca made a big fuss before she left.
Knowing that he is now in a position where he cannot meet her freely or express his affection, all Cedric can do for Rebecca is to put her mind at ease as much as possible.
Today's meeting with Lobelia was part of that plan.
“I apologize, Your Highness the Archduke. Why did you suddenly come looking for me?"
Lobelia asked, blinking her brilliant green eyes.
At her question, the absurd feelings gently pricked Cedric's chest, and ran away.
As far as anyone can see, the only reason he wants to find Lobelia is related to Bianca.
Cedric stared at her, trying to hide his sarcastic demeanor.
“It’s been over a month since you began working as Princess Bianca’s tutor. So I called to hear about Bianca's progress.”
“...Ah."
Lobelia's face was momentarily filled with disappointment that she did not know why.
However, she quickly changed her expression and raised the corners of her mouth.
“If that was the case, it would have been nice if you had told me in advance. Then, I would have brought the test papers or scorecards for each subject that I had collected...”
“That’s the only reason I’m calling you separately, so I thought you would understand and come prepared in advance.”
Cedric's attitude clearly revealed his harmless indifference.
The conversation that kept straying from the main topic seemed very annoying.
Lobelia seemed to feel it too and was unable to hide her embarrassment for a while.
"...Fortunately, Princess Bianca is adapting well. She was well taught by her former teacher, and she is very intelligent.”
“I would appreciate it if you could be more specific.”
Lobelia spoke again, and the conversation between the two about Princess Bianca continued for a while.
And finally, a satisfied smile appeared on Cedric's lips.
“It certainly seems like Bianca has grown a lot compared to before. When she encounters a problem that cannot be solved, I think she used to cry or run away because it was embarrassing, but now she stubbornly attacks it even when people around her try to stop it...”
A small laugh escaped Cedric's lips.
Eventually, his eyes turned to the area behind Lobelia.
Or, more accurately, on the wall behind her, on the portrait of Rebecca hanging above it.
'It's definitely because of the affection Rebecca showed her that Bianca became bolder than before.'
His longing for her suddenly intensified.
He was staring blankly up at Rebecca's portrait without even realizing it.
“...There is a portrait of the former Grand Duchess here too.”
Cedric barely came to his senses when he suddenly heard Lobelia's voice.
He turned his gaze to meet her eyes and she smiled slightly.
“After Her Highness left, a portrait of Her Royal Highness was hung in the Princess’s study.”
Cedric just nodded.
After Rebecca left Twins Castle, her portraits in the Grand Duchy were moved to the space where Cedric and Bianca always lived.
Instead of disposing of the portrait of the woman who left the family after the divorce, they tried to place it in a place where they could most easily see it.
It was an unprecedented event that could not be understood by those who did not know the circumstances.
However, Cedric and Bianca felt fortunate that the traces Rebecca left behind were still with them.
“As someone from the Grand Duchy of Twins, I’m glad that the relationship between the Grand Duchy and Rebecca doesn’t seem to be that bad. Just looking at His Highness, the Grand Duke, it seems like you unwaveringly want your ex-wife to be happy even after your divorce.”
“...Of course.”
Cedric thought of Rebecca's happily smiling face and answered slowly.
Lobelia's eyes, which were staring at him, slowly lowered.
“The relationship between you two...It's really different from before...”
Lobelia muttered softly, barely audible.
Cedric asked back, but she just shook her head and raised the corner of her mouth as if it were nothing.
“Rebecca will definitely be happy, so don’t worry, Your Highness.”
When Lobelia spoke comfortingly, he slowly nodded his head as if he sympathized with her words.
However, as she continued to speak, Cedric's face, which had been calm the whole time, began to crack little by little.
“If you have beauty and wealth like Rebecca, it won’t be long before you start dating a nice gentleman.”
For a moment, his face was very red and his eyes were fluttering.
Adrian's cool eyes looked down at him, and a fearful aura permeated his face.
"What... What about you?”
Duke Bold's frightened eyes slowly scanned Adrian's body.
He is so tall that Duke Bod has to look up for a long time, has angular shoulders, and has a muscular body that can be seen at a glance.
Duke Bold's expression became even more pale, as if he was remembering the pain of being hit by him just a moment ago.
“Something... It seems like there is a misunderstanding but as the person who is this woman’s father...”
The figure from just a moment ago, when he was threatening a woman and showing off his strength, was nowhere to be found.
He was so pathetic.
Adrian may have felt the same way, but his eyes, which had always been soft, gradually became harsh.
“My concern is not who it is.”
As Adrian got closer step by step, his sense of intimidation became even heavier and darker.
“I’m just wondering what to do with you, the person causing trouble on my property.”
A voice colder than the midwinter wind.
The tip of Duke Bold's lips vibrated.
He seemed to instinctively sense that the person in front of him was one of the mixed-race demons with a cruel nature.
"Uhh... I, uh...”
For a moment, he was lying sprawled on the floor and moaning in fear.
Duke Bold's eyes shifted between Adrian and me several times.
“...Damn!"
After spitting out a curse, Duke Bold glared at me as if he were going to kill me, gritted his teeth, then stood up and immediately let go of his rope.
"Uh? Hey, where are you running after this mess?”
I quickly stretched out his hand to grab Duke Bold but in vain.
He disappeared out of the alley without even looking back.
“That person is really...”
It was a time when I was gritting my teeth as I looked at the end of the alley where Duke Bold had disappeared.
A soft yet familiar voice penetrated my ears again.
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
Only then did I remember the situation I had forgotten for a while due to Duke Bold's flight.
As I slowly raised my head, my eyes immediately met the blue-purple eyes that were looking at me.
'Is Adrian really here?'
It didn't feel real.
The person who suddenly left for a different world from me, the person I thought I would never meet again, is here in front of me.
I even felt afraid that if I stretched out his hand, he would disappear like an illusion at any moment.
As if reading my inner thoughts, Adrian grabbed my hand and placed it on his cheek.
The warmth of his hand was warm, and the breath that brushed against my fingers was extremely soft.
Adrian, it was really him.
“How did you get here...”
Only then did I come to the realization, and when I barely parted my lips, a smile like spring sunlight spread across Adrian's lips.
“I built a new villa here. It has been a long time since the building was completed, and the interior has been somewhat reorganized, so I plan to visit this place often.”
“Ah, it’s a newly built building...”
I lowered my head and thoughtlessly repeated his words, then tilted my head.
Then I looked up at Adrian again and he pointed over his shoulder at the mansion behind me, and I couldn't help but blink in surprise.
The place he pointed to was a newly built building right next to my mansion.
“No way, the mansion next door...”
"That's right. It’s my villa.”
Adrian nodded calmly.
I looked at him blankly and opened my mouth awkwardly.
“Haha, this is amazing... Coincidence? Who would have thought that we would be neighbors and live in the building right next to each other?”
“...Um, sure.”
“But that building, I think it started being built right after I bought the mansion...”
“...”
After being silent for a while, Adrian playfully stuck out his lower lip and then smiled.
“I missed you, Your Highness.”
A smile as bright as a pure white and lovely hydrangea.
Finally, he gently lowered his head.
"No..."
Then he looked at me again and muttered softly as if he was confessing.
“I missed you, Rebecca.”
***
At the same time, inside the Twins Grand Duke's office.
It was around this time that Cedric was handing over the personally stamped document to his aide.
“Your Highness, Lobelia has arrived.”
At the voice coming from outside the door, Cedric nodded his head toward his aide.
Then the aide immediately looked back at the office door and parted his lips.
“Please come in.”
As soon as the aide spoke, Cedric got up and headed to the sofa.
Lobelia, who soon entered the office, was also guided by an aide and stood in front of him.
“Please sit down, Mrs. Bart.”
Lobelia expressed her gratitude at Cedric's polite words and sat down on the sofa first, and Cedric also took a seat across from her.
The reason Cedric called Lobelia today was to interview Bianca in person about her class.
In normal times, Cedric's duties as the Grand Duke were always very heavy, so he originally left these tasks to his aides or his nanny.
Then, when a wind blows and he takes care of such matters himself, it is because of what Rebecca repeated on the day he left the castle.
'Even if I'm not around, you have to take care of Bianca's business yourself instead of leaving it all to the aide and nanny like before. Okay?'
Rebecca seemed to be particularly worried about Bianca leaving behind.
It was all the more so because Bianca made a big fuss before she left.
Knowing that he is now in a position where he cannot meet her freely or express his affection, all Cedric can do for Rebecca is to put her mind at ease as much as possible.
Today's meeting with Lobelia was part of that plan.
“I apologize, Your Highness the Archduke. Why did you suddenly come looking for me?"
Lobelia asked, blinking her brilliant green eyes.
At her question, the absurd feelings gently pricked Cedric's chest, and ran away.
As far as anyone can see, the only reason he wants to find Lobelia is related to Bianca.
Cedric stared at her, trying to hide his sarcastic demeanor.
“It’s been over a month since you began working as Princess Bianca’s tutor. So I called to hear about Bianca's progress.”
“...Ah."
Lobelia's face was momentarily filled with disappointment that she did not know why.
However, she quickly changed her expression and raised the corners of her mouth.
“If that was the case, it would have been nice if you had told me in advance. Then, I would have brought the test papers or scorecards for each subject that I had collected...”
“That’s the only reason I’m calling you separately, so I thought you would understand and come prepared in advance.”
Cedric's attitude clearly revealed his harmless indifference.
The conversation that kept straying from the main topic seemed very annoying.
Lobelia seemed to feel it too and was unable to hide her embarrassment for a while.
"...Fortunately, Princess Bianca is adapting well. She was well taught by her former teacher, and she is very intelligent.”
“I would appreciate it if you could be more specific.”
Lobelia spoke again, and the conversation between the two about Princess Bianca continued for a while.
And finally, a satisfied smile appeared on Cedric's lips.
“It certainly seems like Bianca has grown a lot compared to before. When she encounters a problem that cannot be solved, I think she used to cry or run away because it was embarrassing, but now she stubbornly attacks it even when people around her try to stop it...”
A small laugh escaped Cedric's lips.
Eventually, his eyes turned to the area behind Lobelia.
Or, more accurately, on the wall behind her, on the portrait of Rebecca hanging above it.
'It's definitely because of the affection Rebecca showed her that Bianca became bolder than before.'
His longing for her suddenly intensified.
He was staring blankly up at Rebecca's portrait without even realizing it.
“...There is a portrait of the former Grand Duchess here too.”
Cedric barely came to his senses when he suddenly heard Lobelia's voice.
He turned his gaze to meet her eyes and she smiled slightly.
“After Her Highness left, a portrait of Her Royal Highness was hung in the Princess’s study.”
Cedric just nodded.
After Rebecca left Twins Castle, her portraits in the Grand Duchy were moved to the space where Cedric and Bianca always lived.
Instead of disposing of the portrait of the woman who left the family after the divorce, they tried to place it in a place where they could most easily see it.
It was an unprecedented event that could not be understood by those who did not know the circumstances.
However, Cedric and Bianca felt fortunate that the traces Rebecca left behind were still with them.
“As someone from the Grand Duchy of Twins, I’m glad that the relationship between the Grand Duchy and Rebecca doesn’t seem to be that bad. Just looking at His Highness, the Grand Duke, it seems like you unwaveringly want your ex-wife to be happy even after your divorce.”
“...Of course.”
Cedric thought of Rebecca's happily smiling face and answered slowly.
Lobelia's eyes, which were staring at him, slowly lowered.
“The relationship between you two...It's really different from before...”
Lobelia muttered softly, barely audible.
Cedric asked back, but she just shook her head and raised the corner of her mouth as if it were nothing.
“Rebecca will definitely be happy, so don’t worry, Your Highness.”
When Lobelia spoke comfortingly, he slowly nodded his head as if he sympathized with her words.
However, as she continued to speak, Cedric's face, which had been calm the whole time, began to crack little by little.
“If you have beauty and wealth like Rebecca, it won’t be long before you start dating a nice gentleman.”
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