At the same time, Cedric was leaving the mana stone mine with Village Chief Devon.

It was a mine being developed near Greyzone Village with support from the Twins family.

With faint smiles on their lips, they walked down the mountain path for a while.

Village Chief Devon looked at the village view visible through the dense trees and spoke.

“Do you think His Grace truly came to sincerely apologize to us?”

Village Chief Devon had a complicated expression.

Cedric, who had been looking at him with sympathetic eyes, soon nodded and parted his lips.

“Yes, Rebecca is sincere.”

The response was firm.

At the same time, Village Chief Devon’s wrinkled eyes slowly widened.

He had closely observed the Duke and Duchess for a long time as the head butler at the Light Mansion until he was driven out by Rebecca.

To Devon, Cedric’s defense of Rebecca still felt unfamiliar no matter how many times he saw it.

“While I was away from the Light Mansion… What on earth happened between the two of you?”

“What happened.”

A faint laugh flowed from Cedric’s lips.

Soon, he looked at Village Chief Devon again with a rather serious face.

“Rebecca has really changed, Devon. When dealing with servants, with Bianca. And…”

“…”

“…Even when dealing with me.”

Village Chief Devon raised his eyebrows high and was unable to continue speaking for a while.

He seemed confused as the person he trusted most, Cedric, uttered the most unbelievable words.

Cedric, as if perceiving his inner thoughts, spoke again with emphasis.

“If you absolutely cannot believe Rebecca, then believe me.”

“But Your Grace…”

“Rebecca has definitely changed, and I now believe that fact without a doubt.”

Cedric’s eyes were deeply imbued with trust towards Rebecca as he said this.

It was then that Village Chief Devon’s lower lip slowly dropped.

“Huff, huff… Your Grace, Village Chief! So this is where you were!”

A young man ran up to them in one breath.

“Please come to the village quickly. Everyone has gathered in front of the village hall!”

“Everyone in the village has gathered?”

Village Chief Devon asked, blinking slowly.

“Why else! A feast has been held because His Grace has arrived!”

The young man answered cheerfully with a joke.

However, the faces of Cedric and Village Chief Devon noticeably hardened at those words.

“Don’t tell me Rebecca is… also with all those people?”

There was an inexplicable wariness in Cedric’s voice as he asked.

The young man nodded in confusion and continued speaking.

“Huh? Yes, she did come out, but…”

This time, Village Chief Devon could not hide his worried look.

“Will Her Grace be alright? If the villagers get drunk and threaten Her Grace…”

But Devon’s words were cut off.

It was because Cedric turned his back on him with an obviously anxious look.

“I need to go to Rebecca right away.”

Cedric left only those words and ran down the forest path in one breath.

As he got closer to the center of the village, the loud voices of drunk people and giggling laughter began to be heard.

Cedric’s heart beat faster at this.

‘Damn, if those drunk people harass Rebecca…’

Although Cedric cared for mixed-blood demons more than anyone, if such a situation arose, he felt like burning this place down wouldn’t be enough.

Finally arriving in front of the village hall, he saw a long banquet table set up, rustic but appetizing dishes, and people sitting around laughing and enjoying food and drink.

A scene that looked like a joyous feast to anyone watching.

However, Cedric’s anxiety intensified even more at the sight.

It was because the scene resembled the feasts enjoyed by mixed-blood demons in the demon realm after an important hunt.

“Rebecca, where is Rebecca?”

Cedric shouted, grabbing everyone he saw.

A desperate attitude like a parent who had lost a child.

Just as his frantic cry echoed loudly around the outdoor banquet area.

“Hmm? Who’s looking for me…?”

Someone sitting at the head of the banquet table raised their hand and asked.

Cedric quickly turned his head at the familiar, yet half-slurred voice.

“Oh? It’s Cedric…?”

In the distance, a red-haired woman with sleepy eyes could be seen.

Cedric, who seemed relieved as he rubbed his face, immediately walked towards her.

As Cedric suddenly appeared before her, Rebecca blinked her alcohol-flushed eyes slowly.

Then she kept asking Jacqueline next to her, ‘That’s Cedric, right?’

Affectionately putting her arm around Jacqueline’s shoulder was a bonus.

“It is His Grace! But why are you looking for Her Grace so urgently?”

Jacqueline, who was also drunk, burst into hearty laughter and said.

Jacqueline had been the most hostile towards Rebecca until they arrived in this village.

As Cedric tilted his head at her sudden change in attitude, it was then.

“Cedric, come sit here.”

Rebecca said, patting the seat next to her.

“The people in this village are so fun. And this honey beer is delicious too.”

Rebecca smiled at Cedric with her eyes as she said this.

A smile gently colored Cedric’s lips as he gazed at her.

The bright flushed cheeks from her smile, sparkling eyes, and the softly curved line of her lips.

Everything about Rebecca just looked good to him.

Cedric smiled softly as he brushed back her disheveled red hair.

“When did you get this drunk? I was so worried about you on the way here.”

Rebecca laughed like a child at those words.

Then she gently leaned her cheek against Cedric’s palm.

“Why? Were you afraid the villagers might harm me?”

Rebecca’s eyes sparkled lovingly as she asked.

As Cedric’s fingers faintly traced her white, soft cheek.

“Oh, Your Grace! As if we would ever harm Her Grace!”

“That’s right! If anything, Her Grace might harm us!”

The middle-aged women sitting around Jacqueline joked and cackled.

“Thank you for treating the Duchess well. To be honest, I was very worried about Rebecca on the way here.”

Cedric gazed intently at Rebecca.

His face was deeply tinged with relief and happiness.

As the village women rolled their eyes at Cedric’s unfamiliar appearance and exchanged glances with each other, it was then.

“Shh!”

Rebecca raised her drunken eyes and blocked Cedric’s lips.

“Cedric, stop ruining the mood. I was in the middle of an important story.”

Cedric’s lips slowly curved up under Rebecca’s palm.

“What story were you telling?”

Then Jacqueline narrowed her eyes and said grumpily.

“Your Grace, I heard you had an affair? With Her Grace’s best friend no less!”

At Cedric’s question, fire lit up in the eyes of Jacqueline and the village women.

“…Me?”

Cedric asked, pointing at his own face.

“Yes, Her Grace clearly said so earlier! That she caught her husband having an affair with her best friend!”

Numerous eyes squinted at Cedric.

Cedric was so dumbfounded he almost wondered if he had really done such a thing.

As Cedric blinked with a bewildered expression, the women’s gazes turned back to Rebecca.

“Right, Your Grace?”

Jacqueline asked Rebecca, who was half sprawled on the table.

Rebecca slowly nodded and suddenly looked at Cedric.

“Oh right, our Cedric was here…”

Her eyes curved into a smile as she said this.

“Unlike some others, handsome, with a good body, rich, and… only knows one woman, Cedric…”

It was the opposite of all the complaints she had been listing about her ‘husband’ until now.

The village women rolled their eyes with bewildered expressions.

“Your Grace, you clearly said just now that His Grace had an affair with your best friend!”

Rebecca burst into laughter.

“Pfft… Cedric? That’s impossible. This man is quite single-minded, you know.”

Everyone looked puzzled at Rebecca’s answer.

But a smile crept onto the lips of Cedric, who had almost been misunderstood because of her.

‘Handsome, with a good body, rich, and only knows one woman, Cedric.’

It had been a while since he heard such praise from Rebecca.

Cedric bit his lip, trying to hold back the laughter that kept escaping.

After a moment, Cedric stood up, supporting Rebecca’s body.

“Rebecca seems quite drunk. We’ll be heading back now.”

Rebecca was dozing off, leaning on Cedric as if she hadn’t just been drunk and making a scene.

Cedric looked at her lovingly as he hurried his steps towards the cabin.

My eyes suddenly opened to a pleasant warmth.

The first thing I saw was someone’s nape.

As I blinked slowly from the alcohol, I soon realized I was being carried on Cedric’s back.

“Are you awake?”

Cedric asked, turning his head slightly towards me.

‘I ate so much food earlier, I must be heavy. Should I ask to get down…?’

A rational thought crossed my mind briefly, but the path to the cabin was long and I was still quite drunk.

In the end, I gave up everything and just dropped my head onto Cedric’s shoulder.

A faint vibration tinged with laughter was felt from his back that I was leaning on.

After dozing off for a while, savoring that comfort.

When I opened my eyes again, we had already arrived at the cabin.

I rolled around on the bed, finally regaining comfort after opening my eyes in bed.

“Mina… Come wash my face, quickly…”

My pronunciation wasn’t working as I thought.

I called for Mina slowly but continuously.

Then soon, a warm moisture was felt on my face.

It was then that I slightly opened my eyes to the pleasant warmth.

“Mina isn’t here, but I have a warm washcloth.”

The one smiling down at me was none other than Cedric.

I soon realized he was gently wiping my face with a washcloth.

As the warm washcloth brushed my face, I gazed up at Cedric while lying on the bed.

“…You, why are you so handsome?”

Cedric blinked rapidly as he looked at me speaking slowly with slurred pronunciation.

Every time his long eyelashes fluttered, the blue eyes within were clearly revealed.

“Hm?”

“Why are you so needlessly handsome and all that? Making people’s hearts flutter…”

I frowned and barely raised my hazy eyes.

Then Cedric burst into laughter, seemingly nervous inside.

“I’m glad my face is making your heart flutter.”

Looking at his blue eyes as he said that, I couldn’t help but inhale sharply.

Cedric continued speaking in front of me, who was very tense.

“I’d be happy with anything that could move your heart. So,”

Cedric’s beautiful face came closer to me as he paused briefly.

Then his slightly trembling fingertips slowly began to untie the ribbon on my neckline.

At that moment when his gaze looking up at me felt like it was choking my breath.

A seductive low tone flowed from Cedric’s lips.

“Flutter more for me, Rebecca.”