Chapter 36
. Since You Won’t Hug Me
2023.11.05.
When the carriage came to a stop, the servants hurriedly rushed out of the mansion.
They fidgeted nervously as they saw Cedric climbing down from the wrecked and battered carriage.
“Your Grace! What on earth happened to you?”
His aide quickly approached Cedric.
“Your Grace, I’ll escort you right away. We must summon the physician immediately…!”
“Don’t make a fuss.”
While Cedric cut his aide off firmly, Adrian walked toward me.
“Your Grace the Duchess, allow me to escort you inside.”
He naturally reached out a hand to help me down from the carriage.
But then, Cedric, who had somehow already circled back, brushed Adrian’s hand away and in one motion lifted me into his arms.
“Uh… huh?”
A startled sound slipped from my lips.
I blinked up at Cedric with wide eyes, but he only issued orders to his aide, his expression cold and detached.
“Call for the physician at the Dark Mansion.”
At that, the servants exchanged puzzled glances.
“The Dark… Mansion, sir?”
“Yes. I need the duchess’s condition checked immediately.”
With that, Cedric strode off toward the Dark Mansion with me in his arms.
The servants’ jaws dropped lower and lower as we receded into the distance.
As for me, forced to watch the scene unfold over Cedric’s shoulder, embarrassment was burning me alive.
“There’s really no need for this, Cedric.”
“There is. You must have been quite shaken.”
Cedric kept walking silently, unfaltering.
“I was startled, yes, but that doesn’t mean you need to carry me…”
I threw Adrian a glance, and he quickly rushed to Cedric’s side.
“Your Grace, you must be exhausted as well. Please allow me to carry Her Grace to her chambers.”
Cedric froze on the spot.
For a long moment he stared at Adrian, his expression unreadable.
Finally, his lips parted slowly.
“Enough nonsense. Just put your arms around me instead.”
Adrian blinked in confusion.
“Excuse me? What do you mean…?”
“The duchess doesn’t seem inclined to hug me herself anymore. Help her wrap her arms around me—that’s what I meant.”
“……”
“That’s the only thing you’re capable of doing for me right now.”
The weight behind Cedric’s words felt more like a warning, and Adrian seemed taken aback.
Why does he have to say it so seriously? He’s making the atmosphere so tense…
Before things grew more awkward, I hurriedly looped my arms around Cedric’s neck.
“Like this?”
Cedric looked down at me in his arms and finally let a satisfied smile curve his lips.
“Now that’s better.”
“……”
“It’s been a long time since you’ve put your arms around my neck like this.”
“Ah… But you don’t like it.”
When I tried to withdraw, Cedric spoke urgently—uncharacteristically so.
“I don’t dislike it, Rebecca.”
“…What?”
“I don’t dislike it anymore.”
“……”
“So at least until we reach the lobby… stay like this, if you would.”
He looked at me quietly, as if making a difficult request.
How can I tell him to let me down when he’s asking like that?
Feigning indifference, I nodded.
“If it puts your mind at ease, then… I’ll do as you ask.”
My face felt hot for some reason.
Cedric chuckled softly.
“Good. Thank you for granting me that.”
He began walking again.
Unable to do anything but rest quietly in his arms, I let my gaze drift to Adrian, who was following behind us.
For some reason, his eyes were lowered, his expression subdued.
“Adrian, are you alright?”
He quickly lifted his head, as if caught in thought.
“Ah… I’m fine, Your Grace.”
“How can you be fine? You were the one who blocked those monsters with your own body in the coachman’s cabin earlier.”
Adrian shook his head with a forced smile.
“Truly, I’m fine. I wasn’t injured.”
“Well, that’s a relief. But really?”
“Yes. Truly, Your Grace.”
As I watched him nod, Cedric suddenly interjected, frowning slightly.
“I’m sure he is. Adrian’s magic ranks among the strongest even in the Demon Realm.”
He didn’t look pleased as he said it.
“So you don’t need to worry about him.”
“I know, but still…”
“If you must worry about someone, worry about your husband.”
“…Why would I worry about you?”
“What do you mean, why? Because—”
“Aren’t you even more powerful than Adrian?”
Just moments ago Cedric had looked utterly put out, but now the corner of his lips quirked upward.
“Well, I suppose I am.”
With that, he stepped through the door Adrian opened, carrying me into the Dark Mansion.
Once we finally reached the lobby, I patted Cedric’s shoulder.
“We’re here now. Please put me down.”
He hesitated briefly, then set me on my feet.
“Thank you, Cedric. From here, Adrian can accompany me upstairs.”
“……”
“You should get some rest. You must be more exhausted than I am.”
At that, Adrian quickly stepped closer, almost eagerly.
Cedric’s gaze snapped to him, sharp and cold.
“Please don’t worry, Your Grace. I’ll attend to the duchess properly.”
“There are maids in this house. Why should a butler—”
Cedric abruptly stopped speaking, his brow furrowing.
Adrian too seemed to sense something amiss, blinking.
The two of them fell silent, their eyes turning simultaneously toward the parlor.
What’s with them…?
I followed their gaze.
And immediately grimaced.
Ugh. That unpleasant painting again. I try so hard to ignore it, but of course I see it today too.
A massive painting filled one wall of the lobby.
It depicted a pitch-black forest, densely packed with trees. The overall tones were so muted it felt oppressive.
Dark, gloomy, ominous—just looking at it always gave me the feeling of being left alone in a suffocating night forest.
Now Cedric and Adrian were staring fixedly at that dreadful picture.
The silence dragged on until Cedric finally exhaled heavily.
“Looks like that lunatic is coming.”
Adrian nodded.
“Yes. It seems he noticed what happened in the forest earlier.”
Their cryptic exchange left me exasperated.
“Who exactly is coming? You mean that painting?”
Cedric nodded slowly.
“Vincent will be here soon.”
Vincent? Who’s that?
Seeing my bewilderment, Adrian forced an awkward smile.
“Your Grace, that is no ordinary painting. It depicts the Demon Realm’s forest—and also serves as a passage to it.”
His words brought back something Adrian had once said:
‘The Demon Realm’s forests are extremely dark. If you ever come across this flower when lost there, consider yourself fortunate.’
Ah, so that’s why the forest in the painting looked so dark.
As I nodded to myself, Adrian bit his lip and added,
“And now… the true master of this place approaches.”
“The master of this place?”
Adrian’s expression grew taut as he nodded.
“Yes. The true master of the Dark Mansion.”
Just then, at the very top of the painting—deep within the forest—a faint light appeared.
It began to move slowly downward, like someone carrying a lantern along a path.
As it moved, the surrounding trees rustled as if alive.
With the light growing closer, faint sounds of wind and nocturnal beasts seeped from the canvas.
I watched, mouth falling open in disbelief.
Then, at last, someone began to push aside the painted undergrowth and step out of the picture.
“A shame, really. I was having such a fine time…”
A chilling voice echoed through the parlor.
“Now, who’s the bastard who dared disturb me?”
From the darkness, golden eyes gleamed.
A man emerged, silver hair falling across his forehead, his sharp gaze filled with killing intent.
A large scar marred the corner of his mouth, and more scars crossed the bronze muscles visible beneath his loosely tied nightgown.
He looked every inch a predator—like a starving hyena.
I swallowed hard without meaning to.
“You came all this way just to spout nonsense, Vincent.”
Cedric’s cold voice cut across the room.
At once, the man’s murderous expression eased, softening into a smirk.
“Well, well. My dear cousin Cedric. Imagine meeting you the moment I step out.”
Vincent chuckled as he tied his gown closed.
“Cedric, hearing that filthy tongue of yours again makes me glad. Every time you sound like that, I know you haven’t gone completely soft from living among these cutesy humans.”
“……Hah.”
“Come now, instead of hiding your true nature here, why not return to the Demon Realm where you belong?”
Cedric only frowned, looking weary, while Vincent laughed again.
“Lord Vincent, it has been some time.”
“Oh? Adrian too? Did I walk into my own birthday party?”
Moments ago he’d radiated menace, but now he was all smiles.
Then his golden gaze landed on me. Adrian stepped closer to my side and whispered,
“Your Grace, this is Vincent, head of the Norman House—a ducal family of the Demon Realm. They are descended from the twin brother who returned to the Demon Realm long ago.”
Though never mentioned in the original story, it seemed the two houses had remained connected all this time.
Vincent studied me with those chilling golden eyes before speaking.
“Ah. I see now.”
“……”
“You must be the infamous, ill-tempered Duchess of Twins.”
As expected, Vincent had never met me before.
Cedric had always kept me in the dark about matters of the Demon Realm, so naturally he’d never introduced us.
Fine, but did he just call me ill-tempered?
I glared up at him, but Vincent only laughed.
“Your reputation precedes you even in the Demon Realm. When my relative mentioned you, he was so shocked he could barely believe it.”
“Cedric said that about me?”
“No, not him.”
“Then who—?”
“The Demon King.”
Vincent grinned mischievously.
“He’s my relative too, you see.”
He chuckled as he studied me at length. Then his expression shifted, curious.
“…But tell me something.”
He scratched his brow as he stepped closer.
Rough, wild—he bore some resemblance to Cedric, but the impression was utterly different.
Broad shoulders, towering frame, radiating pressure.
His sharp eyes swept me again, and his lips curled open slowly.
“Haven’t we met somewhere before?”
