ELND Chapter 12

“Your Grace, I’ve brought what you requested.”

Adrian handed me the newspaper with a gentle smile.

“How is life at the Dark Manor? I hope you haven’t had any inconvenience?”

It had already been a week since I moved into the Dark Manor.

By now, I’d grown quite used to life here.

Much of that comfort was thanks to Adrian, the butler who looked after me day and night.

“Not at all. It’s incredibly comfortable.”

I answered absentmindedly as I flipped to the economics section of the newspaper.

Adrian let out a quiet sigh of relief and smiled warmly.

“I’m so glad to hear that, Your Grace.”

As he began pouring tea into my cup, he spoke again in a low voice.

“The artworks you mentioned were sold to the highest bidding shop. It was the Alpierre Shop in the capital.”

“Really? How much do you think we’ll get?”

“The total is estimated to be about 1.87 billion rut.”

Before moving into the Dark Manor, I had asked Adrian to sell off the artworks Rebecca had collected over the years.

I told Mina that it was to reduce the moving load.

But in truth, there was another reason.

‘I’ll make sure you end up broke and groveling in the dirt.’

I scoffed lightly as I recalled Duke Bold’s words.

‘We’ll see if things really go the way you want them to.’

The divorce laws of the Western Empire had turned out to be a complication I hadn’t anticipated.

When a woman divorces, the settlement is sent to her birth family, and the head of that household can use it however they like.

While the law said that, it was customary for the birth family to hand the settlement over to the woman herself.

‘But that miserly Duke Bold would never follow custom.’

Though his unexpected visit was unpleasant, in some ways, it was also a stroke of luck.

Thanks to his pathetic threats, I now had a clearer picture of what I needed to prepare for.

‘From what I’ve found, even if the settlement goes to the birth family, any personal assets I had before the divorce won’t be included… Duke Bold.’

I was determined to grow my personal assets as much as I could before the divorce was finalized.

‘Thanks to the original novel, I know exactly how to grow my wealth in this world!’

A smile crept onto my lips as I read through an analysis article in the economic section.

It was about the Demonic Goods Gift Exchange Market.

“Adrian, have the proceeds from the art sales deposited into my personal vault at the bank. A good investment opportunity is about to come up.”

“Did… you just say investment?”

“Yep. Oh! And make sure my birth family never finds out.”

“Yes, Your Grace. I’ll take care of it as you wish…”

“Thanks.”

“…But I must say, I never imagined Your Grace had an interest in such matters.”

Adrian blinked rapidly in surprise, then a soft smile formed on his lips.

“To discover a new side of Your Grace like this while serving you—it feels like a dream.”

I stared quietly up at Adrian’s face, glowing with joy.

‘Is it really that dreamy?’

Come to think of it, Adrian hadn’t hidden his delight since learning that I was moving to the Dark Manor.

Since then, he’d followed me everywhere, even volunteering to be my personal aide.

Every time, he seemed amazed just to witness me breathing in front of him.

‘I can feel it—this might be…’

Watching Adrian smile, a mischievous thought crossed my mind.

I glanced behind him and saw Mina staring dreamily at his back.

“Come closer for a second.”

At my request, Adrian stepped in front of the sofa and leaned in slowly.

His neatly tied blond hair fell gently over his shoulders.

A fresh floral scent, like one from a dawn garden, brushed my nose.

Adrian looked up at me with crescent-shaped lavender eyes.

“Why do you ask, Your Grace?”

His voice was as soft and low as his smile.

I leaned closer to whisper into his ear.

“Adrian, I’m only asking just in case…”

He nodded solemnly, as if ready to answer anything.

His Adam’s apple dropped deeply before rising again.

“…are you in love with me?”

At the teasing question, his lavender eyes quivered violently.

I tried hard to suppress my laughter as I watched him.

A flush slowly spread across his face.

“I-I would never… I couldn’t dare… Your Grace…”

“Really?”

When I asked again, as if unconvinced, Adrian blushed even deeper and fumbled to avoid eye contact.

His reaction was far more dramatic than I’d expected, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

From a distance, Mina stretched her neck and craned her head, dying of curiosity.

“Haha, I was kidding! You were just so serious, it made me feel bad for teasing you.”

At my teasing scold, Adrian fiddled with his red ears and bit his lower lip.

Just as his lips began to tremble slightly—

“…Ah, I almost forgot there was something I had to tell you.”

He rubbed the back of his reddened neck and stepped back quickly.

I thought he was just trying to change the subject, and watched him with a cheeky grin.

“Suddenly? What is it?”

But Adrian looked troubled and hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Actually… it may not be pleasant news to you, Your Grace.”

He paused, then continued carefully.

“Lady Bianca… will be returning to the House of Light tomorrow.”

I blinked in surprise and looked at Adrian.

“Bianca’s coming back? Tomorrow?”

“…I apologize, Your Grace, for delivering such news.”

Adrian’s face darkened, expecting me to be displeased.

‘Well, it’s reasonable for him to think that.’

The former Grand Duke and Duchess died before their youngest daughter Bianca turned one.

Cedric naturally cherished her deeply.

But Rebecca, being the obsessive woman she was, couldn’t stand it.

Bianca had fled to the capital to escape Rebecca’s cruelty, and she only returned to the northern estate after Rebecca was imprisoned in the tower.

Now, she was coming back even earlier than in the original timeline.

Although only the timing had changed, the events were still following the original story.

A wave of anxiety swept over me.

‘What if no matter what I do, the ending stays the same…?’

I shook my head.

Even if I couldn’t completely avoid the original ending, I couldn’t just give up either.

‘I just need to keep doing what I can, one step at a time. First of all…’

As I struggled to calm my anxiety—

“Your Grace, about Lady Bianca’s welcome reception… Will you be attending?”

“Welcome reception?”

“Yes. The Grand Duke’s residence has invited you, but they said it’s fine if you don’t want to come…”

I shook my head firmly.

“No, I have to go.”

Adrian blinked, as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

“Your Grace, are you sure you’ll be all right?”

“Of course. I will absolutely attend the welcome reception.”

Who was Bianca?

She was Cedric’s precious younger sister, whom he adored dearly.

Earning her favor would only benefit me in the long run.

‘I can’t afford to skip her welcome—if anything, giving her a gift would be even better…’

I was deep in thought when a good idea suddenly struck me.

‘…Ah!’

I quickly turned to Adrian.

“Adrian, didn’t you say you’d do anything for me?”

“Of course, Your Grace. Has something finally come up that I can do for you?”

Adrian’s face brightened with joy.

I smiled at him sweetly.

“Yes, and it’s something only you can do.”

That night, in the Grand Duke’s bedroom.

Cedric had finished getting ready for bed hours ago.

But he couldn’t sleep and found himself pacing by the window once again.

With a tired sigh, Cedric sat by the window.

Draped in a crimson nightgown, he held a glass of whiskey in one hand.

He looked out over the darkened Garden of Light through the open window.

Before long, his gaze naturally turned toward the Dark Manor.

As he brooded, he recalled a conversation he’d had earlier with his aide.

“Ask the Grand Duchess if she plans to attend Bianca’s welcome.”

“Pardon? With all due respect, did you just say to invite Her Grace?”

“…Yes.”

The aide hadn’t been able to hide his surprise.

Cedric thought it would be better, even just for the sake of maintaining appearances.

But soon after, he found himself shocked at how easily he had made that decision.

‘I actually invited Rebecca to Bianca’s welcome reception.’

Until now, he had done everything possible to keep the two from meeting.

That he had now invited Rebecca so casually was deeply surprising.

‘I’ve probably lowered my guard. We’re already divorced… and she really has changed, almost like a different person.’

Since moving out, Rebecca had kept her word and vanished from his sight completely.

As if she had never even existed in his life.

‘Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll move to the Dark Manor. Then we won’t have to see each other anymore.’

He instinctively recalled her words and took a sip of whiskey.

Then, he looked back toward the Dark Manor—

And saw a familiar figure strolling through the darkened garden.

A woman wearing a thick shawl over a white chemise, walking through the night garden.

It was Rebecca.

Cedric couldn’t take his eyes off her.

‘…She still doesn’t know about the “Demon King’s Gift,” does she?’

As he watched her walk unaware through the pitch-black garden, he remembered their wedding night.

That night, he had planned to return straight from Mount Manakin to Rebecca.

He had wanted to see her smiling at the “Demon King’s Gift.”

‘But until our marriage ended… I never once showed it to her.’

He smiled bitterly in self-mockery.

Then he slowly looked up again to find her.

But the moment he did, his brows furrowed.

Because standing beside Rebecca… was another man.