Just as I was captivated by the shimmering light of the champagne fountain.

At that moment, Emperor Retiz, who had spotted Cedric, waved his hand high.

“Oh, Cedric! You’ve finally arrived!”

At his joyous exclamation, all eyes in the banquet hall turned towards Cedric and me.

Unlike me, who felt burdened, Cedric moved with ease, as if already accustomed to such attention.

Naturally, he grasped my hand.

As we approached the heartily laughing emperor one step at a time.

Eventually, Emperor Retiz’s smile began to awkwardly distort.

“Ah… Haha! Our Duchess Twins has come as well.”

After saying that, Emperor Retiz glanced at the man standing beside him.

“Chancellor Diat. Why don’t you lighten up a bit, huh…”

The man called ‘Chancellor Diat’ by the emperor exuded an image similar to a strict teacher.

Already having a stern and strict impression, he hardened his face even more as he alternately looked at Cedric and me.

As if something was extremely displeasing to him.

“It’s been a while, Your Grace. Is this the first time we’ve met since I stamped the papal seal on ‘that document’?”

There was clearly a thorn in Chancellor Diat’s words as he asked.

“I suppose so.”

Cedric was still feigning indifference, but I could sense that he was suppressing his irritation.

‘These two seem to be on quite bad terms. Well… I guess that’s understandable.’

I nodded slowly.

A ‘Chancellor’ would be someone who serves God and the Pope.

In a way, it was natural for such a person to stand in opposition to Cedric, who was essentially the leader of the mixed-blood demon clan.

‘Moreover, he went against the Pope’s will and proceeded with a divorce through special procedures, so he probably doesn’t like me much either.’

Sure enough, Chancellor Diat’s gaze towards me was filled with obvious displeasure.

“Your… Grace, Duchess Twins… I greet you.”

He finally finished his greeting after a long pause.

He seemed displeased at having to address me as ‘Your Grace’.

“It’s nice to meet you, Chancellor Diat.”

I responded with a slight smile, but Chancellor Diat simply turned his gaze away without answering.

The atmosphere instantly cooled.

Amidst that cold silence, an earthquake occurred in Emperor Retiz’s pupils.

He kept rolling his eyes and then burst into an awkward laugh.

“Ha… hahaha! By the way, our Duchess seems to have become even more beautiful!”

Emperor Retiz was desperately trying.

I nodded in agreement to help the pitiful man.

“Of course, these days His Grace the Duke has been treating me quite well.”

At that, another earthquake struck Emperor Retiz’s eyes.

“The… Twins Duke?”

As I blinked exaggeratedly, the emperor finally seemed to catch on and nodded vigorously.

“Ah! Oh, right, right! I’ve heard that you and Cedric are getting along extremely well, very well indeed these days!”

I even clapped my hands together as I played along.

“My, has that rumor spread even to the capital?”

“Of course! I don’t know about the capital, but it’s certainly a hot topic in the imperial palace!”

Chancellor Diat didn’t hide his bewildered expression at this desperate back-and-forth.

“Your Majesty, there’s no need to go that far…”

As Chancellor Diat furrowed his brow, Emperor Retiz glared at him and whispered secretly.

“Come on, a promise is a promise. Can’t you just play along a bit?”

At that, Chancellor Diat reluctantly took a step back.

His gaze eventually fell on Cedric’s and my joined hands.

“…Yes, I’ve heard that rumor too. I suppose it’s true as the rumors say.”

“…”

“Seeing you holding hands, which is unlike you both.”

While it sounded like he was agreeing with the emperor’s words, the underlying meaning was entirely different.

‘Even if it’s just for show, it must be hard to watch a divorced couple holding hands.’

Chancellor Diat’s eyes clearly said, ‘It’s sacrilegious just to look at.’

I was starting to feel irritated.

Just as I was frowning and turning my head away.

“Haha, so everyone was here!”

Along with the boisterous voice of a middle-aged man, someone naturally joined the group.

I couldn’t help but stiffen my face when I confirmed his identity.

“Your Grace, I hope you and our Duchess have been well?”

It was Duke Bold.

He, who had been glaring at me from afar just moments ago, immediately stuck close to my side and looked at the emperor.

“Your Majesty. You remember, don’t you? I am the head of the Bold family, a duke of this Western Empire, and the father of Duchess Twins.”

His face looked quite cunning as he smiled with narrowed eyes.

“I was going to greet Your Majesty first, but I thought it would be better to wait and greet you together when the ducal couple arrived.”

Though his title was Duke, he was not the head of a powerful family in the Western Empire and was in no position to initiate conversation with the emperor.

Even Emperor Retiz gave a sour smile at that pathetic excuse.

“Your Grace, I too am a member of the Twins family, so I sent several messages asking to greet His Majesty together at this banquet… Did you perhaps not see them?”

…Huh? Since when were you a member of the Twins family?

I looked at Duke Bold with a dumbfounded expression, but he continued his act, completely immersed in his role-play.

It seemed he had taken on the role of a pitiful father abandoned by his daughter who had become the wife of a powerful man.

“Well, it’s not the first time Your Grace has ignored my messages. I should be used to it by now, but perhaps it’s because I’m getting old. I keep feeling hurt…”

Watching Duke Bold, I felt a surge of disgust.

But I had to grit my teeth and endure it.

His real purpose must be to create a topic of gossip at this banquet hall where all the nobles of the empire were gathered.

“How could I… deliberately do that, Father…”

I tried to force a smile, but I could hardly manage my expression.

As I turned my head slightly, trying not to look at him even for a moment.

“It’s been a while, Duke Bold.”

Saying that, Cedric wrapped his arm around my shoulder, which was next to Duke Bold, and pulled me towards him.

Suddenly embraced by him, I exchanged glances with Emperor Retiz and we both blinked.

Emperor Retiz looked as bewildered as I felt.

Whether aware of the surrounding situation or not, Cedric continued speaking to Duke Bold.

“I actually had something to discuss with my father-in-law privately, and here we meet.”

Though Cedric was clearly smiling as he said this, a coldness flowed from his eyes visible between his curved eyelids.

“With… just me?”

“That’s right.”

Having said that, Cedric asked Emperor Retiz for permission to leave.

Then he grabbed my wrist and stepped back slightly.

“Rebecca, I have something to discuss with Duke Bold, so in the meantime, why don’t you greet some acquaintances?”

“If you mean acquaintances…”

As I looked around, the only person I knew was Adrian.

“Ah, I will.”

Cedric’s gaze followed mine as I spoke.

After confirming where I was looking, he shook his head firmly.

“No. Anyone but Adrian.”

Cedric’s expression was quite serious.

“Why? Adrian is the only person I know here.”

“Then talk to someone you don’t know instead. Not Adrian.”

Really now, do I have to get my ex-husband’s approval on who I socialize with?

Irritation suddenly welled up and I looked up at Cedric.

He looked like he absolutely wouldn’t leave until I agreed.

I had no choice but to nod.

“Alright, alright.”

Finally satisfied, Cedric let me go and soon disappeared somewhere with Duke Bold.

Unlike the bustling banquet hall, a thick, quiet darkness had settled in the corridor.

As Cedric, who was walking ahead, stopped, Duke Bold also slowly came to a halt.

“Your Grace, you were not one to readily give me opportunities to speak privately. To think you’d offer such a chance first. I’ve lived long enough to see even this happen.”

Duke Bold’s mature voice echoed through the empty corridor.

However, despite Duke Bold speaking first, for some reason, Cedric remained silent, showing only his back.

Tilting his head at Cedric’s prolonged silence, Duke Bold opened his mouth once again.

“Your Grace, for what reason did you want to see me…?!”

Duke Bold’s face instantly froze like ice as he was about to continue speaking.

Cedric’s chilling gaze as he slowly turned to look back at him.

As a sinister smile crept onto his lips, Duke Bold felt his hair stand on end.

Soon, a dark, low voice like that of a black beast descended in the dark corridor.

“Duke Bold, what do you think I called you out for?”

Duke Bold could only swallow dryly.

When he followed Cedric to this remote corridor, all he could hear was the jingling of coins.

From the day he first became the duke’s father-in-law until now.

Unlike his wish to pursue various business ventures with Cedric’s help, Cedric had rarely agreed to meet him privately.

Given the situation, he had been truly delighted when his esteemed son-in-law asked to meet alone.

Not knowing that he would see such a chilling face of Cedric that made his knees weak.

“Duke Bold, didn’t I ask? Why do you think I specifically called you out?”

“W-Well, I’m not quite…”

Duke Bold had inwardly looked down on Cedric as inferior due to his mixed demon blood to cover his own sense of inferiority.

To stammer and be so frightened in front of such a Cedric.

It was a moment that deeply wounded his mountain-like pride, but there was nothing he could do.

Cedric, the leader of the mixed-blood demon clan.

Duke Bold instinctively felt a sense of fear towards him.

“That’s not the answer I want.”

Cedric looked down at Duke Bold and tapped his own head with his finger.

“Think again, carefully.”

An elegant killing intent like that of an absolute top predator flowed from him.

Duke Bold had thought until now that Cedric was disrespecting him as his father-in-law.

But now, he realized that Cedric had merely been tolerating him all this time, like handling a small animal.

‘C-Could it be that he’s noticed my intention to hand over Lilian’s heart to the Kachis Kingdom?’

A chilling sensation crept up the back of his neck.

As if he had heard those inner thoughts.

Cedric shook his head as if in disappointment.

“No, what really angers me about you, Duke Bold, is something else.”

“W-What…”

“I’ve been suspicious all along, but there’s a reason I’ve overlooked your impure intentions until now.”

“…”

“Your schemes were, in fact… at a level so cute it was pitiful.”

Cedric let out a faint sneer.

“As you know, I’m a mixed-blood demon. So I try not to get angry in the human world if I can help it.”

“…”

“Since I have a certain amount of demon blood flowing through me, once I get angry, the way I vent that anger seems quite…”

The corners of Cedric’s lips curved up into a long, chilling arc.

“Cruel, apparently, in the eyes of the human world.”

Cedric’s gaze, looking down at Duke Bold, froze over once again.

“But you’ve been testing my patience.”

Saying that, Cedric brought his face even closer to Duke Bold.

Hearing Duke Bold’s frightened, panting breaths, Cedric flashed an elegant smile.

“Listen here, father-in-law.”

Though a smile clearly spread across his lips, Cedric’s aura was utterly chilling.

“What if, hypothetically. If there were a human who dared to strangle my wife’s neck…”

At last, a cold darkness mixed with moonlight fell over Cedric’s face.

“Aren’t you curious how I would deal with such a human?”