You And I Live In Different Worlds (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
In childhood, his father and mother never paid attention to his words unless they were useful.
To capture their interest, he had to meticulously align himself with their concerns: political affairs, high society, martial prowess, academic achievements, and stories proving his superiority over someone else’s son.
If it wasn’t that kind of talk, Duke Felton and his wife would carry on their own conversation as if pegs had been driven into their ears.
Edric was deeply fascinated by insects and wondered how fast the animals he chased through the forest could run. He wanted to talk about what games he played with his friends or how absurd those friends actually were—but such topics had to remain private, spoken only to himself or written in his diary.
At some point, Edric began convincing himself he had no interest whatsoever in such trivialities, dismissing the typical concerns of children his age as utterly worthless.
Consequently, the children his age themselves started to seem ridiculous.
‘How childish they are.’
By the age of eight, he could already discuss imperial politics alongside adults, and by ten, he had become so capable that he occasionally managed parts of the duchy’s affairs in his father’s stead.
His parents’ approval and others’ admiration served as ample reward for his efforts, further motivating him to mature into a worthy heir.
He became a model for noble boys throughout the empire and the ideal standard for aristocratic ladies raising children.
“You must grow up to be as admirable as young Lord Felton.”
“My dear, please stop acting like a child. Can’t you learn from Lord Felton? Look how elegant and mature he is!”
But Edric was still a child himself.
Inside him lived a mischievous, playful, and untamed boy—unpredictable like a wild pony—though he had long since locked that part away, deeming it unworthy of a great noble’s heir.
Yet just as a tree, no matter how tightly its ceiling is confined, always finds a crack through which to twist and grow, the boy Edric had imprisoned within eventually resumed his stunted growth—albeit in a distorted way.
He took up drinking and hunting at an early age.
He learned that such primal stimulation could temporarily refresh his stifled spirit.
He also enjoyed smoking cigars, instantly appreciating the pleasant warmth in his lungs and the expansion of his blood vessels—a sensation others usually required multiple failed attempts to grasp.
As he grew a little older, he even succeeded in subtly manipulating the profit distributions meant for his uncles, diverting the difference straight into his own accounts.
How laughable they appeared at family gatherings, strutting proudly and boasting.
“Understand this, Edric—even if you’re brilliant, experience cannot be ignored. In life, experience matters more than intellect.”
“Of course, Uncle. You’re absolutely right.”
Fools. Even if they realized they were receiving only half of what they deserved, would they dare say anything?
Beneath his bright, affectionate smile lay truly wicked intentions.
Edric had been relieving his repressed desires this way. Yet… the suffocation never fully disappeared.
He craved something stronger—a more intense thrill than the secret pleasures known only to himself.
Then, by chance, he witnessed a close friendship shatter over a misunderstanding sparked by a single careless remark.
Edric smiled with genuine interest.
‘That’s perfect.’
From then on, he took pleasure in subtly provoking conflicts between people while sitting back and calmly observing the chaos unfold.
It felt just like watching two ferocious, rutting male dogs tear each other apart in a dogfighting pit.
Amid his amusement, he also felt skepticism—and used it to justify his actions.
‘That’s just how humans are.’
True trust-based friendships didn’t exist. Only superficial pretenses that looked convincing. He had merely snipped the flimsy thread binding them together.
That day, after inciting a fight between two household servants and watching with fascination, he was about to leave when—
“Please don’t do that.”
“…”
A small girl looked up at him and spoke words he couldn’t quite understand.
“What are you talking about?”
“I know everything you did, my lord.”
Her eyes were resolute. She knew what he’d done—and dared to condemn him.
Yet Edric remained completely unmoved and replied calmly.
“I have no idea what you’re referring to. What exactly did I do?”
“You stole Sarah’s ring and put it in Anna’s drawer.”
“You’re mistaken.”
He chuckled faintly, as if stunned by her audacity, then continued.
“Do I really look like someone who’d stoop to such sordid acts?”
To prove his innocence, he put on his most angelic expression—the very same smile that had charmed not only women but even men into submission.
“Yes. You do.”
Slowly, Edric’s smile faded.
What on earth was this impudent girl saying?
“My father looked kind and handsome just like you, my lord, but he stole things, smoked cigars, and did all sorts of reckless things.”
“…”
Edric stared intently at the girl.
He’d heard roughly how the maid serving his mother—a woman living under the Felton roof—had ruined her life.
She’d been the daughter of a respectable count’s house but eloped with a low-ranking nobleman who had nothing but looks. That man, utterly incapable of supporting a household, squandered money, stole repeatedly, committed adultery, and ultimately died in disgrace after tormenting his wife.
“You must stop now. Otherwise, you’ll end up like my father.”
Daring to compare him to that piece of trash and worry about his fate!
He almost laughed at the sheer absurdity—but strangely, he felt no anger.
It was curious too that he felt no shame, even though someone had finally seen through his double life.
It almost felt as if he’d been waiting for someone to notice and finally say something.
Edric looked quietly down at the girl standing before him.
‘Didn’t she say she’s three years younger than me?’
She looked even younger—more like five years his junior than three.
But her steady hazel eyes seemed far more mature than his own.
What kind of life had she lived to carry such an adult gaze in a child’s face?
Curiosity stirred within him.
“Come to my room at midnight.”
Edric commanded.
The girl looked frightened for a moment—but she kept her promise.
“Eat.”
Edric pushed his portion of midnight snack toward the girl who’d come to see him.
The chef had specially prepared this nutritious late-night meal for him, knowing he often studied deep into the night.
The girl, bewildered by such luxurious food never permitted to her before, shook her head.
“Oh, no. This is for you, my lord.”
Now she looked her age again.
The stark contrast between her bold earlier advice and this childish hesitation drew a quiet chuckle from Edric.
“Go ahead. It’s payment for listening to me.”
Doubt flickered in the girl’s hazel eyes.
“Listen to you? What do you want to talk about?”
“Just… idle chatter. Nothing important.”
He didn’t actually intend to share anything meaningful.
He only wanted to feed this thin, weary-looking girl—and somehow felt that to her alone, he might confess the swirling chaos inside him.
After glancing around thoughtfully for a moment, the girl finally picked up a small pastry and chewed it quietly.
‘Her expression isn’t very vivid.’
From that brief flash, Edric already had a sense of her character.
It was the detached face of someone who’d weathered countless storms and was left with nothing but deep skepticism.
Among all the people he knew, she was the only girl who could eat something sweet and pretty like cake with such emotionless indifference.
Surprisingly, that very trait drew his interest even more.
She seemed like a calm lake—accepting whatever was thrown in, yet never pushing anything away.
“Go ahead and talk.”
The girl said dryly after finishing the pastry as if fulfilling a duty.
‘I only said that casually—but now it feels like I actually have to say something.’
Edric looked flustered for a moment, wondering what to talk about. But his hesitation didn’t last long—a question quickly came to mind.
“What’s your name?”
The girl lowered her gaze and answered timidly.
“Melie… Melie Enwood.”
[This is the timeline separator]As time passed, formal speech turned casual, and the title “young master” faded away.
So too did Edric’s curiosity about her.
At first, the fact that she alone knew both his bright and dark sides—combined with her being female—had stirred intense fascination for a while.
Even Melie’s small, plain appearance had seemed charming under the glow of that curiosity.
But soon the illusion wore off, revealing her exactly as she was.
Thanks to Melie—who understood his flawed nature and listened earnestly even to his most pointless ramblings—the immature child within Edric quickly caught up to the pace of his physical and intellectual growth.
No longer needing to fulfill inner voids through twisted behavior, he no longer had any secrets to confess to Melie.
He matured into a calm, gentle, and dependable young man.
Though Melie had played her part in that growth, he never once considered making her his future duchess. In fact, the thought had never even crossed his mind.
To him, Melie wasn’t a woman.
Except, perhaps, for a few months when he was twelve.
But…
‘Sir Blair seems quite taken with you, Melie.’
The moment he heard those words, Edric felt thoroughly flustered.
Just how desperate was his mother—pushing marriage on a girl who hadn’t even turned twenty?
Blair? That upstart nouveau riche?
Was she really planning to hand Melie off to a man like that as if completing a chore?
He couldn’t possibly allow that.
He would choose Melie’s partner himself—and until then, he’d keep her by his side.
“Your Grace, where to?”
The words “opera house…” nearly slipped out before he swallowed them back.
‘Impatience only invites trouble.’
“Let’s go home.”
That was where his real task awaited.
A smile rose to Edric’s lips.
It was the first mischievous grin he’d worn since he was twelve.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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Chapter Comments (86)
Inline Comments (88)
Seeing tears from someone who rarely cried pierced Edric’s heart.
Millie is really miserable for falling in love with this man.Sadly, Millie has nowhere to return to, no family and no friends.
Seeing tears from someone who rarely cried pierced Edric’s heart.
Yup, he’s tormenting her. Saying that to make her feel miserable.
‘It’s because the tea at your house tastes awful.’
Haha! I liked Edric’s thinking. If only he had said it right to her face. But he is noble and does not speak badly in front of a person.
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I feel sorry for Millie; living in an environment that doesn’t suit you is incredibly harsh.
His mother is going to explode 😂😂😂 Please don’t mess this up 🙏🏼
I just can’t wait when the regret arc starts