ELND Chapter 79

Chapter 79

The Blasphemous Lovers

After the evening banquet ended, I went with Cedric to his private reception room.

Bianca was led to the Lady’s Pavilion by her nanny, and Anton returned to the Mansion of Darkness.

Since the servants hadn’t yet brought in the night tea, I stood by the window and gazed out.

The Garden of Light outside was still beautiful—and so was the distant Garden of Darkness.

The thought that I wouldn’t have much more time to see such a view left me oddly wistful.

As I lowered my gaze slightly, a large hand overlapped mine on the window sill.

When I slowly looked up at the sudden warmth, my eyes met Cedric’s.

“That lonely expression doesn’t suit you.”

“…Hearing that the High Priest Diart is coming makes it feel more real—that we’ll soon have to part.”

I forced a small smile.

“He’s coming to spy on us, isn’t he?”

At the word spy, Cedric’s brow furrowed. Then he nodded.

“It seems so. Bringing the Pope’s blessing to the North is just an excuse. That feeble man has never once left the capital on his own.”

My suspicion solidified into certainty.

The High Priest Diart was coming not just to watch us—but to tear us apart.

If he were to find undeniable proof that Cedric and I were lovers…

Then Cedric and I would become the center of every scandal imaginable. The enraged Pope would never approve our remarriage—not even after time had passed.

Cedric’s patience in enduring Diart’s interference must stem from that very reason.

He had already been marked by me.

Since he had no imprint nature, the only bond left for him was the human institution of marriage.

For Cedric, our remarriage was more vital than anything else.

Maybe the one truly anxious right now isn’t me—but Cedric.

He must be burning with the urge to split the High Priest in two, yet he was holding himself back—for the sake of marrying me again.

His restraint was almost admirable.

“Cedric, do you remember? When we pretended to be a loving couple after our divorce?”

A soft curve appeared on his lips.

“Of course. That’s when we shared our first kiss.”

“No, not that.”

I shot him a quick glance before continuing.

“Let’s act again—this time, as if we hate each other.”

Cedric’s brow wrinkled deeply.

“Do we really need to go that far? Wouldn’t it be enough just to hold back on affection for a while?”

Even as he said that, he kept fidgeting with the hand that held mine.

For someone who always sought to touch me whenever I was near, “holding back a little” was impossible.

Cedric shook his head again, clearly disapproving of my idea.

“I can’t. I can’t pretend to hate you.”

His tone was firm.

But no matter how we looked at it, acting was our only way out.

Feigning coldness was the only solution against Diart’s interference.

Realizing that made our current situation feel all the more bitter.

I forced away the sting of frustration and met his gaze.

“But Cedric, you know as well as I do—that’s our only option.”

“Rebecca, I can’t possibly—”

“I want to remarry you safely.”

I cut him off decisively.

His blue eyes, which had been narrowing with unease, suddenly widened.

He hadn’t expected those words from me.

The tension on his face eased slightly.

I withdrew my hand from his and gently brushed his knuckles.

“Don’t you want that too?”

His calm blue eyes followed the movement of my hand, and after a moment of silence, he murmured:

“You can’t imagine how much I want it.”

I smiled faintly.

“I know. I know better than anyone that you want it even more than I do.”

A soft wave rippled across his eyes at that.

“So until I can return to you, we have to pretend—as if we resent each other.”

I hated that reality.

But I also knew it was necessary.

So all I could do was smile bitterly.

Cedric seemed to understand my feelings perfectly.

He gazed at me quietly, his expression heavy with unspoken words.

After a moment, he finally said:

“Fine. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to be with you again. Though…”

“…”

“It’ll torment me every time I realize I can’t touch you even when you’re right in front of me.”

That, I understood completely.

We had just finally confirmed our feelings for each other.

I’d thought we could spend the remaining time strengthening that bond—but now, thanks to an unexpected intruder, we had to hide it.

That overly perceptive High Priest, of all people…

I sighed in frustration.

“I feel the same. We just admitted how we feel, and now of all times, Diart shows up to keep watch on us…”

I couldn’t hide the anxiety that crept in as I spoke.

Cedric must have sensed my unease, for he looked at me intently.

Then his lips parted slowly.

“Rebecca, what kind of man do you think I am?”

“My ex-husband.”

“Not that.”

“Well, the Grand Duke of the Western Empire, of course. The half-demon who helped a northern king unify this vast continent and elevate it to a Great Empire.”

A faint smile curved his lips.

“You know me well.”

“Naturally—”

“Then you also know that that man’s one and only mate is you, don’t you?”

A pleasant shock pulsed through my heart.

No matter how many times I heard it, that word—mate—always made my heart race.

Cedric chuckled softly at my reaction.

“You often forget that fact. I can never let you go. That’s my instinct. And that instinct will destroy any obstacle that tries to stand between us.”

“…”

“Even if it costs me everything.”

A bright, almost dangerous gleam flickered in his blue eyes.

“The anxiety is mine alone to bear, not yours. All you have to do is wait—for me to overcome every obstacle and finally reach you.”

Maybe he was right. Maybe I had forgotten.

I’d grown so used to the calm, dignified Cedric that I’d forgotten:

He was merely choosing to live by human rules—while the savage, demonic instincts within him still slept beneath the surface.

He was a man who held enough power to either unite or destroy the entire Empire.

If he ever lost control, driven by his obsessive imprint bond…

He’d become exactly what he despised—one of those rulers who lost their sanity to the mark.

I realized anew—Cedric was only tolerating human laws as long as no one touched his reverse scale.

To think I’m the mate of such a terrifyingly powerful man…

The more I understood him, the more I understood why Rebecca had once been obsessed with the imprint bond.

Even setting aside his beauty and dangerously charming nature—those alone were reason enough.

I finally tore my gaze away from the veins flexing beneath his half-rolled sleeves when—

“Anyway, once Diart arrives, I won’t be able to touch you as often.”

Cedric loosened his tie, frowning.

It seemed our conversation had stirred the beast inside him.

“And that man isn’t here yet.”

A dark, sly smile curved his lips.

“So I suppose I’ll have to make up for the next month in advance.”

I tried to step back, but he caught my wrist and pulled me toward him.

“W–what are you doing?”

His eyes turned languid.

“What do you think I’m doing?”

His arm wrapped around my waist, closing the distance between us.

Our breaths grew uneven.

My chest rose and fell rapidly against the front of my dress.

Noticing that, Cedric’s movements became bolder.

His lips brushed past my ear, tracing slowly down my neck.

“I asked, what do you think I’m doing?”

“Cedric, wait… just a moment…”

“Answer me.”

His low, growling voice sounded like both a warning and an attempt to restrain himself.

Where his lips and breath touched, fire spread through my skin.

The heat consumed me, making my whole body tremble.

And at that moment, I found myself regretting that I’d forgotten what happened the night we spent together.

What had he whispered? What kind of expression had he made? How had he moved…?

I wanted to remember.

I wanted to surrender completely to instinct—

—but I couldn’t.

Just as his lips were about to meet mine, I pushed him away, gasping for breath.

“No, Cedric! What if… what if I get pregnant or something?!”

He froze, startled.

Then, as if processing my words, his eyes darted briefly—and he burst out laughing.

The burning tension from moments ago vanished instantly.

My face flushed for an entirely different reason.

I can’t believe I just said that… in that situation… haaa…

I pouted, eyes lowered.

“Don’t laugh. I’m serious. If Diart’s already calling us blasphemous lovers and I end up pregnant, that child will be proof of everything! And it’s not like the Pope would ever bless our marriage because of it.”

The more I explained, the more ridiculous I felt.

As I sighed deeply, something soft brushed my forehead.

I looked up—to see Cedric smiling down after kissing me there.

“You’re adorable.”

He bit his lower lip slightly, then began showering my forehead and cheeks with light kisses.

Each soft touch made my heart pound wildly again.

His lips traveled from my cheek to my mouth, then back up to my forehead.

“Cedric, stop it…”

When I tried to pull away, his arms only tightened around me.

His instincts, momentarily subdued, had awakened again.

“…No.”

He tilted my chin up with his fingers, his gaze locking onto mine.

A teasing, seductive smile tugged at his lips.

“After all… it wouldn’t hurt to live up to our title—the blasphemous lovers.”