About Becoming My Ex-Husband's Mistress - Chapter 140

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 140. I’m That Kind of Woman
I tensed my body and turned my head away from Luderne, refusing to meet his gaze.
After steadying my breathing for a moment, I forced words from a throat that felt constricted.
“This is irritating. I didn’t know you could be so clingy.”
I pushed his hand away. It fell limply to his side.
“The bed was pleasant. Your Highness is quite skilled, after all. So even without affection, I’d like to continue as your mistress.”
“….”
“I apologize to whoever will become the Grand Duchess, but we’re not married yet, so it doesn’t matter, does it?”
“….”
“Your Highness’s masculinity truly appeals to me. Even without the curse, I’m a woman with desires of my own.”
Luderne stared at me in a daze.
His expression was so disbelieving that I brazenly continued.
“I’m that kind of woman. If you can accept me as I am, let’s continue this arrangement. Otherwise, take back your investment and keys. I’ll manage on my own.”
I left Luderne behind and walked out.
At the lodging’s front desk, I borrowed a horse and a lamp from the staff.
While waiting for the employee to bring the horse, I gently rubbed my eyes with my palms, trying to hide the tears I’d been holding back.
My entire face was burning.
Even as I spoke with such resolve, I’d left myself an opening.
Afraid that his wounded pride would make him discard me completely and never see me again, I’d begged him to at least desire my body.
Perhaps he was already tired of my shameless behavior.
When we met next as Priscilla from Raber Salon and investor Luderne Wintem, his attitude might return to its former arrogance and coldness.
I took several deep breaths.
‘Don’t be afraid. It’s fine. This isn’t the first time he’s treated me coldly.’
Soon a horse with a lamp attached emerged.
I pressed the tears that had escaped with both palms. Though I couldn’t quite suppress the trembling of my breath.
“Thank you.”
I greeted the staff member and was mounting the horse when—
“Oh, Priscilla?”
It was Sir Jester, arriving at the lodging on horseback.
“Have you been crying?”
“Ah, my injured leg is aching a bit.”
At my flimsy excuse, he quickly dismounted and examined my condition.
“Then stay here for the night. His Highness likely would have said the same, wouldn’t he?”
“He suggested it, but as you can see, I’m a mess. I told him I was going home.”
Sir Jester looked in the direction I was heading.
“Alone, in the middle of the night?”
“Yes. I can manage alone.”
“His Highness allowed you to leave alone?”
“I told him I wanted to go alone.”
“….”
Sir Jester’s expression became peculiar for a moment.
The look of complete disbelief nearly brought tears to my eyes.
I quickly bit my lip and turned the horse’s reins, preventing him from seeing my expression any further.
“Thank you for today. I’ll see you next time.”
As I spurred the horse forward, it began walking at a brisk pace.
“Hyah! Hyah!”
With another sharp spur, the horse’s speed increased.
My vision blurred as I looked ahead, and soon tears began streaming down my face.
I tried to hold them back, but my emotions refused to obey. The harsh words I had hurled at Luderne became daggers that turned and pierced my own heart.
As I rode further, I finally broke down completely.
“Waaahhh!”
It hurt.
My heart ached as though it were dying.
* * *
Ail could not understand Priscilla’s reaction no matter how much he thought about it.
During his journey to the Bilsty Estate with Priscilla, he had learned of her past with Luderne.
Though their circumstances were tragic, Priscilla loved Luderne deeply, and Luderne, though he did not show it openly, appeared to feel the same.
Yet this afternoon at the hospital, he had seen Luderne holding Priscilla’s hand.
Ail recognized this as an unprecedented gesture.
Even in public, Luderne no longer intended to hide his feelings.
‘There’s no way he would let Priscilla return alone in such a state. Something must have happened between them.’
Watching Priscilla’s retreating figure and contemplating these thoughts, Ail immediately mounted his horse and followed her.
After all, traveling alone at night was dangerous.
Though Priscilla’s mood seemed poor and he could not approach closely, he felt compelled to at least ensure she arrived safely from a distance.
Then he witnessed Priscilla on horseback weeping openly.
Surrounded by darkness, she seemed to believe herself alone.
Ail’s heart nearly tore apart at the sight of her anguish, and he clenched his teeth.
He wanted to rush to her side immediately, to ask what had happened, if she was alright, who had caused her such pain.
He even wished to offer her his shoulder to lean on, to lend her his chest as a place to cry freely.
But he could not.
Though he did not fully understand why, it felt wrong to do so.
Instead of riding toward Priscilla’s side, Ail extinguished the lamp on his horse.
To make it seem as though no one were there at all.
With Priscilla’s arrival, the Count’s Residence fell into commotion.
“Goodness, my lady! What on earth has happened!”
“Are you alright?”
Ail relit his lamp only after confirming that Priscilla had safely entered the mansion.
Then he spurred his horse forward with all his strength toward the lodging where Luderne was staying.
The lodging was remarkably quiet upon his arrival.
Ail carefully opened the door to Luderne’s bedroom.
If she had been asleep, I would have quietly withdrawn. But through the crack in the door, the bed I glimpsed was empty.
“What is it? No knock?”
A low voice, heavy with exhaustion.
Luderne was on the sofa, his expression sunken to the depths of despair, a glass clutched in his hand.
Two bottles of liquor sat on the small table before him.
“Ah, well….”
“If you have something to say, come in and say it.”
At his curt tone, Ail smacked his lips and stepped inside.
Upon entering, the sharp scent of strong spirits wafted through the air.
“This is potent liquor… How much have you consumed, sir?”
Rather than look at Ail, Luderne drained his glass in one gulp and tilted the bottle.
The glass filled less than halfway before the bottle ran dry.
“Pull that bell cord for me.”
Ail pulled the bell cord as instructed. He then picked up the bottles on the table—both were empty.
“Your Highness? You finished all of this without even a morsel to eat?”
“Quiet.”
Luderne cut him short and swallowed the remaining liquor down his throat.
Soon a servant entered.
“Bring another bottle. And cigarettes.”
Luderne’s glass was soon brimming with fresh liquor.
An ashtray was placed, and a cigarette was lit. White smoke dispersed into the air.
Ail tensed at the sight of Luderne behaving so unlike himself.
Standing quietly, Luderne, who had been burning through his cigarette, spoke first.
“Say what you came to say.”
Luderne’s gaze never once turned toward Ail—it remained fixed on his glass or the cigarette smoke.
“I’ve never seen you smoke before.”
“I indulge in it very rarely.”
Ail stole a careful glance at Luderne.
At first, he hadn’t noticed because of the shock of the heavy drinking, but now he could see that Luderne’s eyes were slightly reddened.
It appeared he had been crying as well.
“….”
“Is that your business? You wouldn’t have come in if you had nothing else to report.”
Ail swallowed hard.
“I saw Priscilla returning home on my way in.”
“So you came to report that you escorted her safely all the way home.”
“How did you know?”
“The night was dark, so I considered following, but I watched from the window instead. I saw Sir Jester accompanying her.”
Luderne emptied his glass and continued.
“I knew she would refuse if I went myself, so I was uncertain—but the timing worked out perfectly. You’ve done well.”
“Well, I’m not sure if I should say this, but….”
“If you think you’re overstepping, wouldn’t it be better to keep your mouth shut?”
Ail understood Priscilla’s position, but he didn’t understand Luderne’s. So he deliberated whether he should bow respectfully as Luderne suggested and withdraw.
But he couldn’t do that.
The image of Priscilla crying lingered in his mind.
“I cannot judge whether I’m overstepping or not, sir.”
Only then did Luderne’s gaze turn toward Ail.
“Priscilla was crying.”
“…What?”
“The atmosphere was so terrible that I followed her without thinking. And she was crying so bitterly…”
Ail’s voice wavered as he spoke.
Today, he had handled the remaining matters at the hospital as Luderne instructed. He paid the hospital fees and informed the patient’s family of the accident.
After that, he went back to see the Chief Administrator.
Since they had been together discussing the territory development project until the accident notification arrived, he needed to finish the conversation.
After concluding the discussion quite successfully, he felt pleased.
He thought that if he told Priscilla about the development plan—injured and shocked as she was—she would find renewed strength.
But when he returned, what calamity was this?
Priscilla had cried, and Luderne, his spirits thoroughly dampened, had taken to drinking strong liquor and was even smoking cigarettes.
Ail clenched both his fists and glared at Luderne.
Conviction crystallized within him.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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