The Problem Is, My Ex-Boyfriend and I Are Both Dating Other People - Chapter 3

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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 3

‘…Wait.’
Wait. What?
What had Richard just said?
A piercing, frost-like gaze descended upon me as I struggled to gather my thoughts.
“It’s been ages, Bella. What, five or six years?”
Ten years, four months, and eleven days.
“No.”
“Is that so?”
Richard seemed to contemplate the timeline for a moment before shrugging with an expression that suggested the matter was of no consequence.
“I was waiting to see if perhaps some rot had set in where a lowborn knight’s hand had touched you…”
His gaze traced over me slowly, methodically—like a merchant inspecting goods for defects.
“But you seem perfectly whole. So it appears I’m no longer a commoner, after all.”
“Richard, you didn’t actually think I’d marry some titleless commoner, did you?”
Ah.
I understand.
I could see it clearly without needing an explanation.
That cold stare, that twisted smile, that frigid expression—it was all the confirmation I needed.
Richard Winston.
My lover from ten years ago, the man I’d so brutally cast aside, was…
“Everything is quite in order, I assure you. Ah—you mentioned I received an Earldom. As I’m sure you’re aware, I inherited the Duchy of House of Belua just days ago. Now that we’re each heads of our own houses, I trust we can maintain appropriate distance going forward.”
“…Indeed, Duke of Belua.”
He resented me.
Deeply. Intensely.

* * *

Four days passed.
It was Noah who dragged me from bed, ending four days of seclusion during which I’d postponed every external engagement. More precisely, it was the news he brought.
“This is ridiculous.”
“There’s nothing ridiculous about it, really. You knew that mansion had been on the market for quite some time. I didn’t expect anyone foolish enough to actually purchase it, but someone appeared willing to pay an absolutely outrageous price for it.”
“If I’d known beforehand, I should have bought it myself, premium price and all!”
Noah didn’t dignify my protest with a response. I, in turn, didn’t press him for one.
Instead, I made my way swiftly down the corridor and slid into the first-floor hall.
“Please, I beg you—are you determined to break something just to satisfy yourself?”
Noah rushed after me, his voice sharp with exasperation, but my attention was entirely consumed by the spectacle before me.
For the nobility who made their residence in the Capital, selling a family mansion was considered a grave dishonor. This meant listings were rare, and when they did appear, actual sales were virtually impossible.
Why? Because the asking prices were astronomical.
The mansion across from House of Belua had sat empty for years. They’d listed it at several times its actual market value, an already exorbitant property priced into the realm of fantasy.
Everyone had mocked it as unmarketable, no matter how prime the location.
And yet, it had sold.
To none other—
“Well. The rumor about the Northern hero returning in a golden carriage didn’t seem to be mere boasting, did it?”
To my wretched ex-lover.
“Er, Your Grace—isn’t that Richard over there?”
I reflexively whipped my head in the direction Noah was pointing. I caught sight of Noah’s steward directing servants through the chaos of the move.
“…Damn.”
“It’s so obvious. How is it that Richard doesn’t know? Since you’re now neighbors, why not rebuild your friendship?”
This is absurd. Truly.
I gritted my teeth and stepped back inside the mansion, my entire attention still fixed on the bustle across the street.
Noah trailed behind me, his voice rising with incessant complaints.
“It’s not too late, you know. Drop that useless Daemon and pursue a proper romance for once, I’m telling you.”
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, keep quiet. Where are Claire and Jeremy?”
“So now you’re suddenly concerned about the family elders?”
Having said that, Noah promptly explained.
“On the day of the funeral, Claire took Jeremy back to the Fiefdom. Your mother asked me to tell you to keep yourself centered.”
“…And what about you?”
“She seemed quite pleased that her only son didn’t overreach for your position and instead stepped back gracefully. Ah—I mentioned I’d be stopping by the Fiefdom, so no one will suspect anything.”
I nodded in acknowledgment.
It seemed the arrangements discussed beforehand had been set in motion while I was shut away in my room.
“I should thank Earl Winston. Since I’ve moved to the neighboring estate, at least I get to see your face before I leave.”
“If anyone heard that, they’d think I’d taken to my bed.”
“Hadn’t you?”
I shot a withering look at Noah for his glib retort. I followed him, needling him all the way to his room.
“So you’re using this as an excuse to relocate your base entirely to the fiefdom?”
“There are many things to attend to regarding the ledgers and accounts in the Belua Fiefdom.”
“Moving will be no less chaotic than this.”
What right did you have to lecture me about shutting myself away for a few days?
Noticing my gaze, Noah began grumbling and flinging his belongings into a corner.
“It’s all your doing, sir.”
“How is it my fault that your room’s a pigsty?”
“Do you have any idea how busy I’ve been while you’ve been digging yourself into the ground over your ex?”
…….
I had nothing to say to that.
Noah took the opportunity to finish packing, tossing his clothes into a large rucksack.
“So why do you keep talking about regret? ‘I’ve always loved you! It was all a misunderstanding! I love you! The obstacle’s gone, so let’s try again!’ Why can’t you just say it, say it!”
I watched Noah ramble on with complaints even as he packed, my expression growing weary.
“Who said anything about regretting?”
“And yet you haven’t slept properly these past few days, insisting otherwise?”
“Did you ignore what the physician said?”
“My ears work perfectly fine, sir.”
“Then you should understand that my insomnia has nothing to do with Richard.”
“But I know you quite well, sir.”
Would someone merely tired stay confined to bed for days on end? He knew that even when people were wagging their tongues, there was always a reason I remained sequestered. The truth was plain enough.
I didn’t want to see the Imperial Princess making her splendid debut in society, nor the Earl Winston lauded as her perfect match.
Noah delivered this final barb without so much as drawing breath, tugging the bag’s straps tight.
“Frankly, I didn’t want to say this much.”
“Then don’t.”
“But locking yourself away in your room won’t solve anything, sir. Steel yourself and move forward. He’s being called the hero of the Northern Region, receiving an Earldom, and climbing ever higher—if you sit about like this, the comparison becomes unavoidable!”
He’d clearly been holding that in for quite some time.
“Tell me honestly. You’re not worried about me—you’re worried about the House, aren’t you?”
“Me? A misunderstanding!”
Right. Of course.
Noah wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t hide away forever.
But I did need time to collect my thoughts. At least a few more days.
“That’s why I said I’m going to the fiefdom.”
“What sort of rumors do you think will spread if you dash off to the fiefdom the moment you inherit the Duchy?”
It was customary for the central nobility to remain in the Capital for some time after inheriting a title, laying their foundations.
By Noah’s logic, those who rushed off to their fiefdoms fell into one of two categories.
Either they had something urgent to hide, or there was trouble in the fiefdom itself. Either way, one had to accept the gossip that would spread through society. When I let out a groan, Noah seized the moment to press his advantage, tilting his head as if to say I told you so, and continued his lecture.
“Don’t try to hide this away. Compose yourself first. Leave finding the Secret Treasury ledgers that the Grand Duke spirited away to me—don’t worry about that.”
“Fine. All right. I said all right, so stop. Just focus on your departure, and I’ll handle the first banquet from there.”
“At last, after all this time digging yourself into a hole over your ex, you’ve finally come to your senses. As your steward, cousin, and old friend, I’m delighted.”
Noah placed a hand gently over his heart with an exaggerated flourish. He despised nobility with a passion, yet his manners were flawless.
“And you needn’t bother preparing a banquet.”
“Why not?”
“Because there’s a far better occasion prepared for your debut as the new Duke of House Belua in society.”
Despite knowing him my whole life, this enigmatic man smiled knowingly and pressed a card into my hand.
……An unnecessarily ornate envelope.
“What is this.”
“Look at the seal.”
I can see it well enough.
Two crossed swords forming an X, bound together by dozens of ribbons. At first glance, it’s a standard Imperial Seal. The only exception being that all the ribbons are inverted.
The reversed ribbons, concealing each House’s emblem, symbolize Imperial bloodline not yet recognized by the nobility.
Primarily used by the Crown Prince, it was a seal only Daemon had been permitted to bear for over a decade throughout the empire.
“Surely not.”
“You suspected as much. Officially, it’s a celebration of your cousin’s return alive, but……”
A celebration, my foot.
It was clear he meant to summon every last nobleman and take account of their loyalty. Noah shrugged at my expression.
“It’s that sort of gathering, after all.”
“The old sickness has flared up, I see.”
That damnable paranoia.
“The timing seems right for it.”
A madman who’d spent ordinary days convinced the Emperor would never pass the throne to him had finally snapped at the arrival of a direct heir who actually possessed Succession Rights.
“In any case, as head of House, there’s no better stage for your first steps. Work things out with His Highness before the banquet as well.”
“Ah, yes. You’re right. That too.”
Saying farewell to Daemon.
I really didn’t want to.
Perhaps my reluctance showed on my face, because Noah pressed further.
“You were always planning to end it the moment the Duchy succession was complete anyway. Surely you don’t have lingering doubts?”
“Are you joking? I’m just annoyed. Daemon’s temperament being what it is—if he ends it, he ends it. But if he hears me suggest breaking up first, he’ll fly into a rage.”
I tore the wax seal from the envelope and glanced at the contents. For a moment, I didn’t trust my own eyes.
Yet the message inscribed on that single card was short and unmistakable. A low sound of displeasure escaped my lips.
“He’s coming to fetch me himself on the day?”
Something had gone catastrophically wrong.
“……That wanderer is escorting you? And this, when he hasn’t once in the past decade?”
“……This is not a time to be lying in bed.”
A bad feeling whispered past me. A deeply, deeply ominous feeling was beginning to take hold.
“You head straight for the fiefdom. I need to go to the Imperial Palace.”
“Don’t get tangled up in anything unnecessary—just declare the breakup the moment you arrive and get out!”
Noah’s cry echoed behind me, but I had no mind to answer.
What in the world had happened in those four days I’d been laid up?

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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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