That wasn't the only thing that was suspicious. Earlier that afternoon, the aide had reported something strange.
"Her Highness has appointed a maid to be her personal attendant."
It was said that Rebecca stayed in the same room with this maid the entire time and even chatted with her affectionately. When Cedric heard those words, he let out a bitter sneer. Rebecca had always been terrified of any woman in the same mansion as him—not only the female employees, but even Cedric's younger sister, Bianca.
That was why the poor girl had taken refuge alone in a townhouse in the capital. Rebecca couldn't possibly have changed so drastically...
However, the aide continued to deliver increasingly bizarre reports.
"That's not all. She held out her arm while one of the maids changed her dress. When the maid's hand brushed against her while putting on her shoe, Her Highness didn't flinch. There wasn't even a bruise."
Cedric and his aide looked at each other in disbelief for a moment.
"And above all..."
At that point, the aide hesitated. He looked as though he could hardly believe what he was about to say.
"The maids say she seemed in much better spirits than usual."
In good spirits?
It was right after the divorce had been mentioned. Wasn't this usually the time when Rebecca's obsession with "imprinting" would have reached its peak? But she seemed happy?
The more Rebecca behaved out of character, the more complicated Cedric's thoughts became.
What on earth is she planning this time?
Rebecca Twins. She was someone he couldn't afford to let his guard down around—not until the very end. Cedric felt like this was the calm before the storm. No matter what scheme she was concocting, they had to divorce this time. His eyes grew cold as he brushed his wet hair back.
He stood, quickly pulled on his robe, and headed for the door. Whatever Rebecca's intentions were, he had to find out tonight.
"Oh, do you not like the scent? Should I add a different oil?"
Mina, who had been unpacking lavender-scented oil by the bathtub, stopped and asked anxiously. She seemed startled when I sighed. There were still moments when she flinched at the sight of me, her voice going small and cautious, but Mina's expression seemed far more relaxed than before.
"No, it's fine."
"Oh, you like it..."
Mina gave an awkward smile. It must have been surprising to hear Rebecca—who was always complaining and cruel—say something was "fine." The small horns that had sprouted on her head earlier had already disappeared. According to Mina, young mixed-blood demons often sprouted horns when emotional or frightened.
I studied Mina's still-girlish face. Then, suddenly feeling uneasy, I narrowed my eyes.
"You didn't mix poison into the bath oil, did you?"
"Oh, no! Of course not. You're still the Grand Duchess, after all. It's not the right time yet."
"Right. Not yet."
Mina laughed darkly.
That girl has a real knack for telling scary jokes. I sank deeper into the warm, fragrant water.
Ugh...
The situation had become more complicated than I'd anticipated.
How am I supposed to survive going forward?
If I didn't want to earn any more resentment from Cedric, I needed to divorce him immediately. However, if I divorced right now and left this castle, I'd be as good as dead.
I needed time to win the favor of the mixed-blood demons.
Is there a way to divorce Cedric while also earning the demons' favor...?
It was then that another maid entered and bowed politely.
"Your Highness, His Highness the Grand Duke has come to see you."
"Cedric?"
I blinked in surprise at the unexpected visitor.
I just got in the bath.
Mina seemed even more surprised than I was by Cedric's sudden appearance.
"Wh-what should we do, Your Highness? Should I prepare a dress right now? No, wait! First, let's dry you off and apply your makeup immediately...!"
Mina began to fuss, wiping her wet hands frantically on her apron.
"What are you talking about? I just got in. I'll at least finish bathing before I go out there."
"What? But Your Highness... are you sure that's all right?"
Mina looked at me strangely, as if my calm reaction was deeply confusing.
"Whenever His Highness the Grand Duke comes to see you, you always drop everything and rush to him immediately."
"...Did I?"
Mina nodded, looking baffled.
"Yes. We always had to keep everything ready so you could receive His Highness at a moment's notice."
"Oh my god..."
"Your Highness, were the rumors about you losing your memory actually true?"
Mina asked worriedly. But I could only touch my burning cheeks.
Maybe the original Rebecca would have acted that way, but thinking of it as my own past behavior was mortifying beyond belief.
Ugh... It seemed Rebecca would drop everything and sprint to Cedric the second he so much as glanced her way.
Cedric is devastatingly handsome, sure, but still...
What kind of five-second response time was that? I didn't want to live like that. I didn't want to waste the luxurious scented bath Mina had worked so hard to prepare, and more than anything else, I was not the previous Rebecca who desperately craved Cedric's love.
All right. Starting today, Cedric gets downgraded from the emergency standby list.
I winked at Mina as I stretched my arms along the rim of the tub.
"Continue. I'll go when I'm finished."
Mina hesitated, her round eyes blinking.
"But that will take quite some time. I'm sure His Highness won't wait that long..."
"Who told him to come see me without notice? Did he have an appointment with me this evening?"
"Well, His Highness is Your Highness's husband, and Your Highness is His Highness's wife, so..."
Mina suddenly stopped speaking, her eyes glazing over as she seemed caught up in some sort of daydream. Immediately her cheeks turned bright red. She bit her lip, curling in on herself with an embarrassed expression. I didn't know what exactly was going through that little head of hers, but it was clearly something scandalous.
Mina! Calm down! It's not like that!
Rebecca had failed spectacularly on her wedding night. From then on, she had consistently propositioned Cedric for marital intimacy, but Cedric—tired of her obsession—had rejected her every single time. There was no way Cedric had suddenly shown up tonight to ask me to sleep with him.
I wonder why he really came.
After thinking for a moment, I gestured toward the maid who had delivered the message about Cedric's visit.
"Your Highness, I apologize, but Her Highness has just begun her bath..."
Normally, the message would continue with a request for him to wait a moment while she hurried to finish. And then, just as promised, Rebecca would appear almost immediately—usually in lingerie, attempting to seduce him.
Therefore, as soon as Cedric heard the word "bath," he had planned to leave immediately. However, the maid's next words were enough to make him freeze.
"She says she will finish bathing properly, but it will take quite some time. So if the matter is not urgent, she asks that you not wait and return to your quarters..."
The embarrassingly unfamiliar words continued.
"And she wanted me to tell Your Highness to please refrain from visiting the Grand Duchess in the future without sending word in advance."
The maid kept tilting her head as she spoke, as if the words coming out of her own mouth seemed foreign even to her. Cedric tried to maintain his composure in front of the maid, but inwardly he was reeling.
Ever since their last conversation about divorce, Rebecca's behavior had been completely outside the bounds of Cedric's expectations. If it had been anyone else, Cedric might have accepted such a sudden change without suspicion. But the person in question was Rebecca.
Just thinking about her made his chest tighten as if he were suffocating.
Rebecca's obsession and possessiveness had become more extreme with each passing day, until Cedric had reached a breaking point. It was obvious—no matter what she did, she would find some way to try to possess him.
Even if, like now, she was putting on an elaborate performance.
"My wife should have told me that directly. Tell her I will wait."
So for the first time in his life, he decided to wait for Rebecca. He had to meet her face-to-face and gauge her true intentions. Only then would he be able to prepare a suitable divorce strategy.
Cedric was that desperate to divorce Rebecca.
How long had that strange wait lasted?
A faint shadow fell across the teacup on the table. Cedric inadvertently raised his gaze and found himself making eye contact with Rebecca, who was looking down at him with a pleasant smile.
"Cedric."
It was definitely Rebecca's voice. But it sounded so soft and comfortable—nothing like usual. Moreover, her face wasn't caked in desperate makeup, nor was she wearing lingerie. Rebecca was dressed in a neat off-white silk gown, and her face was only slightly flushed, perhaps from the warmth of the bath. Beneath her loosely pinned-up red hair, the white nape of her neck was still damp. A natural blush colored her makeup-free cheeks. It was a refreshing sight he had never once seen in five years of marriage.
Cedric turned his head slightly without thinking.
"What did you come here for?"
Rebecca sat down on the sofa across from him, and soon a warm cup of tea was placed in front of her as well. She took a sip, then slowly opened her mouth.
"It's not that I mind, but I didn't expect you to come see me at night without any particular reason. Especially since you've never been one to wait."
It was as if she were subtly criticizing the fact that he had waited. At that moment, Cedric recalled the story his aide had told him.
Has she really changed?
For a brief moment, he thought so. However, the wall of distrust built over years was strong.
"I heard you appointed a personal maid."
"Oh, you mean Mina?"
"Mina?"
Cedric's eyebrows shot up.
"...How surprising. Didn't you hate having any woman inside Twins Castle? Especially if she was anywhere near me—even the men weren't safe."
"I'm going to stop doing that from now on. It only makes me look pathetic."
Cedric couldn't believe his ears.
What is this woman saying?
For a moment, Cedric's expression hardened at the unbelievable words.
Ah. This must be part of her scheme, too.
The woman sitting in front of him was Rebecca. Caught off guard by the successive changes in her behavior, he'd forgotten that for a moment.
"What a pity. It would have been far better for me if my wife's enlightenment had come sooner."
"I know."
Rebecca nodded obediently.
She doesn't know when to quit.
Grinding his teeth, small muscles appeared along Cedric's jaw.
"What I mean is—even if you change now, I have absolutely no intention of backing out of this divorce."
This was the point where she would break. Where all kinds of vicious tantrums and manipulations would begin, dragging on through the night. Just imagining it made his chest tighten.
"That goes for me, too."
Her voice was overly calm. Perfectly clear. It was a completely different answer than he'd expected.
Rebecca spoke again, her tone firm—almost as if she were mocking Cedric for doubting his own ears.
"I'm definitely going to divorce you."