ELND Chapter 30

Chapter  30

. Feelings Toward Rebecca
2023.10.30.

Two silhouettes leaning against the closed door soon began to intertwine.

Their warmth grew hotter and hotter, and their heartbeats pounded ever faster.

Cedric felt as if he had already become addicted to this strange, unfamiliar sensation he was experiencing for the first time.

He remained immersed in it for a long while. Finally, when he barely pulled his lips away, he looked at Rebecca, who was nestled in his arms.

Her cheeks had already flushed crimson.

At the sight of her, another blazing flame ignited in Cedric’s chest.

His heart grew more impatient, and he felt as though filthy, unrestrained words might spill out of his mouth at any moment.

But he no longer wished to delay.

Until this very moment arrived, how far had they come, and how long a road had they taken?

Cedric swept Rebecca up in his arms and headed toward the bed in a single motion.

From the door to the bed, every movement that connected them was seamless, without the slightest discord.

As if they had practiced together countless times before, everything flowed naturally.

Perhaps that was why.

There was not even the smallest crack left for Cedric’s reason to wedge itself between them.

And then, at last, they reached the bed.

When he happened to glance down at Rebecca, Cedric realized for the first time that his heart could beat this wildly.

And just as he was about to embrace her again—

“Haah, Cedric… aren’t you going to get off?”

Rebecca slowly pushed herself up and asked.

Her alluring, glistening eyes still shimmered with moisture.

Cedric looked at her, breathless.

“…Huh?”

He had just—no, for the very first time—climbed onto her bed, and what on earth was she saying?

Cedric gazed at Rebecca with bewilderment written all over his face.

But she merely blinked her crimson eyes and asked again.

“Aren’t you going to get off?”

…

The sweet dream was beginning to blur as reality seeped in.

Cedric slowly opened his eyes without realizing it.

What he saw first was Rebecca’s fair forehead.

Then, as her brow furrowed little by little, he found her grasping his shoulder, shaking him vigorously.

“Cedric, wake up already!”

The situation and atmosphere were utterly different from just a moment ago.

Cedric stared blankly at Rebecca.

Only after he belatedly looked around did he realize that he was still inside the carriage.

‘But I was just in Rebecca’s bedroom a moment ago—why suddenly…?’

Cedric blinked slowly, still groggy from sleep.

‘Don’t tell me…’

His lips parted with a sigh of resignation.

He hadn’t been a teenager for a long time now, and yet, at this age, he had such a dream.

Self-disgust sank deep into his chest.

He buried his face in his hands.

At that moment—

“Cedric, were you that tired? I tried to wake you for so long, but you were dead asleep in the carriage.”

Rebecca scolded him lightly, though she seemed genuinely worried, for she gently grasped his hand and tugged it.

“Do you have a headache? Maybe you drank too much champagne… Let me take a look.”

Cedric clenched his hand tightly and forced himself to resist.

“…It’s not that.”

This innocent woman had no way of knowing just how dangerously her tender, caring voice rang in his ears right now.

He barely managed to mask himself with a blank expression before lifting his head again.

Then, in a rush, he pulled his coat—lying beside him—over his lower body.

“…What was that just now?”

Rebecca asked, baffled.

But Cedric only leaned on the window frame, feigning nonchalance as he cleared his throat twice.

“You go first. I’m too tired to see you home tonight.”

“I don’t mind that, but…”

Rebecca leaned closer to him mid-sentence.

“You’re really not sick, are you?”

Cedric unconsciously held his breath at her closeness.

And then, his gaze kept catching the sight of her lips, pouting and relaxing, pouting again.

“I said… it’s not that.”

He stiffened his face deliberately and turned away.

Rebecca gave him a sulky side glance and straightened back up.

“Are you really going to stay here?”

Cedric barely held back a sigh as he answered.

“…That would be for the best.”

Looking puzzled all along, Rebecca finally stepped out of the carriage.

Then she turned back to him once more.

“Well, I’ll go then. I had a good time today, Cedric.”

With her farewell, Rebecca walked toward the dark mansion.

Cedric watched her retreating figure, uselessly, as she never once turned around.

Only when she disappeared behind the front gates did he finally release the breath he’d been holding.

“…Haa.”

That sigh instantly brought back the scene from his dream.

And then, a parade of images rushed through his mind like a panorama.

Cedric shut his eyes tight and shook his head.

‘You’ve finally gone insane, Cedric Twins.’

It was true that his feelings toward Rebecca had recently changed.

The negative thoughts that used to surface whenever he saw her had long vanished, and at times, he even felt glad to run into her.

He had thought it was only because they had redefined their relationship as “friends” after the divorce.

That, at last, he could maintain something respectable between them.

But now… he had dreamed something like that about Rebecca.

Not even during their marriage—when he had lived like a monk—had such a thing happened.

That thought alone sent waves of turmoil crashing back into him.

He pressed his throbbing temples over and over and muttered quietly.

“…It must be because of that.”

The kiss they had shared at the banquet.

It had been so intoxicating that it left an aftereffect this great.

He sat steeped in thought for a while.

Then suddenly realized—he kept recalling the sensation of her lips.

Another sigh slipped helplessly from between his own.

For the next few days at least, those sighs would not run dry.

Several days after returning from the Dmitry family’s banquet.

I was brimming with excitement at the thought of going out again after so long.

‘Adrian must feel the same, right? He always said going out with me was his greatest wish.’

Perhaps because of that excitement, I had finished getting ready far too early.

By the time I arrived at the first-floor lobby, it was still well ahead of the promised hour.

While waiting for Adrian, I suddenly heard a small, adorable cry.

Meow—.

I turned my head toward the sound.

What I saw first was the huge painting hanging in the reception room of the lobby.

‘Ugh, it’s that painting I hate.’

It was so large that it filled an entire wall.

Every time I saw it, the eerie feeling unsettled me.

‘Is it supposed to be a landscape of a forest? At night, no less? Why make something so creepy so huge…’

As I frowned at the strange unease the painting gave me, I noticed something.

‘Huh? A cat?’

Beneath the painting sat a cat.

With sleek brown fur and golden eyes, it sat with its forepaws neatly together, gazing at me quietly.

Whether it was an illusion or not, I thought I could see a faint glow radiating around its fur.

Drawn in as if bewitched, I took a step toward the mysterious cat.

“Um… hello?”

When I met its eyes from a short distance, the cat blinked its golden eyes slowly.

Then, sniffing, it came closer and began rubbing against my legs.

I crouched down and stroked its head.

“What are you doing here? You’re really handsome, though.”

The cat stared right back at me, as though it understood.

When I scratched under its chin, it purred contentedly.

“You’re really friendly. So cute.”

Smiling faintly, I suddenly noticed drops of blood along the hallway floor.

Startled, I hurriedly checked the cat’s body.

Sure enough, there was a large wound on its abdomen.

And yet, it didn’t seem in pain at all—it simply rolled onto its back and rubbed its head against my hand.

“Where on earth did you get hurt like this? I’ll treat you, so just wait a moment—”

I stood up quickly, but just then, a familiar voice came from the grand staircase.

“Your Grace, are you here?”

It was Adrian, descending.

I glanced that way, then turned back—

But the cat, and even the trail of blood, had vanished without a trace.

‘…What? Was I hallucinating?’

I blinked slowly, still dazed, when Adrian spotted me and rushed over.

“So you’re here, Your Grace. I went to the Grand Duchess’s chambers, but they said you’d already come down, so I hurried here.”

“Adrian, just now, there was a cat here, and—”

“Pardon?”

But Adrian’s face glowed only with delight, flushed with excitement.

To think he looked so happy just for the sake of going out with me.

It seemed wiser to tell him about the cat later.

“…Adrian, it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, I believe it’s been three days since the banquet.”

“Right, about that long.”

“When you didn’t call for me as usual, I worried I might have somehow made you uncomfortable that night…”

Adrian paused, then smiled gently in his usual way.

“But knowing that you remembered our promise and called for me today makes me truly happy.”

I shook my head slowly at him.

“Uncomfortable? Not at all. It was just that…”

Only that it had suddenly felt unfamiliar.

When I fell silent, Adrian prompted softly,

“Just that?”

I shook my head with a small smile.

“Never mind. Did you bring what I asked for?”

Today was the day an item I’d long had my eye on would finally appear at the trading market.

That’s why I’d asked Adrian to gather the latest information about my investment rivals, Henry and Camilla.

But for some reason, Adrian handed me the papers with a slightly troubled look.

“Here are the latest investment details on Henry Barth and Camilla Dmitry.”

As I read through the documents, my brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

“They doubled their investment in just one day? Yesterday, it wasn’t even close to this.”

I stroked my chin and pursed my lips.

“At this rate, they’ll outmatch the funds I prepared…”

“…It seems someone must have leaked our financial information to Lady Camilla and Sir Henry. My apologies, Your Grace.”

Adrian bowed, then frowned.

“But it makes no sense. As you know, the half-demon servants are bound by a secret oath with House Twins. They cannot betray it.”

“…”

“Then where could the leak have come from…?”

I shrugged.

“Who knows. Perhaps from someone who had something to gain by letting Camilla and Henry know about my funds.”

“…What?”

Adrian tilted his head, puzzled by my nonchalant answer.

“Your Grace, if this continues, you may not be able to win against them. Are you truly… unconcerned?”

“I’m fine.”

I walked a few steps ahead, then looked back at him with a faint smile.

“Because the one who leaked that information… was me.”