ELND Chapter 53

Chapter 53

 Only One Bed

“Sleeping together in the same room is such a natural thing for a married couple.”

Watching Cedric say that, a hollow laugh escaped me.

‘Even if our divorce is supposed to be a secret, does it really have to be like this?’

I shot him a glare, but Cedric just smiled leisurely.

Then his gaze shifted toward Chief Devon.

“Don’t you think so, Devon?”

When Chief Devon met Cedric’s eyes, they widened in surprise.

For a moment, his pupils rolled around slowly.

“Eh? Ah, y-yes… I suppose… that’s… right?”

Chief Devon’s answer trailed off as if he himself found it strange.

Rebecca, obsessed with Cedric like a madwoman.

Cedric, who had shuddered even being in the same room with her.

Chief Devon, having served as the butler of the Twins family and witnessed their long-standing feud, must have found Cedric’s words—“Isn’t it only natural for a couple to live together?”—strangely unfamiliar.

And honestly, so did I.

Only Cedric, with his unbothered expression, stood up from his seat without hurry.

“Then I suppose we should go see where we, as a couple, will stay.”

It was as if he wanted to block any objection I might have had.

I let out another hollow laugh and turned my gaze back to Chief Devon.

“No, Chief Devon…”

Sadly, even Chief Devon didn’t seem able to stop Cedric, who had already risen.

‘What on earth is happening?’

I hastily grabbed Chief Devon and called out to both of them.

“T-That won’t do! I’ll stay in the same place as my maids, so Cedric, you can stay comfortably in that cabin alone.”

Cedric, who had been about to leave, slowly turned back.

“The cabin is quite small. Wouldn’t it be impossible for the Grand Duchess to stay there with your maids, Chief Devon?”

When Cedric’s gaze met his, Chief Devon slowly nodded with a bewildered expression.

“Y-Yes… I suppose that would… be the case.”

Cedric’s confident smile curved at the corner of his lips.

“So it seems, then.”

After departing from Chief Devon’s house, we had been riding for about five minutes.

The horse gradually slowed and finally stopped in front of a cabin.

“This must be the place.”

Cedric said as he dismounted and offered me his hand.

I grabbed his hand, got off the horse, and looked around slowly.

No matter which way I looked, the cabin was surrounded entirely by forest.

‘Chief Devon, why did you have to choose such an isolated place for our lodging?’

I sighed, looking toward a distant farmhouse, and shot Cedric a glare with narrowed eyes.

“Why did you do that just now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Chief Devon told us to use the cabin, and you just agreed outright!”

“So what was I supposed to do?”

Cedric continued speaking with an innocent expression.

“Everyone would think we’re a married couple. If we refused now, our divorce might be exposed, wouldn’t it?”

I let out another hollow laugh.

“Cedric, even when we were married, we never spent a night in the same room. Even if we stayed separately here, no one would suspect a thing.”

“Oh, did we?”

Cedric tapped his chin thoughtfully and asked nonchalantly.

“Well, that was then, and this is now.”

“…?”

“Right now, I don’t particularly want to refuse Devon’s suggestion that we stay in the same room.”

“I really don’t understand why you’re suddenly being so capricious.”

“I wish it were just caprice, but unfortunately, it’s not.”

I shot him a sullen glare as he spoke so casually.

Cedric chuckled softly, and I, leaving him behind, headed toward the cabin.

The interior was less than half the size of the smallest room in the Grand Duke’s castle.

Still, for a place that had been empty for a long time, it was tidy, and the living room had appropriate furniture.

“I’m used to it, but I hope you won’t find it uncomfortable.”

“I’m fine. But… you’ve stayed here before, haven’t you?”

Cedric nodded slightly, his face darkening a bit for some reason.

“Yes. Whenever I wanted to be alone.”

Only then did I realize that was when he wanted to be alone to avoid Rebecca.

And I wondered again why he looked so apologetic…

“Ah… now I just need to check the bedroom. Is it there?”

I continued exploring while pretending to talk to myself, deliberately speaking out loud.

Then, when I drew back the long curtain along one wall, my face went pale.

‘Damn it, how did I not think of this?’

I cursed my own carelessness and froze like ice.

“Ah, did I forget to mention?”

Cedric approached slowly and said,

“There’s only this one bed.”

I stared at him in shock.

The cabin had only one bed.

So that meant I had to share a bed with the man who didn’t even want to be near me before?

‘Absolutely not! If I make the slightest mistake, I’ll be misunderstood as that obsessed woman again!’

Considering Cedric’s recent whims, that was highly likely.

I awkwardly laughed and took a step back.

“Haha… Cedric, do you really have to stay here too?”

“Why do you say that all of a sudden?”

“I’m here out of necessity, but you aren’t.”

I moved my hands away as if shooing a fly.

“You really can go. You probably have a lot to do.”

Cedric stared at me silently for a moment.

‘Is he upset because I shooed him like a fly?’

Just as that thought crossed my mind, Cedric slowly parted his lips.

“Rebecca… could it be… you’re worried about me?”

His eyes shimmered with emotion as he spoke.

He was clearly misunderstanding something seriously.

I just nodded awkwardly, forcing a small smile.

‘Well, if it’s worry… I am worried! I can’t let myself be hated and trapped in the tower like before!’

Cedric, unaware of my true thoughts, seemed increasingly touched.

“It feels good that you care about me like you used to.”

“….”

“But I’m fine. As I told Devon earlier, a few days won’t cause any problems.”

A pleasant smile spread across Cedric’s lips.

The more I saw him like that, the more I felt my frustration grow.

‘No, that’s not the reason I’m worried!’

I was about to protest when Cedric’s brows furrowed for a moment.

“Besides, the townspeople won’t be very friendly if you’re here without me.”

“….”

“…Maybe your suppressed half-demon aggression will surface.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

And the last part about half-demon aggression sent chills down my spine.

Having witnessed Rebecca’s tragic end, burnt alive by a furious half-demon, I couldn’t help but empathize completely.

I had no choice but to give up trying to send Cedric away.

‘So that means I really have to stay here with Cedric…’

Only one bed.

That damn bed was the only problem.

“You’ll sleep on the sofa, right?”

I asked, hinting that I hoped he would.

But Cedric just snorted.

“Me? Why should I?”

I couldn’t hide my disbelief.

“What do you mean? We can’t share a bed after a divorce.”

Cedric shrugged, feigning ignorance.

“That’s not possible. Unfortunately, I grew up just as precious as you did.”

He said it so casually, I stared at him dumbfounded.

“Oh, I see. Then I’ll sleep on the sofa. For the precious Grand Duke.”

But Cedric shook his head firmly.

“That won’t do either.”

“Why not?”

“Think about it. Could I sleep comfortably in the bed while you’re on the sofa?”

“And you think you’d sleep comfortably lying next to me in the bed?”

Cedric’s eyes moved slowly as if he just realized something.

“…That might have another meaning.”

“….”

“Still, it’s not possible. Neither of us can sleep on the sofa.”

He seemed eager to end the conversation and stepped out of the bedroom.

I followed him, continuing to speak.

“If I’m fine with it, why insist on this?”

“I already told you why.”

“You feel uncomfortable? Then you could sleep on the sofa…”

As I trailed behind, complaining, Cedric suddenly stopped and turned toward me.

“Rebecca, I’ve already made my intentions clear.”

“….”

“Neither of us can sleep on the sofa. In that case… rather…”

“Rather…?”

I blinked, waiting for him to continue.

“I think it would be better to return to the Grand Duke’s castle immediately.”

Cedric’s lips curved into a smile.

He looked relaxed, as if he had already seized the upper hand.

He seemed to know, as well as I did, that I needed him right now.

I finally gave a resigned shake of my head.

“…I have no choice. Since I need you right now, I’ll follow your lead.”

Cedric’s smile widened in satisfaction.

I lifted my index finger, warning him sternly.

“But even if we share a bed, don’t forget this!”

I said it, but couldn’t think of the perfect way to continue.

Telling him not to cross the line felt silly.

That was exactly what Cedric had longed for from Rebecca for so long.

After a brief pause to think, I finally found the words.

But at the same time, a sense of self-disgust followed.

‘Wow, I can’t believe I’ve come to a moment where I have to say this.’

After a brief reality check, I continued, somewhat deflated.

“I-I have no intention of touching you! Don’t misinterpret or get mad again!”

I said it sharply, though it felt like my pride cracked in the process.

‘It’s not like I’m saying I’ll only hold hands… what is this…’

At that moment, Cedric’s soft voice reached me.

“Don’t worry. I won’t get mad.”

I looked up, and our eyes met.

Cedric playfully touched his chin.

“Though, if you touched even a single hair, I might be a little upset.”

His gaze softened as he looked at me again.

“…Anything beyond that, though…”