ELND Chapter 37

Chapter  37

. Is it Jealousy?
2023.11.06

“Have we met somewhere before?”

Seeing Vincent ask with a serious expression, a bitter laugh escaped me.

The tension that had been rising also melted away like ice.

“What is this, some old-fashioned pick-up line?”

I rolled my eyes and answered nonchalantly.

“Probably saw each other at a family gathering or something.”

“When would we have done something like that?”

“Then you probably haven’t seen me.”

I tried to end the conversation as firmly as possible, but Vincent didn’t seem ready to give up.

“No, I definitely feel like I’ve seen you. Don’t you remember?”

Finally, I let out a long sigh tinged with irritation.

“I’m asking, why have you been speaking so informally since earlier? We clearly just met, and I’m not someone below you.”

Cedric nodded as if he fully agreed with my words.

“Vincent, show some respect to my wife. This is the human world.”

Vincent shrugged and walked toward the marble table.

“Then Rebecca, you can speak informally to me too.”

“…….”

“I don’t care about the boring etiquette of the human world. I have no interest.”

He spoke while idly flicking a small ornament on the table with his finger.

From his appearance, attitude, or actions, there was not a trace of dignity one would expect from a grand duke.

What was apparent, however, was raw wildness.

If Cedric was a patient wolf, Vincent was like a wild hyena that could be tamed by no one.

Even now, Vincent looked as if he was dying of boredom, repeatedly stomping the ornament that had fallen at his feet.

I let out a small scoff in response.

“Fine. If that’s what you want.”

“……What?”

“Since we agreed to speak informally, let’s do it.”

At the same time, one of Vincent’s eyebrows arched high in surprise.

He clearly hadn’t expected that response.

Vincent then leisurely crossed his long legs on the table and let out a chuckle.

“This woman… she’s actually fun for a human.”

“…….”

“……I like you more and more.”

As Vincent murmured in a low, amused voice, Cedric frowned slightly.

But Vincent seemed completely unconcerned with the surrounding atmosphere.

Rising to his feet with energy, he walked straight toward me.

“What are you doing—!”

“Wait.”

Suddenly, Vincent grabbed my wrist and slowly lowered his head.

He moved my hand over his head as if to gently stroke it.

“……!”

At that moment, I recognized something familiar about Vincent’s face.

His skin glowed bronze, and his piercing eyes were golden.

I had definitely seen something like this before…

“Could it be that you…?”

As my lips parted in disbelief, Vincent raised one corner of his mouth in a wide grin.

“So you finally remember, huh.”

Vincent slightly parted his nightgown to reveal his lower abdomen.

His toned, bronze abdomen bore still-unhealed scars.

“Are you… that cat from back then?”

I asked in shock, and Vincent chuckled.

“Yes, that’s me. Ah, I feel slighted. Back then, you thought I was so cute, yet…”

“…….”

“You touched me all over wherever you pleased.”

Vincent pouted his lower lip, trying to look pitiful.

He was handsome, but his rugged appearance and muscular build made even his pitiful expression intimidating.

I quickly withdrew my hand, as if I had seen something I shouldn’t.

Cedric’s annoyed expression made him roll his eyes.

“You touched him?”

“Vincent… all over…?”

Both Cedric and Adrian looked baffled, as if they were seriously misunderstanding something, and I quickly waved my hands in protest.

“It was because he was a cat back then! That’s why!”

If it had been anyone else, they would have thought I was crazy for explaining that.

Fortunately, Cedric and Adrian just nodded, seemingly relieved.

Vincent laughed loudly at them.

“Vincent, stop talking nonsense and tell us why you’re here.”

Cedric spoke, trying to suppress his irritation, and Vincent lowered his hands from his stomach.

“Heh… alright, alright… Anyway, I know you have a short temper.”

Vincent wiped the tears from his eyes and continued speaking.

“I felt a presence near the forest around the Twins Estate. Some arrogant fool seems to have caused trouble there…”

“…….”

“You, the Grand Duke of Twins, surely didn’t miss it. I thought it might be necessary to talk it over.”

“…….”

“My cousin, we have things we must protect together, don’t we?”

A flash of madness shimmered in Vincent’s eyes, but when Cedric remained silent, Vincent let out a deep sigh.

“Again, pretending not to understand! You know, Lilian’s heart—”

“That’s enough.”

Cedric cut him off, his expression cold.

Vincent, looking at Cedric, made a playful grimace.

“You’re still keeping it secret from your wife?”

“…….”

“Of course, I knew you two weren’t close… but so this is what ‘worse than strangers’ means.”

Cedric’s forehead veins bulged.

Though usually ignoring him, Cedric now seemed to be losing patience.

Yet Vincent didn’t notice Cedric’s growing irritation.

The way he winked at me was proof enough.

“Rebecca, why don’t you just get a divorce and find a new man?”

“Oh, a new man?”

“Yeah, that would be better. How about me?”

I silently blinked, and Vincent smirked, pretending to be charming.

“I like you. You seem as crazy as I am.”

As Vincent continued speaking, Cedric’s jaw muscles tensed visibly.

Oblivious to Cedric, Vincent happily kept talking.

“So throw away that boring guy…”

Smack—!

A dull thud, and Vincent’s jaw was pushed back.

“Vincent came?”

Before heading to the House of Light for the welcoming banquet, I returned to the Grand Duchess’s residence to change.

When I told Mina what had happened, her expression was clearly shocked.

“So he really came?”

“Yes.”

“Oh… Vincent came…”

Seeing Mina’s ambiguous reaction, I tilted my head.

“What kind of person is he?”

Mina hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.

“He’s also a half-demon, but he doesn’t particularly like the human world. It’s closer to disdain. That would be the better case, though…”

“Is there more?”

“Well… how should I explain?” Mina tapped her chin lightly, thinking.

“Oh! There’s a nickname he has in the demon world.”

Leaning close, she whispered in my ear.

“The Crazy Marquis.”

I chuckled awkwardly.

“The… crazy—what?”

Mina smiled awkwardly and continued.

“He’s just so free and reckless.”

“Someone called that even in the demon world? What kind of person is he?”

Seeing Vincent’s playful yet occasionally mad smile, I decided not to ask further about the nickname.

“So… am I allowed to keep staying at the House of Darkness?”

Mina immediately nodded.

“Of course. The Norman family only owns it, but the management is entirely entrusted to the Twins family.”

“Still…”

“I think Grand Duke B. was allowed to stay here because Vincent himself approved it.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

“Don’t worry about that, Your Highness.”

Mina put ruby earrings on me and spoke.

“But why did Vincent suddenly come?”

“I mentioned something on the way back. He felt an unusual presence in the forest near the Twins Estate and came to check it out.”

“…….”

“He said there’s something we must protect together with Cedric.”

“Oh.”

Meanwhile, in the Grand Duke’s private study.

Cedric poured pre-dinner wine into two crystal glasses and slowly walked toward the sofa.

“Keep the glass against your chin if it feels cold.”

Handing the wine, Cedric spoke, while Vincent rubbed his bruised jaw, chuckling.

“Giving trouble and then giving a treat.”

“You shouldn’t have gotten hit in the first place.”

“It’s been a long time since I got hit after childhood. I heard your wife and you weren’t close…”

“…….”

“Yet… are you feeling jealous?”

Vincent scrunched his nose playfully, and Cedric’s mouth twitched.

“Do you want to get hit more?”

Vincent laughed while holding his stomach.

After a while, wiping tears from his eyes, he nodded.

Then, licking his lips, a glint of madness flashed across Vincent’s eyes.

“How does it feel to live in the human world hiding that killing intent? Among those cute, helpless, prideful creatures?”

“……Vincent.”

“Tell me honestly. Don’t you sometimes feel the urge to kill them?”

Cedric let out a tired sigh, but Vincent didn’t care, eyes sparkling.

Cedric, wanting to end the conversation quickly, tried to change the subject.

“Vincent, you came because of what happened in the forest under my jurisdiction today?”

“Ah, right!”

Vincent finally seemed to remember the reason for his visit and tapped his head.

“I felt a suspicious aura nearby. Were you there too?”

Cedric set the wine on the table and nodded.

“Someone set up a concealment barrier in the forest. Along with countless straw dolls.”

“A cursed doll monster?”

“Yes. They aimed for the Grand Duchess, it seems.”

“The Grand Duchess…”

Vincent’s expression darkened as he muttered.

“It’s a relief nothing happened to her.”

“…….”

“But Cedric, what if their true target wasn’t the Grand Duchess…”

Vincent’s smile gradually disappeared.

Looking at Cedric with his piercing golden eyes, he spoke slowly.

“What if it was… ‘Lilian’s Heart’?”