“In return for letting it go, I have a condition.”

A condition?

What kind of condition could he be talking about?

As I gulped, Cedric’s lips parted again slowly.

“I want you to keep your distance from Adrian.”

From Adrian? Why…?

When I looked at him with a puzzled expression, Cedric let out a short breath.

“If you get close to Adrian and eyes start to misunderstand your relationship, wouldn’t it be possible for the fact that we’re divorced to be revealed?”

That was something Cedric, who was in the same boat as me, had every right to be concerned about.

I slowly nodded my head and continued.

“You’re right. I hadn’t thought that far.”

“……”

“I’ll do as you say.”

A satisfied smile spread across Cedric’s lips.

But it was only for a moment.

“Until our divorce is announced and I leave this castle.”

At my following words, the smile that had hung on the corner of Cedric’s lips quickly faded.

It seemed as if a flicker of anxiousness passed over his face.

Cedric remained silent for a while, only moving his lips.

It was some time before his lips parted again.

“…Rebecca, about that.”

His low voice rang softly in my ears once more.

“How about returning to the Mansion of Light?”

* * *

“To the… Mansion of Light?”

At my question, Cedric slowly nodded his head.

“Yes. Because in the Mansion of Darkness, you’ll have no choice but to run into Adrian often.”

“……”

“Vincent Norman, that crazy bastard, is also a concern.”

I remained silent for a while after he finished speaking.

When I didn’t readily provide an answer, Cedric’s eyebrows curved in a high arc.

He seemed to want to urge me on.

“…It’s just such a sudden proposal.”

I barely managed to open my mouth and slowly continued.

“But it’s really unexpected. I never thought you, who used to scoff at me, would make such a proposal.”

At that moment, Cedric’s complexion darkened slightly.

It seemed he misunderstood that I still resented him for the past.

“I said it because I was surprised by the unexpected proposal, don’t misunderstand.”

“……”

“It wasn’t because I had any lingering resentment towards you. I don’t even have such feelings anymore.”

I didn’t have any mixture of love and hate towards Cedric.

Maybe that was the case for the previous Rebecca, but it wasn’t an emotion I felt now.

‘Even though I keep unintentionally being concerned about Cedric… That’s not love and hate.’

But even after hearing my answer, Cedric had a troubled expression as if thorns had pricked his mouth.

Biting his lower lip slightly and remaining silent for a moment, he finally opened his mouth.

“I admit that I was indifferent to you for a long time, no……”

“……”

“I admit I was cold to the point of being cruel.”

Cedric muttered softly as if talking to himself, loosening his tie slightly as if he was frustrated.

“…Yes. Now I have no choice but to admit it.”

His blue gaze, which had been staring at the wine glass for a while, turned back to me.

“I’ve misunderstood you too much. And now I know.”

“……”

“That my indifference made you that way.”

A shallow wave rose over the blue eyes that were looking at me.

Cedric’s gaze and voice.

All of it was filled with deep sincerity.

‘…I wonder how happy the previous Rebecca would have been to hear those words.’

I had that thought, even if just for a moment.

But unfortunately, I wasn’t the previous Rebecca.

And what Cedric thought was a “misunderstanding” was not a misunderstanding either.

The previous Rebecca, not me… was truly a terrible villain.

Perhaps because of that.

Just as much as I was being harmed because of the previous Rebecca, I felt it was also unfair to burden Cedric with unnecessary guilt.

In a way, wasn’t Cedric also one of the people hurt by Rebecca?

I stared at Cedric for a moment, then slowly parted my lips.

“It’s not a misunderstanding.”

“……”

“It’s not that I committed such evil because of you either. My past wrongs are solely my own fault, and there’s no room for excuses.”

“Rebecca……”

“However, I am truly grateful that you thought so deeply for my sake.”

I paused for a moment to catch my breath.

“So don’t feel any more guilt than necessary towards me, who is now just your ex-wife.”

“……”

“And I’m really thankful for your proposal to return, but……”

And once again, in a gentle but firm tone, I continued.

“I have no desire to return to the Mansion of Light at all.”

At my words, Cedric blinked slowly as if mildly shocked.

After an awkward silence.

What finally flowed from Cedric’s lips was a question quite unlike him.

“…Why?”

I blinked slowly as I looked at him.

It was because I never thought Cedric would ask for the reason.

I just thought he would step back saying “It’s a pity but it can’t be helped” if I refused.

‘I thought I had Cedric’s reactions pretty much figured out… Was I too complacent?’

Trying to hide my flustered look, I looked at Cedric again.

“Our contract condition from the beginning was separation, wasn’t it?”

I said it as if it was a given, but Cedric firmly shook his head.

“I don’t care about such a contract anymore. What matters to me is your intention.”

The following answer was also unlike Cedric.

I couldn’t help but tilt my head openly.

“But I’m more comfortable now. Unlike here, the servants at the Mansion of Darkness follow me a lot.”

I barely managed to answer, rolling my eyes with a puzzled expression, and Cedric opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“If it’s because of the servants, you don’t have to worry. If they make you uncomfortable, I won’t leave them alone.”

“You, because of me… the mixed-blood demon servants?”

He cherished any mixed-blood demon as if they were his own family.

Such Cedric would not hesitate to punish mixed-blood demons for the sake of the ex-wife he hated?

I stared at Cedric with an absurd look and quickly shook my head.

“No, then they’ll hate me even more. I can’t do that.”

I had no desire whatsoever to incur more hatred from the mixed-blood demons.

At my resolute attitude, Cedric rubbed his eyebrows with a troubled expression.

“Then what about Bianca?”

“Why Bianca?”

“You know that child is eagerly waiting for you to return to the Mansion of Light.”

I was at a loss for words when Bianca was brought up.

Of course, I wanted to grant Bianca’s wish with all my heart.

But that lovely child was the biggest reason I didn’t want to return to the Mansion of Light.

The contract period was almost over, and I was someone who had to leave this castle when that period ended.

I couldn’t deceive young Bianca, let alone give her false hope.

“…Even if I return to the Mansion of Light for Bianca’s sake, we can only be together for a few months.”

I tried to speak coldly.

“If I build more affection here and then leave this castle… It will be harder on Bianca.”

Thinking of Bianca, a part of my heart sank heavily.

Letting out a troubled sigh, I soon frowned.

‘Cedric, why are you suddenly acting like this?’

I couldn’t understand at all the reason for Cedric’s sudden change of heart.

In the first place, it was Cedric who proposed separation before the divorce announcement.

Of course, we’ve maintained a friendly relationship since then, but…

That’s not a reason to propose living together again, is it?

‘And it’s not like he has to persistently hold onto me when I refuse the proposal.’

At that point, Cedric’s intentions became newly suspicious.

I was also a little annoyed at him for shaking my heart as if giving me false hope.

“What’s your intention for suddenly acting like this?”

I asked half-defiantly.

My eyes must have been half-filled with suspicion and wariness.

Cedric silently gazed at me.

For quite a while. Then he let out a self-mocking laugh with a slightly darkened face.

“Now our positions have truly… been reversed.”

There was a bitterness in Cedric’s voice as he spoke as if reciting.

When I looked at him with a puzzled expression, he took a long breath and continued.

“I’m clinging to you and you’re doubting my intentions, this current situation.”

“……”

“It was the opposite throughout our married life.”

For a brief moment, Cedric’s usually calm blue eyes sank desolately.

“How you must have felt then,”

“……”

“…I think I understand a little now.”

It was so unlike him to have such a bitter expression.

I tried to think of words to comfort him while hiding my flustered look.

“Cedric, there’s no need to think about that now at all.”

“……”

“We’re already divorced. In a few months, we’ll be strangers who won’t even see each other anymore.”

“……”

“So, as for the past, it’s best to cleanly brush it off…”

I was about to continue when Cedric interjected.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do that anymore.”

Cedric’s tone was gentle yet firm.

“I don’t want to cleanly brush you off, no, I don’t even want to think about it. Especially when I think about you leaving my castle in a few months…”

He paused for a moment, then confessed his feelings in a low voice.

“Sometimes it becomes unbearably painful.”

Cedric slowly raised his head to look at me again.

“I regret the moment I decided to divorce you. And my foolishness for not realizing anything until your heart left me.”

At that moment, I couldn’t help but doubt my ears.

‘Regret’…

Was that a word that suited Cedric?

I blinked in disbelief.

Watching me, Cedric continued with a faint self-deprecation.

“I’ve only realized that now, but I can’t lose you like this. So give me one last chance.”

Sincerity had seeped into his blue eyes.

“Rebecca, I want to win your heart back.”

.

.

.

Cedric’s surprising words continued to flow from his lips.

How much time passed as I blankly blinked, dazed by the unrealistic situation?

My heart started beating a little faster, bit by bit, and soon began to engulf my entire body.

From then on, it wasn’t easily calmed.

I tried to settle my heart, desperately avoiding the gaze fixed on me.

‘Those words, Cedric to me…’

For a brief moment, what I felt was a faint joy.

And surprisingly, what passed by next was ‘fear’.

Since coming to this world, I had devoted myself to my current daily life in order to survive.

No, I tried to.

But occasionally, in trivial and everyday situations such as before falling asleep, lifting a teacup, or looking out the window, anguish would suddenly find me.

Moments in my past life when I whispered love to my husband and we encouraged each other’s dreams, and the days when I could rest my tired body and mind by relying on him.

And the cruel truths that were hidden, naturally melted into that peaceful daily life…

I was now even disillusioned with a superficial relationship where we sang light love like parrots while hiding secrets from each other.

‘If it’s that kind of relationship, I don’t even want to start. Because I don’t want to get hurt anymore.’

In the place where countless thoughts flashed by like a revolving lantern,

the heart that had been excited by Cedric’s confession had somehow subsided.

I took a sip of tea and slowly set the teacup down, continuing.

“Duke Bold said something strange.”

“……”

“On the day he suddenly came to visit.”

I parted my lips again, looking at Cedric who silently waited for my next words.

“Lillian’s heart, what exactly is that?”

At my question, a startled look passed over Cedric’s face.

Of course, it was as I expected.

But at that moment, perhaps I was desperately yearning inside.

“Can you… tell me too?”