ELND Chapter 70

Chapter 70

The One and Only Mate

“Your Grace, please don’t tell me… you really had no idea about the mark?”

Elliot’s reaction was so shocked that I could only roll my eyes awkwardly.

“I’m asking because I don’t know…”

At that, his jaw practically dropped.

What on earth is this ‘mark’ thing to make him react like that?

Was it something every Grand Duchess should know about?

I thought I’d learned most of what was required of my position…

Just as I tilted my head, Elliot composed his startled face and slowly began to speak.

“…No, perhaps it’s actually for the best.”

“For the best?”

“The fact that you don’t know what the mark is must mean you’ve never received one.”

“…”

“From our standpoint… that’s a relief.”

The more he said, the more question marks filled my head.

I looked at him in confusion, but he only shook his head with a pitying expression.

“Still, His Grace the Grand Duke… I knew he was a remarkable man, but to think he hid it so thoroughly for all these years of marriage…”

“…”

Elliot looked at me as if I were some poor, pitiful creature, and sighed deeply.

“My, my… You must have been so lonely all this time, Your Grace.”

After sighing several more times, Elliot suddenly checked his watch.

“Ah, look at the time. It was an honor meeting you, Your Grace. I must take my leave…”

He was really going to leave after dumping a bunch of cryptic comments and treating me like some tragic heroine?

Not a chance.

I pouted slightly and tugged at the edge of his sleeve.

“Elliot, you’re not leaving until you tell me what a mark actually is.”

“…”

“If you go now, I’ll be up all night wondering about it.”

“Your Grace, it’s just… it’s a bit… embarrassing to explain.”

Elliot scratched his eyebrow awkwardly, looking flustered.

I folded my arms and said firmly, “Elliot, the more you hesitate, the more curious I get. Just tell me already.”

“But, Your Grace…”

“Now.”

His lips opened and closed a few times, as though he couldn’t decide whether to speak or not. He looked so mortified that I almost felt bad—almost.

After much hesitation, he finally began to explain.

“The mark is something unique to demons. It’s a bond that can only be formed with a single person whom they have chosen to accept. And the mark is formed…”

He paused briefly, a faint blush rising to his neck.

“…when they spend the night together.”

I blinked. That was… a lot.

As I stared, Elliot offered a small, wry smile and continued.

“I know it must sound strange. It’s a concept that doesn’t exist in the human realm.”

“Yes, that’s… definitely new to me.”

“Then let me put it this way—it might make more sense. If, for example, Your Grace were to receive a mark from a demon, it would mean…”

His calm gaze met mine.

“…that you’ve become that demon’s one and only lifelong mate.”

The one and only… mate?

I blinked again, dumbfounded.

Elliot gave a knowing smile, as if he’d expected that reaction.

“So you see, it’s rather unfair to demons who fall in love with humans.”

“…”

“When the human partner’s feelings fade, they simply move on. But the demon who bears the mark waits for that person—for the rest of their life.”

“…”

“That’s why a demon’s love and obsession toward their mate can be… overwhelming. It’s caused more than a few tragedies throughout demon history.”

A faint crease appeared between his brows as he went on.

“And most of those incidents… were connected to Lillian’s Heart.”

That name—I’d heard it a few times before.

Maybe this time I’ll finally learn what it really is.

Elliot didn’t notice the spark of curiosity in my eyes. He sighed and continued.

“Given the situation, His Grace must have been deeply troubled.”

“…”

“As you know, the Grand Duke, together with the head of House Norman, is responsible for maintaining the seal on that cursed artifact.”

He spoke as if it were obvious that I knew all about it.

I nodded quickly, not wanting to lose the opportunity.

“Ah… right. Because if the seal were broken, it’d be dangerous, correct?”

Elliot shook his head seriously.

“No, even sealed, that object is perilous. It can ensnare anyone who gazes upon it, manipulating them to undo its own seal.”

“…”

“The only ones immune to its influence are His Grace and Lord Vincent. That’s why they’ve kept its location such a closely guarded secret.”

“I see…”

“That artifact whispers to its victims—offering to grant them whatever they desire most. It might even seem to fulfill their wishes for a time, but…”

“…”

“In the end, what it gives is only the destruction of the soul. And if such a thing were ever to fall into the hands of a ruler…”

Elliot shuddered, as if a chill ran down his spine.

“…the world would fall into ruin.”

Lillian’s Heart.

The heart of the primordial goddess Lillian, who cursed the world after being betrayed by love—the origin of all evil.

What Elliot told me was nothing short of shocking.

A crimson gemstone, no larger than a fist.

It tempted people with sweet promises—claiming it could grant anything they desired.

Power. Wealth. Love.

Whatever it was, Lillian’s Heart could make it real.

Both humans and demons coveted it, and endless wars raged between empires and races because of it.

Those who failed to obtain it perished under the weight of war. Those who succeeded fared little better.

For dealings with evil always demand a greater price than they promise.

Rulers who gained power through the Heart became obsessed, mad, and drenched the world in blood.

A true apocalypse.

If Lillian’s Heart were ever unsealed again, it would herald the end of all things.

And the one in charge of that terrifying artifact… was Cedric.

As I climbed the stairs to the upper floor, a long sigh escaped me.

Only now did I finally understand why Duke Bold had been so desperate to marry off his daughter to Cedric.

“So, before things get messy… bring me Lillian’s Heart.”

Just as he’d once demanded it of me, he must have pressured Rebecca to obtain it through the mark.

If the two of them had shared a night together, Cedric would’ve been unable to refuse any request of hers.

But Cedric must have seen through the scheme first.

The duke’s obsessive meddling in their wedding night, Cedric’s persistent rejection…

All the pieces fell neatly into place.

His one and only mate…

Cedric had endured all that time to keep that position from being given to Rebecca.

And yet that same Cedric… spent the night with me.

His truth—and my heart.

All the feelings I’d refused to face, all the wounds I’d tried to bury, rose at last to the surface.

Along with them came that deep, haunting voice from my memory.

“When tonight ends, you’ll be the only one who can either save me… or utterly destroy me. And even so…”

“I will never regret this moment.”

And at that moment—

When I reached the top of the stairs, I saw him, leaning against the glass terrace railing.

Cedric Twins.

The man I had been searching for all along.

I leaned against the terrace railing, letting the gentle night breeze brush my face.

After a long silence, Cedric’s low voice broke through.

“Rebecca, you said you had something to ask me.”

Even with his soft prompting, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

I had marched into the glass terrace determined to demand answers—but now my lips refused to move.

Cedric waited patiently, saying nothing.

After what felt like forever, I swallowed my unsaid words and changed the subject instead.

“Why are you out here alone?”

At that, Cedric turned his head slightly, as though recalling an unpleasant memory.

Then I suddenly remembered—he’d stepped aside earlier with Duke Bold.

“Did… something happen with the duke?”

The moment I mentioned Bold, I grew cautious.

No matter how much I wanted to ignore it, he was still the father of the body I now inhabited—Rebecca’s father.

And knowing him, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at the thought that he might have done something disgraceful to Cedric again.

Cedric seemed to sense my unease. His furrowed brow smoothed, and he exhaled quietly.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about, Rebecca.”

“But still…”

“More importantly, I’d rather hear about you.”

At his quiet words, I looked out over the terrace, hesitated, and finally spoke.

“The truth is… I just found out.”

“About what?”

Turning back to face him, I said,

“About the mark.”

A faint ripple stirred in Cedric’s eyes.

“So all this time… you really didn’t know?”

“Yes. I only just learned about it. And I learned something else too. About Lillian’s Heart… and why you had no choice but to keep your distance from me.”

“…”

“Because of that mark.”

I nodded slowly, continuing.

“Your choice back then… it was the right one.”

“Rebecca…”

Cedric took a step closer, as if trying to explain himself.

I took a step back.

He wasn’t the one who needed to explain.

If anything, he was the one owed an apology.

Because his suspicions about Duke Bold and Rebecca’s attempt to use him to steal Lillian’s Heart had all been true.

Cedric, who had been used. Rebecca, who had deceived him.

He must have endured years of loneliness, forced to pretend ignorance while watching over his own wife.

How painful that must have been.

Just as Rebecca had hated him, he must have resented her too.

Their marriage—once a bond between two souls—had long been corroded by greed, lies, and fury beyond repair.

And yet…

“That night, you held me. Even knowing all of that.”

I turned to him again, eyes fixed on the dark sky above before meeting his gaze.

“Hey, ex-husband.”

I smiled softly at the way his eyes trembled.

“Do you really like me that much?”